//------------------------------// // Sun vs Moon // Story: Malefic Bonds // by Razalon The Lizardman //------------------------------// The door opened in one careful motion, its hinges emitting a high-pitched squeak that forced everypony’s ears to fold back out of reflex. Recovering from the piercing noise, Solis could make out the white mane and blue coat of Ia ascending the stairs in his eye’s corner, followed by Soothing’s own black and green colors. His two friends took a moment to recover themselves before stepping into the room, not bothering to shut the door behind them lest they receive another onslaught. Solis did not bother turning around as they approached, instead taking interest in a far off corner of the room while he spoke. “My apologies for the door. I have been meaning to replace it, but never found any time to do so.” “I find that difficult to believe, with how much time you like to spend here as of late,” Ia stated as he approached Solis. The older stallion tried to meet Solis’ gaze, but he merely continued staring into space, not making proper eye contact. “Is everything alright with you, Solis?” “We have worried for your well-being ever since we learned you had secluded yourself here,” Soothing said as she too approached him. She came around to his other side, also trying to meet his gaze with no success. “If something is bothering you, please tell us.” Their concerned gazes went unnoticed as Solis cast his own downward, sighing deeply. “I apologize for worrying you both,” he replied, softly, before looking up and out the large bay window. Outside, the stars shone brightly in Luna’s moonlit sky, twinkling with a beauty that Solis was all too willing to crack a smile at. “Might we talk outside? ‘Tis a lovely night for stargazing.” Ia and Soothing both nodded. “Yes, that is a splendid idea,” Ia said. “The stars are quite beautiful tonight.” “And the night air feels especially refreshing tonight,” Soothing added, and nudged Solis in the withers. “It is said cool air is good for the conscience. Yours must be begging for mercy right now if that is true.” Solis blanched. “W-well, um…” His smile turned sheepish as he trailed off. Ia chuckled. “Come, let us get out of this stuffy library.” With that he turned back toward the staircase. “I only jest,” Soothing said playfully while stroking Solis’ cheek, before following after Ia. Solis took a moment to let his heart settle down before following after them, As he trotted down the staircase, his eyes wandered to his desk which held the work for his Despair Convergence spell, and he frowned upon remembering his plan. Soothing and Ia are such good friends. Could I really…? A few minutes later the trio was walking across the research facility’s front lawn. They quickly picked out a random spot on the grass and sat down cross-legged, relishing in the cool touch of the grass against their legs. “Ah, ‘tis not often I am able to enjoy a pleasing cool night breeze,” Ia commented. “The frigid air of the Frozen North can often be a bit too much.” “Such was the origin of my new name, if I remember correctly,” Soothing said as she glanced up toward the stars, taking comfort in their twinkling, radiant splendor. “A cool autumn breeze is the most wondrous sensation.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Pardon me, Solis, but is it true that autumn is Princess Celestia’s favorite season?” When Solis said nothing, Soothing glanced over to him to see that the prince was staring down at the ground, apparently deep in thought. “Solis?” “Hmm?” Shaken from his thoughts, he turned to Soothing. “Yes, Soothing?” “Is something the matter?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow. Solis looked downcast for a second before facing forward. “I was merely pondering over some things.” “What such things?” Ia asked. “Does it have to do with whatever you have spent the past month working on?” Soothing inquired. The curiosity in her voice made Solis’ heart skip a beat. “Is it another spell of your own design?” Solis found himself unable to speak. A flood of butterflies swarmed his stomach while shivers trailed down his spine. The idea of Soothing and Ia learning of his plan filled him with dread. Dread of what they might say to him upon learning he intended to essentially abandon their friendship, even if it was for the good of Equestria. “Apologies, but... I would much rather not tell you,” he finally managed to say, shakily. “Not now, at least.” Soothing and Ia shared a look before turning to him. “Solis, we are here for you now,” Ia said. “We are friends, correct? We shall lend a sympathetic ear to whatever might ail you.” “That is what friends should do,” Soothing added. She scooted over a little, allowing her to place a comforting hoof on Solis’ withers. He turned to her, and his heart skipped a beat at how close her muzzle was to his. “Please, Solis,” she continued, her voice becoming a soft whisper, “if something ails you, tell us.” “... Do you both promise not to judge me unfairly?” Solis asked. He gave them both a glare that, while hard on the surface, carried with it a sense of hopefulness. “What I have to say can be very easily misinterpreted.” Soothing retracted her hoof and placed it across her chest. “I promise,” she said. “As do I,” Ia followed, mimicking her action. Solis smiled, thankful for their lack of prejudice. “Okay…” He took a deep breath, steeling his resolve, before turning to face them fully with a determined expression. “What if my intention was to abandon you both forever?” Soothing and Ia stared deadpanned at him in response. They then briefly gave each other a confused glance before turning back to him. “What do you mean ‘abandon us’?” Soothing asked. “I would hope we could be friends for a long time,” Ia followed with a small, wistful smile. “As would I,” Solis replied with his own wistful smile. The corners of his mouth then turned down a little as he looked downcast. “But as a prince of Equestria, it is my duty to help make Equestria a better place to live. I have been thinking as of late about what I can do to achieve this, and…” He turned away, scrunching his eyes, “... it entails turning my back on not just you two, but Mother, Aunt Luna… Equestria itself, even.” A few moments of silence followed, during which Solis could practically feel the worried stares of his friends boring into the back of his head. They were rational ponies, that he knew. They would never get angry at him for such an admission. But the knowledge that they were about to question what he meant worried him more than even that would have. “What do you mean by ‘turning your back’?” Ia finally asked. “Are you not happy being a prince of Equestria?” Solis sighed, and stood up, his prior resolve now shattered. “I should have remained silent,” he said, his voice perfectly stoic, easily betraying his desire to end the conversation. “Perhaps it is better that I retire to my quarters for the night.” With that, he turned and began heading back to the facility. He only made it a few steps, however, when he felt a tingling sensation on his tail, followed by him being lightly dragged back across the ground. Turning around, he saw Soothing’s horn was alight, her face set in a bemused stare that managed to unnerve him. Good friends as they were, Soothing had always retained a sense of underconfidence resulting from her late mother’s dominance. Seeing her act so assertive out of nowhere was greatly surprising, enough that he found himself too shocked to use his own magic to resist, instead letting her pull him back to right alongside them. “As we made clear, Solis, we are genuine friends,” she stated, her voice stern, but kind. She released her magic hold on his tail. “Now tell us what is on your mind.” Solis could only stare back in disbelief for a few moments as he tried to gather his thoughts. He could easily escape if he wanted to, but such an effort would be futile as Soothing and Ia would know exactly where to search for him. To that end, he took a few moments to think about how exactly to word his response. How could he make his plan to abandon Equestria sound jovial to his friends? Moreover, how could he ensure they would go along with it without grieving for him? For the ten seconds he gave himself to think on these questions, the answers he crafted, he believed, would suffice. Once he was done, he looked down and began explaining. “My intention is exactly as I said; to abandon Equestria. I have no desire to become an enemy of this nation, but rather, to remove myself from it. At the same time, I intend to indirectly serve the greater good by containing the despair which flows through ponykind. I have spent the past few years studying Astral the Great’s works, and have come to the realization that Equestria will continue to be threatened by malevolent forces if their source is not kept under control. “I have no Soul, and therefore no destiny, to call my own. To that end, I have made the decision to become the caretaker of this source. I shan’t reveal exactly how I intend to do so, but if my plan comes to fruition… well…” He trailed off, his resolve suddenly wavering again. He spared a glance at his friends. Their gazes were blank, expressions unreadable. Whatever they were thinking, Solis was grateful they neglected to show it, as this gave him the courage to finally say what needed to be said. “If it comes to fruition, our friendship will meet its end.” A thick silence settled around the three of them following his statement. He refused to spare another glance at them. He hardly expected them to be especially angry with him, but he kept their gazes hidden from his eyesight out of shame. All the same, whatever they thought of him, he would respect any and all grievances they might have for him. The silence was eventually broken when Solis heard shuffling hooves next to him, followed by a soft muzzle pressing into the side of his neck. “As long as you can be happy,” Soothing said. Solis blinked. The eyes he found when he turned his gaze were different from anything he had ever seen before. He saw many emotions reflected in Soothing’s eyes. Relief. Concern. Sorrow. These and more stared back at him through the glint in her eyes. Looking down, Solis almost reeled back upon seeing how close their lips were to each other. Now that he looked closer, it almost appeared that hers were getting closer to his… “Enough now, Soothing,” Ia said. He reached over and gently pulled Soothing away from Solis by her tail, eliciting a startled gasp from the green unicorn, followed by a blush on her cheeks. Solis blinked again. “What…?” Ia laughed. “Think nothing of it, Solis,” he said. He tilted his head, looking at him curiously. “Is this a decision of your own free will?” Solis nodded. “It is.” In his eye’s corner, he thought he saw a flash of pain cross Soothing’s face. “... But I intend to wait a little while before enacting it.” Soothing cast her gaze up at him, her expression a mixture of surprise and a little bit of hope. Solis smiled, and patted her withers. “I would very gladly devote an entire week to spending time with you two. ‘Tis the least I can do to show my appreciation for you both.” Soothing smiled herself, while Ia just nodded. “That would be nice, yes,” he said, then tilted his head. “Would it be too much to ask for more details on what exactly you are planning?” Solis opened his mouth to say ‘yes’, but stopped and tapped his chin. Thinking on it, he decided that his closest friends did deserve to know all of what he was going to do. Clearly they were okay with his plan, if a little disappointed, so what harm could the details do if he told them? “I shall tell the both of you, however,” he gave them both a furrowed gaze that clearly indicated how serious he was, “nopony hears a word of what I tell you, especially my mother. I shall tell her myself when the time is right. Am I clear?” Both Soothing and Ia nodded their heads in affirmation. “Very well.” Solis gestured towards the front gate. “Let us take a stroll through Canterlot. I shall reveal the full extent of my plan all the while.” “Okay,” Ia said. The three of them began making their way toward the front gates. Only after a few steps, however, did Soothing walk around in front of Solis, eliciting a raised brow and a quizzical look from the prince. “Is something the mat–mmph!” His reply was cut off when Soothing’s lips made contact with his own. The suddenness of the kiss caught him off guard, and he would have staggered back had Soothing not also wrapped a fore hoof around his withers to keep him steady. A blank canvas may as well have existed behind Soothing; for a brief while, the world was of nothing but them. Solis’ heart hammered in his chest while a warm, tingly sensation sprouted in his stomach. While his mind was clouded with a maelstrom of emotions — from confusion, to surprise, to embarrassment — at the forefront was a strong sense of satisfaction. Since first meeting her, in a small corner of his mind, there existed a feeling that Soothing harbored romantic affections for him. And, to a lesser extent he was sure, he harbored similar feelings for her. He wrapped a hoof around her withers himself and returned her kiss. His mind had not been changed; he would carry out his plan with the same steel-clad resolve as before. But until then, the least he could do was satisfy Soothing’s romantic desire. They eventually broke their kiss with a deep gasp each, panting heavily as they stared into each other's eyes. The world came back into focus for him, allowing Solis to witness Ia shaking his head with a small smile on his face near the gate. It must have been a very entertaining sight for him, seeing his friends share such a loving, tender moment. Solis just rolled his eyes before facing Soothing again. “How very brazen of you,” he remarked. Soothing’s face flushed red. “I apologize for being so sudden.” She scuffed a hoof along the ground, looking sheepish. “But, I, well–” Solis put a hoof to her lips, and she went silent. He closed his eyes and smiled. “Thank you.” Soothing stared blankly for a moment, before smiling herself, a sparkling glint in her eyes. “Are you two quite done yet?” Ia called, a cheeky air to his words. Solis removed his hoof from Soothing’s mouth and turned to face him. “Indeed we are.” “Then let us get going, before this beautiful nighttime atmosphere is gone,” Ia said, before turning around and down the street. Solis turned to Soothing, gesturing for her to lead the way. “After you,” he said. Giggling, Soothing went right ahead, and Solis followed right behind. They were walking side by side a scant few moments later while Solis began explaining his plan to his friends. An endless expanse of dreams, shining and twinkling like the stars in the nighttime sky. The sereneness of the dreamscape was unrivaled by anything else in reality, possibly even within the realm of fiction. To have a place as beautiful and awe-inspiring as this was a privilege only she could lay claim to, for nopony else knew how to cast the Dreamwalking spell. To be able to traverse the realm of dreams and interact with the ponies of Equestria through them was a blessing of the highest caliber. Anypony would wish to possess such an ability. But no, to her, the dreamscape was nothing but a reminder of what she was. A failure. Or, perhaps, too great a champion. Where the dreamscape was once home to many a night terror ripe for vanquishing, now the many stars representing ponies’ dreams radiated nothing but benevolent feelings. Clearly, it had been too much to hope that maybe, just maybe, she would find even one night terror after all this time. She scoffed, and undid the spell. Soon she was back in her physical body, looking straight ahead at the entrance to the throne room from her throne. She was flanked on either side by Captain Nightcanter and Private Bone Pick. Behind her, the moon’s light shone its brilliance through the windows, allowing their shadows to stretch across the floor. Their shadows shrank as the night wore on. By early morning the moon’s light was unable to reach through, leaving the throne room in a state of deep darkness. Captain Nightcanter let out a long yawn, and smacked his lips. Bedtime was drawing near, and soon Princess Celestia and her own day guards would be arriving to replace them. He waited for Princess Luna to give the order to return to the barracks. And waited. And waited. He must have waited a whole hour. His sense of time was never great, but he was sure morning should have come by now. He looked up to Princess Luna; she stared ahead with purpose in her eyes, as if contemplating. “Your highness?” he asked. Luna cast her gaze down to meet his, her expression unchanging. Nightcanter silently debated whether continuing would result in Luna misinterpreting his question as a lack of faith in her. He shrugged off his worries, sure enough that Luna could see that would not be true. “May I ask for how much longer the night shall last? My sense of time is quite lackluster.” He allowed a small, sheepish grin to cross his face, thinking Luna might go softer on him if he appeared vulnerable. Luna did and said nothing in response, merely continuing to stare for a few moments before returning her gaze up. Nightcanter blinked. He did nothing wrong, surely. Was Luna feeling unwell? He chanced speaking again. “Princess–” “Leave,” Luna said, flatly. Nightcanter cocked a brow. He looked over to Bone Pick; the Private also looked confused. “So, it is time to retire to the barracks?” Luna turned back to face him. A shiver traveled down Nightcanter’s spine as a wicked grin, made all the more creepy by the lack of moonlight, crossed the princess’ face. Even more frightening, he thought he saw her pupils change for a split second, appearing more slit-like, like that of a dragon. A pit formed in his stomach, which only grew worse when Luna gave her reply. “Quite the opposite, Captain. Your duties have only just begun.” She suddenly descended into a fit of giggles. Her giggles grew in volume and pitch, steadily progressing into a maniacal laughter, eventually to roaring guffaws as she threw her head back with her eyes shut. Nightcanter and Bone Pick found themselves at a loss for words and actions. Their minds swam with a plethora of emotions, ranging from confusion, to fear, but above all concern. Luna could not have been playing them for fools; humor was never her specialty. What she had said was the product of a fantastical delusion. She needed help. “P-Princess?” Nightcanter stuttered, and silently cursed himself for his failure to speak adequately. “Are you feeling unwell? Perhaps you could do with–” “Leave for now,” Luna interrupted. “But make no mistake, your services will be doubled in due time.” The two guards shared another look, their concern etched clearly into their faces. “But Princess–” “Away with thee!” she shouted, stomping her hoof. Both Nightcanter and Bone Pick found themselves unable to move for a short moment. Finally, they found the willpower to take a few steps backward, their eyes never leaving Luna’s furrowed glare. Then, as if in response to a clap of thunder, they bolted toward the throne room doors, their hooves pounding hard against the floor. Bone Pick wasted no time in shooting through the door, while Nightcanter took a moment to flash a worried glance back at Luna before following him, leaving Princess Luna alone in the throne room. Luna waited for a moment, taking in the silence. It would change soon enough. A quick survey of the throne room and all its design flourishes made her briefly wonder how much of it would survive the next hour. A pity, it was. She appreciated all the hard work that went into its design and construction. But all would be fine if the majority of collateral damage happened to her sister’s side of the room. It is time, dearest sister… She then lit up her horn, feeling her magic connect with the moon, and reversed its course. “What should we do?” Bone Pick asked while keeping pace with Captain Nightcanter. The two guards went down the hall at a brisk trot, their moderate hoofsteps making sharp echoes as they ventured through the castle. Where to, Bone Pick had no idea, but Captain Nightcanter’s determined expression told him he had a set course of action. “We speak to Princess Celestia,” Nightcanter answered as they turned a corner down the hallway leading to said alicorn’s bedchambers. “She will have sound advice, I have no doubt.” Bone Pick nodded his agreement. The two of them made their way down the hall, eventually coming to a stop in front of the entrance to Princess Celestia’s bedchambers. Mindful that she was currently sleeping, Captain Nightcanter knocked on the door only so loud. A few moments went by without a response. Some louder knocks still yielded no response. With a sigh of defeat, Nightcanter pulled on the doorlock, before gently creaking the door open a bit. Peering inside, the resulting sliver of light revealed the princess’ bed, with Celestia tucked in still asleep. Nightcanter opened the door the rest of the way and gestured for Bone Pick to follow him inside. The two of them approached the princess’ bed, quiet so as to not disturb her prematurely. The bed sheets fell and rose at a steady rhythm, indicating Celestia was sleeping soundly, further evidenced by the look of content spread across her face. The same could not be said for her mane, however, which splayed all across the pillow in a haphazard fashion, its ethereal quality giving it a serene, ghost-like image. Nightcanter reached up to Celestia’s face, hovering above her cheek for a moment, before gently poking it. The sleeping princess’ reaction was to grumble a little and shift her position slightly, prompting a more forceful poke and a small shake of her head. Finally, she awoke. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked up to regard the two guards with an expression of utter annoyance. “What dost thou need of Us at this hour?” Nightcanter and Bone Pick both fell into a deep bow. “Our apologies, Princess,” Nightcanter said. “But a situation has arisen that requires your guidance.” Celestia remained silent for a moment, eyebrow raised in curiosity, before replying. “What is it?” “Her Highness, Princess Luna,” Bone Pick started. “We asked how much longer it would be before the day, and her response was…” He paused for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck in a show of nervousness, “... unsettling.” “Unsettling how?” Celestia asked. Her tone had changed from tired and groggy to fully alert and attentive, her eyes narrow and focused. “She claims ‘our services will be doubled’ ‘in due time’,” Nightcanter replied, frowning a little. “Perhaps she is ill and delusional, and requires treatment?” Celestia gave no response. Instead, she closed her eyes, silent save for her own breathing. The two guards looked at her in silent anticipation as she appeared to mull over something. That, or she was channeling her alicorn magic in a way neither of them could comprehend, and to a purpose unknown to them. Or both, even. Finally, she opened her eyes, and gone was any trace of a groggy princess annoyed at having been abruptly woken up without order. In her eyes was a stern resoluteness seen very rarely, that was enough of a shock to the two guards to make them recoil slightly. “Captain Nightcanter,” she addressed him. “Y-Yes, Your Highness?” “Collect all the staff and evacuate them to safety outside the castle.” Both his and Bone Pick’s eyes widened considerably. “Wh-What?” he stuttered again. “P-Princess, what is the mean–” Celestia’s raised hoof silenced him. She took a deep, calming breath before speaking again. “We need no hesitation from thee, only conviction.” She lit up her horn, levitating her regalia from her vanity and donning it while continuing. “I shall confront my sister alone and set her right.” She turned to them with a sharp gaze. “Leave not a single pony behind, and do not return to the castle until We say to. Are We clear?” The guards stood stock still for a couple of moments, before giving shaky nods and retreating from the room. Celestia watched them go, silently praying that such a precaution would prove unwarranted, but what glimmer of hope for such was merely that. A glimmer. She had been dreading this, ever since she confronted her sister over her activities terrorizing their subjects. She understood her sister’s plight, of course. The need to be useful and loved was a desire shared by everypony, and to be denied this was a pain she could wish on nopony, let alone her own sister. She had tried to reason with Luna, to suggest that there was another way to achieve adoration by their subjects, but in hindsight, she feared her outbursts over Luna’s role as the Pony of Night Terrors had done little to quell her anger. And now, that anger seemed to have reached its breaking point. Celestia closed her eyes, reaching out with her magic to the sun and the moon, and the connection shared between them and she and her sister. The incredible energy possessed by her sun had been overwhelming once upon a time, but with increased age and strength also came a greater understanding and better control of her charge, and the solar body was now as much a part of her as her own flesh and blood body was. In stark contrast, the moon was as alien and unfamiliar to her spirit as it had always been. She and Luna had never bothered teaching each other the techniques with which to move the others’ celestial body. Always they figured their shared reign would be that of equals. Of peaceful co-rulers. Of two sisters having fun together. But that vision had been dashed, as Celestia now found herself struggling to lower the moon herself, to control a body she was wholly unaccustomed to moving. Worse still, she could feel her sister’s power working against her own, impeding her effort to bring forth the day. It only served to confirm her fears as true. But she would not be deterred. Her teeth gritting, Celestia poured every last ounce of magical strength she could into overwhelming Luna’s own. A small corner of her psyche took pleasure in being the more magically potent of the two, but this grim pleasure was greatly overshadowed by the knowledge of what was to occur after the fact. The harmony between she and her sister was hanging by a loose thread, one that was sure to snap upon her confrontation with Luna. Finally, she felt her magic take root in the moon. She felt a drop of sweat drip down her face with how much effort it took her to achieve that much, and she wondered if Luna was feeling completely exhausted right then, with how much effort it had to have taken her to put up a suitable resistance to Celestia’s magic. Suddenly, as if in direct response to her musings, she felt Luna’s magic break away. Celestia wasted no time in moving the moon along its proper path, setting it below the horizon. In turn, outside, the moonlit sky darkened considerably, leaving everything a much greater shade of black. This was soon remedied, however, as Celestia took hold of her sun and rose it above the horizon, not stopping until she saw a sliver of sunlight shine through her window out of her eye’s corner, illuminating her bed chambers enough for her to see into her mirror. The mare who stared back at her was red in the face and sweating profusely, huffing with the amount of energy it took to move both celestial bodies. Celestia let her body collapse in on itself, feeling her leg joints strike hard against the floor, making her wince in pain. The rest of her body followed unceremoniously, falling barrel down with her legs splayed out. Her wings drooped at her sides, while her mouth sucked in much needed lungfuls of air at a rapid pace. Finally, she felt her entire body relax, and she closed her eyes, unable to do anything but think to herself. It was obvious to her that Luna had ended her resistance in order to conserve her energy for their inevitable confrontation. In her current state of exhaustion, Celestia knew that Luna would have the upper hoof, but a few minutes of rest would bring her strength back up to snuff. No, her real concern was whether Luna would actually attempt to kill her once they met. If she was right about what the guards had indicated, then her sister was plotting to overthrow Celestia and claim rulership of Equestria entirely for herself. The thought that Luna might be capable of regicide sent an icy lance of pain through Celestia’s heart. After everything they had been through, all their hardships, training, and cooperation to make Equestria the land of peace and harmony they so longed for, the idea of now being forced to turn on her own sister was too much for her to bear. Once properly rested, Celestia stood up, her mouth set into a determined frown. Never could she fight her own sister, much less kill her in self-defense. She held onto a small spark of hope that she might be able to pull her sister from her lust for power upon their confrontation. If that failed, then there still existed one way in which she could save Equestria. As she opened the door to her bed chambers and slipped outside into the hall, she sent a small prayer to the Elements that everything would turn out alright. This was it. Luna stood silently before the throne, staring at the double doors. Waiting. Celestia would come soon enough, and when she did, she would finally put an end to her sister’s silent monarchy. Everypony enjoyed the sun and the radiant warmth it exuded. That she exuded. That Luna herself had once enjoyed. Celestia… you will perish tonight. I will finally destroy the rule you have exerted over Equestria, leaving me in the darkest corner to wither away, to never be seen. To never be loved. I will destroy you. And so she waited. Minutes dragged by, and Luna patiently stood still, keeping an ear peeled for the sound of Celestia’s shoes clacking against the floor outside. She did indeed hear the distant sounds of scampering hooves, but none that were approaching the throne room. Celestia would want to keep the staff out of harm’s way before confronting her. Which was good, because they would still be needed for Luna’s solo reign. Finally, the unmistakable clacking sound of golden-shod shoes greeted her ears, and Luna listened as they steadily approached before stopping outside the doors, which were soon opened in an aura of golden magic. Celestia stepped inside, and even from her distance, Luna could clearly see the calm, neutral gaze her sister typically reserved for Court sessions held upon her face. Celestia stood before the doors, meeting Luna’s hardened stare. Their gazes remained locked onto each other for what was only a few seconds, but the weight of centuries’ worth of emotions passed between them in just that time alone. After everything they had gone through, after all the time they had spent becoming strong in magic and spirit, of learning to tackle their destinies head on and with bravado, and to craft a bright future for the land they so loved, this was it. They were now enemies, but while Luna had every intention to slay her sister, she knew that Celestia could never match that resolve. Which was why Luna knew this fight was hers. Her sister still thought that persuasive speech was the solution, that simply by speaking the right words she could convince Luna to back down. But there were no ‘right’ words, for nothing she could say would change Luna’s mind. She had made her decision, and unless Celestia’s resolve strengthened within the next minute, this would be her last night alive. Celestia took a step closer. “Not another step!” Luna called. Celestia backtracked without a word, her calm, neutral gaze never leaving Luna’s own stern, cold one. They stayed like that for a few moments, silent again, waiting for the other to speak up. They both knew what was to come, and Luna waited for Celestia to begin her pleading. Her begging for Luna to change her mind. But her sister remained silent, prompting Luna to eventually continue. “Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light!?” At long last, to Luna’s internal pleasure, Celestia’s expression faltered. Her sister’s brows furrowed slightly and the corners of her mouth curled into a small frown. Luna trotted over between the thrones, just underneath the stained glass window with a very vague tree-like pattern set between them. She no longer cared for its meaning. “There can only be one princess in Equestria!” she boomed, her voice echoing off the chamber’s walls. “And that princess… will be ME!” She punctuated her last word by rearing back and slamming her hooves against the railing before her, crushing it into a million tiny pieces of rubble which scattered across the floor and stairs before the thrones. The air hummed with magic as the power behind her stomp reached behind her. Cracks spread across the ground and up along the wall, coalescing at the stained glass window, which promptly shattered, the glass shards adding to the wooden debris from the shattered railing. Luna’s horn lit, and she reached out to her precious moon. Her beauty of the nighttime sky rose from its place below the horizon, rising up across the sky before stopping directly in front of Celestia’s accursed sun, eclipsing it. Immediately, the sky turned dark, the stars coming out in full force with their twinkling splendor. And as she began gathering her magic for the final battle, Luna managed to catch a glimpse of her sister, and was delighted by what she saw. There was a deep sense of hurt in Celestia’s eyes, and it looked like her sister was warring with herself whether to turn away so as to not bear witness to Luna’s transformation. Luna’s magic quickly overtook her body, rendering her visionless as each one of her senses locked up in response to her transformation spell. Her body began assuming the form she had used to terrorize Equestria’s populace within their dreams; a form that struck fear into the mentally weak and cowardly, and would show Celestia that her dear sister was gone, replaced by the bringer of her destruction and eternal night for Equestria. Everypony would have no choice but to worship her and her beautiful nighttime sky, at long last! She felt her overall body shape stretch and grow, becoming taller and more slender, matching Celestia’s own physique, while changing from dark blue to pitch black. Blue armor materialized around her head and body, for what little protection she likely would not need, but hardly minded having. Her teeth changed shape as well, becoming sharper, more canine-like; ill-fitting for a pony, which is why she chose them. And the last to change was her eyes, which became more slitted, more dragon-like. Dragons were feared creatures, after all, and to lock gazes with one could send shivers down even battle-hardened soldiers’ spines. No longer was she the pathetic little princess who always stood in Celestia’s shadow. Now, she was the feared mistress of night terrors. She had terrorized countless dreams using this form, striking fear into the hearts of so many ponies, and now, her dear sister would become the next victim of her menace. She laughed. A maniacal, howling laughter that came from the very depths of her twisted heart. So happy was she to finally turn against her sister, to finally come out of her shadow and become her own person. Now, she would annihilate Celestia’s very being, and reign supreme as Equestria’s sole princess. Finally, her transformation ended. She spent the next several moments with her eyes closed, her laughs resounding throughout the throne room as she briefly lost herself to her state of euphoria. At long last, she stopped, and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a statue of Celestia atop a stone column against the far wall. Her mouth fell into a cold scowl as she charged up her magic, quickly letting loose a concentrated beam of blue magic directly at it. The statue instantly shattered, sending bits of stone crumbling to the floor in a dusty cloud. Out of reflex, she tilted her head slightly upwards, to which her beam cleaved a line of destruction up to the ceiling, sending even more debris raining down. Through the resulting curtain of dust, she noticed Celestia take a few steps closer, looking forlornly down at an especially large piece of rubble from her statue. She snorted, wondering how much value her sister could put on a mere piece of chiseled stone, especially over her own sister’s happiness. She gave her wings a strong flap, hopping down level with the door, just as the cloud of dust began to dissipate. Her sister had taken to the air, looking down at her with that disapproving, self-entitled, condescending, wretched gaze–! She fired another concentrated magic beam. Celestia flew to the side, letting it pass her and strike the ceiling, sending even more debris raining down. She touched down on the ground, immediately turning back to her with that gaze. She did not fire another beam this time, instead curious as to how Celestia would respond after she made a very clear attempt at her life. “Luna, I will not fight you!” Celestia said. It was clear from her tone she was sincere, and that fear had an iron clutch over her heart. “You must lower the moon! It is your duty!” “... Luna?” Did she truly still consider the terror standing before her her sister? Celestia clung too desperately to whatever single shred of hope she had yet to lose. ”I am… Nightmare Moon!” Celestia grimaced. ”I have one royal duty now: to destroy you!” Locating and evacuating every single guard and servant from the castle had been a mostly simple process, as almost everypony was still asleep in their designated barracks. The only tricky part was tracking down and rounding up all of Luna’s night guards who were on patrol throughout the castle, but the deed was accomplished in a very short time. Every last one of the royal sisters’ guards and hoofmaidens were gathered in front of the castle. Hushed murmurs and whispers had permeated the crowd, no doubt pertaining to the subject of why exactly they were all gathered outside. But a slight of panic had arisen among those whispers after the crowd bore witness to Celestia’s sun being eclipsed by Luna’s moon. As Captain Nightcanter watched the horrid spectacle play out, all he could think about was what the princess had said before dismissing him. He had merely thought she was under some kind of stress at first, perhaps due to a severe lack of activity in the Dreamscape. Seeing what he saw now, however, made him question whether it was merely stress, or a genuine loss of sanity that plagued her. Realization hit him hard. She wants to… to… A loud bang interrupted his line of thoughts, and the crowd jumped with a start. After a few moments of fearful confusion, the crowd’s attention was drawn skyward, where two flying shapes emerged above the castle: one white, the other black. The black figure chased the white one around in the air, shooting magic beams at them every other second, which the latter managed to keep dodging. More whispers began permeating the crowd; Nightcanter heard Celestia’s name come up a few times. Indeed, the white figure was unmistakably that of Celestia. But the black figure was unrecognizable, as no other pony matched Celestia’s size and body shape. Then it dawned on him that Celestia and Luna were the only two ponies left in the castle. Just then, the black figure struck Celestia with a magic beam, causing her to plummet back towards the castle, her scream reaching the crowd, before she crashed through the castle roof just above the entrance hall. “Princess!” Nightcanter turned to his left, spying a wide-eyed Captain Tricolt staring at the spot where Celestia had fallen. The panic and concern etched into his features were the greatest he had ever seen for his fellow Guard Captain. He himself felt much the same, but not being Celestia’s personal Guard Captain, his attachment to the sun princess was nowhere near as strong as it was with Tricolt. Even so, he knew Celestia was strong enough to survive one magic blast, and would rather obey her order to the letter then risk being swept up into the ensuing conflict himself. Tricolt had apparently forgotten about Celestia’s order not to reenter the castle, however, as the instant Celestia crashed through the roof, he rushed toward the front doors. “Halt, Tricolt!” Nightcanter shouted. Tricolt stopped and turned around, a hint of rage mixing with his concern and panic. “Nightcanter, we must lend our aid–” “Celestia will be fine,” Nightcanter interrupted him. He stepped up to Tricolt, placing a hoof on his withers. “She gave us the order to remain outside no matter what knowing that. We must trust her decision.” Tricolt grimaced, switching his gaze between Nightcanter and the front doors for a few moments, before stomping his hoof against the ground in frustration. Nightcanter looked back to the spot where Celestia had fallen through the roof. Inwardly, he too had a strong desire to ignore her highness’ order and rush to her aid, but knew that doing so could spell trouble for not just himself, but everypony else from the castle. To that end, as he led Tricolt back to the crowd, he sent a silent prayer to the Elements that everything would turn out alright. ”Sister, look at this! Look!” “I see, Luna. Clearly, you have been practicing your levitation.” “I have! I only wish I could lift up more than a small rock. If I am to control the moon someday, I need to practice a lot.” “As do I… Might we make a wager?’ “A wager? On what?” “Whoever learns to control their charge first gets the other’s dessert for a year.” “... I accept. Although, perhaps you should surrender right now.” “Why should I?” “Your flanks are already quite large enough, sister.” “Wait, what do– … Surely you jest, sister!? My body is perfect…” “How certain are you of that, sister?” “...” “Ahahaha, you are so much fun to tease!” "Well, I never..." “But might you instead help me practice? I really do wish to master the craft so I can start helping everypony very soon!” “Very well, Luna, but only if you stop teasing me about my, err…” “Monstrous flanks?” “Luna!” “Ahahahahahaha! Yes, yes, Celestia. I will.” “Good.” “... Sister?” “Yes?” “Thank you for always being by my side.” “My thanks to you as well, Luna.” The pain of having crashed through the castle’s roof failed to register in Celestia’s mind as memories of her and Luna’s youth swirled through. But all the comfort they brought was quickly drowned out by the realization of what had just happened. Luna, her precious little sister, the only family Celestia had in the world, just shot her. With intent to kill. Of course she had known a physical altercation would come to pass between them upon setting off for the throne room, but she had dared hold onto a shred of hope that maybe all would be well and the two of them could return to ruling over Equestria together as co-rulers. As friends. But that last glimmer of hope was now crushed by the cruel reality of the current situation. Luna wanted her dead, and would stop at nothing until Celestia was well and truly deceased. But even still, as she lay there, body in suppressed agony, Celestia could find no will to fight back. Luna could never beat her. Try as she might, Celestia would always have the upper hoof between the two of them in a straight up magic duel. She knew Luna knew this, which is why she attacked Celestia knowing full well that her sister would never fight to kill back at her. Celestia opened her eyes suddenly as a new thought crossed her mind. She loved Luna too much to ever slay her, but there was another way she could save Equestria from eternal night without doing so. The Elements of Harmony would grant my wish to save everypony, including Luna. Slowly, her entire body aching from the effort, she pulled herself to her hooves. The pain had mostly subsided, but she still felt small pockets of resistance in a few joints. It did nothing to faze her as she stared up through the hole in the castle roof she had created, beyond which her sister waited for her to return for their resumed brawl. No, the creature up there was not her sister. Not anymore. Nightmare Moon was a facade, keeping the sister she loved as much as Equestria itself buried under a mountain of jealousy and despair. Somewhere within that heart of darkness was her sister, and though she could never bring herself to kill her, her trust in the Elements was absolute. “Oh dear sister, I am sorry, but you have given me no choice…” She turned her head toward the spot where she knew the Elements were currently being kept under the floor, “... but to use these.” Her horn lit in her golden aura, followed by the spot on the floor which opened up. The sound of gears and other mechanical components working together emanated from the hole as the dais used to house the Elements of Harmony slowly rose up from the floor in a billow of dusty air, before stopping as the mechanism locked into place, displaying the Elements in all their splendor. For a moment, Celestia could only stare up at them with a subdued sense of awe. She had decided to keep the Elements under the floor some time ago, after her conscience convinced her that such powerful artifacts are better kept out of sight, safe from potential thieves. Visitors might not be able to see them, but such was her decision. Long enough had it been since she had last seen them, that she had forgotten the powerful aura they emanated. It was subtle, and probably only noticeable to magic users, but the feeling it gave her to lay eyes upon objects of such power and influence could never be adequately described with words. That was to say nothing of holding them around one’s neck and summoning their great power for themselves. Finally, she flew up to the dais. Lighting her horn again, she enveloped each Element in her magic and floated them over to her. The Element of Magic, arguably the most important of them all, had been hidden inside the topmost sphere for extra protection. From its stone shield, it rose slowly, like a long dormant spirit rising from its grave. With all the Elements in her control, Celestia called upon their power. The Elements began rapidly swirling around her, the process by which they harmonized. She could feel the latent Magic of Harmony building between them, growing and even touching her own magic. She had almost forgotten what wielding the Elements felt like; everything was clear to her. Her emotions and spirit came into focus before her mind’s eye. It was a sensation that truly needed to be felt in order to be understood, and it felt great to her senses. It helped dull the pain of knowing what was to happen next. Celestia took to the air, flying through the hole in the ceiling. Immediately, Luna came into view a fair distance away, holding an expression of defiance. There was no doubt in Celestia’s mind that her sister knew what was about to happen, and yet, she could see that her sister would oppose her to the very end, no matter how hopeless her chances of prevailing were. A small tear fell from Celestia’s eyes as the Elements assumed their offensive formation in front of her. Nightmare Moon’s eyes shone with the white light of her strongest magic as she charged up her horn, before unleashing a powerful magic beam straight at Celestia. The Elements responded in turn, their energies coalescing in the Element of Magic, before firing a matching beam of rainbow energy wrapped in Celestia’s own golden magic. The two beams collided and immediately began pushing against each other. The Elements of Harmony’s power quickly prevailed, forcing back Luna’s power with ease. Celestia could not see through the blinding array of the Elements’ magic, but she heard a faint cry of ‘NO!’ from her sister as she was enveloped in the harmonic magic of the Elements, and was quickly shot off into the sky, straight towards the moon. Spent from using so much power, Celestia pulled together what little strength she had left, landing on the castle’s roof just as she felt a sudden blast of magic in the atmosphere. Weakly, she turned her head skyward toward the moon, just in time to witness the last shadow come into place on the moon’s surface, forming the shape of a unicorn’s head. Celestia felt her tears returning, and she dipped her head, unable to look up at the moon any longer. The Elements had granted her wish. Nightmare Moon was gone, safely banished to the moon, and Equestria was saved from the threat of eternal night. But her sister, Luna, was gone in turn. Her only kin was now a mere shadow upon the moon’s surface, forever trapped within the celestial body. Forever… Oh, Luna… Tears torrenting down her face, Celestia waited until she had regained enough magic before lowering the moon, allowing her sun’s rays to shine upon the land. She wept the entire day.