//------------------------------// // The First of Two // Story: Guardians of Light: A Shadow Forms // by Alphadude007 //------------------------------// Guardians of Light: A Shadow Forms Chapter 36-The First of Two -Crystal Empire: 1,000 years before Nightmare Moon's return- The Crystal Palace loomed large in front of Princess Celestia, her magenta eyes turning up at the spires that rose high into the blue expanse above her, said expanse beginning to be shrouded by the crystalline white walls that were drawing nearer with every flap of her wings. Celestia's eyes dropped from the towering spires and began scanning the exterior of the palace, searching for an entrance. Almost immediately she spotted a golden balcony jutting out from the center of the building, purple draperies adorning the corners of the balcony's doorway. "Luna!" Celestia called back to her sister. "You see that balcony?" "How could I not?" Luna replied, her eyes narrowing determinedly at the curtained entryway. "So we are kicking in the front door, then?" "Like Shooting Star said earlier, there will be no guards to stop us. So why bother with stealth?" "It is not stealth I am concerned with, sister." Luna said, Celestia casting a glance back at her. "It is the element of surprise that we need. Going through the front door would only take away an advantage we could use against Sombra." "Have ye forgotten what lies around thy neck?" Celestia said passively, Luna's eyes zipping down to the Elements around her neck. "We do not need the element of surprise when we have the Elements of Harmony!" She exclaimed optimistically. This is either going to go very well or very badly. Luna thought forebodingly. "Fine." She conceded. "Now let's get going. We mustn't keep a king waiting." The royal sisters flapped their wings, drawing ever closer to the balcony entrance. As they neared the outcropping, both alicorns began slowing their flight speed, beginning a slight descent towards the floor of the balcony. Celestia's golden-plated hooves touched down on the balcony first, Luna's silver-plated ones soon following. They both held their breath as their gazes beheld the red-violet curtain that divided the balcony and the room beyond it. Luna's eyes narrowed determinedly as she took the first steps forward, nudging the curtain aside with her horn. As the lunar princess entered the room, her eyes were greeted with a strange sight. Matte-black walls surrounded the room, pearl white and onyx black tiles checkered the floor. In the center of the chamber was a single silver vambrace that lay on a short obsidian column. A soft beam of light shone on it from above, the metallic hoofpiece glinting in the light, beckoning Luna to approach it. "Celestia, do thee see this as well?" Luna asked uneasily, looking behind her to see if Celestia had followed her inside. To her surprise, the entrance to the balcony had disappeared, a flat black wall replacing it. Her gaze returned to the vambrace. She felt a strange alluring sense that came from the vambrace, her curiosity piquing at the object. Slowly, she began walking towards it, the silver pieces on her hooves clinking on the tiles as she approached the metallic piece of armor. Luna's heart pounded in her ears, her heart rate rising as she neared the vambrace. Time slowed around Luna as her gaze stayed glued to the armor piece. After what felt like hours, Luna was within inches of the vambrace. Luna's ears twitched at the voices that began swirling around her ears. Take hold of it, Luna. The voices whispered. Reach out and claim it. Luna tore her stare from the vambrace and looked down at her midnight blue hoof, wondering how it had risen up and was about to take the vambrace from the column. Lurching her hoof back, Luna looked down at the vambrace again. What kind of magic is this? She questioned, furrowing her eyebrows at the metal piece. Be not afraid, Princess. The voices returned. We are of the same mind as thee. "What art thou talking about?" Luna demanded. We wish for the night as much as thee, but we cannot bring about the night on our own. The voices whispered. We need you, Princess. Take it and bring about the night. Luna's eyes softened at the vambrace, a blue aura beginning to surround her horn. A similarly hued aura covered the vambrace, Luna's magic lifting it off the column and bringing it to her face. Luna stared at the vambrace. Luna found beauty in the piece's simplicity. There were no designs etched onto the metal, Luna's reflection staring back at her in the polished silver. Luna's eyebrow arched at seeing a several inches-wide rectangular hole in the far end of the armor piece. Tentatively raising a hoof below the vambrace, Luna lowered it until the bottom opening of the armor piece was hovering over the tip of her hoof. Do it! Luna slipped the vambrace onto her hoof. Suddenly the vambrace began to emit a green glow. What is it doing? Alarms began going off in Luna's mind as she stared cautiously at the glowing vambrace. As the glow began to crescendo, Luna's curious look became one of worry as her eyes were fixed on the vambrace. In an instant, Luna's vision went black. Celestia watched as Luna entered the curtained entrance, following her sister inside shortly after the lunar princess disappeared behind the curtain. Nudging the curtain aside with her horn, Celestia stepped into the room that lay behind the now removed barrier. The princess's eyes scanned the chamber she'd just entered, her vision greeted with impenetrable blackness. "Luna?" Celestia called out, trying to calm her tensing nerves. "I am here, sister." Celestia's ears flicked behind her head at hearing Luna's voice behind her. A sigh of relief exited Celestia's muzzle as she turned around. "Oh thank heavens. I was wondering-" She began to say, but her words stuck in her throat as her eyes fell upon a strange sight. The darkness over Celestia's eyes was now gone, a grand throne-room style chamber sprawled out before her. Jet-black tiles lined the floor, the white alicorn's reflection in them as clear as crystal. At the far end of the room was an obsidian throne that sat atop a small collection of stairs. Stone columns flanked the center of the room, rising high up to the wide archways that connected to the stone ceiling above, stringy draperies of green moss dangling from cracks between the stones. What is this place? Celestia wondered as she slowly walked across the tile. Her eyes travelled from her surroundings to the throne that sat proudly on top of the stairs. Celestia's eyes widened in shock at what she saw. On the throne sat Princess Luna, her visage emotionless as the two sisters' eyes met. "Luna, what art thou doing there? We need to find Sombra." Celestia was quick to remind. "No need to look any further, Princesss." Said a low voice behind her. Celestia slowly turned around to see a dark grey unicorn with a wild black mane and tail. On the unicorn's back was a red cape, white and black feathers adorning the hems. His horn was curved, its hue fading from storm grey to tinged red. But the feature that stood out the most to Celestia was his eyes. The whites glowed green while his irises burned red. A scowl crossed the sun goddess's features. "Sombra." "Welcome to the Crystal Empire, Princess Celestia. I do not believe that thou received a proper greeting upon thy arrival." Sombra said with a fanged grin. "Enough of thy words, tyrant!" Celestia exclaimed, her horn beginning to glow faint yellow. Sombra put a hoof to his chest. "Oh, Celestia. So willing to leap into action, are we?" He mocked. "Thy rule over the Crystal Empire is finished. Come, Luna." She said, gesturing with her head back at her sister on the throne. "Let us deal with this scum." Sombra uttered a low chuckle, Celestia's eyebrow rising at the king's reaction to her threats. "Thy sister belongs to me, now. If thee want to get to me, thou will have to go through her." Celestia's eyebrows rose. "Thou lie!" She exclaimed. "Luna would never fight me, especially to protect a tyrant like thyself." "Look at her again, Celestia." Sombra said, gesturing towards the throne with his head. Celestia turned to look at Luna, this time her appearance was different. Her once midnight blue fur was now as black as the night, her horn jutting out longer than before. Her ethereal mane flowed longer and thicker than it had before. Instead of their normal deep blue, they were now harsh teal, her pupils now slit. Celestia's breath escaped her as she beheld her sister's new form. "Luna?" Celestia asked, not wanting to believe the transformed being in front of her was her sister. "Yes, Celestia. It is I." Luna affirmed, her voice carrying a hint of madness, a fanged grin spreading across her face. Grinding her teeth, Celestia spun around. "What did thou do to her!?" She shouted at Sombra, only to find he had disappeared. She turned back to face her sister. "Like I said before, Princess Celestia, she is now mine." Sombra's voice said from overhead. "And also like I had said, thou will have to get through her to face me." Celestia's vicious look was soon replaced by one of horror as her gaze turned once more to Luna's. "Luna. I will not fight thee." Celestia said, taking a few steps back from the throne. A smile graced Luna's features. "I know, sister. Which is why I know this is going to be so easy for me." Menacingly, Luna stood from her seat on the throne and began descending the stairs toward Celestia. "Luna! This is not what thou art. Thou art not an agent of Sombra's! Thou art my sister!" Celestia exclaimed pleadingly. Luna shook her head, the smile still adorning her visage. "I am no agent of Sombra's, Celestia. Art thou really that oblivious?" "All the same, Luna. I will not fight thee." Celestia replied, trying to muster what courage she had. "I know, Celestia." Luna said, her horn beginning to glow a bright turquoise. "I know." Luna opened her eyes, the blackness had disappeared from her vision. To her surprise and confusion, she found herself in the throne room of the castle that she and Celestia shared in the Everfree Forest. Memories of past years flowed through Luna's mind as she recalled her adventures through the stone architecture around her. The days where Celestia would chase her through the hall of hooves, the traps that lay ready to strike hidden throughout the castle… these and more passed through the reminiscing princess's head. Luna's gaze soon landed on the pair of thrones that stood at the far end of the castle, one sun yellow and the other a cool blue, as soft moonlight pouring through the windows that flanked the chamber. Above the thrones were two massive draperies, each depicting the symbols of the respective princesses that would sit on the throne. Luna's eyebrows furrowed together at seeing the outline of an alicorn standing between the two thrones, silhouetted in the moonbeams. Celestia? Luna guessed as she took a step forward. A strange weight on her hoof tore her gaze from the alicorn to the metal vambrace that was still fastened to her hoof. Did it follow me into this place? Or did it take me here? Luna wondered as her focus shifted back to the alicorn between the thrones. After a few more steps, the alicorn figure spoke up, Luna recognizing the voice. "Come no closer, Luna." Luna stopped her advance and gave the figure a puzzled look. "Why not, Tia?" Celestia stepped out of the shadow, her regal eyes giving Luna a sharp glare. "What thee did at the Crystal Empire… it was nothing I had ever seen before." An uneasy smile flickered at the corner of Luna's mouth. "Um… thanks, Celestia." "No. I did not mean it as a compliment." Celestia said in a low tone. "The power I saw thee display during the fight…" "What art thou saying, Tia?" Luna asked, now starting to feel frightened. Celestia's eyes narrowed at her sister. "My nation needs a strong leader. One who can provide a beacon of hope for them in times of trial." Luna's eyebrows furrowed together. "Thy nation?" "My sun shall be that beacon." Celestia stated with a grin, her horn beginning to glow faint yellow. "Celestia? What art thou doing?" Luna cried, panic beginning to take root in her mind. "Thy power of the night is forfeit, Luna. Surrender it to me and I will allow thee to serve me." The aura around Celestia's horn was starting to brighten as she aimed her horn at Luna. "Tia, the night is mine and the day is thine. That's the way it's always been." Luna said in a confused tone. "Well no more, sister. Thou art too much of a threat to my power for me to keep thee in a co-ruling position. So this is thy last chance. Surrender the night to me or feel my power." Celestia growled. Command the blade, Luna! The voices shouted in her head. What blade? Luna asked, extending her wings in preparation for fleeing. Thee acquired it before arriving here. Will it to extend! The voices responded. Luna glanced at the gauntlet on her hoof, her thoughts now directed at the piece of metal. Suddenly, a metal blade no longer than a third of a meter long shot out from the vambrace's opening with a phshng! Celestia's focus from her magic changed as soon as she saw the blade spring out of the vambrace her sister was wearing. "I see thee came prepared. No matter. With my power, the sun as well as the moon shall soon be mine. Farewell, Luna. And think fondly of this day as the last one thou held power." With that, a golden bolt of magical energy shot from Celetia's horn towards Luna. With a mighty flap of her wings, Luna shot up towards the shadowy ceiling, the yellow bolt zipping underneath her and exploding against the wall Luna was in front of. Celestia looked up at the murky blackness of the ceiling, Luna having disappeared from sight. A chuckle escaped her muzzle. "Foolish sister. Why hide in the shadows when I have the power of light?" She exclaimed, firing a bright glowing orb from her horn towards the ceiling. The ceiling lit up with a bright white light, but to Celestia's surprise, Luna wasn't found to be hiding in the rafters. "Clever trick, Luna. Why don't thee simply stop hiding and we end this little game of hide and seek?" Celestia asked innocently. Luna looked down on Celestia, her back hooves balancing themselves on a windowsill above the pair of thrones. She hasn't turned around yet. Now's my chance! She thought, silently bringing the hoof blade up near her face. With a leap, Luna fell towards Celestia, determination burning in her eyes. Luna caught Celestia off guard and tackled her to the floor upon landing on her and held the hoof blade to the base of her sister's neck. "Here I am, sister." Celestia looked up at Luna with terrified eyes. "No! Luna, please! I'm sorry I attacked thee!" Luna's eyes softened as she looked into Celestia's. "Thee attacked me and tried to steal the power of the night from me. And thou simply wish to apologize? Do thee not know the gravity of what thou tried to do?" She shouted into Celestia's face. Celestia squeezed her eyes shut at Luna's shout. "I'm sorry, sister. I let my jealousy get the better of me and I'm sorry." She pleaded. Luna eased her pressing of the blade to Celestia's neck. "I do no know why thy chose to try to overthrow me at this moment, but should thee try again." She said, lifting her blade to Celestia's eye. "I will not hesitate." Celestia bobbed her head in agreement. "Good." Luna got off Celestia and began to turn away from her. Hearing Celestia rising to her hooves behind her, Luna turned her head to see her sister. Luna's eyes widened as Celestia aimed her horn at her once again, an intense yellow glow beginning to form around it. Before Celestia's horn could fire the shot, Luna shot towards Celetia, her hoof blade arm coiled and ready to strike. Just as Celestia was about to fire, Luna got within striking distance. Luna thrust her hoof towards Celestia, the sun goddess's eyes widening in shock. Luna glared at Celestia as she watched her sister slowly look down at her, the hoof blade firmly planted in her chest. A trickle of blood flowed from outside the blade, Luna watching the crimson trickle travel down Celestia's chest, onto her hoof, and to the floor. Luna's eyes widened in shock as she looked back up into Celestia's dying eyes. "I'm sorry." Celestia whispered. The princess of the sun dropped to her knees, Luna's blade still lodged within her. Luna's breath escaped her as she watched her sister collapse to the ground. Luna's eyes stayed focused on Celestia's even after the light had left them. Celestia dodged the blue bolt of magic, a few of her wing feathers getting singed as she barely missed it. "Luna! Stop! I'm thy sister!" She cried as she dodged yet another magical shot. She can't keep this up forever. She thought, despite already having some bruises and scrapes dotting her tired body. "I know, Celestia. Thou have had power for too long!" Luna exclaimed, firing off another shot that Celestia maneuvered around. "For too long I have been in thy shadow. Now it is my time." Luna spread her wings and shot towards her sister. Celestia was too late to move around Luna's assault as she was tackled and pinned underneath Luna's hooves. Celestia looked up in horror at the glow Luna's horn was beginning to form. "Luna, no!" Luna ignored Celestia's pleas, a triumphant smile growing on her face. "Goodbye, Celestia." "Princess!" A voice shouted from above her. What? Who is that? Celestia looked past Luna at the ceiling, looking for the source of the voice. "Princess! Wake up!" The voice called again. With a burst of light, the transformed Luna and the chamber vanished into whiteness. Celestia's blinked a few times, the chamber she was once in becoming a memory. Did she just exit a dream realm? Or maybe a vision? The sun goddess couldn't tell as her magenta eyes scanned the environment. The ice on the ground and mountains that rose and fell around her were all tinged with a bright green hue. Celestia looked behind her to see the skyline of the Crystal Empire in the distance. The solar princess tried to stand but was halted by a curved surface. Looking up in confusion, Celestia saw that she was in some sort of bubble that was being levitated in the air. "Princess!" The voice shouted a third time. This time, Celestia could tell where the voice had come from. She looked up to the orange-tinged sky to see a familiar pegasus shouting at her from above. Shooting Star? Celestia wondered. "Silence, pegasus fool!" Sombra's harsh voice sounded, Celestia feeling the bubble she was encased in touch the ground as the tyrant turned to face Shooting. "If thee shall not be quiet, then I will silence thee myself!" A green blast of magic erupted from Sombra's horn. Shooting quickly flapped her wings and ascended into the sky, the magical shot missing the bottoms of her hooves by a few inches. He's distracted. Celestia thought, glancing at Sombra. I can break out of this prison and get Luna and- wait. Where's Luna? Celestia's eyes darted from side to side looking for her sister. It wasn't long before Celestia's eyes settled on a similarly hued bubble that she was encased in. The figure of a prone Luna lay inside it. There she is! Now if I could just find a way out of this thing. Aiming her horn at the bubble, Celestia thrust it at the surface. Celestia grunted at the lack of success she attained from her attempt. Her horn began to glow yellow as she charged a magic spell to shatter the bubble. Sombra turned from the annoying pegasus and saw Celestia attempting to escape. "I think not, Princess." He growled as he aimed his curved horn at Celestia's bubble, a bright green aura beginning to surround it. "Stay away from her, Sombra!" Shooting shouted, swan diving through the air towards the unicorn. Angling herself with her back legs forward, Shooting rocketed towards Sombra's head. The crack of Sombra's jaw disconnecting was audible from Celestia's position, the shout of pain even more so afterwards. Celestia looked up from her attempts to see Sombra clutching his lopsided jaw with his hooves, trying to force it back into its original position. And there's the time I need. Celestia thought, starting her attempts anew. None of her magic was working… but maybe… Celestia channeled the power of the Elements around her neck, a tri-colored stream of light flowing towards the tip of her horn. As soon as the stream of Elemental magic reached her horn, she let loose a blast of tri-colored magic at the bubble. To her satisfaction, the bubble cracked at where the magic struck. The crack spread all around the perimeter of the bubble until it they covered the entire bubble. With a kick of Celestia's front hooves, the green shell shattered into pieces as she broke free. "Gah!" Sombra cried out in anger and pain, his hooves pressing his jaw back into alignment with a crick. He then turned his red eyed gaze to Celestia. "If thou thought that hurt, just thee wait for this!" Shooting yelled confidently, dive bombing Sombra again. This time though, Sombra was ready. Just as Shooting's hoof got within range, he swiped it aside with his hoof and thrust the other into the side of her face as she passed by. "Gah!" Shooting cried as the pegasus fell to the ground, a massive bruise already forming on the side of her face. With a grunt, Shooting steadily rose from the ice, rubbing a hoof to her mouth and saw a streak of blood on her hoof. "I never realized that for such a powerful king that thou wouldst hit like a filly." Sombra shot Shooting a vicious look before turning to see Celestia use her Elemental magic on Luna's bubble as well. "NO!" He shouted, aiming his horn at Celestia. Charging up a bolt of magic, he fired at the princess. To his shock and horror, Sombra saw a dark blue shield of energy deflect the green bolt into the ice at his hooves. Celestia looked down in surprise at Luna, who she expected to be in the same sleeping state as she was. Luna's determined gaze looked past Celestia's and at a worried-looking Sombra. "Sister, how art thou awake?" Celestia asked. Rising to her hooves, Luna spoke without taking her eyes off the tyrant. "Explanations will come later, Celestia. For now, we have a king to depose." Luna uttered. A smile spread across Sombra's face. "Ha! The Crystal Empire is mine. It is impossible for thee to obtain it." "All the same." Celestia said authoritatively. "Thy rule ends here." Both sisters focused their magic on the Elements around their necks, their tricolor beams rising up to their horns. Sombra's smile disappeared as he watched the Elements of Harmony begin to be used. He said I would defeat them. That my power was more than a match for them. Sombra thought in disbelief as the royal sisters rose into the air, the power of the Elements consuming them. Sombra gritted his teeth. Damn that alicorn to Tartarus! As Celestia and Luna touched their horns together, a bright light in the formation of the rainbow shot towards Sombra, striking him in the chest immediately. Sombra looked down and saw his solid form turning into a shadowy cloud before his eyes. Letting out an angry and terrified scream, he watched as only his head remained solid. A massive crack in the ice formed as Sombra was picked up into the air by the Elements. Sombra looked down in horror as the crack in the ice opened up like a large cold maw. Getting one the last look of the world he would have for a thousand years, Sombra let out one final cry of anger as he was thrust into the ice. Just as soon as the crevasse had appeared, it vanished as the ice closed over Sombra. Celestia and Luna slowly descended towards the ground, their eyes fixed on the spot in the ice Sombra had disappeared into. One shall be banished into the world. Luna recalled the words of the grey alicorn. One shall be banished from this world.