//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4- The Broken Sun 
// Story: Only the Best, Only the Elite 
// by DougtheLoremaster 
//------------------------------//

 As the moonlight shone down upon her face, Celestia found herself deep within her past; 15 years old once more. 

***

10 years had passed since Celestia had been allowed into the Royal Throne room by her mother. 10 years since she graduated. 10 years since she created Philomena; an impossible feat, and yet she had hatched the phoenix from within the empty shell. And there she sat, on a cushion, in the corner of the Throne Room; while her younger sister sat on a throne next to their mother. Oh, how she hated that smug expression on Luna’s face. However, she knew her little sister only wore it for appearances.

***

Once both were dismissed the two sisters would head back to their room where the two sisters would secretly have fun and laugh with each other. It had to be in secret, Celestia was forbidden by their mother to be near Luna. That is unless she wore a servant's garb and acted as such. The heir to the throne shouldn’t associate with trash, their mother would say.
Luna however hated the entire formality. Celestia was her sister, not some common whelp. Checking the hall for eavesdropping guards, Luna would make sure the coast was clear before letting her big sis know she could remove the wretched ensemble. That night would have featured a lovely tea time, around the midnight hour. An event Luna hosted, just to see Celestia smile. An event, Celestia cherished above any other each week. That would have happened.
Would have, if not for Celestia’s single mistake that night. The only mistake she ever regretted making. The mistake that led to the rise of Nightmare Moon. The mistake that led to her gentle sister being turned into a heartless monster.

***

Celestia had long been denounced by her mother as an heir to the throne. The throne would only be held by a Nightmare; not a disappointment, that was the reasoning. Celestia was fine with that. At least back then. She had been allowed to remain within the family only with the strictest of restrictions. One of those being Luna was to be addressed by Celestia only as Princess Luna.

***

An hour before the meeting with the dignitaries in the Throne Room, Celestia; in her servant garb, walked behind Luna. Whispering back and forth, like they usually did, Luna and Celestia had an enjoyable banter. A banter that unfortunately, had not escaped the ears of their mother; who remained silent on the matter. That is until the meeting came to an end and the sisters were about to be dismissed.
“Luna, and...You...too, would you both come here for a moment?”

***

You; the name Celestia’s mother had called her by, ever since Luna was born. Though she rarely acknowledged Celestia’s presence to begin with.

***

As Luna calmly rose and approached her mother, she made sure not to falter in any way. Her gait was elegant and each step was exact. Her mother would accept nothing less and she was watching; always watching. Whereas Luna had to be perfect; Celestia was scrutinized to an even higher standard. 
Not only must her hoofsteps be in a certain rhythm, not a single thread on her humiliating attire was allowed to be a certain distance from her body at all times. Celestia however, didn’t care. Her sister had been named heir, that was fine. Her role as a serf to her little sister mattered not. Luna was the only one who had ever given her consideration; and she would gladly support her, no matter what.
Their mother, though having waited for Celestia, refused to even spare a glance her way. Keeping her snake-eyed pupils of jade green on Luna, the Alicorn spoke softly to her.
“Tell me, Luna, what are the rules for your sister?”
No stranger to such interrogations, Luna kept her face expressionless; passive. Her response was simple and to the point while her tone gave nothing away.
“Celestia must always don her servant apparel to enter the same room as me. Celestia may not refuse any command of which I give her. Celestia must address me only as Princess Luna. Failure to do so is punishable by execution.”
“Very good, daughter of mine. So then, why don’t you tell ‘Celly’ there what she did wrong, ‘Luny.’
Celestia’s heart dropped. She had heard them. Luna gave an ever so slight flick of her tail to calm her sister before baring a malicious grin and giving a snort. 
“Cute joke mother, but Celestia would never be so bold as to address me in such a manner. Isn’t that right, slave?”
Celestia picked up on the cue immediately and bowed her head.
“As you say, Princess Luna.”
Their mother silently watched the scene play out before giving a slight chuckle, herself.
“Perhaps I was mistaken; how about the three of us enjoy a nice tea party.”
Luna was caught off-guard and her expression wavered.
“A tea party, mother?”
The voice of the Queen was silky yet carried an unwavering chill.
“Yes, perhaps around midnight...My daughter?”
She knew. She knew and they would pay the price. And what was worse; Celestia knew they couldn’t stop her. The evil mare had a stranglehold on all, and any who stood before her had crumbled under her icy heart. If they were to disappear at her whim; no creature would dare question why. No creature would care were she to snuff out their life at any given moment; such was her grip on the world. And now her soulless eyes were staring into Luna’s.
Her voice carried the tone of danger, while her eyes shifted to look at Celestia.
“I know what you two have been doing, sneaking around behind my back.”
Her eyes held an icy condemnation within them.
“such disappointments you’ve both turned out to be. And there is no room for such failures in my world.”
Luna’s calm demeanor instantly broke; her resolve vanished as she cried out in fear for her sister’s life.
“It’s not what you think, mother!”
“Oh? It’s not? Then tell me, daughter. Did you or did you not try and comfort this abomination?”
“I-”
“You what? You care for her? We are Nightmares! We do not worry what lessers think of us. We are perfection; we are elite!”
The alicorn paused for a moment before her tone grew soft once more.
“Though you are of my blood; Luna. Perhaps I could let you off the hook just this once. After we fix that imperfection of yours, that is.”
Without waiting for a reply, their mother’s horn glowed with magic. Luna opened her mouth to react as a blast of the light blue aura engulfed her and her words changed to a strangled scream.
“Mo- Aaaaaaargh!”
Her scream echoed throughout the throne room as Celestia stared; helpless to do anything. The ground beneath Luna began to spiderweb with cracks, while the windows depicting the exploits of the Queen in stained glass shattered. A raging whirlwind radiated outward in full force, and Luna was lifted into the air; her screams becoming more and more strained.
Celestia watched in horror, while silently pleading, desperate to think of something, anything to protect her little sister. Nothing came to mind however, she had little magical prowess, and she lacked any physical strength; having been fed nothing but scraps. Her frame was wiry, and gaunt; highly malnourished. There was nothing she could do. Nothing but watch.
Luna’s screams had stopped completely and within seconds her silent hooves touched back down onto the ruined floor. The wind died down and the glow vanished. Her eyes were closed, but Celestia was sure she was still breathing. She appeared unscathed, but something was off. Her sister now possessed a pair of wings covered in ebony down. Luna had become an Alicorn. What did she do to you, Luny?
“Luna!”
Celestia cried out the name on impulse but it seemed to wake up her sister. Luna’s eyes snapped open and they were the same, soulless jade green eyes of their mother.
”My name is Nightmare Moon.”
Her words were cold and emotionless. Celestia’s heart began to race. What was wrong with her sister? What happened to Luna? Didn’t she recognize her? She screamed at her in desperation. 
“Luny it’s me! It’s Celly!”
“Silence, peasant! You will address me by my name only!”
 I can’t lose her. Not her. Not my sister. Not Luna! She’s all I have left! Celestia tore off her garment in a desperate attempt to get her sister to recognize her.
“Luna! Please...It’s me! It’s your sister! Celestia!”
I won’t lose her. I can’t! As Celestia tried futilely to reach her sister, their mother sneered at the scene with glee. 
“My, my. What an arrogant slave you have there, Nightmare Moon. Perhaps your abilities as a Nightmare aren’t all that impressive.”
The alicorn that had moments before been the gentle, sweet, and caring Luna turned to glare at the Queen. 
“What did you just say?”
Her words were like a poison in her daughter; slowly coursing and corrupting her from within. 
“How embarrassing a Nightmare that can’t even control their own servant. Were it mine, I would have slain it on the spot.”
“Luna...Please. Don’t leave me.”
Celestia was lifted off her hooves by a blast of blue magic; slamming into the wall with an audible crack. 
“Let that be your only warning whelp!”
Luna’s voice was as cold as ice and it pierced Celestia to the core. She crumpled to the ground barely breathing. Her eyes closed as she whispered dejectedly.
“Sister...I’m sorry…
Another blast struck her in the side. Celestia stopped breathing. The angry roar of Nightmare Moon was heard.
“Silence! I am not your sister!”
Their mother continued goading her on.
“That’s right, let her live. That way she can disappoint you...Again and again like the eternal failure she is.”
 Celestia slowly rose to her hooves as her body shook with her rage. Her skin felt warm and the heat was only increasing. A fire within her had ignited and that fire that had lain dormant, wanted out; now. Her very blood felt like it was boiling from the intensity of the hatred rising within her.
All the pain and torment of the years she had dealt with; she had put up with it for Luna. Her sister’s smile had been her light. And now there was no light left.
  Celestia’s mind was a whirlwind of emotions. I’ve lost her. The one shred of joy in my life ripped away. Luna. Luna! She took her from me! She took my little sister! She’ll pay! 
As her rage enveloped her heart, she just let go. She didn’t care anymore. Her sister was gone. And nothing mattered; not even her own life. She gave in to her anger; inviting it to eternally embrace her. She had held it at bay; no longer.  Raising her head, Celestia’s eyes snapped open. She took a step towards Nightmare Moon. And then another.
The ground beneath her glowed white-hot with each step of her hooves. From within, her mane erupted in a fountain of flame. Her eyes alight with hate. Her tail had ignited and a swirling inferno had begun to circle her body; swirling forth from the golden glow upon her unicorn horn.
The flames completely enveloped the broken unicorn; pyromantic magic borne of despair. Completely encased within, an unearthly scream tore itself from Celestia’s throat.  
“Raaagghhh!”
“How dare you tell me how to-”
Nightmare Moon and her mother; who had begun yelling at each other, fell silent at the display. The once loving, little sister of Celestia, watched as the column of fire slowly moved towards her. She was frozen in place by an unfamiliar feeling, something Nightmares weren’t accustomed to; fear.  
The next instant she found herself thrown to the floor as the inferno exploded outward before drawing itself back in. The flames took on the forms of wings, one on each side of Celestia. The flames flickered to reveal the new ivory pegasus feathers they now rested on. Nightmare Moon just stared in shock as she clambored to her hooves; the lowly slave mare had become an alicorn. However, this was different. The alicorn before her wasn’t the same mare as before. 
Celestia’s eyes were hooded over, and focused solely on Nightmare Moon. Tears streamed unrestrained down her muzzle. On her face rested a soft yet broken smile; as though she had come to accept a sad reality. Still, she stepped towards Nightmare Moon; towards the abomination that had been her sister. And all the while, her horn glowed with a golden aura.
Nightmare Moon shouted at her in a commanding tone before firing a blast of Lunar Magic at Celestia’s new form. 
 “Alicorn or not, I am a Nightmare! Stand down.”
Celestia didn’t respond as the magic slammed into her. There was nothing left to say. Her sister had been taken from her. Her mother had forcibly removed any emotions and any semblance of compassion that had made Luna, Luna. The blasts struck her flesh and seemed to be absorbed within it. Unaffected by Nightmare Moon’s magic she continued towards the Nightmare. As her former sister’s magic struck her, the flames upon her body seemed to glow brighter; with each strike.
“You think you can defy me?”
The Nightmare’s calm demeanor had begun to waver at the unnerving silent resolve of Celestia. She started backing up while, firing blast after blast of magic, her fear slowly began to overtake her.
The floor began to melt as the fire of Celestia grew; seemingly fed by the magic she was being blasted with. It didn’t take long until Nightmare Moon found her back to the castle wall; while Celestia stood mere inches from her.
“W-wait, I thought you said we were sisters!”
Nightmare Moon’s terror had completely consumed her and now the Nightmare turned to the tried and true tactic of deception. It seemed to work; Celestia appeared to pause for a moment before her sad smile turned into a malicious grin. Looking the Nightmare in her eyes, she spoke just two words as the magic building in her horn was released, in one furious explosion. Two words; infused with all the pain, misery and hate she now felt.
“We were.”
The castle walls Nightmare Moon had been backed against exploded outward, and the Nightmare was blasted into the air as well. The darkness of the eternal night cast by the Matriarch was broken by the golden glow of the solar magic cast by her daughter. The skies lit up with the magic of daylight; an event not witnessed since the Nightmares first rose to the throne tens of thousands of years ago.
Nightmare Moon’s body slowly began disintegrating, before a shout from behind Celestia was heard.
“This I cannot allow!”
A blast of magic roared past Celestia’s head to strike Nightmare Moon, causing her to vanish in a flash of light. Taken by surprise, Celestia turned to face her mother, who was smiling; the first time Celestia had ever seen her give a genuine smile.
“You’ve finally awoken your magic. I’m so proud of you, Celestia.”

***

Celestia found her thoughts interrupted by a slight tickling sensation in her wingtips.  Surprised, Celestia glanced away from the moon above to stare down at the cause. A small smile graced the tyrant's lips at what she saw. The affectionate little filly, Twilight, was nuzzling her.
“You’ve got some brass ones, little one.”
Twilight merely grinned and gave her another gentle nudge. There was no fear in her movements; it almost seemed the little filly was on some kind of mission. As Celestia sat there, staring at her in curiosity, Twilight made her ulterior motive known with a gleeful squeak of joy.
“You were crying, now you’re smiling. I like it when you smile, your majesty.”
She hadn’t even been aware of the tears streaming down her face. Out of the mouth of foals. Celestia just couldn’t be stern around her. Not that she hadn’t tried. Her normally serpentine-like glare softened and gently she wrapped Twilight within her ivory wings; in a warm embrace. 
“Oh, so now you are trying to cheer me up? You insolent little brat. Thank you.”
Wiping her tears away with a hoof,  Celestia tickled Twilight's muzzle with her wingtips. Still smiling, she watched the giggling little unicorn with amusement. She leaned down and gave a gentle whisper as though afraid others would hear.
“And Twilight, just call me Celestia.”