//------------------------------//
// Chapter 24: Solar Nightflare 
// Story: Before the Dawn 
// by SilverMuse 
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Chapter 24: Solar Nightflare  

Luna froze in shock when the mist cleared and revealed the horrible sight before her.
Celestia flapped powerful ebony wings, her entire coat now painted midnight black. Her cutie mark, once that of a glorious golden and orange sun now snarled like an angry red ball of flames that spread across her rump and down her leg. Her once lovely pink mane and tail billowed blood red around her, waving and crackling at the ends like fire. Her snake-like eyes matched the color of her mane, and the once gold regalia, crown, and hoof-shoes had turned crimson and spread across her body like armor. A burning sun emblazoned her chest plate. Her hoof-shoes crawled up her legs like fire, embedded with shades of red, orange, and yellow. The crown had changed shape into that of a helmet that bore an extra horn near the tip of her nose, and stretched behind her head like the jagged rays of the sun. 
Celestia laughed, her voice echoed by the Nightmist. She stared down at Luna with nothing but hate in her eyes.
“Yes, I think this is a much more suitable host,” she cackled. “Wouldn’t you agree?’
Luna flapped backwards and put distance between herself and her corrupted sister.
No…how could it take her like that and so easily? 
It was simple, really. Celestia had been unprepared, injured, and weakened, and Luna had foolishly deflected the Nightmist with her shields…and sent it directly at Celestia.
This is all my fault.
“Celestia, Tia, it’s Luna. Please, fight it! Don’t let it take you too!” Luna flew urgently towards her, but Celestia just snickered and swept her wings forward, sending a powerful gust that knocked Luna tail over hoof.
“Pathetic. If your attempts to reach Sombra did not work, what makes you think that your sister will be any easier to retrieve?” Celestia looked at her hooves and laughed madly. “Such power…the unicorn was magical as well, but not like this. Oh, can you imagine the things I could do to Equestria!”
“Let her go!” Luna screamed at the being that had caused so much pain and heartache for her and her subjects. “Or I will destroy you.”
Celestia guffawed. “Oh, little sister, must you be so foolish?” she asked, more in Celestia’s voice now. “You could never hope to defeat me, not as you are. You’re weak, and I grow weary of you and your moon.” As she spoke, Celestia pointed her horn at the solar eclipse and grabbed hold of the moon.
Luna gasped, feeling the astral body being forced to fall beyond the sun. Red streaks cracked across its silver surface as Celestia sought to destroy it. Luna tried to repair the damage and stop it from moving, but Celestia’s power really was too great. Sweat beaded her brow as she struggled to protect her namesake. “Tia, stop this!”
“Do not call me that,” Celestia snapped. “I am Celestia no more! You will refer to me as your Queen, Solar Nightflare.” 
Though Luna fought to keep the moon in the sky, Celestia forced it down beyond the horizon, and with it went some of Luna’s magic. She groaned in pain and floundered, her wings aching with exhaustion. Solar Nightflare towered above her with the radiant sun illuminating her frightening form. 
“Now,” Solar Nightflare snorted and turned to her. “There is the matter of you. I dare say that I do not need a useless Princess at my side, one who prattles on about love and family instead of what is really important; power.” 
Luna fought back her anger; this was not her Celestia speaking. Banter would get them nowhere, and she was tired of hearing that beast speak with Celestia’s tainted voice. Luna ground her teeth as she flapped towards her sister and released a moonbeam at the red regalia on her chest. 
Solar Nightflare swept to the side and laughed. “Is that all? Let me show you how it’s done, little sister.” The sun Princess swung her horn around and sent a beam that was twice the size of Celestia’s usual solar flare. 
Luna scrambled to get out of the way and nearly lost her wing to the blast. The magic went wide and crashed into one of the crystal houses, shattering it into thousands of flaming pieces. Luna barrel rolled and turned, but Solar Nightflare was on her before she could recover. Red magic tore at Luna’s defenses, driving her further and further back in the sky. Though Luna repelled the attacks and launched several of her own, she could already feel her energy waning against Solar Nightflare’s. 
She’s too strong! 
Celestia alone would have been formidable, but this foe was far above Luna’s caliber. Luna deflected two more attacks and ducked beneath another, but not fast enough. Red magic shattered her shield and cut her along her shoulder and wing.
Luna screamed and fell backwards towards the earth. She glanced over her shoulder and jerked her legs and wings in a second before her body crashed through one of the watchtowers that had been erected. Solar Nightflare cackled above her as the ground rushed up to meet her. Luna shut her eyes and desperately called on a tiny shield before she slammed painfully into the crystal streets. She flipped several times, her hooves, shoulder, and back clacking with each roll. When she finally came to rest, it was on a pile of onyx crystals that dug into her sides. Luna panted and leaned over the side of them. The sunlight poured down and warmed her flesh, but it was not a pleasant feeling at all; the sun had taken on more heat that left her sweating.
Luna coughed as she regained her breath. She rolled back to her hooves, but not without a moan. Everything hurt, and yet she hadn’t even made a dent in Solar Nightflare’s shield. What was she supposed to do? She shook her head to clear it and found her eyes settling on a familiar red and black amulet that had broken free of her regalia. 
Luna stared at it then up to Solar Nightflare who circled the sky, no doubt preparing for another attack.
I have to. I can’t fight her alone, Luna realized. 
She kicked off the ground and ran for the amulet and not a moment too soon. Another beam struck the crystals where she had been lying. Two shards hit her, but Luna ignored them as she set her sights only on the amulet. The beam of red light followed her and nicked at her hooves, but she kept running. 
With a cry, she scooped up the amulet and put it around her neck. As the red light bore down upon her, a dam broke inside of her and released all the magic that had lain dormant for all these years. Sparkling blue shields shot up and shoved the red beam not only away, but back towards Solar Nightflare.
Luna never saw if it hit. She stood in a cloud of blue smoke that was so much like the one that had surrounded Sombra. It swirled around her, stroking her legs and body as a lover might. Luna tried to step out of it, but it was too late; she’d made her decision.
Within her magical cocoon, her body started to grow. Her coat went from navy blue to ebony. Her wings lengthened and blue armor adorned her hooves and chest. A helm rested on her brow and left her now star-lit mane to flow around her even more than it had before. 
Luna looked around until she saw a large black crystal that had broken free from the palace. Within the reflective surface, she saw a dark mare staring back at her, the same one Sombra had promised she could become. However, the eyes were not serpentine, but rather Luna’s eyes; they remained a lovely blue with circular pupils. 
I’m still Luna; I’m still me. 
But oh did she feel stronger. Her father had once said that she would come into her power, and now she felt as if she had. It was a boundless supply of magic that came to her without an ounce of resistance.  What also came with the magic was the ability to hear the moon and starts better than she ever had before. They were peaceful whispers that leant her strength as she feared the battle to come. 
Luna broke the swirling spell around her and looked up at Solar Nightflare as her sister hovered above her. Luna stretched her wings and kicked back into the sky.
When Luna reached her sister, Solar Nightflare just cackled. “So you have finally chosen to become Nightmare Moon. Splendid! And here I thought the fight would be a bore!”
Nightmare Moon….is that what ponies would call me? Luna glanced down briefly at the amulet but then shook her head. It didn’t matter for she would not stay in this form. “I give you one more chance to release my sister,” she said in a voice that was not quite her own. It was stronger, and much more frightening.
Solar Nightflare grinned. “Even with your newfound powers, you can’t defeat me little sister.” 
“I don’t wish to hurt you, Tia,” Luna called to her, her voice deeper than it had been before. “Fight back!” 
Solar Nightflare growled and her eyes suddenly turned solid green and black with purple magic that flared around them. “Good bye, Nightmare Moon.” The power that exploded from the mare’s horn was stronger than Luna had ever felt before, but she did not back down.
Tapping into her newfound magic, she shielded herself from the flare and sent a hail of star-like objects flying directly at her sister. They cut through the sun Princess’ magic, and two managed to strike Solar Nightflare in the chest and knock her back. Luna sent wave after wave of stars and shoved a silver beam at the sun helmet. 
The power bounced off of her sister, but some did hit and sent Solar Nightflare reeling. Luna flew after her and reached out to grasp hold of the moon again. This time, she was able to raise it, and as the moon came up behind her, it caused her wings and mane to glow all the brighter. 
Solar Nightflare glowered and swooped up towards Luna, sending red flares at her. Luna dodged most, but two crashed into her side and neck, knocking her from the air. She nearly crashed into the palace, but she instead kicked off of the crystals and flapped back into the sky. 
Solar Nightflare cursed at her and rose higher until the sun surrounded her like a golden halo. She threw her head back and stretched out her hooves. Red magic started at the tip of her horn then rushed down her body until it reached her wings. Fire ignited the feathers and a crimson ring of flames shout out in every direction. As the attack flew towards Luna, she reached for another part of her new magic. 
Suddenly, she felt her mane and tail surround her until she was nothing but an ethereal being. She slithered through the air, ducking, weaving, and dodging the magic. The power that should have hit her just went through her intangible body and instead cut through part of the crystal palace. When she reformed on the other side of her sister, Luna gave a rattled shake of her head.
“OH!” she gasped, her hooves tingling with the feel of magic. 
CRACK!
Luna spun and watched as the very top portion of the crystal palace was severed and was forced to lean precariously to the right. Below it stood several of the freed ponies as well as Moonstone and another unicorn that now acted as a protector. The crystal groaned and slid off of its base with a terrible screech.
“No!” Luna shouted and dove after the falling spiral. The ponies below looked up, but even if they ran, they could not escape in time. Luna thought of her new abilities and threw her horn forward.
Smokey blue waves, much like her mane and tail, billowed out and reached for the enormous crystal. The magic wrapped around it and slowed its descent, long enough for Luna to get to it. She didn’t even think; she just started to fly in circles around it. Wind kicked up and started to lift the crystal back to it its original resting place. She flipped it over and settled it carefully on the top of the palace. Briefly, she thought she saw something blue within, but she ignored it and used a black beam of fire to secure it in place.
Below her, the ponies cheered, but Luna ignored them and turned her attention back to an enraged Solar Nightflare. The corrupted Princess flew towards her, her eyes locked on Luna. Within those eyes, she did not see anything of Celestia, but she did see a resemblance to Sombra. 
She’s in there, somewhere, just as Sombra was. I have to try….
“Celestia! Hear me!” she shouted as she rolled out of the way of another blast. “It is your sister. Look deep down inside you and find the strength to fight the darkness! You are stronger than this! You are the Princess of the sun, not a servant to the Nightmist!”	
“Quiet!” Solar Nightflare snarled. “You know nothing, you ungrateful pest. All you do is moan and complain about how no one loves you, and how you deserve all of their devotion.” She scoffed. “What have you done for the ponies of Equestria except bring them fear and nightmares? They have never loved you. They only love me!”
“That’s not true,” Luna said stiffly and dodged another attack. The words were oddly familiar and painful. They were much like the oaths that Celestia had spoken when Luna had looked into the door that showed her her worst fears.
“You are unbefitting to be a Princess!” Solar Nightflare went on nastily. She perched on the top of the crystal palace and flared her wings. “One day, filly, I will be the true ruler of Equestria, and you will bow to me. No one will ever love you as they love me. You are worthless…pathetic, and I grow weary of your complaints. Mother and Father would be ashamed of you. You are nothing by a nuisance and a hindrance to Equestria.”
“I know these are not your words, Celestia,” Luna said, though a lump grew in her throat. She had to remind herself that this was the Nightmist speaking, not her dear sister. And yet, it was so difficult to separate the words from what she’d heard in her nightmare. Celestia had already assured her that Luna would never be replaced. She would never—
“Ah!” Luna shouted in pain as fire rippled across her shoulder. She’d been so distracted, she hadn’t noticed the attack! 
Luna pressed on and swerved around the palace to meet her sister, despite the flashes of magic; her blue shields protected her well enough. “You once told me my heart was pure, but yours is as well, Celestia. The mist can only corrupt those with an already dark heart. Fight it!”
“Silence!” Solar Nightflare shouted again, but her face contorted as if she wasn’t so certain what she was doing.
Luna sucked in a breath. It was working. Somehow it was working! With her distracting words, Luna was able to hit Solar Nightflare again with another beam. “We said we would do this together, Celestia,” she said and prepared herself. “I’m not letting you go! I’ll not fail you too!” 
She closed her wings and flew towards her sister. Solar Nightflare struck again, but Luna turned into her ethereal form, letting the magic pass through her before she became tangible and crashed headlong into her sister.
Solar Nightflare shrieked in outrage as Luna managed wrap her forehooves tightly around her sister and capture the sun Princess’ wings in a tight embrace. Without her wings to carry her, Solar Nightflare started to fall, as did Luna. “Let me go you whelp!”
“Not until you free my sister!”
“You’ll kill us both!”
“Is that what happens when you die in your host?” Luna growled. She saw the ground rise up to meet them, and she swallowed hard. “Celestia, please. Fight it! I don’t want to hurt you!”
“I’ll never let her go!” the Nightmist screamed, but then it saw the pile of dark crystals with their pointed tips reaching to the sky. They were the same crystals that Sombra had meant to use to destroy Celestia not long ago. “NO!” it yelled.
Luna took the advantage to drive her moonbeams into Solar Nightflare’s head, aiming to knock the helmet free. For a moment it didn’t work, then suddenly, an extra burst of her magic loosed the golden headpiece and sent it sailing across the sky. 
The Nightmist’s cry turned from one of rage to a painful screech that sounded very much like Celestia’s voice.
Luna gasped as the darkness started to lift off of Celestia’s body. Her black coat grew white, and the crimson in her mane and tail dripped away, leaving them pink once more. Luna kept attacking until she thought the Nightmist would not return. When Celestia’s cutie mark was finally restored, and her head flopped limply to the side, Luna spread her wings.
With a yell, Luna flapped frantically and threw her sister down, not onto the crystals, but into the dirt and grass. Celestia, freed of the Nightmist, rolled and flipped until she landed on her side, panting. Her wing was bent, and her coat dirty, but otherwise she looked unharmed.
A moment later, Celestia’s reformed crown clattered to the ground nearby. 
Luna landed beside her and dropped down quickly. “Tia? Tia, look at me,” she begged and gripped her sister’s chin.
Celestia coughed and opened one pink eye. She stared at Luna then blinked a few times. “Luna? Is that you? What…what happened?”
“It’s a long story,” Luna gave a nearly hysterical laugh. She reached up and removed the amulet. The moment it hit the ground, her body shrunk and returned to its natural form. “Rest. We…”
Her voice faded as she heard a cackle above them. Luna turned and looked up into the sky where the rolling smoke started to take form once more. But who in Equestria could it claim now? Celestia was free, and as far as Luna knew, Sombra was gone.
But no, she was very mistaken. The smoke twisted and turned until she saw the face of Sombra within its murky depths. There was nothing of him but his fanged teeth, his glowing red horn, and his unforgiving eyes.
Luna’s shoulders fell and she looked down at her dazed sister. “I have to end this, Tia. He won’t die…can you help me send him far from the Empire…to a place where he can do no harm?”
Celestia stared up at the darkness looming above them and gave a small nod. “Yes…but that is all I can do. My magic…it’s weakened.”
“Prepare your spell, and I will take care of the rest,” Luna said. She stroked Celestia’s cheek then shot into the sky. 
Sombra floated in front of her, his lips drawn back in a vicious smile.
“Crystallllllls,” he hissed. “My…crystallllls.” 
And in that moment, Luna knew that Sombra was completely lost. There was no intelligence in his eyes, just a hunger for something that he could never have. Luna shook her head and lit her horn. “Goodbye, Sombra,” she whispered.
Sombra’s face twisted with sudden rage, and he rushed at her as Quill’s smoky snake had done. He opened his fanged mouth, the smoke trailing in tendrils behind him. 
Luna let the magic fill her, and she flew forward to meet him. As his mouth closed around her, she raised her horn and cut through the darkness with all the energy and power that she had left. Ebony and violet claws reached out to grab her, tugged on her mane, tail, and legs, but she fought through them all, trying not to let fear invade her heart. 
When the darkness passed, and Luna turned, Sombra’s face was nearly split in two.
“Celestia!” Luna shouted as she built up her final attack. “NOW!” Her moonbeams shot from her horn at the same time that Celestia’s solar flare wrapped around him. Sombra shrieked and fought, but there was nothing that could be done. His essence was wrapped in that brilliant light and cast far from the Empire to be trapped in the arctic north. 
Silence…blissful silence fell over the Empire.
Luna flapped her wings wearily and let her moon once more disappear so that sun could shine upon the Empire. The crystal palace was in shreds but was slowly starting to mend beneath the sunlight. Most of the onyx had fallen to reveal the beautiful white and blue palace beneath it. Black crystals seeped back into the ground, and the damage that Sombra had done started to repair itself. 
Luna sighed and flew down to her sister. Celestia struggled to get to her hooves, her eyes still in a daze. Luna helped her and steadied her with a hoof.
“It’s over?” Celestia asked.
“Yes, Sister, it’s over.” Luna sighed wearily and looked around at the crystal ponies. When she saw Ambersong in a cluster of them, she sighed in relief. Without waiting for her sister to follow, she raced towards him and smiled wearily. “You’re safe.”
“Thanks to you and Princess Celestia,” Ambersong replied, his eyes filled with both sorrow for Sombra’s plight, and relief that it was all over. He looked around the Empire, his ears folding back. “Much damage has been done, but in time, I know that we can heal it, especially if you are willing to help.”
“Indeed we will,” Celestia replied as she limped slowly up behind Luna.
Luna smiled at her and closed her eyes. “I am sorry that I was not strong enough to stop Sombra before all of this happened, Ambersong.”
The stallion shook his head. “It is no folly of yours, Princess. What is important is that you were here to rescue us. We will forever be grateful.” He turned as Moonstone walked towards them all. The white unicorn bowed her head to him then to Luna and Celestia. Her armor was filthy from having helped the ponies, but otherwise she looked unharmed. 
Luna lifted the mare’s chin. “I think it is time that you returned to your brother.”  Suddenly, she winced. “But first, I have to find the crystal heart so Celestia and I can restore the Empire.”
“Go,” Celestia said. “I can—”
But whatever she meant to say was lost when a great wind suddenly whooshed through the Empire. Luna planted her hooves to stay steady, but the gust nearly sent her tumbling across the ground. “What’s happening?!” 
It couldn’t be Sombra again. He was gone!
The ground began to shake, and the ponies suddenly froze as if caught in a spell. Instantly, the fear and confusion in their eyes faded. They dropped their heads, looking exhausted and defeated, even though their captor had been destroyed. As if unaware of the new danger, they began to amble back to their homes as if nothing had happened to the Empire at all. 
Ambersong and Moonstone likewise went stiff. The light in their eyes faded, and their acknowledgement of Luna and Celestia just vanished. Both lowered their eyes and stared to walk away.
“Ambersong!” Luna shouted, but the ground rippled again. 
Luna sensed magic whip around them, a power she had never felt before. She clung to Celestia and looked around. Suddenly, the houses to the right of her started to disappear. The ground and ponies closest vanished into thin air, leaving the icy world just beyond the Empire.
“Luna, we have to leave!” Celestia cried.
“We can’t abandon them!” Luna protested, but Celestia grabbed her mane in her teeth.
“This is not a magic we can fight,” Celestia insisted. “If we don’t leave now, we’ll be trapped too.”
“But…” Luna looked at Ambersong, but he just trudged vacantly away, oblivious to her presence. 
Luna’s heart fell. With a curse, she grabbed the amulet then bolted after Celestia. Each time she looked back, more and more of the land vanished from sight. Luna pushed herself, trying to make it to the border before the magic took them too.
Just when she thought they would not make it, Celestia grabbed Luna’s wing and shifted them from within the Empire to just beyond its border. Luna fell to the ground with Celestia not far behind.
“What did you do?” Luna gasped.
“I…I don’t know. I willed us to be safe and then we shifted.” Celestia blew her mane back and turned to stare at the Empire. “Look!”
Luna spun just in time to watch as the last of the Empire suddenly vanished in the snow and ice. 
A white world swirled around them, leaving no trace of the Empire or the gentle crystal ponies that had once graced Equestria.
“Where has it gone?” Luna whispered.
Celestia closed her eyes and lowered her head. “It vanished with Sombra….” 
Luna stared dimly ahead. The wind stirred up the snow and coated their bodies with a wintry cloak. “We failed…” 
“Yes,” Celestia murmured as the first of many tears fell from her eyes. “We failed…”