Luna had vanished. Disappeared from the plane of existence that they resided on.
The Guider was in hiding.
Celestia was not sure how to take the news at first. Her sister, the mass murderer? What was she thinking? Why was she doing this?
She had to find her. Had to end this. Make sure this never happened again.
“She didn’t exactly say where this kingdom of hers was, but she left a clue…” Twilight stated.
Pinkie cleared her throat before impersonating Nightmare, “Shall we take a trip to the garden?”
Celestia stared at the living pink recorder for a moment, quickly decoding the meaning of the sentence.
“The gateway must be in the garden.” Celestia easily replied before quickly turning and starting to stride to one of the castle’s gardens. The others quickly fell into step, nearly galloping to keep her pace.
“The moon blossoms grow in the southern most garden. More than likely, that’s where we’ll find the gateway.” Celestia stated as they entered the massive garden.
And then everything shifted so fast.
The moon began to rise on its own, despite it being midday. The blue sky quickly faded into an eerily peaceful darkness. Stars began to dot the sky.
Celestia and the Mane Six started to pack closer together as the Moon Blossoms bloomed in all of their glory. There was a deafening roar as a portal tore apart the fabric of their dimension. An Alicorn stepped out. Her coat was a rich shade of dark blue, that glittered like the night sky above them. Her mane and tail flowed like cosmic star matter. She stared down at them with dark turquoise orbs, her expression unreadable. She was cladded with a silver chest plate and matching garments, and a tattered brown cape billowed in the breeze.
“Nightmare Moon…” Celestia hissed. “What have you done with my sister?!”
The Alicorn slowly shook her head, “I took her powers. Nightmare Moon is no more.”
Celestia’s eyes had a brief glimmer of hope. “Luna?”
The Alicorn once again shook her head. “She no longer exists as you knew her to be.” She looked up at the moon, “I have renounced my old ways as a young and foolish princess of the moon.” she looked deep into her sister’s eyes, “I am Eternal Slumber, Empress of the Night.”
Dash took a step forward, “WHY DID YOU DO IT?!”
Eternal looked down at the Wonderbolt, “I save your daughter from her suffering. From her turmoil and damnation. I’m sorry that you do not grasp the depths of my kindness, but for someone dealing with such mental and emotional suffering, I couldn’t avert my gaze from her no longer.” She focused on Applejack, “Applejack…did you think you were the only one who missed their parents? Apple Bloom never got to truly know the love of her mother and father. They never saw any of the successes in her life. It destroyed her, whether you could see it or not. If she wished to be with her parents…who am I to deny her the chance to be loved by the parents she never had in the waking world?” her eyes settled back on her sister of the sun.
“I have always been in your shadows, Celestia.” Eternal began. “For thousands upon thousands of years, we ruled Equestria. But you and I both know that you were the one that the subjects adored. You were the one that was practically worshipped. You have been loved since the dawn of our kingdom. Dare I even say our kingdom?” she looked down at the ground, “This place…was never really our kingdom, but yours. The Kingdom of the Sun…” she smiled. It was a soft, sweet…and frighteningly genuine smile. “But I don’t mind. I did at first, I’ll admit that. But I was young. Foolish. Yearning for the same affection that was handed to you by so many others. And in that weakness, I was transformed into Nightmare Moon. Respect turned to fear, and of course…the rest is history. And for a thousand years, you moved my prison around the planet.” She looked up at the glowing avatar above her,
“But…I don’t feel bad. Not anymore. I have no ill will towards you, my sister…and I will always love you.” she lowered herself to the ground, a surge of power radiated off of her. Gravity began to shift. “Keep your kingdom. It is beautiful and lively and wonderful, and I will not take that from you.”
Blood red began to bathe the moon.
“However…just because I wont take your kingdom, doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t make my own. Rather than take from you, and rule with an iron hoof, I began to build my own. I love and care and care for my citizens…all of whom appreciate my everlasting night.”
Celestia started to walk towards her sister, but a star slammed into the ground in front of her. A yellow, transparent hoof appeared on the edge of the hole. The hoof was soon followed by a pony matching in color. Applejack’s pupils pinpricked,
“Apple Bloom?”
Her younger sister looked at her, with a gentle smile on her face. She took a couple steps towards the orange mare, “Ah’m so happy, AJ. Ah got ta see Ma an’ Pa again. They’re both…the most amazin’ parents Ah’ve ever met! Ah’m so blessed to call em my own!”
Another star collided with the ground. Another pony rose from the hole. She wordlessly walked over to a stunned Dash and Fluttershy.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…I’m sorry for the way I treated you both. Deep down, I love you, even when we fought.”
Fluttershy stroked a hoof through the filly’s mane, “And we’ll always love you, no matter what, my beautiful little angel.”
Shimmer smiled, “I really am your angel now, aren’t I?”
Dash squeezed her eyes shut in a pitiful attempt to keep her tears in. She wrapped a wing protectively around her daughter,
“Yeah squirt…you sure are.”
Eternal tilted her head in Shimmer’s direction, “Come, my child.”
Without hesitation, Shimmer removed herself from her parents’ forelegs and walked over to Eternal. Fluttershy and Dash looked on, mortified at the absolute loyalty of their daughter as she stood beside the Alicorn. Dash’s shock morphed into rage.
“Give her back to me!” she started to gallop towards Eternal, but another set of stars slammed into the earth in front of her hoof. From the craters, rose her parents.
“Stop this, Dashie.” Firefly implored. “Please…that’s enough.”
“Mom…I have to get my kid.” She pawed at the ground, “Please don’t make me go through you to get to her…”
Firefly gave her a soft smile and clicked her tongue, “You’re like any other parent…trying to do what’s best for their kid.” Her eyes glowed a fierce white, “I’ll do just the same for you…”
Her pink hoof slammed into the side of Dash’s skull with a sickening crunch. Fluttershy screamed in horror as the Pegasus rolled and tumbled across the garden grounds. Firefly was instantly in front of Fluttershy,
“Daughter-in-law…I’ll help you join us in the eternal love of our dearest Mother of Dreams.”
She reached for Fluttershy, but was tackled by Applejack. They rolled in the dirt, pounding away at each other with heavy hooves. Eternal’s horn glowed with ethereal magic before she fired a beam at Applejack. Applejack cried out as it tore into her back, singing her fur and the top layer of skin, revealing the toned muscle that she had earned from decades of farm work. She screamed in agony and was pushed off by the pink Pegasus. Eternal stomped a hoof,
"Firefly, ENOUGH!!"
Firefly flinched and turned to face her, “My apologies, Your Majesty…” she walked back to her and took her place beside her. Eternal surveyed the damage.
“I apologize, dear sister…I did not know she would act this way.”
Rarity and Fluttershy were helping the injured Element Bearers to their hooves, pulling them into the protective circle of their group. Celestia could only look on at her sister with a sorrowful expression etched onto her features. Twilight’s horn glowed dangerously as the lavender Alicorn took on an angry stance. Celestia sadness turned to horror as Twilight bared her teeth,
“You monster…how could you turn their own family members against them?!” her eyes took on a purplish hue, “How could you do this to us? We were your friends! Your family! How could you betray us like this?!”
Celestia suddenly jumped in front of Twilight, earning an amused smirk from Eternal.
“Wait, please, you can’t do this!”
Twilight’s ferocity faltered, “What?”
Tears pricked at Celestia’s eyes, “You can’t do this…” she bit her bottom lip to bite back more tears, “She’s my sister…”
“Celestia, we can’t let her get away with this!”
Celestia gently placed a hoof onto Twilight’s shoulder, “I…I know. I will not burden you with this…I will be the one to end this…”
She turned away from the stunned group, her eyes going cold and a glow emanating from her coat.
“You have turned against me once more, Sister. But if you are truly doing this of your own free will, without the influence of Nightmare Moon…then this is worse…” she slowly walked towards Eternal, “You’ve brought utter chaos and destruction to the kingdom…put its citizens in a state of fear unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” The Moon was slowly being forced down by the Sun, losing its hue. “You have committed the most vile and atrocious crime that can be committed…you have murdered thousands of the very citizens we both swore to protect.”
Eternal did not stare at her sister in fear or rage. She simply looked on at her approaching sister. She did not flee, nor did she attempt to charge at her.
“Your actions are cruel and despicable, and I cannot let you continue this onslaught against Equestria any longer. Eternal Slumber…you leave me no choice. I will take your life in order to save others…”
Eternal’s kindness for Celestia evaporated in an instant, “You’re going to attempt to kill me because your citizens wish to fall under my rule? You wish to kill me…because I can love them better than you ever could?!” Firey stars fell from the heavens, leaving flaming craters around them,
“YOU’RE GOING TO TRY TO KILL ME, BECAUSE I AM FINALLY GETTING MORE RESPECT THAN YOU?!”
She glanced at Firefly and Apple Bloom,
“Return back to the kingdom. Let the citizens know that their Queen will be bringing more citizens, and to make preparations to welcome them into my beautiful dreams!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” They replied with obedient unison. A bright light surrounded them before they vanished into the nothingness. Eternal’s glare refocused on Celestia, her eyes gleaming with newfound fury,
“Very well then, sister. You wish to make an attempt to attack me and my beautiful kingdom?” she tilted her head towards the Moon. The paleness was once again gone, and replaced with a renewed fierce and angry red. The brightness of Celestia’s slowly approaching day was pushed back into the blackest of nights. Stars continued to shoot across the sky, leaving streaks of light in the skies above.
“Then as its Queen, I shall retaliate with brutal, unrelenting force…”
Eternal charged.
Celestia was shocked at the ferocity and speed of her sister as she dodged a jab of Eternal’s blackened horn. She didn’t even want to use the magic on the Sun Princess…
She wanted to stab her, and physically crush her beneath her hooves.
Angry tears sprung forth as she dodged another jab. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She staggered backwards, dancing lightly on her hooves as she avoided the rapid blows from Eternal. The dark Alicorn delivered a hoof jab with a quickness that tested Celestia’s reflexes. Celestia threw her weight to one side, but still felt the course hoof tear open the side of her neck, leaving a thick gash upon it.
Luna stared at the moon, “Hey, Tia?”
Celestia looked down at her younger sister, “Yes, Lulu?”
Celestia slammed her forelegs forwards towards the ground, causing the earth to crack. Eternal briefly lost her balance. The Night Queen quickly compensated, and snapped her head upward in an attempt to impale her sister through the throat. Realizing this, Celestia tucked her chin in, and their horns clashed with an audible crack and a small flurry of sparking magic. Their foreheads collided, and they both felt the pain of hairline fractures blooming from the impact point.
“You’re the best big sister a filly could ever hope for!”
Celestia chuckled and nuzzled Luna’s head, “And you’re the best little sister a mare could ever dream of having.”
She slammed a hoof into Eternal’s muzzle, earning a pained snarl from her. Deep blackish blue covered her field of vision, before she felt a hoof crack into her jaw. The impact forced her to bite down hard on the inside of her mouth, slicing her inner cheek open and filling her mouth with blood. She spat the lifeblood out, only to let out a pained whinny as she felt her shoulder get sliced opened by Eternal’s horn. She staggered back and lost focus, giving Eternal the opportunity to strike again. The horn pierced her side. It didn’t take long for her barrel to become dotted with holes from the keratin spear atop Eternal’s head.
“Tia?”
“Yes Lulu?”
Celestia snapped a wing out, smacking Eternal in the face and forcing her back. She tackled her, hearing a rib’s loud crack underneath the force. She swung at her cheek, feeling it crumple inward. She pounded at her face, again and again, feeling Eternal’s snout crunch under her hooves before she was shoved off and sent sprawling onto her back.
“Will you…will you leave me like Mommy and Daddy had to?”
Celestia frowned and shook her head, “Of course not Lulu…I’m not going anywhere.”
Eternal pounced on her, her horn slicing the side of Celestia’s face clean open. She lifted a heavy hoof and struck Celestia in the chest. Celestia wheezed as she felt a rib snap and puncture her lung. Eternal slammed her hoof into the same spot, sending the large bone fragment deeper into the fragile open. Celestia managed to raise a hoof and punch her in her already broken snout, sending Eternal reeling back and off of her.
“I’ll never leave you…and I’ll always protect you…”
In an instant, adrenaline forced Celestia back onto her hooves and lunging at her sister. Eternal barely dodged the sudden and continuing onslaught of horn jabs. Her stamina was beginning to run low, and the pain and tears from her broken snout were distracting. She felt the roughness of Celestia’s horn slice away at her. Her neck, her forelegs, her wings, her cheek. She tried to block the blows that were raining down on her, but it was futile.
“And I’m always going to do what’s best for you, because-”
“I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU SISTER!” Celestia brayed out in hurt and anguish as she rammed her horn into one of the many gaps in Eternal’s ribcage. Blood dribbled from the wound and down her forehead, mingling with the salted trails on Celestia’s cheeks. Eternal gasped softly as she weakly pushed herself off of Celestia’s horn. She stumbled over and placed a hoof over her spurting wound in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. In her weakened state, her knees buckled, and Celestia swooped her into her forelegs before she hit the dirt.
“Get your hooves off of me…” Eternal weakly hissed as she flapped her hooves against Celestia’s chest.
“Luna…please…just let me hold you…” Celestia begged.
“I told you…I am no longer Luna…I am…Eternal Slumber…”
Celestia hushed her, “It’s done Luna…please, stop fighting me…”
Eternal’s hooves dropped to her sides, and Celestia began to stroke her mane, briefly burying her face in it. The Mane Six tentatively surrounded them. A fire seemed to burn behind Eternal’s eyes as her gaze settled on Twilight for a moment. Twilight felt something cold and sickening nestle into the bottom of her heart under the piercing stare. A devilish smirk flashed across her features before she focused on getting her sister’s attention,
“Sister…you are very wrong…the prize that everyone wants…is respect. The war for respect will never end. When a champion rises to the top…there will always be another who wishes to challenge it…” she coughed up a bit of blood, “It seems that another power us already beginning to rise from the depths. Your precious Kingdom of the Sun has been around for a very long time…it is time for a new power to take control of Equestria…” her breathing became extremely labored, “Keep hold of your precious kingdom for as long as you can…someone is going to take that…and so much more from you, before you know it…”
Celestia eyebrows furrowed, “W-what do you mean by that?”
Eternal’s eyes shut for the final time, as the last of her breath left her lungs. Celestia felt the weight of her sister’s body relax. The moon and the sun disappeared for a few minutes, as the sky turned a reddish-purple. The Mane Six looked up in awe. They had never seen what the sky was like without it being controlled by one of the Alicorns. There were still stars in the sky that twinkled…who was controlling them? Celestia bowed her head to pay respect to her sister. Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder,
“I’m..I’m so sorry Celestia…is there anything we can do to help?”
Celestia shook her head, “No…please, just leave me to mourn…I will figure out what shall be done soon…”
Twilight nodded in understanding, before ushering the others to leave Celestia alone. Even in their victory…there would be nothing to celebrate.