"This is your 5th court hearing this month, you two" Celestia's voice echoed like thunder, cold and callus, as she stood atop her podium in Canterlot's royal court. Everypony who stood in her court for faults that were their own feared the possible wrath of the might sun princess. But today, it seemed that it was incredibly unlucky for anypony who's court hearing was today. Celestia's judgment on this day was without mercy, and her normally understanding nature seemed absent. "Perhaps I have been too lenient with you two in the past, and a harder punishment is required for you to see the error of your ways."
"Your highness, surely you could reconsider..." Flam began to plead from the table he stood at next to his brother and the lawyer that was appointed to them.
"After all, it was only a slight misunderstanding..." The other brother, Flim, finished the statement they both wished to make.
"Are you two trying to tell me how to pass judgment? In my own court?!" Celestia's eyes burned with appalled outrage now as she glared at the two yellow unicorns, her voice echoing through the halls.
Flim and Flam shook nervously as their posture sank slightly. Flam bravely spoke fist. "N-no your majesty! Never!"
"We would never be so bold as to-" Flim's words weakly escaped his lips, but he was cut off.
"Silence!" Celestia ordered them, her tolerance for them completely gone. "My judgment shall be passed now! For your repeated offenses that continue bring you back into my court, I have no choice but to sentence you to 5 years in the Iron Lock Maximum Security Prison, at the top of the Misty Mountains!" Before any pony could speak, Celestia slammed her gavel, sealing the fate of the two brothers.
As the two brothers tried to beg the sun princess for forgiveness, they were greeted by two pegasus guards who immediately placed magical restricting rings on their horns, and heavy chains on all of their hooves. The bothers pleaded to the guards and called for a retrial. But the guards wouldn't be swayed, and obeyed their princess's orders without question. As the guards carried the two trouble making unicorns away to be locked up in Equeatria's second greatest prison (second only to Tartarus), Luna found herself listening in on Celestia's court all day. But after that last trial, the princess of the moon thought it best to intervene.
As Luna stepped forward into the court, the other ponies attending had begun to bow. An announcer had called her presence to attention. "Her majesty, Princess Luna!"
This slightly shocked her sister who remained atop her podium. "Princess Lune" Princess Celestia addressed her sister with her proper title. "What brings you here? Court is still in session."
"Official, Royal business, your majesty, Princess Celestia" Luna returned the formal address, her face ever as serious and firm as ever. "We need to speak to you, in private, to address a crucial topic."
Celestia recognized the tone in her sister's voice, and realized that the princess of the moon was seriously troubled by something, and not just trying to help her older sister get out of her ever so boring duty of royal court. In the past, the two sisters would approach the court, declaring such an emergency before one another in order to slip away and unwind for a while. But this didn't appear to be the case this time.
"I understand, Princess Luna" Celestia replied, then addressed the entire court as she lifted her gavel in her golden magical aura, and hit it three times. "Court dismissed until further notice. All court dates will be pushed back until the matter is dealt with."
As the ponies began to file out, Princess Celestia teleported from her podium down to the ground just below and stood in front of a door that lead to a private meeting room at the end of a winding staircase. Both sisters walked through the door and began to ascend the staircase, leaving the court room behind. As they walked, Celestia wished to be briefed on the topic at hoof.
"I trust you didn't interrupt the Royal court for another game and cake time, dear sister" despite leaving the court room, Celestia's tone had not softened.
"I wish it were that, dearest sister of ours" Luna began to explain as they reached the top of the tower, where the secret meeting room was kept.
As the door shut behind the two sisters, Celestia turned and faced her sister. "What is it you have to discuss that is so important, sister?"
Releasing a heavy sigh, Luna turned and faced her sister. "Tia, you are our dearest sister, we've known each other for as long as as we can remember."
"Yes, that is true" Celestia commented as she walked over to a refrigerator that was located at the far end of the room. She opened the door and located one of her favorite drinks. Cherry hoof cola. She popped the top of the can and began to slowly sip the carbonated drink in an attempt to calm her nerves.
"Then please, listen to us, dear sister. We believe that becouse of what we have learned and have reported to you from the world of dreams that you've... Well..." Luna had never really had to lecture her older sister, and was struggling to find the right way to gently go about it. "Well sister, your decisions as of late are being heavily influenced by it."
Celestia spit her sofa out in a misty form of outrage, then turned to her sister. "What did you say, Luna?"
"Please, sister..." Luna's hard expression had melted away to make room for one of soft compassion, one that meant in no way any harm. "We know you are still stricken with grief at the news we had presented to you. But you cannot allow it to effect your Royal duties."
"You think I'm letting my grief influence my decision making?!" Celestia's aurora flowing like mane began to rise up and spike by her outrage.
"Sister please..." Luna's eyes began to slightly water as she recalled the dream she had witnessed. "I... I miss him as well... Sunny was one of the purest ponies we have ever known... think what he would say if he saw you like this..."
Luna then motioned to a mirror that hung on a wall not far from her and Celestia. As the elder sister gazed at her reflection and was taken back by her image. She saw a mare who appeared very hostile, conflicted, and very, very tired. As Celestia paused, took a breath and realized this, her heart broke again, remembering what had actually put her in this state. And for the second time today, she wept. Celestia fell on her haunches, her mane losing its edge and falling to the ground, almost motionless, as two steady screams of tears fell from her eyes. Luna approached her sister, and placed a hoof around her, tears falling from her eyes as well.
"We're sorry we told you, sister..." Luna spoke through her tears. "Perhaps it would have been better if you had never found out what happened 1000 years ago..."
"No...." Celestia told her sister, her voice sounding the weakest it had ever been, at least, the weakest since she had to seal away her own sister 1000 years ago. But back then, no pony ever saw the sun princess weep. "No, Luna... I... I'm glad you found out the truth..."
-1000 years ago in the Crystal Empire-
Celestia and Luna stood at the frozen boarder of the once great Crystal Empire, their eyes fell hard upon the image of a dark and dead setting that was once lush and full of life, a jewel of Equestria without a doubt. What had happened to the once prosperous Empire, no pony knew. Well, no pony outside the Empire, that was for sure.
All communication with the Crystal Empire has seised, and no pony could get in or out. Several messengers had previously been sent to the Empire, but were unable to enter the barrier surrounding it. This could only mean that the Empire was in a state of emergency. Knowing that, both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna armed themselves with their royal battle armor, rallied their finest troops, and left for the Crystal Empire. They expected the Empire to be under attack, possibly by some frost dragons or even the changeling army that had been plaguing Equestria for some time now. But as far as anypony could tell, there was no conflict, no attacking monster or army. Nothing outside the barrier. Which only lead the princesses to believe that the conflict was still going on inside the barrier. The battle mages went right to work, opening a pathway through the barrier, but with little to no progress.
Just as the mages were about to give up, the barrier wavered. Not long, just for a split second. As if it was put down then back up. The mages seized that brief moment and put up a small opening. It took all 11 of them focusing as hard as they could to just keep the opening from closing in.
"Hurry your highness!" Clover the Clever said as she and the other mages felt the barrier trying to force the opening they just made to close.
The two princesses rushed through the opening as fast as they could, just barley making it. But before anypony else could follow behind them, the Crystal Empire's barrier forced the opening to close right behind Luna. Celestia and Luna pressed their hooves against the magical bone like barrier behind them, but something was strengthening the barrier from the inside, something in the Crystal Empire itself.
"Keep going, princesses!" Their teacher and good friend, Star-Swirl the bearded, approached the barrier from the outside. "You need to reach the castle and let down the barrier! We'll keep working on this end to get in! Don't worry about us!"
Reluctantly, Celestia and Luna nodded and left the mages and members of the Royal guard to try and break through the barrier once more. The two regal sisters flew as fast as they could towards what must have been the Crystal Empire's castle. Looking at the structure before them, Celestia would have never guessed it was once the glimmering castle that the noble King Sombra ruled in. The castle was dark, ridged, and created an atmosphere of terror.
"Sister look!" Luna tore Celestia's attention away from the castle and redirected it to the city below!
Celestia was shocked to see all the crystal ponies had heavy locks and chains around their necks and hooves. Their once beautiful coats that shimmered like crystal had become dull and lifeless as they seemed to have been forced u to hard labor. Some were pulling carts full of crystals while other's excavated at a sight just at the base of the castle.
"Who could have done this? And why?" Celestia asked as she and her sister flew just above the wnslaved ponies.
"Only one way to find out, sister" Luna said as she motioned to the tallest tower of the castle. Celestia nodded and angled her wings, allowing her to gently glide over to the castle, her sister following close behind. Luna couldn't place it, but she had a bad feeling about the Empire now, and it wasn't just the Empire's dark new look or the ponies chained up below.
Celestia and Luna circled around tea tale at tower of the frightening castle until they found a balcony, then landed. Looking around, the two alicorn princesses felt they had landed in what used to be the throne room. The two sisters remained on guard as they ventured deeper into the poorly lit room, every step taken with extreme caution. Celestia lead while Luna covered their backs. As they reached the center of the throne room, Celestia's hoof hit something. She and her sister paused. Luna jumped in front, her eyes more used to the cover of darkness then her elder sister. Luna paused, shaken by what she had found.
"What is it Luna?" Celestia asked as it seemed her sister hesitated, then moved slowly to pick something up.
"Sister...." Luna turned around slowly and presented the object to the sun princess.
"What?!" Celestia then took the object in her hooves, wanting to save her magic for a possible sneak attack. It was a rounded object, made of wood and metal, and was a very close image of a pony's head. "It's.... It's one of Sunny's-"
"Look sister!" Luna cried out as purple and green flames sprung to life from the torch circling the room, brightening the entire throne room.
Celestia and Luna looked upon the room with great concern and confusion. The floor and walls, even though they took on a different form, appeared as though they had been damaged in an intense battle. Just as Celestia was piecing it all together, her gaze fell upon a sight that was more horrific to her then anypony else. Skewered to two of the room's pillars were two very familiar looking pony puppets, with black jagged crystals pinning then in place, one of them missing it's head. Celestia looked to the far end of the room and saw the third member of the pony puppet trio, which was in a worse condition that then the other two. It looked like it had been impaled by dark crystals, then the crystals grew and expanded within it, destroying the puppet from the inside out.
"Sunny was here...." Luna said flatly, her eyes darting all around the room, remaining vigilant.
"But where is he now?!" Celestia forced back the tears. "And where is Sombra? What happened to them?!"
"Oh Tia" a deep voice echoed through the room as a pair of glowing green and red eyes emerged from the darkest shadows at the rooms farthest end. "It's so sweet you worry about me.... But if I were you, I'd worry about yourself more."
"Sombra?" Celestia weakly called out as she tried to focus on the image hidden within the shadows.
"What is the meaning of this?" Luna spat out, sensing danger from the unicorn King. "Are you behind this madness?!"
"Madness?" Sombra repeated the last word Luna spoke. The purple and green flames doubled in size, allowing the two princesses to see the room fully. Sombra sat happily upon a shadow of his former thrown. "That's the word Sunny used to describe my Empire as well. It's not madness, no, far from it. I have been enlightened. Tell me, do you two know the darkest secret of the Crystal Empire? What it's been hiding within it's walls for all these years?"
"I don't care." Celestia spat at the shadow king as she took a step closer to him, her mane ripping with anger. "What. Did. You. Do. To. Sunny?!"
"Sunny?" Sombra played with the name. "Oh yes, my son. Well he didn't agree with what I was doing. So I had to discipline him."
Celestia's face cracked as her heart sank. Shock spread all across her being as his words echoed in her ears. Horrible images began to flood Celestia's mind, fueled by the horrible images of what had become of the crystal ponies. Luna, half as shaken as her sister but still hurt, stepped forward.
"You're a monster!" The princess of the night shouted, breaking her sister free from her trance.
"Oh, you have no idea" Sombra smiled revealing two rows of sharp teeth, as his own mane began to flicker like black flames. "And you two... Are next!"
Sombra's midnight black mane engulfed his entire body, leaving only his face free, as he lunged out at the sisters. Without hesitation, his black fire branched out, growing ten times its normal size as it became a wave of black fire! With one swift motion, the fire like shadow completely engulfed the two sisters as it spread through the entire throne room. Moments passed and all that could be seen as Sombra rose from the sea of shadow, that now filled half of the room, was simply a smoothed layer of his own black shadow like body. The mad King began to chuckle in victory, feeling as though now he was invincible, that not even the great Celestia and Luna of Equestria could stop him. The room remained engulfed in a sea of thick shadow as Sombra' began to separate his pony like body from that of the black mass that froze the princesses. He exposed his triumphant toothy grin as he thought to himself that Sunny out up more of a fight. But just as he felt victory and was now plotting his next move, possibly to not take on the annoying battle mages just outside his empire's boarder, a crack broke out in the darkness.
"What?!" Sombra hissed at the notion. "This can not be! I'm more powerful then-"
Before he could finish his speech, the darkness Sombra attempted to drown the princesses in cracked and exploded, a mystic light shinning through, releasing the two alicorn sisters. The two sisters glowed with the light of their magical auras that surrounded their bodies, they had cast a spell that multiplied their physical strength and endurance by essentially coating themselves with their own magical aura. Celestia glared at Sombra, who had doubled over, trying l get to his hooves, but couldn't quite get his footing right as he winced at the sister's bright lights.
"SOMBRA!!!" Celestia spoke in her Royal Canterlot voice. "JUDGMENT WILL NOW BE PASSED ON YOU!"
"FOR CRIMES AGAINST PONY KIND" It was Luna's turn to speak. "UNLAWFUL ENSLAVEMENT, HARSH TREATMENT OF YOUR FELLOW PONIES, AN ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW THE RULERS OF EQUESTRIA!!!"
"AS WELL AS ATTACKING YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD, AND A ROYAL MEMBER OF EQUEATRIA" Celestia added, tears flowing steadily
From her golden glowing eyes.
"WE HERE BY SENTENCE YOU TO THE ONLY PUNISHMENT SUITABLE FOR ONE WHO HAS FALLEN AS LOW AS YOURSELF!" Both of the sisters began to say simultaneously as they rose above the cracked sea of solidified shadow that poured from Sombra.
"WITH A HEART AS COLD AS ICE" the two sister continued as they charged there magic together, creating a magical orb of gold and royal blue. "AND A DESIRE TO CAST THE WORLD IN DARKNESS, WE SHALL TURN YOUR BODY TO SHADOW, AND TRAP YOU BENEATH THE ARCTIC, FOREVER!!!"
Before the shadow king could retaliate, the sister's magical orb fired at him, shattering the rest of his sea of shadows, rendering them to dust and ash. Once the light struck him, engulfing him and drowning him in the princess's light, his armor pealed away, along with his physical form! The shadow king watched as his hooves melted away into transparent darkness! He cried out in rage as he took one last glance at the two alicorn sisters. The last of the spell's power then shot the former king out of the tower and the empire itself, forcing him threw the barrier and I to the hard Arctic surroundings.
Sombra soared though the air until he reached the outskirts of the Empire where a great chasm opened in the ice. Try as he might, Sombra could not break free from the spell. But as he fell into the chasm, something in the sky caught his eye. The last thing he saw as he was dragged into the deep, deep chasm caused him to reveal a sharp toothy grin. But whatever was causing him joy quickly vanished as the walls of his Arctic prison closed, sealing him away.
Just as Celestia and Luna landed, the entire castle began to shake violently. The two sisters looked at each other then flew as fast as they could out of the room through the opened area of the balcony. Once outside and airborn, the sisters looked down and saw just what was going on. At the epicenter of the empire, just at the base of the castle, a black swirling vortex began to open. It was engulfing all of the empire!
"We have to leave, Sister!" Luna called to Celestia as she watched in horror as the castle, homes, and even the crystal ponies themselves began being scaled into the void.
"We can't just leave them!" Celestia called to her sister. "We have to do something!
"There's nothing we can do! Most of our magical energy hasn't recharged after our fight, sister. And if we don't get out soon, their fates will be ours."
Luna nudged her elder sister once more then flew back in the direction of their infiltration army.
Celestia took one last glance at the castle. She remembered how it looked before today. How Sombra was before today. And how Sunny Knight, possibly the brightest light of all, had gone out on this day...
-present day-
Celestia snapped back from her flash back, finding it both magical and frightening how she can recall events that took place over 1000 years ago as if they were just yesterday. She sighed as she walked over to a cookie jar. The cookies that the sun princess kept in her second bedroom were specially made by a royal baker, one who used medicinal herbs in their backing that also relaxed the pony who ate them. The sun princess kept a jar of the special cookies in both this room for such stressful times.
"Perhaps it would be wise if I were to... Take a small vacation..." Celestia hated to admit it, but knew it was better to face her limitations then to try and push them in such cases. Luna was right, and pressing in as she did would do her, not her subjects any good.
"We think that would be wise, sister" Luna admitted. "Perhaps one of the tropical islands just off the east coast?"
"Rest would be good...." Celestia sighed once more, feeling her heart sink further as she reached out for another cookie, knowing that there weren't enough cookies in the world to relieve her of her heart ache. There was no real remedy for a broken heart. Celestia had lost two ponies that day that were as close to her as her own sister. She would give anything to just see Sunny again...