Friends, Forgiveness, and Magic
Canterlot Part One: The Sun Rises
Fluttershy yawned as she woke up. She stretched her legs and wings out as she climbed out of bed. She smiled as she ate breakfast and got ready for the day, as birds, ferrets, rabbits, squirrels, mice, and other animals scampered across the floor around her. She smiled as she saw a certain bunny hop past her. “Good morning Angel. How are you feeling?”
Angel looked up at Fluttershy and shrugged before he jumped up and grabbed a carrot off the kitchen counter.
“Angel, I was thinking maybe today you could talk with Angle.” The bunny frowned and shook his head. “Now listen here mister, Angle and Miss Chrysalis really want to be our friends. I know that it felt a little scary when we visited their hive last time, but we have to at least try and make new friends,” Fluttershy said. Angel sighed and shrugged again. “There’s a good bunny. If you can be on your best behavior when we visit their hive today, I’ll see if I can make you a special treat after dinner tonight. How’s that sound?” Fluttershy’s ears twitched as she heard a knock downstairs. “Oh my! They’re here early.”
She walked downstairs and opened the door. “Um, hello. W-welcome to Fluttershy’s Butterflies, Peaceville’s new animal shelter. H-how may I help you?”
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walked in. “You’re getting better but you’re still stuttering a little,” Silver said.
Fluttershy blushed. “Oh, I know. It’s just, it’s hard for me to talk to other ponies. I’ve gotten so used to using hoof and wing gestures, with Cadance translating for me.”
Silver watched a ferret scamper by as she talked. “Well you can’t keep doing that now, can you? Cadance is still stuck in the Crystal Empire, helping them out with stuff.”
“And you know you need to be able to talk to other creatures if they want to buy a pet from you, or if their pet is sick and needs your help,” Diamond said. “Remember, confidence is key. This is your store. When a customer comes in you need to remember that you’re in charge, you make the rules, and they better be happy with it.”
Silver nodded. “Exactly. And if you’re still looking for suggestions, can I ask you about the store’s name?”
Fluttershy flinched just a tiny bit. “What’s wrong with the name?”
“Well, Fluttershy’s Butterflies isn’t very accurate. You obviously have more than butterflies for sale.”
Fluttershy blushed. “I know, but it sounds nice. Discord said I could name it whatever I wanted when he created this store for me and he said he liked the name too.”
Diamond rolled her eyes. “And we know how much he likes things being inaccurate.”
The door opened as Rainbow Dash and Gilda strolled in. “‘Sup buttercup?” Gilda said.
“Oh, hi Rainbow Dash. Hi Gilda. Um, welcome to Fluttershy’s Butterflies,” Fluttershy smiled and looked back at Diamond. “How was that?”
Diamond smiled and nodded. “Much better. No stutter this time.” She and Silver began to walk back outside. “If you need us, we’ll be playing with the animals in the backyard.”
“So um, what brings you two here?” Fluttershy asked.
Gilda shrugged. “Well, Discord has a Windigo for a pet. Got anything that could make him jealous?”
Fluttershy gasped and grinned widely. “A-are you asking to buy a pet?!”
“Yeah, we’re both kinda looking around,” Rainbow said as she watched a nearby tortoise crawl by her. “Hey, does that guy look familiar to you G?”
Fluttershy grinned as she flapped her wings and began to push Rainbow and Gilda further into her home and pet store. “You really want a pet? Really?! Because I’ve got so many wonderful choices here! Oh, I know you’ll just love them! And I’m sure they’ll love you! Oh, you’ll be best friends forever and ever!”
“Whoa, hooves off lady!” Gilda said as she shrugged Fluttershy off her. “And while you’re at it, how ‘bout you cool your jets? We’re not buying today, we’re just browsing.”
Fluttershy nodded, as her face grew serious. “Oh, of course. Figuring out what pet you want to get is a very important decision, one that you really shouldn’t rush. I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, it’s cool Fluttershy,” Rainbow said. “If you want to help us make a decision, that’s cool too. But it has to be something awesome like a falcon, or a vampire bat, or something.”
Gilda nodded. “Right. You can forget showing us anything that can’t fly, and we want to get a pet that’s as awesome as we are. So, what’ve you got?”
“Oh, I have lots of pets that I think you’ll like,” Fluttershy said. “Now maybe some of them can’t fly, but they’re fast and energetic like you Rainbow Dash.”
“Energetic huh? What makes you say that?” Gilda asked.
Fluttershy blushed and giggled. “They’d have to be to keep up with all the children who came by to visit yesterday. I certainly couldn’t keep up with them.”
“Hey Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo came flying into the room and grinned at Rainbow. “What brings you here?”
Rainbow smiled. “Pet browsing mostly, plus visiting with Fluttershy. How ‘bout you Scoots?”
“Yesterday when we were here, I saw this wicked cool bat. He was playing this song on a couple of glasses, then he screeched and the glasses shattered. It was so awesome!” Scootaloo giggled.
Snails and Sweetie Belle poked their heads in through the door. “Hey Scootaloo, he’s doing it again!” Sweetie said.
“Sweet!” Scootaloo flew out of Fluttershy’s house and into the backyard. Gilda stepped outside to see Diamond, Silver, Snips, Snails, Apple Bloom, Sweetie, Scootaloo, and even Button Mash running around and playing with the animals in Fluttershy’s huge backyard.
“Hey Button! Surprised to see you here,” Gilda said as she waved to him.
Button looked up from the toy robot battle he was having with a ferret. “Oh, I’m just waiting for my new game to finish updating back home. Plus I wanted a rematch with this guy.” The ferret waved at Gilda before he and Button continued dueling with the robots.
Rainbow and Fluttershy walked outside, Rainbow’s gaze drifting over all the animals and the colts and fillies. “Hey come on guys. Fluttershy’s got better things to do than to watch you guys play with her pets.”
Fluttershy smiled. “Oh it’s okay. They’re just a little curious and I really don’t have anything better to do today. The only thing I need to do is pick up a book from Nightmare Moon.”
“Actually, Nightmare is a little busy today.” They turned around to see Chrysalis, Angle and Lyra walk over to them. “You’re Fluttershy, right?” Lyra asked.
“Oh um, yes. That’s me,” Fluttershy said as she glanced at Chrysalis before turning back to Lyra.
“Great. Smog gave me this to give to you,” Lyra said as she levitated a book from her bags over to Fluttershy.
Chrysalis smiled. “Lyra, Angle, and I were just about to check out this rare flower that my friend Mimic found. Angle was also hoping to maybe talk with Angel bunny.”
“Oh, of course. I think he’s still upstairs. You can go on ahead.” Angle nodded and buzzed his wings to fly in through the upstairs window.
“Howdy Chrysie, howdy Lyra,” Apple Bloom said as she walked up to them. “What’s that ya got there?”
Lyra looked at the other book in her bag. “Oh, this? It’s the script for the Hearth’s Warming Eve play that Trixie is going to be in. I was just taking it back to her.”
“What were you doing with it?” Gilda asked.
“I was thinking about auditioning maybe,” Lyra said with a smile. “Maybe I could be a good Clover the Clever?”
“Mind if Ah have a quick look?” Apple Bloom asked.
Lyra shrugged. “If it’s quick, sure.” She levitated the script over to Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom skimmed over the script and frowned thoughtfully. “Huh. It’s exactly the same,” she muttered.
“Sorry? What’s the same?” Lyra asked.
“Huh?” Apple Bloom’s eyes widened as she quickly pushed the script back to Lyra. “Oh, n-nothing. A-Ah was just thinking they were maybe doing a modern day retelling or something. But nope. Clover, Platinum, Hurricane, Pansy, Smart Cookie…they’re all there…” she trailed off as she tilted her head in thought.
“A modern retelling?” Lyra asked. “Huh. Sounds like an interesting idea, but I’m not sure how that would work.” She shrugged and began walking away. “Well, it was great talking to you. I better give this back to Trixie.”
“I should go check on Angle,” Chrysalis said as she started to buzz her wings.
“I haven’t heard any crashes yet. I’m sure they’re doing fine,” Fluttershy said. “Um…if it’s okay with you…would you like to help me watch them?” she asked, pointing to the colts and fillies playing outside. “We could…talk if you want…”
Chrysalis touched back down and smiled. “Sure. What would you like to talk about?”
Fluttershy looked at the ground as her ears folded. “Um, I dunno. It’s just…I’ve always felt a little uncomfortable around changelings, especially with their involvement with the creation of Cadance’s condition.” She blushed a little as she remembered the last time she spoke with Cadance. There might have been some tiny trace of the love poison left in her. But the important thing was Cadance was cured now.
Chrysalis titled her head to one side. “I thought Prismia was the only changeling involved with that.”
Fluttershy shrugged. “M-maybe. Doctor Hooves said that he thinks that the unicorn who hired him all those years ago might have been a changeling and…” she trailed off before she smiled sadly at Chrysalis. “I’m sorry. It’s not fair, I’ve been scared of changelings for years but…you actually have a reason to be scared of me. Chrysalis, I am so sorry for what my Stare did to you. I’d like to start over with you.”
Chrysalis stared at the nervous Fluttershy before she slowly smiled. “I’d like to start over too.” The two girls shook hooves before they turned around to watch the colts and fillies as they played.
“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Fluttershy said. Chrysalis nodded. After a few moments, Fluttershy started to softly sing:
“Mrs. Sun, Sun, Mrs. Golden Sun
Please shine down on me.”
Chrysalis smiled and sang with her:
“Oh Mrs. Sun, Sun, Mrs. Golden Sun
Hiding behind a tree.”
“These little children are asking you
To please come out so we can play with you,” Fluttershy sang.
“Oh Mrs. Sun, Sun, Mrs. Golden Sun,
Please shine down on me.”
Heavenly Sunrise smiled as she finished singing. She smiled even wider as the doors opened. “King Sombra will see you now,” the royal guard said to her.
“Thank you good sirs,” Sunrise said. She strolled into the throne room, her head held high and with confidence in her every step, as if she owned the place.
Several royal guards were stationed around the throne room. There were many days when the carpet leading up to the throne would be filled with a line of creatures, hoping to talk to the king or princess during royal court. At the time, only one creature had been talking to the king. She passed by Zecora, who was just leaving the throne room after her conversation with King Sombra and nodded politely. “Good afternoon.” Zecora opened her mouth to greet her back but slowly closed it, as she looked closer at Sunrise. A cold shiver went down Zecora’s spine as Sunrise smiled at her. “Is something wrong?”
Zecora shook her head and kept walking without another word, occasionally taking a nervous glance back at her. Sunrise simply kept smiling as she walked up to the throne where King Sombra was sitting.
The king raised an eyebrow at the somewhat familiar mare before he smiled. “Good afternoon my subject. What can I do for you on this fine day?”
Sunrise smiled. “Thank you, I’m glad you like today. I was trying to make the sun a little…sunnier, shall we say? As for what you can do for me, the first thing you can do is get up. You’re in my seat.”
King Sombra frowned. “Excuse me?”
Sunrise let out a ladylike giggle. “I thought it might make things easier if I open up with a joke. Although I will be taking my throne back soon, so things will go a lot smoother for you if you surrender now.”
“Sorry...but you’re not making any sense,” King Sombra said.
Sunrise let out another giggle. “I do apologize, my little pony. I forgot how little you cared for cryptic conversations. In that case, I shall be crystal clear.” Sunrise’s horn glowed with gold and orange light. The gold vest she wore melted into a bubbling puddle at her hooves as she unfurled her wings. Her mane and tail began to smoke a little as her eyes glowed slightly.
“I am here to reclaim my throne and my kingdom,” Sunrise said.
King Sombra’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “C…Celestia?”
Sunrise sighed happily. “It feels like it has been a century since I’ve heard another pony speak my name. It’s good to see you too, my former student.”
The king stared at Sunrise in complete shock. One of the royal guards, a rather pretty changeling stepped forward. “It almost sounds to me like you just challenged our king,” she hissed. The guard raised her spear with her magic.
Sunrise glanced at the changeling guard with disdain. “Oh dear...this is what happens when you leave the windows open Sombra. You let bugs in. Don’t worry, I’ll get rid of it.”
With a casual flick of her head, Sunrise grabbed the changeling guard in a golden glow and slammed her against the window. The glass cracked from the force of the impact as the guard cried out in pain. The other guards immediately reacted as they raised their weapons, charged their horns with magic, and got into fighting stances.
“No!” Seeing this, King Sombra pulled back his guards with his magic and created several walls of black crystals to shield his guards. “Do not challenge her! She’s too strong for any of you!” The guards felt shivers go down their spines at his words. The only other times the king had warned them against attacking the enemy was against Eternal Twilight and Pinkamania Disaster Pie.
King Sombra growled and fired the strongest blast of dark magic he could create at Sunrise. But the alicorn merely smiled as the magic passed harmlessly right through her. “What? How?!”
“I decided not to make the trip in person,” Sunrise explained. “The pony you see before is a magical creation, an extension of my power. The rest of me is in Canterlot, which you will soon see once again.”
King Sombra frowned. “Then why reveal yourself now?”
“To give you a fair warning of course. The game would not be fair if you were not aware we were even playing. I will be arriving here soon to take your Crystal Heart,” Sunrise stated.
“I will not let you attack my kingdom or hurt my subjects! You will fail!” King Sombra roared.
Sunrise smiled as her body glowed brightly. “When you see my sister, tell her I’ll see her soon.” King Sombra quickly threw up a wall of crystals to shield himself as well, right before Sunrise’s body exploded in a humongous burst of flames.
King Sombra coughed as he lowered the crystal shields around him and his guards. “Is everyone okay?”
The doors flung open as Princess Twilight and Captain Luna charged in. “What was that noise? King Sombra, what happened here?” Luna asked as she flew over to her guards to help them back up.
“The throne room is on fire!” Princess Twilight exclaimed. “Why is the throne room on fire?!”
King Sombra gave them a grim look. “Luna, it appears that your sister is back in town.”
“Sister?” Luna looked around at all the fires still burning in the throne room as Princess Twilight tried to put them out with her magic. “…Celestia?” Luna asked with wide eyes.
Princess Twilight froze as she dropped the water bucket she was levitating. “C…Celestia?”
“Guards. Find Countess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor and get them here, right now,” King Sombra ordered.
The changeling guard that Sunrise had thrown saluted. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“You’re still injured. Are you sure you can stand?” Princess Twilight asked.
“I’m fine, Your Majesty. All that matters now is protecting you, the king, and the empire.” The royal guards ran out of the room to search for the prince and countess.
“Luna, see if you can find Garble. If that takes too long, find another way to send a message to Nightmare Moon and the other Elements,” King Sombra ordered. Luna nodded and flew out of the throne room too.
“Are you alright?” Princess Twilight asked the king.
“No Sparky, I’m not. First you, then Pinkie, then the Smooze, and now this.” King Sombra shook his head. “In my mind, there are only two things that could be worse than this.”
“What would that be?” the princess asked.
“Number one, Pinkie Pie turns against us. And number two…” King Sombra looked out the window. “Whatever it is that Lord Tirek and Prince Scorpan are afraid of.”
Princess Twilight’s eyes widened. “Something that Tirek and Scorpan are afraid of? I thought Pinkie was the only pony that scared them…”
“Never mind. Forget I even said that,” King Sombra muttered. “We already have enough to worry about. ...I just hope that the Elements get here soon.”
Nightmare Moon, Smog, Sunset Shimmer, Gilda, Trixie, Chrysalis, Discord, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity all hurried into the throne room.
“King Sombra, Princess Twilight! We got here as soon as we could and we have the Elements!” Nightmare announced as she adjusted her helmet and the Element of Power on her head.
“Thank you Nightmare Moon. Thank you all,” Princess Twilight said.
“So, what did you call us here for this time? Did another ancient evil break out of its prison to try and take over the world?” Rainbow asked. As the others stared at her, she shrugged. “Come on, you guys were thinking the same thing.”
“I was thinking about onions, trees, and waffles,” Discord announced. “But Rainbow Dash is right, there does seem to be a pattern here.”
Captain Luna sighed as she closed the door behind her. “For the most part, Rainbow’s guess was right. However, this matter is a little more complicated.” She held up a hoof as Nightmare stared at her. “I’m sorry Nightmare, but I’m not quite up to singing Sun shines and Moon gleams today.”
Nightmare sighed. “It’s okay, I can tell you’re the real Loony. But what’s going on? Mom, it…shouldn’t it be night now? Why hasn’t Princess Twilight lowered the sun to raise the moon? Why haven’t you? For that matter…why can’t I lower it?
Luna looked up at the sun. “Moony…it appears that your aunt got out of her timeout early.”
“My aunt…you mean Celestia?” Nightmare asked.
“Indeed. Princess Celestia, the one who ruled with Princess Luna long before Princess Twilight Sparkle and I came into power,” King Sombra said. “Also known as the Sun, the Daybreaker, and the Queen of Fire.”
“Is she hot?” Discord asked, before he chuckled a little.
Princess Twilight rolled her eyes before she levitated a bubbling potion over. “I think you all remember what Zecora’s most famous potion does.”
“Woo, another vision! I hope somebody breaks out into a song this time,” Discord said as he summoned a video camera into his claw. “And…go!”
Princess Twilight took a sip and swirled the potion around in her mouth before her eyes turned white. They all watched closely as she spat out the potion and the vision began to form.
They watched a much younger version of Twilight Sparkle walk among a crowd of ponies. “I was just a filly when I first saw Celestia, well over a hundred years ago,” the present Princess Twilight explained. “Back then, the Crystal Heart Celebration was called the Summer Sun Celebration. The fair was being held in my hometown and I was excited to see the princesses for the first time.”
The filly Sparkle pushed around a few older ponies to get a good view. Royal guards that were dressed in very different uniforms than what Nightmare was used to seeing stood to attention. They brought up their trumpets and played an official sounding march. Then up on the platform, two ponies appeared in swirls of light and darkness. Nightmare recognized her mom, wearing the royal regalia she wore back when she was a princess. Standing next to her was an alicorn, slightly taller than Princess Luna.
She had a long horn and wings, like Nightmare and Luna. She also wore regalia similar to Princess Luna and Princess Twilight’s, although hers was a sunny, golden colour. Her coat was white, with just the faintest tinge of pink. Her mane and tail flowed magically in the air without wind, again like Nightmare and Luna’s hair. However while Nightmare’s hair was darkish blue like the night, Celestia’s mane and tail shimmered with one green, one pink, and two light blues stripes. She also had an image of the sun on her flank.
Nightmare blinked and looked again. “Wait…she has a cutie mark. Why does she have a cutie mark?”
Trixie looked around at the other ponies in the vision. “For that matter, why are so many of these ponies not blank flanks?”
King Sombra shrugged. “Over a hundred years ago, ponies received marks as they grew older. However when the Elements of Forgiveness were discovered, cutie marks began to behave strangely. Foals received them while the marks began to fade on older ponies, but only when they discovered they had a passion for something that didn’t relate to their cutie mark.”
Sunset tilted her head in confusion. “But…why would discovering the Elements do that?”
King Sombra gave a weak chuckle. “My former student, many ponies have searched for the answer to that question. After all these years, we still haven’t got a single clue.”
Luna shrugged. “It just sorta happened.”
The vision continued as the younger Luna spoke. “And so dawns a new day, our beloved subjects. I hope you have all enjoyed the late night festivities. And now, Princess Celestia will raise the sun.”
Princess Celestia smiled as she began to rise into the air. She held her front hooves over her head as her horn glowed. Luna’s horn glowed too as she bowed her head and lowered the moon. The sun rose into the sky and the ponies cheered. Some of the younger ponies began to edge closer to the princesses and praised Celestia for the beautiful day.
Off to the corner, Princess Luna’s ears folded down in sadness. She began to walk away, before Celestia called out to her. “My dearest sister, where are you going?”
Princess Luna stopped. “…The day is yours sister. I have had my time in the light. The ponies wish to praise you for this gorgeous day. You no longer need my here, and so I shall return to my room and rest.”
Princess Celestia smiled warmly as she walked past the crowd of ponies and laid her wing on Princess Luna’s back. “Please stay Luna. I hardly get to see you, my little night owl. We won’t be able to enjoy the rest of the Celebration without you. Isn’t that right, my little ponies?” Some of the older ponies looked a little hesitant, as if they weren’t sure what to say. “Come now. Tell us what you all enjoyed most about Princess Luna’s night.” As the ponies began to crowd around the two happy princesses again, Filly Sparkle stared in awe at the two rulers.
Captain Luna stared at her past self being hugged by Princess Celestia before she looked away, her eyes watering a little. “Skip ahead.”
Princess Twilight Sparkle nodded as the vision shifted. Princess Celestia with Filly Sparkle walked down a long hallway in Canterlot Castle. The hallway had a strong resemblance to the hallways in the Crystal Castle except that there wasn’t a single crystal in sight.
Princess Celestia opened a set of doors to a larger room within the castle. Inside, Princess Luna was talking to a younger version of Sombra and a stallion who looked like a teenage Star Swirl. Even though he didn’t have much of a beard, he was dressed in his famous hat and robes with all the little bells.
“Princess Luna, Sombra, Star Swirl…allow me to introduce Sparkle,” Princess Celestia said as she gently pushed Filly Sparkle forward with her wing. “She will be our third apprentice and your fellow student.”
Young Sombra gave Sparkle a disdainful look and scoffed. “Your Majesties, don’t you think she’s a little young? She’s just a filly.”
Star Swirl grinned. “Another student? And her name starts with an S too. Neat!” He walked over to Sparkle and shook her hoof. “Nice to meet you kid. Don’t mind grumpy-pants Sombra over there. We were pretty young when the princesses became our teachers too. Not as young as you are though...you must be something special!”
Princess Celestia smiled as she patted Filly Sparkle on the head. “Indeed she is. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a unicorn with her raw abilities.”
Young Sombra rolled his eyes. “Nice to see you still think so highly of us,” he said sarcastically.
But Princess Celestia kept smiling. “You all have unique gifts. But Sparkle needs to learn to tame her abilities through focused study. Of course, Princess Luna and I do not have enough time to mentor the three of you whilst still continuing our royal duties. Can I count on you two to teach her when we’re not around?”
“We will include a special field trip for the three of you if you do,” Princess Luna said with a smile.
“Woo! Adventure!” Star Swirl cheered.
Young Sombra groaned. “With respect Your Majesty, I have my research with magical crystals to consider.”
Princess Celestia smiled. “And I am very interested in seeing the progress you have made on your research. You are researching dragons too, correct?” Sombra nodded. “Well then you might be interested in seeing what made me decide to take on Sparkle as my third student.” Celestia’s horn glowed as she levitated a baby dragon over to them.
Smog’s jaw dropped. “Is…is that Spike?”
“Aw! He’s so cute!” Rarity gushed.
Princess Twilight smirked. “Careful, don’t let the present Spike know you said that.”
Star Swirl and Sombra stared at baby Spike. “Remarkable…” Sombra mumbled.
Spike gently floated away as Princess Celestia levitated him to her bedroom. “I have decided to raise the baby dragon into adulthood. Sparkle is a little too young to be a mother yet, however she has my permission to name him.”
Filly Sparkle blushed. “I’m still thinking, Your Highness.”
Sombra nodded. “Very well then. If this filly was able to hatch a dragon with her magic, perhaps she could be of some assistance to my research. Once she’s been trained a bit. If Your Majesties are too busy today, I will begin my lessons with her.” Sombra bowed to Princess Luna. “My lady.” He bowed to Princess Celestia, but with an added smile and wink. “My lady.”
Star Swirl and Sombra walked Sparkle out of the room and down the hall. “You’re going to love the lessons!” Star Swirl said. “Ooh, and the books! We’ve got a huge library, stuffed full with all kinds of books! We’ve got fiction, non-fiction, and all the stuff in between and around. You like books, right?”
Filly Sparkle grinned. “I love books!”
Sombra nodded. “Good. I take it that you have been reading as many spell books as you can find? What about dark magic? What do you know about that?”
Filly Sparkle’s ears folded down. “My parents say that dark magic is dangerous.”
“Magic is magic, little filly. A spell is only as dangerous as you make it. True, dark magic has a few…interesting side effects. However, it can be mastered with enough training,” Sombra said.
“But my parents said…” Sparkle trailed off as she saw the glare Sombra was giving her.
“Your parents are only mortal. They may or may not have your best interests at heart, but they make mistakes too. They don’t always know what’s best for you. You will begin studying dark magic with me and I will make sure that our studies don’t become dangerous,” he said.
“I dunno…” she mumbled.
“I wasn’t asking you. If you want to study magic, you must study all magic. Anything less would be foolish. Star Swirl, you teach her today. I have preparations that I need to see to.” With that, Sombra walked away from both of them.
Star Swirl chuckled. “Yeah, he’s a little grumpy. Don’t worry, he’s nice when you get to know him.”
“If you say so,” Sparkle mumbled.
Star Swirl smiled gently. “You’re probably feeling a little nervous. It’s okay to doubt yourself...I did too when I was your age. But if you keep moving forward at a nice, slow pace, you’ll get the hang of it. So even if you get scared, you really don’t need to doubt yourself. Okay?”
Sparkle slowly smiled. “Okay.”
“Great! Wanna see me pull a jackalope out of my hat?” Star Swirl asked as he took off his jingling bell hat and waved a hoof over it.
“…I miss him,” Princess Twilight said.
King Sombra sighed. “I miss him too.”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow at him. “Really? You seemed like, really grumpy back then.”
The king sighed again. “This is about Celestia, not me.”
“Agreed. I miss seeing Star Swirl too but unless that time-traveling old lunatic shows up here in the next three seconds, we still have more to show you all,” Captain Luna said. She briefly waited a few seconds to see if Star Swirl actually was going to make an appearance in the throne room before she sighed. “I shall take control of the vision now.” Luna’s eyes glowed white as she took control.
The vision shifted again to show Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Sparkle, and Star Swirl. The filly Sparkle had grown into a young mare. Next to her was Spike, no longer a newborn dragon but still much smaller than the large and great dragon they all knew he would become. Standing in front of them all was Sombra…and another Star Swirl.
The younger Star Swirl stared at his older counterpart. “Doesn’t the beard itch?”
Star Swirl the Bearded shrugged. “It did at first, but you know what I always say: there’s a spell for that.”
Young Star Swirl slowly smiled. “Oh, okay. ...Wonder if I can make that a catchphrase.”
“Well I wish you good luck with that. It never really caught on when I tried it. But as scary as it may sound, I have called you all here in regards to a matter more serious than catchphrases,” Star Swirl the Bearded said. “Sombra, you were in the middle of telling the princess about your discovery.”
It wasn’t a question, but Sombra nodded anyway. “Yes. Earlier today I discovered a place filled with great power. I encountered these strange items there.” His magic glowed red as he levitated six differently coloured, sphere-shaped rocks from his bags and placed them on the floor. “They told me their names. These are the Elements of Redemption, Forgiveness, and Harmony. Or just the Elements for short.”
Princess Luna looked down at the Elements. “These objects told you their names?”
“I know it sounds strange Princess Luna, but I can tell you now that the Elements of Forgiveness will play a big role in things to come,” Star Swirl the Bearded said. “Which is why I have traveled back in time to tell you who is destined to bear each Element.”
He walked towards them. “For…myself, the Element of Knowledge.” The younger Star Swirl nodded.
He walked over to the others, levitating an Element to each member of the group. “To Princess Celestia, the Element of Love. To Princess Luna, the Element of Freedom. To Sombra, the Element of Nobility. To Spike, the Element of Zeal. And to Sparkle, the Element of Power.”
“Nobility?” Sombra asked as he looked at his Element. “I don’t know…”
“You discovered the Elements for a reason Sombra. Trust me, nobility and generosity is the best fit for you. Or it will be,” Star Swirl the Bearded said.
“Power? But-but, I’m not powerful! This should be for Princess Celestia or Princess Luna!” Sparkle whimpered. “I mean, I’m nothing special…”
The old wizard smiled at her gently. “Trust me when I say you are, Sparkle. Besides, power can come from the most wonderful and unexpected places.”
“What does zeal mean?” Spike asked.
“It means loyalty. You love Sparkle, and so you are loyal to her,” Star Swirl the Bearded explained. The baby dragon seemed happy with this and hugged Sparkle.
“And Love and Freedom for my sister and I,” Princess Luna said with a smile. “Most wonderful.”
“Great! Sombra can explain to you a bit more about them. As for me, I need to head back to my own time,” Star Swirl the Bearded said. His smile faded a little as he added, “By the way, if you ever come across a crazy, pink earth mare…be wary of her. She could be a great ally…or enemy.”
And with that, Star Swirl the Bearded faded away from that point in time. The vision shifted again. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were sitting alone in the throne room.
“I’m not so sure about this Luna,” Celestia said.
“Not sure about what, sister?” Princess Luna asked.
“The creatures we are meeting today. I feel…nervous.”
“That’s unlike you. What is there to be nervous about? We are simply opening negotiations with these good creatures,” Luna said.
Celestia sighed. “Luna…for many years we have been at war with the changelings and-”
“War?” Luna interrupted with a giggle. “I think you’re exaggerating, Celestia. There has been much conflict between the changelings and our little ponies, but war? Disagreements between us have never escalated that much. Besides, that’s all in the past.”
“Is it?” Celestia asked. “Just one month ago, we met with the kings and queens of all the changeling hives in Equestria. We thought our societies could benefit from each other and we granted them citizenship. Now, hundreds of changelings constantly surround our subjects everyday. Creatures with wings and magic that drain love, that can look like anypony. They’re everywhere.”
“Celestia, you’re being paranoid,” Luna said gently. “The changelings have no reason to attack us. Love is gained through friendship, not warfare.”
“It’s not just changelings, sister. Minotaurs, dragons, griffons, diamond dogs, chimeras, and whatever those humans were.”
“I liked the humans. They were very nice,” Luna said. “...Most of them, anyway.”
“And those draconequui. Otherworldly, mismatched creatures that can change reality with a snap of their claws. We are lucky that they are more comfortable being harmless pranksters. What if they ever became a threat to our precious little ponies, what defense do we have against such-”
“Celestia,” Luna repeated firmly. “You’re being paranoid. It is not wise to fear the unknown just because it is strange. Our ponies aren’t defenceless either. And if anything does threaten our kingdom, we have the Elements of Redemption.
“Star Swirl says that the Elements might be related to the recent changes to our cutie marks,” Celestia said as she glanced at the flickering and fading mark on her flank.
“I wouldn’t worry about that. On the positive side, the Elements worked against that Smooze stuff, didn’t they?”
“I fear we have not heard the last of that slime. And the Elements’ power requires that all six and their bearers be present. What if…what if something terrible happens to Sparkle? To Sombra, to Spike, to Star Swirl, or to you? How can I…”
Luna hopped off her throne and walked over to give Celestia a hug. “We will be fine, sister. Stop worrying.”
Celestia sighed as Luna released her. As Luna sat back down on her throne, a royal guard opened the door. “They’re here to see you now.”
“Send them in,” Celestia ordered. The guard led the two visiting creatures up to the throne, where they bowed before the princesses.
“Lord Tirek, Prince Scorpan. At last we meet face to face,” Luna said.
“Just Tirek is fine,” the centaur said as he stood up. “We are all equal, are we not brother?”
The gargoyle-like creature shrugged. “The royal sisters are rulers of their country. I wouldn’t say we’re quite the same as them.”
“You wanted to speak to us,” Celestia said.
“Indeed. My brother and I are traveling adventurers. We wanted to explore more of this Equestria and to offer our services to you, should a need for them ever arise,” Tirek said.
“I know of what services you refer to. You steal magic from creatures,” Celestia said, a little coldly.
“Only evil creatures, Your Majesty,” Scorpan said.
“And who are you to judge who is good and who is evil?” Celestia asked.
Tirek tilted his head to one side. “Odd. Your subjects tell me you are known for your kind-hearted, sunny nature. Yet you seem rather cold to me.”
“As your brother just said, my sister and I are the rulers of Equestria. And as rulers we have to think about potential threats,” Celestia said. “You say you only steal magic from evil demons to protect people, but how do I know that you won’t steal magic from my ponies?”
“Our ponies,” Luna muttered.
Tirek smiled. “My brother and I love meeting new people. When we make friends, it is a habit of ours to sample their magic. Why would we need to steal it?”
“Sample?” Luna asked.
“Indeed. For example…” Tirek stepped forward and opened his mouth near Celestia. A stream of magic left her horn and entered his mouth. Just as Celestia flared her wings open in shocked anger, Tirek stopped. He backed away and smiled. “Is your magic still there?”
Celestia frowned as her horn glowed, before she cancelled the spell. “You didn’t steal my magic.”
“I only sampled a tiny part of it. That’s all it takes. Magic never truly dies, princess. It may fade with time, but more often it grows with time. I only took a small sample of your magic, but within a few years it won’t seem that small to me. You keep your magic, yet I still grow stronger,” Tirek said.
“And I should add that you and your sister are still MUCH stronger than we are,” Scorpan said. “So it would be stupid of us to try and challenge you. What I’m trying to say is…we come in peace, Your Majesties.”
“Besides taking magic we can also give it. We can make your subjects stronger too. We can offer you many rewards. And at this time, we only have one thing to ask in return,” Tirek said.
“And that would be?” Luna asked.
Tirek reached for a satchel hanging on the necklace he wore. He removed the bag and held it out for them to see. “I call this the Bag of Tirek. It once contained two very different but very powerful magical artifacts inside. The Rainbow of Light and the Rainbow of Darkness. Unfortunately, the Rainbow of Darkness was stolen from us.”
Celestia took the bag in her magic and levitated it towards her. She opened the bag and telekinetically took out a red, heart-shaped locket. “This is the Rainbow of Light?”
“Yes. A very powerful magic, quite similar to those Elements I heard one of your students discovered,” Tirek said. “You may keep it, if you wish. We have no need for it now, though we may return for it if and when we do.”
Celestia opened the locket and stared at the rainbow inside. “It’s…so…pretty…”
“Um, you should be careful with that,” Scorpan warned her. “During our battle with the masked thief, the Rainbows of Light and Darkness clashed together. The amount of magic used in our battle may have altered the Rainbow of Light. It could be very unstable.”
Tirek rolled his eyes. “Scorpan, you worry too much. I’m sure an alicorn princess knows how to protect herself from unstable magic.”
“So you wish for us to help you track down this thief and bring them to justice?” Luna asked.
“If it’s not any trouble,” Scorpan said. “We have a sketch of the thief we can show you.”
“I would be happy to help you,” Luna said as she stepped off her throne. “Celestia, are you coming?”
“Yes...you go on ahead…I’ll catch up…” Celestia said as she stared at the Rainbow of Light and the Bag of Tirek.
The vision shifted again. Luna slowly opened the door and stepped into the room Celestia was in. “Sister? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine!” Celestia snapped. “…Sorry Luna, didn’t know it was you.” She turned back to the items on the table and frowned.
“Sister, I don’t think any of us will be fine for a while. The sooner we talk about it, the sooner you’ll feel better,” Luna said.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Celestia muttered.
“Are you sure? Ever since the Pink Trickster-”
“Do not speak of that Demon!” Celestia shrieked as she spun around to glare at Luna.
“Okay, easy. I won’t speak of her,” Luna said to placate her.
Celestia sighed. “I’m sorry sister. I just…need some time alone. Time to prepare.”
“Very well sister. I wish you goodnight then. Don’t forget to lower the sun,” Luna said as she left.
Celestia absentmindedly lowered the sun to make way for the moon. She turned back to the crystals on the table and frowned. Her horn glowed with a gold aura, before it grew darker and darker. Dark magic leaked from her horn and eyes as she tried to focus on the crystals before it faded. “Have to prepare. Can’t let another monster take away my ponies. Rainbow...Rainbow of Darkness, dark magic, Sombra. Connection? Trust? Who can I trust? Have to grow stronger,” she muttered.
The vision shifted again. A royal guard burst into the room and screamed, “Princess Luna! Everything is on fire!”
Sparkle, Sombra, and Star Swirl teleported into the room. “We’re trying to evacuate everyone, but the fires keep spreading!” Sparkle cried.
“I KNOW!” Luna shouted. “Guards, assist Sparkle and Spike with evacuating everyone! Star Swirl, I need you to heal the injured and-”
“Actually, there haven’t been any injured, as far as we can see,” Star Swirl said. “Whoever is controlling the fires, they’re doing it with extreme precision. I think whoever is doing this, doesn’t actually want to hurt anyone.”
“So they’re just doing this to create mass panic?” Sombra asked.
“Well it’s nice that nopony has been hurt so far, but Canterlot is still on fire!” Luna shouted.
“Where’s Princess Celestia?” Sparkle cried.
“I saw her fly up to the roof before…before the fires started,” Sombra said. He hesitated for several seconds before he teleported away.
“Sombra?” Luna asked. She flapped her wings and flew through the window and up to the roof of the castle. Sombra had beaten her there, and was staring in horror at Celestia.
Her regalia was missing. Her teeth were fangs; while her eyes had turned dark purple and draconic like Eternal Twilight’s. Her white coat had turned dark red and her flowing rainbow hair had turned to streaming orange flame.
“Ah, Princess Luna, Sombra. How nice to see you. Come to enjoy the view?” Celestia asked as her horn glowed, sending a fireball flying down to the city below.
Luna stared at Celestia, hurt and betrayal in her eyes. “Sister…you’re behind this?”
“How…how could you do this Princess Celestia?” Sombra asked.
“Queen Celestia,” the solar alicorn said. “You were right Sombra, it is rather silly to have more than one princess in a kingdom. Luna and I tell ponies that we are princesses because it means we share power, but we really did take the title just because it sounded cuter. As I have more power, ponies will refer to me as Queen. Luna, you’re cuter than I am so you can still be Princess.”
“Celestia! You’re setting our city on fire!” Luna cried.
“Yes. Our city is infested, dear sister. These dangerous pests need to be smoked out and so I have created controlled fires to scare our enemies away. And if they still remain, I shall be merciful and let them live in this city. After today, they will never question my power again,” Celestia said. She looked away from the city and smiled at Luna. “You sound upset, sister. Is it because I have not lowered the sun? I’ll be keeping it up there so that evil cannot hide under the shadow of your night. I’ll lower my sun in a month or two, shall I?”
“Sister, you must end this madness!” Luna cried.
“…Celestia, why are you wearing Tirek’s bag?” Sombra asked.
Celestia stared at the bag around her neck containing the Rainbow of Light. “The Rainbow speaks to me. It tells me whom to punish. Equestria is for equines only. Unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, all ruled by the alicorns of night and day. No room for invaders.”
King Sombra sighed as they watched the vision. “Celestia always had such a glorious light about her. The Rainbow of Light made it so that even she was blinded by her own glory.”
A royal guard appeared on the roof in a flash of green. “Princess Luna! Have you found Princess…Celestia…”
Celestia frowned at the guard. Her horn glowed and wrapped the guard in a magical aura that shifted from gold to green. A flash of green fire removed the pegasus mare disguise from the guard. “A changeling? Sister, you hired a changeling as part of your guard?”
“Sister, you must end this madness. The Rainbow of Light is unstable and it is making you unstable too!” Luna cried.
“I’ve never felt more stable. I see things clearly. Just as I see my enemies are trying to control my helpless baby sister,” Celestia said with a sad sigh. “But don’t worry Luna. I will burn away their taint.”
“Princess Celestia?” the changeling guard asked hesitantly.
“I am no mere princess,” Celestia said as she glared at the changeling. “I am the Sun. I am the Queen of Equestria, the Queen of Fire. I am Daybreaker, and you will fear my power.”
Daybreaker giggled as she looked back at Luna. “A few names I came up with. Would you like another name Luna? They say names have power, so to have many names must make one powerful indeed.”
“Queen Celestia,” Sombra spoke up. “You say that Princess Luna is being controlled by our enemies? Perhaps we can use the Elements of Forgiveness to free her?” He gave Luna a look.
Daybreaker nodded. “A good idea, my faithful student. Bring the Elements to me at once.”
“As you command, Your Majesty. Come Luna, let’s heal you,” Sombra said.
“Um, yes! Let’s.” Smiling nervously, Sombra and Princess Luna both teleported to the room beside the royal vault, within the castle.
“I’ll get Star Swirl, Sparkle, and Spike. Princess Luna, you get the Elements!” Sombra said.
“But what if they don’t work? I cannot imprison my sister in stone, as if she were no better than the Pink Demon!” Luna cried.
“Princess, we don’t have time to argue! I promise you, we’ll save Celestia!” Sombra said before he transformed into his shadow form and flew away. Luna turned to the vault and opened it with her magic. She levitated the Elements out of the vault and set them down on the floor. She levitated the Element of Freedom towards herself, before she looked down at the Element of Love.
Sombra reappeared with the other mortal bearers. Sparkle stared at the princess with tears in her eyes. “Princess Luna…is Celestia really…”
“She won’t be for long,” Sombra said as he levitated the Element of Nobility towards him. Star Swirl nodded and grabbed his Element of Knowledge, before levitating the Elements of Power and Zeal to Sparkle and Spike.
“What about Celestia’s Element?” Spike asked.
“I’ll take it,” Sparkle and Luna said at the same time. Sparkle froze before she bowed to Luna. “I’m so sorry, Princess Luna! She’s your sister, you clearly love Celestia a lot. I didn’t mean to imply that I love her more, I don’t! I-I mean, I love her but not more than you! Um…”
“I understand,” Luna said as she took the Element of Love. “She loves you too. Celestia and I have come to care for all of you. If anyone can help me save her, I’m glad it’s you.”
A blinding flash of light filled the room, before it faded away to reveal Queen Celestia. “Good, you have all the Elements. Now we may begin.”
“Sister, I am so sorry…but you have given us no choice. I only hope that the Elements can find the good that I know still exists inside you,” Luna said as her eyes watered.
The Elements began to glow as the bearers aimed them at Queen Celestia. The queen blinked in surprise before she frowned and fired a scorching hot blast of magic at them. The beams of magic collided, before the power of the Elements began to push against Daybreaker’s magic. Grimacing, Daybreaker used her magic to open Tirek’s bag, and the locket within. The corrupted Rainbow of Light added its power to Darbreaker’s as she fought against the Elements.
The light faded, and the Element bearers all stood up and groaned. “Did it work? Celestia, are you there!” Luna called out.
They looked up to see Celestia…still corrupted, with a bright rainbow shimmering around her. “The Rainbow of Light protects me,” she chuckled weakly.
“Not entirely,” Sombra commented as he noticed how weak her magic had become. The red glow of his horn’s magic began to turn black, as he fired a blast of dark magic at Daybreaker.
Daybreaker frowned as her eyes turned green and red, before she closed them. She opened her draconic eyes and smiled in amusement. “A fear spell? Foolish colt...darkness can never overcome the light.”
Sombra sighed. “I don’t want to do this, but you leave me no other choice princess. Either way, I cannot overcome you. We just need time to free you.”
Before Daybreaker could protest, Sombra summoned crystals all around her. They circled her and grew around her like a dome. Daybreaker’s horn glowed as she tried to push against her forming prison. The black crystals began to turn red, then orange and yellow. Spikes began to form in the crystal, making the dome look like a crystal sun.
Daybreaker glared at Sombra before she looked at Luna. Her eyes softened as she sighed. “A captain goes down with her ship. A queen goes down with her city. And so, this city will go down with me. Hear me now, my sister...the Sun will rise again.”
The Rainbow of Light shot out from its locket as Sombra put Queen Celestia into a crystal sleep. Star Swirl’s eyes widened as the Rainbow began to zoom all over the place. “Time to go!” he said as his horn glowed. He teleported himself and the other Element bearers outside Canterlot, where many citizens had been evacuated to.
“Princess Luna! Where’s Celestia? What’s happening?” a young dragoness asked.
Before Luna could answer, a huge Rainbow of Light wrapped around Canterlot. Within seconds, the Rainbow faded away, taking Canterlot with it. Something glinted in the sky, before it fell to the ground before them. It was Celestia’s crown.
“…Celestia…” Luna whispered sadly.
“Princess Luna?” Sparkle asked.
Luna sighed as tears fell out of her eyes. She levitated her own crown and placed it on Sparkle’s head. “Tell the ponies what has happened. I…I wish to be alone…” Luna picked up Celestia’s crown with her mouth, before she flapped her wings and flew off.
The vision ended after that. King Sombra sighed, “That was the last time any of us saw Celestia. Princess Luna was heartbroken, too full of grief from losing her sister.”
Captain Luna nodded sadly. “I declared Sombra and Sparkle to be the new prince and princess. I felt that my emotions made me…unable to perform my duties as ruler. Eventually I became a new recruit in the royal guard, so that I could still protect my subjects in some small way. After that…Eternal Twilight happened, and Prince Sombra became King Sombra.”
Princess Twilight Sparkle nodded. “And that was it. But now Canterlot and Daybreaker have returned. Nightmare Moon, we need you to protect Canterlot. This will be a difficult test for your studies but-”
“A test?!” King Sombra interrupted. “The fate of our entire kingdom is at stake and you think this is a simple test for our student to pass?”
Princess Twilight flinched. “I…no, of course not. I’m not making light of the situation. I just…forgive me, I don’t know why I said that.”
King Sombra sighed. “There is one more thing you should know. Earlier today Daybreaker threatened me, announcing that she would steal the Crystal Heart. And she did so using this form.” His horn glowed as he conjured up an illusion of a familiar unicorn, only with added wings.
“Heavenly Sunrise?!” Nightmare exclaimed.
“Heavenly Sunrise? Daybreaker, Celestia? Goodness, it’s only obvious until after it reveals itself, isn’t it?” Discord said.
“But…I haven’t seen Sunrise since she stayed with me during the dragon migration,” Nightmare said.
“That was a while ago. Why has the Queen of Fire revealed herself now?” Trixie asked.
“I…I think she might have been biding her time,” Sunset said. “You talked with Sunrise about a lot of recent events and magical discoveries. Not to mention you live in a library, and so did she for the days she was visiting Peaceville. Plus whatever she learned while on the road with the Cake Twins.”
Princess Twilight sighed. “So Daybreaker has had plenty of time to plan ahead.”
“It doesn’t matter!” Luna suddenly cried. “My friends, Celestia has returned. My sister is out there and she can be saved!” She stared at her daughter. “Nightmare Moon, you must use the Elements to save her.”
“Don’t worry mom. I’ll make you proud,” Nightmare promised.
Luna sighed. “…I just want my sister back.”
“We’ll save her,” Sunset promised. The other Elements nodded their heads in agreement.
“Canterlot has reappeared on top of the tallest mountain in Everfree. Good luck,” King Sombra said.
“Alright everyone! Who wants to fight a pyromaniac alicorn who controls the sun?!” Discord sang cheerfully.
“Trixie has doubts about this plan,” Trixie said.
“Well darling, that might be because we don’t have one plan,” Rarity said. “Um, since I am not a bearer perhaps I…”
“Oh, why am I asking such a silly question?” Discord said with a grin. He snapped his fingers and the Elements and their friends all disappeared.
Princess Twilight sighed. “Do you think they’ll succeed?”
“I’m planning on sending your brother, Fluttershy, and Countess Cadance to help them if they need assistance,” King Sombra said. “But don’t worry Sparky. They defeated Pinkamania. They can handle Celestia.”
Luna sighed. “I hope so.”
Outside of the throne room, a crystal statue blinked its eyes. It morphed back into Pinkie Pie, who smiled in thought.
“Celestia…” she said, rolling the name around on her tongue. Pinkie giggled and snapped her fingers, vanishing from the castle.
The Elements, Rainbow, and Rarity all appeared on the top of Everfree’s tallest mountain. Rarity opened her mouth to protest being forced to tag along, before she kept it open as she stared in awe at Canterlot.
“Oh my…it’s gorgeous! Everything is so gorgeous!” she squeed as she admired Canterlot’s architecture.
Trixie looked at Canterlot and shrugged. “Meh. The Great and Powerful Trixie is unimpressed. Looks like the Crystal Empire but without crystals.”
“B-but…gold! There’s gold on those buildings!” Rarity exclaimed.
“Focus, Rarity. We’re not here to admire the scenery,” Gilda said. “We’re here to kick Celestia’s sunny flank.”
Rainbow grinned. “Right! You and me, G! You guys wait here, Gilda and I will fly ahead to get the lay of the land.”
Gilda and Rainbow both flapped their wings, leapt into the air…and landed on their faces.
“What…hey!” Gilda growled. She tried to flap her wings and lift herself off the ground, but she couldn’t do much besides hover.
Rainbow was having even less success. “What gives? Why do I feel so heavy?
“Discord, did you mess with the gravity again?” Sunset asked.
“Hold on, let me check.” Discord snapped his fingers. He frowned in alarm when nothing happened. “My friends…I can’t feel my magic.”
Chrysalis frowned in concentration before she gasped. “I…I can’t shape shift.”
Smog blinked and tried to burp. “…No fire. Why can’t I breathe fire?”
Sunset glanced at Trixie and Rarity. The three unicorns all furrowed their brows in concentration. “…I don’t think any of us can use our magic!”
Nightmare frowned as her horn glowed. “That’s really weird. My magic is still working.”
“Looks like her magic’s works too,” Smog said as he pointed up.
Nightmare glared at the phoenix as if flew towards them. “Philomena? What are you doing here?” Philomena smiled as she landed on Nightmare’s back. “Hey! What are you doing?!” The others gasped in shock as Nightmare and Philomena both disappeared in an explosion of fire.
“Nightmare!” Smog cried as the fire flew off towards Canterlot Castle.
Far away from the other Elements, Nightmare gasped for breath as her body reformed. She collapsed onto the floor before quickly standing up. “Philomena! First you tried to attack Smog, now me?! Show yourself, you blasted bird!”
“Try not to be upset with Philomena, or with me.” Nightmare turned around to see Sunrise, with Philomena resting on her back. “I must apologize for deceiving you before. You deserve the truth.”
Sunrise’s body glowed with power as she turned into Daybreaker. Her body grew, her white coat turned red, and her mane and tail burst into streaming flames. Her draconic eyes stared at Nightmare as she gave a fanged grin. “Nightmare Moon…I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Celestia,” Nightmare whispered.
“Well, well. You know my name,” Daybreaker said with a relaxed smile. “But that appears to be all you know. As Sunrise, you told me much about yourself, your friends, and your home. Yet you know so little about me. Your mother never told you about your aunt, did she?”
“She told me enough,” Nightmare said.
“I doubt that. For you see, I am your mother’s sister.”
Nightmare hesitantly nodded. “I know.”
If Daybreaker was fazed by this knowledge, she didn’t show it at all. “Oh?” She sighed, “And I was hoping it would be a fun little surprise for you. But perhaps this is better.” She glided gracefully across the floor towards Nightmare. “You do realize what this makes us.”
Nightmare took a step back. “You’re-”
“We are family, my little niece.” Daybreaker stood next to Nightmare. She unfolded her wings and wrapped them around her as she gave Nightmare a hug.
Nightmare’s eyes widened. “What are you-”
“Hush now, my little niece,” Daybreaker said soothingly. She smiled and nuzzled Nightmare gently.
“Release me!” Nightmare shouted as she pushed away from Daybreaker.
Daybreaker blinked. “What’s wrong Nightmare Moon?” she asked, genuine concern flowing from her voice.
“What’s wrong, is that I know what you’ve done! I saw-”
“Ah, I see now,” Daybreaker said with a calm smile. “Your mother has told you about our little disagreement. Perhaps she has even shown you what occurred with that potion the little zebra made.”
“Little disagreement? You set Canterlot on fire!” Nightmare shouted.
“Unfortunately, yes. That was a mistake on my part. I’m very happy that nopony was hurt,” Daybreaker said.
Nightmare opened her mouth to argue, when she realized what Daybreaker had said. “You’re…you are?”
“Of course. I hope that you can forgive me for losing my temper. Sadly, the past is the past, and so we cannot change what has occurred,” Daybreaker sighed.
“Oh…”
Daybreaker smiled kindly at the confused Nightmare. “Philomena may have brought you to me, but I’m sure you have more important things to do than listen to an old mare talk. Please tell me, my dear. Why have you come to Canterlot?”
“I…” Nightmare sighed and stood straighter, her wings unfolding to make herself look like more regal, like the true heir to the throne that she was. “Daybreaker-”
“You may call me Celestia, my little niece,” Daybreaker said gently. “We are family.”
“…Very well Celestia. I am here to negotiate for your surrender and for you to cease your attack against the Crystal Empire,” Nightmare said firmly.
“You wish for me to surrender?” Daybreaker said. She smiled thoughtfully for several seconds before she nodded. “Okay.”
Nightmare blinked in surprise. “…What?”
“I surrender to you,” Daybreaker said with a smile.
“…Just like that?” Nightmare asked.
Daybreaker giggled. “Well, not just like that. We need to negotiate the terms of my surrender, now don’t we?” Daybreaker began to walk away from her. “Come, you must be tired. It’s been a long day for you.”
“Yes, especially considering that you are making it eternal,” Nightmare said with a frown.
Daybreaker giggled. “Ah, yes. During my time as Sunrise, you expressed your preference for the night. Very well, I’ll lower my sun.”
“You will?” Nightmare asked in bewilderment.
“Of course. However, before that I wish to invite you to dinner. You must be hungry,” Daybreaker said.
Nightmare hesitantly followed Daybreaker through Canterlot Castle. Eventually they reached the dining room, a very spacious room with a long table and a golden throne at the head of said table. “Please sit down,” Daybreaker said, indicating a small chair next to her throne. Nightmare looked at the feast on the table. Salads, soups, sandwiches, fruits, pies, cakes, and all sorts of food were spread out before them.
Daybreaker sat down in her throne and levitated some food onto her plate. “Please, eat. Have as much as you want, my little Nightmare Moon.”
Nightmare stared at a few darker coloured pies. “Those are moon pies.”
“Your favourite,” Daybreaker said with a smile. “You have the same sweet tooth that your mother and I possess.” She levitated a chocolate cake over to her mouth and bit into it happily.
Nightmare slowly smiled politely and joined her aunt for dinner. Under Daybreaker’s serene smile and gently glowing horn, Nightmare felt that same calming, pleasant sensation she had when talking to Sunrise. They ate dinner in silence for several minutes. As they were finishing dessert, Nightmare spoke up.
“Why did you set fire to all those houses?”
“Ah, yes. That must have looked a little scary. I assure you, I had no intention of killing all my enemies that day. I wanted to scare them out of my kingdom and remind them of my power,” Daybreaker said.
“I can...sort of understand that. But changelings, dragons, griffons, all those creatures…they’re not our enemies. Ponies have grown stronger with our allies. In fact, I have several friends that aren’t ponies,” Nightmare said. “Would you attack them too?”
“Why would I do that?” Daybreaker said with a warm smile. “I have no intention of hurting your friends.”
“Really? After all your talk of how Equestria or Everfree is for equines only?” Nightmare asked.
“She who cannot change her mind, cannot change anything,” Daybreaker said.
Nightmare found herself smiling a little. “So, about your surrender?”
“Don’t worry, my little niece. I plan on speaking with Sombra and Sparkle quite soon,” Daybreaker promised.
“Oh…that’s good,” Nightmare said.
“It will be a joy to see my friends again, as well as my sister. How is your mother doing?” Daybreaker asked politely. “I heard she was demoted from princess to captain. Such a waste of her potential.”
“Loony wasn’t demoted. She decided to become a guard because she felt that she wasn’t suited to lead the kingdom anymore, but she still wanted to protect the people,” Nightmare said.
“Loony,” Daybreaker said with a nostalgic smile. “My nickname for her was Lulu. ...I wish to thank you for being there for Luna when I couldn’t.”
Nightmare smiled hopefully. “My mom always spoke highly of you. Do you truly love her back?”
“Of course. I love all of my family with all of my heart,” Daybreaker said with such a warm, glowing smile. Nightmare smiled back at her.
Daybreaker stood up from her throne and walked away. “Come. One of my servants will clean the table for us. I have prepared a guest room for you. We can talk more there.”
Nightmare followed her out of the dining room and down the halls. As they walked, Nightmare glanced out the window and noticed the sun still hanging in the sky. “Um, Celestia?”
“You may call me Aunt Celestia, if you wish.”
“Okay. Aunt Celestia, will you lower the sun now? It’s time for the moon to rise.”
Daybreaker titled her head and smiled at Nightmare Moon. “You’re right, it is time.” Her horn glowed with golden light as the sun lowered, right before Nightmare’s eyes.
Nightmare smiled. “Good. Now we just wait for either Loony or Princess Twilight to-”
“Actually, I wish to see you raise the moon, to paint the night sky with stars.” Daybreaker smiled. “Will you show me?”
Nightmare grinned, small tears of joy falling out of her eyes. “It would be my honour.” Her horn glowed with magic as her body floated off the ground. Her eyes glowed with power as she raised the moon into place and took control of the stars. They shimmered and danced as Nightmare guided them all to create a spectacular night sky.
Daybreaker smiled proudly. “Well done, my little niece.”
“Thank you Aunt Celestia,” Nightmare said as she back down on the floor. She paused as she examined Celestia. “Why is your horn still glowing?”
Daybreaker smiled. “Oh, that? Do not worry about that. Come, you must be tired. Good little fillies need their rest.”
Nightmare thought about protesting at being called a filly, but she found that she didn’t care. She followed Daybreaker into the guest room prepared for her. The room was decorated exactly the same as her room in the Crystal Empire. The dark walls, the little lights that flashed like stars, a blue and purple bed that looked so inviting, and several toys that looked almost exactly like the ones she had owned.
Daybreaker pulled at the bed’s covers with her magic and patted the pillow. “Rest, my little niece. Let me tuck you in.”
Nightmare yawned. “Aunt Celestia I…I’m a grown mare. I…I can…”
“Please, Nightmare. I have missed watching you grow up. I admit, I’m jealous of the joy you bring Luna. Let me care for you like family is meant to. Even if I am your aunt, please at least let me pretend to be your mother,” Daybreaker said.
Nightmare found herself moved by Celestia’s kind words, her sad smile, and her glowing, pleading eyes. “…Okay.” She climbed into the bed. As Daybreaker tucked her in, Nightmare yawned and rubbed at her glowing, golden eyes.
“I shall sing you a lullaby,” Daybreaker said.
“But I…”
“Hush,” Daybreaker said, softly silencing Nightmare. “Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to lay your sleepy head… Hush now, quiet now. It’s time to go to bed…”
Nightmare tried to frown but her eyes were growing heavy. “Fluttershy sang…don’t like that lullaby…”
“You don’t? Perhaps a different one. Rest, Nightmare Moon. You must be exhausted,” Daybreaker cooed. She then sang a lullaby:
“Sleep, my little Nightmare
Sleep now, my precious niece
I promise that when you wake up
Our kingdom will know peace.”
Nightmare smiled in her sleep as Daybreaker began to walk away. “Goodnight mommy,” she mumbled.
“Good day, my little pony. My future heir, my shining knight. I have big plans for you.” Daybreaker giggled. “My little night knight.”
Daybreaker walked out of the bedroom and into the room next door. She conjured up illusions of King Sombra, Princess Twilight, and Luna. She then continued to sing:
“I’ve been exiled, and imprisoned
Left alone with no defense
When I think of what those traitors did
I get a little tense.” She glared at the illusions before she smiled and sang:
“But I dream a dream without ire
And then I don’t feel so depressed
Because it calms my heart’s raging fire
And it helps me get some rest.”
“The sound of Sombra’s final gasp!” she sang as she fired a blast of fire at King Sombra’s illusion, causing it to explode.
“My student once more within my grasp!” she sang as the illusion of Princess Twilight became a glowing-eyed filly with a quill in her mouth.
“My baby sister’s helpless cry!” she sang as she nuzzled a weeping Luna.
“That's my lullaby!”
She turned away from Luna’s illusion and conjured up illusions of a few dragons and changelings before she continued:
“Now the changelings I’ve tried forgetting
And the dragons I could forgive
Trouble is, I knows it’s petty
But I hate to let them live.”
She smiled as she set fire to their illusions before she conjured up a second illusion of Sombra.
“So the traitors sent somepony
To chase me off, like a common honeybee?
Oh, our magic battle will be flashy
But that works wonderfully for me.” She smiled as she set fire to Sombra a second time.
“The melody of angry spells
The ringing of war’s golden bells
A symphony of fire, oh my!
That’s my lullaby.”
Daybreaker stepped back into Nightmare’s room and nuzzled her gently. One of Nightmare’s glowing eyes briefly opened before closing again. Daybreaker smiled lovingly.
“Beloved Moon…your auntie has returned
To love her future queen
Until you learn to be my heir
With a lust for being mean!
So sleep, my little Nightmare
Sleep now, my precious niece
I promise that when you wake up
Our kingdom will know peace.”
Daybreaker teleported to the rooftop of Canterlot Castle. She grinned at her sun, which was still clearly hanging in the sky. As the fires in her mane grew hotter and bigger, she sang louder:
“The pounding of the drums of war
The thrill of fire’s mighty roar
The joy of my vengeance
My glowing glare
I can hear the cheering
Celestia! What a mare!
Payback time is nearing
And then my sun will fly
Against a FLAME-FILLED sky!
That’s my lullaby!”
Daybreaker’s ears twitched as she heard a moan. She teleported back into her niece’s bedroom where Nightmare was waking up. “Rise and shine, my sweetheart,” she cooed.
Nightmare opened her glowing, golden eyes and looked up at her. “M…mommy?”
Daybreaker nuzzled her niece. “That’s right, my precious sunshine. My sweet Nightmare Moon. How are you feeling?”
“I…had a weird dream mommy.”
“I hope it was merely unusual and not unpleasant. But you are awake now Moony, and I have a mission for you.”
“A mission?” Nightmare stood up and saluted her. “I am your loyal knight, mommy.”
“Very good. Nightmare, there are strange monsters that have entered our home. Non-equines who wish to hurt me.”
“Hurt you?! Where are they?! I’ll kill anyone who hurts my mommy!” Nightmare growled.
“Oh, there’s no need for you to have blood on your hooves. Bring them to me. Alive,” Daybreaker ordered.
“Will that make you proud of me mommy?” Nightmare asked hopefully.
“It will. Go forth, my brave black knight.”
Nightmare Moon saluted her before she turned into magical mist and flew out the window in a flash of darkness and light.
To be continued…