//------------------------------//
// Evil Hero 
// Story: Malefic Bonds 
// by Razalon The Lizardman 
//------------------------------//

	The research facility’s front lawn was invisible beneath the crowd of anxious, fear-stricken ponies. They chattered loudly, filling the nighttime air with their collective qualms while alternating their attention between the research facility, the wall of Day and Night guards keeping them at bay, and the dark shape staring down at them from the moon.

The sudden appearance of a mare’s head on the moon’s surface had inevitably attracted the attention of everypony in the country, with the rest of the world soon to follow. Everyone was confused, wondering if perhaps Princess Luna was working on a special project. For the first few days following its appearance, ponies had shrugged off the oddity and went about their lives, unmindful of the moon’s newest decoration.

It wasn’t until four days afterward when news broke out that Princess Celestia would be cancelling any and all Court sessions for the foreseeable future that a shadow of unease spread throughout Equestria’s populace. The rumor mill began turning not long afterward, with claims that Celestia was on her deathbed due to a magical illness being the most widely accepted. But ponies wanted actual answers, and so they made to go for the closest pony who could give them some, only to be denied admittance by the guards.

Solis looked down at the crowd through the bay window, annoyance clear in his expression as he cursed their persistence. The last three days had been hectic as he tried his damnedest to avoid the herd of inquisitive ponies heckling him for answers as to Celestia’s condition. Part of him was tempted to lie and confirm the story that Celestia was suffering a magical illness, if only to finally be rid of them for a little while.

“They are persistent,” Soothing said from beside him.

Solis sighed, and turned to look at her. Her mane was unkempt, owing to her shared exhaustion in trying to help keep the crowd at bay for the past few days, a fate his much shorter mane had been spared from. “Indeed, they shan’t rest until their curiosity is satisfied,” he said, before lifting his gaze to the moon hanging in the sky, the dark shadow cast across it dulling its brilliant luminescence ever so slightly. “What foals.”

Soothing followed his gaze, her eyes gaining a forlorn look to them. “Luna…”

Just then, the door to the study creaked open, and they turned to see Ia step inside. Large bags hung under his eyes, and his mane was in a similar, albeit lesser, unkempt state as Soothing’s. His movements were sluggish and labored, as if even a single step exerted mountains of pressure on his legs.

“Ia, how are the guards faring?” Solis asked.

A tired smile crossed Ia’s lips. When he spoke, his voice was equally as exhausted. “Not so well. The crowd’s patience is wearing thin, and we have reason to believe they might revolt should they be left without answers for much longer.”

Solis sighed, and turned to look back down at the crowd. “I only wonder whether the truth would be for the better.”

“The ‘magical illness’ story might placate them,” Soothing mused.

“No, it will not,” Solis said. “They would undoubtedly question us as to Princess Luna’s disappearance, as well as why the moon suddenly has a mare’s face cast across it. Some of them might have already figured out the truth, even.”

Ia walked over and joined Solis and Soothing by the window. “What should we do, Solis?”

Solis found himself unable to answer at first. In truth, the whole situation was leaving him greatly confused, despite the fact that Celestia had straight up told him when he visited Everfree Castle a week ago everything that had transpired between herself and Luna.

The idea that Luna had betrayed her sister, and even attempted to kill her out of jealousy, was surreal. His time with Luna had paled in comparison to his with Celestia, true, but even so, Luna’s heart had always reflected back a kind, loving sister to him. It only served to support what he already believed; despair is the root of all evil. He needed to enact his plan quickly, before anypony else fell victim to the sting of despair and another enemy of the peace that Mother treasured was born.

“I will journey to Everfree Castle and convince Celestia to diffuse the crowd’s curiosity,” Solis said, and sighed. “Not an easy task, for sure.”

Soothing wrapped a hoof around him and nuzzled his withers, earning a light blush from him. “Trust in your ability, Prince,” she said, sweetly.

Solis smiled, and briefly returned her nuzzle before pulling away. “I will do it, I promise,” he replied, voice brimming with confidence. “Please help the guards until then.”

Soothing and Ia both nodded.

“I will be off, then.” Solis turned and made for the door, only to pause as he caught sight of his mask resting on a nearby desk. After a few moments of thought, he went and retrieved it, gazing down at it in contemplation for a few more moments before putting it on. “But first, I have an art project to complete.”





Little more than a week previously, the halls of Everfree Castle were alive with the hooffalls of guards on patrol and hoofmaidens busily completing their chores. Everywhere the sound of armor clanking and hooves clopping would resound as they went about their business, conducting a labored symphony that could be heard echoing throughout the castle.

It was a pleasant orchestra to Celestia’s ears. The rhythm of harmony between she and her staff as they all performed their part in the grand symphony of keeping Equestria well and good. Knowing that everypony was doing their part filled her with a special kind of joy; the kind that she only valued as a hard-working adult, and that her younger, filly self liked to complain about to no end to her parents.

Now that joy was gone, replaced by a heartache that Celestia knew deep down would never go away. She tried her hardest to come to terms with what had happened, to pick herself up and continue ruling over Equestria as she was meant to. But every time she would look up at the moon, whether to control it or because her gaze wandered, her heart reeled from the resulting lance of pain. She was beginning to wonder if, because she had yet to come to terms with what happened, she truly was fit to rule over Equestria. Would the leader Equestria needed be so weak in spirit? Be unable to let go of the past and work to improve the future?

Her internal musings were interrupted when her ear flicked in response to a faraway sound, coming from somewhere within the castle. No, it came from the front door, she realized. Someone was looking for her. It had to be Solis, as only her son had both the knowledge of her location and resolve to attempt to disrupt her despairing.

She listened as a steady trail of hooffalls echoed throughout the castle, gradually getting closer to Celestia’s bedchambers, before stopping outside the door. Celestia remained where she was, gazing outside while only barely listening as the door opened and closed. A few moments of silence followed, before she heard Solis’ hooffalls approach from behind, finally stopping right next to her. Celestia sidestepped over a bit so Solis could comfortably join her at the window.

“‘Tis a lovely night,” he remarked.

Celestia nodded. “Yes.”

The two stayed like that for a few minutes, silent and unmoving, just admiring the nighttime atmosphere. The peaceful ambiance of chirping insects and the light howling of wind was always pleasant to listen to, and an ever-growing part of Celestia wished she could listen to it forever uninterrupted instead of having to listen to what she knew Solis would eventually tell her.

“... Everypony is concerned for you.”

Celestia sighed a little. It had to come, she reminded herself, and she turned to face him. “I cannot bear to tell them the truth of what has happened. And yet… how else might I explain the moon’s newest… ‘addition’?” She felt another lance of pain stab her heart with that last word, and her eyes welled up and threatened to burst. She quickly used a wing to wipe away her tears, not wanting Solis to think she had yet to recover from the ordeal with Luna.

No, with Nightmare Moon.

She felt a wing wrap around her withers, followed by a light nuzzling on her neck. Instinctively, she wrapped both of her wings around Solis, drawing him against her chest. Again the two stayed silent and unmoving, relishing in each other’s warm embrace. Celestia had missed this loving feeling, of being with somepony she could confide in. She silently thanked Solis for coming here, for helping her in her time of need.

It was only after they broke apart that Celestia finally noticed the brown saddlebag Solis had strapped to his side. Before she could inquire as to its contents, however, he spoke up.

“We need to talk, Mother, about our roles moving forward.”

She nodded. “Yes, we should. I… suppose the throne is now ours to share.”

Solis shook his head. “No, Mother. It is not…” He trailed off, visibly sagging as he looked down.

Celestia was confused by his response. “What do you mean, Solis?” she asked.

Solis was silent for a moment, apparently collecting his thoughts. Celestia patiently waited for him to continue.

“... From this day forth, we will be enemies, Mother.”

The resulting silence was palpable; one could hear a needle dropping all the way from the other side of the castle. Celestia just stared blankly at Solis, her mind failing to comprehend the words that were just spoken to her. Her blank expression turned to one of confusion, and she finally mustered the strength to speak.

“I-I do not understand, Solis; what do you mean we shall be ‘enemies’?”

Solis sighed, his face hardening as he looked back up at her. “It is time I divulged the purpose of my recent studies to you.”

Solis then spent the next few minutes explaining what he had been studying and working on over the past two years. Learning about Astral the Great, his theories on planetary influence of pony psyche, how Solis came to believe these theories; everything was divulged to Celestia. Every now and then she would ask for him to repeat a certain detail or slow down so she could process his words; a lot of what he was saying was new to Celestia, and her mind was still half preoccupied with thinking about Luna.

Not until Solis began explaining his new purpose, however, did a creeping sense of dread and horror overtake Celestia. Solis wished to abandon Equestria for the purpose of “harboring the current of despair infesting ponykind”!? A million questions flitted through Celestia mind at that, not the least of which being whether she should worry about her own son launching an attack against Equestria should she agree to his plan.

Worse still, his desire to connect himself to the Tree of Harmony, thereby granting him the same immortal power she and Luna possessed, was like an earthquake shaking the foundations of her motherly instinct. Never could she condone such a plan to curse her own son to an eternity of loneliness and despair, even if he himself wanted it.

“I absolutely refuse to aid this foalishness!” she practically shouted once Solis had finished explaining.

“Mother…” Solis sighed. “Please, Mother. This is my decision, and I have made it knowing full well the risks, as well as what it will mean for our relationship.” His gaze turned, settling on the blank spot on his flank for a good few moments. “I might not have a soul to call my own, but… having this plan gives me a sense of purpose. I finally have a way to help guide Equestria to the eternal prosperity and happiness you have long sought.”

“You can help me by remaining by my side, Solis.” A smile, filled both with all the warmth and fear in her heart, crossed her muzzle. “You are splendid in many ways, Solis; as a leader, as a mage, and as a pony.” She reached up with a wing and stroked Solis’ cheek. “Let us happily rule Equestria side by side, as mother and son.”

For a long moment, Solis remained silent, all the while Celestia contemplated whether her argument would sway him. In truth, she saw the logic behind Solis’ plan, and a part of her which she resented had to agree that it was sound. She had always been skeptical about Astral the Great’s theories about planetary influence, but after Luna attempted to kill her and bring eternal night to Equestria, her skepticism was waning.

But regardless, she could never, would never, condone Solis’ plan. Luna, her only flesh and blood relative, was now gone. Solis was the only family she had left in the world, and she would never let a similar fate befall him, even at his own request.

Finally, Solis broke the silence with another sigh. He looked up into Celestia’s eyes, his own full of hardened resolve. “Mother, I could never rule this country alongside you.”

Celestia blinked. “... Why not?”

“I harbor no love for this country, Mother. I may be a pony in body, but in spirit I am... something else. Something that could never cherish all the ponies of Equestria like a parent would their child. To me, Equestria is a separate entity, cut off from my spirit since the day I was born. And it is for that reason I am ill fit to rule over this country.” He paused for a few moments.

Hearing Solis’ confession was like having her chest torn open and her heart repeatedly punched. His upbringing had been horrible, truly, and no doubt had left Solis with a bitter resentment toward his fellow ponies, but Celestia had well and truly believed that under her care and tutelage, Solis could learn to love like she did. She had poured her heart and soul into being the mother he never had, into caring for him like he deserved to be. To hear him say he felt nothing for her efforts made her spirit crack apart.

At least, until he resumed speaking.

“But I do love you, Mother.” He wrapped a wing around her withers, and Celestia embraced the warmth it offered. “Consider this my gift to you in exchange for bringing me so much happiness. With my plan, Equestria can truly enjoy everlasting peace and harmony. Never again would this country need to worry about some villain rising up intending to wreak havoc and destruction.” He frowned a little. “I cannot guarantee protection from external threats, however.”

A tear rolled down Celestia’s cheek as she listened. The dam behind her eyes threatened to burst in a steady torrent of sorrow and grief. Deep down, she believed everything Solis was saying. Her son had proven his intellectual prowess by creating his tuning spell, so if he said he could protect Equestria by stealing ponies’ despair, she could only believe him.

But even if Solis was prepared for the sacrifices his plan would entail, Celestia was unsure whether she too was prepared for them. Following through with Solis’ plan would mean an eternity of loneliness for herself without another immortal to share it with; the resulting sorrow would be immeasurable. The idea that Solis might be willing to visit her every so often was a comforting thought, but it did little to ease her trepidations.

“... Is there nothing I can say to make you change your mind?” she asked, so small amount of hope in her voice.

Solis shook his head. “I am firmly committed to this, Mother,” he said.

“You need not be a harbinger of despair, my son,” Celestia said, still hopeful. “We can face whatever new evils rise together and overcome them all.”

Solis blinked. “... Would you be willing to repeatedly cast down your own subjects?”

Celestia stared blankly, unsure how to respond at first. “I-I…” She sighed. There truly was no hope, it seemed. “I suppose not.”

“Mother, I understand this is a lot to take at once, especially now that Aunt Luna is gone forever.” Solis cast a brief glance out the window, up at the moon, before turning back to Celestia with a wistful smile. “My plan would see to the permanent harmony of Equestria. All I need is a small portion of your magic, and I can grant the future of eternal peace and prosperity that you desire for Equestria.”

Celestia matched her son’s gaze, looking into his golden yellow eyes. She saw a genuine happiness reflecting from them, one she could not recall ever seeing from him before. The thought that her son might find true happiness in essentially abandoning her would have filled her with great despair once upon a time, after all the love and care she had given him for the past eight years.

But not anymore.

Solis, the one pony who had never found a Soul to call his own, now had a purpose. Without a Soul, how was any pony to discover their place in the great framework of destiny? They would have to choose their calling, which is exactly what Solis had done. And yet, he had done so with consideration not just for Celestia’s well-being, but for that of Equestria itself. The ultimate act of selflessness, carried out by her adopted son that she had nurtured and loved.

“... Very well.” Celestia’s lips lifted into her own smile. “I shall condone your plan, my son.”

Solis’ already large smile widened considerably. “Thank you, Mother.”

“Shall I transfer a little of my magic now?”

Solis nodded. “Please.”

Celestia lit her horn in her familiar comforting golden aura, forming a small shining sphere at the tip. Her face briefly contorted into a slight grimace, before she regained her smile and gently shot the sphere at Solis’ horn. Celestia’s magic traveled its length before spreading throughout his entire body, generating such a tremendous amount of pressure that his body almost collapsed under the strain.

Solis screwed his eyes shut as he did his best to bear the pressure. Celestia’s magic had to have been sufficiently strong in order to control the sun, he knew, but to actually experience it flowing through his body was a sensation beyond description. It truly was the power of the sun flowing through him, and he found himself amazed how easily Celestia was able to constantly keep it under control.

Finally, the magic began to settle down, allowing Solis to relax. There were still a few points along his body where the addition of Celestia’s magic to his own was causing small surges of power, making him wince a little with each one.

“Are you okay?” Celestia asked him.

Solis nodded, wincing again as he felt a surge in his wings, involuntarily causing them to flare out before he retracted them. “Yes, I am,” he replied. Another surge, this time in his leg, which forced him to kneel for a moment. “Such power…”

Celestia managed to suppress a giggle. “The surges will pass soon enough, once your body has acclimated to the magic.”

“How long might that take?” Solis asked.

“A couple of days.”

“Fair enough.”

A grimace crossed Celestia’s muzzle. “What now?” she asked.

“My plan is to take up residence in the Tartarus Caves,” Solis explained. He felt another surge in his leg, but he managed to shrug it off and continued. “It is for the best that I remain as far away from pony civilization as possible, while still being close enough so that I can help keep an eye on Equestria as it grows and evolves over time.”

Celestia nodded. “I understand.” She felt her eyes start to water up again, before using a wing to wipe them clean. She then felt Solis nuzzling her again, and she returned the gesture. “Words cannot express how much I will miss you.”

There was a moment of silence. Celestia kept her eyes closed, just relishing in what was soon to be among the last embraces she would share with Solis. She would give anything to not have to stop, to keep Solis by her side forever. But the very least she could do was enjoy the warmth of their bond as long as Solis was still with her.

“... Mother?”

“Yes, my son?”

The hesitance in Solis’ eyes gave Celestia a sinking feeling in her stomach. He was about to say something she was going to dread, she realized.

“Mother…” He sighed, before a hard stern crossed his features. “Perhaps it would be in your best interest to sever your bond with me as well.”

Celestia blinked. “What do you mean?”

“If you learn to stop loving me, the pain of losing me will be that much easier to bear.”

Celestia blinked again. It took her a moment to decipher the logic behind Solis’ reasoning. When she did, she felt every last bit of dread melt away, instead replaced by a very welcome sense of motherly superiority. In spite of all his wisdom and prestige, it seemed that a part of Solis’ inner child still exerted some control over his beliefs.

“Solis, my dear, irreplaceable son,” Celestia started, as she wrapped both her wings around Solis and rested her chin atop his head, “never could I stop loving you. Never until the end of time. Even after death, I will love you as though you were my own flesh and blood. To ask a mother to hate their own child is foolhardy. Impossible, even.” She nuzzled his head and smiled. “All parents love their children.”

Another bout of silence followed between them. Celestia relished in it, letting the quiet atmosphere sink in as she soaked in Solis’ warmth from her embrace. So happy with content, was she, that she wished such a spell existed that allowed one to capture the essence of a familial hug for later experience, similar to the flashback spell.

That happiness was cut abruptly short, however, by a sudden blow to her barrel, knocking the wind out of Celestia and causing her to fly backwards. She bounced once on the stone floor before landing against the far wall in a tangled heap. The suddenness of the blow left her mind reeling, unable to contextualize what had happened. All she could properly ascertain was that her stomach was hurting badly, and that her left wing was pinned between her back and the wall, adding more agony to the equation.

She let out a few wheezing coughs as she untangled herself before leaning against the wall. It dawned on her what had happened: Solis had bucked her. She looked to her son with confused, horrified eyes.

“Solis…?” 

The expression that greeted her was devoid of any warmth. Gone were her son’s caring, soft-spoken eyes, replaced by eyes that seemed to try to stab at her very being. Solis’ eyes were furrowed deeper than she had ever seen them before, while his mouth was set into a cold scowl akin to a wild animal protecting their young.

“Mother…” He trailed off. His severe expression softened a little, before settling into a determined gaze. “You must stop treating me like your child, Celestia. I am a full grown stallion. I make my own decisions, and I set out on this path with every intention of severing my bonds with you. I have no wish to hurt you or Equestria, which is why I demand that you do the same.” One side of his mouth then turned up into a wicked-looking smirk. “Unless, of course, you believe you are heartless enough that my abandoning you will bring no pain unto you.”

Celestia found herself at a complete loss for words. She was still shocked by Solis bucking her, but the added incredulity of her son’s complete attitude reversal was too much for her mind to properly fathom at first. Then it dawned on her: Solis had indeed severed his bonds with her. Enough so to present himself not as her son, but as an enemy. An enemy who cared nothing for her happiness or well-being. Somepony who wanted to be hated. He was trying to pressure her into severing her own bonds with him.

Celestia smiled. She got up and, after taking a moment to massage her wing, looked to Solis with an understanding smile. “The pain of losing you will be nigh unbearable for as long as we both should live.” She shook her head. “Yet I still refuse to abandon my love for you.”

Solis let out a disgruntled sigh as he rubbed his temples. “Mother, why must you torture yourself?” he asked. “I have shattered my love for you; you are no different from every other pony in Equestria in my eyes. Why do you cling to unreciprocated affection when it will bring you nothing but heartache and misery?”

Celestia giggled a little in response, taking a small amount of delight in Solis’ confused expression, before composing herself. In spite of everything Solis had learned, whether from books or experience, there were still many things he had yet to learn, and probably never would on his chosen path. Never would he learn what being a parent truly entails.

Nor being a sibling.

“As I already said, all parents love their children, even if they are not tied together by blood.” Celestia walked over and laid a wing over Solis’ withers, only to have it swatted away by him with a scowl. Unperturbed, Celestia continued. “I have already felt crushing pain the likes of which you will never feel. I…” She trailed off, her heart taking a stab. She quickly shrugged it off and continued. “As long as Luna remains banished, I will feel a crushing sadness in my heart every time I look to the moon and see my sister’s face outlined upon its surface.” Her gaze turned wistful. “Solis, I already have to bear the pain of losing somepony near and dear to me; bearing the pain of losing another, and by their own choice even, will hardly make a difference.”

Solis lifted a hoof and opened his mouth to reply, only to pause. After a moment in thought, he set his hoof back down. “I… suppose that makes sense,” he said, and gave her an understanding smile. “You are a strong mare, Celestia.”

Celestia nodded. “And you are a strong stallion, Solis.”

He shook his head. “No, I am no longer Solis.”

Celestia arched a brow, to which Solis opened his bag and levitated out his brown ceramic mask. Only its appearance had changed quite a bit, Celestia noticed. Whereas before the mask had no distinguishing features, the front was now painted, giving it a tribal look similar to the ones worn by the zebra tribes across the eastern ocean. One side of the mask had been painted red in a pattern vaguely resembling a wicked smirk, while the other side was black and shaped like a cold scowl. Truly, it was an unsettling pattern, and Celestia found herself briefly taken aback by its sinister quality.

“For the path I have chosen, I am essentially becoming an entirely new pony,” Solis explained. “Therefore, it is only fitting I change both my appearance and my name to better suit my new role as Equestria’s harbinger of despair.” He levitated the mask up and settled it against his face. “Henceforth, I am Prince Malefic.”

Celestia stared blankly for a few seconds, taken aback by Solis’ ‘transformation’, as it were. Eventually, she simply smiled and nodded her head. “As you wish,” she said.

Malefic nodded himself. “I plan to depart for the Tartarus Caves in two days’ time… You would wish to accompany me, I presume?”

Celestia leaned forward and wrapped her son in another embrace, one which he did not return, but he did not buck her again.

“‘Tis my duty as a parent to see you off.”





The surrounding landscape was the epitome of all things dreary and lifeless. Dull rock formations jutted from the ground every which way one could look, while an unsettling fog swirled around each and every one of them, giving the landscape a haunting atmosphere.

The entrance to the Tartarus Caves stood tall and ominous, its cavernous entrance topped with a plethora of sharp stalactites, making it look like a creature’s maw. Every so often, a light wind whistled through, resulting in a chilling howl that further added to the dark ambiance. Cerberus, the caves’ eternal guardian, stood at guard next to the entrance. Two of the heads slept soundly, while the third stood vigilant, ready to pounce any villain either coming in or out without royal consent. A small talk and a scratch behind the ears from Celestia was enough to placate the gigantic canine for the time being.

Celestia and Malefic stood together before the entrance, silently staring up at the cavern with neutral expressions, Malefic's own hidden behind his mask. In the few days since receiving a portion of Celestia’s magic, his body had fully adapted to its power. His tail and mane now bore the same ethereal quality as Celestia’s own, flowing in the same non-existent wind.

Finally, Celestia broke the silence. “It looks as daunting as ever.”

Malefic nodded. “Indeed.”

Another few moments of silence passed between them, neither one saying anything, just enjoying the hauntingly tranquil atmosphere around them. Eventually, Celestia wrapped a wing around Malefic's withers, pulling him against her. He smiled, and returned her embrace. Mother wanted one last hug before they parted ways, he knew; it would be unnecessarily cruel to deny her that much.

“I do plan on keeping an eye on Equestria’s growth as a nation over time,” he said, looking up into Celestia’s eyes. “It is not unreasonable to think that, perhaps, we will cross paths at some point in the future.”

Celestia stroked Malefic's backside, earning an irritated groan from him. Her resulting giggle was devoid of much of its usual playful warmth, the crushing sadness she was feeling shining through her tone. “I hope we do,” she replied with a nod. She moved her wing from Malefic's backside to his mane. The thought to ask him what he thought of his new mane and tail briefly crossed her mind, if only to forestall his departure into the caves by a few more minutes. But she needed to face reality; her son was a grown stallion now, fully capable of making his own choices. She had to trust that he would be okay on his chosen path, and be happy that he had, after so long without having one, finally found a purpose to devote his entire existence to, even if he still lacked a Soul to symbolize it.

Finally, Malefic broke the embrace, turning toward the entrance. “I should be off now.” He hoisted his saddlebag, wrapping it over his withers, and proceeded toward the entrance. He made it about ten steps before stopping. Turning to look back, he lifted his mask away from his face, allowing Celestia to see his small, genuine smile. “Mother... thank you for taking me under your wing."

"You are most welcome, my son,” Celestia replied, wiping a tear from her eye.

Malefic nodded, and turned back toward the entrance. "Goodbye Mother... forever."

And with that, he put his mask back on and continued onward. Celestia watched him go all the way until he had disappeared into the darkness of the cave, whereupon a sudden, shining light indicated he had cast an illumination spell to light his way. But even the light eventually faded as he proceeded further in still, eventually disappearing altogether.

For what might have been an hour or two, Celestia just stood where she was, unmoving, her gaze fixated on the darkness of the cave. In her mind, she was fully aware of what had happened. Malefic had left her and Equestria, setting off on his own with the intention to aid the harmony of Equestria by preventing its disruption in the future; she had no trouble accepting this reality.

But doubt had begun to seep into her mind. With both Malefic and Luna gone, she was the sole ruler of Equestria. Never once had she imagined such a reality would ever come to pass, nor had she ever wanted it to, both because she always wished to rule Equestria alongside Luna, and that the weight of ruling an entire nation by herself was a seemingly impossible task. And yet here she was, now forced to do exactly that.

For a brief, solitary moment, she felt an immense resentment toward Malefic for leaving Equestria to herself. But the feeling quickly passed, replaced by resolve. Resolve to do her best to continue her and her sister’s wish of turning Equestria into a land of everlasting peace and prosperity. With Malefic's plan in motion, she realized, that dream could now become a reality.

Finally, Celestia turned around, ready to return to Equestria. She stretched her wings and took off, using an illumination spell to see her way through the fog until she breached through. Soon enough, Equestria proper was within her sights.

She spent the entire trip back lost in thought about many things: how to break the news to Equestria’s populace that Luna and Solis were both gone; what steps she needed to take to ensure that mass pandemonium did not break out as a result, or that she would not be under threat of being usurped. She would have to think long and hard about what were the right steps to take henceforth to ensure her son's sacrifice would not be in vain.

But her son was at the forefront of her mind for the majority of her trip, which was only natural, she reasoned. She wondered many things about how he would fare living on his own, in what was considered the most uninhabitable place in Equestria. He had described details of his plan regarding food, water, and comfort, as well as his promise to keep a close eye on Tirek and inform her if he managed to escape his prison. She had no doubt that Malefic would be just fine on his own.

Her greatest worry was not that Malefic might be unable to contain all the despairs of ponykind; his alicorn magic was sufficient enough to prevent such a fate, she knew. Rather, she worried about how an eternity of self-imprisonment might harm Malefic's psyche. He was already quite anti-social before now; going forever without contact with other ponies, with only Cerberus and Tirek there to keep him company, was likely to turn him more jaded and bitter as time passed. She shuddered to think that, perhaps, at some distant point in the future when they might meet one another again, her cherished son would be replaced by a venomous cur flinging insults at everypony he saw.

She pushed the thought out of her mind as she approached Everfree Castle, coming in to land atop the highest roof. Seeing the damaged parts of the roof brought back unpleasant memories of her and Nightmare Moon’s battle, but she quickly pushed them aside as well, and began inspecting the damage. The castle’s structural integrity appeared to be intact, so a minor repair job to the damaged areas would be enough to make everything look brand new again.

But she would not have it repaired, for this was no longer her home. The first step of her new solo rule, she decided, would be to get closer to her subjects than she ever had been before, both physically and spiritually. Looking back, it was clear she should have built her and Luna’s home closer to their subjects from the start, rather than seclude themselves for the sole purpose of being close to the Tree of Harmony. The bond between them and their subjects was worth more than some arbitrary comfort of being next to the entity which created the Elements. To keep that bond between her and her subjects eternally nurtured, she needed to treat them less like subjects, and more like acquaintances.

… No, like friends.

All the same, Celestia was going to miss Everfree Castle. The artisans who constructed it did such a magnificent job, and she had made so many splendid memories during her time living there, that it was sad to have to abandon the place. She made a mental note to return later to teleport all of her valuables once her new home in Canterlot was constructed.

She stayed upon the roof for some time, blissfully lost in her happy memories. Finally, she took off and descended to the ground, right in front of the bridge leading across the ravine. Lighting her horn, she undid the knots securing the bridge to the two posts, letting it fall into the misty depths below. A distant clatter indicated it had hit the rocks on the other side. It was a torpid solution to keep ponies away from the castle, but it would help get the message across to keep away, at least.

Celestia then took off into the sky once again, bound for Canterlot. The mountain city looked placant from a distance, but she knew, somewhere within its majestic architecture, there was a crowd of anxious citizens bombarding her poor Guard with questions about where their missing princesses were. She needed to think up a convincing half-truth explaining why both Luna and Solis were gone. In spite of Luna’s utter betrayal of Equestria, never could Celestia let her sister’s name live in infamy forever. The same was true for her son, even if he might have preferred that such a fate befall his reputation in light of his plan. Celestia would see to it that they were both loved by Equestria from now until its eventual end, even if she alone knew the truth.

As she neared Canterlot, she spotted the crowd of anxious citizens in front of the magic research facility. On the front lawn, she saw a number of Day and Night guards blocking off entrance to the facility, Captains Tricolt and Nightcanter front and center. Celestia briefly wondered whether everypony in the crowd still thought that Solis was inside, if they were still gathered around in front. She would not put it past her son to make a stealthy exit so as not to draw the crowd toward Everfree Castle, and risk disturbing her as a result.

One of the citizens caught sight of her as he turned around, immediately drawing the rest of the crowd’s attention to Celestia as she swooped down low.

“Princess Celestia yet lives!”

“Huzzah!”

“All is well!”

Celestia ignored the crowd’s ecstatic chatter as she came to land in front of the guards, who immediately fell into their expected bows.

“You may rise,” she said, and they all complied. She turned to regard the ecstatic crowd with amused curiosity for a moment before turning to the two captains. “Is everything well, Tricolt? Nightcanter?”

The two of them nodded their affirmatives. “The crowd has been here for the past few days, your highness,” Tricolt explained. “They have feared you ill and on your deathbed, and the added uncertainty over the shadow upon the moon’s surface has done nothing to ease their concerns.”

Celestia nodded. “I imagine so.”

“What shall we do to placate them, your highness?” Nightcanter asked, a small frown crossing his muzzle as he turned to the crowd with a worried expression. “They are quite persistent.”

Celestia smiled. With a mighty flap of her wings, she launched into the air, while the crowd followed her flight with awed expressions. She made to aim for the tallest height of the research facility, but a ruling voice in her mind said that was unnecessary, She decided to follow it, instead perching atop one of the lower roofs before turning to face the crowd below with a warm smile.

“Citizens of Equestria! Thy princess of the day hath arrived!”

A thunderous cheer rose from the crowd while they furiously stomped their hooves to show their elation. Celestia’s heart sank knowing that the utter joy expressed by them was about to be crushed by what she was about to say.

“But it is Our–” she paused, realization taking root in her mind, “–my regret to inform everypony that a great tragedy has befallen Equestria.”

She heard a few resulting gasps and murmurs from the crowd. Here it came…

“My dear sister and son, Princess Luna and Prince Solis, respectively… are no longer with us. They are… gone.”

The reaction Celestia got was more or less what she expected. Initial confusion gave way to a growing understanding as every pony in the crowd discerned the hidden meaning behind Celestia’s words. Celestia made another mental note to make her guards swear secrecy surrounding the truth behind their disappearances. She would also need to swear Malefic's friends to secrecy, as well. She only hoped Ia and Soothing would understand and agree with her reasoning.

Once the crowd had settled down enough, she continued speaking.

“The pony responsible for their passing has been punished befitting their crime.” She gestured up to the moon. “From now until the end of time, the nefarious Nightmare Moon shall remain imprisoned within the moon, forced to an eternity of isolation where she can do no harm.” 

Soft cheers of praise rose from the crowd. Celestia kept her gaze upon the moon, and the dark shadow of her sister emblazoned upon it. She wondered if Nightmare Moon could hear everything she was saying.

Satisfied with Celestia’s explanation, most of the crowd now began to disperse. Those that stayed behind had their heads either downcast or were staring at some far off point in their minds’ eyes, likely mourning the loss of two of Equestria’s rulers. As much pain as they were feeling, however, Celestia knew hers surpassed all of theirs’ combined. If not now, then at some point in the future.

Her subjects would all live mortal lives. They would eat, sleep, laugh, cry, and sometimes argue with one another as they lived their lives moment by moment, eventually succumbing to death and passing away from this world. As time passed, and everypony currently living would die, future generations would hear stories of how Equestria was ruled by two princesses and one ascended prince. But because they had no attachment to Princess Luna or Prince Solis, they would feel no heartache knowing they had both ‘died’.

But Celestia was immortal, or as close as made no difference. Forever would she bear the pain of having to banish Luna after her own ignorance blinded her to her sister’s troubles. Every day, when she would look up at the moon to set it on its intended path, she would feel a sharp lance of pain in her heart in remembrance of Luna’s horrifying transformation into the monster that called itself Nightmare Moon. The additional pain of losing Malefic would make things worse still for her, but it would be lessened by the knowledge that, at the very least, her son had finally found his purpose. The pain would forever eat at her heart, but she knew she needed to overcome it.

For her little ponies’ sake.

Eventually, the rest of the crowd dispersed. Celestia hopped off the roof and flew down to land before her guards, who all looked quite relieved to finally have the crowd off their backs. “Thank you, your highness,” Tricolt said, bowing, to which the others followed suit.

Celestia nodded. “You are welcome.”

“What happens now?” Nightcanter asked, and every single guard looked to Celestia expectantly.

“Construction will begin of a new castle here in Canterlot,” she said immediately, her tone exceedingly firm. “Nothing else should change much, except…” She paused, casting Nightcanter a brief, sympathetic glance. “... Both the Day and Night Guard fall under my sole command.”

Nightcanter shifted uncomfortably in response. Celestia always wondered if he truly had ever gotten over his affection for her sister. If not, then his pain over losing Luna was quite possibly rivaled her own.

She smiled, and wrapped a wing over his withers before nuzzling him. Nightcanter’s body tensed in response, no doubt not expecting to receive such an intimate touch from his charge. He looked up into her eyes, and after a moment he visibly relaxed, smiling himself and nodding his thanks.

Celestia nodded in turn, and retracted her wing.

“Shall I contact some artisans to begin making preparations for the new palace?” Tricolt asked.

“Yes, please do,” Celestia answered. She turned to the rest of the guards. “You are all dismissed.”

While the rest of the guards dispersed, heading out to patrol the research facility, Tricolt made his way inside to draft some letters. He passed by Soothing, Ia, and Summer Scape in the entrance, who stopped to stare at Celestia. She returned their gaze, and for a long moment they all stared with neutral expressions, saying nothing. And yet, Celestia knew what was going on in all their minds spoke volumes more than any verbal words could ever hope to achieve.

Eventually, Celestia broke their gaze, settling down on the grass with her hooves folded, staring up at the sky, lost in her thoughts. Thoughts about how she would run the government by herself. How she would deal with the inevitable flood of angry foreign leaders over the extended night last week. But most of all, she thought about the future of Equestria, and whether it would grow and develop into the one she had always desired.

Only time would tell.



The End