//------------------------------//
// Chapter 17- The Tyrant and the Princess- Part One 
// Story: Only the Broken, Only the Cursed (please read blog post) 
// by DougtheLoremaster 
//------------------------------//

Twilight’s eyes darted around the strange, empty room. It was inconceivably large, with an odd split in the middle separating it into two halves, yet somehow it remained connected. On either side of the split, stood Clover and Grogar; each on a different side. Neither spoke a word, but they didn’t have to. Twilight watched as the magic of both told the story she never knew. The empty halves filled in with identical backgrounds of a familiar stone castle throne room. Both the same, and yet, Twilight could see they both had slight differences.

***

 In Clover’s half, a large golden throne sat with an Alicorn perched on it. A dozen-or-so standards bearing an insignia of a melded sun and silver moon and the words ‘For Everfree’, decorate the room. The Alicorn had a concerned look on her face, staring at something Twilight couldn’t see.

***

In Grogar’s half, a more familiar sight graced Twilight’s sight. A throne cast in gold and forged of bone sat in the same position as the other room. On it sat a Nightmare, but not one Twilight recognized. In the eaves the remains of standards fluttered; frozen over in ice. The Nightmare was looking down at something Twilight again could not see. On her face was an expression of pure disgust and she seemed to be speaking to some creature or creatures.

***


Clover's Realm


***

The white Alicorn leaped from her throne shouting.
“Luna! You need to lower the moon!”
Twilight’s eyes went wide at the name, and the form of a black Alicorn, resembling a Nightmare was seen casually walking towards the Alicorn, sneering.
“Celestia, Celestia, the favorite of everypony in Equestria. The light that shines and the only one the ponies care about. You and your blasted daylight! Nopony remembers the shadow of the moon, the forgotten sister, Luna.”
Celestia stood shaking, with broken resolve. It was clear she didn’t want to confront her little sister. She cried out, desperately trying to appeal to the good within her sister.
“Please Luna, lower the moon, it isn’t too late. We can put this all behind us and we can…”
Luna’s mocking voice could be heard, interrupting her sister.
“We can, what, you foolish mare? We can...work together? Oh, Luna’s heard that one too many times, we have heard that one too many times. No, no. I, no, we are through being the shadow you cast.”
“Luna, please!”
Luna stepped towards her sister, a look of pure malice upon her face.
“We are not Luna! Luna was weak, we are not weak. No, no dear sister. We are Nightmare Moon, and we cannot allow that wretched light to shine again. Our time has come, Celestia. Tonight the sun will set and our glorious night will last forever!”

***


Grogar's Realm


***

“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 about what lessers think of us. We are perfection; we are elite!”
The Nightmare 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 a Nightmare.
“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.”

***

Twilight watched in morbid fascination as both realms, through very different means, arrived at the same conclusion: the banishment of Nightmare Moon to the moon. In Clover’s half, it was a call of self-preservation; the only alternative being the death of one or both of the sisters, as Luna was so far gone in her desire to ‘set the sun’. Celestia had instinctively used the Elements of Harmony to shield herself from her sister’s attack, resulting in the sealing of her sister, with no idea of how to undo it.
In Grogar’s half, it was to protect Nightmare Moon from Celestia’s rage. Having been stripped of her alternative personality, Nightmare Moon had attacked Celestia while their mother watched. After trying again and again, Celestia failed to return her sister to the loving self she had been. The battle was fierce and out of fear; their mom sealed Nightmare Moon within the moon to regenerate and prevent the awakened Daybreaker Celestia from slaughtering her.
Two separate instances of the same event had ended the same way, but the aftermath was what truly caught Twilight’s eye.

***

The solitary Princess stared unblinkingly at the mark that had seared itself upon the face of the moon; trying to piece together what just happened. She shivered and turned to stare at the ground beside her. There lay the discharged Elements of Harmony, still crackling from the sudden and forced activation of their magical properties.  Something was off; they looked different.
The color of the elements had drained away, leaving only cracked, chipped spheres of dense rock lying on the throne room floor. They were lifeless, broken; a reflection of the Princess’s soul, as she turned once more to stare at the moon. Her eyes went wide. Her sister was gone, and she had been the one to banish her.
“No.”
She whispered the word as the tears fell down her muzzle. She had spent her entire life protecting her little sister and now, Luna was gone. Her pulse quickened, and her heart broke.
“Luna.”
Above her, the magical seal on the moon filled her vision. Her sister was gone. Luna was gone. Closing her eyes, a guttural scream tore itself from her throat and echoed across the valley. 
“Luna!”

***

The Tyrant-To-Be stood in the throne room staring venomous hatred towards her mother; the Nightmare staring passively down at her daughter. Celestia’s body was covered by a raging inferno, the physical manifestation of her hatred. Off to the side, a hole in the castle wall was all that remained of her confrontation with her sister.
Her mother, however, seemed overjoyed at her daughter’s rage; Celestia’s infernal transformation slowly stepping towards her. Smiling, the Nightmare calmly revealed to Celestia the reason behind pitting the two sisters against each other.
“I’m so proud of you, you’ve finally awakened your inner fire…”
The flames rippling across the enraged form of Celestia slowly wavered, and finally extinguished as her mother explained the truth behind Luna.
“She wasn’t real. Not the version you knew of her, that is. You see, I knew you would need to experience an unparalleled rage and pain, in order to unleash your inner Daybreaker.”
Over the next 30 minutes, she explained how all the agony and despair of neglect and abuse had all been orchestrated just to draw forth Celestia’s inner tyrant. And then with a hug; the only affection her mom had ever shown her, the Nightmare ended her immortal life, leaving Celestia alone and in pain. Her mother had never really hated her but was willing to risk everything just to watch her become the tyrant she was meant to be.
The young heir was forced to watch as her mother disintegrated before her eyes and that was the final straw. She turned and ran towards the open window and her body once more ignited in a fiery inferno. Leaping out the window, she spread her wing and soared through the sky, leaving a blazing countryside below her as she attempted to fly to parts unknown, to get away from any signs of death, before her rage overtook her. And overtake her, it did.

***

Twilight watched as the Now-Tyrant, sole surviving member of the Nightmare Hierarchy, flew until she could no longer contain herself. Little by little, her streaming tears turned to steam, her body engulfed in a raging inferno. She had lost everything and had learned everything she knew was a lie. She fell from the sky; screeching a sound that was a mix between sobbing and roaring. Landing on the ground she began to shake, her eyes igniting in flames, and then it happened.
The event that gave her the nickname ‘Demon of Tartarus’. The reason none contested her power. A roaring blast radiated out from every direction and the ground just dissolved. One moment it was there, and the next, half the planet was simply gone.
“Quite the series of events, isn’t it?”
Twilight’s body twitched as a searing pain crossed its surface. Though not nearly as agonizing as last time, Grogar’s gravelly voice still caused her indescribable pain. Once more Clover moved quickly to wrap Twilight in a warm embrace. And once more the pain faded. Twilight couldn’t help but notice that the pain, though immense, had been noticeably less than before. But why?
Clover looked down and spoke to her.
“Are you alright? You’ll have to forgive my husband. Sometimes he can’t control his chaos.”
Twilight blinked as she looked up into the warm, comforting smile of Clover. 
“I-I’m fine, it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as before.”
At these words, Clover’s expression changed to one of startled surprise, before she exchanged a concerned look with Grogar, who in turn looked perplexed at the comment. Turning her attention back to Twilight, she laughed gently.
“You don’t say. Well, perhaps we should get back to our story then.”
Her words were soft and melodic, like that of a soothing dream.
“The two Celestias coped with loss in very different ways. The one in my realm was alone with her despairing thoughts, and the one in Grogar’s was alone with her rage. However, while the Tyrant was alone in her rage, she had gotten something the Princess hadn’t: answers. Though she was unable to hold back her inner pain, fear, and rage as a result.”
Twilight watched as the Tyrant raged out of control, that is until a familiar figure snapped its talons and a bolt of lightning struck her flank, jolting her out of her rage. As she collapsed from the shock, the figure sat on a nearby rock, waiting silently as Celestia slowly and painfully staggered to her hooves.
“Though my husband and I refrain from interfering in our creations lives, our children are free to do as they wish; within reason of course. And It just so happened, that our son had taken notice in one of the Celestias. Standing on the precipice of the abyss, it only takes one voice to change everything.”

***

The Tyrant whipped her head around wildly, looking for the one who attacked her. Finally, she noticed the Dragconiqus sitting on the rock and glared fiercely at him.
“How dare you attack…”
The creature snorted dismissively and snapped its talons, causing a cloud to magically manifest over her, and soaking her fur and mane in a sudden downpour. His voice was jovial and borderline mocking.
“None of that now. I think perhaps you should just cool off.”
Now dripping wet and shivering from the chilling rain, Celestia stammered out.
“W-who are you an-and w-what do you w-w-want from me?”
A bouquet of multicolored roses appeared in his outstretched talon taking Celestia by complete surprise. A single snap of those talons and Celestia fur and mane became perfectly dry and styled; startling the young Tyrant.
“Wha...What is this?”
“I can see you're on a trip through Tartarus right now, would you like some company?”

***

Twilight watched in shock and awe as Celestia and Discord got to know each other. It was a side of the Tyrant she had never seen before; affectionate and heartwarming. Clover’s soft voice explained.
“Perhaps it was something in the air, or maybe just the sudden timing of my son’s appearance, but the two began a many-hundred-year relationship as they worked together to slowly rebuild the planet; never letting any other witness or know this side of the Tyrant. Around Discord, she felt she could be free and enjoy her life once more. Though, when one door opens, another closes for good.”
The scene faded and left only the Clover Realm’s Celestia. She stood silent, broken, destroyed as despair tore at her soul. And then she moved.

***

Storming through the hall the last Princess of Equestria made her way towards the forbidden section, leaving a trail of cracked flooring in her wake.
“Your majesty, much apologies, but you’ve told us to prevent you from ever entering this section, by force if need be.”
Celestia paused for one moment, her horn glowed a bright golden seconds before the guard’s neck was snapped and hurled the crushed body at the other one; who shakingly raised his spear. Seconds later the lifeless armored corpse crumpled to the ground.
“Stay out of my way, Captain.”
Her eyes were sunken, she saw nothing, she cared about nothing. Her sister was gone, and she would bring her back. With no effort she blasted the heavy steel doors inward, stepping over the destroyed, twisted metal the Princess stepped into the forbidden wing of Canterlot Castle. She moved with purpose, heading straight for a section labeled ‘Death’. Tomes flew off the shelf, flying towards her as horn aglow she approached a bookcase. The sounds of yelling could be heard rapidly approaching; she paid them no mind.
Celestia rapidly read through the tomes, apparently looking for something particular.

***

Twilight watched in silent, morbid fascination at the eerie sight before her. The scene had faded and re-emerged revealing a horrific sight. The Princess of the Sun now looked disheveled; her fur mangy, her mane frazzled. Many years of neglecting her personal hygiene and refusing to leave the forbidden section had morphed the once graceful ruler into a crazed, obsessed ghoulish figure, hell-bent on bringing her sister back.
For the last few hundred years, she hadn’t left that room. The only thought in her mind was bringing back Luna; bringing back her little sister. Twilight was in disbelief, this Celestia now looked far more demonic than the Tyrant had ever appeared.
Off to the side, dozens of cake plates lay scattered, broken, and covered in dust. Outside the room, Twilight could see Royal Guards preventing any but the cooks and servants from entering. And she also saw why.
On the floor in front of the Princess was a strange symbol, gouged into the stonework, as though it had been blasted into the indestructible stone floor. The symbol glowed with a fierce sickly electric green light. And in the center of that symbol lay the rotting remains of dozens of creatures that had approached her. The bones were flecked with flesh, and the carcasses lay dismembered; organized in five areas of the strange symbol.
“What is she doing?”
“Crossing a line that should never have been crossed.”
The rough, gravelly voice filled Twilight’s ears and she braced herself for pain, but it never came. Instead, she found herself able to listen as he spoke with no ill effects, something that did not escape Clover’s gaze though Grogar was unaware as he continued speaking.
“At this point in time, she did not realize her sister had been sealed away. The Princess believed she had taken her sister’s life, and she was determined to bring her back. Unfortunately for her, she succeeded in reaching her." 
As the symbol seemed to glow as bright as the sun, the Princess smiled an eerily creepy smile, that sent shivers down Twilight’s spine, and began to chant in a strange language Twilight had never heard: 

"ᖃᓛᖅᑎᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᐅᒃ, 
ᐸᐅᕐᖓᖅ ᓴᐅᓂᖅ, 
ᐳᐃᒍᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᖏᖏᑦ ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑐᒧᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥᑦ, 
ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᒥᑦ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᖅ ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑎᒋᔪᖅ, 
ᑕᕝᕙᙵᑦ ᐱᓪᓚᑦᑖᒥᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᖓ. 
ᐊᓯᐊᓄᓪᓕ, ᐅᕙᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᑕᖅᑭᔪᖃᕐᒪᑦ. 
ᐅᓐᓄᐊᖏᓐᓇᖅ ᑕᓯᐅᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᕐᓚᖓ, 
ᐅᑎᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᕙᓂ, ᐊᐳᑎᖃᓗᐊᓕᕋᒪ. ᑕᐃᑲᙵᑦ ᑐᖁᖓᓕᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒥᑦ ᓴᓂᑦᑎᐊᖓᓄᓪᓗ ᐊᑏᑦ ᔭᒐᕋᒃᑯ!"

Twilight couldn’t make out any of the chanting, save the last two words:

“Nightmare Moon!”

The little Unicorn watched as the symbol spiderwebbed with glowing cracks before exploding outward creating a swirling vortex of black and lime-colored lights. And just like that, Celestia was gone; leaving behind a cold, dark, and empty room once more.
The scene vanished from sight once more as Clover spoke this time; her serene voice tinged with sadness as she spoke to Twilight.
"The problem was, it wasn’t her sister that was dead.”