"Y-your cutie mark is the alicorn amulet?"Twilight gasped. "But how?"
"I was the one to create it, that's how! The day I was banished, my spirit form went into the amulet instead of being sent to the dark side of moon. I managed to avoid being sent away by one of the most powerful alicorns in Equestria! The parents of Celestia and Luna. The way the alicorn amulet corrupts is also my doing. Didn't you feel me when you placed on the necklace, Trixie?" Asteria turned to head to glare at the light blue unicorn who shrunk back under her gaze.
"I felt as if I was being taken over..." Trixie began, but trailed off.
"If only Luna had placed it on the day she received it! Then I would have used her to finish off Celestia on the day her powers was at its lowest. But instead, the eclipse was enough to bring me back!" She grinned wickedly. She glanced back down in Luna who was crouching on the ground, her eyes filled with shock. She got back up and glared at Asteria as she walked towards her.
"Twilight, head back to Ponyville and defend it. I'm not finished with her," Luna flicked out her wings and narrowed her eyes. Twilight and Trixie hurried back, glancing over their shoulders a couple of times. The shadow creatures leapt towards them, but the two unicorns quickly blasted them with her magic. Asteria turned on Luna unexpectedly, surrounded the princess of the night with black crystals, trapping her inside. Luna blasted herself free and shot a blue ray towards the dark alicorn. Asteria took flight and chased her, her huge shadow following her. The monstrous shadow grabbed hold of one of Luna's legs and tossed her into a small cliff and she tumbled onto the ground. Luna shook the dust off her wings and was ready to take off again when a rumbling noises sounded above her. She glanced up and her eyes widened as she saw huge rocks tumbling off the side of the cliff. She kicked herself off the ground, her body still shaken from the impact when she had fallen as the struggled to avoid the rocks. Then a particularly large rock fell and it smashed one her wings to the ground, dragging her along with it. She let out a cry of pain as she felt the rock's weight on her wing. A shadow fell over her and she could only look weakly up.
"I think I already know the result of our first battle. Better luck next time, little Luna," Asteria's face peered down at her. Luna tried to summon her magic, but her horn only glowed faintly. Asteria took off and a black shape from the cliffside took off as well following her, but Luna was too exhausted to see who it was.
"Luna!" A faint voice above her called out. She could barely make out the blurred shape of Twilight and her friends. The last thing she felt was the weight of the rock lifting off her wings.
. . .
"Luna,are you ok?" A desperate voice drifted into her sleep. Luna blinked opened her eyes. She could feel a soft blanket upon her flank and one of her wings felt warmer than the other.
"Thank goodness you're awake, Princess! We were all so worried," Fluttershy said quietly as Luna sat up slowly. Trixie was there too but her eyes were closed and concentrated and her horn glowed pale blue. Twilight's other friends were sitting in her room too as well as the cutie mark crusaders and Zecora the zebra.
"Trixie has learned healing magic all those moons she was away from Ponyville," Rarity explained. Luna blinked at her injured wing that was encased in a warm blue glow.
"Those who know this magic is quite rare for those who envy them find it unfair," Zecora said, her phrases in riddles as always.
"It may take a while for your wing to heal fully, princess. My magic can only do a little at a time, and I've never healed alicorn wings before," Trixie said quietly. Luna did not respond. She was staring out at the eclipsed sky and the snow who was growing harder, her ears flattened against her head.
"Um, I think we should let the princess rest for a bit." Applejack backed out from her room. The rest of them followed her.
"Trixie, you can stay and finish the healing...I think the princess needs some comforting," Twilight tells her.
"Me? Comfort? What can I do?" Trixie exclaimed. "This is my first time meeting the princess and-
Twilight sighed, cutting in. "You should know how she feels after trying to fight me twice and how we are willing to give you a third chance. Good night, Trixie, Luna....if it even is night." She slipped out from the room and closed the door behind her.
"Look Luna...it was your first time, its not perfect for anypony," Trixie took a step towards the princess.
"I know that! But the fate of Equestria rested on this battle!" Luna whipped around, her eyes hard.
"Luna...princess..you have two more battles left. And-" Trixie trailed off as Luna turned her back again. "By the way, the pegasi have cleared out most of the storm clouds so the storm is stopping a little,"Trixie said, trying to change the subject.
"Leave," Luna said quietly. Trixie lowered her head and slipped out from the room. Luna stood up and got off the bed and wrapped herself in a cloak. She waited until Trixie's footsteps had faded down the hall before she used the little strength she had to teleport herself out from the castle and to the edge of Everfree Forest. She glanced once behind her and walked into it.
Meanwhile...in the Canterlot dungeons....
Asteria stalked down the stairs towards the cells and stopped in front of one holding a white alicorn, her hair no longer flowing. She looked up and glared at her through the bars.
"Where's Luna?" She demanded, glancing behind the dark alicorn.
"She isn't with me," Asteria replied. "But, she does put up a pretty good battle...if only she were stronger," She snickered.
"Battle? What are you talking about?" Celestia asked softly.
"Your little sister challenged me to a duel. There will be three fights total, since I decided to go easy on her, but she has already lost the first battle," Asteria flicked out her wings and grinned.
"Leave her out of this!" Celestia exclaimed, getting up and pressing herself close to the bars. "Your battle is with me!"
"Oh, Celestia. I can't help it. It was Luna who wanted to fight me. And she will fail. I'd probably hurt her enough to scare her from the battle." Asteria pushed Celestia against the wall with her magic.
"What'd you do with her?!" Celestia demanded.
"She brought it upon herself...anyways while battling a rock just so unfortunately broke her wing," Asteria sneered. Celestia flattened her ears and stared out the tiny window of her cell, letting tears fall down her face.
"Next time, she should be more prepared instead of battling alone. I had a little friend to help me." She turned and left the dungeon, leaving Celestia to cry alone. Asteria seated herself on the throne with her dark smoke creatures around her. The guards left in the castle were under her spell and she would use them to take over Equestria.
"Black Ember, my faithful little friend. You've done well. Does Ponyville know what you've done?" Asteria summoned the gray unicorn towards her.
"Not yet, mistress...but they will find out soon. They never trusted me." He replies.
"Go back there and stay as long as you can to find information," Asteria ordered. Black Ember bows his head and leaves the room.