“Your majesties,” one of the Royal Guard marched into the Princesses’ meeting room, a pegasus with his armour somewhat scuffed and tattered. “I bring you a report from the attack on Canterlot.”
Luna had let her guard down, she had to admit - so long after the Spirit’s banishment, and after a quiet few months, she had relaxed for a night, and left her Night Guard to deal with her duties. That had apparently prompted an attack of monsters of incredible scale on the newly-built city of Canterlot, which her Night Guard simply hadn’t been able to deal with, and she had been too far from the city to help them in time. The damage had been immense.
The pegasus unfurled his scroll, and began to read. “Seventy-three ponies have been killed, and over a hundred are badly injured. Casualties include-” he hesitated for a few moments, cleared his throat, and pressed on. “The Royal Wizard, Starswirl the Bearded.”
Luna had known, and yet it felt like a carriage hitting her in the chest to hear. “Thank you, Guardspony. Thou may leave us.” Celestia said calmly, and the pegasus bowed his way away from the two. Luna was struggling to maintain her composure, but looking up, she saw that Celestia was calmly sipping her tea, eyes closed. “Thou does realise that this is all thine fault, yes?”
“Tia…” If the news had been a carriage hitting her, that was a mountain.
“You insist on maintaining this dangerous night, and abandon our ponies to it!” Celestia roared, her façade all but failing. “And thanks to you, your failure as a ruler, Starswirl is dead!”
“He had a long life.” Luna said softly, almost trying to convince herself. "He lived longer than any other mortal pony.”
“And he died alone, afraid, and in pain.”
“He was my friend too!” Luna snapped back, tears in her eyes. “Do you think that I’m not suffering?”
“If your friends are abandoned to the monsters, I would hate to see your enemies!” Celestia stood, and Luna saw a tearful anger in her sister’s eyes, one that made her loving family member seem suddenly dangerous. “You are not fit to protect us, Luna, and not fit to even call yourself a Princess!”
It was simple anger, Celestia didn’t mean it, but it still hurt Luna, and forced her to inhale deeply to hold off her emotions. Celestia, in one last fit of anger, carelessly tossed her teacup to shatter on the floor and slammed the door hard as she left the room.
Alone, Luna sat at the table and cried.
The day before the Summer Sun Celebration, Canterlot was buzzing - for the first time in several years, Luna would be raising the sun personally at the huge festival the nobles were throwing. The stalls and stands already filled most of the streets in front of the castle, and the entire city was jubilant.
But Luna wasn’t interested in the celebrations that day. Shortly before noon on a baking, summer day, she stood at the northernmost edge of Canterlot’s shelf, at one of the colossal airship docks that dotted it, full of the bustle of travellers and cargo. She, alongside Twilight and Spike, waited in front of an empty dock, Luna almost bouncing physically from excitement. Sunset Shimmer is coming home, she kept jubilantly telling herself. My darling Sunset is coming home.
Her initial reaction to the news was a desire to make the return some colossal celebration. To roll a red carpet out to the dock and have music and food and an honour guard waiting for her beloved student’s return. But she didn't want to risk overwhelming her - Zebrica was a beautiful land, with many vibrant cities, but Sunset’s studies had concerned the mostly uninhabited areas. The unicorn likely wouldn't have been exposed to a crowd for a number of years, and she’d not been the most extroverted pony to begin with. Panic was the last reaction that Luna wanted from Sunset.
It would be celebration enough with just these few, anyway. Luna alone could dance and cheer enough to start a party alone, from how she felt. She was constantly resisting the urge to fly up and see if the airship was approaching, but it wouldn’t be the most dignified response. And she knew that these docks were run like clockwork, and the ship would be arriving in a matter of seconds.
And there it was, a huge vessel, balloon and gondola both painted sky blue and decorated in the distinct, multicoloured, swirling style of Zebrica. Tradewind was its name, written in the Equestrian, Zebrican, and Griffonian scripts. It was chiefly a cargo vessel, carrying huge amounts of exotic goods between Equestria and the trading cities of Zebrica, with occasional detours to Griffonia, and occasional berths for well-paying passengers. It moved gently into the dock, like some sort of bizarre whale hugging an island, and rolled out a large boarding plank as the maintenance pegasi flew to examine the vessel.
The unicorn was the first to leave. Most of her body was hidden beneath a dark travelling cloak, held at the neck with a silver brooch, a gift from Luna when Sunset left, and a set of heavy saddlebags. But the golden fur of her face, the crimson of her mane, and her bright, green eyes were clearly visible. She hadn’t aged a day.
“Hello, my dear.” Luna had planned many more things to say, more poetic, but that was what came from her heart.
“Hello, Princess.” Sunset gave that half-smile of hers as she looked the alicorn up and down, before leaning into Luna’s embrace. With both forelegs and both wings, Luna held the young unicorn mare just as she had held the tiny, orphaned filly so many years ago.
“I missed you so.” Luna whispered tearfully.
“I missed you too, Luna.”
They held the embrace for a long minute that felt far too short, before Luna released her student. “This is Twilight Sparkle, and Spike.”
“It’s lovely to put a face to the hoofwriting.” Sunset extended a forehoof, and the others shook it kindly.
“The same to you. Thank you so much for all the help on tests over the years. It’s nice to have a study buddy, even if she is an invisible one.” Twilight smiled warmly and, after a moment of hesitation, Sunset returned it. Sometimes, she had problems with other ponies, which Luna had always attributed to her upbringing, and a tendency to act superior. Fortunately, she seemed to be behaving perfectly well for the moment. Perhaps, as Luna had hoped, her time abroad had mellowed her somewhat.
“Come, my dear,” Luna took her bags in her magic, levitating them onto her own back. “Let us take a chariot back to the castle. Your room is just how you left it.”
“Oh, actually, Luna, I have a friend I wanted to introduce to you. I’ll just get her off the ship.” Sunset trotted back in that direction, and Luna smiled, somewhat surprised: there had been no mention of a guest in her messages, but she certainly wouldn’t say no to her student bringing back a colleague. She was inside the ship for a long few minutes, before she led out a tall figure, their features hidden beneath a dark cloak. They walked confidently, and Luna couldn't shape a strange sort of familiarity as they approached.
“Well, it’s certainly a pleasure to meet a friend of my student’s.”
A long moment’s pause, and Luna tried to subtly look underneath the figure’s hood. They were as tall as she was, and flicked their neck back to reveal their face. Their ivory fur, and their pointed teeth, and their mane of living fire. Luna didn’t know whether to scream, or to shout for the others to run, or to flee herself, panic gripping her heart like a vice.
“Hello, monster.” Daybreaker said calmly.
“When?” Was the first word that found its way from Luna’s gaping mouth, the first question that fought its way to the front of her mind.
“The longest day of the thousandth year. I returned to the site of our last battle, after a millennium of being sealed in sunlight. I should’ve fought you then and there, fiend…” Daybreaker snarled. “But I saw the veil that you have pulled over the minds of my ponies, brainwashing them with your foul magics! I flew east to buy time, and to find a way to fight my wicked rival.”
“Sister.” Was the next word to fight its way out of Luna’s mouth, and it was met by a hard turn and a sharp-toothed snarl from the other alicorn.
“Do not call me that, witch!” Her horn aglow, one of the heavy bags that Luna wore opened, and an object was removed from it. “Do you know what this is?” Unwrapped from a bundle of tattered fabric, Daybreaker donned a crown of gold, removing her own. It was dotted with rubies, and had a jagged, spiked design. “This is the Crown of Amantyok, a relic of Zebrican myth. It binds all who have sworn fealty to obey their master, even if they would break their vows. And thanks to my dear student,” one wing held Sunset. “I know that the Royal Guard swear fealty to the sun.”
“Sunset?” Luna whimpered, her mind refusing to accept that this was anything other than a bad dream.
“You lied to me.” Sunset said, and it felt like a blow to Luna’s body. “You told me that all you wanted was to protect Equestria, but you forced them to contend with the monsters of the night! And you told me that I was fine the way I am, that I’d studied well, but the Queen has shown me power. The Queen will make me an alicorn!”
There was something in Sunset’s eyes that hadn’t been there since she was a filly, an immense arrogance and desire for power that Luna had taken great care to help the young mare control. “Sunset, that’s not possible.”
“See, my dear? Even now, the witch lies.” Daybreaker looked down her nose at the Princess. “For all you’ve done for me, and all your power, you’ll ascend, and you’ll sit at my right hoof. Once we have removed the monster.” The rubies in her crown began to glow, and the next time she spoke, her voice echoed through the whole city. “My faithful Royal Guard! This witch, this pretender, has sat on the throne and endangered the ponies of Equestria for too long! Detain her, and I shall protect you, under the light of my perfect sun!”
“Stop this!” Twilight jumped in front of her mentor, pulling back her lips in an attempt at intimidation. “I know who you are, Daybreaker, I know that you’re-”
“Ah, and you must be Twilight Sparkle.” Smiling gently, and her soft voice completely overwhelming Twilight’s, she reached out to touch the unicorn’s cheek with a forehoof in a gentle, almost motherly way. “What she must have done, what foul ideas she must have put into your head.”
“She hasn’t-”
“You will hate me for this, but you will thank me one day, when you realise just how much danger this monster has put you in.”
The Royal Guard were appearing now, masses of gold-armoured ponies swarming into the dockyard, even as Twilight snarled and began to charge a powerful spell. “No. I love Princess Luna, and you-”
“Twilight.” Luna said softly. “Don’t.”
“Luna?”
A perimeter of fire-eyed Guards formed around the group, and the Princess looked down at her student. “I love you, Twilight Sparkle, Spike. Be safe.” In an instant, she had cast a powerful spell with a snap of power, and the unicorn and dragon were gone. Luna looked around the many gold-armoured ponies, their eyes burning the same orange-red as Daybreaker’s, and their faces twisted in hatred. Could she fight them? Perhaps. But there were faces she knew in the huge crowd, the faces of companions and friends from around the castle. And the Daybreaker. And Tia… “I will not fight you, sister.” Luna said softly, and Daybreaker sneered.
“Good. These thousand years have taught you to respect your betters, if nothing else.” Her horn glowed with firelight, and golden chains appeared out of nothing, curling tight around Luna’s limbs, binding her legs and wings tight. One of the Guards, moving like a machine, placed a complex ring on her horn, and she felt her magic fade. “Escort her to the dungeons. I must address my nation.”
Spreading her powerful wings, she took into the sky, flying above the magnificent spires of Canterlot’s castle, and raised her voice to carry over the entire great city.
“Citizens of Equestria! For too long, you have suffered under the unjust reign of the monster calling herself ‘Princess’! You have cowered and died beneath the moon, when the witch deprived you of the sun’s healing light. No more! Today, your true Queen has returned! Today, the sun has set for the last time! Today I, Daybreaker, your Queen, lead you into a safe and prosperous time! Today, we celebrate the Eternal Sun! Today, Equestria, you are safe!”
Her voice echoed to a stop in the alleyways and streets of Canterlot, and silence smothered the city. There was no cheering, no applause. Only the silence of burning sunlight beating down on the cobbles.
“Princess, no!” Twilight shouted, but by the time the words had left her mouth, she was already gone, standing outside Ponyville’s town hall. Her sudden exclamation drew several odd looks from the townsponies walking past her, but they walked on, used to slightly strange behaviour from Twilight and her friends. “Curse it!”
“Will the Princess be OK, Twi?”
“I,.. I don’t know, Spike.” Terrifyingly, that was the truth. Twilight didn’t know. “But I know that we need the girls.” The closest place that they might be to the town hall was Sugarcube Corner, so Twilight set off at a gallop towards it, Spike on her back. The eatery, when she arrived, was quiet - only Pinkie Pie behind the counter, Rainbow Dash sat at it, and a couple she vaguely recognised at one corner table. “Rainbow Dash, thank goodness you’re here! You need to bring the girls here, now!”
“Whoa, easy there, Twi!” The pegasus was halfway through a bowl of ice cream, and instinctively rose off her stool. “What’s going on? Aren’t you supposed to be in Canterlot.”
“Bearer business.” Twilight hissed, looking over at the couple with more malice than she intended, that made them uncomfortably stand from their table. “Equestria’s in danger.”
Knowing not to argue, Rainbow Dash nodded, and set off out of an open window in a streak of rainbow light, leaving Twilight to slump in a stool and sigh.
“Wanna milkshake?” Pinkie asked, and Twilight shot her a look.
“Pinkie, this is serious.”
“Nothing’s too serious for a milkshaaaaaake!” She sang as she vanished into a back room.
Still, Twilight had to admit, the cold, sugary drink did make her feel a little bit better, and it seemed to give Spike another burst of energy. And just as they were finishing, Rainbow Dash and the other three appeared, Dash locking the cafe’s door behind her.
“What in the hay’s goin’ on, Twi?” Applejack asked. “Why are you back from Canterlot?”
“Luna’s sister is back.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Rainbow Dash asked and, in response, Twilight teleported the book of the Tale of Two Sisters to her.
“No. See, apparently, she left because she went mad, and refused to lower the sun. Luna said that the Elements had burned the madness and evil out of her, and she’d left to figure things out for a while, but…”
“But she’s still unfriendly.” Fluttershy ventured, and Twilight nodded.
“She’s refusing to lower the sun.” Should the sun be moving down in the sky by now? Twilight didn’t know if it was paranoia, or if noon was already dragging on. “She’s got a crown that lets her control the Royal Guard, and Sunset, Luna’s other student, is working with her. Luna,” Twilight gulped. “Looked like she wouldn’t fight.”
“Well, darling,” Rarity stood. “We certainly won’t be letting some… ruffian push dear Luna off the throne! Come along, girls, get your Elements, and we’ll be on the first train out of here!”
The others exclaimed their agreement, but Applejack was quiet, and spoke to Twilight. “The Princess lied about her sister bein’ better?”
“Yes. Her name is Celestia, but she calls herself the Daybreaker, and she says that she’s the Queen.”
“But… why’d the Princess lie?” Applejack sounded almost offended.
“I… don’t know, Applejack.” Twilight had spent a good chunk of her life at the Princess’ side, and lying wasn’t in her character; she was honest to a fault normally, even white lies of omission being tremendously rare. Why would she lie about something so significant, so important, especially something that could become an issue for Twilight and her friends? “But it doesn’t matter - it’s happening now, and we need to stop it, before things get really bad.” Applejack could agree with that, and gave a determined nod as she stood, joining the other bearers.
“Alright girls - get your Elements and meet me at the station as soon as you can. We have a sun to set!”
Canterlot had accepted its new ruler quickly and, within a few hours, the crowds in front of the castle had dissipated. There had been protests and questions from ponies and nobles, of course, but Daybreaker’s powerful words and sharp glares had dismissed many of them. Already, messengers from amongst the Royal Guard, bound by their oath to the sun and the memory of the sun's Princess, were moving to the other towns and cities, to tell them of their new ruler.
“This was expected, of course. After a thousand years, who knows how powerfully that witch could’ve indoctrinated the ponies.” Daybreaker mused, sitting on the great, golden throne in the beautiful foyer of her castle. A simple burst of magic had converted it from the melancholy décor of the monster’s, and it was covered in murals of sun and fire, a stained glass window behind her showing the false Princess with her head bowed low, Daybreaker standing triumphant.
“Even with your undivided attention, it took many months to teach me, your burning majesty.” Sunset offered. She sat at Daybreaker’s right side, as had been promised to her.
“Burning majesty.” Daybreaker crooned. “I like that. But do not speak of that as a negative, darling Sunset.” With a motherly affection, Daybreaker touched the unicorn’s back. “She groomed you from foalhood. It would’ve taken a less intelligent filly many years to work through those lies.”
“You honour me, my Queen.” Sunset said, her chest puffing out with pride.
“Ah, and here is the first loyal subject to petition me.” Casting a long shadow in the well-lit hall, and looking small beneath the glare of the Royal Guard, a white-coated stallion approached. Sunset could feel herself sneer: Blueblood, one of Luna’s adoptive nephews. An odorous stallion, if ever there was one. “Come, child. Bow before your Queen, and state your name.”
The stallion hesitated for a moment at the foot of the throne - their stations being nominally equal, the Princess had never demanded a show of supplication from her nephew. Still, he bowed low. “I am Blueblood, Prince of Canterlot… your majesty.” His voice trembled slightly with worry, even as Daybreaker beckoned him to stand again.
“And why do you come before your Queen this hour, Blueblood, Prince of Canterlot?”
“I-” He gulped. “I wish to see my aunt, your majesty.”
Sunset felt her eyebrows raise. Brave, to ask to see the just-deposed monarch. Or foolish. Who was she kidding, this was Blueblood, deeply foolish.
“Your aunt, Blueblood, is locked away for your own safety. She is a monster in the guise of a pony, one who enforced darkness on Equestria for many lifetimes, and you would be a fool to believe otherwise.”
“I do believe that, your highness,” he crooned with a negotiator’s ease. “I only wish to see the illusion dispelled for myself, that I might best know how to serve you.”
“No.” Daybreaker said without hesitation, and Blueblood’s ears drooped. “She has groomed you from birth. I cannot know the strength of the geas that she has placed on you, nor what she might have you do. Perhaps, one day in the future, I may permit my ponies to see the truth for themselves, but not today.”
“O-Of course, your majesty.” Blueblood said, failing to hide his disappointment, and bowed his head before he left the castle.
“Sunset, take a note.” She said after a long pause, and the unicorn conjured a pen and parchment before her. “Have a missive sent out summoning all of Canterlot’s nobles to a meeting here in two hours’ time. I should address the nobility more personally, and see just how thorough the monster’s control over them is.”
“Done, your majesty.” In another burst of magic, Sunset sent the note off elsewhere in the castle.
“Thank you, dear Sunset. I hope, one day, that all ponies can be as free and loving as you.”
Of course, given the fact that a strange Royal Guard had arrived at the station claiming that Equestria now had a Queen shortly before the Bearers made it there, the trains weren’t exactly running as normal. It had taken persuasion, bribery, flirting, and general cajoling to persuade somepony to drive the afternoon train to Canterlot.
And on the train to Canterlot, despite it being only a brief jaunt in relative terms, it became very clear that things were very wrong. The sun, which should be dipping west in the afternoon now, was instead still hanging directly overhead, hot and bright. Whatever doubts the other Bearers might’ve had about Twilight’s story were dispelled as the uncomfortable, summer heat remained when they’d hoped for some relief.
The sheer wrongness of the situation remained clear once they arrived in Canterlot - the numerous banners of many designs, ready for the Summer Sun Celebration, had been replaced by banners of fiery orange, depicting a stylised sun. The streets were quieter than usual, and the many plants by their sides already appeared to be wilting. And the Royal Guard, always a constant, had changed, not engaging in friendly conversation with passers-by, but glaring at those who passed them with unnatural, orange eyes.
Fuelled by fear, hope, and more than a little anger, Twilight was leading her friends directly to the spires of the castle, but she was stopped by Rainbow Dash dropping from the air directly in front of her.
“OK Twi, I want rid of this freak as much as the next pony, but is this really a good idea? Like, what’s the plan here?”
“Go up to Daybreaker,” Twilight stepped around her friend, continuing to speak. “Say something about the power of friendship, Elements, rainbow blasts, Queen gone.”
“And who says that’s even going to work? We’ve only used these things once, Twi! Maybe they only worked against Discord because he’s all about disharmony.”
That felt like a reasonable point. “Well, according to the book, Luna used them against Daybreaker.”
“And that didn’t fix her, just sent her away for a while!”
“Well sending her away would be a lot better than just leaving things as they are!”
“But Twi,” Spike said from her back. “Wouldn’t that upset Luna?”
That made Twilight pause. Yes, that would upset Luna. It would devastate her. Even at the airship dock, when seeing that her sister’s mind remained corrupted, there was an immense hope in the Princess’ eyes, a belief that, somehow, the pony she loved was back. To completely squash that for another thousand years...
“It would. We can’t do that to her.” They stopped walking, only a couple of streets away from the castle, and looked between each other.
“So, what is the plan, then?” Applejack asked.
With a sigh, Twilight considered her options. “OK. We’ll use the Elements if we can’t think of anything else, before things can get too damaged. Say, in two days. Or forty-eight hours. Until then, we’ll think of… another plan.”
“Pardon me, my dear ladies, I couldn’t help but overhearing and I would like to offer my aid.”
They all turned to the source of the voice. A tall, ivory, blond-maned unicorn, a smart tie and collar around his neck. Twilight recognised him immediately as Prince Blueblood, one of Luna’s many adoptive nephews. From how Rarity ‘subtly’ adjusted her mane, she probably recognised him as well.
“Oh?” Was all that Twilight could think to say. He’d been polite in their conversations before, of course, but he was a politician, not exactly a mighty hero of legend.
“Of course, your scepticism is understandable,” he dabbed at his forehead with a monogrammed handkerchief, sweating in the intense sun. “I’m not exactly a warrior. But I am a pony with significant pull in Canterlot, and the Queen has imprisoned my aunt. I, and a good number of Canterlot’s aristocrats, are not best pleased, and were considering a sort of… resistance. I’m sure that we’d all be very pleased to offer our aid to the heroic bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”
That… didn’t sound like a terrible idea, actually. “Alright, your majesty. Lead on.”
“My beloved ponies… so afraid.” Daybreaker said softly as the last noble left the room from her address. “How powerful is the monster’s influence over their minds?”
Canterlot’s nobles had obeyed all the traditional court’s etiquette, of course, and behaved respectfully for their new Queen, but that was the limit of their enthusiasm. No questions had been asked, no comments on the new order raised, and the tension in the air had been palpable for the duration of Daybreaker’s speech.
“It is understandable that they are afraid; this is the first transition of power in a millennium.” Daybreaker nodded, but Sunset could see that her ruler was still troubled. “Perhaps a gesture of goodwill would assure them more?”
“My removing them from the monster’s control is not a gesture of goodwill?” There was a dangerous edge in the Queen’s voice, and Sunset raised her forehooves defensively.
“Of course it is, your highness! But the nobles of Canterlot don’t see it - they see the change of power away from a ruler they believed that they loved. We should do something to prove to them that you are a loving, benevolent ruler.”
“Hm. The point has merit.” Sunset swelled with pride and more than a little relief. “What gesture would you suggest, then, my student?”
“Well, the morrow was the day of the Summer Sun Celebration. If we were to throw a similar, even more grandiose celebration, that would certainly indicate your goodwill and provide a time of pleasant celebration for those who doubt you.”
“Yes, a festival… the servants will prepare food, we shall bring musicians, and we shall invite all of Canterlot to celebrate in the gardens, under my beautiful sun. The celebrations will continue for a long time, long enough that they can see the beauty of endless day.” She hummed thoughtfully. “But what shall we call it? It shall be summer forever, after all, so we shouldn’t phrase it as a celebration of summer.”
“The Eternal Sun Celebration?” Sunset ventured, and Daybreaker gave a sharp smile.
“You are good at this, my dear.” Sunset was already writing the various missives to the ponies necessary to prepare the celebration, two quills in her magic. “Yes, we will show them the joys of my day, and that they will never have to fear the night again. Within a week, they will have forgotten all about the ‘Princess’ that endangered them for so long, and my Solar Empire’s reign will truly begin.” Daybeaker gave a pleased smile, and Sunset mirrored it.
The Daybreaker and Sunset had stumbled across each other in a Zebrican jungle, barely a month after the Queen had returned to the world. Sunset had been seeking exotic alchemical reagents for her experiments when she had seen the incredible, angelic, fiery form streak above the colony. Eagerly, she had followed the shape, forgetting her petty experiments, and found the alicorn’s incredible form.
Initially, on seeing the powerful body and sensing the immense magic, Sunset had been afraid, especially given the hostile reaction of the alicorn when Sunset mentioned that she was Luna’s student, and had been considering trying to teleport away from the jungle. But when Daybreaker saw the young unicorn’s fear, she showed mercy, and, over the course of several days, exposed all of the Princess’ lies and opened Sunset’s eyes to the truth.
Right away, Sunset had sworn to be the true Queen’s student, and support her in her return to Equestria. They had found the Crown after years of searching, Sunset assuring her false mentor that all was well and she was still occupied with her petty alchemical studies, before returning to Equestria, and finally placing a just ruler on the throne.
Sunset had many doubts, and still wasn’t convinced that things had gone as well as they had, but here she was, at the right hoof of the Queen.
“Your majesty,” a Royal Guard said in monotone. “Our search parties have failed to locate the Bearer of the Element of Magic in Ponyville. Some say that she has left the town.”
“Curse it!” After Sunset told the Queen of the Elements’ new paragons, one of her first priorities had been their removal - or the removal of one, seeing that they needed to be together to work. Given that the unicorn, Twilight, was the most loyal to Luna, she seemed to be the most logical to detain. “The cunning little filly must have left after the monster moved her there. You, tell all your fellow Guard to be on the lookout for any and all of the Bearers. Detain them and bring them to me if you can, but do not allow them to come as a group.”
Saluting, the Guardspony trotted away, to begin the hunt for those who would stop the new Queen.
Gathered at Prince Blueblood’s manse, only a few streets over from the castle, was a much more impressive group of nobles than Twilight had expected to see - it looked like just about all of the Canterlot nobility was gathered there, and quite a few nobles from other parts of the nation.
Unfortunately, Twilight was right in her worry that the nobles would all be full of hot air - she’d heard significantly more arguments than ideas, and they all seemed utterly convinced that they were the only one who could stop the Queen. Add in the fact that, although the clock said it was early evening, the sun was still overhead and incredibly hot, and tempers were only growing more frayed. She suspected that it wouldn’t be long before somepony got challenged to a duel and the whole thing fell apart.
“Ugh, this is pointless!” Twilight threw up her forehooves in frustration, apparently unnoticed by the nobles. “Some resistance this is! A bunch of nobles playing pretend at-”
She was cut off by a knock at the mansion’s door, one that seemed to resonate and pull the attention of everypony in the area. Twilight stood nervously by the door as Blueblood pushed through the crowd of nobles, opening it with his magic.
“Good day, sir.” Said the monotone voice of a controlled Guardspony. Twilight couldn’t see him, nor could he see her as she stood to the side of the door, just out of his line of sight. “You and all citizens of Canterlot are invited to the inaugural Eternal Sun Celebration, in celebration of our new Queen.”
“Ah, thank you, my good man.” Blueblood said somewhat hesitantly, and took the proffered invitation.
“Have you been in contact with any of the mares known as the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony?”
Twilight felt her breath catch in her throat, and she pressed herself hard against the wall beside the front door. Blueblood glanced at her for a second, and she felt afraid that the Prince would sell her out.
“No, I haven’t seen any of them. Why do you ask?”
“The Queen wishes to meet with them. Please report their locations to the nearest Royal Guard if you hear of them. Good day.”
Blueblood shut the door and sighed with relief, before looking at Twilight. The entire mansion looked to be gathered in the lobby, almost certainly having heard the entire thing. “It appears that you’re wanted, ladies.”
“Wanted like bandits, from the sound of it.” Applejack grumbled, to a chorus of quiet agreement. “Looks like we’re stuck here.”
“I’m not so sure.” Twilight said, and everypony turned to her. “Think about it, apparently the entire city is invited to this Eternal Sun Celebration: there’ll be so many ponies that we can easily slip into the crowd!”
“And then what?” Rarity asked.
“Well, I think that the best plan would be to get into the castle and find Luna. She’ll know what we can do better than anypony.”
“But if Daybreaker’s looking for us, the Royal Guard will catch us in an instant!” Rainbow Dash explained, and Twilight had to give a disappointed nod.
“True. We’d need a bigger distraction for while we slip into the castle.”
“I think that’s where we’d come in, ladies.” They all turned to Prince Blueblood. “We all want rid of this ‘Queen’, so we’d all be happy to help.”
“Are you sure, Prince?” Twilight asked, with a new respect for the somewhat vapid Prince. “If you’re caught, who knows what she’ll do to you.”
“My dears, we’re nobles, causing a fuss without getting in trouble is what we do best. Now, come along, you’ll have a very busy day tom- later, I have a few spare bedrooms and you need all the rest that you can get.”
Even if she was filled with pride at what they’d achieved, fatigue caught up to Sunset after a while. Sleeping at noon felt deeply wrong, but it was the only option, and Sunset was sure that she’d get used to it.
“Forgive me, my Queen, but I’m tired. I must rest.”
“Don’t worry, my dear Sunset. You and I have worked hard, and you have more than earned your rest.” Another motherly touch from Daybreaker. “I couldn’t be more proud than you, and I’m sure that the time of your ascension will come soon.” The ascension - when Sunset would become an alicorn, Princess in name and power. The very idea of it filled her with great anticipation. “Now, I have taken the eastern tower as my quarters, and your quarters lie just below its pinnacle. I have already had your bags moved there. Sleep well, my dear.”
Bowing, Sunset left the foyer, and forced her aching legs to climb up the spiral stairs of the east tower. In layout, it was a mirror of the west tower that had been the Princess’ colour, and its decoration was almost the polar opposite - Luna’s tower was decorated in warm, dark, wintery colours, while this tower - the one she’d saved for her sister - was in brighter, more summery shades. It seemed that Daybreaker hadn’t felt the need to change this area’s décor.
Sunset was thoroughly fatigued when she reached the grand, circular rooms that were her quarters, and she barely even acknowledged the bags that had been delivered before collapsing in bed, relieved after this long, exciting, terrifying ordeal. She extended her magic to close the curtains and-
No. No, she and her new mentor had defeated the darkness, she wouldn’t just hide within it right away, so soon after their great triumph. No, Sunset, like all ponies, was a creature of the light, and she would behave as such, not crawling back to Luna's embrace so quickly.
It took a long while of tossing and turning in the light and heat before sleep found her.
They knew that this was going to be a risk, of course, but in times like this, risking it was all that they could do. They’d had a surprisingly good ‘night’s sleep thanks to the Prince’s expensive blackout curtains, and, after a remarkably restrained breakfast, they had begun to walk to the castle, alongside many other ponies. Spike had been picked up by his parents, just this ‘morning’, and would be kept safe while they walked into this immense danger.
They had, for a while, debated disguising themselves, but had concluded that it’d only draw more attention to them. No, their best bet was to hide in the midst of the crowd of nobles where nopony would be able to get a good look at them. They had the Elements of Harmony on their person, but not clearly on display, instead hidden in borrowed saddlebags, out of sight but very close at hoof.
All of the banners that had been placed for the Summer Sun Celebration had been replaced, the usual pleasant oranges and yellows now replaced with solid scarlet representations of the sun. The Royal Guard, who dotted each street corner but seemed to not be too observant in their hypnotised state, were in fiery, orange armour instead of their traditional gold, and some wore weapons at their hips, something that the Guard hadn’t done outside of a crisis for centuries.
Just as the city’s streets felt wrong, so too did the castle’s gardens: countless ponies, from all walks of life, were gathered in them for this festival, yet the atmosphere was not a festive one. Ponies shuffled nervously beneath the beating sunlight, glancing cautiously at the towers of the castle that had seemed so benevolent, now seemed domineering. There were more Royal Guards present that Twilight had ever seen outside of the changing of the Guard, and they weren’t subtle about their presence. After twenty-four hours of sunlight, the normally vibrant grass had already begun to yellow, and crunched beneath their hooves.
“There aren’t any Guards at the side entrance.” Blueblood whispered, slipping through the knot of nobles to stand beside Twilight. “If you want us to start the distraction, you should be able to slip in.”
Twilight was more scared than she’d ever been. The changeling attack on the wedding had been scary, and facing Discord had been terrifying, but both times she’d known that Luna was doing everything in her power to help, even if she wasn’t exactly there. Now, though, Luna had surrendered, and was doubtless locked away in some dank cell. Twilight and her friends had to do this without her help.
“OK.” Twilight whispered back after swallowing hard. “Start it when you’re ready.”
After a few select whispers, the nobles began to disperse, in a clearly planned manner. A dozen or so split off from the knot that hid the Bearers, and began loudly conversing about nothing in particular at the Guards standing on the way to the side entrance. Once they were in place, and the sleepwalking Guards sufficiently distracted, the Bearers split off from the knot, right as Blueblood raised his voice.
“I say,” he projected, drawing a great deal of attention from the festival-goers. “I propose a toast! A toast to Equestria, and all of its inhabitants! From glorious Canterlot to distant Vanhoofer, I know that we are all brave, strong, noble ponies, and together, we can triumph through any day or night!”
A cheer rose through the crowd as the Bearers walked as casually as possible towards the side entrance, and Twilight had to give Blueblood credit; that was a smart speech. It could be interpreted as pro-Daybreaker, enough so that he probably wouldn’t find himself in trouble, but had enough revolutionary overtones that the unhappy common ponies would support it.
And it had worked - all eyes were on the Prince and his gaggle of supporters, letting Twilight and her friends gallop the last few yards and vanish into the side entrance of the castle, one step closer to their goal.
“Forgive me, your majesty,” Sunset galloped into the throne room, somehow more tired than she had been before she’d slept, and bowed before Daybreaker. “I had to sleep for a long while.” That was a lie - it had taken her so long to fall asleep, she hadn’t slept nearly enough.
“Do not worry, my dear.” Sunset was deeply relieved, and stood at Daybreaker’s gesture. “A young lady needs her rest, and you have more than earned it.”
“Well, I am well-rested and ready to serve you again, highness.” Another lie, she was anything but well-rested.
“Good. We shall be having a busy day, the first guests for the Eternal Sun Celebration have already begun to arrive.” Daybreaker seemed well-rested. Had she even slept? Did she need to? Luna certainly did, but it was clear that the Queen was in a league of her own compared to the former Princess.
“What would you have me do, your burning majesty?”
“Well, Sunset…” A long pause from the monarch, and she turned to study the unicorn at her side. “Your name isn’t the most appropriate, my dear.”
“Excuse me, Queen?”
“Sunset. Not appropriate, is it, when there will be no more sunsets? Especially for the Queen’s right hoof. Sunrise might be more appropriate. Or Sunlight?”
Trying to control herself, Sunset still gritted her teeth - even more than most ponies, her name was a major part of her identity. As far as anypony knew, the first few years of her life had been spent on the streets of Canterlot. Once the civil servants - who she had initially been afraid of and hidden from - caught up to her and took her to the orphanage where she’d spent much of her foalhood, she hadn’t been able to tell them anything other than her name. It was her connection, the only connection anypony had, to a forgotten lifetime.
“I’ll consider it, your majesty.” She said after a long moment, managing to keep her composure.
“Of course, my dear, of course. Come then, dear, we have much to do.”
“Are you going to give a speech at the Celebration?” Sunset asked as the Queen stood.
“Yes, but there’s something I want to check on first.”
Once they’d slipped into the castle, the Bearers immediately donned their Elements, and were led by Twilight through the stone corridors of the castle, uncanny in that they seemed to be almost entirely empty. It had been a long, long time since she’d had any need to visit the castle’s dungeons, but she could never forget the dank, narrow corridor, hidden away like a dark secret in the labyrinthine castle, that led to the steep staircase down into the dungeons.
They were laid out as a long, almost black corridor, smaller corridors branching off from it where the cells lay. In Twilight’s lifetime, they had almost never been used - sometimes to hold criminals awaiting trial, and sometimes to hold particularly heinous criminals while somewhere more secure was being readied for them, but they almost lay empty. But now, from the sounds, they were much more populated, shouts and cries echoing up the dull stone corridor. According to the rumours that the nobles had heard, Raven was down here, having refused to work for Daybreaker.
But, however much Twilight wanted to help them, she had to focus on what they were here for - Luna. She had wondered how they’d find her, but one of the side corridors leading to the cells stood out; a powerful, white light was shining from down it. It took them a few moments to adjust to the powerful light when they turned down the corridor, but then they saw that it shone from behind the bars of the cell, with no obvious source, like the walls themselves were the source of this stronger, harsher sunlight.
“Princess!” Twilight exclaimed, running forwards when she saw the shape. Lying on the floor of the cell, clearly outlined in the powerful light, was the sprawled form of Luna. For a long moment, she was still, and Twilight feared the worst. But Luna looked up at her with exhausted, bloodshot eyes.
“Twilight, my dear.” She said, barely above a whisper. “You should’ve stayed away. You’re in far too much danger.”
“Princess, it’s OK. We have the Elements of Harmony, and we’re going to stop Daybreaker. Can you tell us how?” She examined the cell, but she knew that there was little she could do - these cells naturally suppressed the natural magic of all tribes, to the point where even a highly skilled unicorn could barely perform more than a basic levitation spell.
“You don’t understand. She’s right. She’ll keep you all safe. I never could. You just need to let her.”
Luna was more than just tired, she seemed drained, almost sleepwalking, like the crystal ponies under Sombra, or the Royal Guard controlled by the Queen. They had to get her out of there. “Applejack, can you buck the door open?”
The mare stepped forward, and turned around the buck with both rear hooves once, twice, thrice, right beside the lock mechanism. The door rattled loudly, but stayed stuck. “Take more’n me to open that, Twi.” Applejack sighed, panting slightly. “It’s sturdier than an apple tree in a boulder.”
“Don’t worry, Princess, we’re going to get you out of there. Come on, girls, there’ll be a Guard somewhere down here with us, they’ll have a key.” They all trotted away from the cell, entering back into the main corridor of the dungeons and looking around for-
“Well, well, well,” An uncomfortable silence fell over the Bearers, and they all cautiously stepped down the corridor, deeper into the dungeons. “I have all of Canterlot looking for you girls, and here you are walking right up to me.”
Daybreaker stood tall in the corridor, Sunset Shimmer at her side. The fiery Queen loomed over the bearers, grinning maliciously. They were unsettled, half of them standing as though to fight, the other half as though to flee.
It was Twilight that made the decision. “How dare you?” She shouted, stepping forwards. Her Element had begun to glow with power, mirrored by the others. “You’ve locked up my mentor, my family, and you claim you’re here to save us! Let her go, and-”
She was cut off, choking, as a fiery aura closed around her neck, lifting her slightly off the ground. “My, you have passion, my dear. Loyalty is an admirable thing, misguided as it is.” She casually knocked the tiara off Twilight’s head with one hoof, its glow dying, and began to carry her away. “I hope that I’ll be able to make you understand, one day, just how much that monster has betrayed you.”
“And where do you think you’re going, you ruffian?” Rarity exclaimed. “We certainly won’t be letting you make off with our friend!”
“There is very little that you can do to stop me.” Daybreaker said, not deigning to look back. “Without one of their Bearers, the Elements will do nothing. And you all have no way to touch me without them.” She walked to one of the cells, opened it, and casually discarded Twilight onto the stone floor inside. The young unicorn gasped for breath as the door rattled shut behind her. “You may all leave. Or you may try to fight me, and win yourselves a pleasant, stone room to stay in.”
She was, of course, right - they couldn’t fight her. They could try, and they were certainly considering it, but the look that Twilight gave them, and the subtle shake of the head, told them to flee. “We’ll be back!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she scooped up the Element of Magic, before the five of them fled.
“I’m sure that you will.” Daybreaker smiled at this victory, glancing back to confirm that, yes, Twilight Sparkle was imprisoned, and lying on her cell floor listlessly. “Now, Sunset, to the festival.” No response. “Sunset?” The young mare wasn’t at her Queen’s side. Daybreaker stalked down the corridor back towards the other cell, the one prison of inescapable light, Sunset crouched down in front of it, her head level with that of the monster within, talking quietly.
“I’m sorry, Princess, but we have to do this.” Sunset glanced back after saying that, and blanched when she saw Daybreaker.
“What was that, Sunset?” The Queen took a step closer.
“N-Nothing, mighty, eternal sun queen, I was merely-”
“It sounds to me like not only did you apologise to the monster we have risked it all to defend Equestria from, but you called this imposter ‘Princess’!”
“No, no, your highness, please!” The alicorn was looming over the unicorn, and panic had set deep into her, so that she could only raise her forelegs defensively and cower against the cell door.
“You still worship this monster? You still revere her? Consider her your master? After all she has done to endanger you? After all these lies?!” Sunset shut her eyes, waiting for the Queen’s inevitable, savage display of magic. “Then stay with her.”
The cell door swung open, and Sunset collapsed backwards into the burning light within the cell, her magic fading as soon as she was over the threshold. She scrambled back to her feet, shouting incoherent apologies as she tried to run out of the cell, but with a slam of metal on metal, she was imprisoned.
“No!” Sunset screamed, more an animal sound than that of a pony, raw with grief and fear and loss. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please don’t leave me! Please!” Futilely, she thumped the cell bars with her forehooves. “I'll do anything! Just don’t leave me alone! Please!” The rest of the words died in her throat and tears began to well in the corners of her eyes as she tried to shake the door open, her fur like fire in the hard, white light.
“My darling student.”
That voice changed the emotion Sunset felt, fear and grief crystallising into anger and indignation. She turned to the alicorn with fire in her teary eyes. “You lied to me.”
“Sunset.” Luna looked weak. Not just weak - pathetic. She was sprawled on the stone floor like she had fallen, her eyes were sunken, and she was covered in sweat. Her wings and limbs were still bound, the chains clearly having dug into her skin, and the magical binding ring on her horn, in addition to that of the cell, rendered her helpless as an infant.
“All my life, you lied to me!” Sunset loomed over Luna’s prone form, and for a few moments, she was tempted to use that position to hurt her. To kick and stamp on her.
“I’ve never lied to you, Sunset.”
“You told me I was perfect just the way I am.” Sunset hissed. “You told me that I was one of the cleverest unicorns you’d ever met. And you told me that if you could make me into an alicorn, you would. But you didn’t! And Daybreaker promised me that she would!” Sunset had been abandoned. She was alone now. And she’d never be an alicorn.
“I can’t make you into an alicorn, Sunset. Nopony can. Even I don’t know why Tia and I are the way that we are. If I could make anypony like me, I would’ve.”
Suddenly, Sunset was struck with the sheer age of Luna. How many ponies had she watched wither away? But no, the anger was still there. “She said that you could’ve left the sun up forever.”
“I could have.” Luna admitted calmly. Despite the fact that Sunset was looming over her, face a mask of anger like never before, and despite how hurt and exhausted she was, Luna seemed perfectly calm - or perhaps lethargic.
“Then why didn’t you? The monsters come out at night!”
“A long, long time ago, my sister and I agreed that as we need day, so too we need night. Balance in all things. It’s the only way to ward off chaos. The night is dangerous but, unchecked, so too is the day. And I thought… well, I’ve always thought it was quite beautiful. And I thought that beauty might help the ponies see how I care for them.” Her façade slipped for a moment, and she looked down.
Since she’d been a little filly, all Sunset had wanted was somepony to call her own. Growing up, she had been juggled between orphanages and group homes where she was loved, yes, but only as one of many foals. There were no consistent figures in her life, and she never quite received the attention that she deserved. She’d loved the Queen because the Queen gave her praise, and power, and attention, but it had been stripped away after the first mistake. Yet…
“Do you love me?” Sunset whispered, her legs suddenly trembling.
“Oh Sunset.” Luna looked up, smiling gently. “I loved you the day I first saw that confused, frightened filly, and I will love you until time forces us to part forever. And then I will love your memory.”
“But I… I led Daybreaker here. I let her take you and toss you away. I let her end your beautiful night. And now…” She trailed off, sniffling, all of those conflicting emotions finally bursting out of her body. For all the praise that Daybreaker had heaped onto her, for all the grooming and requests of the past few years, the white alicorn had never, never said that she loved her.
“Oh, don’t cry, Sunset. If you start crying, I’ll start crying, and then what will we do?” Luna said with a smile. It was the same silly thing she’d said when Sunset was a little filly and grew upset over something. “You did hurt me. But I love you just the same. And I forgive you.”
“I-I’ve ruined everything.” Sunset was sobbing now, the weight of her mistakes and her betrayal beginning to settle onto her. “I don’t understand how… I don’t understand why you’d forgive me.”
“Because that’s what family does, Sunset.”
That was it. Sunset’s legs buckled beneath her as she began to sob great, wracking, howls of pain and grief and relief. She realised she’d made a mistake. How could she not, when she had been so callously tossed aside this way? She had made a mistake that had ruined everything, potentially dooming Equestria to an eternity under the blazing sun. It was unforgivable. And yet Luna forgave her, just like that.
“My sweet filly.” Unable to even stand, she crawled across the floor to Sunset’s side, and struggled to hold her with her chained hooves. Sunset leaned into the embrace, sobbing into the soft fur of Luna’s chest. “I’ve missed you so.” The Princess rested her cheek atop Sunset’s head.
“I have a gift for you.” She said after a long while, when Sunset had cried most of her tears, and sat more upright to clumsily search herself. It had been hidden in her regalia ever since she got it, and nopony had bothered to search her when she was chained. Her forehooves were clumsy, both from the binding and the fatigue, but she managed to produce the slip of paper from where it was hidden behind her jewellery. “I do hope that you’ll like it.”
Tentatively extending her weakened magic, Sunset took the slip of fine paper from Luna and unfolded it, blinking away tears to read what was marked in the black ink.
This is to certify that, with her consent, Sunset Shimmer shall be formally adopted as the daughter of HRH Princess Luna Equestria.
There was more beneath that, instructions and spaces for signatures and a hologram seal of authenticity, but Sunset just kept reading that line over and over again, trembling slightly, fat tears discolouring the ink as they dropped down..
“You’ve always been family to me, Sunset. And no little slip of paper, or lack of paper, will ever change that, but even though I can’t make you an alicorn, I thought that… I thought that you might like to be a Princess.”
Sunset started to sob again, discarding the paper to the side so that she could hold Luna, and that was when Luna finally started to cry, too, struggling to wrap her chained forehooves around the unicorn.
In the dungeons beneath the castle, Sunset and Luna held each other and cried.