//------------------------------//
// Pulling The Strings 
// Story: Equestrian Darkness 
// by Arreis Of Avalon 
//------------------------------//

	Together Princess Celestia and the God of Chaos traveled through the caves, taking short cuts along the way. Celestia could still feel the power racing though her blood. She struggled to keep her head about her, loving the power and hating it all at the same time. She knew she could easily give into this mind numbing magic, but if she did she would become no better than Nightmare Moon. 
They quickly reached the outside. Both Discord and Celestia glanced at the starless sky, and nodded to each other. With a snap of Discords claw they were back in the Everfree forest. In front of them, the castle stood in ruins. Celestia looked around in horror at the remains of her palace. She could only hope the servants had managed to escape in time form Nightmare Moons rampaging destruction of the castle. 
Slowly they made their way through the rubble, eyes wary and hearts determined. Finally, they came to the throne room doors, and from under them they saw shadows curl. “She’s beyond these doors, isn’t she,” asked Celestia, cold and merciless with her new - found power.
Discord nodded grimly. “You will need to face her, Celestia. You will not be able to defeat her entirely, but you should be able to distract her long enough for my banishment spell to take hold. When you see me again, stay far back from the being that had been your sister.” With those parting words of advice, he vanished.
Celestia took a deep breath, turning back to the stone doors. Behind these doors stood hardest foe she would ever have to face. Beyond those doors, the monster that had taken her sister stood. She knew the very being she had chosen to save her sister had changed her in the first place, but she also knew that chaos could only stem from order and truth. There had been truth to what Discord had told Luna. Tia had forced her unwilling sister to face him. Tia had forced her to accept the duel Princess Hood. Celestia knew she had always forced her sister into these situations, and knew that this was all her fault. If she had only seen the signs of Nightmare Moon rising sooner, then she would have been able to save her sister from the fate that was to come.
With one last breath, she blew down the doors.
“Sister.”
The throne room was the only thing that still looked somewhat in shape, yet it had changed drastically since Celestia had been here last. Instead of the shining room she had grown used to, she saw dark tapestries across the windows. The stone pillars around her bore the Lunar insignia, and the thrones at the end of the room had changed. One, where Nightmare Moon now sat, was black as night with a blue trim, the jewel on the top the bright moon. The other bore the same colors as Celestias new mane, the sunset’s rainbow. The jewel at the top of the throne was as bright as the sun, and Celestia instantly felt drawn to the throne. 
Nightmare Moon smiled at her, a cruel, sinister smile. “Dear sister, welcome to your throne room. Do you like how I’ve redecorated?”
Celestia stood tall against her adversary. “What is this, Nightmare? What is the purpose of this?”
Nightmare Moons smile widened. “Dear sister, do you not agree that we were meant to rule together?” Celestias eyes widened as she began to understand. “Yes, you see it don’t you? We could create a whole new world, Tia, a world where darkness and light combine. What do you say, dear sister? Will you join me as an equal and take to your rightful throne?”
Celestias eyes narrowed as the chaos magic in her began to stir. She felt heavy with magic; she needed to get rid of this power… and she saw the perfect target on her throne. “That’s the one thing you never understood, Luna…” 
With a raging fiery blast from Celestias horn, the Lunar throne was destroyed. Nightmare Moon gasped, flying quickly away from the flames. Celestia grinned hideously, enjoying the power she had gained. “There was never a place for a second throne.”
Nightmare Moon snarled at her. “Very well… If that is how you choose to accept this new reality, then we fight.”
Celestia nodded, and with three words, she became something else. She was no longer the holy goddess of the sun that everypony saw her as. She was not the kind, loving alicorn who had saved them from the horror and pain of chaos. She was the Solar Tyrant, a Goddess of War. She was Princess – no, QUEEN Celestia, ruler of all of Equestria. Those three words would forever change the course of her life, and she would regret them for all of her days.
“To the death.”
Unseen by either alicorn, watching them like a reader of a book, was Discord. In his paw he held four figurines – Tia, Luna, Nightmare and, as he deemed her, Solaria. The two former had large cracks in them, and he smiled as the two, far below, began their battle. 
He chuckled darkly in the knowledge of what was to come. He may have agreed to Celestias deal, but there had never been any doubt in his mind who was truly pulling the strings. The puppets never tugged the strings from his grasp, even if the cut off his hand. 
“Sleep tight, princesses… and while you sleep… Equestria forever mine to keep.”