//------------------------------// // Chapter 24 // Story: Darkness of the Eclipse // by Silverstream233 //------------------------------// Published 1647 Words Publish Changes Cancel Chapter 24 The glow from the necklaces had stopped all fighting and turned everypony's attention to Luna and Celestia. A bright rainbow of yellow and blue shot out and aimed directly at Asteria. She turned to fly away, but the rainbow surrounded her. She let out a yell of rage before disappearing behind it. The alicorn amulet shot out and broke in half. The rainbow spun faster and faster around Asteria until it disappeared, leaving the alicorn lying on the ground. Luna and Celestia slowly lowered themselves to the ground, the light from their necklaces faded away and they slowly walked towards their older sister. She glared up defiantly at them, but was too weak now to use her magic. Her mane had stopped flowing after the alicorn amulet had snapped. "Her cutie mark! Look!" one of the pegasus in the sky pointed. Luna blinked in shock as she realized that Asteria's alicorn amulet cutie mark had vanished and had been replaced with a different one, a bright yellow star surrounded by purple smoke. The smoke was so familiar that it puzzled Luna even further. "How is that possible? A pony with a changed cutie mark?" Twilight sounded puzzled. "It's like her destiny has been...shattered," Trixie muttered, nudging the pieces of the broken alicorn amulet. "What are you waiting for? Do your worse!" Asteria snapped, her eyes flaring. "What more can we do? You are already defeated," Luna stated. Asteria narrowed her eyes. "You see! This is your problem! Both of you are soft! Too soft to actual defeat enemies! You banish them! You turn them to stone! But they always return!" "Listen here, Asteria. We have defeated you...your magic is gone. What more do you want us to do to you?" Princess Celestia sounded shock as she realized where this was going. "Remember that little spell I used on you? To take away your magic? Take your revenge. My magic is not gone! Its weak, but it will return," Asteria snapped. "That spell is forbidden," Celestia replied calmly. She summoned one of the guards over and they handed over a round metal disk. The unicorn guard placed it on Asteria as well as tight ropes around her wings. "Lock her in the dungeons. Luna, Twilight, Cadence and I will decide her fate," Celestia began walking towards her castle. Luna trailed behind, clearly exhausted from the fighting, but tried to keep on her hooves and made sure no pony noticed her swaying. "Choose wisely! You should get rid of me all together to ensure I will never return!" Asteria called after her as several guards dragged her away. "Are you sure you shouldn't make sure she's secured?" Twilight walked up to Celestia's side. "The metal disk I placed on her horn prevents her from using any magic. It's whats used on unicorns who have been jailed. The ropes are are especially for pegasi who were jailed and they will be double knotted," Celestia told her calmly. She turned back to her sister. "Luna, are you alright?" Her eyes narrowed in concern. "Fine," Luna said, forcing her voice to not shake. They entered the castle and into the dining room where they all sat. The rest of Twilight's friends remained outside. "So, what are we going to do? Isn't the best thing to do is to banish her again?" Cadence suggested. "It's like she said...if we banish her, then there is no guarantee she won't return again. And without the elements of harmony, the banishing spell won't be as strong," Luna added. "But you-" Twilight began, but she quickly stopped, knowing Luna hated talking about her banishment. "I made sure she would be able to return to me, Twilight," Celestia said, already knowing what she would ask. And it would be quite difficult to banish yet another of my sisters regardless of her crime," "Perhaps we should send her to Tartarus. It is very well guarded. I don't think it's likely that Cerberus would leave his post again," Luna said, putting a hoof on the table. "Or perhaps there is a way to give her a chance to redeem herself," Celestia murmured, not meeting Luna's eye. Luna narrowed her eyes slightly. "If you'll excuse us for a moment, Princess Twilight and Princess Cadence. I wish to speak with my sister alone," Luna stood up. Cadence and Twilight exchanged puzzled looks but dipped their heads and left the room. "Sister, why must there be so many secrets between us?" There was hurt in Luna's voice and she spoke with her back turned. "Luna, I'm sorry..." Celestia began. "Sorry doesn't make up for what you've kept from me for over a thousand years, Celestia," Luna snapped. "I know...but I kept this from you for your own safety. Please understand," Celestia said pleadingly. Luna turned around and waited. "My parents took in Asteria before I was even born so I believed she was my sister as well. Back then, we were still in the Everfree Forest. She was kind when she was little, always taking care of me and playing with me," Celestia began, edging her wing around her younger sister, but she shifted away. "But soon, my royal duties called and Mother began taking me away more and more to learn how to raise the sun. Asteria grew jealous of this and did not understand why she couldn't be the one to raise the sun since she was the oldest," Celestia continued. "Did she know she was adopted?" Luna asked quietly. "Yes...we didn't know who her real parents were or how another alicorn came to be and ended up in front of the castle," Celestia replied. "She grew more and more resentful and eventually stopped talking to me altogether. When I tried to play with her, she snapped at me and told me she had to study magic. Since then, I was alone until you came into this world," Celestia wrapped her wings around her sister. This time, Luna stayed put. "Why don't i remember her then?"Luna asked. "You were barely a foal when Asteria decided to turn against us. She did something so unimaginably horrible I couldn't even bear to think about it," Celestia's voice began to tear up and tears dripped down her face. Unable to see her sister in such pain, Luna leaned against her and placed a hoof on hers, her anger fading away as she remembered all they had been through fighting Asteria. "You don't have to tell me..it's ok," Luna murmured. "No Luna...I've kept this from you for too long. It's long overdue," Celestia insisted. "She did such a horrible crime. She tried to hurt you. She was planning to abandon you in the Everfree forest to the timber wolves. She thought that if she got rid of you, she would be able to raise the moon," Celestia continued. Shock pierced through Luna along with a trace of fear. "But I saw her and reported her to the guards. She screamed at me for betraying her, but I only told her that she had betrayed Equestria and had no right to become a princess. However, before she was banished, she shouted out a strange spell. I didn't understand it but I knew it had something to do with you. Not only had she created the Alicorn Amulet, but she created the miasma or as you know it, the nightmare force," Celestia looked down at her sister. "She was the reason you became Nightmare Moon," Celestia told her quietly. "That's not true!" Luna was surprised at the fierceness in her voice. "Her spell had nothing to do with my feelings of jealousy! They were my own!" Celestia blinked in shock, then let out a long sigh. "You're right. But the miasma fed off of your jealousy and it was drawn to you," Celestia said. "So Mother and Father's spell wasn't strong enough to keep her away forever?" Luna asked. Celestia looked at the ceiling. "Nothing stays away forever...Mother came to me in a dream when I was in a dungeon," She said. "I saw Father...and Snowdrop," Luna's voice shook as she remembered the young pegasus. "I remember Snowdrop. She loved you so much," Celestia gently bumped her with her muzzle. "By the way...we should send Princess Twilight and Princess Cadence back in. It feels like we've been talking for hours," Celestia opened the doors with her magic as she spoke. "Is everything ok?" Twilight asked, her expression concerned as she stepped in with her sister in law. "Don't worry, Twilight. Everything's fine," Luna said quietly, shooting a glance at her sister who looked back at her in return, her expression clear. This secret is between the two of us... "Are we going to forgive Asteria or send her to Tartarus?" Cadence prompted. "For now, she will stay in the dungeons with many guards keeping an eye on her. She was always clever on being sneaky," Celestia replied. "I should head back to Canterlot now..Luna, are you sure you're alright? You look exhausted," She glanced at her sister worriedly. "Fine," Luna muttered, staggering to her hooves. "Why don't you stay in Ponyville for one more night.." Celestia began, but Luna shook her head insistently and walked ahead of her in the halls. Twilight's other friends joined her. "She misses being with you," Twilight said, trying not to feel hurt at her friend's quick rejection. "She was distraught for the first few days, but now, the sun is back up and everything is back to normal," She added. " Princess Luna!" a loud cry up ahead made her jump. Celestia instantly ran ahead, with Twilight struggling to catch up. Applejack was hovering over Luna's crumpled body. "Sh-she just collasped!" She gulped, taking off her hat. "Fetch the guards!" Celestia snapped out the order, while trying to wake her sister up. Twilight ran off with one last glance over her shoulders.