//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 - Banishment 
// Story: Chernobyl = Everfree 
// by Piece Bot 
//------------------------------//

1000 Years Ago - Banishment of Nightmare Moon

Radiation, unseen by the naked eye, seeped throughout the Castle of the Two Sisters and surrounding forest. The nearby power plant of Cherneighbyl, the only one of its kind in Equestria, has just had its reactor blown sky high. The initial explosion took out the workers that were experimenting with the self-fuelling system. It was a test of a self-fuelling system designed with the intention of being more energy efficient has gone wrong, with most of the plant’s employees fleeing for their lives into the nearby forest, hoping to get away from the radiation that was quickly travelling through the air.

Unhindered by the recent explosion, moonlight filtered through the clouds to shine on the Castle of the Two Sisters, where Princess Luna has just confronted Princess Celestia. The room where the confrontation was taking place was the main hall in which people from all over Equestria would come in and ask either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna for help with various tasks. There were two thrones at one end, a gilded throne the colour of a brilliant sunset on the left and a throne as black as night with splotches of white on the back of it on the right. Tapestries depicting the battle with Discord, among others, adorned the walls. Behind the thrones were stairs leading to a podium of sorts if either of the sisters wished to address a large crowd inside the hall.

“Sister, you know it is my right to have people play under my moon. What right do you have to make them sleep at night, shirking the moon’s light?” Princes Luna asked angrily, resting a hand against the banister of the stairs. She looked down at her sister with a glaring stare.

Princess Celestia looked up at Luna and tried to reason with her.

“Yes. You do have a right for people to play under the moon’s light. But it is not your moon.  It is everyone’s moon. It’s easier for the people to see during the day time and then sleep during the night because they are tired from their day’s work.”

Luna’s grip tightened on the banister. She took a step down and raised a hand to her chest. “Not my moon? How can it not be my moon? When mother passed away, the both of us had a decision to make. Which dominion would we rule over? Night, or day? You chose day. The sun is then rightfully yours because you rule under it. I chose night. The moon is then rightfully mine because that is what I rule under.”

“That may be so but-” Celestia was interrupted as she felt her skin heating up drastically. Through the windows, Celestia saw minor fires through the tree trunks. From other places in the castle, some windows could be heard shattering due to the extreme heat from the surrounding fires.

Their bodies absorbed radiation that was beyond what they could handle, causing both of them to cry out. The radiation had a drastic effect on both of their bodies and genetic make-up. Shifting bones and skin could be heard throughout the entire castle as their bodies changed shape. Tearing new holes into the backs of their shirts, white and midnight blue wings sprouted out of Celestia’s and Luna’s backs respectively. Fur grew out of their skin, starting with their hands and finishing at the bottom of their feet and hairlines at roughly the same time. Bony, ridged horns spiraled out of their foreheads with tiny rivers of blood flowing down their faces from the horns’ formation. The final bit of the transformation had their feet fused into hooves. 

As even more radiation spread out and blanketed the entire forest, with the castle stuck in the middle, Princess Luna went through even more of a change. She screamed in pain as she felt her teeth grow sharper and her nails become claws. Her eyes were forced open as radiation infused something magical into her DNA, something frightening. Luna’s eyes glowed white as her wings flared out. Cracks appeared behind her and up the wall as she stepped backwards. As she stepped, an incredibly loud explosion rang out as a piece of the wall behind her broke off into millions of tiny pieces.
        
The radiation still traveling through the air from the power plant explosion changed Luna even further as her body absorbed even more radiation. Her hair began to flow of its own accord and the pupils of her eyes turned into slits, resembling more of a lizard’s eyes rather than a pair of human eyes.

Luna dropped to the floor after the unexpected transformation took place. Not caring for how much pain she was in, Celestia dragged herself to Luna using the banister as a support. “Luna?” Celestia asked her sister as she got to the top of the stairs.

There was a stirring as Luna wordlessly brought herself to her knees. Turning her head to Celestia, Luna had her eyes closed. They snapped open, showing off a brilliant white light as uncontrollable power surged through her.

“I have power now.” Luna said simply and as she lowered her head, so did the sun. Luna raised her head back up. “I have the power to plunge this world into eternal darkness. And it will STAY that way.” Luna threatened as she stood up fully, leaning on the podium in front of her.

Gasping in pain, Celestia rose as well, hanging on to the banister. “Sister, you don’t know what you’re doing! If Equestria is plunged into eternal darkness, then the people’s crops would stop growing. People would starve!” Celestia shouted at her sister.

“Would they? That seems a minor setback in the grand scheme of things.” Luna replied flippantly.

Celestia’s hand flew out to the side as Luna was talking and a magical yellow bolt of pure heat flew out of her hand, striking the wall beside her. She shook her hand in pain as her newly-formed horn brimmed with magical energy as a few more bolts fired off striking the walls, floor and roof.

“Hmph.” Luna grunted and leaned away, turning around to rest her back against the podium. She looked at Celestia with amusement, her eyes having gone back to their normal turquoise colour .  “I’ll figure something out for that. I just want people to play under my moon and enjoy it.” Luna said and her amused face turned into one of anger. She slammed her fist against the podium, causing midnight blue energy to flow through the cracks she had made.

Celestia, having made sure she stopped waving her hand, held it against her chest and stared at Luna.

“Luna, listen to me. This is not you. This isn’t even me! Something changed us and you are not acting like yourself!” Celestia said desperately; trying to bring Luna back to her senses.

“Luna? Who’s she? I am not her.” Luna cackled and stepped forward. She turned and slowly walked down the other set of stairs, still unused to her feet being stumps. She winced with each step but her face held a grim determination. Celestia followed her with her eyes until she had to turn her own body.

“I am not Luna anymore. I am Nightmare Moon!” Luna announced grandly and her horn lit up. Azure bolts shot out of her hands and penetrated through the roof. Feeling giddy with how much power she had, Luna stared down her sister and lowered her left hand. Making the shape of a gun with her fingers, Luna shot a bolt of azure magic at Celestia.

Celestia painfully dived out of the incoming bolt and heard it explode against the banister, causing it to crumble into dust. Gasping for breath, Celestia stood up slowly and looked at the destruction Luna was causing.

Luna found to her dismay that she could not yet control her immense power surge. She was firing bolts off left and right, not caring for how much damage she caused, only letting the excess power shoot off until she felt she could have control again. Bracing herself against the wall, Celestia moved down the steps and moved her hair out of her eyes.

Feeling that she had some control over her horn, she lit it up and gasped from the exertion. Rubbing her hands together, Celestia formed her hands into a triangle. Blowing into the gap she had made, a triangular-shaped bolt of yellow heat flew towards Luna.

Not expecting her weak sister to retaliate, Luna was lifted off her feet from the blast and flung to the other side, hitting the wall and falling to the floor, her body crumpling. Celestia lowered her hands and moved slowly to where her sister lay.

“I’m sorry sister. I had to do it. This was the only way to stop you.” Celestia dropped to her knees next to Luna. Celestia, finally closing her eyes against the pain, felt something wrap around her throat. Her eyes flew open. Looking down, she sees the rage in Luna’s eyes as she tried to squeeze the life out of her.

Gritting her sharp teeth, Luna looked at Celestia’s pained face and the destruction of the room. “You … don’t know anything … about … me.” Luna said in an angered voice. She was angry at the way her big sister had stood up to her and angry at the fact that she was crumpled against the wall. Getting her hooves under her, Nightmare Moon used the wall at her back for support and slid up it, dragging Celestia to her feet as she did. “Haven’t you realised it yet? You can’t stop me!” Nightmare yelled, squeezing Celestia’s throat even more.

Celestia clawed at Luna’s surprisingly strong hand. “Luna…” Celestia tried to breathe but her grip was too strong. Struggling to get breath, Celestia lit her horn up and fired off a beam of golden heat at Luna’s eyes. Hissing in pain, Luna dropped Celestia and rubbed her eyes. Celestia on the other hand, stumbled away and clutched her throat, rubbing it.

Celestia coughed and looked over to where they stored the Elements of Harmony. One of Luna’s bolts had struck the wall and part of the room containing the Elements was exposed. Knowing that there wasn't another choice, Celestia quickly raced over to the secret room and punched in the correct keycode. The door opened and sliding out of the wall were five different coloured gems with the sixth hidden away in stone.

Celestia shed a few tears as she looked over to her sister, seeing that Luna was still rubbing her eyes. Grabbing the red, orange, pink, blue and green gems, she held them in her hands and quickly raised them up to the small spherical chamber housing the sixth, purple gem. The sphere reacted to the proximity of the other gems and opened up to reveal the sixth Element of Harmony.

Having rubbed the pain out of her eyes, Nightmare Moon snarled in hatred and anger and looked around for Celestia. Locating her where the Elements of Harmony were being kept, Nightmare Moon snarled and sped towards Celestia. She skidded to a stop though as she realised that Celestia held all six gems out in front of her. “What are you doing with those?” Nightmare Moon asked, her voice wavering a tiny bit.

“I’m sorry sister. It’s the only way to get you to stop.” Celestia whispered and closed her eyes tightly, willing the gems to create a rainbow of power. She held her hands out in front of her and pointed all six gems to her power-hungry sister. They all shone with a dazzling light and shot forth a spectrum of colours at Luna.

Quickly figuring out what Celestia was doing, Nightmare Moon lit up her horn and clapped her hands together, shooting off a powerful beam of azure energy. Nightmare Moon’s azure beam collided with Celestia’s rainbow beam. It seemed that Nightmare Moon was winning as her beam slowly pushed Celestia’s back. But the Elements of Harmony proved too powerful for Nightmare Moon’s dark magic. The force of the rainbow beam pushed Nightmare Moon back a few feet until it overtook her azure one and engulfed her.

“In one thousand years time, I will return. On the shortest night of the longest day, that is when I return and will bring Eternal Night to Equestria!” Nightmare Moon vowed before she was pulled away from the floor and shot up through the roof, breaking it in the process. The rainbow energy beam carried her towards the moon.

Finally letting herself relax, Celestia laid down, the gems rolled out of her hands, their glow dimming and winking out completely in a matter of few seconds. Pieces of the roof fell around Celestia as the rainbow blast's effects began to dissipate.

"My subjects. What would they think about me? Of the transformation that I have gone through and for what I've done to my sister? They'll probably think the worst but now that Luna has moved the sun with some sort of magic, I have to take it upon myself to shoulder the burdens that my sister has left behind. It may take a while but hopefully, the people of Equestria can forget about this ordeal or at least pass it down as legend." Celestia reasoned with herself as she then wept openly for what she had done to her sister.