//------------------------------//
// Day and Night 
// Story: A Forgotten Past 
// by Protocol 
//------------------------------//

Day and Night


"Friends with a Changeling?" Cassandra scoffed. "You must be new here."

"But you say you're not like the others," Discord replied.

"Well, while that may be true in this case, you'd be better off being less trusting of others, especially a changeling. These are very unpredictable times we're in."

"Unpredictable? How so?"

"Well, the war between the Solar empire and the Lunar republic is nearing its peak; Rumor has it that both parties are moving in to end the battle once and for all. Almost everyone is taking a side in the war. They make use of propaganda, undergo espionage, and even enlist in the armies to try and get on the good side of the victors."

Discord wore a stoic expression on his face, nodding slowly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Cassandra was stunned. "How do you not know about the war between the two forces? It doesn't just affect Equestria, but the whole world as we know it!"

"Well, then," he smirked, "I must be new here."

"To the world?"

"It seems so."

"Well, then, let's take it from the top." Gathering her thoughts, the changeling began her explanation.







From long ago, there were two groups of ponies: One that worshipped the bright day's sun, and another that found joy in the serenity of the night's white moon. Their ideals lead to the formation of the Solar Empire, and the Lunar Republic."

As the parties lived together, the drastic differences in their beliefs led to conflicts, small at first. But as they grew in severity and amount, the conflicts escalated, and they inevitably led to war. On each side, a powerful kind of pony that call themselves alicorns led their own armies.

The Solar Empire's Ivaldi could raise the sun, while the Lunar Republic's Glephnir commanded the moon. They would struggle to keep their symbol of power over the sky. But the two were so equal in power, however, that neither one could best the other. They formed a truce for the time being, switching back between day and night in a state of constant tension.

Then, twenty years ago, on the summer solstice, something happened in the Solar Empire. Using the strength of the sun at its peak, Ivaldi created another alicorn, a white-coated mare by the name of Celestia. With an heir to his throne and another potential powerhouse on their side, her existence could break the stalemate and win the war for them.

The Lunar Republic, after learning about Celestia, made plans of its own. Six months later, at midnight of the lunar solstice, the fourth alicorn was brought into existence. With a dark blue coat and a mane of a lighter shade, the night's child Luna was created for the same purpose as Celestia.

After a decade of raising and training their respective heirs, the cults of light and dark were ready to bring things to an end. A week had passed since the lunar alicorn Glephnir broke off the truce, and zboth sides relentlessly battled in the fields of the forest of Everfree. Once a peaceful location, the warring forces shed rivers of blood and magic unto the land. The result was devastating, mutating the local flora and fauna into deadly traps and demonic monsters. Now, the ponies who venture in have more to worry about than just the battles.







"And so, the sun and the moon have been fighting for control each day." Discord turned his gaze to the sky. He could make out both a dulled sun and the faint outlines of the moon. Both seemed like they had seen better days, but the moon was on the verge of collapse, almost invisible aside from a ghostly circle in the sky.

The changeling followed Discord's line of sight into the air. "It looks like Ivaldi has Glephnir driven into a corner. He is currently holding siege to the last of the lunar forces' castles in the Everfree forest."

"But doesn't that mean the war is pretty much over?" Discord asked. 

"Glephnir must not be taken lightly. His forces were outnumbered by the Solar Empire two to one from the beginning, and both sides have dwindled to a fraction of their former might. The alicorn of the dark is a master tactician, who may still be able to turn the tides."

"So," he said, "what happens now?"

"Who knows?" Cassandra replied, with a coy smile directed to the pale sun. "But I have a feeling we're about to find out soon."







Several Weeks Ago:

In the midst of the room filled with ornaments of war, a perturbed alicorn sat around a table with a group of gruff soldiers, listening to dozens of theories and possible outcomes of a skirmish yet to happen. 

A young stallion maintained the discussion with a tone of confidence. "…And if we take control of the western front here, in Everfree, we will be able to break through the weakened defenses. The rest of the battle may as well be won." 

I honestly couldn't care less, thought the sun goddess. Her thoughts had managed to go adrift from the conversation almost from the moment it had started, but her face betrayed nothing.

A reply drenched with sarcasm shot back at the idea. "Be that as it may, Emerald Helm, I think the Lunar Republic may just be aware of their largest weakness in their formation" The retort came from one of the senior members, obviously growing tired of the youth's enthusiasm.

I wonder what's for lunch today? The thought ran past Celestia's concentrated-looking expression. I could go for some daffodil cake, too. Haven't had that in a while. With her mind anywhere but the conference at hand, the mare was having a miserable time.

"Well, all I'm saying is that it looks to me like our strongest form of attack towards the Republic." Irritated, the green coated stallion consulted an external member. "What are your thoughts on this, General Celestia?"

Still lost in her daydreams of dessert, Celestia's poker ace broke momentarily in shock at the mention of her own name. "…Hmm? Oh!" Reality kicking back in, the delusions of sweets slipped away from her. "I have… certainly seen this break in the Lunar Republic's western lines before. And, while it still may be a valid opening for the offense, more precautions should be taken when dealing with a mastermind such as Glephnir. And…" Celestia was running out of things to say. "Um, we should all just sleep on this issue for tonight, and we'll come back to it for the next meeting. Council is adjourned!" 

With the patter of hoofsteps as the soldiers left the room, the alicorn let a sigh escape her lungs. Maybe I can finally enjoy some peace and quiet, Celestia imagined, as she sent for her lunch and dessert. 



The morning had been exhausting, but now Celestia had the privilege of solitude for the first time in weeks. Ivaldi had been busy with preparations for the start of the war, although the weight of this had yet to hit Celestia. She had been trained for the fight since she was born, both in battle mentality and in magical power. I'm sure everything will be fine. With the carefree muse, the alicorn stepped outside of the castle doors and spread her wings.

Within seconds, the wind raced around her frame, and the landscape grew distant. Flying off slightly to the North, the princess took in a deep breath, inhaling the clean air. Flying at breakneck speeds, she reached her destination quite quickly. The food she brought on her back stayed put as it was firmly held by glowing magic from her horn.

Celestia's wide wings allowed her to land softly without a sound on the lush fields of the cliffside. This was unmistakably her favorite spot in Equestria. Far apart from both the territory of the Solar Republic and Lunar Empire, the lone ecosystem had been left untouched. From the peaks of the cliff, she could see far into the country, surrounded by the grandeur of mother nature. She didn't visit the location as much as she liked, though, due to her duties under Ivaldi.

Just as she was about to lie down, the mare saw a figure rush past in the corner of her eyes. Years of battle training kicked in, and Celestia flared her wings and whipped her head around. "Who goes there?" The sun goddess' voice rang through the air, magic amplifying the sound tenfold.

From behind a tree nearby, a presence emerged. It stepped into the light, wings also outstretched. The pose looked like a mirrored version of the sun goddess herself, if not for the dark blue coat of fur and mane. "Be you Celestia, of the Solar Empire?" the mare spoke, bearing a tight face. The horn on her head was now clearly visible now under the light of the sun.

"Luna, of the Lunar Republic, I presume." Celestia folded her wings, and turned to face the dark alicorn in a more natural manner. Luna did not follow her actions. "Oh, come on, loosen up. Technically, we're still in a truce," she offered lightheartedly.

Luna finally dropped the glare. "That's true, I guess. I was just surprised when another alicorn dropped by when I came here to enjoy some fresh air." A small smile formed on her lips. "So, what brings you here?"

"Same reasons as you, really," Celestia answered, bringing forth and unwrapping the package on her back. She took a small bite out of a sandwich, chewing slowly. "I happen to really like this place. Care for some lunch?"

Following an hour of talking while eating sandwiches and cake, the two mares were getting along very nicely. They started to loosen up to each other, like two old friends who had been reunited.

"That was some good cake you brought with you, Celestia," said the lunar alicorn, lying down in the pasture with a satisfied smile.

"It sure was. I'll bring more next time." Celestia was sitting beside Luna, staring off into a lake below.

"Yeah, but who knows when that'll be?" the dark alicorn asked with a deep sigh. "I'm sure you've been busy with the 'preparations' as well."

A short silence hung in the air. The smiles faded into downcast eyes.

"We're really going to war, aren't we?" said Celestia, breaking the tension.

"I wonder what it'll be like."

"Well, It certainly won't be very nice."

"I just wish… we wouldn't have to fight, that's all. I mean, what reason do we have for all of this?"

"You know the answer to that question, Luna. The sun and the moon are complete opposites of each other. We were pretty much destined to oppose each other."

"But are we really? Look at us, Celestia, we're not so much different from each other. All we want is a peaceful life, without any of this war stuff going on here."

"We're… different, Luna. We're not even real ponies, just sources of power created through magic." For the first time during their conversation, the white mare looked sincerely saddened.

"What does that have to do with being real? We're here, are we not? We desire the same things as the other so called 'real' ponies, but we just see things a different way. There's no proof that the others' ideals about the sun and the moon are even correct." Luna's voice grew more agitated as she spoke. "I mean, who are they to speak of the sun and the moon? It's not like they're the ones with their souls linked to them, and yet they speak of the other's evil as if they knew everything!"

Having vented out all of her anger at the trees in front of her, Luna turned back to face the white alicorn. "After meeting you today, I'm not so convinced about the Lunar Republic's doctrines anymore. Celestia, tell me, what about you? Do you still truly believe that the moon and the night are evil?"

She was unprepared for such a direct confrontation coming from those piercing eyes. "Luna, I… I think-" 

Her ramblings were cut short by an intense flash of light and a deep, authoritative voice. "So this is where you've been all afternoon long, Celestia."

The goddess of the sun froze up, instantly recognizing the voice of- "Ivaldi. What are you doing here?"

"I was just about to take a break from my royal duties as emperor of the Solar Empire, when I found out that the princess had been sneaking off outside," Ivaldi hissed with an edge in his voice. 

"I wasn't doing anything wrong. I've finished the council, and I was just out to have some lunch!" Celestia pleaded, growing fearful of Ivaldi's wrath.

"YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG?!" the emperor's voice boomed. He pointed a hoof at Luna, who was remaining silent in fear beside Celestia. "Do you even realize who this is? THIS is the literal embodiment of the Lunar republic, of everything we stand against!"

Ivaldi took long, condescending strides toward the two mares. "Celestia, come back to the castle with me. We will have a word about this later. As for you…"

Luna was scared out of her with as Ivaldi's eyes and horn started glowing. "What are you doing? We're in a truce, remember? You can't do this!" Scrambling backwards, the frightened alicorn hit a tree behind her. With nowhere left to run, she curled up in a ball and trembled before the emperor of light.

"Ivaldi, stop!" Celestia cried out. However, it was too late. The alicorn of light waved his horn, and a condensed bolt of magical light shot forward, aimed at a screaming Luna. With a loud bang, the bolt hit its mark. The ground below made a crater, sending fragments of earth and dust flying. As the cloud of dirt settled down, Celestia prepared for the worst.

Instead, she could see a dark barrier around an unharmed Luna. As the dome glowed with a sheen, a black smoke sprouted out of the ground, solidifying a pony's body from the bottom up. The emperor of the night had arrived.

"Well, there you are, Luna. What a surprise. I take my eyes off of you for one moment and you almost go and get yourself killed." The black alicorn speaking could only be Glephnir of the night. "I think some punishment is in order."

"Please, Glephnir. I was just-" Luna's plea for mercy was cut short as she was teleported away in the orb of darkness that acted as her prison as well as her shield.

"Well, Ivaldi, it seems we've come to an agreement. With our daughters being caught trying to spy on one another, we now have a legitimate excuse to start another war."

Celestia couldn't believe her ears. "What? No! We were just having lunch together and-"

"And they ended up at each other's throats, almost killing each other before we two intervened. Or so the story goes." Celestia was so stunned she just stood there, jaw hanging open. It was Ivaldi who had just spoken. "Now, we can gain support from the citizens of Equestria outside of our forces, as well. No more need for this paltry peace treaty, don't you think so, Glephnir?"

"Indeed," said the black emperor, a devious grin plastered onto his features. "Farewell, Ivaldi. We are now officially at war."

"Wait! You can't be serious about-" unable to voice her opinion a single time in the discussion, Celestia was once again silenced as the emperors transported themselves and Celestia back to their respective castles. This… Can't be real. Celestia trembled once in her room before fainting on her bed.







Present

Everything was all too real. The fighting, the suffering, and the deaths. Death was the only thing occupying Celestia's mind as she strode through the former battleground. She could see not only the corpses of soldiers, but nearby citizens and innocent bystanders who had died in the crossfire. These were ponies who used to be mothers, fathers… but none of that mattered now. Now, they were no more than simple sacs of lifeless flesh. Their hearts gouged, their limbs torn. They were dead, swarmed by crows. All that remained now was a foul sight and a foul stench.

Celestia contorted her face, wrinkling her nose at the odour around her. This was but one of many towns that suffered the fate of serving as a battleground in the war. At least it'll be over soon, she thought, as she walked along in her regalia armor. The princess of day had no love for war. She didn't even want to finish off the Lunar Republic in the castle her Solar Empire was holding siege to, but she knew she had to. The proof was all around her, in the form of rotting flesh. 

Celestia could hear the sound of trumpets in the direction she was headed in. It was time. The end of the war was finally here. She could see her soldiers at the main gate, breaking down the last of the castle's magical barriers. As she approached, a crack formed in the dark sphere surrounding the castle. The crack ran down the side of the dome, splintering and breaking pieces of enchantment off at a tremendous rate. When the entire barrier had shattered into pieces, it dissolved into a musty smoke, leaving only the naked fortress. 

Ivaldi, who had helped take down the barrier, waved his horn. Celestia had witnessed this magic before, and knew of its destructive power. The door exploded with a loud boom, and Ivald] ran through. "CHARGE!" The command echoed through the air, reverberating in the soldiers' ears. Celestia let out a soft sigh. Wearing bright armor and dark expressions, Celestia's troop stormed the castle.

Within minutes, the Solar Empire had taken control of almost all parts of the castle. The already weakened Lunar soldiers were no match for an army led by Ivaldi. All that left was the throne room, where Glephnir had locked himself shut. "Coward. It'll all be over soon," spat Ivaldi, as he approached the doors of the throne room. They opened abruptly, as though the Empire's army were being welcomed in.

Celestia steeled her mind. It's now or never. Ignoring her fear, she strode in with Ivaldi and his troops. "Careful, even though Glephnir's down to zero soldiers, he may have something planned," said the emperor of light, caution in his footsteps. He turned around to view the surroundings, only to find that a group of his soldiers lay still on the ground. He leaned in to check their vitals. 

Instead of finding signs of life, however, what was discovered was a glowing patch of dark purple in each of the stallions' coats. The patches grew, enveloping the ponies. When the soldiers were fully coated in a magenta mist, the stain lifted from their bodies, leaving nothing left but bones and armor.

"What is this?" exclaimed the captain of the soldiers, taking a step back. But it was too late. Every soldier in the room was covered with the foreign substance, powerless to stop it as they screamed until their lungs dissolved. 

Ivaldi bellowed, "SHOW YOURSELF, GLEPHNIR!" A cackling laughter could be heard in the background, as the patches of mist clumped together to form the dark alicorn. "Have we walked into a trap in the room without knowing it?" the light emperor uttered.

Glephnir's reply was one of delight. "Oh my old friend Ivaldi. There was no trap in the room, nothing at all! What really killed your troops was the enchanted blood of my slain soldiers.


Ivaldi was disgusted. "You sacrificed your own troops?"

"They wouldn't have died, if you hadn't killed them. And now their blood has come back for revenge. Of course, an enchantment of that much power wasn't enough to affect alicorns such as ourselfes and our daughters, but with this, the odds are now even."

"So be it, Glephnir. Somehow, I always knew it'd come down to just the two of us." With a fierce roar, Ivaldi charged at the alicorn on the other side of the room. "Long live the light of the sun!"

"May the night last… forever!" With his own battle cry, Glephnir did the same, galloping towards his foe with wings outstretched and horns and eyes glowing.

Celestia always thought she'd be prepared for this moment. She had been trained all her life for this moment, and had even slain a few soldiers on her own during the last stretch of the war. But in this clash of titans, she simply couldn't keep up. Not even her eyes could follow the collisions of horns in the air. Her magic, enough to raise the sun itself, paled in comparison to what she was beholding. Blades twirled in the air, bolts of arcane flew back and forth, and thunderous explosions littered the throne room. Celestia could do nothing but sit back and watch things unfold in front of her.

Eventually, the two kings drew to another stalemate. Both alicorns fell to the sides of the room, exhausted and heavily wounded. "Now…. Is your chance, Celestia," Ivaldi spoke in ragged breaths. "Finish… him off."

Even at the brink of annihilation, Glephnir couldn't surprises a grin. "Go… ahead and try, young one. I still have more than enough power to destroy you at my disposal… Come forth… Luna." From behind one of the chamber's pillars, a smaller, dark blue alicorn stepped forth. The fear was still deeply embedded in her eyes.

What happened after she was taken away? Celestia wondered, as she saw Luna's knees shaking as she approached. Glephnir must have put her through some harsh punishments. The princess of the night held six small gems around her, circling the area. She teleported herself right in front of Celestia, and the two prepared for battle. Meanwhile, the emperors themselves were pushing their abilities to their extent, fighting with what little strength left in their bodies. 

As the princesses clashed with outstretched blades of magic and steel, Luna finally spoke. "Do you know what these gems around me are, Celestia? These, are Glephnir's secret weapon. It holds powers of unknown origin, and they are strong enough to defeat Ivaldi or Glephnir in a single blow."

"Lies! There can be no such power," Celestia denied. "If this is true, then there would have been no need for the war to have happened." 

"That's because Glephnir does not hold the knowledge of the gems' activation. But I do." The two broke off from their skirmish, circling each other slowly.

"Then why not end it now?" Celestia asked. "Why must you continue all this violence?" 

"Because, Celestia, I need you to activate them with me," Luna said. She outstretched a hoof, and three of the gems followed. They hovered in front of Celestia, who was unsure of what to do. "These are called the Elements of Harmony," Luna continued, "They come from ancient times, composed of honesty, loyalty, kindness, generosity, laughter, and magic. Together, they can defeat any evil. But they can only be awakened by beings who possess all of these traits. Please, Celestia. Help me end this once and for all."

"But… But I'm your enemy! You should be trying to kill me!" replied the sun goddess, perplexed by this strange turn of events.

"Do we really have to fight each other? Or is that just what Ivaldi and Glephnir have been telling us?" Luna asked. "All we truly want is happiness, Celestia. A little bit of happiness. That's not too much to ask for, is it?"

"I…"

"All that stands between us is them. The ones who created us for their selfish wants, the ones who keep forcing us to fight, to kill. So, what'll it be, Celestia? Will you join me and earn your freedom, or continue your 'fake' life of imprisonment under Ivaldi?"

Confused beyond belief, Celestia didn't know what to say. "I… don't know about this. Ivaldi is… the hope and light of so many ponies out there. It's the same for Glephnir, too. How will they be affected by this?"

"What they don’t know won't hurt them. We can say that they both killed each other in their battle, and we can continue to give hope to the people of the country."

"Then… What happens if we fail?" Celestia asked.

"Failure? Failure means death, for the both of us. They will hunt us down upon their survival. They have no plans to risk keeping around another alicorn who has enough potential to surpass them in power one day."

The thought weighed down Celestia's mind heavily. After a short silence hung in the air, she gave her answer with a gentle smile. "I'll… do it. Let's create a new Equestria together, Luna."

Luna's expression finally relaxed. "Thank you, Celestia. I knew I could trust you. From this moment on, we shall no longer be strangers to one another, but sisters. Sisters not in blood and heritage, but siblings in soul and in heart."

"Yes, Luna. I welcome thee into my newfound life of freedom."

Celestia took the three gems of magic, and poured in her own power into them. They heated up, emitting a bright white light from their spherical forms. Together with Luna, their eyes glowed brighter and brighter until they too, were enveloped in an intense spark of light. They turned their heads towards the scene of the emperors, who were still to drunk off of hatred and violence to notice them.

"Let us end this once and for all. Goodbye, Ivaldi."

"This farewell shall not be one of sorrow, Glephnir."

By now, the magic built up in the Elements of Harmony was enough to distract the elder alicorns from their fight. As they turned their heads, they saw Celestia and Luna, side by side, preparing an all out attack on them.

"What do you think you're doing, Celestia? You dare betray me?" Ivaldi bellowed.

Meanwhile, Glephnir recognized the magic that was about to be cast and accepted his defeat. His next words were seething with wrath. "Luna, remember this. You may have won this time, but mark my words, I will come back for you. And when I do, I will destroy everything you have. Your freedom, your loved ones, your soul itself. So fire away, Luna. Until next time."

Luna was frightened of the stallion who stood beneath her. Even weakened and about to die, Glephnir was an intimating foe. She knew that she could no longer stop. Celestia felt it, too. Together, they shot forth beams of light from the elements that spiraled around each other, merging their power and forming a river of magic. Not even an immortal such as Ivaldi or Glephnir could withstand their raw power.

When the torrent of energy subsided, the two mares descended back onto the ground. Where Ivaldi and Glephnir once stood, there was nothing but a large crater full of ashes. "They're… dead," whispered Celestia.

"There was no other way," said Luna. "They were too powerful to imprison, and risking their survival by not putting in enough power would have been foolhardy."

"Nonetheless, Luna, their blood is on our hooves."

"Yes. That's true." Luna turned her back to the remains of her mentor, the one who created her. "But now, we have something else to live for, don't we?"

"Yes, Luna. Now, we have ourselves."

"We have Each other."

"And we can work towards that better tomorrow."

"Maybe we can start with some daffodil cake?" said Luna, opening a fortified hatch underground and taking out a small cake. Celestia just stared at her companion. "What?" said Luna, "It was used to store the Elements, but once I took them out, there was this perfectly good hiding place in the ground that had just enough space for some dessert."

Celestia snorted lightly, quickly dissolving into a fit of giggles. Luna soon followed, and both of them ended up laughing hysterically. Gasping for air, Celestia finally replied, "Sure thing. I know just the place to enjoy ourselves.

The pair of alicorns stepped outside the castle, out of the ruins and into the sky. Dimly lit by both a pale sun and moon, the sisters flew off towards a familiar cliffside.







From behind a thicket of trees, a black figure silently observed the alicorns fly away. Making sure they were gone, he stepped into the ruins of the former Lunar Republic's castle. He stood still, staring at the huge crater in the middle of the ground. As he saw this, a dark sneer rose to his lips. Glephnir is dead, he thought. Ivaldi is destroyed. It is time for us to strike. An emerald curtain of magic covered the figure, and when it lifted, he was gone. Along with the two dozen changelings surrounding the castle.