//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 // Story: Darkness of the Eclipse // by Silverstream233 //------------------------------// "Are you sure you're ready for this?" Princess Cadence stood beside her as they stared out at Ponyville. "I have to do this," Luna replied simply. "The Queen is willing to give me three chances, so that means three duels. I have to win more." The mane six stood a little way behind her, staring at her worriedly. The CMC glanced at her and smiled, giving her nods of comfort. "Me and Shining Armor will create a shield over Ponyville and there will be guards outside and inside. You won't need to worry," Princess Cadence reassures me. We walk together through the town. Ponies peeked out nervously from their homes. Most of them had boarded up their windows in fear of the threat outside. Once they reached the outskirts of town, Shining Armor was waiting for them. He and his wife gave me a solemn nod and summoned their magic to create the shield around Ponyville with Luna on the outside. The mane six threw an anxious look at me, as though they were unsure whether to let me face the danger alone. "Go," I told them. "She is coming." "Alright, but good luck, princess" Twilight called as the shield closed them inside. Luna glanced back up at the sky, and she could see a dark giant cloud of smoke coming from Canterlot. She didn't flinch as the smoke shifted into the queen's shape. "I was just curious...but is your name really Eclipse? I have never heard of a name like that," Luna asked. "Of course you haven't! I was banished moons before you were born. I suppose your sister said nothing about me?" the queen sneered. "What would she know about you?" She asked, startled. "Perhaps I'll tell you after you beg me not to banish you back to your little vacation spot on the moon," She snapped back. "I will first stop this winter storm so it may be easier for us and there will be moonlight as well." She used her magic to shift the moon back into the sky and set the sun. "How did you lower the sun?" She gasped. "Do you think I captured your sister for no reason?" She sneered back. Luna flattened her ears. "What have you done with my sister?" She demanded. Her horn began to glow. "I simply borrowed some of her powers. Nothing really," She grinned evily. "It's simple revenge "What grudge do you have with my sister? I haven't even heard of you before," Luna said quietly. "Of course you haven't! I was banished moons before you were born. I suppose your sister said nothing about me?" the queen sneered.. "Perhaps I'll tell you everything after you beg me not to banish you back to your little vacation spot on the moon," She snapped back. " Luna flung open her wings and her horn glowed bright blue at the threat. "Perhaps it's your turn to take another vacation," she snapped. She shot a lightning shaped flash of magic from her horn. The queen fought back, her magic glowed an eerie dark red and their attacks collided with one another with a powerful clash. The red magic was pushing back the blue one steadily. Finally, Luna teleported herself a few feet away. The queen's magic hit the magical shield behind them and it flickered for a second. "Go my little friends! You have fun!" The queen flicked out one hoof and large shadow shaped creatures ran past her and smacked themselves against the shield making in flicker again. "Enough! Your battle is with me!" Luna exclaimed. "It is. But my friends are not me," The queen cackled back, shooting out dark vines of smoke at her. Luna flew into the air and used her magic to summoned some starlight towards her. The tiny sparkles of stars surrounded her briefly, then it turned jagged and she aimed them at the queen. Some of the them sliced her wings, making her yell out in fury. "It doesn't have to be this way, Luna," She whispered. "Come join me and we can rule Equestria together as night princesses. That way, we are both equal." "Do you take me as a fool? I would never join you. I don't even know you!" Luna spat. She launched herself forward and slammed into her opponent. "Don't you want to know more about me? It's a shame your dear sister never even told you," the queen twisted and shot the princess down onto the ground. Luna shook herself off and glared up at the queen. "You can't trick me with your lies," She replied, but her voice was uncertain. "I will never join you, Queen Eclipse." "Stop calling me that!" The queen yelled, making Luna cringe. "I only chose that name so I would seem superior. My real name is Asteria. If you wish to know more, I rather you have your precious sister to tell you." Smoke wrapped around Luna tugging at her wings and legs. "Come with me Luna...I can tell you so much more. I can tell you all those secrets your sister kept from you. Why do you think she let herself be captured? She was trying to protect you, but instead she left you to fend for yourself. Poor Luna can't fight without Celestia by her side," She crooned. "Silence! She was only-" Luna broke off as she took in Asteria's words carefully. "I can fight without my sister," She snapped. "Really? Then why don't you make yourself the only ruler? Why do you need your sister by your side during battles if you can fight for yourself?" Asteria paced around her. Luna struggled against the vines angrily. "It is our duty to protect Equestria. We work together to maintain the day and night," She burst free in a flash of blue light. She pushed her magic to the fullest, making it expand outwards, and shot out a huge cannon of magic towards Asteria. She pushed back with equal force. "Don't you want to know why I was banished?" She tempted. "I-" Luna couldn't finish her phrase as the connection between their magic snapped, throwing them both back just as the shield protecting Ponyville shattered. The night creatures rushed through, eager to terrorize the ponies inside. Twilight and a couple of other unicorns were fighting back easily. "You must have come around before I was born, otherwise I would have known of you sooner," Luna replied, glancing worriedly back. "Fine! If you insist on being ignorant, I can defeat you during our first battle," Asteria's eyes began to glow white, and she blasted herself into the air. "I can simply get my revenge on Celestia by hurting the pony she cares for the most," She lifted some nearby rocks and shaped them into spears before hurling them at Luna. Quickly, the princess flew and dodged, but winced as a spear grazed her wing. "Asteria, I can sense bitterness in your heart. I know how you feel. Whatever grudge you have against my sister, revenge is not the answer. I too was bitter and foolish enough to let my selfishness take over me and I paid the price by being trapped on the moon. And now the miasma has taken over you as well," Luna told her. "If you truly know how I feel, you should never have changed your ways! Unlike you, the only way I can redeem myself is revenge! Your sister ruined me! And when I tried to take back what she stole, she banished me! Your parents helped! Banishing their own daughter! How pathetic!" Her eyes glowed red. Luna flinched, not in fear, but at the strength of her rage. "What do mean?" Luna began, but she broke off as a ray of red shot towards her, forcing her to jump to one side. "Are you going to talk or fight?" Asteria demanded, sending spears of rocks towards the princess again. This time, Luna created a shield around herself and flew at her, pushing Asteria into a rock. "I can feel the bitterness in your heart, little Luna. Let go of your pain. Do you really think the ponies will trust you a hundred percent after you nearly destroyed their home?" Asteria got to her feet and padded towards her with a grim look in her eyes. Luna's shield faltered and faded all together as she realized the truth in her words. As far as she saw, the cutie mark crusaders and Twilight and her friends were the only ponies who trusted her. She recalled the disbelief in every pony's eyes as she revealed how she left her sister and the stranger pony, Black Ember who had tried to turn them against her. A wave of despair clouded her thoughts and her ears drooped and eyes closed. She could hardly see Asteria advancing on her menacingly. "Luna! Snap out of it!" She could hear a faded voice shouting at her and grew louder. "Stay out of this!" Asteria roared, jolting her back into the presence. She opened her eyes to see Twilight charging angrily at Asteria. "Twilight! Stop!" Luna cried as Twilight tackled the dark blue alicorn. Her horn lit up and she dragged the purple alicorn off the evil alicorn, but not before she managed to rip off the cape covering her flank, revealing her cutie mark as the alicorn amulet.