The army fell into step behind me, passion flowing through my body in an odd sensation. I didn’t understand it then, but I do now. I simply had such a love for my people that I simply needed to protect them and make them happy—a true quality of a born leader. Confidence pronounced itself in every step I took, and I felt a glow of pride knowing that I was trusted and beloved, though I was saddened that my sister was not in the same light. I wished her well, I really did, but not as ruler of Equestria. The time had come for her to lose the light that had become her obsession.
When we were upon Canterlot Castle, I gave the order to charge, and charge they did! The peagsi attacked from above, earth ponies brandished their swords and daggers in readiness to attack, and the unicorns wielded deadly magic. Coming from only one side, we allowed my sister her fair chance to summon her forces, but she didn’t see us in time. I suppose this is the kind of thing that happens when you’re too busy caring about yourself instead of your subjects. I almost felt bad for not warning her of this attack by at least dropping subtle hints, but the adrenaline kept me from focusing on it to know how I truly felt about it.
Ahead of the rest, I was the first to enter the castle, driving away the two guards stationed at the front with my horn that, with Celestia’s excluded, was nonpareil. Their cries of surprise were like an alarm, summoning the rest of the guards to come and see what had caused such unearthly wails. As they formed a strong line against myself and the onslaught I brought, I cast a shielding spell around myself and charged forth, knocking them over and sending them sprawling out of the way. As they fell over backwards, they regarded me with looks of astonishment, and some with looks of terror. This was the first time in their lives Equestria had entered combat, and it would be the last as well. At least, it would be as long as things went according to plan. I don’t mean that I wanted to kill them, just that I planned for this to be the first and last battle. If we were lucky enough, Celestia might see that we were serious and hand over control of Equestria without a fight.
If only we had that kind of luck.
Bursting forth from the royal hall like the sun’s first rays penetrating the silence of night, Celestia appeared, donning the golden battle armor of her soldiers. I watched helplessly as she speared her horn into the bodies of my soldiers, one by one, lifted them like they were nothing, and threw them to the side effortlessly so that they could bleed out through the gaping wound in their chests. Blood stained the floors where soldiers lay fallen, and I couldn’t do anything for a moment but stand and think this was my fault. No, I shook off the feeling. It was Celly’s for bringing us to this point. No one told her to become a tyrant. I was doing the right thing.
Celestia’s eyes locked on mine as she found me through the crowd of corpses and wounded soldiers. Flying over them in a graceful leap, she landed in front of me in a nimble stance. Nimble, but menacing, like she wanted to do what she’d done to my soldiers to me. I braced myself for impact, but instead found her eyes burning into mine, seething her hatred into the very depths of my being and washing over my soul with abhorrence. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I truly was the younger sister and not the big sister in a small package. What was I doing?
Oh yeah, trying to bring peace to Equestria.
“You.” Celestia’s voice dripped with smoldering fury. “You dare defy me? You defy your older sister like this? What a shame.”
I watched as her fur changed from snow-white to a shining gold, her legs grew longer and her body bulkier to compensate, and the colors of her mane shifted from lovely pastels to the palette of flame. The armor covering her was broken as her body transformed, instead replaced by one that grew naturally from her skin—one made of blinding white gold—that boasted a fire-red ruby in the center of her chest. It hurt my eyes to look at her in this form, as she was the manifestation of the glory of the sun.
“You will bow to me!” She screeched, her voice now sounding like a chorus of mares and stallions burning alive and screaming in unison. “I am Nova Blaze, your queen!”
I gave a snort of contempt. Two could play at this game.
I surrendered to the force inside, letting it take over my body. This was magic in its purest form, washing over my body in excruciating pain that would make weaker ponies die to make me the same height and weight as my sister, my horn just as long, and my wings only slightly smaller—flared up at the ends, like a dragon’s. I felt as my eyes shifted color from azure to emerald and my fur changed hue from navy to jet-black. My mane curled around and then spread out, each individual hair combining into one large billowing picture of the starry night sky. I closed my eyes, then opened them to cat-like pupils and felt the painfully cold sensation of cobalt metal seeping forth from my skin. It twisted in the center of my chest, forming an emerald that contained a reserve source of magic.
“Nightmare Moon,” Nova Blaze smiled. “We meet again, though this is our first combat. Now we shall see who is superior!”
She lunged at me, swiping at me with a forehoof. She would have hit me clean in the head, but I rolled away. Looking at me in surprise, I took my moment to buck her hard in the chest and scramble off a short distance, pulling myself up on all four hooves. Coughing, Nova Blaze looked up at me and smiled once more. “I see you are a worthy opponent.”
I glared in silence, waiting for her next move.
“Too bad this will be your last stand!”
She turned around, ready to buck at me like I did her, but I galloped to her front and placed my horn on top of hers, putting all my weight on my horn and forcing her head to the ground. “Surrender, Nova,” I commanded. “Let Equestria live in peace.”
“Never!” she screamed, all those voices hurting my ears. She thrust up with all her might, tossing me backwards. And then, she galloped away.
Wondering where that pony was going, I followed close behind her, finally realizing where she was going. “You can’t use the Elements of Harmony by yourself, you foal!”
“No,” she panted, “but I can use my half. Who’s the foal now?”
Casting the unlocking spell on the door while she was still a good ways away was a good idea, but she didn’t have enough time to shut me out and prevent me from fetching my Elements as well. She adorned the Elements of Magic, Laughter, and Honesty while I took on Loyalty, Kindness, and Generosity. Funny that she should be using harmonic devices to keep her rule, which created a state of unrest among the kingdom.
I could see the stun spell welling up on her horn, and as it was fired, I flew away to the farthest corner of the room, showering her with my own lightning spell that she managed to deflect most of. All that was left of my spell was minor singeing of her coat, and that wasn’t enough to bring anypony down. How was I to stop her if she was able to stop my spells with such skill? I had to attempt it.
She cast a spell to bring me from my Nightmare Moon state, and I managed to shield myself from it, but somehow, the magic caught the tip of my tail and ended there. All she made me do was look ridiculous with a billowing midnight blue mane that ended in hair. It was nothing to be concerned about.
Before I could do anything else, she threw a flame spell at me that I was unprepared for. It caught me square in the chest—directly on my emerald—which absorbed the magic.
It was very hard not to gloat at that.
My battle strategy became to absorb all the magic and tire her out, forcing her to surrender when she was beaten. She threw a myriad of spells my way, favoring the flame one, but I caught nearly all of them in the gem adorning my breastplate.
At last, I caught the final spell—one that was supposed to encase me in ice—and for some reason, the emerald began to glow. I watched it in awe, wondering what would happen, as cracks began to appear and run down its surfaces, finally shattering into a thousand pieces right before my eyes. I couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
And then it dawned on me. Celest—I mean, Nova Blaze—had known that, with enough magic overload, the jewel would break and leave me with less magic. She risked me realizing this plan and carrying more magic than usual after all the spells she’d fired at me, but she did it anyway. She was desperate, I saw, desperate to keep her iron hoof on this kingdom.
Over my dead body.
I looked on in awe as she summoned her next spell—an obliteration spell—and fired it directly at me. I had only enough time to summon an obliteration spell myself and counter it. The two forces of magic met in the center of the room, hers glowing gold and mine a shining navy, pushing at each other with all their might. Whenever hers began to grow closer, I put more force into my side of the spell, which sometimes sent Nova a few steps backwards. Finally, when our magic seemed to be both exhausted, the spells wrapped around each other and imploded upon themselves. We sat there for a moment, panting, until finally, I rose to my hooves in preparation of the next onslaught. Magic was not my gift; I could not attack her in the same manner she was me, but if I got close enough for physical fighting, I would have less room to dodge her spells.
Seeing me stand, Nova Blaze rose as well. In the blink of an eye, she threw a hex to cast me in a carapace of stone. I felt it start at my hooves, turning them and everything inside into sheer rock. It climbed upwards, bringing with it unbearable pain that I was positive Nova had no idea of—but even if she did, what were the chances that she’d care? I screamed in agony, wailed in anguish, but my sister was unresponsive aside from the smirk she wore on her face. I wanted to smack that smug smile right off of her and into the Griffon Kingdom. I have never felt more hatred towards my sister than I did at that moment.
Once I was fully encased, I could do nothing but feel sorrow for the suffering of citizens that would continue into eternity…the soldiers who died in this fruitless battle…the soldiers who lived, but would be put to death by Celestia soon…the Equestria I failed.
My mind stopped right there. I hadn’t failed yet.
Transforming all my strength into magic, I summoned it all up to my horn for no other purpose than to create an explosion that would set me free. It took a few minutes, and even before the explosion, I could feel the stone around my head being to crack due to the energy flowing from my horn. Yes. This was it.
I let loose the built-up magic in a detonation that sent stone flying in all directions. I was free.
But not for long.
Nova landed swiftly from wherever she had been perched to lodge herself on my back, landing with enough force to push me into the ground.
“You knew I would get out?” I gasped. “Then why…?”
“To see you struggle, little sister,” she said smugly, “Just to see you struggle.”
As she thrust the top half of her horn through the base of mine, I could do nothing but shriek in agony, agony and hurt. My eyes welled up with tears that began to streak down my face, just like the magic and blood that streamed from my horn once Nova pulled her horn out of mine. I could see nothing through the tears and blood, but I felt Nova’s presence. Slowly, as the magic left me, I was reverted back into my original state and out of Nightmare Moon. “Why?!” I raged. “Why would you rob me of my magic?”
Her answer was simple. “Why would you rob me of my kingdom?”
“Because you’re a tyrant!”
I felt her angry stare burning into my skull. “I,” she began, “have had just about enough of you, little sister. Kiss Equestria goodbye, because you’re going to the moon.”
I felt as energy enveloped me, compressed me into nothing, stripped me of my elements, and sent me away. Far, far away.