The Codex: A Sister's Burden

by Arvaus

Rating: teen
Tags: Discord, Princess Celestia, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Sad, Princess Luna
Length: 55524

For thousands of years, Celestia has battled against destiny to protect Equestria, and to save her beloved sister from her fate. But she can only delay the inevitable in a world set on tearing her life apart.

An eternity is a far too long to keep a secret.

When Princess Celestia is warned of a threat to Equestria, one with the potential to tear the world apart, and ultimately steal her own sister from her, she vows to devote her life to finding a way to avert this disaster and save all those she loves from their fate.

Deep down, however, she knows that she can never truly achieve this, and that protecting her sister completely would require sacrificing everything else.

The Codex, compiled by Celestia herself, is the only full account of the events, spread over millennia, which led to her greatest loss, and her efforts to redeem her sister and restore the world to its natural balance.

Published 2013-02-28 02:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-07-27 19:14:25 UTC

Foreword

From the Royal Court of Princess Luna, for the attention of Princess Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville College of Magic.

My dear friend,

I hope this letter finds you well. I have decided that I must write to you because there is a matter of great importance of which you must be made aware. I must warn you that you may find some of these facts surprising, even troubling, but I ask you to give their details your full consideration before responding. I myself was furious when my sister first revealed them to me, but when the full story was explained to me, I was eventually able to forgive her for her actions.

First, and most importantly, I must confess to my own part in this story; I have lied to you, as did my sister to both of us before. This has cast a constant shadow over my thoughts in the past decades, and I must humbly ask for your forgiveness. I cannot second-guess my decision, as I am convinced it was justified, but misleading my fellow ponies is so contrary to my nature that it hurt me deeply to do so.

For many ages, my sister and I have been forced to hide certain facts, both from each other and from our kingdom. We did so only because we wished the pony race to have the chance to grow and develop as naturally as possible, unaffected by the knowledge of what we had seen and experienced. We wished to guide our subjects to better themselves and help them overcome the many trials which they have faced over history, but we feared that knowing the purpose of our guidance would spoil any positive effect we may have.

However, I believe that the time has finally come when this information can, nay must be published. It is time for everypony to finally understand the forces which have been at work guiding their race over the millennia. However, this story has a particular significance to your own life, Twilight, and so I wish for you to know first.

Therefore, I am passing on to you this document, known simply as The Codex. Compiled over many ages by my sister, The Codex is an account of the many events which have shaped her life and guided her in her decisions. It is a priceless historical document, revealing much about the world we live in and the magic which gives it form.

I first learned of the Codex a year after I returned from my forced exile, when you defeated Discord using the Elements of Harmony. I was only informed of Discord’s return after the event, and was shocked to discover that my sister had deliberately hidden his presence from me. She told me she had done this to protect me from him, but the fact that she did not even consult me was the first time I realised that she was hiding something from me.

I confronted her, and she told me everything. To help me understand, she gave me the Codex, and allowed me time to read it and consider its meaning. It was deceptive in its brevity, almost unprecedented in its scope, and is a uniquely personal account of a long and turbulent history. The things I learned about my sister, what she had put herself through for my sake, were astounding. I do not know if I would have done the same had I been in her place, but I cannot doubt her motivations anymore.

This knowledge was freeing, lifting a wall between us that I had not even realised was there, my sister’s efforts to hide it being so thorough. We were able to fully communicate in one mind, Celestia sharing with me all which she had hidden over the years.

But it was then that a new chapter in the story began. Celestia had assumed that it had finished, everything which must happen having been completed. Only because of this had she felt comfortable sharing with me. However, my different perspective on these events revealed that there was much more yet to be done.

I do not want to elaborate here. I believe that you must learn of this in the same manner that I did. Read the Codex, absorb what it has to teach you, and then there will be much for us to discuss, hopefully in person this time. There will, however, be much more for you to learn than there was for me. While much was hidden from me, it was primarily intentions and motivations. I was present for many of the acts themselves, but simply did not understand them as my sister did. I will give you as much time as you need to process the information, and will help you accept it in any way I can.

Only in the final chapters of the story did you become involved. It seems that the spirits of the universe have singled out for you a special role, as it did for me and my sister before. We have helped guide you in this destiny as best as we can, and you have perhaps done more to help the universe than you realise.

Lastly, a few thoughts concerning the Codex itself. It is my firm belief that it must at some point be published. It was created for the purpose of education, that those whose life its story touched could fully understand why these events have happened. However, its story is so far-reaching that this cannot be achieved until it has been seen by everypony in Equestria. You are far more the scholar than I ever was, so I will leave it to you to decide when and how this happens. I encourage you even to add to the Codex first, as I have done. Added perspectives can only bring further clarity.

Best wishes,

Princess Luna

Author's Note

And so it begins. This is an idea I have been working on ever since the end of season 2, with the intention of creating a single consistent mythology of the creation and history of Equestria. I left writing it until the end of season 3, though, when it became clear that some significant world-building was taking place. As such, unless specifically contradicted, everything up to and including Magical Mystery Cure is considered canon in this story, and I will try and justify any inconsistencies.

This is more than just a history though. It is an attempt to explore the enigmatic character of Celestia, the circumstances of Luna's fall, and much more. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 2 - The Prophecy

A long period of peace followed the events of Everfree, and the nation of Equestria prospered and spread throughout the land. The three tribes chose to retain their historic leadership structure, in order to cope with any tribal concerns directly, but the three regents, as they became known, willingly deferred to our leadership. Our new role took considerable adapting to, but the gratitude we felt from our subjects was all the encouragement we needed.

Most of our time was spent in and around Everfree Castle, which had become the seat of government for all Equestria. Dignitaries travelled there from across the land to seek counsel, which we gladly gave. Remembering our duties to all ponies, however, we also made sure to travel away from the castle periodically, living among our subjects for short periods to aid them in their lives.

In spite of the peace and prosperity, I one day learned that there was unrest among the spirits of Harmony. I did not know what the cause was, but there was a lingering danger, of which the spirits one day saw fit to warn me. They did not speak to me directly, likely due to my close connection with my sister. Instead, they reached out through the dreams of a young unicorn called Clarity Fairheart, in order to pass a message through her.

Princess Celestia

Clarity was walking along a narrow path through a thick forest. The trees were twisted and deformed, like no plant she had ever seen. Their dense branches almost blocked out the clear night sky, but beams of moonlight shone through the gaps.

"Hello?"

Nopony responded. Something moved suddenly in the bushes to her left, and she spun around, searching for it with her eyes.

There was nothing there.

Clarity looked around, trying to get her bearings, but the path looked exactly the same in both directions, and she couldn't remember which way she had been facing. Picking a random direction, she cantered off into the darkness. She lit her horn to try and see where she was going, but the darkness seemed to drown out the light.

A short time later, she came to a crossroads. There was a signpost, but it was old and worn, and she couldn't make out the words.

In the distance, she could hear whispering, a thousand distant voices coming from all directions, talking at the same time. She spun round, looking down each of the paths, but couldn't see anypony.

Gradually the noise increased, until all other sounds in the forest were drowned out. The whispering grew faster, and more frantic.

The voices were coming towards her.

"Who are you?" She called out, but there was no response. The voices continued to advance. The distant trees receded, the paths falling into shadow.

She spun around desperately, looking for the source of the voices. They drilled into her mind, drowning out her own thoughts. She fell to the ground, pounding at her head to try and get the voices to leave.

Suddenly, they stopped. Then they spoke again, as one voice.

SEEK OUT THE SUN.

Clarity leapt up and shouted at the voices. "Who are you? What do you mean? Where is this place?"

She spun again, searching the forest for any sign of life.

Her eyes fell on something.

In the darkness of one of the paths were two narrow eyes, glowing green, looking right at her.

Tripping over her own hooves in shock, she wheeled around and galloped away from the staring eyes, crashing through the trees. She ducked and dodged madly as branches whipped out of the darkness to catch her.

Looking behind her, she saw the eyes again. The creature they belonged to bounded through the trees, gaining on her. Two more creatures had joined it now, coming from either side.

Her panted heavily as she dashed between the trees. The plants seemed to close in on her, their sharp branches clawing at her skin.

She tripped on something.

Rolling through the dirt and bushes, she scrabbled up against a tree as the eyes caught up with her. Coming out of the darkness were three giant wolves, their bodies made from wood, leaves, and other parts of the forest. They surrounded her, raising their claws.

SEEK OUT THE SUN. SHE MUST HELP US.

"Leave me alone!"

The trees around her burst into flame; the searing heat clawed at her fur. The wolves fled, yelps of fear and pain fading away and quickly being drowned out by the raging fire.

Clarity clambered back onto her hooves and ran blindly through the burning trees. She crashed through a bush, feeling the flames on her skin. Panicking, she fell to the ground and curled up tightly, willing the fire away.

The world went dark and cold. Looking up from where she had landed, Clarity saw that the trees had gone. There was no fire any more, but she was covered in ash. The land around her was dark and featureless.

Confused and afraid, she lit her horn again and looked everywhere for signs of where she was, but there was nothing anywhere to be seen.

SEEK OUT THE SUN. SHE MUST ACT.

"What do you mean? Who are you?"

Her calls were answered this time by a distant growling. One by one, a dozen pairs of green eyes appeared in the darkness, surrounding her. They advanced, and Clarity fell to the ground shaking as the wolves closed in on her.

Suddenly, the wolves fell silent. Clarity looked up just as a huge indigo figure soared over her head. Princess Luna landed forcefully on the ground in front of her, horn glowing with magic, and the wolves fled at the sight of the alicorn. Once they were gone, Luna looked up to the sky, and as if by her will, the sun slowly began to rise above the horizon, illuminating the strange landscape around them.

Clarity looked up at Luna, still trembling in fear, and her eyes fell on the silver crescent on her flank. She remembered the voice she had heard.

Seek out the sun...

Luna turned to face Clarity, and extended a hoof to help her up.

"You are safe now, Clarity. Are you hurt?"

Clarity covered her head with her hooves, unable to look the alicorn in the eyes. She shuffled backwards, away from the offered hoof.

Luna retracted the hoof, confused by her reaction. She instead took a step back and knelt down on the blackened earth.

"Clarity, please. I came here to help you. Tell me what you need."

Clarity peeked out between her hooves and looked at Luna, but the sight of her eyes was painful. She covered her head again, and tried to speak, having to force the words out.

"I... I need to speak to Princess Celestia."

Luna didn't respond. Opening her eyes carefully, Clarity saw that Luna had been distracted by something in the ground, pawing at it quizzically. Standing up, Luna looked around in confusion at the landscape, spinning to see the entire area. After many moments of silence, she looked back over her shoulder to Clarity. Seeing the small unicorn flinch at her gaze, she turned to face away again before speaking.

"Come to Everfree in three days time, at midday. My sister will be waiting for you."

With that, Luna faded away, and Clarity found herself lying in lush meadowland, birds singing in the clear sky above her.

~ ~ ~

Three days later, Clarity arrived at the gates to the Everfree estate. The road was flanked by two huge stone statues, each depicting one of the alicorn sisters. A dense orchard of apple trees spread into the distance on either side, and at the end of the winding track, Everfree castle rose majestically above the landscape. It was a warm spring day, and the trees were in full blossom, the orchard a sea of white and green rustling in the breeze. Amongst the trees, Clarity could see numerous birds and animals, and in the distance there was a gardener tending to one of the trees.

Setting off along the track, Clarity looked up nervously at the castle. She wondered to herself if Luna was there at the moment. If Celestia was coming to meet her, it was quite likely that Luna would be seeing to court matters, meaning they were unlikely to encounter each other. Clarity was surprised when she realised that she was relieved by this thought.

Rounding the first bend, she stopped dead. Princess Celestia was standing ahead of her, enjoying the fragrance of the blossoms on one of the trees. A golden tiara sat on her head, and she wore a matching peytral and ornate golden horseshoes, as symbols of her title. Clarity had never met Celestia before, having only heard descriptions, but she could see a clear resemblance between the two sisters; they had the same tall stature, and her translucent mane and tail flowed gently in the breeze. The most striking difference, however, was their almost perfectly contrasting coats. While Luna was a deep indigo, Celestia's mane was a soft pink hue, and her coat was so pure white that in the sunlight it almost seemed to glow. While the sisters shared a profound bond with each other, Clarity could see just from their appearance and mannerisms that the two were still very different from each other, as if they were two different sides of the same being.

~ ~ ~

Celestia watched the young unicorn approach. It was clear that she was intimidated by the vast estate that spread out before her, as many first-time visitors were. She had a pastille pink coat and lavender mane, matching Luna's description of Clarity Fairheart. If Luna's suspicions were correct, then there was something very special about this shy little pony.

Celestia turned and approached Clarity, giving her a welcoming smile. Celestia sensed that she was feeling a heavy burden on her mind.

"You must be Clarity," she said.

"Yes, Princess." Clarity's nerves began to calm somewhat in Celestia's presence. The princess held a wing out, gesturing towards the trees.

"I do enjoy a stroll through the orchard at this time of year. Would you care to join me?"

Celestia led the way towards the trees, with Clarity following beside her. She didn't speak for a few minutes, letting Clarity calm down as she took in the sights and smells of the orchard. Celestia much preferred having more personal conversations in the orchard rather than back at the castle; the trees made it feel much more private and secluded than the busy castle ever did. The vegetation also tended to have a naturally calming effect on other ponies, which also helped. After a while, Clarity turned to the princess.

"This is a lot nicer than the last forest I was in," she said. Catching herself, she blushed and quickly looked the other way. "Er, apologies, your High—"

"Don't worry, Miss Fairheart," Celestia interrupted, smiling. "This isn't the royal court. You may speak freely here. Now, if I may ask, which forest was that? I understand that you live in Riverdale, and I don't believe there are any forests near there."

"Oh, this wasn't a real forest."

"Ah, so this would be in your dream?" Clarity nodded. "Now, this dream is an interesting matter," Celestia continued. "I was surprised a few days ago when Luna came to me to discuss it. She doesn't normally talk to me about our subjects' dreams, preferring to respect their privacy. But this is the first time that somepony asked for me by name during a dream." Out of the corner of her eye, Celestia noticed that Clarity had flinched slightly at the mention of Luna's name.

"If I may," Clarity ventured, "I was a bit surprised that you agreed to see me. I'd have thought that you had more important things to do than talk to me about a bad dream."

"I always like to make time to talk to my subjects," Celestia reassured her. "I spend so much time dealing with politics. I'm glad to do it, of course, but I cherish every moment I can spend with my little ponies. It helps me stay familiar with those whom I serve. But as I am sure you suspect, there were other factors in play here.

"My sister said that the place she found you in was very familiar to her. She could not be certain under the conditions, but if she is correct, you were in a place that there is no way you could have seen before. A place which holds great significance to me personally. There is also the fact that you asked for me by name. As I said before, that has not happened within a dream before.

"But there is also the fact that Luna..." Clarity flinched at the name again, clearly disturbed, and Celestia stopped. "I'm sorry. I can see that this isn't easy for you to talk about. Would you prefer to sit down for a while?"

Clarity nodded absent-mindedly, and the two of them lay down in a patch of sunlight between the rows of apple trees. Celestia waited a minute, listening to the sound of the birds in the sky. As Clarity seemed to loosen up, she pressed on cautiously.

"I need to ask. Why are you so disturbed by my sister?"

Clarity looked up suddenly, as if she thought she had offended Celestia, but the face she found looking back at her was not stern or disapproving. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she answered.

"I'm not. Or at least I shouldn't be! She came to live in my village when I was younger. She stayed a few months to help set up the new mill by the river. She even foalsat me a few times when my parents were busy! I was really sad when she had to leave! But then..." She shivered at a painful memory. "But then, she appears in my dream. She saves me from those... wolf things, and greets me like a friend, but all I can feel is fear! It felt like I was staring into the eyes of a monster! I don't know why. I can't explain it. That's just what it felt like. All I wanted was for Luna to leave, so I wouldn't have to see those eyes staring back at me!"

Celestia stared into the distance, disturbed by this revelation. Luna tended to only visit dreams where ponies were scared or in danger, so it was natural that they would be afraid when she arrived. But on the occasions when she had discussed the dream world with Celestia, she had always said that they were relived when they realised she was there to help them. What Clarity described was a fear directed specifically at Luna, not just a residual fear from whatever else was in the dream. It was as if something had forced its way into her mind and made her fear Luna. But there were vanishingly few forces capable of that. Her sister was the only other pony Celestia had ever encountered with such abilities, but she would never use the ability, particularly not against herself.

"What else can you tell me about the dream? Did anything else seem out of the ordinary?"

Clarity looked up at Celestia, confused. "It was a nightmare. Everything seemed odd. But there was..."

"Please, take your time." Celestia gently patted Clarity on the back with her wing. "We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to."

"No, I'm okay. I think I need to tell you about it, anyway. It's why I asked to see you in the first place. It was... there was a voice. Well, it was more like thousands of voices, but they spoke to me. They told me to find you, said there was something you had to do."

"I see. Did they say what it was?"

"No, they just said that you had to help them. Your sister arrived after that, and I didn't hear them again."

Celestia pondered this for a moment, great gears of thought rolling in to place in her mind. These voices, whatever they belonged to, had a message for her, and it appeared to involve her sister. It was clearly a significant matter for them to have gone to this much effort, both to get the message to her in the first place, and apparently to keep it hidden from Luna. It didn't seem that Luna was in direct danger; that would likely have manifested as fear for her, not of her. But anything that could cause her to become so hated, so reviled by those who once called her friend? Luna needed to be protected from this at all costs. Whatever these voices were, Celestia needed to hear them.

It was clear now why Clarity was carrying such a great burden. The voices needed to speak to Celestia, and the only safe conduit they could find was the mind of another pony. They couldn't approach Celestia directly, as her mind was linked too closely to Luna's; they would have risked her also hearing the message. They had decided that they needed to speak to her indirectly, using somepony as an intermediary.

Paradoxically, this had led them to encounter Luna first. As a result, they couldn't just give their message directly to Clarity. They needed her to come to Celestia before they could pass it on. If this was all true, then it meant two things: First, these voices must possess an intimate understanding of the sisters' full nature, more than any pony ever did. Second, it meant that those voices were still waiting inside Clarity, weighing down on her mind and clouding her judgement. Celestia needed to let them speak, and there was only one possible way that she knew of.

Celestia took a deep breath, preparing herself. Silently, she let her magic stir inside her. This was a powerful magic, a sort which she used sparingly, only in cases which demanded it. Clarity would be unharmed, fortunately, but some things are meant to be kept private, protected. A pony's spirit was sacred, and should not be interfered with lightly. She looked down at the young pony resting beside her.

"Clarity, you did well to come to me. I think it's clear that there was something unnatural about this dream. I can help you, but first I need to determine the exact nature of what occurred. If you will permit me, I would like to enter your memory and experience the dream myself."

Clarity turned to face her, surprised. "You can do that?"

"I can. I prefer not to, but it seems that whatever these voices need to say is meant for me. I need to see it for myself." Seeing the concern on Clarity's face, she continued, "Do not worry. You will not be harmed, and you will not need to relive the dream yourself. It will only last a moment."

Clarity considered this for a long time, her eyes drifting between the trees but her thoughts miles away. Then she turned to face Celestia once more. Swallowing her concern, she looked the alicorn in the eyes.

"If you think it's necessary, then I trust you. What do I need to do?"

"Just close your eyes. This may feel strange for a moment, but it will pass."

Clarity closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Celestia felt a pang of guilt. She was asking Clarity to trust her completely, and yet she had lied to her. She had only withheld certain facts to protect Clarity, but that did little to comfort her. Celestia closed her eyes as well, and leaned down to place her horn next to Clarity's. Magic flowed between the two, and the world dissolved around them...

~ ~ ~

Clarity was walking along a narrow path through a thick forest. Celestia was there also, observing. She was no longer in her own body, instead viewing the world of the dream through Clarity's senses. She could feel Clarity's fear, but it was no more than could be expected in such a place. Whatever she was here to see was yet to happen.

The trees around her were ancient, the forest giving the air of having endured many ages. Celestia could taste arcane magic in the air. this place had been scarred and corrupted by powerful forces long ago. There was still life among the trees, but it was twisted, damaged. Celestia found this place deeply unsettling, almost offensive.

Clarity had travelled along the path for what felt like a few minutes, when she came to a crossroads. It was at this moment that Celestia felt it. Somewhere in the midst of this scene, a powerful force was waiting. There were voices, thousands of them, seemingly coming from all directions.

"Who are you?" Clarity's voice called out. The voices did not respond, but slowly advanced on her until they seemed to fill the entire space around her. Celestia could now start to make out some individual voices amongst the throng, but they did not make sense. They seemed to be talking, not about something, but about everything.

The presence filled the space, saturating the air with thoughts and words. It became too much for Clarity to bear, and she collapsed to the ground. They were pressing against her mind, trying to find a way in, pounding at her defences in desperation. Her thoughts were being crushed, and the very world of the dream was being compressed, the trees receding into darkness.

Celestia watched, shocked at the force of the voices and the trauma they were exerting on the poor pony. Whatever they were, they were desperate.

Suddenly, something snapped, and the voices flooded into Clarity's mind. The forest drew back, falling silent. Somewhere, in the back of Clarity's mind, Celestia could still sense a lingering presence. It had happened.

SEEK OUT THE SUN.

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. They had spoken directly to Clarity, projecting the thought into her very consciousness. Clarity called out, but they did not respond.

It was then that the forest stirred. Celestia could sense it before Clarity did; something had come out of the trees, and was watching.

Clarity saw it too, the eyes staring at her out of the darkness. Instinct took control, and she bolted into the trees, quickly losing track of the path. The land had turned hostile, trees reaching out to stop her. A root caught her hoof, throwing her to the ground. In a matter of seconds the creatures caught up with her, emerging out of the darkness. They were abominations, the twisted magic that filled the forest using the remains of the trees to build a crude imitation of life. They advanced, ready to rid the forest of the pony that had intruded into their domain.

SEEK OUT THE SUN. SHE MUST HELP US.

"Leave me alone!"

The voices were stirring again, and Clarity's mind fought instinctively against the surge. The trees were suddenly consumed in searing flames, driving the wolves away. It had been too much, though, and Clarity's own defences turned against her, the fire burning her fur. She fled, battling her way through the flames.

Clarity fell to the ground, and the voices pushed their way into her subconscious, imposing themselves on the dream world. In an instant, the forest dissolved. Everything went dark; the sky was blank and featureless, and the ground, illuminated only by the light of Clarity's horn, was black and charred.

Celestia could feel the sense of familiarity which Luna had described. It seemed to fit, but she could not be certain at this point. She could not see clearly enough. She would have to wait for the end of the dream.

SEEK OUT THE SUN. SHE MUST ACT.

"What do you mean? Who are you?"

Once again, the voices spoke, and Celestia could feel them spreading through Clarity's mind, weighing down on her every thought. The moment was drawing close.

Clarity was terrified, and her own fear took hold on the dream once more. A dozen of the wolves drew out of the darkness, surrounding her.

Suddenly the voices fell silent. They retreated into the back of Clarity's mind as another presence forced itself into the dream. Luna landed in the midst of the wolves, pushing them back with her own magic.

Satisfied that the dream world was safe, Luna raised her head to the sky and willed light into the landscape. The sun rose slowly above the distant horizon, bathing the scene in a dim red light.

Immediately, Celestia knew that her sister had been right. She had only ever seen this scene before for an instant, but that moment was etched so powerfully on to her mind that there could be no uncertainty. The shallow valley rising away from her, the scorched earth...

Celestia's thoughts were drawn back to Clarity by a surge of emotion coming from somewhere deep within the unicorn's mind. Luna had turned to face her, but the sight of her eyes repulsed Celestia. This was not her sister. It couldn't be. Her very presence filled Clarity's mind with terror, and Celestia felt it also. Projected onto the face before her was a deep loathing, a vengeful monster whose eyes burned with chaos and destruction. And Celestia hated it. She hated what it had done to her sister, and for a single moment, she wanted nothing more than to destroy it.

~ ~ ~

The dream world dissolved. Clarity had disappeared, and Celestia found her mind floating through a great void, thoughts and images flowing through her. The landscape of thoughts and concepts shifted continually, shapes and scenes merging into one another.

The voices drew together once more, speaking directly to her.

YOU ARE THE SUN.

"I am. Who are you?"

WE ARE THE WORLD. THE SPIRITS WHICH MAKE AND SUSTAIN EVERYTHING.

"You are Harmony?"

WE ARE PART OF HARMONY.

"Why have you summoned me here? What is happening to my sister?"

YOU ARE HERE THAT YOU MAY BE WARNED. WE HAVE SEEN ECHOES OF EVENTS IN THIS WORLD'S FUTURE. THEY THREATEN TO DESTROY EVERYTHING. THEY MUST BE STOPPED.

"Like what happened at Everfree?"

The images shifted, and that scene from centuries before formed in the void. Luna and Celestia stood, frozen in time, surrounded by the three leaders of the pony tribes, their eyes burning, radiating magical energy.

IN THIS PLACE, YOU WATCHED AS, FOR THE FIRST TIME, HARMONY NEARLY FELL TO CHAOS. YOU STOOD ALONGSIDE YOUR SISTER AND DID EVERYTHING YOU COULD TO STOP THE APPROACHING DESTRUCTION, BUT YOU ULTIMATELY FAILED.

"But Harmony still prevailed! And now it's stronger than it ever was before!"

YES.

The scene changed. The three ponies who had saved them at Everfree stood side by side in the darkness, power pouring from them.

THOSE THREE PONIES BONDED WITH THE SPIRITS OF THE UNIVERSE, THE VERY ELEMENTS OF HARMONY ITSELF, AND TOGETHER WERE ABLE TO PUSH BACK THE END.

"If the Elements of Harmony are so much more powerful than my sister and I, why do you need me?"

THEY CANNOT ACT ON THEIR OWN. THEY ARE A CONDUIT, THROUGH WHICH POWER CAN REACH HARMONY ITSELF. YOUR MAGIC WILL BE REQUIRED IF THEY ARE TO SUCCEED.

“But they did not need us before! Why is this time different?”

BECAUSE THERE IS A FORCE MORE POWERFUL THAN THESE THREE ELEMENTS. SOMETHING CAPABLE OF HIDING ITSELF EVEN FROM HARMONY. SOMETHING WITH THE POWER TO THROW THE UNIVERSE INTO CHAOS PERMANENTLY.

"What?"

WE DO NOT KNOW.

The statement echoed in the void. Faint images of strange events washed across Celestia's consciousness as she absorbed the implications of the words.

"What do you mean?"

The ancient, twisted forest appeared, now from above the trees. An ancient ruined castle could be seen, decaying and broken, illuminated by the moonlight.

WE DO NOT KNOW. WE CANNOT SEE THE FUTURE, ONLY ECHOES OF EVENTS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO RESONATE ACROSS HISTORY. SOMETHING WILL ARISE, AND YOU MUST STAND AGAINST IT WITH YOUR SISTER. ONLY THEN CAN THE CHAOS BE HELD BACK.

"My sister? What happens to Luna?"

Luna's face appeared once more, her eyes alien and unfamiliar.

YOU HAVE THE THREE ELEMENTS, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE ENOUGH. GREAT SACRIFICES WILL HAVE TO BE MADE BY ALL IF YOU ARE TO SUCCEED. THE BATTLE WILL LEAVE SCARS ON MANY. THE PROTECTORS WILL TURN AGAINST EACH OTHER, AND THE MOON WILL FALL.

"No! You said you don't know the future! This doesn't have to happen! THIS CAN'T HAPPEN!"

SOME THINGS ARE UNCLEAR, BUT OTHERS ARE FIXED. YOU MUST BE STRONG. YOU MUST DEFEAT THIS ENEMY.

"But you said that the elements were not powerful enough! How can we ever win this?"

THERE ARE OTHERS.

New scenes flashed by, faded and blurred with uncertainty. Three ponies huddled together in the dark. A single pony, surrounded by friends as she mourned. Six ponies entering the forest together.

THERE ARE YET OTHER ELEMENTS TO WAKE. IN TIME, BALANCE MAY FINALLY BE RESTORED. YOU MUST REMAIN PATIENT AND VIGILANT.

"And Luna will be safe?"

THEIR FATE IS YOURS. YOU MUST BE CAREFUL OR ALL MAY BE LOST.

"I DEMAND THAT YOU TELL ME IF LUNA WILL BE SAFE!"

WE HAVE TOLD YOU ALL WE CAN. PREPARATIONS MUST BE MADE. DO NOT FAIL.

~ ~ ~

Celestia opened her eyes. Clarity was sitting there, her eyes closed, her body still and calm. Celestia stood up, her head swimming with thoughts. Overwhelmed by the information she had been entrusted with, she paced restlessly around the small clearing.

Somewhere out there, in the vast expanses of Harmony, something was waiting to tear apart the world she had grown to love, to overthrow the nation she had poured her life into building and nurturing. If she did nothing, it would destroy everypony she loved, and even if she did everything she could, there was no hope of saving everything.

She desperately held back the pain, resisting the urge to scream at the heavens. In an instant, the spirits had pulled the very foundations of her world out from under her, and she could feel herself crumbling. She had failed, even before she had been given a chance to start. She had made a promise. She had vowed to protect this world from all that threatened it, to keep the ponies in her care from ever having to experience what she had felt at Everfree. It was her duty to Equestria, to the world, to Harmony itself, to protect its integrity and maintain the balance of all things. To think that all her efforts were in vain was devastating.

And now fate was going to take her own sister from her. Luna was a part of her, as she was of Luna. They held a bond so strong that she dreaded to imagine what could happen if it was ever broken. Would either of them survive? And what would happen to Equestria then?

I can't let this happen, she thought. And I won't. I have been mistaken before. The other spirits cannot know everything. They must be wrong. A fire burned inside her. She knew what must be done. She would prepare in any way she could, to ensure that the pony race would live on. And she would devote her life to finding any way keep her sister safe.

She looked back to Clarity, still sitting on the grass. Her eyes were open now, and she watched Celestia expectantly. Clarity looked happy once more, and in spite of everything the warmth of her smile calmed Celestia's raging mind. She returned to Clarity's side and lay down on the grass, forcing a smile to her face.

"How much of what just happened do you remember?"

"I felt something as you cast the spell, but then it just stopped. I didn't see anything more from the dream."

Celestia sighed in relief. At least this burden only lay on her now. She would not have to force another pony to endure the secret with her.

"And what of my sister?"

Clarity considered the question. "I can still remember the feeling, but it doesn't seem the same. It's like the fear isn't my own any more, just a story I was told." She smiled, able to enjoy the memory of her old friend again. After a while, she turned back to Celestia. "What happened? What did you see?"

Celestia thought carefully, planning her response.

"There are many spirits which reside in this world,” she explained, eventually. “From what I could discern from your dream, it seems that your own spirit inadvertently became entangled with theirs, and this caused the confused feelings you felt. Fortunately they were able to instruct you to come here, and I was able to release them."

It was a lie, of course, but Celestia could not bear to leave her worried more than she needed to be. Clarity considered the words with a puzzled expression, but then replied.

"My parents always said I was good at seeing the minds of other ponies. You know, knowing how they feel and that sort of thing. It's part of my special talent, I think. Do you think it has to do with that?"

Celestia noted the unicorn's cutie mark: two intertwined ribbons, bound together in a spiral. She had not given it any thought previously.

"It may well, Clarity. Your talents may well have made you more receptive to the spirit world, allowing them to accidentally enter your mind while you were asleep. But I wouldn't be concerned. They are gone now, and if I am right, it will not happen again."

Clarity nodded, and stood up once more, her mind now free from the weight that had held her down for three days. Celestia stood also, and led her through the trees to the road.

"Now I must return to the castle. There is business which needs attending to. Will you be okay making your way home?" Clarity nodded confidently and looked up at Celestia with a grateful smile.

"Thank you for the help, Princess."

"You are very welcome,” Celestia replied. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Clarity. Farewell."

Clarity turned and trotted along the road, happily watching the birds singing in the sky.

~ ~ ~

Celestia watched Clarity leave, distracted by guilt at having to lie to the young pony like that. But there was worse to come. She had to face her sister now. She hoped that she would be able to look Luna in the eye, after everything she had been shown.

She would have to lie again, she knew. There were some things which Luna must be made aware of, and this would help ease her conscience, but Celestia was determined to save her from her fate if there was any way to do so, and if that meant hiding it from Luna then she would happily carry the load a thousand times over.

She took off into the air, flying north past the castle. Magic pulsed on her horn, and a few moments later Luna emerged from the castle, flying up to join her sister. They flew together silently for a few minutes, crossing the vast estate below them, before descending gracefully to the ground, landing among the apple trees.

"I trust the meeting went well," Luna asked.

"Indeed it did, sister."

"And?"

Celestia glanced at Luna out of the corner of her eye. Her sister was listening, deep in thought, as they always were when they conversed. Their minds worked as one, looking at each problem from opposite sides, seamlessly merging into a single consciousness. It took great effort to hide anything from her sister, but she persevered.

"Your suspicions were correct. Something had been calling out to Clarity, showing her visions in an effort to send a message to me. Why me specifically I do not know."

"Perhaps it needed both of us to see the image before it sent the message so that we would fully understand its significance."

"Perhaps."

Luna set off through the trees, and Celestia kept pace beside her.

"And what of the message, sister?"

"It was strange. Incoherent. More a stream of ideas than words. But I think it was a warning."

Luna nodded in understanding, before responding.

"And with the images it chose to show us, it is safe to assume we must not underestimate the severity of what we will face."

"I believe so. But there is hope. If I understood the message correctly, I believe we have the tools within us to overcome this trial."

"The Elements?"

"Yes."

They came to a halt, having reached their destination. They stood at the edge of a shallow dell, its banks clear of the trees which filled the estate, and covered in thick, luscious grass. Once black and lifeless, scarred by hatred and distrust, this place had risen from the darkness and brought forth a new age of love and compassion. In the centre stood a single, ancient apple tree, preserved carefully over the centuries. In front of the tree was statue of three ponies, holding each other in a warm embrace. This was a sacred place, a monument to the power of love and friendship, and the hope it brought to the world even in the darkest of times.

The sisters rested their heads against each other's, Celestia embracing her sister under her wing. She spoke, her voice soft.

"We must not be afraid. If we stand together, we can push through this."

"I will never leave your side, my sister."

"Nor I yours."

They stood together silently for many minutes, watching the world pass by ignorant of its own future. For a moment, Celestia envied it. Eventually, they lifted themselves back into the air, soaring in a circle over the monument before returning to the castle.

Chapter 3 - Discord

My studies of the Elements of Harmony took many years, but fortunately the centuries which followed the prophecy remained quiet. Dangers came and went, as they always did, but these were all mortal dangers which could be outlasted or fought against. I do not wish to belittle these events, as each life lost during the wars with the dragons and griffons were tragedies, as it is when any pony dies. But this can only serve to emphasise the threat we believed we were preparing for. None of these events would have required the intervention of the Elements, as the ponies are resourceful creatures and were able to adapt to and repel each enemy that threatened them. I could only imagine what sort of force was coming.

In time, through long periods of meditation, I learned much of the nature of the spirit world, and of Harmony itself. I was able to see the spirits, each with their own unique form and purpose, and the ever-changing bonds which held them together.

Harmony itself remained out of reach to me, however, its scale and power beyond even my comprehension. At any time I could only understand a part of the whole, knowing the innumerable spirits spread around me to be only a drop in a vast ocean. I could feel its power though, flowing through me, fuelling me. Every smile, every warm embrace, gave it strength, and this in turn gave me confidence. In this feeling I could see my own nature, and understood all the more the drive I had always felt towards peace and cooperation. It was not simply sentiment; there was something much more fundamental to it.

I did have one more window into Harmony itself: the three Elements which remained bound to me. Seeing their true form among the spirits was awe-inspiring! They rivalled everything in scale, encompassing the entire universe, touching each and every spirit. They were not so much a part of Harmony, but a shell, a protective skin surrounding the universe and keeping it strong.

And yet, despite this, the Elements remained strangely aloof. Even as I approached them, they remained inert, their bonds to the other spirits ephemeral and with no real substance. They had the potential to spread influence far and wide, but seemed to show no inherent power themselves, as the spirits had said. They were a conduit, as no doubt were the ponies who wielded them before, for a greater power, which could only have arisen from Harmony itself.

It is a mystery to me why these spirits exist, and I do not doubt that it will remain a mystery for as long as I live. But a few aspects of their nature were revealed to me during my studies. I saw that each had for some reason gained a special bond to a single spirit. Each of these spirits in turn defined a single concept, a single virtue, with the power to forge the spark of friendship necessary for the Elements’ awakening.

I do not know if the Elements have always been bound to these spirits, or if the connection only formed at their awakening. If this is the case, it is unclear if these are the only spirits they could have become bound to. In any case, I was able to identify the three virtues represented by the Elements I had connections to. Roughly, they could be described as Loyalty, Friendship and Generosity, corresponding to Silver Moon, Gunner Beck and Wheat Sheaf respectively. Careful examination of their story was able to corroborate this.

As for the true number of the Elements, this remained an unknown. Based on the prophecy, I knew there to be at least six. Only after the activation of further elements would I be able to confirm the exact total, however. Unfortunately, this would not occur until after the first time I was forced to use them.

Princess Celestia

The signs were subtle at first, barely noticeable above the natural fluctuations of the world. The weather started to change, gradually becoming harder to control. Animal migrations started to shift. But this went by unnoticed, for the pony race responded to this as had become their custom: they cooperated, adapted, and rebuilt. Each change on its own was insignificant, and the ponies moved quickly with each other’s help. Through everything, they survived. They were under a lot of strain, but they persevered and remained strong.

And so the danger was not seen until it was already too late.

The first clear sign came at dawn on an otherwise insignificant winter morning. Or rather, it didn’t, as on that morning, the sun refused to rise.

Celestia woke promptly that day, as she always did, in order to watch the sunrise and prepare for the coming day. She walked onto the balcony of her room and looked out to the west. As had always been the case, she was greeted by the sight of the moon, drifting slowly below the horizon at the end of its watch over the land.

But there was something wrong on this occasion. The telltale aura of the sun approaching the horizon in the east was absent, the sky instead remaining a deep blue, the stars clearly visible.

Concerned, Celestia took off from the balcony and glided round to the far side of the castle, landing on an identical platform connecting to her sister’s apartment. Luna stood there waiting, her eyes also fixed on the eastern horizon.

“This is unprecedented, sister,” Luna said upon seeing her sister land. She sounded concerned, mirroring her sister’s own feelings. Celestia walked up to face her.

“The sun and moon have not deviated once from their motions since Everfree,” Celestia responded. “Something powerful must be affecting them.”

“Do you think this may be what the prophecy warned us of, sister?”

“We should not ignore the possibility. We have the three Elements, and we are as prepared to use them as we can be. What do you suggest?”

Luna considered the sky behind her sister for a moment. It was still dark.

“I suggest we wait,” she said. “At least for a short while. Even we do not fully understand the magic of the universe.”

Celestia nodded. “We should not assume hostility without further information.”

“Agreed. And in the case of hostile forces, we also need to know against what we are working, in order to know how to respond.”

Celestia turned towards where the sun should have been, stepping back to stand beside her sister. For many minutes, they watched the sky silently for any sign of what was happening. Eventually, Celestia sighed and looked sideways at her sister.

“In the meantime, whatever is causing this, it is going to have an adverse effect on the kingdom. We must begin preparations to help our little ponies cope with the—”

At that moment, the eastern sky grew light, and within seconds the sun was visible, creeping lazily above the horizon.

“Perhaps we will not have to deal with that yet,” Luna commented, chuckling. “And if there is an unknown spirit at work here, I cannot help but wonder if it has a sense of humour.”

Celestia smiled and shook her head. She then looked back towards the sun, and stared at it for a long moment, as it rose into the sky as if nothing were amiss. She considered its behaviour, perplexed as to what this meant.

“It would appear so, sister,” she said. “But I suggest we travel out into the nation today and meet with the ponies. We should determine if this oddity has been noticed by anypony else. Until we understand what is happening I would rather not have our subjects panicking.”

Luna nodded in agreement, and Celestia took off into the sky again, returning to her own chamber to prepare for the day. Her sister did likewise, and within the hour they were both travelling away from the castle towards the nearest settlements.

~ ~ ~

The following months passed by without incident. The sun and moon rose and set each day, mocking the princesses with their regularity. They refused to give any sign as to the nature of the incident. Fortunately, the event had passed unnoticed, and the pony race remained oblivious.

It was half a year after the first incident when it happened again. At dusk, Celestia was returning to her quarters after a long day in court. She watched the sun set below the horizon to the west out of the windows of the corridor, but when she arrived in her chamber she found Luna there, waiting for her.

“The moon has decided to delay this evening, sister,” she said.

Celestia looked out of the window, seeing the unnaturally dark sky once more. The two of them walked out onto the balcony and stared at the sky in silent contemplation before discussing the matter.

“Perhaps we should attempt to personally summon the moon,” Celestia suggested.

“It is a part of me as much as my body is,” Luna stated thoughtfully. “I should have some control over its motion. It is worth a try.”

Luna closed her eyes, and her horn glowed with magic. She stood motionless for many seconds, then opened her eyes and looked at her sister.

“I can feel its presence. There is no sign of any external influence, however. It is not being slowed or held back. It is as if it is operating naturally, but has just become confused about when it is supposed to rise.”

“Can you help it?” Celestia asked.

“I believe so.” Luna’s horn lit up again, and after a few seconds, the moon crept above the eastern horizon. Luna released her hold on it, and it continued to rise as normal.

“I had to pull it forward by almost a quarter of an hour,” Luna said. “It is back on schedule now, however.”

“That is good,” Celestia responded. “Whatever this is, we are not powerless against it.”

“Not yet, at least,” Luna responded. “We still have no idea what we are dealing with. Let us rest now, and see what happens in the morning.”

“Agreed. I will meet you before sunrise to wait and see if the sun is late again.”

Nodding in acknowledgement, Luna took off from the balcony and flew round the castle, returning to her chambers. Celestia walked back into her own room and began to prepare for the night.

She considered this new puzzle carefully. Twice the sun and moon had behaved erratically now. Something powerful was working quietly behind the scenes to some unknown purpose. Even if this was indeed linked to the prophecy, it as yet showed no sign of taking an specific interest in her sister. Did this mean that this event was unrelated to Luna’s fall? Perhaps there was yet hope that they could both come out of this unaffected.

The next morning, Celestia rose promptly as usual. She walked out onto the balcony and prepared to fly round towards her sister’s room, when she noticed something was already amiss. As usual, the moon was yet to set, sitting just above the horizon. Yet the sky was already light.

This time, the sun had risen early.

~ ~ ~

Mid-morning, Celestia arrived at court and was informed that Chancellor Fallowmane and Commander Phoenix had demanded an audience. She asked her aides to show them in as soon as possible and hold all other appointments. Regents demanding audience, especially in groups, was never a good sign.

When the regents arrived at court, Celestia stood up from her throne and walked forward to greet them.

“Chancellor, Commander, to what do I owe this honour?”

Commander Phoenix walked forward, the fire-yellow pegasus mare looking up at Celestia with concern.

“We wish this were an under more pleasant circumstances, but something has happened, and we request counsel.”

Celestia looked at them both. They were both clearly distracted, and looked as if they had been up all night.

“I cannot help but notice an absence at this meeting,” she stated calmly. “I hope these concerns are not directed towards the unicorn queen.”

The chancellor approached now. He shook his head apologetically.

“Don’t worry, princess. We have no quarrel with the queen or her tribe at this time, and this affects them as much as it does us. But the commander and I happened to be meeting last night when the flood hit, and it would have taken too long to—”

Celestia cut him off with a wave of her hoof. “A flood?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Shortly after midnight, a heavy storm hit the hills just north of Canterbridge. There was a flash flood, and most of the homes there were ruined.”

Celestia glanced out of the window. Canterbridge wasn’t far north of Everfree, but she could see that the sky was perfectly clear in that direction. In any case, unexpected flash floods were rare, and the weather pegasi had always managed to at least divert the worst of the rain to other areas. She turned to Commander Phoenix.

“What do you make of this, Commander?”

Phoenix shrugged in confusion. “I was in Canterbridge, meeting with Fallowmane to discuss weather requirements for the coming growing season. The sky was clear at dusk, as was forecast. We didn’t realise the storm had arrived until the first lightning strike in the hills. By then the flood was already on its way.”

“Were you able to control the storm at all?”

Phoenix shook her head. “We weren’t prepared for this. There were storms forecast further south, so most of my weather corps was deployed there. They were at least able to keep those under control,” she added.

Celestia nodded, thinking. A storm appearing out of nowhere was unheard of. It was conceivable that the sun behaving erratically could cause shifts in weather patterns, but this was too much. Their causes may be linked, though. Perhaps this was confirmation of Luna’s suspicions of hostility. She turned back to Fallowmane.

“How much damage, Chancellor?”

“No injuries or loss of life, I am pleased to report,” he replied, but his expression showed anything but pleasure. “Crop damage was minimal as well. After flooding in recent years we built levees around the fields in the area, and these held. But the town’s defences were designed for floods from up the valley. This came from the northern slope, and the flood walls were completely bypassed. Property damage will be significant, once the water recedes. It will take time for our ponies to recover from this.”

“I do not wish to trivialise your concerns,” Celestia said, “but your request for a meeting implied a more present danger than this flood. Is there something else?”

“No, Your Highness,” Phoenix responded meekly. “The flooding is not a threat in itself at this point. We only need time to recover. However, this was a complete surprise. We are not prepared to deal with such unexpected events. We wished to keep you informed, and seek any advice you may have. I apologise if our request gave you the wrong impression. It has been a long night for both of us.”

“Tensions are running high in general,” Fallowmane added. “Our tribes have been under a lot of strain in recent years, and this new development has only made matters worse. We wished to be able to show that you were aware of the problem and aiding us, in order to calm everypony’s nerves.”

Celestia’s mind turned, fitting the pieces of the jigsaw together, but finding most of the puzzle still missing. This showed every sign of a coordinated attack. It hit out of nowhere, and was targeted directly at where their defences were weak. It even struck the leaders of two of the tribes directly.

And yet the damage was superficial. Nopony died, and there was no damage to crops, so the long-term effects on the tribe would be minor. Damage to houses and property could be repaired in time. It was as if this was supposed to be an annoyance rather than an attack.

Celestia recalled the floods of previous years. They had indeed been getting more frequent as the weather became more erratic, but they had always been foreseeable. The gradual changes were stretching the weather ponies to breaking point, though, and sudden unpredictable storms like this could be catastrophic if they hit where nopony was expecting them.

Strangest of all was the precision of the attack. It was not attacking the ponies directly, and even appeared to be actively avoiding them, as there had been no injuries or deaths. Yet each act — the changing weather, the perturbed sun and moon, and the flood, assuming they were indeed linked — served to create confusion and tension. It was as if this force was striking directly at Harmony itself.

“What are we to do?” Phoenix asked expectantly.

Celestia did not know how she could respond to such a threat. It seemed to be inherently unpredictable, so any attempt at a well-planned response was doomed to fail. All they could do was try and keep ahead of the damage.

“We need to minimise the risk of further rogue storms,” she said at last. “I suggest that all major centres of population maintain at least a minimal emergency response team of pegasi in case of storms.”

“We’re stretched thin as it is, Your Highness,” Phoenix protested.

“I am aware of this,” responded Celestia. “You may have to recruit civilians as well. At the very least there must be somepony ready to act if a storm comes.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Celestia turned to the Chancellor. “Fallowmane, I cannot provide definitive advice on ground protection. Any defences will leave some angle vulnerable. I would suggest that all known weaknesses should be examined and improved if possible, to ensure that the potential threats are, if not stopped, at least known of in advance.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” he responded, bowing. “We could also talk to the unicorns. They have helped to magically reinforce defences in the past,” he added.

“Very wise, Chancellor,” the princess responded. She looked them both in the eye, giving a reassuring smile. “Now I have done what I can at this stage. I will discuss the matter with my sister and monitor the situation carefully. I will contact you immediately if I can help further.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Phoenix said, bowing. The two left immediately, in quiet discussion with each other.

~ ~ ~

The rest of the day was, fortunately, uneventful, only the usual matters of court to be considered. As dusk drew nearer, the princesses kept a watchful eye on the sky. The sun was early to set this time, but Celestia was able to delay it an extra few minutes to maintain the schedule.

The next few weeks passed slowly. Each morning and evening, at least one of the sun or moon appeared off schedule. Each day, news of some strange event arrived in the court. The unicorn queen wrote to say that a freak lightning bolt had completely gutted her wine cellar. Another day, a road had been damaged by a herd of cows digging up the ground. Another day, a sudden landslide buried a town’s gymnasium during the night. Each time there was no loss of life, and the disruption was an inconvenience at most. Ponies started to notice the pattern, and the nation became confused and exhausted.

Luna and Celestia met regularly to discuss the events, and to try to determine their significance. One such evening, they were in Celestia’s quarters, having just had to push the sluggish sun and moon forward a few minutes. They paced as they discussed the events once more, trying to see anything new.

“You feel it too, sister?” Luna asked.

“Yes,” Celestia replied. “The nation is tired. Harmony is weakening, and it is taking its toll on me. I hope we can identify this spirit soon.”

Luna nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. “I once mused that it may have a sense of humour. If it does, it is a very cruel one.”

Celestia nodded. “No loss of life. No injuries. It seems to be actively avoiding hurting ponies, yet has nothing against causing damage and disruption.”

“Perhaps it is playing with its food. Getting the most it can out of us before it destroys us.”

Celestia shook her head. She had, of course, also considered this possibility. “This does not make sense. All threats we have seen before, whether mortal or otherwise, either actively attacked ponies or treated them merely as an inconvenience to be brushed over. As much as I hate to say it, this apparent carefulness does not seem right.”

“True.” Luna looked up at the ceiling, recalling past events. “The dragons have sometimes chosen to spare settlements they attack, but only to wait until they reveal the location of their treasure stores. This threat has yet to reveal a higher motive, however.”

“If it has one.” Celestia shook her head again, starting to grow tired of chasing this problem in circles. “I am beginning to lose hope that logical reasoning is going to prevail here.”

Luna sighed. “We may have to consider that this spirit, whatever it is, truly does not make sense.”

“Finally, we’re getting somewhere!”

The princesses froze. They glanced at each other, confirming that they had both heard the voice. Celestia looked around; there was nopony else in the room.

“Sister...” Luna shifted uneasily.

“Identify yourself,” Celestia demanded to the air.

“Why must you be so formal, Princess?” The voice responded, its tone deep and condescending. “Relax, or you’ll hurt something.”

“We don’t hold conversations with anypony we don’t know the name of,” Luna stated. “Identify yourself.”

“Ugh, fine. I don’t know why it matters so much though. You’ve already seen what I am, a name almost seems... redundant.” The voice paused, apparently considering the matter. Luna and Celestia circled the room in silence, waiting.

“I’ve never got to talk to anypony before,” the voice said eventually, “so I’ve never really needed a name. I think a description will suffice, however. You can call me Discord.”

“Why?” Celestia asked.

“You’ll have to be a bit more specific, Princess.” The voice was filling the room, reverberating through the walls and setting Celestia’s teeth on edge.

“Why are you here?” Luna asked. “Why are you doing this? What does it gain you?”

“I’m disappointed, Princesses. You’re both so clever I’d have thought you’d have figured it out by now!” Discord chuckled menacingly, the sound bouncing round the room. “Why, I’m doing this because it’s fun! Trust you two to go and spoil it by being so slow to work it out.”

“That’s it?” Celestia demanded, growing impatient. “You’re playing with the world, destroying its patterns and cycles just because it’s fun? Tormenting ponies for no reason? You could be putting your power to better use than this!”

Discord started to sound impatient as well. “Now, now. Flattery will get you nowhere. And you can relax, I’ve not harmed any of your precious little ponies. After all, what use is a dead spirit to me?”

Luna shook her head. “You protect Harmony with one hand, but pull the world apart with the other. To have this much power, you must be a fundamental spirit of Harmony like us. This should hurt you as well. So we ask again: why are you doing this?”

The voice groaned in exasperation, the entire room shaking. “So near, yet so far, my dear Luna. I’m here to have fun, not lecture you. So how about this; if you two are as smart as everypony says you are, why don’t you figure this one out for yourself. It’s not that difficult, I’ve given you so many clues now.”

Discord was clearly not going to make this easy on them. The two sisters stopped pacing, and turned to look into each other’s eyes. They locked onto each other’s thoughts, and as one they considered the problem.

“You are a spirit...” Celestia began.

“...yet you claim not to be of Harmony,” Luna continued.

“Your manner would seem to agree with this, yet it is a contradiction.”

“Harmony is by definition the sum total of all spirits, so all spirits are a part of Harmony.”

“In the absence of Harmony, there is nothing. Only...”

Celestia trailed off. The two sisters continued to stare at each other eyes in silence. A thousand thoughts played across their eyes, the implications unfolding in their minds.

Discord remained silent at first, but Celestia could feel him watching them, a smug smile stretched across his nonexistent face. As they continued to stand there, it urged them forward.

“Please, continue. You’re nearly there.”

Celestia located the next piece in the puzzle, and slotted it into place. “You keep ponies alive, preserving their spirits.”

“This keeps the form of Harmony strong,” Luna continued, “but that is not your main concern.”

“Harmony is held together by the bonds between these spirits. The more spirits, the more bonds are possible.”

“But you attack these bonds, weakening them, driving them towards chaos.”

“Gaps begin to form. Harmony becomes unstable and chaos grows.”

“This causes other bonds to weaken, and it spreads throughout Harmony.”

The two sisters lowered their heads, releasing their grip on each other. Luna began to draw long, deep breaths.

“I never would have thought it possible,” she said.

“Harmony is alive,” Celestia stated. “We have always known this. Maybe these gaps in Harmony are capable of drawing from this effect, producing some form of... living Chaos.”

Discord’s voice returned again, a manic laughter flooding the room.

“At last! Oh, I thought I was going to have to spoon feed you two! Well, I’m glad we’re all properly acquainted now! Perhaps we should all have tea some time?”

Discord laughed again, but out of the corner of her eye, Celestia noticed the glint of a thought cross her sister’s eyes. It was gone in an instant, but Celestia had a suspicion of what it was, and she left Luna to speak.

“I grow tired of your games!” Luna shouted at the top of her lungs, drowning even Discord’s voice out. He stopped laughing, then retorted, acting hurt.

“Games, Luna? Moi? I do not play games, my dear. Games have rules!”

“I do not care what you call it,” Luna responded immediately. “I am sick of talking to a wall! If you insist on holding these insufferable conversations with us, at least show us the common decency of appearing to us in person!”

“In person?” Discord’s voice wretched. “In one of your cutesy little pony bodies? Don’t make me sick.”

“If you’re going to be like that, then you don’t have to be a pony,” Luna stated flatly, only the slightest hint of bitterness in her voice. “But you said yourself that you want to have fun. Why not at least try it?”

Celestia dragged her hoof on the ground impatiently, playing along, but inside she smiled. Luna was goading Discord, manipulating him. Not belonging to Harmony, he was out of their reach, but he still had a mind. He still had needs, and these could be exploited.

Discord roared with glee. “Oh, Luna, I’m really warming to you! You know how to have fun! Much more exciting than your stick-in-the-mud sister.”

“Don’t try me,” Celestia retorted, snorting for effect.

“Very well,” Discord continued, ignoring her. “If you insist, I will have a go. But only so I can look into your beautiful eyes, dear Luna.”

Luna rolled her eyes, but they both jumped when Discord suddenly shouted again.

“Oh! I’ve got it! You two are going to love this! Behold!”

There was a bright flash, and something stood before them. It seemed to contain a part of every animal in Equestria, haphazardly stuck together to form something which resembled a single creature. It was a mockery of life. Celestia didn’t dare imagine how it could remain alive, and sincerely hoped that Discord had not stolen these limbs from real animals.

For some reason, it was holding an umbrella.

“Oh, this feels wonderful!” Discord said, shaking his new body in excitement. He stretched his limbs to their limits, and then continued anyway. “I admit it’s a little confining, but it has so many possibilities!”

In a flash, he disappeared, then spoke again, suddenly right by Celestia’s ear.

“I can see why you two chose to live down here! I can’t wait to properly give my new body a spin!” Throwing his arms out, he spun them round in a full circle, then snaked across the room to look Luna in the eyes.

“And I have you to thank for this wonderful idea, Luna,” he said, stroking her chin with a finger. “I’m sure we’re going to get along like a house on fire.”

Celestia couldn’t take it any longer, and watching him talking to her sister like that, seeing the revulsion in her face, was the final straw. “Enough!” she shouted. She flared her wings out to their full width and stood tall in front of the creature. “We’ll tolerate your presence to an extent, but there are limits! We cannot allow you to continue in your destructive ways!”

“Ugh, don’t be such a sourpuss, Celestia.” Discord wrapped his arms around the two of them, and led them out onto the balcony. “Come on, there’s something I want to show you.”

They stepped outside, the princesses doing so reluctantly, and the three of them looked out into the clear star-filled sky. It was a quiet evening, and Celestia couldn’t see anything of particular significance.

Discord took a step back, opening his umbrella.

It started to rain.

Growing exasperated, Celestia looked up and saw a single small cloud hovering just above the tower. Behind them, Discord laughed again.

“You see, Princess? This is fun, isn’t it?” He danced happily around the two of them, before throwing his arms around their necks again. “Come on, Celestia. You need to turn that frown of yours upside down. Say what you will about Chaos, but it’s a lot more exciting than your dull old Harmony.”

Celestia stared resolutely into the distance, refusing to acknowledge Discord. Eventually, he gave up, stomping back into her bedroom.

“Ugh, fine. Have it your way.” With a click of his fingers, the rain stopped. “I was getting bored of rain, actually. The pegasi can have that back. In fact, since they’ve been having so many problems with the weather, perhaps I can help them out a bit there!”

Luna and Celestia exchanged glances, then turned to walk back inside, their sodden manes dripping on the carpet.

“Oh, how rude of me!” Discord snapped his fingers again, and a burst of warm air pushed the two backwards. When it ceased, their manes and coats were dry, but their hair stood on end and their manes stuck out messily behind them.

“Much better,” Discord snickered. “You two are such dolls!”

“Leave,” Celestia stated simply, summoning all the dignity she could manage.

“Oh, I’m going,” Discord responded, bored. “I was getting tired of this place anyway.”

“And will you cease your destruction?” Luna demanded.

“If it is what you wish,” Discord said, bowing low. “Now if you two aren’t going to play, I’ll go and find somepony who will! Oh, and since you two are so fond of your precious cycles, I suppose I can stop playing with the sun and moon for a while. I’ll let you control them, as you’ve gotten so good at it recently.” He turned and skipped out onto the balcony, before turning back to face them. “Now, I must go. There is some wonderful chaos out there with my name on it! Toodle pip!”

There was another flash, and Discord was gone.

~ ~ ~

“He has left,” Luna stated.

“Indeed,” Celestia replied. “I cannot feel his presence any longer.”

The two stood in Celestia’s room, carefully using their magic to untangle their manes. Celestia extracted her tiara from her hair with difficulty and carried it over to her dresser, using a cloth to wipe away the last of the rainwater.

“Letting him run free feels wrong, sister,” Luna said.

“We have no choice at this stage,” Celestia responded. “As a spirit of Chaos, he is beyond the direct influence of the Elements.”

“He has a weakness now, however,” Luna stated as she brushed her fur back into place.

“Indeed.” Celestia turned and looked back at her sister. She had realised it as Luna was working. Now that Discord had bound himself to a physical body, he had brought himself within the reach of Harmony. He had to if he wished to reside directly in the world as he was now. It wasn’t much, but it was something for them to work with.

“You did well, my sister,” Celestia said, embracing Luna. “But we must be careful in future. He is by his very nature dangerous, and we cannot allow him to get too close to us. You risked a lot in confronting him like that.”

Luna lowered her head. “I know. But it needed to be done. Now we must prepare. This is not going to be simple.”

Celestia nodded. In her studies of the Elements, she had managed to determine some ways in which they could be wielded. With only a physical body to work with, they had one option which would render Discord impotent, but the side-effects would be dire.

“We will begin in the morning, as soon as the ponies wake,” she said. “You should check on the moon first, to see what Discord meant.”

“Indeed,” Luna said, heading to the balcony to return to her own room. “Until the morning, sister.”

~ ~ ~

Surprisingly, Discord kept true to his word, but unsurprisingly, he did not make it simple.

Over the following weeks, the sun and moon continued to travel across the sky obediently, but they seemed to lose the ability to rise by themselves. While on the far side of the world, they would falter and stall, and the princesses were forced to give them a boost every morning and evening in order to keep them on track. Whatever Discord had done to them, his magic was beyond that of the princesses, and they could see no way of repairing the damage.

Likewise, Discord had done as he said and stopped the weather problems. It no longer behaved chaotically, throwing out no more unannounced storms or droughts. Instead, it ceased to do anything, and the clouds refused to form, move, or rain without the pegasi intervening. More and more pegasi had to be drafted into the weather corps just to keep the ground healthy and the crops growing. It was impossible to tell for certain over such a short space of time, but Celestia also suspected that the seasons had stalled. It was not cooling as fast as she would have expected for the time of year.

He had even ceased his destruction, but that was hardly a blessing. Perhaps it was his new body, providing him with a different perspective on the world, but Discord seemed to have become more random than ever. His effects were no longer simply improbable, but downright impossible. Ponies would sometimes wake to find their house in a completely different part of town. Clouds rained everything from orange juice to tomato sauce. At least one school of fish was seen swimming through the sky. As the strange sightings continued, the ponies’ exhaustion and confusion increased, and the nation grew more and more unsteady. The princesses could feel the drain in their own spirits, and knew they had to deal with this threat as soon as they could.

On occasion, the princesses would see Discord himself, excitedly trying to persuade them to join in with something or other, but they ignored his advances, not letting him gain any sway over them. Over time he seemed to lose interest, appearing to them less and less often.

The two of them spent all of their time away from the castle, travelling far and wide to all the settlements dotted around the nation. First and foremost, they needed to provide support and reassurance to their troubled subjects. But their power against Discord was woefully limited, and they could do nothing to control his actions.

However, they had a second purpose in their travels. It was not just them who needed to prepare for the coming battle. The entire nation needed to be ready for what was to come after. Even if everything went perfectly according to plan, the ponies were going to find themselves isolated for many years, in a world which was now entirely dependent on them. With enough preparation, they would hopefully be able to survive, but it had to be better than the alternative.

Travelling first to the great unicorn universities, they taught the mages there the arts they had learned, showing them how the sun and moon could be raised and lowered using magic. They charged the unicorns with the task of ensuring that those arts would not be lost should anything happen to them, and instructed them to continue the cycle of day and night for as long as they could.

Meeting with leaders and representatives from all the tribes, they warned of the role they would have to play in maintaining the world in the future. The pegasi would have to assume full responsibility for the weather, creating clouds and distributing them across the land. The earth ponies would take responsibility for watching over the plants and trees, ensuring they kept to their yearly patterns of hibernation and regrowth. All three tribes would have to work together in order to ensure the passage of the seasons, bringing change in the earth, sky and heavens all at once.

There was much apprehension from all groups, who were concerned about the responsibility that was being placed on them. But most of all, the ponies began to sense the hidden message behind these teachings. They began to realise that the princesses were planning to leave them. Luna and Celestia did everything they could to comfort their subjects, reassuring them that they would never be alone as long as they had each other, and that as long as the ponies remained strong, the two of them would never truly be gone.

Finally, and most painfully of all, they gave the most important instruction to their nation. Everypony was to prepare to leave Equestria. They would pack only what they needed, taking tools, food, seeds to plant, and anything else that would be vital to the rebuilding of a nation. They informed the ponies of a pass through the mountains in the south-east, which would provide them with relatively safe passage through the range to the other side. Many ponies objected to leaving their homes behind, but the princesses warned them that Equestria had become unsafe, and that if they were to recover and rebuild, then it would not be able to happen here. Eventually, all ponies accepted the command, and the long preparations began.

~ ~ ~

When the nation was at last ready, the princesses returned to the castle, preparing to begin the next phase of their plan. They convened once more in Celestia’s bedroom, at the site of their first confrontation with Discord. Upon entering the chamber, they found a small table in the centre of the room, a single rose and a box of chocolates placed on top.

Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “Discord.”

The creature appeared in the room, wearing a tuxedo, and acting hurt.

“Too much, Princess?” He danced across the room and threw an arm around Celestia’s neck, drawing her head close to his. “You’ve been so distant over the last few weeks, I’ve started to think that you’re avoiding me!”

Celestia stood, unmoving, her teeth gritted as she held her rage back.

“Nothing?” he continued, stroking her chin. “Come on, I only want to see you smile. Forget what I said before, you’re my favourite pony now, and it pains me to see you acting so dour. I only want to show you how exciting the universe is! Please,” he pulled himself even closer to her, “smile for me at least once, mon amour.”

Celestia said nothing. A shiver ran down her spine, the fur pricking up on her back.

Discord drew away, keeping his arm around her neck. “No? Mon ami, at least?” Seeing Celestia’s unchanging snarl, he appeared to relent. The table disappeared with its contents, as did the suit. “You’re a tough egg to crack, Princess.”

In a flash, he was next to Luna, circling round her.

“Now I must apologise to you, my dear,” he sang. “I was so distracted, I completely forgot about you. You’re my real favourite pony, giving me the gift of this wonderful body! Can you ever forgive me?” he asked, looking pleadingly into her eyes.

Taking the opportunity while Discord was ignoring her, Celestia made her way further into the room. She hated entertaining Discord like this, but if this was to work they would need to let him think he had some control over them.

“We have not come here to play with you, Discord,” Celestia said, not bothering to turn and face him. “Not this time.”

In an instant, Discord’s attention had shifted, and he once more appeared before Celestia, looking her in the eyes.

“Oh, you say the most wonderful things! Forceful, but so full of promise!” He clapped his hands together gleefully. “But what could I, a humble demon, possibly deserve to receive from you? I almost feel bad about taking your chocolates now!”

Celestia shook her head. “We do not come here to give you something, but to offer an exchange.”

An armchair appeared behind Discord, and he collapsed into it, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Interesting. Go on, then. Convince me.”

“You have clearly taken an interest in the two of us,” Luna said from behind him. “Tell us why.”

Discord rolled his eyes and spun the chair to face Luna. “You two with your questions. I’m beginning to doubt your intelligence again, and we can’t have that. But since it’s you asking...” He steepled his fingers together and looked her in the eye. When he spoke, his voice sounded serious and sincere for the first time since they had met.

“You two fascinate me. You are the most powerful spirits this world has to offer, besides myself of course.” He chuckled. “You’re like kindred spirits to me, but you insist on being so boring, doing everything you can to spoil my fun. You’re missing out on so much, and I just want to show you how much fun Chaos really can be. I want to help you live. What do you say?”

Celestia circled round the chair and stood next to her sister, looking down at Discord.

“That is why you are here?” Celestia asked. “You just want us?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Discord replied. “The rest of the world is quite fun as well. But you two are my favourite parts! What I wouldn’t give to have you two to myself for a while!”

“Very well,” Luna said.

Discord blinked. Turning his head to the side, he looked back at Luna. “My dear?”

“In exchange,” Celestia interjected forcefully, “we ask you to leave the rest of our ponies alone. Let them leave Equestria, and do not follow them. You will have this land, and us, to yourself.”

Raising an eyebrow, Discord stood, dismissed the chair, and walked out onto the balcony. He stood there, looking out over Equestria, then jumped into the air, laughing with joy.

“You honour me, both of you! Giving me an entire kingdom of my own? Just look at it!” Reaching his arms back into the room, he dragged both of them onto the balcony next to him. “So much space, so much possibility! We’re going to have so much fun together! Send your little ponies away, then,” he added as he walked back inside, waving an arm over his shoulder dismissively. “How about we meet back here when you’re ready, and then we can begin!”

With a click of his fingers he was gone, and the princesses lay down, exhausted. That had happened exactly as it needed to, but even talking with Discord was trying. They had carefully considered every response he may try to make, including the most unlikely, and they had managed to get him to agree to their terms with ease. His ego was too strong to be able to resist the offer of the whole kingdom, and themselves.

Now they had everything they needed. The ponies could leave without Discord causing a problem, and it would be safe to begin.

~ ~ ~

At dawn the next day, the sisters left the castle once more. They were joined by scores of messenger pegasi, who spread off to all corners of the land, carrying the princesses’ command. Before long the entire nation was on the move, every single pony making their way east towards the mountains. Those who lived near the mountains arrived first, and blazed the trail between the peaks, searching out the distant land they had been promised.

The princesses didn’t dare follow them through the pass, remaining within Equestria’s borders at all times to show they would keep their side of the bargain. They regularly received reports from the pegasi who patrolled the route, however, and were relieved to hear of the first groups reaching the far side safely.

Once a path was established, the sisters split up and travelled far and wide across the land, searching for any stragglers. They found the towns and cities deserted, even in the far north. Everypony had heeded their warnings and left. Signs of life still remained, however, houses and shops still stocked with all that they couldn’t afford to take with them. Celestia found herself walking familiar streets, in towns she had helped build and grow, but they were now alien and unwelcoming. They felt cold and dead without ponies filling them.

She could feel the change in Harmony as well. The ponies were scared and unsure. Their pain flowed through her, and she longed to reach out to them, to tell them that everything would be okay. But she couldn’t even tell herself that.

Reaching the end of another empty road, she found herself facing a hall. By its door, the flag of Equestria hung proudly, the image of the two alicorns encircling the sky, watching over their subjects. As she looked at it, a tear came to her eye.

She had failed them. They were alive, but why did that matter? Their old lives were gone forever. She had one final task now, the only remaining thing she could do to protect them, but then she would be gone. Her subjects, who had trusted so much in her, would be alone, defenceless against the world.

And she had not forced them to leave. She had just asked them. The authority and trust the ponies had given her willingly for their own protection had been used to take that safety away from them. Celestia felt like she had betrayed her subjects. Wars always brought casualties, but if you couldn’t keep your trust in your own allies to keep you safe, then you had nothing.

Hating herself for harbouring such a selfish thought, she remembered that she still had one thing left. Her sister still stood with her. She tore the flag from its pole and held it close to her heart, clinging to the dream that the spirits could be mistaken. They were so close to the end now, but she still had some family left. They would face this final task together as one. They would win. They would defeat discord, and they would give to the world one final gift.

Hope.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, and forcing resolve back onto her face, she leapt into the sky. Her wings were weary, but she pushed herself south, preparing for the final confrontation.

~ ~ ~

She arrived in Canterbridge hours later. Luna was already there, waiting, looking over the damage which still remained from the first flood. It had only been a couple of months, but it felt like they had been fighting this for an eternity.

Luna turned to face her as she landed. “You look weak, sister.”

“As do you,” Celestia responded. “Any word?”

“A messenger came not two hours ago. The last ponies had entered the pass and were on their way. He will have joined them by now.”

“That is good to hear.” Celestia looked carefully into her sister’s eyes. “You have concerns?”

“If I may play dragon’s advocate for a moment,” Luna responded. “You alone are connected to the Elements. I could leave with them. Provide the ponies with a guardian as they rebuild.”

“A noble desire,” Celestia responded, nodding weakly. “I would want nothing more than to be able to leave with them and continue to guide them. But the Elements cannot, and should not, be wielded alone. This I know with certainty.” Celestia remembered the words that had been spoken to her all those centuries ago. “We must stand against this together. Only then can we hold Chaos back.”

Luna nodded. “I know this also, my sister. But my conscience would not forgive me if I did not voice the thought.”

Celestia forced herself to smile. “We can do this. I am glad to have you by my side, and hope that we are never parted.”

They crossed the main street in silence, and started to climb the southern slope of the valley. When they reached the top, they could see their final destination. Everfree Castle stood proudly on the horizon, silhouetted against the sky. Discord had promised to meet them there, and they would ensure that he did.

As if prompted by Celestia’s thoughts, a puddle of water lying at her feet stirred. Discord’s face appeared in the reflection, grinning gleefully at the two princesses.

“Are they gone yet?” he said, sounding like a foal who had been left alone with his toys for the first time. “Do I have you to all to myself at last?”

“Yes, it is done,” Celestia said. “We have kept our end of the bargain.”

“As I will mine,” replied Discord. The princesses trudged wearily across the grass towards the castle, and the puddle followed beside them, flowing across the ground. “I’m waiting right here in your lovely castle, just itching to see you again! I’ve got so many plans for you! So much to do, so much to show you!”

“Please,” Luna said. “Let us walk in peace. We will be there in time, and then you can talk all you want.”

“As you wish, dear,” Discord said, chuckling. “And when you get here, you can finally show me these Elements of yours!”

Celestia’s heart sank. She stopped dead and stared into Discord’s eyes, the tears starting to return to hers. “You knew.”

“Well of course I knew, Celestia! I’m Discord, spirit of Chaos, and as much as you hate to admit it, Chaos is everywhere.”

Celestia’s voice was shaking. “But, you let us send everypony away! Why would you let us—”

Discord laughed. It drilled into her mind, the malice in his voice clawing at her thoughts.

“Of course I let you!” he shouted in glee. “That was the best part! And I didn’t even have to think of it! Surely you know why I let you. You can feel it!”

Luna hung her head. “We played right into his hands.”

“That was the greatest gift you could possibly give me,” Discord continued, sneering at their pain. “There hasn’t been this much distress in centuries! I can see it in your eyes, Harmony is weakened, and there’s nothing you can do to save it! You, the only ponies who ever had a chance against me, have lost hope, and it’s magnificent!”

Celestia twisted her hoof, digging into the ground in fury. She had let him play them, let him gain the upper hand. She looked into his eyes, and she saw the monster. That infernal creature that had haunted her thoughts ever since the prophecy had shown it through Luna. She felt again that pure, unbridled hatred burn inside her, shocked by its intensity. This creature was a travesty, an abomination, a hideous, twisted reflection of everything pure and good in the world. It had to be stopped at all costs.

Throwing her wings open, she reared up into the air, roaring at the skies, and crashed her hooves down in Discord’s face. Fire burned deep in her eyes. She panted uncontrollably, as the puddle slowly and inevitably reformed around her hooves.

“I am disappointed, Princess,” Discord’s voice said again, his tone infuriatingly calm. “I had so much hope for you, but you’ve changed! Why can’t you just be happy for me? I’ve got everything I wanted: my own kingdom, two beautiful princesses to play with, and all the time in the world to do so! And I owe this all to you two. Thanks to you, I’ve never felt so strong! I feel like I could do anything! And I intend to!”

Rage filled Celestia. “This is not over, Discord.”

“I would be disappointed if it was,” he replied. “Go on, then. Run, fly, do what you will. But you’ll never get here in time. My power is growing by the minute, and by the time you get here I’ll have won. I’ll strip you of your precious elements, I’ll break you both, and then you’ll both see what Chaos really is.” He turned to look at Luna. “I lied to you, Luna. I do play games. Checkmate.”

Discord disappeared, the puddle bursting and splashing water over them. Celestia barely noticed it. The terrible grin on his face was still burned into Celestia’s mind. Luna stood next to Celestia, equally shaken by what she had heard. She turned to her sister, and, determination in her voice, said “We must hurry.”

The two sisters turned to face the castle once more. Summoning all the strength they had left, they galloped across the grass, then spread their wings and soared into the sky.

~ ~ ~

They flew on silently for what seemed like an eternity. The castle was clearer now in the distance, and Celestia could already see that Everfree was changing, being warped by Discord’s magic. The orchard which surrounded the castle had become overgrown by strange, hostile trees. The land was twisting in on itself, great chasms and ridges crisscrossing the forest. The castle itself was being torn apart, its towers straining to hold themselves up.

Celestia was aghast. How long would it be before this spread to all of Equestria? And then it would continue, destroying the entire world. Discord truly had won. They couldn’t hope to get there in time.

They were still ten minutes off, when they passed an imperceptible barrier surrounding the castle. Suddenly the air felt heavy and fragmented. Their wings could no longer find purchase, and the princesses fell helplessly out of the sky. They landed at the top of a hill, rolling down the grass on the far side, crashing through bushes and plants. Eventually they came to a halt, but stood up immediately, shrugging off their injuries, and galloped through the fields towards the treeline which loomed in the distance.

They were running across farmland now. They vaulted hedges, and trampled the crops which stood in their way, absolutely determined to reach their destination.

The world was filled with sadistic magic, and it tore at Celestia’s spirit, laughing at her, daring her to turn back and give up hope. She shut it out, forcing her thoughts onto a singular purpose and pushing forward. The thick air tore at her fur, resisting her every stride, but she forced herself through it.

Beside her, Luna closed her eyes in concentration. “Something is happening, sister. I can feel him fighting us.”

Suddenly, Celestia felt it as well. In a final insult, Discord had reached out and taken control of the sun. His spirit was there only for a moment, as he gave it a mighty push and forced it below the horizon. An instant later, the moon rose in its place, and was held fast in the sky above them.

Luna seethed. “He dares mock us. After all this, all he’s done to us, he continues to force his influence into—”

Her breath caught mid-sentence and she fell silent, an idea forming in her mind. Celestia saw it also, her stomach churning at the thought.

“I know what to do,” Luna said, closing her eyes. “Goodbye, my sister.”

Still running at Celestia’s side, she reached her spirit out to the moon, which remained a part of her. Through the connection, she could see Discord’s mind, grasping triumphantly to the great sphere. In retaliation, she latched onto him, connecting to him. She found his body, and immediately knew exactly where he was.

Luna spread her wings, pulling herself to a halt, and, in a flash, was gone.

~ ~ ~

It’s happening.

The thought spread through Celestia’s mind, drowning everything else out. Her world was already turning inside out, and yet in an instant it had been torn again. Luna had left, sacrificing herself willingly in the hope of buying Celestia some time. And now she was alone, vulnerable, at the hands of that monster.

She kept running, not slowing down even for an instant, pushing herself to reach the castle before anything could be done to hurt her sister. The forest was in front of her now, the sight of the trees painfully familiar.

Suddenly, the forces pushing her back relented. Whatever Luna was doing seemed to have worked, and Discord was no longer able to resist her advance. Roaring in agony, she spread her aching wings and pulled herself into the sky, forcing herself onward.

~ ~ ~

The minutes crawled by. Celestia could still feel Discord’s magic in the air, his influence persistent and growing again. She had very little time left.

As she drew closer to the central tower, the only one still unaffected by the forces tearing the castle apart, she saw the reassuring glow of Luna’s magic through the windows of the throne room. He could have been chosen any location, and probably didn’t even need to be anywhere, but his constant mockery never ceased. He chose their throne room, the most revered place in the entire kingdom after the Everfree Tree itself, the place from which they had ruled for centuries, as the place from which he would tear their world apart. Celestia gritted her teeth, feeling more ready than ever to face him.

She dropped into a steep dive, speeding the final few furlongs towards the castle. No longer having the energy to slow herself down, she crashed through one of the great stained-glass windows, shards of glass spreading across the marble floor. Her legs shaking, she picked herself up off the ground and surveyed the room.

Celestia’s heart nearly stopped when she saw them. In the centre of the room, Discord stood, holding Luna aloft triumphantly by the neck. His head was thrown back in a malicious laugh as he savoured his final victory. He was so caught up in the moment that he didn’t even acknowledge Celestia’s entrance.

But even though he believed he had won, Luna still fought. Celestia could see her horn glowing, and her eyes burned with magic. Their minds were locked together, battling against each other for control, but Discord was too strong, and Celestia could see her sister weakening.

She stood transfixed for a moment, fear that she had failed almost consuming her. Then her sister turned to face her. They looked into each other’s eyes, and Luna spoke, her voice soft.

“Sister... please...”

Love for her sister welled up inside Celestia. She latched onto it immediately, letting it fuel her. With all the strength of her will, she poured its power into the Elements of Harmony.

~ ~ ~

The world seemed to melt away. The Elements began shifting, latching onto the world and shifting the spirits with unknowable power. Celestia fought against the current and forced the power to where it was needed most.

Magical energy radiated out from Celestia, her eyes burning white as the sun. The magic engulfed the castle, and spread far out across the surrounding land. It latched onto the three creatures standing in the throne room, the ponies now thankfully beyond its influence. Celestia did not have the control to distinguish between the three, their spirits merging into one in the vast sea before her.

Unable to reach Discord’s spirit directly, she directed the power in the only other way she could find. Focussing the three physical bodies in the room, she concentrated and cast a single spell. It was weak and simple, but the Elements pushed it past Discord’s defences as if they weren’t there, the magic worming its way into his body. In an instant, which seemed to drag out to an eternity within the Elements’ influence, his body was sealed away, his form turned completely into stone. His spirit, still attached to his body, was locked away also, unable to move or act while the magic bound him.

But she still could not control the magic. Celestia felt the spell clawing away at her own body, and knew she had mere moments to finish the plan. Shifting her focus away from the Elements, she withdrew her spirit from her body, and retreated to her ancient, natural home. As her spirit left, she felt her body, her home for so many ages, ebb away and vanish into the sea of spirits, her presence no longer there to sustain it.

~ ~ ~

And then there was silence.

She was the sun once more. From high above, she watched as the earth turned below her. It was safe again; Discord’s influence had been trapped away in his stone prison, the magical safeguards she had put in place ensuring that he would not be able to free himself.

She could feel her sister’s spirit there also, resting on the far side of the world, safe again in her heavenly home.

Time began to pass. Days and months blurred into one another as the world shifted and changed below them. They could feel the ponies below, rebuilding their broken nation in a new land, and wished peace and happiness on them all.

But their ancient forms were damaged, broken. The effect of Discord’s magic still lingered. Each day they felt the touch of the unicorns’ magic, guiding them through the sky, and were grateful for this connection to their subjects.

They longed to return to the world again, to take up their place among the ponies once more, but in their damaged state they could not take the strain of the magic required to release them once more.

And so they watched from the sky, hoping that the universe could heal itself in time. Celestia knew inside that this could not be the end of their story. There was so much left to be done.

But that would have to wait.

Author's Note

EDIT (28/03/13): A few minor changes to fix formatting and the inevitable typos. No changes to the story have been made.

Chapter 4 - Exile and Return

It is difficult to describe the centuries which followed Discord’s defeat.

I watched them pass, as did my sister, from our places in the heavens. I could still feel a connection to my ponies; I felt their pain and fear constantly, but was relieved as, gradually, happiness returned to their hearts. In time, they rebuilt their civilisation and forged themselves a new place in the world.

But by sacrificing my pony body, I had lost my physical link to the world. I no longer slept, ate or breathed. The passage of time lost its meaning, and the passing seasons blurred into one. A part of me is thankful for this. Had I fully experienced those years, the wait, and the guilt, would have been agonising.

But even as the world fell still for me, life did not cease. The ponies travelled south-east through the Gateway Mountains, emerging into the neighbouring domain which they eventually came to call their home. They named their new land Presidia, from the Old Equestrian for ‘refuge’.

They packed only what they needed, burdened by the tools they would need to survive. Very few books or documents were taken, and as a result much of the nation’s history was lost. The stories of the first age of Equestria passed into legend, as did its princesses. Much more would have been lost if not for private Royal Archive, magically protected and buried deep below Everfree. In it my sister and I had stored our most valuable treasures and historical records. It survived Discord’s onslaught and weathered the centuries, and eventually fulfilled its true purpose: ensuring the continued survival of my personal journals.

I must now take up the task of compiling this codex once more. Discord may be gone, but his influence is still felt. I must remain vigilant, for I know that the day when my sister will finally be taken from me draws ever closer. Ever since our return, I have watched her slowly changing. I do everything I can to protect her from the effects, but it is clear that her battle with Discord has left its mark on her mind.

The fallout from Discord’s time here was not limited just to Luna, of course. His influence was felt far across the world, and he has had a profound effect on its functioning. I have done my best to take a proper account of all the changes and events during the centuries of our exile, in order to give a proper context to what followed.

~ ~ ~

The epicentre of the changes lay at Everfree. In the short time before my sister and I reached the castle, Discord had managed to warp the surrounding land, twisting the landscape until it was almost unrecognisable. The plants and animals changed also, and the apple orchard became an alien and hostile forest.

However, while the worst damage to the world was restricted to the forest, that region also saw the most healing. The power of the Elements of Harmony spread over the region, battling against the Chaotic magic. They were unable to cancel out the damage, but the Elements did succeed in hiding the effects, restoring some of the world’s autonomy by other means. Natural weather patterns returned to the forest, clouds and rain once more able to form of their own accord. This ultimately proved vital for the survival of Equestria.

Discord’s disruption of the weather had reached much further than I could safely extend the elements, and the rest of Equestria, along with a vast surrounding region, lost the ability to support itself. The ponies were able to survive by controlling the weather themselves, but many other regions were not so lucky. Equestria itself only survived on its own by relying on runoff weather from Everfree and the ponies’ domain.

The ponies, meanwhile, quickly reverted to their old tribal structure. This was only natural, as, with my sister and I gone, the regents were the highest remaining level of government. They took over the role of leading the nation together, but each retained direct control of their own tribes.

Now that the world was completely dependent on the ponies for continued functioning, the three tribes found themselves more reliant on each other than ever before. There were occasional periods of political tension when one tribe’s leaders would threaten to forego their duties in an attempt to gain more power, but these rarely came to much. In general, the mutual dependence was balanced enough that intertribal relationships could remain stable.

Once they had established themselves in their new home, the nation became strong once more. The memory of Equestria lived on in stories of the ancient land from which their race had come forth, but they became content in their new life, and never felt the need to return. Their refuge had become their home.

This remained the case for many centuries at least. Eventually, something happened to drive them from their home, forcing them to seek out their old land once more. I will not cover the story of their eventual return in as much detail here as I have done other events, as the story of Hearths’ Warming is so well known by all ponies. Parts of the story have been forgotten or distorted over time, however, so I wish to ensure that these events are recorded as they truly happened.

~ ~ ~

There was another unanticipated consequence of Discord's time here. He is a spirit of Chaos, but not its embodiment. It can be surmised that, like with Harmony, Chaos also contains innumerable lesser spirits. Before Discord’s appearance, these spirits had remained trapped in their own realm, unable to reach Harmony directly.

But once he forced the barriers down in order to reach us, others began to follow, and the presence of Chaos began to be felt in the world. A number of races with echoes of Chaos in them began to emerge.

The first Chaotic race to arise was in fact the changelings. They are commonly described in folklore as feeding on love, but it would be more accurate to say that they steal love, and gain power from the disharmony its absence causes. They use their natural powers of deception to trick ponies into focussing love onto them, in order to be able to quickly and easily break it.

But the changelings were intelligent. They carefully hid their existence from the ponies, making sure to not draw attention to themselves when in disguise. Some were less successful than others, of course, and stories about them eventually emerged, but they were never perceived as more than an old mares’ tale.

The spirits of Chaos would have remained successful in hiding their presence if it weren’t for the eventual emergence of a second race: the windigoes. Drawing power from any disharmony which arose, they used it to affect the environment, making life hard for the ponies and spreading further disharmony.

However, unlike the changelings, they were unthinking creatures, incapable of the care required to keep themselves hidden. They still rarely exposed themselves, so there was never anything more substantial than hearsay and speculation about their existence. But they were unrestrained, and allowed their attacks to go too far, almost wiping out the ponies on which they were feeding.

When their numbers reached a certain point, their effect began to spiral out of control, and an unending winter fell across the land, which even the pegasi were unable to keep under control. The tribes began to be driven apart by the distrust the windigoes spread, each blaming the others for the troubles which befell them.

Eventually, when it became too much for them to handle, and it was clear that the pony race was slowly heading towards extinction, a summit was called. Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead, along with Princess Platinum, who had taken up regency in the place of her father in his old age, gathered together to try and find a solution. Eventually, it was agreed that it was time to find a new land, one that was not plagued by the eternal winter, in the hope that they could start again there.

It was decided that an expedition would be sent out to find such a land. They decided that they should head north-west first, remembering the old tales of Equestria. However, the brief truce between the three regents quickly fell into chaos as they each insisted that their own tribe should take charge of the expedition. They eventually managed to agree, at the prompting of their advisers, that they would all lead the expedition together.

Along with a small group of servants and advisers, they returned to the Gateway Mountains, close to a millennium after their ancestors first crossed the range. There were no maps to guide them, so they had to rely on the pegasi’s internal compass to keep them on the right track.

They had no way of knowing where they would find themselves once they reached the other side. But fate seemed to guide them through, as, when they emerged eventually, they found themselves exactly where they needed to be for what was to come, although they did not realise this at the time. I suspect that their good fortune has to be more than mere coincidence, yet another sign of some unknown force guiding the world forward.

Their first sighting of Equestria was from a hanging valley, still high above the plains themselves, but right on the edge of the range. The sheer cliff face was all which stood between them and the green meadows below, but until a safe path could be found down, there were enough pegasi in the group to be able to carry everypony down.

They quickly confirmed from that vantage point that they had indeed found Equestria; Clover the Clever, Princess Platinum’s senior advisor, was able to pick out a number of geographical features which matched up with the old stories. They set up camp there that night, intending to dispatch a messenger home the next day before descending down from the mountains.

They were overjoyed to find the land in such good condition. It was far enough from Presidia that the snow had not reached it, and the land looked as fertile as any they had found before. They toasted their success over a shared meal that evening, and for a while, spirits were higher than they had been in months.

But all too quickly, the celebration gave way to petty bickering as the regents once more began to argue over who could claim the discovery, and how the land would be divided between the tribes, along with numerous other trivial matters. After hours of circular arguments, everypony retired to their tents, the recently happy ponies all in foul moods.

Nopony realised, however, that they had been followed. A number of windigoes, attracted to the hatred between the regents, had accompanied them through the pass. The animosity in the camp lingered during the night, manifesting even in their dreams, and the windigoes fed off this, growing stronger. They were numerous enough, and strong enough from having already fed in Presidia, that before long there was a tremendous blizzard battering the tents.

The ponies woke up quickly, and started trying to find anywhere to shelter from the storm. A number of trees had fallen under the already significant weight of snow, blocking the route they had taken into the valley, and the snow was falling too thickly for the pegasi to be able to fly. The only shelter they could find was in a small cave, reachable only by a narrow path along the side of the cliff.

Once they all reached the cave, the arguments immediately started again. They still had no idea what was causing the storm, so regents resorted to blaming each other. This continued for a long time, and the storm outside only got worse.

Eventually, the winds were strong enough that the snow was blowing into the cave, and the walls started to become covered in a layer of snow and ice. The temperature in the cave dropped rapidly, and the ponies huddled together for warmth, the groups from each tribe deliberately keeping apart from each other still.

One by one, the ponies started to succumb to the cold, falling into unconsciousness. Eventually it got to the point where only one pony from each tribe was still awake, including Clover the Clever, the unicorn. Seeing no other alternatives, they gathered together to try and conserve what heat they had left.

What happened next is, of course, known by all. The three aides began talking to each other to keep their minds off the situation, and as the tension lowered, they even started sharing jokes with each other. They came very close to losing consciousness themselves, but as they sat there together, Clover was able to cast a spell which vanquished the windigoes, allowing the storm to recede.

What is less well known is the nature of the spell. Clover herself admitted to me after my return that she had no idea what the magic was, or even how she had cast it. When she described the experience, however, it immediately became clear to me what had happened. The laughter the three of them had shared had produced a spark of friendship, just strong enough to awaken a fourth Element of Harmony. The Element was then able to cover the weakened bonds in Harmony long enough to starve the Windigoes, and then break apart the spirits which had given rise to their existence.

The emergence of the fourth Element had a far-reaching effect, and the release of power from it was able to bring about further healing in the world. Discord’s changes still stood strong, but the damage which had weakened the sun and moon began to diminish. It was still a gradual process, not happening overnight, but in just three years more progress was made than had managed to happen naturally in all the centuries before. At that point, we were finally strong enough that we were able to release ourselves at last.

On doing so, my sister and I found ourselves once more in our old throne room, back in our familiar physical bodies. Discord’s body remained still, encased in its stone prison.

We immediately left the forest, and emerged into a once-more thriving Equestria. It took time to reintegrate into society, but the regents soon became confident enough in our nature that they decided to reinstate our status as princesses.

~ ~ ~

The details of our reintroduction are not important to the story at this stage, however. What is significant is what I discovered from the specific circumstances of the awakening of the Element of Harmony.

I noticed one strange detail about the story as it was told to me. I had suspected from my prior studies that a certain threshold of danger and distress had to be reached before an awakening would occur naturally. At Everfree, the limit was easily reached as the brief battle tore the fundamental structure of Harmony apart.

But at Hearths’ Warming, as it came to be known, it seemed strange that the events there could be enough. The distrust between the tribes was a long way from what which Blackheart had brought about. There was an immediate danger to those present in the cave, but any existential threat to Harmony itself was still far enough in the future that it was unlikely to have been enough.

Adding to this was the fact that Harmony had not intervened directly during Discord’s attack. If the windigoes had been enough of a threat to trigger an awakening, then Discord surely was. I suspected that in his case, it was simply that the ponies, and thus any potential bearers, had been sent too far away to be able to do anything. Yet another way in which he had managed to manipulate them to his gain. That was still not a satisfying explanation for the discrepancy in this case, though.

As a result, I decided that this event required careful study, in case it was able to provide me with any further clues as to the Elements’ nature. The first place I went was to the caves themselves. The new capital of Equestria, Canterlot, had been built above the caves themselves as a monument to the event, so I was able to reach them without difficulty.

What I discovered was incredibly revealing, but also raised many further questions. The entire cave network was built into a huge crystalline formation, making up a significant portion of the mass of the mountain. It had long been known that crystals possessed a strong affinity for magic, being able to amplify the effectiveness of some spells when used properly.

But what had happened here went far beyond that. The formation was so large that it possessed its own magic, collected and stored from the natural ambient magic of the world. Its amplifying effect was so strong that it appeared to have pushed the magical forces at work in those caves far enough that they reached the necessary levels, allowing the awakening to occur.

The power in the caves was fascinating, but also troubling. Power like this could too easily be exploited, so my sister and I decided it was best studied in secret before revealing to the rest of the nation.

~ ~ ~

As it later turned out, the good fortune which had led the ponies to the caves ran much deeper than just that one event. The research performed there, and its consequences, had a significant effect on the nation for centuries into the future. It also gave me the final tools I needed to ensure that I was ready for my final task.

I learned too late, however, that they would also be indirectly responsible for my sister’s fall.

Chapter 5 - The Crystal Invasion

Our studies of the crystal caves progressed slowly, the necessity for secrecy demanding that we not do anything too overt. In the meantime, we were also faced with the task of reintegrating into the new Equestrian society and adapting to the changed practices of the existing regal courts. When the regents decided to offer us our titles again, the great citadel of Canterlot Castle, still under construction, was given over to us and adapted to suit the needs of a diarchy.

Fifty years passed. We settled into our new position comfortably, as the nation itself settled into a new state of peace. But by this point our investigations began to stall. We realised that we had reached the limit of what we could do by ourselves without drawing too much attention. So we decided to transfer the research to a specially-hired team of scientists, who could devote more time to the work than we could.

A small number of scientists and mages were personally recruited from the various educational institutions, while adverts went out for other workers to perform simple tasks such as earth-moving. They were provided with accommodation on the outskirts of Canterlot, along with cover stories and salaries.

We put much care into not allowing the split focus of the research and the nation to interfere with our work or draw attention to the project. But even so I found myself having to keep track of yet another concern. I could already see my sister had changed, poisoned by Discord’s lingering influence. Her priorities began had shifted, and I found myself taking the role of her conscience, carefully reminding her of what was important when necessary.

Eventually, despite our efforts, the research did draw attention from an unexpected party. The events which followed had a profound effect on the nation and on my understanding of the nature of Harmony.

Once again, Harmony chose for itself a single pony whom it used as a conduit to act in the world. Unlike at Everfree I had some prior warning of this, but chose to keep my involvement to a minimum in order to ensure that everything happened naturally and as it should.

What followed had a profound effect on said pony, in ways which I could never have predicted. I only wish I could have played some larger part in what happened, but this was one chapter of my story for which the burden had to be carried by others.

Princess Celestia

Princess Luna rose early that morning. The affairs of state had been taking up much of her time recently, and she hoped to use the remaining hour before sunrise to process some paperwork before heading to court. A lot of it was just tedious red tape, requiring a signature and nothing more, but there was so much that it was remarkably time-consuming.

She had nearly finished reading over a final agricultural report when the appointed hour came, and she stood and walked out to the balcony adjoining her quarters. Looking to the west, she saw the moon drifting obediently towards the distant horizon. She cast her magic out to it, and carefully gave it a push, giving it the momentum it needed to traverse the far side of the world during the day.

She then turned to face east. From her high vantage point at the apex of one of the castle’s tallest towers, she had an unobstructed view across the great eastern moors which stretched away from Equestria’s domain, all the way to the distant horizon from which the sun and moon emerged each day. Delaying for a final moment before returning to her duties, she stood and waited for her sister’s sun to rise.

Nothing happened.

The seconds drew on, and Luna grew more and more concerned. Nearly five minutes passed, but the sky remained dark and empty.

Luna recalled the morning, not so long ago for her but now many centuries in the past, when the sun had first refused to rise. She shuddered, wishing not to remember the horrific events which this had heralded.

Back then, the sun delaying for even a few seconds was cause for concern. Since Celestia had taken control of its motions small deviations had become more frequent and understandable, but her sister had never been more than a minute late without prior warning. Beginning to fear the worst, Luna leapt from her balcony into the night.

Soaring between the spires of the castle, she paused for a moment next to one of the many guard towers. Two armoured pegasi obediently took to the air and assumed formation behind her. The three of them proceeded back through the castle and approached the tower which housed Celestia’s quarters.

They alighted on the balcony. Luna nodded to her guards, and they took up sentry positions on the platform, while she pushed the bay window open and stepped into the spacious bedroom.

It was a magnificent chamber, identical in all but decoration to her own. It was even larger than her room in the old Everfree Castle, and Celestia had had the walls adorned with numerous tapestries depicting ponies dancing and playing together. The floor was covered by a thick circular rug, patterned with the symbol of the sun. On the far wall was a mahogany dressing table with stands for her royal tiara and peytral, and a large wardrobe stood next to it holding her various ceremonial dresses. Luna noted that the stands on the table were empty.

But the most visible absence in the room was in the empty bed. The sheets were disturbed, but clearly not slept in. Celestia had apparently not been here overnight, and she had not informed Luna that she would be away. There was no sign of a struggle, but that itself would have been unthinkable, as any attack on the castle would never have gotten so close to the princess without raising alarms.

Luna knew where she was most likely to be if not here, as the research below the castle had taken up most of Celestia’s time recently. But even then there was no reason why she would miss the rising of the sun. On which note, there was something which must be attended to before any further investigation was performed.

She stepped back onto the balcony, and the two guards saluted her.

“At ease,” she said absent-mindedly, her thoughts elsewhere. The guards lowered their hooves and relaxed their postures.

“Orders, your Highness?” one of the guards asked. He retained his composure with practiced ease, carefully hiding his confusion.

“In a moment, Captain,” she responded. “First, I must attend to my sister’s duties in her stead. Then we shall pursue this matter further.”

Raising her horn to the sky once more, Luna reached out her magic to the sun, which sat waiting beyond the horizon. Controlling it did not come as naturally to her as controlling the moon, but she had practiced the art long ago in preparation for teaching it to the unicorns. She gave the sun a push, and it lifted itself above the horizon.

Her mind returning to the balcony, she turned back to face the pegasi waiting behind her. But before she could say anything, something caught her eye. From between the folds of cloth on Celestia’s bed, she could see something glowing. She gestured silently for the guards to follow her, then re-entered the room and approached the bed.

Lying on the bed was a shard of blue crystal. It was about a foot long and roughly cut, many irregular facets covering its sides. Light shone out from within the crystal, and through the largest face, Luna could see a pony’s eye staring back at her.

“What is it?” one of the guards asked.

Luna didn’t respond, but picked up the crystal with her magic, staring back at the dark purple eye.

“Princess Luna,” a high mare’s voice said from within the crystal. “Judging from the sky, I see that you’ve discovered your sister’s absence.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed. “If thou hast done anything to hurt her...”

“Don’t worry,” the voice replied, calmly but in a tone that was anything but reassuring. “Nopony has been hurt. And we hope to keep it that way. We never had any intention of getting her involved, but she... got in the way.”

“What is it that thou wantest?” Luna asked. “Money?”

The voice chuckled. “No, we already have more than enough money, and you haven’t got anything else we need.”

Luna stared back into the strange eye. “Then why art thou even talking to me now? Why involve me as well?”

The eye rolled back. Clearly its owner would have preferred not to be having this conversation either.

“You would have involved yourself either way,” it replied. “I just wanted to warn you. You won’t find us, so don’t waste your time. And anything you could possibly do to interfere with our work would only make things worse for everypony.”

“Thou honestly expectest me to sit back and do nothing after thou hast abducted mine own sister?” Luna shouted.

“No,” the unidentified pony replied. “I expect you to do nothing because we abducted your sister. The most powerful pony in all Equestria — no offence — is at our mercy, and the same will happen to you if you try anything. If you do anything to provoke us, we have orders from the regents to respond as we see fit. We have the power to bring harm to many, and we will not hesitate to use it. The consequences lie on your shoulders.”

“The regents? What hath they—”

Before she could finish, the eye vanished and the crystal went inert again. Luna turned it over frantically in the air, probing it for any information. A communication spell remained linked to it, but she could not activate it or trace its source. Growling in frustration, she threw the crystal back onto the bed. She stared at it, panting heavily, a powerful rage welling up unconstrained in the back of her mind.

Behind her the guards shifted uneasily. The princess’s temper was seen only occasionally, but when it was she seemed to change. It was subtle, impossible to describe accurately, but on seeing her like this ponies immediately wished to find themselves elsewhere. After a long silence as Luna stared at the crystal lying on the bed, the captain cleared his throat.

“What shall we do, Princess?” he asked carefully. “Are we going to heed their warning, or—”

“No!” The princess whirled around and stared at him, her chest heaving. “We do not bow to the demands of terrorists! They will be made to pay for this attack! Take this,” she said, throwing the crystal over to the captain, who caught it in his teeth. “Now follow me. I know where they will have been last.”

Lowering her head, she charged out onto the balcony and leapt over the edge.

~ ~ ~

Folding her wings across her back, she twisted gracefully in the air and fell down through the centre of the castle. Bridges and platforms whipped past her, until she passed through the great foundation structure and emerged amongst the buttresses which anchored the citadel to the mountainside. She spread her wings and swooped towards the cliff, landing on a narrow path which wound down the rock face.

She proceeded along the path away from the castle followed by the guards, who landed moments after her. She took deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. She would need a clear head in order to investigate properly.

Finally, she reached the cave entrance. It was only a narrow opening, barely large enough for her to fit through. She squeezed past the rocks, followed closely by the guards, and lit her horn to illuminate the cave beyond.

It was truly a sight to behold. The rocks, dirt and animal remains which had covered the walls and floor previously had been cleared away, revealing the massive crystals which lined the cave on all sides. The crystals shone an eerie blue in the light of Luna’s horn.

The cave was deserted. There was no sign of the research team that had been occupying it for the last few months. Passages split off from the first cavern, the structure continuing a long way into the mountains in all directions. Along the far wall was a row of trestle tables, which had previously held numerous piles of parchment and scientific equipment, but they were all empty now.

“Is anypony here?” Luna called out, her voice reverberating through the cave, but no response came. She walked between the passageways, looking carefully down each and calling again, but the immediate vicinity seemed to be deserted. After checking the final passage, she turned and headed back towards the entrance, deciding what to do next, when she heard a quiet voice from behind her.

“Princess? Princess Luna, is that you?”

The voice was muffled, almost inaudible. Luna returned to the passage and walked cautiously into it. It was as deserted as all the others.

“Princess! Over here!”

The voice came again, this time much closer. Luna turned and stared at the wall where the sound had come from. Suddenly, in the light from her horn, she noticed something moving inside the crystals. Her eyes went wide as she realised there was a pony trapped in the wall!

“How didst thou get in there?” Luna called as she tried to find any gaps in the crystals. “Guards! I need a hoof in here!”

“No, it’s okay!” the mare responded. “I hid myself here when they attacked.”

Luna paused, confused. “Hid? How?”

“Give me a minute. I’ll see if I can do it again.”

Luna stepped back from the wall. She held up a hoof to stop the guards as they arrived, and the three watched the pony in the wall. Moments later, a quiet rumble filled the cave, the walls shaking, and a narrow seam spread through the wall around the pony. The crystal blocking her in slid downwards, and was absorbed into the floor.

Luna stared, impressed by the display of magic she had just witnessed. She carefully examined the pony who now stood, bent over in concentration, in front of her. She was young, probably only just an adult. Her cutie mark showed a large sapphire, split into three pieces, clearly representing her talent. She was very heavily built, no doubt as a result of spending her life working with rocks, and her thick chestnut fur stopped short of her exposed, well worn hooves. But what drew Luna’s attention, obvious through her loosely hanging mane, was that she did not possess a horn.

“She’s... an earth pony,” one of the guards noted. Luna waved a hoof again, and the two of them stood to attention and backed away. As the young mare collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, the princess approached her and cautiously proffered a hoof, but she ignored it. She curled up against the wall, hiding her head in her forelegs.

“Do not fear,” Luna said, sitting down next to her. “They hath left now.”

The earth pony looked up at Luna, her eyes red and sore. “Are you sure?” When Luna nodded, she continued. “They came out of nowhere. Yesterday evening they... they just appeared, and... and they took everyone!”

Luna nodded. Her suspicions were right, then. The attack had happened inside the caves.

“What is thy name?” she asked.

“Sapphire,” the earth pony responded. “Sapphire Stone. I’m part of the earth-moving team.”

Luna lay down on the floor next to Sapphire. “I know this may be difficult, Sapphire,” she said, “but I need to know what happened here last night. What dost thou remember?”

Sapphire closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then looked back out towards the entrance. “It wasn’t long after sunset. The princess... your sister had come down to check on progress before we packed up. They were all out there talking science and I... I was through here, staying out of the way.”

She shivered, closing her eyes tightly. “Then I heard voices I didn’t recognise. They were shouting, and I could hear spells being fired. I panicked, and I hid.”

“Thou didst not try to save them?”

Sapphire squeaked and hid her head under her hooves. “I didn’t know how! Instinct just took over, and I...”

Luna realised that she had raised her voice, and laid a wing over Sapphire’s back, which seemed to calm her down. “Forgive me,” she said. “I should not have been so harsh. Thou wert able to hide thyself because of thy special talent?”

Sapphire nodded. “It just sort of happened. I was about to run away, and I tripped and fell against the wall. Next thing I knew, I was trapped. I guess it was instinct, or something. I didn’t dare move in case somepony saw me, and I’ve been here all night.”

“This is an unusual talent for an earth pony,” Luna commented. “Hast thou always been able to do this?”

Sapphire shook her head. “No. I’ve always been able to...” She paused, looking around, trying to find the right word. “I’ve always been able to sense crystals. Know where they are, see how pure they are, things like that. Celestia said I’m connected to crystals in the same way most earth ponies connect to the soil. I never realised I could move them as well until I came here. It’s something about how big the crystals are.”

“Thou art able to draw from the inherent magic in the crystals,” Luna mused.

“Celestia said that too,” Sapphire responded, nodding. “I felt weird as soon as I came to the cave. I could feel the power around me. It got even stronger when we exposed the crystal itself and I was able to feel it with my own hooves. I then found that I was able to move the crystals round if I concentrated, and I’ve spent a lot of the last few months practicing.”

“That is why thou wert here last night?” Luna asked. Sapphire nodded.

Luna looked at the strange pony lying next to her. Celestia had not mentioned Sapphire’s talent to her, but this was not in itself surprising. Knowing the inherent power in these caves, they had decided that their research should be kept quiet until they had a proper understanding of what it represented. So, while Luna took care of the public affairs of state, Celestia had volunteered to assume complete executive power over the research. They had kept discussion of the work to an absolute minimum to avoid the risk of anything being leaked. While she trusted her sister completely, they knew that their royal court was not entirely watertight, filled with numerous informants for various powerful ponies.

But as she considered Sapphire, she realised that her talent may present an opportunity. Something which the attackers hopefully had not considered.

“Let us go somewhere less cramped, Sapphire,” Luna said. She stood and helped Sapphire up, then the four of them walked back out into the main cavern. She walked over to a lantern that hung against one of the walls and lit it, better lighting the space, then turned back to the guards.

“The crystal, please.”

Sapphire looked over at them, her curiosity piqued by the mention of another crystal. One of the guards pulled the blue shard out from beneath his armour and gave it to the princess, who took it in her magic and walked it over to Sapphire. She caught it and turned it over between her front hooves, examining every side of it.

“I need to know if there is anything that thou canst tell me about this crystal,” Luna said.

Sapphire looked up, wide-eyed, at Luna. “This is beautiful! Where did you find this?” she asked. Luna did not respond, so she looked back down at the crystal, examining it carefully.

“It's incredibly pure,” she said eventually. “Purer than anything I’ve ever seen. It’s got a lot of power in it for such a small piece. There’s even... Has a spell been cast on this?” Luna nodded at her, and she looked back down at the crystal, feeling it’s power through her hooves. “There’s something more to it, though. This isn’t it’s original shape. It used to be part of a larger formation; I can still feel echoes of it. I wonder if the spell's be binding the two parts together somehow. This can’t have been part of these caves though...”

Sapphire’s voice trailed off as she lost herself in the crystal, then her eyes flew open and she staggered back, dropping it on the floor. Luna watched the crystal as it came to rest, then approached Sapphire.

“Art thou hurt?” she asked.

Sapphire continued to stare in shock at the crystal. Her voice shook when she spoke. “I’ve never felt anything like that! It’s... it's still connected to its home, and the power coming from it... it must be the largest crystal in all Equestria!”

Luna stepped over the crystal and sat down in front of Sapphire, bringing their heads level with each other. “Thou sayest it is still connected? Using this crystal, wouldst thou be able to locate its source?”

Sapphire nodded, her mind still reeling from what she had seen. Luna nodded, then turned back towards her guards.

“I want you to prepare a chariot,” she said to them. “I will determine the origin of this crystal, and then I will be leaving immediately to stop this madness and—”

“No!”

Luna stopped and turned to see Sapphire staring back at her, equally surprised by her sudden outburst. She lowered her head, shaking it, then looked back up.

“I mean, uh... there’s something more.” She sat down next to the crystal and looked at it contemplatively. “I could feel something reaching out from the crystal. It’s like it’s alive, and it was calling out to me. It was in pain. It was scared, and it was begging me to help it!” She looked back up at the princess, and Luna could see that she was deeply conflicted, unsure what she was trying to say.

“I’ve never felt anything like it before. Something's being done to it. I feel sick just thinking about it, and I think... I need to stop it. Princess, please. I want to go too. I think I need to. I need to fix whatever’s happened.”

Sapphire stared expectantly at the princess as she considered it. Luna knew that she should not send the young pony into danger so readily. This was her fight; it was her sister that she was rescuing. And Sapphire’s desire to go just to heal the pain she had felt did not sit right with the princess for some reason.

But Luna considered the good fortune she had already had in meeting Sapphire. She had had many conversations with her sister over the years on the subject of destiny, and they both believed that many things did happen for a reason. This abduction was clearly related to their crystal research, and thus Sapphire may be uniquely suited to deal with the situation in this case. She was perhaps the only pony in Equestria who would be able to find her sister’s attackers, and who knew what power she may have access to at this new crystal formation?

She had even volunteered for the job. This was a rare luxury which few ponies in similar situations were given. Remembering also that there were other tasks closer to home which needed attention, Luna decided that it may be worth the risk.

“Art thou certain this is what thou wantest?” Luna asked Sapphire. The young mare again looked uncertain, still fighting a mental battle to balance her own needs with her new desires. Eventually she seemed to reach a decision, a new look of resolve appearing on her face.

“I’m sure, princess,” she said. “Please. I need to do this.”

Luna nodded, then returned to the guards.

“There has been a change of plans. You will now be escorting Miss Stone instead. She will guide you as you travel, and you are to protect and aid her in any way you can. Any orders she giveth you are given with my authority. Do you understand?”

The guards saluted the princess, then bowed towards Sapphire. The young pony stepped back and looked worriedly at Luna.

“You’re not coming with me?” She asked.

“I am afraid not,” Luna replied. “There are matters which must be dealt with at this end. But do not fear. I have confidence in thine abilities. I am certain that thou wilt not fail. Now please hurry. We must waste no time.”

Luna watched as Sapphire picked up the crystal and left the cave, escorted by the two guards. There was one more thing she would do before following, however. She lay down on the ground, magically extinguishing the lamp, and closed her eyes.

~ ~ ~

Luna stood on a grassy hillside overlooking a farm. The sun was setting in the distance, and a large number of ponies were gathered in the farmyard. There was a long table filled with all kinds of food, and many were dancing to a band in the evening light. In the field behind the yard, fillies and colts were playing together, throwing a ball around and chasing each other.

She looked down to her side and found what she sought. Her sister lay on the grass, watching the foals playing, a calm smile on her face.

“You always pick such simple dreams,” Luna said.

“There is nothing more precious in my life than seeing the joy of ponies enjoying each other’s company,” Celestia replied. “I come here often when I need to be at peace.”

“I am confused by this game,” Luna said as she sat down next to Celestia.

“It has no name,” her sister explained. “Its rules are constantly changing, only existing when they are needed. It is the sort of game that only a foal could ever imagine.” Celestia chuckled, then turned to look at Luna. “But we have more important things to discuss, I think.”

“Indeed.” Luna turned her head and met her sister’s eyes. “I am glad you thought to come here also. But why did you allow yourself to be captured?”

Celestia shook her head. “They took us all by surprise. When they saw me, they used the other researchers as hostages, demanding that I cooperate. I could not risk any harm coming to the others if I fought back.”

Luna considered this for a moment, then nodded. “I understand. Still, you are putting yourself at risk by doing nothing. These ponies are clearly dangerous, and you should not be sitting idly by while they prepare whatever it is they are planning.”

“Indeed I will not,” Celestia said. “I need to know what it is they are doing, and by allowing them to bring me here I hope to be able to determine their intentions. I have also allowed them to believe that I am under their control. That is why I chose not to raise the sun today.”

“That was wise, sister. Had the sun risen on time it may have been many hours before I became aware of your absence.”

Celestia nodded and looked back out over the farm as the sun began to set in the distance. “Now, there are a few matters which must be discussed before we part again. I noticed that not all of the research team were brought with me.”

“I found Sapphire Stone in the caves this morning,” Luna said. “She managed to conceal herself within one of the cavern walls. Her special talent is impressive, sister. On her request, I have sent her to you to assist.”

Celestia raised her eyebrows, thinking. After a few moments, she smiled. “You made the right choice,” she said. “I expect great things from Miss Stone. If she is here, I may not need to intervene at all.”

“You expect a lot,” Luna replied. “Unless you suspect that—”

“I think it is certainly possible. If so, there will not be much I can do in any case. I will have time to consider this further before she arrives, though.” Celestia paused, then turned to face Luna again. “You are not coming with her?”

“I am not,” Luna replied. “I need to address something here.”

She told her sister about the crystal which Sapphire was carrying, and about the message that she had been given.

Celestia looked troubled by the news. “It concerns me that they were able to access my quarters. But if they have the support of the regents then they would have a lot of freedom within the castle.”

Luna stood and started pacing restlessly. “It concerns me more that the regents have ordered an attack on the castle, and on us. I am going to confront them as soon as we are finished here, and they will be made to pay for their treachery!”

Celestia rose also and held out a hoof to stop her sister. “That should not be necessary, fortunately. From what I have heard since my arrival, my captors no longer answer to the regents. I suspect they may be rogue agents, and that they probably only mentioned the regents to you as a stalling tactic.”

Luna considered this. “It is still worth investigating, though. To find out what their connection is to this.”

“Indeed.” Celestia settled back on the hillside. “Remember, though. They should not be our enemies. Be safe, sister. I will await Sapphire’s arrival.”

Luna nodded and faded away. Celestia sat in silence for a few moments, then woke herself up.

~ ~ ~

Sapphire Stone curled up in the back of the chariot, sheltering against the cold winds which were blowing past. They had been flying for nearly nine hours now, stopping only occasionally to recheck their bearings or to find food.

They were being guided entirely by Sapphire’s sense of the crystal’s connection to its parent. She had no idea how much farther it was going to be; all she could tell was that it was somewhere to the north of them.

She had hoped that their destination would become clear as they approached. A structure that large should have been easy to spot from the air. But there was nothing as far as the eye could see. The rolling grassy hills of northern Equestria had long ago given way to a vast frozen expanse of tundra, well beyond the direct influence of the pegasi. If the crystal was out here, it must be buried beneath the earth, which would make it harder to find. Sapphire started to worry that it may not even be possible.

The long hours of silence had given Sapphire plenty of time to think, but she was still a long way from understanding how she had ended up here. For some reason, she had just volunteered herself for a mission into completely unknown, and certainly dangerous, territory. She had no idea what was going to happen, she had no idea what she was supposed to do to stop it, and she didn’t even know where she was going. Her brain screamed at her, saying she should be home with her parents now. She should never have left home at all, never gone to Canterlot, and then she wouldn’t be out here on this stupid suicide mission.

Burying her head in her hooves, she pushed the incessant worries out of her head, and took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. What was done was done. She was here now, and she had better make best use of the situation as it stood.

She quietly scolded herself for letting herself get so carried away. She had always known how easily she lost herself when she found a strong crystal. The effect of joining herself with one was indescribable, different every time, and could affect her thoughts in strange ways. Even so, this had been different. What she had felt calling out to her seemed to be alive itself. It was like seeing into, becoming one with, the mind of another, and for a brief time she had shared its needs, its pain, its desires. Then, while she still wasn’t back to her normal self, she’d made a rash decision that could get her and everypony else killed.

She could feel the weight of the crystal in her saddle-bag. She only held it in her hooves when she needed to, but even now she could sense the magic in it calling to her, echoing quietly in the back of her mind. It had been getting continually stronger ever since they left the castle. Either it was simply because they were getting closer to the source, or whatever was causing the pain she felt was getting stronger. Sapphire hoped it was the former, but suspected it was both.

Carrying the crystal was difficult. She had at one point considered giving it to the guards to hold, but she felt she needed it with her to remind herself why she was here. The longer she felt the cries for help from the crystal, the more she was able to convince herself that it was right for her to be there.

She lifted her head up over the front of the chariot, scanning the horizon for any sign of landmarks again, but saw nothing.

“I want to land again and check the direction,” she called to the pegasi pulling the chariot. “We must be close by now.”

The guards nodded, and the chariot started to descend towards the earth. They flew along about fifty feet above the ground as the pegasi scanned for a suitable place to land.

Suddenly there was a pulse of magic in the air, and the guards’ wings locked up. They strained, trying in vain to continue flying, but the chariot started to fall helplessly to the ground. One of the guards swung his head round and shouted back to Sapphire.

“Miss Stone! Jump!”

She had barely had a chance to realise what was happening when she heard him. Panicking, she closed her eyes and leapt away from the falling chariot. She crashed to the ground, rolling to a stop in the branches of a small bush. When she picked herself up, she saw the chariot, lying on its side twenty yards away from her. The guards were unfastening themselves from their reins and trying to loosen their stiff wings. She was about to call out to them, when she heard voices coming from her left.

She ducked back into the bushes, hoping that the new arrivals hadn’t seen her. Watching through a gap in the branches, she saw a group of five ponies walk past, muttering about having been disturbed. There were scuffling noises as her guards presumably tried to resist capture, but Sapphire saw green flashes of light and heard the all-too-familiar hiss of spells being fired, then the fighting stopped.

“A chariot?” one of the ponies said over the whistle of the wind. “Were you expecting to just walk in, pick up your princess and leave? I’m impressed that Luna found us so quickly, but we’re not so stupid as to leave our base undefended, you know.”

“Should we change our plan?” another voice asked.

“No, we stick to our schedule,” the first voice replied. “We’re nearly ready now. No point in hurrying at this point. Let’s put these two inside with the others.”

The ponies filed past again, carrying the unconscious guards. Sapphire kept still, holding her breath, in the hope that they wouldn’t hear her. Once they had gone past, she raised her head cautiously, just in time to see the group disappear through a small hole not too far from where she had landed.

She waited a minute to be sure that everypony had gone, then pulled herself out of the bushes. She was alone again. For the second time in as many days, she had watched as those ponies stole her allies from her.

Swallowing her fear, she walked towards the entrance. She couldn’t afford to sit around helplessly this time. The sooner this was done, the sooner she could go home.

~ ~ ~

Luna sat alone in the middle of a field, waiting. A cloud hung overhead, a light but persistent rain falling over her.

Upon her return to the castle, Luna had sent messengers to the three regents, demanding an immediate audience. Four hours later, a single response came, asking that she meet them at this location. Their reluctance to come to Canterlot was unusual, and betrayed a clear distrust in the princesses from the regents. In light of this, their decision to request an open, neutral meeting point was understandable, but it was a shame that they considered it necessary.

Half an hour after Luna arrived, she saw the regents approach. King Platinum and Chancellor Ridgeway each arrived in their own chariots, while Commander Ravenwing chose to fly in by herself. The three of them convened together at the edge of the field, talking quietly with each other, then approached the princess together.

“Good afternoon to you all,” Luna said as they arrived. “A shame about the weather, though,” she added, glancing towards Ravenwing.

“We can’t simply cancel a shower because you’ve demanded to see us,” the grey pegasus retorted, hovering into the air.

Luna nearly reprimanded the commander, but decided against it, remembering her sister’s advice. “I understand,” she said. “But I do feel that this atmosphere is not conducive to peaceful discussion. I hope thou dost not mind.”

She stood up and unfurled her wings. A magical aura shed from her feathers and spread out into the air, forming an iridescent blue dome over them and holding the rain back. Satisfied that the shield was sound, Luna closed her wings and lay down again. Ravenwing cast a disgruntled look at the shimmering barrier above her, then landed beside her allies. The three regents sat down on the now-dry grass.

“Now that we art all sitting comfortably,” Luna continued, “it hast come to my attention that mistrust hast grown between us of late, and this troubleth me. I hope I can provide you with the reassurance you need in order for us to work together harmoniously once more.”

King Platinum idly examined one of his hooves. “The thing is, your Highness, trust is something which one needs to earn. It cannot just be handed out on a silver platter.”

“What the king is trying to say,” Ridgeway added, “is that some of us—” she glanced back at the king, who rolled his eyes and looked away “—feel that our predecessors should have given you more time to prove yourselves genuine and worthy of your historical status before it was granted to you.”

“I see,” Luna responded. “The regents of the time did have their reasons for trusting us, of course.”

“Oh, please,” Ravenwing laughed. “You know the story of Hearths’ Warming as well as any of us. They were embarrassed!”

The king nodded. “The then-chancellor and commander and my... dear sister... had nearly destroyed any chance of reclaiming our homeland simply because of their stubbornness. If we were not too busy trying to rebuild our entire nation they would have been ousted long before. When two legendary alicorns appeared out of nowhere, they hoped that allying themselves with you would give them some credibility again.”

Luna nodded. There was still a long way to go, but she was glad to be getting answers from them. She found their sudden openness strange though. There must be more to their reasons for being here.

“I wish you had spoken to us about this directly,” she said. “You must understand that my sister and I see our titles not as a right, but as an honour. We would have been more than happy to come to an alternative arrangement if you wished. There was no need to spy on us.”

“Hmph.” King Platinum stood up and began to walk around the edge of the domed area. Luna watched him carefully as he paced. “You clearly know about our agents, yet thou continuest to feign ignorance over their purpose.”

“They were not sent to investigate my sister and I?” Luna asked.

“They were,” Ridgeway said, lowering her head. “But they were sent because of a more specific concern. They...”

“We know about your research project,” the king interjected.

Luna stood and turned to face the king. Her mind ran back across all the court meetings she had been in over the past few months, trying to think of anything that she may have said to reveal the existence of the research. But she had already thought over all of her engagements after first realising that the caves had been targeted, and had come up with nothing.

“How did you come by this information?” she asked.

“That is not important,” the king replied. “Needless to say we have sources high up in Princess Celestia’s staff. We do not know exactly how high,” he added.

“They approached us a few weeks ago,” Ravenwing continued. “They told us about research the two of you were doing into some powerful magical artefacts, and how you were deliberately concealing it from your subjects. I imagine you can see why we’d be concerned.”

Luna nodded, lowering her head. “We had kept it secret because we feared that others may try to exploit it before it was fully understood. I assure you we had intended to reveal everything eventually.”

“But we have only thy word for that,” the king said. “They offered to bring us more information. All we had to do was provide them with, ah, funding, to cover for the risks they were taking.”

“Naturally,” Luna responded flatly.

“I’m surprised that you don’t already know all this,” Ridgeway said. “When we lost contact with them two days ago, we assumed that you had discovered them, and that they were captured and being interrogated.”

Luna looked round at the chancellor. “You have not heard from them in two days?”

The three regents exchanged glances.

“Er... no,” Ravenwing shuffled uneasily, then stood up and stared at Luna. “This is not your doing?”

“No, it is not,” Luna replied. “But I think you will all be interested to discover that Princess Celestia was abducted last night.”

~ ~ ~

Sapphire found herself walking through a maze of narrow tunnels dug into the earth. The only light came from a strange florescent green substance which clung in lumps to the walls. She had no idea what it was, but didn’t dare touch it to investigate further. This didn’t feel right for a secret hideout. It felt like these caves had been carved out by some form of wild creature, and the ponies were only occupying it.

She continued down passage after passage, listening out for any sounds of life in the deserted tunnels. She could feel the crystal at her side more strongly than ever now, and it almost felt warm against her side now.

She could swear that she could feel something else now. Another force, much more powerful, calling to her directly through the earth. She was getting close.

She reached yet another junction, still with only the sound of insects scurrying across the floor to keep her company. This place was making her stomach turn. She breathed heavily through her mouth, trying to avoid inhaling the stale smell of the cave. The nausea wasn’t made any better by the constant presence of the magic screaming in her mind. Part of her wished that she could shut it out, just for a while, and clear her head again. But she reminded herself that she had come to help whatever was calling her. Swallowing down the fear that was rising in her throat, she turned towards where the magic felt strongest, and continued on.

Nearly a quarter of an hour later, she was startled by a new sound. Jumping backwards into a small nook in the wall, she held her breath and listened intently to try and identify it. After a few moments, she realised that it was a pony, and that they were humming. More importantly, she recognised the voice.

Cantering down the passage and around another corner, she came to an entrance. It led into a small room, lit by torches instead of the green substance. Against the far wall, a prison cell had been built, thick crystalline bars covering the entrance. Inside the cage, Princess Celestia lay on the ground idly straightening her mane.

“Princess!” Sapphire whispered as she galloped across the room to the cell. “Are you okay?”

Celestia looked up, and smiled warmly when she saw Sapphire. “It is good to see you again, Sapphire,” she said. “I am fine, and I am relieved to see that you were not captured.”

Sapphire hung her head. “My guards were, though. That’s the second time I’ve failed to help somepony when they were attacked. I just hid and did nothing.”

Reaching through the bars, Celestia laid a hoof on Sapphire’s back. “But you are here now. That is more than I could expect from anypony. My sister even informs me that you volunteered, which was remarkably brave of you.”

Sapphire looked up, confused. “Your sister? How did Luna...” She shook her head, bringing her thoughts back to the task at hand. “Never mind. I think I might be able to get you out of this cell. The bars seem to be...”

Celestia interrupted her with a wave of a hoof. “Do not concern yourself with me. This is not my fight, and it is important that I stay out of the way. I will explain later, but now I suggest that you find your fellow scientists. I believe they are being held further down this corridor.”

“But Princess,” Sapphire said. “What am I supposed to do? I’ve no idea what’s happening, or how to stop it! I need your help!” She started to hyperventilate, crouching down on the floor, but Celestia pulled her head round and stared into her eyes. The sight of the princess’s warm smile calmed her, and her breathing started to level out.

“I know this is a lot for you to deal with now,” Celestia said. “You have every right to be nervous, but there is something you should know. I can sense great potential in you, more than you realise. All you need is the chance to use it. I am confident that you will not disappoint me.”

The princess let go of Sapphire’s face and stood up, and Sapphire followed suit. She was still breathing heavily, and she still felt so tense that she thought she was going to explode at any moment, but talking to the princess always seemed to give her confidence.

“So I have to do this on my own?” she asked. Celestia shook her head.

“Like I say, I suggest that you find your fellow scientists. Hopefully your guards may be with them as well. I think it is vitally important that you have companionship at this time, to give you strength to get through what is to come. Now, we have delayed long enough. I suggest you move on.”

Sapphire looked round at the dark passageway behind her. She still felt guilty over abandoning the other scientists, and this was not a reunion she was looking forward to. She walked to the doorway, and with a final look over her shoulder at the princess, stepped back into the darkness.

~ ~ ~

“I can't believe they betrayed us!”

Commander Ravenwing stomped back and forth across the grass. All three regents were standing now, and the king looked as furious as the commander did. Chancellor Ridgeway stood to one side, impatiently scratching her leg.

Luna lay still on the grass, watching patiently as the regents vented their anger. She had spent the best part of an hour explaining everything that had happened. She had told them all she knew about the research, and of the abduction itself. In turn, they had told her everything they knew about their informants.

The clouds overhead were now starting to turn orange in the evening light, but it had at least stopped raining. The sun would be needing to set in less than an hour, and with any luck this would all be over by then. Luna had no idea where Sapphire was or how she was faring, however. She did not expect to hear anything more, either, as she doubted that Celestia would risk sleeping again at such an important time.

“After everything we gave them, they turned against us!” Ravenwing continued.

“I told you we shouldn’t have been so quick to trust them,” Ridgeway said, glaring at the other two. “Especially after your big speech about not trusting the princesses.”

“We did not trust them,” King Platinum stated. “They were already traitors, and deserved no such luxury. But they had important information, and we could not ignore their offer.”

Luna stood, and the regents fell silent. “I can understand your feelings, all of you, but it would seem that we have all been manipulated. They hath taken what they needed from all sides and gone their own way.”

Ridgeway cleared her throat and stepped forward. “It has to be noted that we’ve still only your word that their disappearance is not your doing,” she said.

Luna looked to the north for a moment. Bring me peace, my sister, she thought to herself. She had hoped that she would be able to win their trust more easily, but it had perhaps been optimistic to think so. She still had one option left, however, and while it would not be easy for her, she hoped that it would be enough to at least secure their cooperation.

“You are correct, of course,” she said, turning back to Ridgeway. “I should not ask you to trust me completely without evidence. But alas I cannot provide any proof either way. However, as I said, I already have a pony working to stop these agents’ plans, and all we can do in the meantime is wait. I will remain with you, and answer any and all questions you ask of me. Please, at least give me the chance to reassure you.”

“Thou askest a lot,” the king said. “If thou art working against us, this could just as easily be a trap.”

Luna nodded, then lay down on the grass again. “Then there are a few things thou shouldst know,” she said. She gestured up to the translucent dome which still hung above their heads. “This shield ist mine own natural magical barrier. Whilst I have shed it thusly, I am entirely at the mercy of anything thou doest to me. And I promise not to do anything in self-defence. If you wish to leave, you are welcome to. If you wish to take me into custody for further investigation, that is your right. I ask you to stay only so I can help allay your concerns.”

After considering this for a moment, the king walked cautiously past Luna and approached the shield. He held his hoof out through it for a moment, examining the barrier. Then, returning to stand by Luna’s side, he held his hoof up again and placed it on the princess’s withers, seeing if she would react. She ignored the hoof, staring calmly into the distance.

After a few moments, the king sighed and lowered his hoof again.

“It must be difficult, placing so much trust in us,” he said. “I suppose the least I can do is return the favour, at least for the moment.”

Luna smiled, and looked over her shoulder at the king. “Thou hast my thanks, your Majesty. Thy willingness to cooperate will not be forgotten.”

The king nodded in acknowledgement, then returned to the other regents, then the three of them sat down once more on the grass.

“So, now what?” Ridgeway asked. “It seems you have already answered any questions I had as well as you can.”

“I suppose so,” Luna said. “Then I suggest we just spend the remaining time in each other’s company, as the friends that I hope we can be. So, Commander,” she said, turning to Ravenwing, “how ist the weather today?”

~ ~ ~

Sapphire crept further along the corridor. She was starting to hear voices in her head constantly. The crystal in her saddlebag was drowned out by its parent, so close now that its magic seemed to fill the air around her.

But not all of the voices were in her head. She could also hear more familiar ones, coming from very close by. She followed them until, at last, she found another torchlit room. In this one, a large crystalline cell stood in the centre, with the guards and the rest of the research team sitting in it. Once more the room was unguarded. Wherever the other ponies were, they clearly had more important things to do.

She hesitated outside the room. All the ponies in the cell, nine of them now, were trapped here because of her, because she failed to help them before. She wanted to try to help them now, but the only things she could do were leave them here or put them in even more danger. Taking a deep breath, she cautiously entered the room.

As she did so, Studious Method, the lead researcher, noticed her. “Miss Stone!” he said. “You made it!”

Sapphire was at least relieved to talk to Studious first. She barely knew the scientists, but even though he was always proper and formal, he had at least been friendly. She couldn’t say the same for some of the others. Still, she found it strange that yet again he seemed to be expecting her.

“You knew I was coming?” she asked. Then she noticed her guards, sitting at the far side of the cell. “Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot.”

“So you’re here to rescue us?” another scientist, who Sapphire didn’t remember as well, said.

“I guess so,” she replied, shrugging. “Do you know where those other ponies went?”

Studious pointed over to an exit on the other side of the room, which sloped down away from the room. “They went down that way with our notes and equipment after they interrogated us. It seems they only took us for our research. They went that way after bringing your guards in as well, so I assume they’re still down there. Do you know what they’re doing?”

“Oh, come on,” the other scientist said. “You remember her, little miss shy and timid. I don’t know how she ended up on this mission, but don’t give her any hope of succeeding, Stu. If they captured Celestia, what hope has she got?”

Studious turned and faced him. “First, please don’t call me that, Pestle,” he said. “Second, she’s the only help we’ve got. Unless you have any other ideas, I think I’ll give her a chance. Is that clear?”

Pestle sneered and turned away, so Studious went back over to Sapphire. “Sorry about that,” he said. “Now, do you think you can get us out of here? I’ve had no luck with my magic; I think the cell’s enchanted. But it’s made of crystal, so I was wondering...”

Sapphire shook her head. “No, I’m leaving you here, at least for now. I don’t want to put anypony else in danger.”

“You can’t be serious,” he replied. “You’re going to do this on your own? I assume you have a fairly good plan, then.”

Sapphire opened her mouth to say something to reassure him so that he’d stop worrying. But before she could think of a suitable lie, she found herself saying “No, I have no idea what to do.”

Studious stared blankly at her. “No plan at all?” Sapphire shook her head.

“I’m not sure what to make of that,” he said, pacing back and forth behind the bars. “If you have no idea what you’re doing, why are you even here?”

Sapphire sighed and lay down, then, reaching into her saddlebag, she pulled the crystal out with her teeth and placed it carefully on the ground in front of her.

“I’m here because of this,” she said. “It’s part of some crystal they have here. They left it in Canterlot.”

“Doesn’t look very special,” Pestle said.

“On it’s own, I guess it’s not,” Sapphire said. “But it’s still connected to the crystals here. I can sense what they’re doing here through it. When I hold that in my hooves, I can see... I’m not sure how to describe it. There’s powerful magic here, and something’s hurting it. I’ve felt its pain, and I think I need to stop it.”

“You don’t sound very certain,” Studious said.

“I’m not,” she replied. “I’ve been asking myself ever since I left if I should be doing this. It feels like the world made this decision for me, and now I’m trapped.” She looked down at the crystal again. “But every time I feel the magic in that calling to me, it feels like it’s pushing me on, telling me that I can. I don’t know how, but I think I’m supposed to do this. It’s something I have to do, one way or another.”

Studious put a hoof on his chin and considered this. “You said you could feel another crystal? Even with your skills, how is that possible? We must be hundreds of miles from Canterlot here.”

“This is different, though,” she said. “How big is the largest crystal under Canterlot?”

“Huge,” he replied. “We found some continuous sections which were nearly fifty yards across.”

“Largest on record,” another scientist added.

Sapphire nodded. “They’re nothing compared to what’s here, though. Whatever it is, it must be miles across at least! Its power is still linked to this shard, and it’s the strongest force I’ve ever felt!”

Studious stared at the shard, and then whistled in awe. “You know, it’s starting to sound like you may actually have a chance. I’ve seen what you can do in the right circumstances.” He knelt down on the floor, smiling reassuringly at her, and she looked up and met his eyes. “You may not believe you can do this, but I think part of you knows you can. And I trust you enough to let you try. Now let’s get this cell open and—”

“No!” She jumped up and looked down at him. “Weren’t you listening? I’m doing this on my own! This is my job, and I’m not going to let the rest of you get hurt again!”

Sapphire stared at him, panting heavily. Studious stared back, completely calm, waiting for her to relax again. When her breathing slowed, he asked “What do you mean, ‘again’?”

Sapphire’s brief anger disappeared, and she hung her head, shutting her eyes firmly to hold the tears back.

“I let you get captured,” she said. “I could have done something. I should have at least tried. Instead I tried to run, and then I hid. Then I got here, and I hid again as my guards were captured. I didn’t do anything to help you then, so if I can keep you out of danger, I have to.”

“Don’t worry about us,” one of the guards said from the back. “Our job is to protect you, and that is what we have done. If you had tried to stop them you would have been captured as well, and we all would have failed.”

Sapphire looked over at him. She was surprised to see the stoic guard giving her asmile, and returned it. “Thanks. It means a lot to hear you say that. But that doesn’t forgive what I did to the rest of you.”

“Sapphire, there’s something you need to understand,” Studious said. “I don’t care. I doubt you’ve ever fought anypony before, and your abilities were still new to you. I couldn’t expect you to come charging in and save us all. To ask so much of you would be unforgivably selfish of me. Besides, you’re here now. You’re putting your own life on the line for all of us, and I’ll be damned if I’m just going to sit here and send you off on your own. You’re not putting me in danger. I want to help you.”

“Me too,” one of the other scientists said. The others all murmured in agreement, and even Pestle gave shrug of agreement.

Sapphire looked into his eyes, and realised he was telling the truth. “You’re sure?”

“I am,” he said. “I admit I don’t know you very well, but I admire your honesty in admitting your fears. I trust you, but I still think you’re going to need help. You don’t have to do this alone. Please, let us out of here.”

Relenting, she stepped forward and put her hoof on one of the crystalline bars. It was too small for her to manipulate on its own, but there was so much magic in the atmosphere that it started to respond to her. Concentrating hard, she managed to force two fractures through the top and bottom of the bar, and it fell onto the floor.

One by one, the captured ponies squeezed out through the gap and gathered around Sapphire. Surprised but happy to have so many willing to help her, she walked towards the exit, feeling somewhat more confident than when she arrived.

~ ~ ~

Still sitting in her cell, Celestia became aware in a change in the ambient magic. There was still pain everywhere, but she could feel something else now. There was anticipation, something welling up, waiting to be released. She smiled, and waited with it.

~ ~ ~

The group made their way along the dark passage. This tunnel felt more recent than the ones she had found before, but was still lit by the same strange substance. It wasn’t long before Sapphire saw a light coming from ahead. Upon seeing it, the group picked up the pace, and a minute later emerged into a vast cavern.

Sapphire looked up towards the roof of the cavern, and it immediately took her breath away.

It stretched upwards for hundreds of metres, and disappeared into the darkness in all directions. Every surface beyond the mouth of the tunnel was made of pure, unbroken crystal, clearer than anything Sapphire had ever seen. A number of torches had been scattered around, their light reflecting off the walls and casting beautiful rainbow patterns through the cavern.

She stared numbly at the sight for a minute, but then her attention was drawn by a strange whooshing sound to her left. She turned, and saw a dark brown pegasus stallion approach them. He looked at them, confused for a moment, and his eyes dwelled on Sapphire for a particularly long time. Then he turned and called into the cavern.

“Asshah! Our guests appear to have escaped!”

There was a long pause, and Sapphire faintly heard strange rasping noises echoing back through the cavern. Then it was replaced by an eerie buzzing noise, and she saw four other figures emerge from the gloom and fly towards them. They landed on the crystalline floor a few metres from the scientists, and Sapphire stared in shock.

They were built like ponies, but the resemblance stopped there. They were each covered in a waxy black coat, which clung to their bones and muscles in a strange, alien way, their limbs riddled with holes. Their wings were not feathered like on pegasi, but were a translucent film, like an insect’s. Each also had a crooked horn, as well as fangs and huge, blue-green eyes.

“Who... what are...” she stammered. Her question was answered a moment later, as the pegasus that greeted them was engulfed in green flame, and emerged again as another of the creatures.

“Changelings!” one of the scientists shouted.

Asshah, the leader, chuckled, and walked forward. “Well, you were going to find out eventually. Now you I don’t recognise,” he said, examining Sapphire. “What’s your name?”

“Sapphire. Sapphire Stone,” she said, her voice shaking. She could feel the strange creature’s cold breath on her face, and the confidence in which the five of them were facing down her group gave her the chills. “But... you’re a fairy tale!” she said.

In a second burst of green flame, Asshah disappeared, and was replaced a moment later by an exact copy of Sapphire herself. Speaking in her voice, he said “Believe that if you wish. It won’t change the fact that I’m right here. And I suppose you’ve come to stop us,” he continued, changing back to his natural form. “Do you even know what we’re doing here?”

Sapphire shook her head nervously. Asshah chuckled, and continued. “Well, I’ve got some time to kill at the moment, and, you know, I’m quite pleased with our plan, so why not? Oh,” he added, “Remember, you’ve all fought us before and failed, so don’t bother trying anything.”

He jumped into the air and flew around above them. “We discovered these caves years ago, while building new hives after you all moved. We had no idea what to do with it, though. Crystal is so hard to burrow in. So we just abandoned it! Can you imagine that?”

He laughed, but none of the ponies joined him.

“Well anyway,” he continued, “A few years later I’m undercover in Canterlot, as some insignificant personal guard for Celestia, and I start hearing about another cave of crystals, and all the power it holds. I remembered these caves, and saw an opportunity. I gathered a few colleagues, and the information I had was enough to wring some funding and materials out of your regents. That made our job so much easier.” He laughed again, clearly enjoying himself. “Now who here knows what changelings do?”

The scientists didn’t respond immediately, but then one of them said “You feed off love.”

“Correct,” Asshah responded, enjoying playing the part of teacher. “We’ve always had to do so one pony at a time. Any more and we’d draw attention to ourselves, and nopony wants that. But the magic and influence of this crystal spreads over all Equestria! When we found out we could channel spells through it, we realised we could use it to feed off your entire race! All at the same time! The changelings would never go hungry again!”

Many of the scientists gasped in shock. “This is crazy!” Pestle shouted back. “You expected to do all this without being noticed?”

Asshah landed on the ground and walked up to him. “Well of course we were going to be noticed,” he snarked. “I’m not that delusional. But by the time your race realised what what was going on, it would be too late. By that point, we would have taken our results back to the queen, and our entire race would gather here, feeding until we were strong enough to hold back anything you could throw at us. We just needed to stay hidden for long enough.”

Sapphire stood, surprised by everything he was telling them. Then it hit her.

“Wait,” she said. “We know you’re here now. Why aren’t you worried? Why are you even telling us this?”

“Because,” Asshah said, turning to her, “as I said, by the time you discovered us, it was too late. The spell is cast, and it’s only a matter of time before it spreads out over the land. Then, we’ll be able to begin feeding, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it!” He turned around and walked away again, waving a hoof dismissively over his shoulder. “This was a pleasant distraction, but I have work to do. Rassish, keep watch over them. Make sure they don’t break anything.”

He took off and headed back into the cavern, followed by the three he had arrived with. The fifth one remained, watching them.

Sapphire walked forward to where the crystals started. Rassish watched her carefully, but didn’t stop her, unaware of her ability. When she reached the crystal, she placed one hoof carefully down on the surface.

Immediately, her mind was overwhelmed. Countless spirits flowed through her, screaming out in agony. She could feel the changeling magic too, spreading out, pulling the spirits in towards it. It seemed as if she could feel the entire world connecting to her through the crystal, and its spirit was crying out as one, fully aware of what was coming. It was so close to the end now, but she had no idea how to stop it. Completely helpless, she succumbed to the pain and collapsed onto the ground sobbing.

Then something pushed its way through the pain. She felt a hoof on her shoulder. A voice worked its way into her mind, and she heard Studious Method talking to her.

“Come on, Sapphire,” he said. “Don’t give up yet. You can do this. I believe in you.”

One by one, she felt the others join him. They gathered round her, speaking words of encouragement. In amongst the pain, she felt a small spark of warmth, reassured by the newfound friendship from her companions. She clung on to it, and it began to fill her.

In an instant, the spark burst forth, and impossibly powerful magic flowed into her body. Her eyes flew open, burning bright, and the air in the cavern stirred, swirling around her.

The walls of the cave shook as the magic poured out of Sapphire and into the crystal. Tendrils of light flowed through them, spreading from her into the entire space and away into the rest of the great formation. It found the natural magic flowing through the crystal, and began to weed out the alien spell which had been introduced.

As she latched onto the changeling spell, Sapphire saw the connection it was forcing to the spirits of every pony in Equestria. In turn, the spirits were drawn in to her, flowing through her as Harmony purged them of the parasitic magic.

Her body became a conduit, providing the magic residing in the crystal with a direct route to Harmony. But still the natural barriers within her tried to resist. The flow quickly overwhelmed them however, and they were torn down, the spirits of all three tribes pouring into her, bonding with her and reshaping her.

Her entire body was consumed by light. The crystals stirred, a vast column rising up beneath her, lifting her into the air. There were screams of shock as claws of crystal sprang from the walls and caught hold of the changelings. Sapphire was carried to the centre of the cavern, as the changelings were brought into place around her, supported by pillars rising from the ground. The light pouring from her body spread through the vast space, illuminating even the farthest reaches. Her voice filled the cavern, joined by thousands more which seemed to echo directly from the walls.

“Leave this place,” she said, addressing the changelings, who were held motionless before her. “Never return. If you do, your entire race will be made to pay for its transgressions. Harmony is, and will always remain, under our protection.”

There were panicked screams from the changelings, as they wriggled helplessly, trying to free themselves from their bonds. Then the claws rose to the cavern’s ceiling, and they were carried through the rock and soil to the surface and thrown far away from the caves.

The tendrils of light which coursed through the walls retreated back towards the centre, where they flowed up the crystalline column, shaking it to breaking point, and poured back into Sapphire.

The column shattered, while the pillars which had held the changelings fell to the ground. As Sapphire's hooves lost their connection the the crystal, the entire cavern fell still and silent once more. She hung in the air, borne on wings of light which blossomed out from her glowing body. The scientists stared in awe as she floated down and settled back on the ground among them, the light receding to reveal her form once more. The magic began to retreat from her, but before the connection was lost, she projected a single thought out through Harmony:

It is done.

~ ~ ~

“Ah.”

Luna stood suddenly, surprising the regents. They had spent the last half hour having strained but refreshingly pleasant conversation about the state of the nation, but the thought which echoed into Luna’s mind immediately pulled her attention away.

“What is it, your Highness,” Ridgeway asked, standing as well.

Luna smiled. “It would appear that my agent hath been successful,” she said. “Now, I must leave and make sure everything is taken care of. I would ask you to make your way to Canterlot. On our return, we will explain everything.”

She disappeared in a flash of light, following the thought back to its source.

~ ~ ~

A second later, Luna appeared, and found herself standing at the entrance to the vast cavern. At the same instant, Celestia emerged next to her, drawn by the same thought. None of the other ponies in front of them noticed their arrival, though, distracted by something else.

Looking over the crowd, the two of them saw Sapphire lying on the ground, exhausted. The effects of the awakening were still clearly visible, for it had changed her in many ways. She had been opened up to the spirits of the world, and had become one with each pony tribe, inheriting their magic.

“That was unexpected,” Luna said, examining Sapphire’s new wings and horn.

Celestia nodded. “Indeed it was. I had expected her to trigger an awakening, but I had not anticipated this result. It is a pity; I would like to have had the opportunity to guide her in the transformation. This must have been very stressful for her.”

“Still, we are here now,” Luna responded. “She has friends to comfort her, but she will need guidance.”

They slowly made their way towards the group, and the scientists parted as they approached. As they arrived, Celestia noticed Sapphire’s cutie mark. It had been one of the first clues she had had to Sapphire’s potential. A crystal-based talent was much more common in unicorns than earth ponies or pegasi, and was rare even then.

But now the mark had changed, showing something even more. The three segments of the sapphire had been brought together, forming the image of a single, flawless gem.

Celestia considered the significance carefully. The meaning of the change was clear, given what had happened. But the fact that her cutie mark had anticipated this change had profound implications.

Luna noticed it also. “What do you think this means?” she asked her sister.

“I do not know,” Celestia replied. “But I think there are ways in which Sapphire’s unique position may be put to use. When we return to Canterlot, there will be much to discuss.”

Luna nodded, but they fell silent as they approached Sapphire, laying down next to her and placing their wings over her protectively. Exhausted, Sapphire fell into a deep sleep between them, her wings rustling as she dreamed.

That day was the beginning of a new chapter in Equestria’s history. The revelation that a mortal pony could become an alicorn had a profound effect on the nation, and provided the first seeds of the move to finally dispense with the historic tribal structure.

But even while it signalled the start of true unification of the three tribes, it also brought about the emergence of a forth. The power of the great crystal plain buried in the north was too great to be ignored, and it was decided that a new kingdom should be built on it, to protect and use it for the good of the entire nation. The magic of the crystals shaped this new kingdom’s population even as they shaped it, and in time a new tribe of crystal ponies emerged, sharing the connection to crystals which had previously been unique to Sapphire, this gift manifesting in many different talents.

With my training and support, Sapphire Stone was able to take leadership of the new kingdom, putting her special talents to great use in shaping it, both physically and spiritually, and over time it expanded into a great empire as new deposits were discovered across the land. She became the first of a long line of alicorns, one arising every one or two generations within her family to take over leadership of the empire, and the connection to the crystals’ magic remained with them through the ages.

Through the empire, much was learned about the magical potential of the crystals, and, along with the Element which the trust she gained through her honesty had managed to awaken, I was able to use this to construct the final tools I needed.

The necessary research took me many generations, but in this time the Crystal Empire’s magic helped ensure peace across the land, and the Elements’ power was not needed again. It was not until many centuries later, when that peace nearly came to an end, when it finally happened.

Princess Celestia

Author's Note

If anyone is interested, I did a drawing of Sapphire Stone a while back while drafting this story, partly just as art practice. It's in my DeviantArt gallery here if you fell like looking, not that it's necessary to follow the story.

Chapter 6 - The Fall

What followed the formation of the Crystal Empire is widely regarded as Equestria’s greatest age. The divided tribal system was finally dissolved, the move being made towards a singular, unified nation. The empire however continued to maintain a level of autonomy, both because of its remoteness and because of the fundamental link its ruling family bore to the empire’s magic and wellbeing.

But, like so many good things, this age was not to last. The end began nearly seven centuries after the empire’s creation, and indeed it was at the empire that the end began.

Princess Celestia

It had been a quiet day in Canterlot, the daily business of the nation passing by without incident. No news had reached Canterlot to indicate that anything was out of the ordinary. But then, as Princess Celestia was closing court for the night, they arrived.

“Your Highness,” a guard said, bowing as he entered the chamber, “Prince Caspar is here, requesting an audience with you.”

“Caspar is here?” Celestia said, looking up in surprise. The capital of the empire was over eight hours’ flight away, and the Crystal Prince hadn’t sent any word that he was coming. Whatever this was, it sounded bad.

“Show him in immediately,” she said, gesturing for her aides to leave. She stood up and stepped down from her throne to greet him.

Prince Caspar entered a minute later. The light-blue alicorn looked exhausted, as if he had been flying for hours.

“What happened to you, Caspar?” she asked as she approached him. “Has the empire been attacked? Where is your wife?”

Caspar shook his head wearily, collapsing back onto the floor and drawing deep breaths. Celestia waited patiently for him to recover, looking round to make sure they were alone as she did.

“My wife is fine,” he said after a few minutes. “It was a difficult flight for both of us, and she has been taken to the guest wing to rest.”

Using her magic, Celestia picked up a glass and jug from a table behind her throne, pouring a glass of water and offering it to the prince. He accepted it gladly and quickly downed the entire glass.

“Why did you not come by chariot?” Celestia asked as she sat down in front of him. “And why have you left the empire? Is it in danger?”

Caspar shook his head. “The empire is safe,” he said. “At least, it is for now. But I don’t know if…”

He stopped, then bowed his head.

“I am sorry,” he continued. “I know that my first duty should always be to the ponies of the empire, but I cannot help but take this as a personal affront. After all the work I have put into the empire…”

Celestia nodded and placed a hoof on his shoulder.

“I understand,” she said. “If you wish to rest before discussing it further—”

Caspar shook his head. “No, I must not delay,” he said. He stood and walked over to one of the windows, staring absent-mindedly out of it into the distance. He stood there silently, composing himself, for nearly a minute before continuing.

“There has been a coup,” he said. “This morning as I entered court, I was greeted by the commander of my royal guard and a contingent of his best ponies. Colonel Sombra informed me that he had taken control of the empire and my assets, and that I was to leave immediately. There was nothing I could do; he had the support of the entire guard regiment. He said that…”

Caspar stopped again. Closing his eyes tightly, he stabbed the wall with his horn, twisting it round in frustration.

“He said that my family was leading the empire to ruin,” he said, his voice shaking. “He said that this was the only way to save the empire from being destroyed. We’ve watched over it for more than twenty generations now; to hear him spitting on our legacy like that…”

Celestia stood, walking over and standing next to him.

“Caspar,” she said, “you were a great leader, as were all your predecessors. I have never had any reason to doubt this. And you were more than that; you were a moral anchor, holding the magic of the empire safe and steady. Whatever Sombra’s reasons, I will do anything I can to ensure that your lineage retains its position in the empire. You have my word.”

Caspar looked up at the princess. “But the treaties—”

“I know,” Celestia said, nodding. “My sister and I will travel to the empire immediately to see what, if anything, can be done now. Please be patient, and have some rest.”

The prince nodded, then silently turned and headed out of the chamber. Celestia stood for a moment, deep in thought. She had not wanted to say it to Caspar in his current state, but it had been known for a long time that the empire’s finances were far from strong. Nonetheless, it wasn’t even close to ruin. It was simply a consequence of being spread over such great distances between the different outposts.

And the empire was never supposed to be a gold-mine. Its purpose was quite simply to watch over the magic of the crystal formations on which it was built. It was almost entirely self-sufficient and effectively cut off from most trade routes, so it never had any need for vast reserves of wealth.

Colonel Sombra knew all of this, of course. As commander of the royal guard he would have known almost every detail of the running of the Empire. Celestia couldn’t help but worry that he had a secondary motive, but she couldn’t see what it was.

She released a small pulse of magic from her horn, then left the chamber and headed straight for the palace stables. When she arrived there, Luna was already waiting.

“What is it, my sister?” she asked.

“Prince Caspar has been deposed,” Celestia replied. “We must travel to the Empire at once to find out why.”

They turned and walked over to the banks of chariots waiting at the far end of the stables. Celestia waved to one of the guards and he cantered away to assign an escort.

“You know we are forbidden from intervening in internal matters,” Luna noted.

“I know,” Celestia replied. “But there is something amiss. It doesn’t make sense that this would happen. We must determine the full extent of Colonel Sombra’s intentions.”

“And if he is a danger the crystal ponies, we can step in to protect them,” Luna added.

Celestia nodded in response. Moments later they were met by two chariots, each pulled by a contingent of four guardsponies. They each climbed aboard one and were lifted away into the evening sky, the chariots arcing north towards the distant empire.

~ ~ ~

They arrived shortly after dawn the next day, the chariots settling down on the main concourse just in front of the imposing structure of the Crystal Palace. Apart from perhaps a slight increase in the number of guards on the streets, the empire looked almost unchanged after the previous day’s events.

“If he is a threat, he is yet to show it,” Luna observed as they walked towards the palace’s entrance.

“Indeed,” Celestia replied. “But we must remain vigilant. We must be careful not to assume anything.”

“Guilty until proven innocent, sister?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow. “I hope we are approaching this matter objectively, and not just out of concern for our own family.”

Celestia shook her head. “You are right of course,” she said. “But the prince’s lineage has a great significance to the empire, which I believe must be preserved. This is more than just sentiment.”

“I thought the family’s significance to the empire was sentiment,” Luna noted.

Celestia chuckled at this. “In a way, yes,” she said. “Regardless – perhaps it is just emotions, but I cannot shake the feeling that this can’t end well.”

Luna nodded. “Then we will remain vigilant,” she said. “I understand the origin of your concerns, but I fear that I do not share your intuition in this case.”

They walked the rest of the distance in silence. When they arrived in the palace’s great entrance hall they were greeted by long lines of wooden tables, each covered in maps, charts, and tall piles of notes. Dozens of ponies were weaving around between the tables carrying yet more notes and moving markers around on the various maps. It had the feeling of a war room.

Celestia studied the notes as they passed. It was all dealing with population numbers, financial predictions, logistics. There were complicated plans being formulated here, and they did indeed agree with Sombra’s stated motive of strengthening the empire.

Sombra, who was there keeping an eye on his army of workers, noticed the princesses first and walked over to greet them.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna,” he said, bowing to each of them as he approached. “I had wondered if I would be seeing the two of you.”

Luna stood up to her full height, looking down at him through narrowed eyes.

“This is not simply a friendly visit,” she stated. “Thou hast overthrown a long-standing and popular leadership. We must ensure that thine intentions are pure.”

“And that thou art not adversely influenced by thy new power, either,” Celestia added, nodding to the long red robe Sombra was wearing over his armour.

“Very well, straight to business,” Sombra said, laughing. “If it is reassurance you want, then all I can give you is my word, unfortunately. But everything I do here is for the benefit of my empire, and I hope that this will become clear in time.”

“Thine empire?” Luna asked.

“The empire which I call my home, yes,” Sombra replied. “Don’t worry, I have not forgotten my place. I am a servant of the empire, nothing more. I have decided to adopt the title of King for the time being, but only to ensure that my authority is respected during the transition. I can only succeed if the ponies are willing and able to work together under a unified leadership.”

“Colonel to king in one day?” Celestia commented. “I hope thou understandest why we might be concerned.”

“Of course,” Sombra said. He then turned and started walking back through the tables, the princesses following behind. “But I actually chose the title as a sign of respect,” he continued. “The obvious choice in the context would have been Prince, but it didn’t want to pretend that I was an equal to the alicorn line. So I chose the title of King as a reflection of the old regency system instead.”

“I do wish the transition could have been a more comfortable one, though,” he continued. “Caspar was kind enough to talk to the civic leaders before his departure and urge them not to protest, but I know my ponies will not trust me until I have proven myself. If you can find it in yourself to trust me, that would go a long way towards smoothing out the process,” he added, turning to look at them.

Celestia shook her head. “I am sorry, but trust like that must be earned,” she said. “We will give thee a chance, and are bound by the treaties on which this empire was founded to not interfere.”

Sombra began to bow in acknowledgement, but Celestia cut him off, raising her voice so the entire room could hear her.

“But know this,” she said. “We will be watching. If thou doest anything to threaten the safety of the empire or the rest of the nation, we will not hesitate to act.”

Sombra nodded. “Of course,” he said. “I would expect nothing less. But if you will excuse me, I have a lot to attend to.”

He turned and walked away into the crowd, leaving the sisters standing alone in the middle of the room.

“Thoughts?” Celestia asked as they started to move towards the exit again.

“It is hard to tell,” Luna replied. “I agree with your concerns, but he does seem genuine at the moment.”

“So we wait, then,” Celestia replied. “I would prefer not to take any chances at this stage. We have seen the damage a mad king can do, and I hope that it does not come to that.”

“As do I, my sister.”

The two of them exited the palace and returned to their chariots, spending much of the journey home deep in thought.

~ ~ ~

Many weeks passed. The princesses kept a watchful eye over the empire from afar, receiving news from a regular relay of messenger ponies, and for a long while everything did remain peaceful.

That period was still difficult for the empire. The first stage of Sombra’s plan was the recall of ponies from all the outlying parts of the empire and the reabsorption of those outposts’ buildings and infrastructure into the crystal beds on which they were built. With the empire consolidated in one place he then began work on the rebuilding and restructuring of its facilities. All indications showed that he was indeed making the empire stronger, and more stable.

As the work appeared to be drawing to a close, the sisters began to make arrangements for a formal visit to the empire to properly inspect the changes. It would also be time to reappraise the future of the empire’s leadership; King Sombra had kept true to his word, but he had also achieved all of his stated aims, so with any luck he would be open to the possibility of the prince returning.

But in the end this never had the chance to happen. When preparations were nearly complete, the last messenger pegasus failed to return.

“He is now fifteen hours overdue,” Luna said as she entered the throne room.

“I know,” said Celestia, who was already there, staring out of one of the northern windows.

“The messengers have never been more than an hour overdue.”

“I know.”

“I have checked with Cloudsdale. They had perfect flying weather all the way to the empire today.”

“I know.”

Luna walked up to her sister, joining her at the window.

“I can’t decide if I should be concerned or not,” Celestia said.

“It was you who had been expecting him to not keep his word,” Luna reminded her.

Celestia hung her head. “I know how I sounded when dealing with Sombra before,” she said, “but despite my reservations I genuinely hoped that he might be sincere. I do not wish to go to war against my own ponies.”

Luna nodded. “This may still be an honest misunderstanding,” she said.

“I know,” Celestia replied with a sigh. “But if it is not…”

“Then we deal with it,” Luna replied. “And we do so swiftly and decisively, as you said. It is for the good of the entire nation.”

~ ~ ~

Travelling under their own power for expedience, the two princesses arrived at the empire in a little under six hours. When they got there everything looked almost exactly as they remembered it. There was no damage anywhere and no sign of anything suspicious, except that all the streets were completely deserted.

Looking through windows as they walked the streets towards the palace, the princesses couldn’t see any sign of anypony.

“Where is everypony?” Luna called out, but no response came from anywhere. The entire place felt impossibly silent.

“This doesn’t feel right,” Celestia said. “I can still sense the presence of other ponies within the structure of Harmony, but…”

“But they’re not here,” Luna said. “And there is something else. The magic in this place just feels… wrong.”

They continued in silence until they reached the palace. As they approached there was a burst of arcane magic on the balcony above them, and when it faded away King Sombra stood in its place, looking down on them.

“Princesses!” he shouted. “I almost thought you weren’t coming!”

“Where is everypony?” Luna shouted back. “What hast thou done?”

“Everypony is still alive,” he replied. “I have simply moved them to my new empire; the one I have been building this entire time.”

“What dost thou mean?” Celestia shouted. “How hast thou hidden this from us?”

Sombra paced back and forth on the balcony, laughing at them. “I would have expected you to know more about this than me!” he called. “There’s more than one type of magic in this world, and what you see here is just the upper, most accessible layer! Allow me to show you my masterpiece!”

He released a burst of the same arcane magic from his horn and it began to spread out through the crystal. As the green-and-purple aura passed across the crystal’s surface the entire scene transformed. The crystals themselves went dark, polluted by the magic flowing through them, and the buildings turned sharp and twisted.

All around the princesses ponies began to appear. They moved through the city in chains, some pulling carts of crystal fragments behind them. They looked weak, but they were being forced to work almost to death.

Celestia could see on their faces that they had already been broken. None of them showed any understanding of where they were or what was happening; Sombra had managed to crush their spirits until they just didn’t care.

“What have you done to them?” Celestia yelled, lifting up into the air until she was level with Sombra. “How can you call this a masterpiece? All this time you said you were helping these ponies, and instead you destroy their lives? Why?”

“You miss the point,” Sombra replied. “I am helping the empire. I’m helping it finally achieve its full potential. There are many different layers of magic, and there are corresponding layers to the empire and the crystals on which it is built. You’ve just never had the courage to make use of them.”

“Thou knowest full well why we do not use this magic ourselves!” Luna shouted, rising up next to her sister. “It is far too unstable! Too unpredictable! Thou art putting thyself and everypony else in danger by doing this!”

“That may have been true once,” Sombra replied, “but with the power of the Crystal Empire behind me I finally have the ability to control it! I now have access to more power than you can possibly imagine! From here I’ll be able to spread my influence to anywhere where these formations grow.”

“Canterlot,” Luna whispered.

“Exactly,” Sombra said, smiling. “This is just the beginning. Soon I’ll bring about a new age for all of Equestria, the crystals forged here carrying my magic to all parts of the nation! I will build a world fuelled by magic more powerful than anything the nation has ever seen!”

Celestia looked back down at the ponies below her.

“How canst thou possibly claim that this is for the good of the nation?” she said. “Thou hast lied, manipulated, and hurt other ponies for thine own gain. This is an act of war, and we will not hesitate to respond.”

Sombra paused, letting the silence between them draw out. “Then why do you wait?” he asked, laughing.

“Oh, of course,” he continued, “you are no doubt waiting to see why I am so confident. What am I hiding that means I possibly hope to stand up to two alicorns on my own? Well, how about this?”

He walked towards them, a bridge of crystal extending out in front of him through the air, until he was nose to nose with Celestia.

“I have complete control over this empire,” he said. “My magic is the only thing maintaining this domain. You can kill me now if you wish, but if you do anything to try and stop me this entire empire will collapse, both figuratively and literally. Thousands of ponies will die instantly.”

He returned to the balcony and looked back at them. “Your move, princesses,” he said. “What now?”

The two sisters glanced at each other. Celestia knew in her mind exactly what they had to do, and she knew that her sister would as well. Without another word they held their horns together, firing a spell in unison at the king.

In Celestia’s mind, the moment seemed to drag out to an eternity. She had the plan firmly set in her mind: temporarily overwhelm Sombra’s ability to use magic so that they had time to undo whatever curses he had put on the empire. Doing this fast enough that he would be unable to counter it would require careful timing, but with the two of them working together it was just about possible.

But to Celestia’s shock she realised that her magic was not working with Luna’s, but was actually having to fight against it. The two spells clashed as they merged together, working at cross-purposes. Celestia’s spell was delicate and refined, carefully tuned to nullify Sombra’s magic, but in contrast Luna’s was brutally simple. Celestia was horrified to realise that it had the singular purpose of killing Sombra!

She immediately began to fight it. With all the power she had she focussed on doing anything she could to keep the king alive. Sombra’s body quickly failed under the force of Luna’s spell, but Celestia raced to try and save his spirit before it was too late. If his life could be preserved in any form, then there was a hope that the empire could still be saved.

She threw up a barrier between her sister’s spell and the king’s spirit. It bought him just enough time to retreat back into the crystal’s reservoirs of magic, but then he was gone. And as he disappeared, so did the empire. The roads, the buildings, even the ponies themselves, vanished into the air in a hiss of magic. The two princesses were then alone, hanging silently in the air.

Celestia closed her eyes, desperately searching through Harmony. She was relieved to still be able to feel the presence of the crystal ponies, buried somewhere under Sombra’s curses. They were not dead, at least not yet.

She then opened her eyes and turned to face her sister. Luna was staring back at her, the look of utter disbelief a perfect mirror of Celestia’s.

“What did you do, sister?” Luna asked.

“We came here to save the empire!” Celestia shouted. “You nearly killed thousands of ponies!”

“But you protected King Sombra!” Luna shouted back. “He was a danger to everypony, not just the empire! He had to be stopped, surely you knew this!”

“He needed to be stopped!” Celestia replied, “But he did not need to be killed! And the thousands of ponies in the empire—”

“—Are a price I am willing to pay to protect the millions of ponies in Equestria!”

Celestia stared in shock at her sister. “There is always another way,” she said.

“No there isn’t,” Luna replied coldly. “We could not take the risk. There was too much at stake.”

“Apparently there wasn’t enough,” Celestia sighed.

They stared at each other, both feeling disappointment and confusion.

“I feel like I don’t even know you, sister,” Luna said. “What changed?”

Celestia couldn’t reply, unable answer the question either.

“I need some time alone,” Luna said. “I need to think.”

With that she turned and flew south, heading back towards Canterlot.

Celestia fell back towards the ground again, digging at the tundra with her hoof. She had known this day might come eventually, but had never been truly willing to believe it. She had always been able to keep Luna’s problem in check, but on this occasion it had just happened too fast. In a single second she had changed so completely as to be almost unrecognisable. The sister Celestia used to know should never have been able to think like that.

Was this the end, then? The moment she had dreaded all these centuries? Would there be any hope of coming back from this point? Celestia tried to hold her tears back as she thought of what she may have to do now.

How could this be the way things were supposed to happen? It was the forces of Harmony that had guided them to this point, but that it could be Harmony’s plan that she would have to fight her own sister was unthinkable. This could not be the end. There had to be some other way.

She looked down at the large amethyst crystal embedded in the centre of her peytral. That particular gem had been a gift from Radiance Morningstar, ninth ruler of the empire, centuries ago. The empire may be gone now, but some of its influence still remained. And with this fact Celestia felt a faint glimmer of hope.

Holding onto this one precious thought, she too carried herself south, returning home to try and find Luna.

~ ~ ~

Ten days passed, and Celestia saw nothing of her sister. Luna still dutifully raised and lowered the moon, but she refused to ever leave her chambers. The doors locked and the curtains closed, she had isolated herself completely from the outside world. She accepted the meals left out for her, but never brought the plates in when anypony was around.

On the eleventh day Celestia sat outside Luna’s chamber door, as she had done for many hours every previous day. She had spent the time talking to her sister, telling her happy stories from their life, trying to remind her of everything that used to matter to her. Sometimes she heard movement on the other side of the door, but a reply never came.

“Please, sister,” she said. “I don’t know what you think of me at the moment. I know you are confused by what happened, and I am too. I just want to help you. If you would only talk to me we might be able to understand it better.

“Just think back to the past ages,” she continued. “We always stood together then, working with each other to deal with anything that stood in our way. If I ever needed somepony to talk to then you would be there for me, and I was there for you in return. I am here now, and I wish you would let me help.”

She listened, but as usual there was no reply. Feeling weary, she stood and made her way back towards her own chambers. But before leaving she turned and looked at the door again.

“We have survived though so much,” she said, “and we have always remained steadfast against anything that the world threw at us. Equestria has gone through many rough periods, but we always did everything we could to hold it stable and constant.

“I don’t want to lose you now. We need to stand together in order to protect Equestria. If we start fighting amongst ourselves, how are we supposed to lead the nation? This will be the ruination of everything if we can’t settle our differences. Please come back to me.”

There was a sound of movement from the other side of the door and Celestia waited, hoping that Luna would emerge, but the room quickly went silent again. Blinking away a tear, Celestia turned again and walked away.

~ ~ ~

Celestia returned to her room, undressed for the night, and lay down on her bed staring at the ceiling. How long would this go on for? Luna would have to emerge eventually, but what would happen then? Would she have returned to her old self, and if not who would she become?

Realising that she sun was approaching the horizon, Celestia walked out onto her balcony and turned to the west. With a brief pulse of magic she caught hold of the great sphere and pulled it below the horizon, setting it on its night-time path round the far side of the world. She then turned east and, moments later, she saw the moon begin to rise.

She glanced up to her sister’s room. For a moment she thought she could see the faint blue glow of her sister’s magic through the curtains, but it was likely just her imagination.

She went back to her bed and settled down for the night. No doubt this would be a long, troubled night, as had the last few. But she knew that the odds of seeing Luna even in her dreams were very low. She would just have to wait until she woke at sunrise and try again.

~ ~ ~

When Celestia woke up, the first thing she became aware of was a loud banging noise.

“Princess!” a muffled voice shouted from the other side of the door. “Princess Celestia, are you in there?”

Celestia picked herself up slowly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. From the look of the sky outside it couldn’t be much past midnight. She climbed out of bed and walked across the room, opening the door with her magic. As she did so one of her guards practically fell into the room, bowing in front of her.

“Thank the stars I found you,” he said. “The entire city’s in a state of panic, we thought you had been hurt!”

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked. “Where else would I have been?”

The guard paused, looking around in confusion. “Uh, Princess,” he said hesitantly, “it’s a quarter past six.”

Celestia spun round and stared at the carriage-clock on her dressing table. It was over half an hour since the sun was supposed to rise.

“I overslept,” she said quietly. “I never oversleep. I have always woken just before the sun is supposed to rise. How…”

Then the significance of the room’s darkness sank in. She ran out onto the balcony and scanned the eastern horizon. There were a number of large clouds in the sky, but absolutely no sign of the sun. The orange glow which heralded its approach each morning was conspicuously absent.

“When the sun failed to rise, everypony was worried,” the guard continued. “They thought something must have happened.”

Closing her eyes, she searched within her magic in an attempt to find the sun. She finally located it, sitting still on the far side of the world, and it refused to respond to any of her commands as if something else was blocking her, holding it in place.

A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered when Discord had once reached out to the sun and stolen control away from her. But he had been trapped for centuries. There was no way he could have escaped without their realising. Who else would do this? If this wasn’t Discord’s influence, then…

Discord’s influence…

A stone landed in Celestia’s stomach as she realised the obvious, terrible truth. She slowly turned her head to look up to the sky and saw, as a cloud slowly slid out of its way, the moon hanging proudly above Equestria.

Luna.

“Where is my sister?” Celestia demanded, spinning round to face the guard.

“I don’t know,” the guard replied. “I came to find you first given Princess Luna’s recent… seclusion.”

In a panic, Celestia ran over to her dresser and threw on her peytral and tiara. Then, dismissing the guard with a wave, she galloped across the room and leapt out of her window into the night.

~ ~ ~

The flight to Luna’s tower took mere seconds. Celestia had expected to find the windows locked shut again so had intended to head for the corridor first, but to her surprise the windows were now wide open. Luna stood on the balcony watching Celestia approach, and she was smiling.

“What are you doing, sister?” Celestia asked, hovering in the air just beyond the balcony.

“Sister, this is incredible!” Luna called back. She was bouncing around on her hooves like a giddy foal. “I had an epiphany last night,” she continued, “and… and I think I know what we were missing! Please, come in! I have so much to tell you!”

She ran back into her room, urging her sister to follow. Celestia hesitated, unsure how to respond. What was making Luna so excited?

“Please, sister!” Luna called. “You need to hear this?”

Celestia sighed, then alighted on the balcony and walked towards the window, but she hesitated on the threshold. The room beyond was a complete mess. Every single item was out of place, broken, or worse. Luna’s mattress was lying in the middle of the floor, and the rest of the furniture was piled up everywhere else. All the ornaments on the walls were out of place, and her ceremonial gowns were all hanging from the ceiling. This wasn’t the product of a fit of rage; Luna had done this deliberately, even carefully.

“What have you been doing in here, Luna?” Celestia asked.

“I have been thinking,” Luna replied. “I was so confused after you turned on me at the Crystal Empire, and assumed something Sombra did must have affected you. I thought he had done something to break you, and I was scared that I would lose you.”

She looked Celestia in the eye, her own eyes filled with genuine concern.

“Listening to you talk to me this past week was so painful,” she said. “There was sincerity in your words, but everything you said just felt… wrong. It was like a completely different pony talking to me. I was afraid to listen, unable to understand how such things could be coming out of your mouth, but then…”

Luna’s eyes lit up and she beamed in excitement.

“But then one thing you said stuck,” she continued, “and I realised that we’ve been missing something! It’s eluded us all these centuries and we never noticed!”

Celestia was lost. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“Stability!” Luna shouted. “Constancy!”

“What—”

“All our lives we’ve been holding Equestria back!” Luna continued, ignoring Celestia. “We’ve kept everything running the same way without change for thousands of years. Every day the sun rises, and ponies go about their work. Every night the moon rises and the ponies sleep. Every. Single. Day! For thousands of years! We have been given so much control over this world and yet we do so little with it, just going about our daily patterns without question! We’re missing out on so much potential! Potential we could be using!”

“You sound like Sombra,” Celestia said.

Luna changed in an instant, jumping at her sister and staring her down, fury in her eyes.

“Don’t compare me to that madpony!” she shouted. “He was insane, and he was meddling with forces he had no hope of controlling! But this is different,” she continued, becoming excited again and dancing round the room. “We can control this! It is part of our very nature to be able to! And it feels so wonderful!

“It started with my room,” she said, gesturing at the mess surrounding her. “Just a small experiment, but even when doing things as simple as turning the paintings round felt so… so good! So liberating! It was so incredible, feeling this strange sensation, that I couldn’t help myself! I have had such a wonderful night, sister!”

Celestia turned to face outside again, unable to watch her sister behaving like this.

“Is that why you won’t let it end?” she asked.

Luna walked back onto the balcony and stood by her sister.

“That was a stroke of genius,” she said. “It only occurred to me two hours before sunrise, and I was so excited I just had to try it! I couldn’t even wait for you to wake!

“It’s such a simple change, but everypony in Equestria will have noticed it by now! Just that little bit out of the ordinary, but impossible to ignore! And the feeling I get from it, it’s…”

She closed her eyes, shivering ecstatically.

“I don’t even know how to describe it!” she said. “Surely you must feel it too! It’s like there’s a… warmth everywhere! It’s like the world’s filled with joy and I’m sharing in it!”

Luna looked up at Celestia, expecting her to understand.

“But what about the ponies?” Celestia asked. “Everypony’s schedules will be disrupted! The crops won’t be able to grow without daylight! Please, sister, look down at the city below. Everypony’s panicking. The whole of Canterlot is in chaos!”

Celestia watched Luna look out over the balcony as she spoke. But she couldn’t see any sign of comprehension in her sister’s eyes. It was like all of Luna’s old priorities had completely disappeared, replaced by…

…replaced by Chaos.

The implications slowly began to settle in Celestia’s mind. This was it. This was Discord’s final, unforgivable insult. He hadn’t stolen Luna away. Instead he had stolen something from her. The most precious part of her very being, he had stolen her connection to Harmony. He had taken the thing which defined them, which kept them on the right path, and had replaced it with a twisted, repulsive imitation.

He had turned Luna into a creature of Chaos. He had broken her and turned her into a sick caricature of her former self, without her ever noticing.

“They only need time to adjust,” Luna said, looking down at the city below them. “Once they understand, I am sure they will see what they have to gain.”

Celestia looked down at her sister, almost at a loss for words. Luna was so sure, so excited, that it was almost impossible to argue. And any attempt to confront her could only make things worse.

“Are you certain about this, sister?” she asked.

“I have never been more certain of anything in my life!” Luna replied, laughing with glee. “Even as I stand here I can feel the power in these little changes, and… sister, it’s calling to me! Every bone in my body aches to do more! Surely you can feel it too; even now this is the greatest feeling I have ever experienced, and this is just the beginning!”

“But when will it end?”

“Don’t you see?” Luna said, turning to face Celestia. “That’s the best part! I don’t know!”

She turned and cantered back into her room, weaving in and out between the piles, randomly moving objects around with her magic as she did.

“I can feel it even in acts as small as this!” she said. “And there is so much more that can be done! The world we live in is so vast, so impossible to quantify! We have the power to do almost anything, and we could spend an eternity exploring all the possibilities! I don’t think I could ever tire of this! It’s just so much… so much fun!”

Now you sound like Discord, Celestia thought. She didn’t dare say it out loud, though, unable to bring herself to say that name in front of Luna. She closed her eyes, hanging her head in defeat. For over seven hundred years she had tried to keep even the idea of that creature away from her sister, but ultimately it had all been for nothing.

Luna then approached Celestia, lifting her head up so their eyes met again. Luna’s expression was suddenly serious, pleading.

“Sister, I ask that you listen to me,” she said. “I don’t know what happened at the empire, and what changed. But whatever it was, you are right about one thing. Our place is together. It would not be right for me to do this without my sister by my side. This is something that we should both be able to benefit from. We must put aside whatever has pushed us apart and work with each other.

“Celestia, you are, and will always be my sister. I don’t want that to ever change. Please say you will give this a try. For me.”

Celestia stared into Luna’s eyes. Her instincts told her to say yes, to do anything to keep her sister happy, but she had seen where that would lead. Equestria had come within moments of being thrown into absolute chaos once before. That could not be allowed to happen again.

Slowly, she lifted herself back up to her full height and looked sadly down at Luna.

“I have listened,” she said. “Now please listen to me. This is too much. The nation will never be able to survive if you do this. You will only bring pain and suffering to Equestria. We have sworn to protect our ponies in any way we can, so you must understand why I can never agree to this. Please, I beg you, release the sun and let the world continue as it should.”

Silence fell in the chamber and the two princesses stared into each other’s eyes. Celestia felt her heart breaking as she watched Luna’s do the same.

“How has this happened?” Luna asked. “How have we fallen so far? You used to stand by me through anything. What could have turned you so completely against me? It’s like you’re not even my sister any more!”

“Luna, please…”

“No!” Luna backed up, panic filling her eyes. “Stay away from me! I don’t know what you are, but I can’t let you ruin my plans! There is too much at stake! If you won’t stand with me, then I will find somepony who will! Then you will understand!”

She knelt down, closing her eyes, and with a burst of light from her horn she disappeared.

Celestia ran back out onto the balcony and leapt into the air, scanning the horizon in all directions, but there was no sign of her sister anywhere. Luna was gone.

~ ~ ~

For what would have been more than a day, Celestia followed her sister across the land. Despite everything they still had a magical connection to each other, and she was able to use this to work out approximately where Luna had gone. The rest she had to work out from the ponies she met.

Her journey led her across the length and breadth of Equestria, visiting dozens of towns and villages. Everywhere she went the ponies were confused and panicked by the absence of the sun. Her arrival did little to calm their nerves after the last visitor they had had, though.

In each village she was asked the same questions: “What’s happening?” “What happened to Princess Luna?” “Why is she doing this?”

But over time the questions changed, the ponies more and more confused. “Who was that?” they asked. “Why is this happening to us?” “What was that thing?”

Celestia did everything she could to try and reassure them, to tell them that everything would return to normal eventually, but she was having a hard time even believing that herself. Luna must have travelled to every city in central Equestria trying to preach her vision, but all she had succeeded in doing was spreading terror throughout the population. They were almost unable to recognise her, she had changed so much.

When Celestia finally caught up with her, she was in the village of Baltimare. Spiralling down towards the settlement Celestia could see her in the main street, surrounded by a mob of angry ponies. The confrontation looked like it was moments away from exploding, so Celestia fired a flare from her horn in an attempt to draw the ponies’ attention. Luna saw it too and for a moment their eyes locked onto each other, then she turned and bolted through the crowd, running towards the edge of the village.

Celestia swooped down, soaring over the heads of the ponies below, following her sister’s path. They watched her pass silently, longing to get answers, but she couldnt stop. She knew she had to find Luna as soon as she could.

But then a sound caught her attention. In the crowd below her, just where Luna had pushed through, a colt was crying.

She came to a halt and settled down on the ground, lying down next to the young pegasus and covering him with her wing.

“I’m scared,” he said, looking up at her.

“I know,” Celestia replied, trying to sound as comforting as she could. “We all are. But this will pass, and I promise that thou shalt be safe.”

“But how can you be sure?” he asked.

I can’t, she thought to herself. The crowd was gathering around her now, waiting for her to say something, but she had no idea what she could tell them.

“Things like this aren’t supposed to happen,” the colt said. “Not in real life. This is like a nightmare, and I want to wake up.”

So do I, Celestia thought.

She looked down at the colt and did her best to smile.

“Go to your parents,” she said. “Stay with them, and thou shalt be protected. In the meantime I will do everything I can to set this right.”

She stood up, looking round at the gathered crowd.

“Ponies,” she called. “I know you are all scared. I know you have no idea what is happening. But I promise you that I am doing everything I can to try and cure the sickness which hath befallen the land. I give you my word that we will all wake up from this nightmare! You will see the sun rise again!”

The words felt empty, tinged with implications she hated to consider, but she had to say something. She hoped it might help bring a small spark of optimism back to these ponies. But there were no cheers, no rallying cries. The ponies were losing hope, and she realised that seeing Celestia herself unable to bring forth her own sun would not encourage them. Summoning her strength again, she turned and cantered after her sister, following the tracks left in the dirt.

~ ~ ~

The hoofprints eventually led Celestia to a small jousting ring built near the edge of the village. She vaulted over the gate and walked into the ring, loud metallic noises leading her towards a building at the far end.

She reached the door and pushed it open, finding herself in an armoury. Luna was in the back, frantically trying to fasten a helmet over her head.

“Sister,” Celestia said as she entered.

Luna whirled round, backing into the wall. “Don’t call me that!” she screamed. “Stay away from me, you monster!”

In the dim light of the torches on the wall, Celestia could see that Luna had started to change, her very nature being warped by the new power that was slowly overtaking her. Her coat had turned jet black, absorbing all light which fell on it. Her mane and tail billowed in the air like mist, almost completely disconnected from her form and filled with a deep, endless void of stars. Her pupils had narrowed almost to slits, and her eyes looked like those of some strange, reptilian creature.

“Why are you doing this?” she shouted. “You’ve turned the entire nation against me! They’re so taken by your lies that they refuse to listen to anything I tell them!”

She cowered down on the ground, covering her head with her hooves.

“Every minute I can feel the power growing stronger,” she said. “It’s clearer than ever that this is what I have to do, but nopony will listen to me! When I show them the power I’ve found, that I want to share with them, they attack me! They hurl insults and curses at me, come at me with pitchforks, and demand that I leave!

“They used to revere me!” she continued. “I was their princess, their protector, and they loved me! But you stole all that away from me! And if that wasn’t enough, now you come after me yourself! Why? What do you want from me?”

Celestia shook her head. “I’m not here to hurt you,” she said. “You don’t need to fear me. All I want is for you to listen.

“I didn’t do any of this. You drove the ponies away yourself. I tried to warn you that they would never agree to this, that this would bring them nothing but pain, but you didn’t listen.

“I want to help you, Luna,” she continued. “I really do, but I can’t if you keep fighting me like this. Please, if you would only work with me, I can make sure your ponies learn to love you again. It will take effort on both our parts, but I promise you that it will be worth it.”

She waited patiently, hoping that some part of her sister may remain, that the old Luna may be still in there somewhere, willing to listen.

Luna squirmed restlessly on the floor, trying to move as far from her sister as she could, refusing to say anything. Celestia started to move towards her, wanting to comfort her, but the fear she was showing made Celestia hesitate.

Then something snapped. Something changed subtly, and Luna went still. Her chest raised and lowered as her breathing turned steady, slow, unnervingly calm.

“No,” she said, lifting herself onto her hooves and walking slowly forward to face her sister. She now towered over Celestia, her face set with new determination.

“Stop pretending you’re trying to help me,” she said. “You have done nothing but stand in my way since this began. I don’t wish to fight you, Celestia, but if you continue to hold me – to hold the nation – back, then you will leave me no choice.”

She marched past Celestia, out into the arena, then turned to face her sister again.

“For what little our sisterhood is still worth,” she said, “I will offer you this chance. I am returning to Canterlot to continue my preparations for Equestria’s new age. If you do anything to try and stop me I will retaliate, and the power I have at my disposal now is more than enough to destroy you. So, for both of our sakes, I ask you to leave Equestria. I care not where you go, just leave this place and let it grow under my care. If you choose to return, you will either cooperate or die. I see no other way this can end. Goodbye, Celestia.”

A black cloud rose up from the ground, completely enveloping Luna. The churning mass of vapour lifted into the air, before flying off east in the direction of the citadel.

Celestia found herself completely alone for the second time in as many weeks. Luna had left, no longer caring if the two of them ever saw each other again. But worse, the sister she once knew had disappeared long before. The pony she had talked to was not the one she used to know. She had absolutely no idea if she would be able to save her sister any more, but at the very least there may still be time to save the rest of the kingdom.

Tears came to her eyes as she looked up at the sky, at the still-present satellite. After all these centuries of waiting it had finally, inevitably, come to this. She would have to confront her own sister and, one way or another, the moon would fall.

As she walked out of the arena she started to feel profoundly exhausted, the events of the long night catching up with her all at once. The urge to just curl up on the ground and fall asleep began to fill her mind, but was interrupted as a pair of pegasi cantered up to her, the colt she had met before trailing close behind.

“Princess, are you okay?” the colt’s mother called. “What happened?”

Celestia just shook her head, unable to summon words.

“Is there anything we can do?” the father said. “We’ve no idea what’s going on, but if we can help in any way, we will.”

The princess slowly looked up at the three ponies, and managed to smile at the kindness they were showing even at a time like this.

“Thank you,” she said, “but there really isn’t anything that…”

The sentence caught in her throat as the fatigue hit again. She looked down at her legs, almost ready to buckle under her.

“A bed,” she said. “And a meal. Please. I will need all my strength for what is to come.”

The two ponies nodded, then took Celestia under their wings and led her to their home.

~ ~ ~

Twelve hours later, Celestia was woken and given a full breakfast. It wasn’t much compared to what she would have been able to have at the castle, but at the moment it was a blessing to receive anything. She felt strengthened by the spirit of kindness in which it had been offered, but was still far from feeling prepared for what was to come.

After putting on her tiara and peytral again she thanked her hosts and said goodbye, then walked out into the night.

The village was dark and silent. A few ponies milled about in the street, trying to go about their business, but they were all too confused and weary. A few of them looked up at Celestia as she passed, staring at her with blank eyes, before continuing on their way.

On her way out of Baltimare she passed the jousting ring again. She walked over to the armoury and pushed the door open, looking round at the suits of armour hanging from the racks inside. Her own sister had come her less than a day ago seeking protection from her, and now she found herself in the same position. Luna had the forces of Chaos at her disposal, and with the amount of chaos she had managed to create in such a short time, she could be a force to be reckoned with.

With a heavy heart, Celestia picked up one of the larger armour sets and began fastening it to her body. She found replacements for the horseshoes she had left in Canterlot, but made sure to leave space for her own tiara and peytral. Whatever Luna said, she was still a princess of this kingdom, and if she abandoned them then there would be no hope left.

When she was ready, she left the armoury again and took off into the dark sky, flying slowly toward her home.

~ ~ ~

Nearly an hour’s flight brought Celestia within view of the Canterlot. She perched atop a cloud looking down at the city, and was relieved to see that it still looked as it always had. Luna hadn’t chosen to exert her will on the city itself yet.

But despite this the city itself had clearly undergone a change. Even from here it felt cold and dead, all the happiness having been washed out of it. The ponies here knew very well that something terrible had happened.

Celestia jumped off the cloud and swooped down to the city, landing in the middle of the main thoroughfare. The whole place was deserted. Given the continued night-time this didn’t look unusual, but in this case the absence of ponies was fuelled by fear, and she could feel it in the air.

“Sister?” she called as she walked along the street towards the castle’s gates. “Sister, are you there?”

There was no response, but her calls drew the attention of some of the city’s residents, who peered out through their curtains into the street below.

“Sister!” she called again. “If you can hear me, Luna, then come out and speak to me!”

“Princess!” a voice called from a nearby alley.

Celestia stopped and looked over. She saw, peering out of the shadows, one of her royal guards.

“Lieutenant Halberd?” she replied, moving over to talk to him. “What are you doing out here?”

Halberd edged back into the alley, gesturing for the princess to follow.

“You shouldn’t have returned,” he said when they were both hidden again. “Luna’s put a price on your head. Anypony would be pretty stupid to try and claim the bounty, but everypony’s terrified at the moment and scared ponies can do stupid things.”

“Is it really that bad already?” Celestia said, the lieutenant nodding in response. “Tell me what happened here,” she continued.

Halberd sighed, hanging his head. “Princess Luna returned to the castle yesterday – if you could call it that – and immediately declared that any staff and guards still loyal to you were banished from the city. That was all of us, I might add,” he said, shrugging. “A few other ponies managed to leave as well, and Prince Caspar volunteered to lead them all to safety, but then she sealed the gates. The rest of us have been trapped since.”

“Why did you remain behind?” she asked.

“I’d sooner die than abandon my family,” he said. “If they can’t leave, then I won’t either.”

Celestia nodded, smiling. “How are they handling this?” she asked.

Halberd shrugged and gave a sigh. “As well as could be expected I guess,” he said. “The foals are taking it the worst; they’re too young to understand what’s happening. And I can’t exactly help them because I don’t really understand it myself. They…”

He paused, looking up at the sky. “They call it the Nightmare Moon,” he said. “Won’t go to sleep while it’s still there. I can’t say I blame them, really; there’s something… unnatural about it. But it’s more than that; it’s like…”

He trailed off, scratching his leg awkwardly.

“Please, speak freely,” Celestia said. “I know this is my sister we are discussing, but I need any information you can give me.”

Halberd sighed. “Nothing she’s doing makes any sense,” he said. “And I don’t mean the fact that she’s… well, you know.”

Celestia nodded but stayed silent, letting him speak.

“I come from a long military family,” he continued. “My dad was teaching me about tactics and strategy even when I was a colt. Luna should know even more about it than I do, but nothing she’s doing adds up. She seems to want to hold us here, but she doesn’t have any military to back her up. And now she has us, she isn’t… doing anything with us. She’s just leaving us scared. Either she has a plan that she’s hiding from us, or she’s just making it up as she goes along. Honestly, I’m not sure which is worse.”

“Thank you for the information,” Celestia said. “Unfortunately none of this surprises me, but it would take too long to explain. I thank you for your concern for my wellbeing as well,” she continued, “but I had to return. I need to end this nightmare before it gets any worse.”

Halberd nodded. “Is there anything I can do to help, Princess?”

“There is,” Celestia replied. “Just go home to your wife and children. Keep them safe.”

She then turned, facing out of the alley into the deserted street again. “I have to face Luna alone,” she said. “I cannot allow anypony else to be harmed in this confrontation.”

“As you wish, Princess,” he replied. “Everypony here’s hoping you succeed, I’m sure.”

“Thank you,” Celestia said.

Halberd turned and began to walk away into the darkness, then paused. “Oh, and Princess?” he said. “If you can, please bring Luna back safely. I’ve served the two of you for many years now, and I hate to see her like this.”

“Me too, Lieutenant,” Celestia replied, hanging her head. She didn’t dare make it a promise, unsure if she would be able to keep it.

Halberd then disappeared back into the dark alleyways, and Celestia stepped back out into the street. She turned to face the castle; the windows were all dark apart from one, up near the highest point, where a faint light could be seen shining out from between the curtains.

Celestia closed her eyes and released a single pulse of magic, summoning her sister to her one final time.

Nothing happened at first, then the room in the castle suddenly went dark. Moments later, a plume of black smoke formed in the street in front of the castle gates. As quickly as it had appeared it was gone again, Luna standing in its place.

“You came back,” she said, her voice and expression stern.

“Of course I did,” Celestia replied. “This is my kingdom – our kingdom – and you are my sister. If I am to die here then so be it, but this is where I belong.”

“I gave you a chance,” Luna said. “I told you not to return. You should have listened.”

“So is this it, then?” Celestia asked, walking slowly towards her sister. “Are you going to kill me? Do I mean nothing to you any more?”

Luna sighed. “When I look at you,” she said, “I can remember what we used to mean to each other. We were so close as to be almost inseparable. We were completely dependent on each other.”

“So what changed?”

“We changed, sister,” she said. “I don’t know when it happened, but the warmth I used to feel when you were near is gone. I no longer need you. You no longer give me the strength you used to. Now all I see is the pony who stands in my way.

“Just look at this place!” she shouted, waving a hoof through the air. “Every minute this night continues the world grows stronger! All your daytime ever did was rob us of this power which we should have been harnessing! I can see, clearer than ever, that the world doesn’t need your day any more. It doesn’t need you.”

The world needs light! It needs stability! The power you’re feeling will destroy everything! Counterarguments piled up in Celestia’s mind, but she couldn’t bring herself to say any of them. There was no reasoning with a mind like this. But even if she couldn’t argue, she needed to know just how far gone Luna was.

“If that is the case,” she said, lifting herself up to her full height and spreading her wings out, “then do what has to be done.”

Luna nodded, then knelt down, aiming her horn at Celestia. She let her magic charge, then fired a single bolt of raw energy along the street at her sister.

There was a bright flash of light. The spell shot down the empty street, crashing into a large flowerpot and throwing shards of pottery everywhere.

Faces began to appear in windows everywhere, drawn by the commotion. Luna galloped up the empty street, searching everywhere for her vanished sister. But then the gazes of the onlookers turned her attention to the sky, where Celestia was hovering high above the city.

“Come down and face me!” She screamed into the air. Celestia didn’t respond, and just waited.

There was another flash, and Luna appeared before her.

“I did not come here to fight you,” Celestia said.

“Then why did you return?” Luna said.

“Because you are my sister,” Celestia replied. “I still love you, and I will do anything I can to have you back. I came here to help you.”

Luna immediately fired burst after burst of magic at her sister. “I! Do! Not! Need! Your! Help!” She yelled between shots.

Celestia dodged back and forth through the air, firing counterspells to catch each of the bursts before they hit.

“Everypony needs help sometimes!” Celestia shouted back. “Even we do! We cannot live in this world without the help and support of others! You must remember this!”

They continued to fire spells at each other, Luna attacking and Celestia countering, the force of the exchange pushing the two of them further and further from each other. Far below them ponies emerged into the streets, watching the battle above them.

“That may have been true once,” Luna yelled over the roar of the spells, “but so much has changed! Look at me! I have access to power like nothing you’ve ever seen! I don’t need you or anypony else to help me now!”

“Then why wait?” Celestia shouted. “If you are so powerful, why hold back? You could just kill me now and be done with it!”

“I want you to understand what you are missing!” Luna responded. “It makes no sense that you would still resist! You could be gaining so much, but you continue to be so stubborn!”

Luna fired a long, continuous burst of magic, torrents of fire pouring from her horn and rushing towards Celestia.

She reacted in an instant, pulling herself tight into a ball and throwing a shield spell around herself. She could feel the heat of the fire burning inches from her, searing the exposed parts of her body. Only her polished armour was able to protect her from the worst of the onslaught.

Then the torrent passed. Celestia collapsed the shield again and was about to turn and face her sister, when she saw the fire continuing through the sky away from her, slowly falling towards the city.

Celestia’s eyes went wide as she saw the ponies far below, running through the streets in panic, trying to find cover. Without a second thought she abandoned the battle and swooped down, intercepting and extinguishing each tongue of fire before it could hit the city below.

Eventually she managed to catch the last of the fireballs, but as she did so a terrible realisation hit her. Worse, she knew with certainty that her sister would have realised it at exactly the same moment.

Please, no.

She spun round and looked back up at her sister, but it was too late. Luna had indeed seen it. No doubt she had felt the chaos the fire had caused as well, but for a single moment Celestia had shown a weakness. A weakness which could be exploited.

Moments later, fire began to rain down from Luna’s horn. It fell in all directions, pouring towards the city below. Celestia darted back and forth through the sky firing shield spells, water jets, anything she could to keep the city below safe. The onslaught lasted for nearly a minute until Celestia was being stretched to her limits, all of her concentration being taken up just to stop the fire reaching the houses.

Then all of a sudden it stopped, the sky turning deathly silent. Celestia turned in mid-air, looking back up towards Luna, just as a stunning spell collided with her wing.

She fell out of the sky, her one good wing flapping in a desperate attempt to keep her aloft. She hit the ground in the middle of the City’s park, rolling to a stop at the bottom of a grassy hill. Her body bruised, her armor dented, she lay on the ground barely able to move.

Luna circled down to the ground, landing a short distance from her fallen sister.

“You can see now that I am not playing games,” she said. “I was serious in my threats, and I will carry them out if I need to. But it should not be necessary to kill you. I offered you a place in this new age, but your stubbornness forced you to refuse. Just say yes and I will allow you a place here along with your fellow ponies. You can in time benefit from this new power, as will they all. This is your final chance.”

Celestia lay on the ground, drawing spluttering breaths. Her entire body ached from the fall.

She remembered back to the day, all those centuries ago, when it felt like she had pushed through the pits of Tartarus to reach Everfree, to try and stop Discord before it was too late. But that was different. The pain that day had been so much worse, the damage to Harmony sucking the life out of her as she ran, but back then she had wanted to fight. She had wanted to do anything to stop Discord, to save the nation and protect her sister.

But it had been for nothing. The nation now hung on a knife-edge, moments away from beginning an irreversible descent into chaos. Worse still, her sister stood before her, already lost. She was losing sight of how the world could ever return to normal. She no longer wanted to fight. She just wanted to wake up.

“What is your choice, Celestia?” Luna asked.

Gathering what remained of her strength Celestia slowly picked herself up, lifting herself off the ground one hoof at a time. She limped forward to her sister, her wing trailing across the grass at her side.

Luna was right. This was her final chance. If this were ever to end, it would have to be now.

Bowing her head to Luna, she closed her eyes and began to release the clasps on her borrowed armour. The dented plates fell to the ground one by one, lying in the dirt at her hooves. She slipped her shoes off and took the final few steps forward until she was nose-to-nose with Luna.

“You have been far more generous with my life than you ever needed to be,” she said. “I hope this is because somewhere inside you still know that I am your sister, and that we should not be fighting. I know this myself, more than anything else, so I will give you what you want.”

With her magic, she lifted her tiara off her head, placing it on the ground between them.

“I stand here before you,” she continued, “not as a princess, or as your enemy, but simply as your sister.”

“Is this it?” Luna asked. “Are you finally surrendering?”

Celestia didn’t answer the question, lowering her head as she removed her peytral and lay it on the ground next to the tiara.

“I am doing what I have always done,” she continued. “I am standing by you, protecting you, keeping you safe from all harm. Even now, as fate has pushed us apart, as you have lost touch with your love for this world, I will always love you unconditionally.”

As she spoke, she silently lifted five spheres of crystal up out of the lining of her peytral.

“And so,” she said, “for what I am about to do, I am truly sorry.”

Celestia’s horn pulsed, magic flared out of the crystals, and the world melted away around them.

~ ~ ~

The universe opened up before Celestia. She could feel every spirit flowing past her, connected in an intricate web. And there, still connected to her by a single, thin strand, was her sister’s spirit.

What is this? Luna’s voice echoed in her mind. What have you done?

I hope that I am saving you, she responded. I feared that I would one day need to wield the Elements on my own, without your love to fuel me. So I had these crystals forged centuries ago in the Crystal Empire. Each is connected to one of the Elements of Harmony, and enchanted with the necessary magic for me to be able to summon and fuel them on my own.

Why would you do this? Luna’s voice screamed. You betrayed me!

No, Celestia replied. I could never betray you.

She searched everywhere through Luna’s spirit, the two new Elements at last giving her the clarity to single it out from the crowd. It was such a familiar place, almost a mirror image of her own. But it was broken, disconnected, the bond holding the two of them together one of its few remaining connections to the rest of the world.

There were gaps everywhere. It was being torn apart, falling further and further into chaos. The Elements swarmed through Luna’s mind, latching onto the gaps, preventing them from widening any more.

But they stopped there. Celestia tried to push them, willing them to close the gaps, to heal her sister’s mind, but nothing happened. The Elements went cold and inert, refusing to be moved by her will.

I can’t do it, she thought.

Of course you can’t! Luna shouted back. There is nothing to do! This is what is supposed to happen!

No, Celestia replied. It can’t be. There must be more.

What more can there be? Even with the Elements of Harmony you can’t beat me!

No, there is more, Celestia continued. There will be another awakening. I have already seen it.

That had to be it. The Elements had only ever truly succeeded in their aims when wielded by their true bearers. If a sixth were to awaken, that might be enough. But how long would that take?

You’re grasping at straws! Luna shouted. You’re looking to powers you can’t possibly hope to control in your misguided attempts to stop me! And what are you even expecting to happen? When you release me from this, I will kill you immediately! You know that!

No.

What?

I said no, Celestia replied. I must do anything I can to protect my nation, even if that means protecting it from you. I cannot release you. Not yet.

Then what? What will you do?

The only thing I can do, Celestia said. For your own protection, as well everypony else’s. Goodbye, my sister. I am truly sorry.

Her sister’s screams died away as she withdrew from Luna’s mind. Celestia then severed the bond that connected the two of them, followed by all but one of the Luna’s remaining ties to the outside world. With only that single, ancient connection to the moon left, Celestia retreated fully.

~ ~ ~

The world reformed around Celestia. The rest of the park was completely deserted. Luna was gone.

Dressing herself again she turned and left the park, walking back across the city. Ponies were emerging into the street again, coming up to her, asking questions, but she couldn’t hear any of them. Her world felt muted, empty.

There were screams from around them as some ponies looked up to the sky, pointing to the distant moon. Celestia continued walking through the panicked crowd, ignoring everything.

She opened the palace gates with her magic and walked inside. In a trance she walked through the empty corridors, up the long staircase and into her room.

Standing alone on the balcony, she stared up at the moon. She stayed there in silence for a long time, looking into the eye of the ghostly apparition that now covered its surface.

“Please forgive me,” she said. “I don’t think I can.”

Her horn pulsed. Slowly the moon began to move again, descending toward the horizon. Her sister’s image glared back at her in silence until the last of its light disappeared behind the distant hills.

…and the moon will fall.

With another burst of magic, she lifted the sun up in the east. She felt a wave flow through Harmony, millions of ponies across the land all cheering in unison, but couldn’t bring herself to join them.

Her energy slowly faded away and, laying down on the balcony, she cried.

Chapter 1 - The Battle of Everfree

The nation of Equestria has a long and prosperous history, which I have had the honour of playing my part in. But this history has been punctuated by many catastrophic events which have threatened the safety of the pony race, and even come close to destroying the very universe itself.

Through the spirits which shape the world, I have been given a warning of a great threat to come. Something which threatens to tear apart everything — and everypony — I love is coming, and I have devoted my life to determining its nature and protecting all I can from it, but know I will lose much.

In order to have any hope of succeeding, I must work in secret, hiding my purposes from everypony, even my dear sister. But I must remain accountable for all my actions, so I am compiling this codex to provide a record of my deeds. But deception is so contrary to my very nature that I fear this may not be enough to ease my troubled conscience.

But this story reaches far beyond myself. These events concern the very spirits which shape the world and give it form. If one is to understand this tale, one must first understand their nature.

Every object, every concept, all which does and can exist in the world, has a spirit. This spirit gives it presence and form, while the object in turn gives the spirit purpose.

These spirits are all connected, through powerful magical bonds. These bonds define how the world functions and hold the very fabric of reality. Together, all the spirits in the world form a single unified spirit, the essence of the universe itself, which to many is simply known as Harmony. When there is cooperation in the world, the bonds between spirits grow stronger, and so Harmony is strengthened. But if there is disharmony and conflict, Harmony weakens, and the world can start to crumble and fragment.

It is for this reason that the pony race exists. In addition to their own spirit, and that which defines their tribe and their associated intrinsic magic, each pony has a connection to another spirit, which manifests through their special talent. In this way, cooperation between otherwise unconnected spirits is encouraged through friendship between ponies, providing much needed strength and stability.

It is unknown when the pony race first came into existence, and if the world had even existed prior to this, but they are so integral to the stability of the world that it is widely believed that they arose very near the beginning. The means by which the world was even created is, of course, completely unknown.

The other source of evidence for this belief is in their strong connection to the fundamental nature of the two guardian spirits which watch over the world: the sun and moon. These spirits keep guard over the world, and provide much-needed patterns and rhythms, to keep everything within the world running as it should. When the pony race emerged, these spirits chose to descend to the earth and live among the ponies, acting as guardians and advisers. The forms they took are what became my sister and I, and we continue to perform our natural duty to this day.

Unfortunately, much of my understanding of these spiritual connections came through the first great test of Harmony, one of the most painful and traumatic moments in my long existence. As this knowledge, as well as the other revelations of these events, have proven integral in my efforts, this first chapter concerns that event. I have chosen to recount these stories in an objective narrative form, in order to properly represent the actions and intentions of all involved. These accounts are compiled from the memories of all witnesses I have been able to speak to.

Princess Celestia

P.S. I must also note for modern readers; the world described in these first chapters is markedly different from the one you know now. In the first ages, there was no nation of Equestria. My sister and I lived among the ponies more as equals, not having taken the title of princess yet.

The world also functioned almost on its own without pony intervention. The sun and moon rose and set by their own patterns, the weather and seasons all came and went by themselves. The ponies still had some control over the environment, but they never had to do more than keep the weather in check. Each of these facts would change in time, for various reasons.

For many generations, the three pony tribes lived together in peace. The pony race flourished and spread out across the land, villages and towns forming where the land was fertile and crops could be grown. The race grew rapidly in number, but through cooperation they were always able to provide for themselves. The earth ponies naturally found a place working the land, where they would grow crops and produce food to feed everypony. The pegasi, meanwhile, kept watch over the changing weather, ensuring there was always plentiful rain for the crops, and keeping everypony's homes from being destroyed.

During this time, the alicorn sisters, Luna and Celestia, travelled the land aiding and protecting everypony in any way they could. They taught the three tribes how to harness their natural talents, showing the earth ponies how they had the ability to bring forth life from the land, and teaching the pegasi how to control the weather. They helped the unicorns explore the extent of their magical abilities, helping them discover new and powerful spells. They helped settlers find the most fertile lands on which to build new farmsteads, and helped defend against the wild beasts which roamed the land.

While the three tribes managed to work together, there was nonetheless a lingering resentment, as the unicorns struggled to determine their tribe's destiny and learn their place in the world. They each found work where their talents allowed, some becoming artisans, others healers, but none felt that they truly belonged. They resented how the other tribes seemed to find a natural fit in the world, and longed to find their true purpose and take their place alongside the others.

As the tension grew, the three tribes started to drift apart, each forming their own cultures and appointing their own leaders. The pegasi, reflecting their natural protective and defensive instinct, formed hierarchical military government, with the senior pegasus becoming commander of those below. The earth ponies, used to adapting to the ever-changing conditions of the land, chose to adopt an elected government, appointing a chancellor from their numbers with the skills necessary to deal with whatever new challenges faced their tribe. The unicorns, on the other hoof, valued power above all, and the various unicorn families challenged each other for leadership until a single family rose up and declared their royal right over the tribe.

The two alicorns tried to hold together the shaky peace, and for many years they were successful. All three leaders respected their wisdom and benevolence, and willingly listened to their counsel whenever it was offered. Many generations passed and the pony race continued to thrive, but despite every effort, the sisters could not bring them together in the full unity their world needed.

~ ~ ~

The first great test of Harmony came at the accession of King Blackheart to the throne of the unicorn tribe. He was a strong leader, capable of protecting his subjects, but inside he held a deep distrust of the other tribes, refusing anything but the minimum of cooperation with his fellow ponies.

In the months after his coronation, Celestia and Luna tried to gain an audience with him, to convince him that he needed to work with the other tribes, but every request was refused, as the king saw them only as pale imitations of the unicorn tribe, and not true allies. Whenever they tried to approach him, the gates of his castle remained locked to them. Luna even attempted to reach out to him in his dreams, but she found his mind closed and hostile. They could see that he was going to lead his race to destruction, but the only solution they could see was forcibly overthrowing Blackheart, which they believed would only have caused greater destruction and chaos, so they did not intervene.

It thus came as a shock to all when one day Blackheart called a meeting of representatives from the entire pony race, declaring that he had a historic announcement to make. Delegates gathered from across the land, representing all three tribes. There was much apprehension from the pegasi and earth ponies, unsure why the king, who had until then only been hostile towards them, would wish to address all three tribes, apparently as equals.

The delegates gathered in the Meadowlands, a vast expanse of open grassland at the centre of the ponies' domain. In the centre, King Blackheart waited patiently for everypony to gather. He was joined by Chancellor Oatcake of the earth ponies. She approached Blackheart timidly and quietly asked him to explain himself, but he simply told her to wait for the announcement. She backed away and began pacing nervously. She had been elected only five weeks before in what was otherwise a time of stability for the earth pony tribe, and was not used to dealing with hostile politicians like this.

Commander Brakespear of the pegasi arrived last. He landed next to Oatcake and shared some hushed words with her, before taking off again and hovering above the ground, as if waiting for an attack. His posture was not unjustified, given that a legion of armoured unicorn mages had gathered around the edge of the crowd in a clear show of power and an attempt to intimidate the other races. There was no doubt that Blackheart was not going to let this meeting end well for the other two tribes.

From a distance, Luna and Celestia observed silently, waiting for Blackheart to reveal his intentions before stepping in.

Eventually, Blackheart stood up and looked out over everypony that had gathered. His horn glowed red as he cast a spell, amplifying his voice so it carried out across the crowd. Then, with a friendly smile, he spoke.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, representatives of the three tribes. For many years the pony race has lived a fragmented existence, the tribes working together and yet apart. Baseless distrust and feuding have threatened to tear us apart completely on numerous occasions. Well I say that this must end! The time has come for the three tribes to unite at last and work together under a single banner!"

A murmur swept through the crowd. A few cheers and some stamping of hooves was heard, but most delegates shifted in confusion at what could have prompted this sudden change of heart from the king, who had done more than any other to separate the three tribes. The alicorns shared their concerns. They could see the hypocrisy in his words, and yet he truly did seem to believe that he was right.

"I admit that much of the division arose from within my own tribe,” the king said, as if hearing their thoughts. “We have always struggled to see what our place in the grand scheme of the world was, and this has led to nothing but confusion and instability. But I believe that at last we have found our place! I have meditated over this matter at great length since taking the throne, and believe that the unicorns' true purpose is as leaders!"

The murmurs of the crowd died instantly. Even some of the unicorns present were shocked at this declaration.

"For too long have we waited to find our place, forced to barter our power for scraps of food” The king continued, walking around to look on all the gathered ponies. “Our true ability has been wasted by indecision and uncertainty, when all this time we should have been using our powers to direct and guide our race. As a result, all three tribes have tragically failed to live up to their full potential. Today, we will claim our destiny, and I extend this offer to the other tribes. Live under our rule and we will guide you to greatness! We will help you finally achieve full mastery of our world!"

The murmurs had now turned to shouts. Thousands of hooves thundered angrily on the ground. Some delegates even started attacking the unicorns in their midst, and the mages surrounding them bent into attack postures, waiting for any command from their master. Eventually the chaos died down, as they saw that Commander Brakespear had landed on the ground in front of Blackheart, and was staring him down with a look filled with rage.

"You dare to accuse us of not using our powers to the full! Your tribe's the only one that's not been pulling its weight, while we've worked our tails off to keep you alive!" He pointed an accusatory hoof at Blackheart's chest. Cries of agreement rose from the crowd, and a few pegasi rose into the air, shouting profanities at Blackheart. "You say it's your destiny to be a leader, but you never leave your castle, and I haven't see you helping another pony once! Call yourself what you will, but you are a tyrant, and my ponies will never live under your rule! If you make any attempt to seize power, we're leaving!"

Breakspear looked at Chancellor Oatcake for support, but the young pony looked like she had seen a cockatrice. Blackheart stepped between her and Breakspear, meeting the commander's eyes again.

"Leave if you wish, but it is only you who will lose out. The so-called magic your tribe clings to is a pale imitation of my tribe's power, and I'm sure you will quickly see that you need us more than we ever needed you. I'm sure our earth pony friends will happily stay, however. Is this not right, Miss Oatcake?"

Both leaders stared expectantly at the chancellor. Trembling with fear, she managed to force some words out.

"If the pegasi leave, our crops will die! There won't be enough food for everypony! Your entire tribe will starve!"

Blackheart's face dropped, the pretence of civility evaporating in an instant. He glared at the chancellor. "Is that a threat?" Oatcake didn't respond, nearly in tears. He turned back to Breakspear.

"It seems your allies won't be helping you, Commander. What is your decision?"

Before the commander could say anything, there was a bright burst of light, and the alicorn sisters appeared in front of the three leaders, their faces a mixture of shock and sadness. Silence fell, and Luna spoke.

"Must it be this way, Your Majesty?"

"Luna, I have resisted your attempts to manipulate me up until now; what do you expect to achieve? I have offered my subjects a chance and they have ignored it. If they do not want to live under our guidance then they are free to leave, but the consequences lie on them."

Celestia turned and walked around the three leaders, drawing their eyes past the trembling ponies that surrounded them. Her gaze was fixed on the king, defiance and anger burning in her eyes.

"Can't you see what's happening? You claim to be helping the entire pony race, but you are only causing new division! Those that you would call your subjects are cowering in fear in front of you! This is not the sign of a leader, but a bully! If you try to seize power again, we will not help you."

"We do not need your help. You think that you are powerful, but you are not even half the unicorn I am! You can leave too if you wish, but it will not change my decision."

Breakspear had had enough, and jumped into the air. "In that case, the pegasi are leaving. We'll manage better than you ever could, and if we ever see a unicorn in our lands, they'll be killed on sight." He shouted across the crowd, "I'm leaving this wretched place immediately, and all pegasi are to follow me! That is an order!" He sped off to the south without another word, followed gradually by the pegasus delegates.

Blackheart's voice once again carried magically across the crowd. "It looks like our friends will not be joining us. We will just have to wait now for them to realise their mistake. We shall return to my castle, and from there we will build a strong new unicorn kingdom! Any unicorns who do not follow will be deemed traitors, and my soldiers have orders to kill any traitors on sight. This is my final decision," he said to the alicorns, as he strode through the crowd and left the gathering, followed first by the other unicorn delegates and finally the armoured mages.

Only the earth ponies were left now. Chancellor Oatcake stood, cowed with shock. Celestia put a comforting wing around her, and she collapsed to the ground in tears.

"I don't understand! What just happened? What did I do wrong?"

"This is not your fault," Luna stated, watching after the departing unicorns. "You should have not been forced into such a situation. But what is done is done, and your people have a great trial ahead."

The crowd was stirring, the initial shock wearing off. Some started to cry out, demanding action.

"We need to vote! We need a new chancellor if we're going to survive this!"

"We can't stay here! We should head west, the ground is rich there!"

"Let's get to the nearest town, then an election can be called!"

Shouts of agreement poured from the crowd, and they gradually started marching west. After a long while, the chancellor stood and followed them despondently, her head bowed in shame.

The alicorns watched them leave, still processing the events which had just transpired. After a long silence, Luna turned to her sister, a concerned look on her face.

"Now what do we do, sister?"

"We help them, any way we can. Now more than ever the ponies need comfort and aid. I fear we may be stretched thin now, with the three tribes isolated from each other."

"They may not all wish to be helped."

"As is their right. But we must at least try. It is our duty in this world, and I will not just sit and wait for the impossible to happen when I could be doing something to help."

The two sisters watched the sun sink below the horizon, the sky burning red, then took off into the sky. Celestia flew to the west, following the earth ponies, while Luna flew south to follow the pegasi. They would have to wait before approaching the unicorns again.

~ ~ ~

Gradually, the three tribes set about adjusting to independent life. The earth ponies, under the newly-elected Chancellor Greenfield, fared well at first, living off the food grown from existing farmland. But over time the weather grew more and more dangerous; floods washed away many homes and ruined the fields. The poor conditions led to widespread disease, which they could not handle without the unicorn's magic.

The uncontrolled weather also hit the unicorns badly. They had settled in the foothills of the eastern mountains, where the valleys were fertile, which was a small compensation for their lack of aptitude for growing crops. This left them more susceptible to flash floods, however, as water from the mountains poured down through the valleys.

The pegasi found themselves completely unable to produce any useful crops from the ground, having the weakest connection to the earth. They were forced to live off the grass and other wild plants, much of which was destroyed in their initial attempts at farming. They began to starve, and their numbers gradually began to dwindle.

Barely a year after the tribes split, as the harvest approached with little sign of conditions improving, Chancellor Greenfield sent a message to the leaders of the other tribes, requesting a meeting to negotiate a truce. King Blackheart responded immediately, asking them to meet at the Meadowlands in three days time, and to come alone.

On that day, the three leaders gathered. Despite Blackheart's request, Chancellor Greenfield and Commander Breakspear both brought a small contingent of soldiers, a few dozen each, doubting that Blackheart would keep to his word. Sure enough, when they arrived, they found Blackheart flanked by at least fifty armoured mages. The warriors on all sides looked weak from hunger, and any fighting that broke out would likely be swift and decisive.

Celestia and Luna were not present. At the time they were both in villages in the unicorn kingdom, trying to help the unicorns use their magic to grow crops. Knowing of this, King Blackheart chose not to inform them of the meeting and proceed without them.

The three groups came to a halt some distance from each other, facing each other across a shallow dell, while the three leaders climbed down into the valley to meet each other. Chancellor Greenfield spoke first. She was a tall pony, visibly standing over Blackheart, but he did not back down, standing confidently in front of the others.

"This madness has gone on long enough, Blackheart,” she said. “If we continue to force ourselves apart, we will not survive another year."

"I quite agree," Blackheart responded with a poisonous smile on his face. "If you had only accepted my offer a year ago, your people would not be starving, and we would be a thriving nation. Have you come here to admit your mistake?"

"Our mistake?" Commander Breakspear jumped into the air and glared at Blackheart, shouting at the top of his lungs. "You put us in this mess! We were doing just fine before you started having your stupid delusions of grandeur!" He landed in front of Blackheart, and looked the king right in the eyes. His voice was quiet, but filled with rage. "I am here to give the terms of your immediate abdication and cessation of hostilities towards my tribe. Command of the unicorns will fall to me until a suitable successor to your throne can be determined. I am willing and able to use force if necessary. Do you understand?"

Greenfield forced the two apart and spun Breakspear around to look at her. "'Commander! What are you doing? This is exactly what threw us apart in the first place! You want to replace one dictator with another, and you think this will solve the problem? Are we next to fall under your wing?"

"At least I'm trying to do something!” the commander responded hotly. “If your tribe had stood up for itself before we may have been working together already! But you were too weak! And now you think that this can be solved with words? The king is clearly mad, and I'm the only one who's willing to put a stop to this before he drags us all down!" The commander took off, hovering above the other leaders in front of his soldiers. "If you force me, I will fight you, but either way this ends today."

The king watched as the other leaders descended into a war of words. Looking over his shoulder, he gave a small nod to his mages, who knelt down into an attack stance, ready to fight. When eventually Greenfield and Breakspear hit a wall, unable to find words to say and just glaring at each other, Blackheart took his chance.

"Friends, can't you see what's happened to you," the king asked the other leaders, his voice level and deceptively friendly. "Hunger has driven you to each other's throats, and you're preparing to kill each other over something which doesn't even need to happen! Please, calm down and consider my offer before you wipe your own tribes out."

Greenfield glared at the king. "The commander is right about one thing, Blackheart. You are mad if you think I would ever ally with you."

"I give you one last chance to stand down," the commander stated. "This ends now."

The king's warm smile stretched into a sickly grin, his eyes filling with greed. Taking a step towards them, he lowered his head, poised to attack. "Very well."

The other leaders recoiled in horror at the sudden change. Seeing the unicorn mages behind him, they both spun to their own warriors, desperately calling for them to attack. The earth ponies reared up, ready to charge, while the pegasi took off into the sky in formation, but they were both too slow. Spells flew out from the unicorn army, hitting both groups at the same time and knocking them to the ground. More spells flew through the air, blasting any stragglers back. The battle was swift, and decisive.

~ ~ ~

Hundreds of miles away, in two distant villages, the alicorn sisters collapsed in pain as they felt something being torn apart inside them. They both knew immediately what had happened, and, focussing all the magic they had, they both disappeared in a bright light.

~ ~ ~

The three leaders now stared at each other across the space that had formed between them. The mages slowly marched down towards them, while the other battalions struggled to pick themselves up. Blackheart began to advance towards his new subjects, when—

"STOP!"

In a blinding flash, Celestia and Luna appeared in their midst. They stood back to back, their wings spread out at their sides. Their eyes burned with a fierce fire, filled with a mixture of rage, sorrow and pain, as they stared at the three leaders. They spoke as one, their voices filling the valley but beginning to break under the agony they felt inside.

"WE TRY TO HELP YOU AND YOU DO NOT LISTEN! WE GIVE YOU EVERY CHANCE WE CAN TO WORK TOGETHER FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, AND YET YOU DRIVE YOURSELVES APART OVER PETTY ATTEMPTS TO SEIZE POWER! THIS MUST STOP NOW!"

The three leaders stood transfixed by the sight before them. The soldiers around the valley stared in shock, mesmerised by the rage radiating from the two sisters. The entire valley seemed to fill with energy, the air becoming thick and heavy. An aggressive silence fell, drowning out everything except their voices. The ponies had to shield their eyes, unable to look at the alicorns directly.

"WE GAVE YOU A CHANCE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM YOURSELVES, BUT YOU REFUSED! WE WANTED TO LET YOU SHAPE YOUR OWN DESTINY, BUT ALL YOU HAVE BROUGHT IS DESTRUCTION! YOU HAVE FORCED OUR HAND NOW, AND WE WILL NOT LET THIS CONTINUE!"

Breakspear and Blackheart were silent, unable to move, but Greenfield forced her way forward, defiant against the sheer force radiated by the alicorns. She shouted back at them over the silence:

"What do you think's going to happen? We've tried again and again to work together but never can! You know that forcing peace can never work! I'm sorry, but we're done here!"

The sisters relented, their magic pouring back inside them. The world rushed in, and roar of the earth was deafening. Celestia looked deep into Greenfield's eyes, tears welling up in her own. Her voice cracked as she spoke.

"Is there truly no hope?"

Greenfield looked away, unable to bear the sight of the desperation in the mighty alicorn;s eyes. Breakspear watched Luna for a few moments as she also began to weep, before turning away from her. Finally Blackheart stepped up before them, defiant even to the end.

"There is not."

The words hung heavily in the air. Then, with a mighty roar, the world seemed to tear in half. A blinding wall of energy burst forth from where the sisters stood, knocking down everything that stood in its way. Unable to see, the ponies felt the the magic clawing at their bodies, tearing desperately at their minds. Then as suddenly as it came, the agony ceased. The light faded to reveal a black and dead landscape. All around the valley, the once green plants had been reduced to ash. The sky was also black, the only light coming from the sun, a pale red disc hanging weakly in the sky.

The ponies picked themselves up one by one, but watched in horror as, in the centre of the valley, the two alicorns collapsed to the ground, all life torn from their bodies. They lay defenceless on the ground, their wings splayed out by their sides. Their ever-flowing ethereal manes lay tangled and still on the ground, all colour drained from them. A single tear clung on to the side of Celestia's still-open eyes.

~ ~ ~

Screams of terror filled the valley, as everypony desperately clambered away from the valley, repulsed by the death that now filled it. Only King Blackheart remained, staring in shock and confusion at the alicorns that lay before him. The other ponies watched as he collapsed on his haunches and stared at his own hooves, his mind contorting to try and find some sort of explanation for what he had just witnessed.

Eventually something gave way. His face twisted into a manic grin, and he laughed uncontrollably, rearing his head to the sky. Magically amplifying his voice so that all around could hear, he shouted out to everypony.

"You all doubted my power, and you suffered as a result! Now can't you see the truth! I, who have the power to strike down even the mighty alicorns, to control the sun itself! I demand that you follow me immediately! I am not your king, I AM A GOD! AND YOU WILL WORSHIP ME!"

He panted in crazed excitement as he stared expectantly at the ponies that watched him from the edge of the valley, But nopony dared respond.

Turning his attention instead to the fallen alicorns, he placed a hoof on Celestia's flank and pushed, watching with glee as her body rolled limply away from him. Stepping over her, he knelt down and stared into Luna's lifeless eyes. His voice was soft, but still carried over the whole valley.

"You tried to control me for so long. You even tried to break into my dreams. You've had your chance. You won't manipulate me again."

He rested his hoof on her neck, then drew it back, preparing to deliver the final blow...

"Stop!"

The single word hit Blackheart like a mace, and he stumbled backwards, falling to the ground. He stared in shock at the alicorns, but they were still motionless on the ground. His eyes burning with rage, he shouted to the sky:

"WHO SAID THAT? WHO WOULD DARE TO DEFY ME?"

"I would." A young unicorn mare broke from the line of mages at the top of the slope and marched towards the king. He watched her in a mixture of rage and confusion as she approached, unable to decide how to respond. When she reached the bottom of the valley, she stood between the king and the alicorns, holding her head high, but her voice wavered as she spoke.

"My name is Silver Moon. I am a junior mage in the unicorn army. I came here to help ensure we could get enough food to feed my family through the next winter. But the other tribes were right about you; you've gone mad, and you're more concerned about having power than you are about my family, or any of your subjects! And now you're going to desecrate the bodies of these two sisters; spit on the graves of two ponies who have only ever tried to help us!" Silver was fighting back tears, trying to keep her voice level as she stared down the most powerful unicorn in the world. She closed her eyes, fully expecting him to strike her down, but at this point she didn’t care. Her world was crumbling around her, and she was not going to abandon those who loved her.

When nothing came, she opened her eyes slowly. Blackheart stood still before her, his face frozen in confusion as his twisted mind struggled to process anything that was happening. Feeling a surge of confidence, she cried out across the valley:

"These two sisters cared for all of us when we were hurt or scared! They're hurt now, and it's our turn to care for them! Will anypony join me?"

She looked round at everypony who had gathered around the valley. They were all completely still, and the silence seemed to last for hours, until another voice rose up.

"I will."

A middle-aged pegasus stallion flew up from the hillside, flapped limply down to Silver's side and landed by her. "Sergeant Gunner Beck at your service, in the sisters' honour." He saluted Silver, then patted her gently on the shoulder and turned to Blackheart, his wings flaring defensively.

"Me too."

A young earth pony, barely more than a colt, cantered down the hillside, coming to a halt by Silver's other side. His legs shook nervously. "My name’s Wheat Sheaf. I'd be home working on the farm if it wasn't for this stupid fighting. I had friends who were pegasi and unicorns, and I just want to see them again." Silver bent down and gave him a hug, smiling comfortingly at him. The three of them turned to face Blackheart, who was now glaring at them through narrow eyes.

"So you continue your blasphemy! I will give you one day to see your error, and after that, the consequences lie at your hooves!" He turned and marched out of the valley. As he left, his horn glowed red, and a domed shield fell across the valley, sealing the three of them in with the fallen alicorns. "I will return tomorrow, and I expect to hear you begging for forgiveness."

Blackheart marched away, head held high. Everypony else collapsed around the edge of the valley, may falling into a deep sleep, overwhelmed by the events of the past hour.

~~~

Silver Moon stared at the shield trapping them in the valley, then turned and walked back to the alicorns. She closed her eyes and pressed her horn against Celestia's. Opening up her magic, she calling out to the alicorn, but there was no response. She could still feel the traces of life in the fallen Celestia’s body, but the spirit there was fragmented, torn in three, and was fading rapidly. No healing spells would be able to repair this damage. Silently, Silver reached out and closed Celestia's eyes. She walked round to Luna and did the same, then she curled up between the two sisters and sobbed quietly.

Gunner Beck flew around the dome, repeatedly slamming his hooves into the magical shield. It rang dully with each impact, but remained strong. Relenting, he landed on the ground again. He looked at Silver, crying between the two alicorns, but didn't know how he could help her. He was a soldier at heart, and there were no enemies to fight here. He met Wheat Sheaf's eyes, shook his head silently, then started pacing around the perimeter of the shield to try and keep his nerves calm.

Wheat Sheaf looked at the blackened ground around him. Like all earth ponies, he had a connection to all life that grew from the ground. At the moment, though, there was only death around him. The ground was repulsive, and he felt like he was going to throw up.

He began pacing back and forth nervously, drawing deep breaths, but suddenly came to a halt when he spotted something on the ground. It was small, buried in the thin ash layer, but it seemed to call out to him. He drew closer and knelt down, and discovered that the object was a single apple seed. It must have been dropped by an animal at some point, and had yet to take root, protecting it from the destruction.

This seed was a small blessing, but Wheat Sheaf latched onto the faint glimmer of hope it provided. He dug a hole in the earth with his hooves, then carefully placed the seed in the ground and covered it over. With the full strength of his will, he begged the seed to grow.

For a few long minutes nothing happened. But then, slowly, a small shoot started to push its way up out of the ash. It reached up for the sky, but finding the world dark and inhospitable, it grew pale and weak. It reached barely an inch out of the ground before giving up and coming to a halt.

Gunner was still pacing around the shield, but when he saw Wheat Sheaf working at the ground, he cantered over to the earth pony to investigate. He looked at the small shoot in the ground, shocked to see anything growing in the dead earth. His eyes met Wheat Sheaf's, and he suddenly understood. Taking off into the air again, he flew around, gathering any moisture he could find from the air. Gradually he was able to form a small cloud, even using some of his own breath to strengthen it. He dragged the cloud over to the shoot, and pushed down on it until it started to rain.

It provided a feeble amount of water, barely a few dozen drops, but the plant absorbed them eagerly, forcing itself up once more. It pushed another inch from the ground, a few leaves starting to form, but could go no further and collapsed under its own weight.

Gunner stared up to the sky. The magical shield provided a dim red light, but it was barely brighter than the sun above, which still gave off only a faint glow. Like the alicorns lying nearby, the sun was fading slowly. Without the sun, the shoot would not be able to grow any further. Like all other life, it appeared that it had no hope. He looked at Celestia; the old stories described her as the spirit of the sun itself, a protective entity watching over the world. Without her the land would die. They needed something to stand in for her if the land was going to heal itself, but their own magic was feeble in comparison to the alicorns. Looking at Silver, still lying between the alicorns, he prayed that it would be enough. Walking slowly over and sitting next to her, he broke the silence that had until then filled the dome.

"Silver Moon?"

Silver didn't respond.

"Silver, we need your help."

"What good can I do?" She shifted on the ground, her words coming between sobs. "I've failed everypony. Luna and... Luna and Celestia are going to die, and there's nothing I can do."

"You haven't failed anypony, Silver,” Gunner responded. “You did more than anypony could have asked. You stood up to your own king to protect something that you already thought lost! That takes a lot of courage." Gunner placed a wing over Silver, pulling her closer. "But most importantly, you gave us hope. You showed us that there is still good in the world, if we just have the courage to show it. If you hadn't taken a stand I wouldn't be here, and neither would Wheat Sheaf."

"You wouldn't be trapped here, you mean," silver replied grumpily.

"That's not your fault, Silver. King Blackheart trapped us, not you. “But I much rather be here taking a stand than watching the world fall apart without doing anything. You’re the strongest pony I have ever met, and you've brought a ray of light into an old pony's dark life." He smiled at Silver, who looked up at him, and, wiping tears from her eyes, smiled back. "There is something more you can do, though, if you would follow me.

Gunner helped Silver up, then led her over to the small shoot. Wheat Sheaf was lying on the ground, watching it for any signs of movement.

“If there’s anything you can do,” Gunner asked.

Silver stared at it for a few moments, then looked up at the faint sun that was hanging overhead. She looked back at the plant, and stared at, thinking. Then she closed her eyes, and her horn lit, bathing the three ponies in white light. Very slowly, the shoot started to pick itself up, gradually turning green.

There was a faint whistling sound as the air in the dome stirred, and the light from Silver's horn grew until it filled the space with light and warmth. Fuelled by the magical light, the shoot pushed out of the ground, getting taller and taller. Branches formed and spread, sprouting leaves. A thin bark formed on the trunk, giving it strength. By the time it came to a halt, the shoot had grown into a small tree, and three bright red apples hung from its branches.

The light dimmed and receded, and the three ponies stared in awe at the plant before them. Gunner reached up into the branches and plucked the three apples, and the three of them shared the apples between themselves. Silver took a bite from her apple, savouring the sweet taste, and feeling her hunger start to recede.

But Wheat Sheaf stared at his apple. He had helped to bring forth life once more, but there was still something much more important which needed to be done. He looked over at the two alicorns, who still lay motionless on the ground nearby. If they could save this one seed, then perhaps there was still hope.

Picking his apple up, he stood and approached the alicorns. He lay his apple on the ground in front of them. He knelt and begged to them; "Please come back. We grew this for you. We can still work together, but we can't survive without you. Please." Tears welled up in his eyes. Gunner and Silver walked over and lay down by his side, placing their apples with his. Gunner put his wings over the two young ponies, and they nestled together, praying for something to happen.

Slowly, the air stirred for a second time. The three of them looked around in confusion as their manes started being swept up by the steadily increasing wind. Warmth and light filled the dome once more, but it did not come from Silver's horn this time. The very air seemed to be glowing as pure magic filled the space.

Gunner drew his wings back to his side to protect them from the strong winds. The three ponies stood up, bracing themselves against the gale swirling around them, but before they were torn off their hooves, they felt the magic suddenly pour into them, filling them up and awakening something deep within their spirits. Their eyes flew open, glowing bright as the sun.

A wave of energy burst forth from them, sweeping across the valley once more. The magical shield shattered when it hit, and the ash covering the ground was blasted away. The earth shook as the life-giving wave healed the charred soil, and thick, luscious grass sprang forth everywhere, covering the valley.

Air rushed into the valley, and the three ponies were lifted into the air, surrounding the fallen alicorns. The sisters' bodies were lifted into the sky by the raging winds, as they were surrounded by bands of magic in all colours of the rainbow. Light radiated from their bodies, illuminating the land for miles around. With a thunderous crash, the magic burst upwards in a vast beam, and the sky filled with blinding light.

~~~

All around the valley, the gathered ponies stirred, dazzled by the burst of light, and strained to see what had caused it. When the light receded, they were amazed by what they saw.

The barren land of the valley was now covered with lush grass, enough to feed hundreds of ponies. In the centre stood a magnificent apple tree, at least twenty feet tall, its branches bursting with ripe fruit. Around it were the three ponies who had stood up to King Blackheart, staring with determination at the ponies around them.

In front of them, Celestia and Luna stood strong and tall, their wings outstretched to protect the ponies behind them. Their manes flowed even in the stillness, radiating light. The entire scene was bathed in warmth and light as, in the sky above them, the sun and moon hung side by side. The sisters spoke together, their voice once more filling the valley.

"LISTEN TO US. THE THREE PONIES WHO STAND BEFORE YOU HAVE SHOWN GREAT COURAGE AND STRENGTH, AND TOGETHER THEY HAVE ACHIEVED SOMETHING THAT YOUR ENTIRE RACE HAS NOT MANAGED IN GENERATIONS. BY IGNORING THEIR DIFFERENCES AND WORKING TOGETHER THEY HAVE BROUGHT HARMONY BACK INTO THE WORLD. WE ALL OWE THEM A GREAT DEBT.

"LET THIS BE A CALL TO PONIES EVERYWHERE. IT IS TIME TO START AGAIN AND BUILD A STRONG NATION WHERE ALL PONIES LIVE AND WORK TOGETHER AS EQUALS. WE MUST TAKE THEIR EXAMPLE TO HEART IF WE ARE TO HAVE ANY HOPE, BUT THEY HAVE SHOWN THAT IT IS AT LEAST POSSIBLE.

"YOU HAVE TRIED FOR SO LONG TO FIND YOUR TRIBES' PLACES IN THIS WORLD. WE CAN SEE NOW THAT IT IS THIS WHICH HAS PUSHED YOU APART; YOU HAVE ASSUMED THAT YOUR DESTINIES ARE SEPARATE FROM EACH OTHER, AND SO YOU HAVE ISOLATED YOURSELVES THINKING THAT THIS WILL STRENGTHEN YOUR TRIBES. IT IS CLEAR NOW; ALL THREE TRIBES, YOUR DESTINIES ARE LINKED, YOUR PLACE WITH EACH OTHER. AS LIFE CAN ONLY COME FORTH WHEN THE ELEMENTS OF THE WORLD COME TOGETHER IN HARMONY, THE PONY RACE CAN ONLY THRIVE IF THE THREE TRIBES ARE TOGETHER AS ONE."

The gathered ponies were silent for a long time, then gradually they burst into cheers. All around the valley, the gathered ponies embraced each other, regardless of tribe.

Greenfield and Breakspear did not join in the cheering, staring solemnly at each other across the valley. Eventually they stood up and made their way down to meet the sisters. Greenfield approached Celestia and said "What will become of us now?"

Luna turned to face her, her face stern. "You must each be held accountable for your actions. Neither of you are wholly to blame for what has transpired, but you each played your part. If we are to move beyond this tragic episode, we must put everything behind us. Judgement will be left to your tribes, but my sister and I will be watching to ensure that they are fair."

"And what of Blackheart?"

The sisters turned and looked into the distance, remembering the king whose actions had precipitated this event. They considered the question, then Luna spoke to the other leaders.

"Blackheart will be found, and he will stand trial also. Whether his actions were driven by malice or madness, he must be held accountable, as his actions may have nearly destroyed the entire world."

"But our duty in this world is to protect all ponies, regardless of their crimes," Celestia added. "If he has truly descended into madness, we will help him regain his mind. The least he deserves is a chance to truly understand and repent for his actions. Whatever the case, he is not to be harmed. Do you understand? Neither is anypony else who was involved today. We must not turn against each other again, for any reason."

The two leaders hung their heads, and nodded. They stood, contemplating their futures, and that of their tribes. Breakspear looked at the ponies that were now gathering around them in the valley. Members of all three tribes were present, but they stood there as one race, embracing each other without fear or distrust for the first time in years. He looked proudly at his pegasus soldiers, their wings wrapped around their fellow ponies. But there was a small doubt in the back of his mind. He turned back to face the alicorns.

"Who is going to lead us now? If we are to form a single nation, we need leadership, but you've seen what happens when a member of one race tries to take control." He hung his head in shame remembering his own attempted coup not that long ago. The question hung heavily in the air.

"You should."

Everypony went silent. Luna and Celestia turned to face the source of the voice and found Gunner, Silver and Wheat Sheaf, the three ponies who had saved their lives. They were standing next to each other now, looking up at the alicorns before them. Gunner looked down at the young ponies on either side of him, and as they nodded encouragingly at him, he looked back at the alicorns and continued.

"All these years you have stood by us all, regardless of tribe. We need help and protection, even if just from ourselves, and I can't think of anypony more suited for the job than you.” He flew into the air, hovering above the apple tree, and addressed the crowd.

“Despite what Blackheart said, these two sisters always helped us when we needed it, and have never turned their backs on us! If they have not succeeded, it is only because we have refused to listen to them in our stubbornness! Well I say they deserve our respect, and we should be honoured to receive the gifts they freely give us! I hope nopony has any objections. I can think of none.”

He looked at all the gathered ponies. Excited whispers spread through the group, and Gunner was pleased to see excitement on many faces. After what had happened here, it was a relief to see them all smiling again. This was what the nation needed, in so many ways.

Landing beside his new friends again, Gunner looked over at Breakspear and Greenfield, who were huddled together in quiet conversation. They reached an agreement and turned to face the alicorns.

“We cannot speak for everypony,” Greenfield stated, “but the two of us would gladly recognise your leadership.”

She smiled and nodded at Gunner, who nodded back. He then knelt down, bowing in front of the alicorns. Silver and Wheat Sheaf joined him, followed by Breakspear and Greenfield. One by one, everypony knelt reverently before the sisters.

The sisters were overcome with joy. Seeing happiness and friendship in the hearts of so many ponies was elating. And now they were being offered an opportunity to guide and nurture the pony race to an extent that they had never had before. How could they possibly refuse such a request?

When they turned to face the three ponies again, they were smiling brightly, their joy filling the valley. Everypony looked up at them expectantly, and Celestia broke the silence.

"If this is what you wish, then we will gladly accept."

Cheers filled the valley. Ponies started rushing forward to embrace their new leaders. Soon they left and returned to their tribes, spreading the word of the events which had transpired. Ponies from all corners of the land flooded back to the meadowlands, where they greeted each other with new-found friendship.

In remembrance of that day, and the events which had led to the pony race finally freeing themselves from generations of self-imposed separation, the land surrounding the valley was named Everfree, and a great castle was built in the alicorns' honour, from which they watched over and guided their nation. They each chose to take the title of Princess, in recognition of their newly granted authority and joint rulership. The ponies named their nation Equestria, the first true unified nation of ponies, and together they grew and prospered, spreading to all corners of the land.

In the land surrounding Everfree Castle, a vast apple orchard was planted, each tree descending from that first tree that Wheat Sheaf grew with the help of his friends. That orchard survived many ages and hardships, and their offspring continue to grow to this day.

That day was the most painful in my entire life, and was a sobering reminder of my own fallibility. But it is so often the way that the darkest of events can lead to great change and joy. If the pony race had not been forced through this painful trial, they may never have emerged as the strong nation which came after.

There was a deeper significance to these events, however. As the magic of the world began to crumble, I felt my own spirit being split in three. It was only then that I realised the importance of the bonds between the three tribes, and how they were directly tied to my own being and the structure and stability of the entire world. I saw how much damage could come if the tribes ever split from each other, and vowed to use all my power to ensure that the nation of Equestria remained safe and strong forever.

In that dark moment, it was as if Harmony itself cried out in pain. Latching on to the spark of friendship in those three ponies, it reached out into the world and used their power to pull the fragmented spirits of the world together once more. This event left its own mark on those three ponies, each of them bearing a bond to a piece of Harmony for the rest of their lives. The change was subtle, but I could feel its strength in their spirits.

This was a more powerful magic than anything I had ever felt, and my sister and I decided to study its nature and determine its purpose. The power was alien and elusive, however, and I did not want to do anything to harm those three ponies. I was fortunate to be able to talk to all three again as they died, however, and with their permission I took custody of the three spirits that had bonded to them, so that I could study their secrets more closely.

In time I came to know these spirits as three of the Elements of Harmony, a mysterious group of spirits which help bind and sustain the universe.

It was many generations until I saw how important their power would become to the future of Equestria, however, as there were still many secrets that the universe had yet to reveal to me.

Princess Celestia