Chapter Two: Awakening
Celestia awoke with a start. Panting, she got up and looked in the mirror at her bedside table.
Her normally glorious mane was smashed down, frizzy in places, and made her look like the laziest ruler Equestria has ever seen.
She sighed. When will I be free of this guilt? She asked herself inwardly.
It had been a thousand years since that fateful night on that wretched plain. She could still see it clearly. Her forces destroyed by malevolent entities, only to rise from their fear when her commander appeared.
She smiled to herself, thinking of the exhilaration she had when he arrived. Long since had Sunrise passed, but she could still hear his battle cry. Without him, and his loyal squadron of heavenly warriors, they may have lost that day.
But alas, the need for such battles was gone. Peace had reigned in Equestria for centuries. Celestia had rebuilt the doomed country into a thriving state. She had deserted her old city, the memories there threatened to tear her apart.
Now she lived in Canterlot, the greatest city Equestria had ever seen.
She sighed again.
Today is another Sun celebration. She thought. In remembrance of him.
She levitated her mane brush from the counter, and slowly coaxed her mane into its normal, flowing state.
She stepped outside her chambers into the hall beyond. Several guards bowed at her passing, as she trotted toward the door.
She exited her castle into the gardens outside. AS she entered, she felt a sense of peace. The gardens always calmed her.
She heard a loud call, and turned to see her mythical pet, Philomena, gliding to her.
“Ah Philomena, my pet.” She said, stroking her feathers. “Radiant as always.” The bird cooed at her statement, running her beak through Celestia’s mane. She stood there for awhile, stoking the phoenix, basking in her sunlight. It warmed her, calmed her, made her feel awake.
“Go play now my pet,” She said, sending the bird off.” I’ll visit you tonight.”
With that Celestia turned, and walked slowly toward the sculpture garden.
Several large statues, stood tall and proud, their masonry almost perfect.
She kept walking, searching for a certain one.
There you are. She thought.
A pony, rearing on its hind legs, holding a spear between both hooves, a flag tied to the end, stood where she looked.
She bent down to read the plaque on the stand in front of the statue.
“Through diligence and strength, we create peace.”
Victory.
She re-read the last word several times. She looked back to the statue.
“Without you, we would not be here today.” She said aloud.
They charged, all yelling, lances held in front, impaling any who got close. The Silent turned and fled from them. The Saddened howled and soared away.
But they weren’t here for them. They were here for the most frightening.
The Shattered beckoned them closer, eyes working their dreadful magic.
One by one, his crusaders fell, under the intense hate radiating from those eyes.
Sunrise looked on, not to be defeated. He shouted morale to his men.
“WE must defend all that we stand for!” he shouted. “The enemy we swore to defeat has finally arrived! To honor!” His crusaders whooped, and took to the sky.
Discarding his broken lance, he also took to the sky, replacing his saddle holder with a long curved blade.
They flew to meet the unstoppable onslaught, and stop it they did. One by one the Shattered fell, disappearing into craters in the ground.
The sky blackened, and the Shattered began to reform, slowly recreating themselves to enact vengeance.
“No…” he said aloud.
He reared in mid air, and plunged his sword into the clouds, breaking them apart.
His sword began to glow, heavenly light surrounding it until he was forced to look away. The sword burned in his grasp, until he began to scream with effort.
He turned and dove, gaining speed as he headed for the still standing Shattered.
The sword had a mind of its own, cutting deep into the leathery skin. The Shattered roared, a deep sound that made the bones in Sunrise’s body quake.
His crusaders yelled, empowered by their leader. Their bodies, aflame with otherworldly light, began to tear through the Shattered with stunning precision.'
Several crusaders fell to the Shattered, snatching them out of the air and breaking them.
The more crusaders fell, the more the living fought with greater ferocity.
They heard a scream, and as soon as it had started, it ceased.
The terrible battle was over.
Celestia awoke again, sweat on her brow. She jumped to her feet, to find she had fallen asleep next to the monument. She shook her head vigorously, trying to clear the vision from her mind. As glorious as it seemed, that battle was one of the most terrible in Equestrian history. She couldn’t even think about her ground armies’ state after the war.
“Princess?”
She jumped, and turned around, to see her royal advisor, taking a step back.
“Oh, it is only you. How may I assist you?” she asked, calmly.
“I don’t need help, your majesty, just came to deliver a message.” He held up a scroll in his magic.
“Oh thank you.”She said graciously, accepting the scroll with her magic.
The advisor bowed, and trotted away.
Hm..? It’s from Twilight. She thought.
Dear princess Celestia… yes well… something bad is going to..
She stopped, and screamed, dropping the paper like it was some sort of disgusting creature.
She can’t be right… it’s not possible… she thought, panicked.
Twilight just got ambitious and guessed, nothing more. She told herself.
She knew she was lying to herself, for she knew Twilight would never guess at something so important. Twilights chance of being wrong in calculations, chances were even slimmer.
Mustn’t scare her though. I’ll just send her a letter, telling her to go somewhere, away from danger… Ponyville! That place is safe, far away….. But I need an excuse….
What would Twilight believe? Celestia thought, wracking her brain for ideas.
She needs to study? No.”What better place to study than in Canterlot Royal Liberary?” she’d say.
What about…. A party? No, Twilight's never gone to a party in her whole life!
She paused. But that means…
A smile began to slowly come across Celestia.
She dashed to her chambers, barely getting to say “At ease,” to her guards.
She ran to her desk, and found a piece of parchment. She began to scrawl upon it, writing so fast that she spilled some ink on her white coat.
When she was finished, she teleported it to Spike, knowing that he would help her on this.
She must go make friends. Believe it or not, this excursion is going to help her a lot in life.
“Hello again….Sister..” a voice like ice said.
Celestia froze.
No…
“I see you’ve abandoned our glorious city. Shame, I thought at least there would be SOMETHING worth looking forward to. All well.” Nightmare said.
Celestia remained still, facing her mirror, watching the ice creep up it, covering the reflection of the Nightmare.
“However, at least…” Night started. “I can still end you.” She said, tone full of malice.
Celestia sighed. Standing and turning, she saw Night was directly in front of her, as menacing as she remembered. Sleek black combat armor covered Nights entire body, a tight fitting black helm atop her head. Her dark blue mane flowing in the wind.
“What have I ever done to wrong you sister?” Celestia asked in a mournful tone.
Nightmare laughed, chilling Celestia to the bone.
“You have never wronged me sister.” Nightmare spit, “But they have.” She pointed a spiked hoof out the window, towards the bustling city below.
“You are the only one who can protect them,” Nightmare whispered.” And without him, you are nothing.”
“Wrong.” Celestia said, quietly.
Her mane began to brighten, until it was ablaze with fire. Her eyes shot open, revealing white hot power surging beneath them.
Celestia began to rise. Higher, until she stopped near the top of her colossal bedchamber. Her horn began to flare, growing in power as the Nightmare watched.
The Nightmare took a step back, and then smiled.
She began to laugh, an ear-splitting cackle, which turned into a menacing shuddering belly laugh.
“You may be more powerful, Sister, but I have always been more resourceful.”
Nightmare melted into the shadows.
Celestia focused, tracking Nightmares heat , until it disappeared. She opened her eyes, to see a white Pegasus hovering near the ground, back towards Celestia.
She gasped.
Impossible…
She lost her focus, and fell to the earth.
She staggered to her feet.
“How can this be?” she asked herself.
Gleaming armour, massive white wings…
Celestia couldn’t believe her eyes. There he was, returned from beyond death.
She reached out, to see if he was some trick, a alluring mirage. When her hoof contacted skin, she jumped back.
The figure turned, revealing a muscular Pegasus, head to hoof in armor, gleaming with the greatness o the sun.
She gasped, a great smile breaking her lips.
“You have returned to me….” She said, out of breath.
Sunrise said nothing. He just stared at her.
She frowned. This was not the charming air cavalry commander she remembered.
Those eyes…
They were dead. Unseeing.
No… she gasped, stumbling back.
A loud laugh wracked the chamber.
“Even you will bow to me...” Nightmare said. “You would’ve done anything to get him back, but he is my slave now. All of his knowledge, all his strength, is for me to control.” She cackled again.
“If you don’t mind, I must destroy the sun, along with their hope. The night….will last…forever.”