//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Nightfall // by Thestoryteller //------------------------------// Celestia roamed the castle hallway with a smile on her face. She had just finished raising the sun for the Summer Sun celebration. Everypony was happy and cheerful, except for one. Her sister Luna. Something had been causing much distraught in the younger sister. It was noticeable to everyone she met, even when she tried to hide it. Whenever Celestia tried to talk to her sister about whatever caused her such sadness she would avoid it. But this time was different. This time Luna wanted to talk with Celestia. She requested her presence in the throne room to talk, and Celestia couldn't have been more happy. She cared deeply for her sister, more than the sun itself. To see her in the depressed state she was, brought heartbreak to Celestia. Celestia entered the throne room where her sister sat on her dark blue throne. Luna looked at Celestia with a firm tone, "Hello sister." "Hello Luna." Celestia smiled at her sister. "To what do I owe this welcome?" Luna stood up. "Remember when I asked you for a longer night? When the moon and stars could shine even just for a minute longer." Celestia frowned, "Luna we've discussed about this. We can't disrupt the order of the way things are. The sun and moon must move in harmony with the earth." "Must it?" Luna asked. "We raise the sun and moon every time. All I'm asking for is the night to last one day. Just one day. Is that so much to ask for?" "Yes it is." Celestia said firmly. "If we even go one minute ahead of the other, terrible...horrible things will occur because of our actions. Do you remember what we had to do to...him?" Luna's head fell to the floor, unable to look at her sister. "I wish there was something I could do Luna, I really do, but the reality is there isn't." Celestia said, getting no response from Luna. "I'll leave you alone to give you some time to think." Celestia turned away from her sister and began to walk towards the door. She reached for the doorknob and froze as a shadow began to crawl up the door. Celestia turned around and her eyes widened in horror. The sun, the giant fireball in the sky that provided light to all who lived on the earth, was being eclipsed by the moon. Celestia looked to her sister aghast, "Luna...sister...what are you doing?" Luna continued to face the floor. "I'm sorry sister, truly I am, but you left me no choice." She raised her head, her eyes now dark teal with black slits as pupils. "If you will not let the night last than I will make it so the night lasts forever!" The sun became completely eclipsed by the moon. Blue and black magic began to swirl around Luna, darkening her fur and mane. Blue armor appeared on her body along with a helmet. Luna was gone, Nightmare Moon stood before Celestia. "No...sister not you too." Celestia gasped, recognizing the magic around her. Nightmare Moon flared her wings, her horn glowed a violent blue as she shot a beam of magic at Celestia. Celestia used her magic to create a golden bubble around her, deflecting the beam. "Sister please!" Celestia begged. "I don't want to fight you." "Then you will lose." Nightmare gave a wicked smile, using her magic she unleashed a beam much more powerful than the last. The beam destroyed the bubble, shattering it as though it were made of glass. Celestia collapsed, she didn't want to hurt her sister. But she knew that there was only one thing left to do. Her horn glowed yellow and the circle in the floor shifted. The circle split in two, both sides parted as a machine with five metal arms attached to a metal cylinder, each with a white orb, rose from the floor. "I'm sorry sister, I never wanted this to happen but you leave me no choice." Celestia said, her horn glowed yellow. And nothing happened. Celestia looked at the machine confused. "Looking for these?" Celestia gasped as she saw a red gem, a pink gem, an orange gem, a pink gem, a dark purple gem, and a light purple gem in the shape of a star hovering beside Nightmare Moon. "Did you really think I would let you use these against me?" Nightmare asked, letting out a laugh. "Foolish sister, I may be younger but I'm not stupid." "Sister...please." Celestia tried to plead. "Don't do this." "I'm sorry sister, but mares like you need a time out. A thousand years on the sun should be long enough." Nightmare grinned, the six elements glowed with magic. "Goodbye sister." A yellow pillar of magic erupted from the ground beneath Celestia, engulfing her in magic. Celestia was helpless as her body began to evaporate into air. Before her entire body could be evaporated Celestia said one thing. "I'm sorry." And then she was gone. The pillar of magic faded away, leaving only silence. Nightmare Moon's eyes returned to their natural blue, her once black fur went back to dark blue as well. Her armor turned into mist and evaporated from her body. The only thing that remained was her wavy mane, but one thing was clear. Luna was back in control. "Sister?" She asked, unaware of what she had done. "Sister where are you?" Then everything flooded her mind. Everything she had done, eclipsing the sun, fighting Celestia, and banishing her to the sun. Luna remembered all of it. Luna covered her gasp with her forehooves, falling on her rump. "I'm sorry...I didn't...I couldn't..." Luna struggled to speak, tears running down her cheeks. "Why...why did I...how..." The doors to the throne room burst open as ponies ran in. "Princess Luna!" "What's going on?" "Why is the sun and moon like that?" "Where's Princess Celestia?" The ponies bombarded Luna with these types of questions, until an earth pony Stallion pushed everyone back. "Give the princess some space ya leeches!" The Stallion demanded, causing everyone to shut up. The Stallion looked at Luna and spoke in a calm and soft voice, "Princess...what has happened?" Luna didn't know what to do. She didn't want to tell the ponies the truth, but she also didn't want to lie to them. Luna stood up and addressed the ponies, "Celestia... Celestia was attacked by a demon...and she...she was slain." The ponies gasped. "Not the Princess!" "What will we do now?" "Who will raise the sun and moon?" "What should we do Princess?" That last question caught Luna's attention, "what?" She asked the stallion. "What should we do?" He asked again. "Your still a princess, surely you must know what we do?" The stallion was right. Luna was a princess, she was a leader of Equestria, she was a goddess. The responsibility that fell on Celestia's shoulders now rested on Luna's. It was up to her to lead her subjects to greatness. "There is no time to grief for my sister." Luna stood up and wiped away her tears. "We must move forward now. I will take on the responsibilities that my sister had. Rest assured my little ponies, I will lead you through this time of darkness." "Thank you princess." "Bless you your highness." "All hail Princess Luna." The ponies all praised Luna as she walked down the hallway. A smile grew on her face, this was everything she had wanted. Praise, recognition, love, and loyalty from her ponies. The thought of her sister's banishment was forced out of her mind as the words the ponies spoke of her filled her mind. While all the ponies were praising Luna there was one who wasn't. Something didn't sit right with the earth pony Stallion. He looked to the eclipsed moon, wondering as to how a demon could move the moon when only Luna was capable of doing that. A dreadful thought crossed the stallion's mind. He slowly turned to Luna as she walked down with her adoring subjects. The Stallion shook his head, "no...no a'm jus being paranoid...there's no way she would do something like that." "I mean she is Princess Luna after all."