Luna sighed as she looked off of her balcony into the vast land of Equestria, “Truly magnificent.” she spoke to herself as she looked up into the sky to see her sister’s sun. She instantly squinted for the light hurt her eyes, “Celestia has made the sun extra bright today. I guess I have to dim the light of the moon tonight, to give the citizens’ eyes a break.” She then turned to walk back inside. She hummed herself a little tune as she sat in front of her vanity mirror and started to brush her short light blue door.
“Princess Luna?” I voice called from outside her bedroom door which was followed by a knock.
“Come in.” she kept her eyes glued to her reflection as the door opened slowly. “What is it?” she said putting down her brush and picking up her eyeshadow and brush.
“Princess Celestia would like to meet up for an early dinner before sundown.” The guard spoke in a stern voice.
“Of course, tell her I shall be there within a few moments.” the princess replied as she applied her makeup.
“Of course m’lady.” the bat-stallion bowed before he left.
“Thank you!” Luna shouted right before the door shut. She put down her makeup and used her magic to close the glass balcony doors, then to close the drapes. “Off I go!” Luna muttered cheerful to herself as she made her way towards her bedroom door. As she left two guards came along with her, but she didn’t mind. She just pranced down the halls on her way to meet her older sister she got bows and cheerful ‘hellos’ from the servants, and Luna, of course, said a ‘hello’ back with a wide smile and a bow. She then stopped in front of the dining hall door where two other guards opened the door for her.
“Greetings, Tia. How has your day been so far?” Luna beamed as one of her guards from earlier rushed to pull out her chair for her, she gave him a nod of thanks.
Celestia gave her younger sister a long look as if she wasn’t in the mood for cheerful, “Could be better for me. How about you Lu?” she said moving her long light pink hair from her shoulder.
“Oh just..just wonderful !” Luna said with a unnaturally wide smile, “Everything has just been just...just marvelous today. I feel like something big will happen. Something just so humongously astonishing that it will just amaze everyone in the kingdom!”
Celestia gave her sister yet another long stare, “You really think so?” she said sarcastically before she took a sip from her wine cup.
“Oh, I know so dear sister! I also know you will be a tremendous part of it.”
“Sounds, intriguing enough.” Celestia said right as two unicorn waiters came with silver platters. Luna frowned, her sister wasn’t excited for much nowadays.
“Well, Tia. Are you not excited?” Luna said as the unicorns placed down the platters in unison.
“For what, may I ask?” the white unicorn replied as the lids were taken off the platter.
“The astonishing humongous thing.”
“Your dinner is-” one unicorn started.
“Yes, yes I know. It has been served, now go! Take the lids and go.” Celestia said giving the stallion a glare.
The stallion nodded frantically, “Why of course, your highness.” he gave Celestia a nervous smile as him and the other stallion gathered the lids then went off on their way.
“You should really be nicer to them, you know.” Luna spoke as she to grasp of her fork with her sorcery, she stared down at her dandelion salad.
“To whom?” Celestia said holding up a spoonful of soup with her magic.
“To the butlers, the waiters, the guards, the housekeepers, the gardeners, the handmaidens, the cooks, the messengers, and anypony else I did not name. One day they will just stop listening.” Luna watched as her elder sister took a skeptical sip of soup from her spoon.
“Luna can we just speak of this later?”
Luna took a bite of her salad, chewed it a bit then swallowed. “Well of course, but you invited me to an early dinner so you must have wanted to speak to me about something.” She then took another bite.
“Well, yes. You see Luna. I was wondering if we could keep the sun up for a bit more hours tommorrow perhaps?”
Luna choked on her salad gaining attention from her guards that stood quietly behind her, “Beg your pardon?” she said before she took a sip of her water.
“You heard me sister, I want to keep the sun up just a bit longer, so the ponies can enjoy my light a bit longer.” Celestia gave Luna a sheepish smile.
The grayish-blue mare slowly levitated her cup back to its place on the table, “Tia, you know we can’t do this is time of year. It’s harvest season and you’re making it feel like summer! If you keep it up the crops will shrivel away before they can picked. And you-”
“Okay that’s a enough!” Celestia stood up and slammed her forehooves on the table, “I am DONE with you telling me what to do! I am the older sister! Therefore, I should be telling you what to do, not the other way around!”
“Tia, I was jus-”
“No! You were just being selfish, and inconsiderate of my feelings! You’ve always been a terrible sister, but I never wanted to believe it. I hate you with all of my heart!” She screamed the last part on the top of her lungs. Celestia then flipped the table onto its side with her magic the galloped out of the room.
Luna watched her go, her teal eyes filling with tears.
“Are you alright Princess Luna?” a voice said.
Luna turned to her guards and wiped away her tears, “Yes, I am fine. I know deep down inside she did not mean it. I know she still loves me, every star needs time to cool off.” she gave the two a week smile. “I will retire to my garden now, there is no need to follow me.” Luna said as she got up from her chair. The guards gave her a nod of approval, and she left the dining hall.
She walked quietly through the halls, no more prancing, or humming, or singing. No more happy ‘hellos’ and elegant bows. Just the sad clip-clop of Luna’s hooves through the hallways. She then reached her courtyard, or what Luna called her garden. It was a little octagon in the middle of the east-wing of the castle. In the middle there was a fountain that had figures of wyverns and stars carved into it, which was surrounded in beautiful blue flowers, and luscious green leaves.
Luna smiled as she remembered so many happy memories. She slowly made her way to the fountain and sat on the edge. “Whatever is the matter, your highness?” a voice spoke softly. Luna looked up to see an old light blue mare with a lavender mane and lime green eyes.
“Oh, hello Diamond Burst. I am fine.” Luna said with the fakest smile in Equestrian history.
“Oh you cannot fool me, I’ve known you since you were born. I literally I helped your mother get your big head out of her.” Diamond teased as she gave Princess Luna a noogie. Luna didn’t laugh she just gave the old mare a weak smile. “Now what happened between you and Celestia?”
“How’d you know it was about Celestia?”
“On my way down here, I walked past her on my way over here. She was burning up, but like I always say-”
“Every star needs to cool down.” Luna said with a smile, then stared into the water for awhile. “It all started at dinner.”
Luna looked at up at the sky, “The sun should be down by now, I have to go.” she said getting up from the fountain.
“Apologize to your sister!” Diamond called after her.
“Alright!” Luna said as she galloped back into the castle, her light blue hair flowing in the wind. “Tia, Tia, Tia, Tia!” she said cheerfully as she came to a full stop at Celestia’s door. There was no answer. Luna frowned, “Tia, come out! I know you’re in there.” she knocked on the door again, no answer. “Well that is strange.” Luna muttered to herself as she pressed her ear against the door.
“I have to open the door she will know something is wrong.” Celestia spoke.
“But she humiliated you, she doesn’t want you to reach her full potential.” she spoke again but in a more menacing tone.
“But she loves me no matter what.”
“But she won’t anymore if she finds out what we’ve been planning.”
Luna was so confused, her sister forgave her about what happened but she had also been planning something behind her back, which hurt.
“I want to call of the plan. I can’t do this to herrrr.” Celestia’s voice was followed by a scream of pain. “Why are you doing this to me?” she screamed.
“It’s for your own good!” The malicious voice snarled.
“Tia! Tia are you alright?” Luna screamed as she used her magic to try to open the door. “Guards, guards!” Luna called. Luna then closed her eyes as she charged her horn with magic, after her horn was fully charged she let the the energy lose in one magic blast Celestia’s door went off the hinges.
“Your highness what happened?” a guard asked but Luna ignored him.
“Tia!” she cried as she galloped past the smoke into her sister’s room. As the smoke clear Luna found Celestia lying in her bed motionless. “Celestia?” she screamed as she jumped on her sister’s bed.
The white mare’s eyes started to flutter open, “Luna?”
“Yes, Tia. You’re alright.”
“Alright? I was fine.” she said looking around, “Why’d you blast down my door?”
“I was coming to apologize for what happened earlier and I heard you screaming out a pain and you wouldn’t open the door, and I got worried about you.”
“Oh, stick a hoof in your mouth. You were spying on me and then try to get off easy? You are unbelievable!” Celestia shouted.
“I was just trying to help.” Luna said sincerely.
“Well I do not want your help, thank you very much.” Celestia said pushing Luna off her bed. “Now get out all of you!” she screamed.
“See you in a few minutes. Okay?” Luna said right before she left the room.
“Whatever.”
Luna stood on the main balcony awaiting her sister’s arrival. “She’s late…” she mumbled to herself, “I swore I heard voices.” She said growing worried of her sister. “Guard!”
A bat-stallion popped up at her side, “Yes, your highness?”
“Can you please go check on my sister for me. She worrying me…”
“Worried? You shouldn’t be little sister!” The wicked voice from earlier spoke, suddenly there was a orb full of light lowered from the sky towards Princess Luna. One the orb faded there stood a blood red mare as tall as the queen and king of Equestria themselves, her mane and tail were made of flames, her eyes glowed an unnatural shade of magenta, she wore armor of mercury.
“Celestia?” Luna uttered in shock.
“Surprise!” She said sarcastically showing off her fangs. “But I go by Solar Flare now.” she said landing on the balcony.
“What happened to you?” Luna asked as her sister started to circle her.
“I kept having a conversation with this little voice in the back in of my head and she helped me unlock a secret power I didn’t know I had. I call her Tant but her real name is the Tantabus.”
“Why is it a her?” my guard whispered. Luna quickly hushed him.
“Who knows? But here’s the plan, while she continues to monolounge you go get help, I shall keep her busy.” the moon princess mummered. The guard nodded then galloped off.
“Are you still listening you twat?” Celestia Solar Flare asked in a commanding tone.
Luna nodded, “Of course.”
“Good..”she snarled showing off her sharp fangs, “So, anyhow. Long story short I am going to rule Equestria on my own, and the day will stay for eternity! Isn’t that exciting?!?”
“No, it is wrong! Too much sun can break the balance of Equestria just like too much moon would fracture the balance. The animals would be out of-”
“You think I care about some puny, worthless animals? Ha! You clearly are a bad sister, you don’t know me at all.” The mare threw back her head and let out a demonic laugh.
Luna glared at the demon, “You are not my sister! My sister would never act like such a tyrant.”
“TYRANT?!? Why you little- augh!” Solar Flare howled in pain as a spear flew past her and cut her on the shoulder.
Luna smiled as a bunch of royal guards appeared from nowhere with their spears drawn. “Did you think I, Princess Luna would let you rule without a fight?”
“No,” Solar Flare snorted, “But I am surprised you think a bunch of guards are going to stop a being as powerful as ME!” A bright, blinding glow came from Solar. Luna used her wings to cover her eyes. The blood red mare let out another evil laugh, “You halfwits!”
Suddenly Luna felt the air around her get warm she then felt something wrap around her forehooves. “Yank!” She heard Solar Flare laugh right before she was well, yanked into the air. Luna screamed as she was pulled through the air hooves first, blinded.
Once Luna got her vision back she realized she was being held captive by Solar Flare’s mane. Within a few seconds she came face to face with her sister. “Hello there, Lulu.” she snarled. Luna squirmed in the tyrant’s grasp. “Oh, do not even bother. I’m holding you as tight as I can without hurting you.” She said as she lifted herself off of the balcony. “You know it is sad that you thought you’d defeat me so quickly, but I guess my little sister needs so time to think!” Solar’s mane drew Luna back and threw her right into the castle.
Luna crashed into the dining hall, she smashed right through the table. She landed with her side on what used to be the wood floor. “Your highness!” Voices called. Luna struggled to get up, she had cuts and bruises everywhere, she felt blood trickling down from her wounds. “Are you alright?”
“I need a few things.” Luna started as she finally got on hooves.
“Well of course. What is it?”
“I need you to send our best nurse, the Captain of the Guards, and a few cups of jasmine tea, to my office, please and thank you.” Luna then teleported herself into her office. As soon as she appeared she sat at her desk, grabbed a quill and a scroll and begun to write. “Dear Mother and Father…” she spoke aloud.
Luna looked out of the windows nervously, the sky was as red as the dictator that used to be Princess Celestia herself, the sun stood high in the sky brighter than usually. “Princess!” a bat-guard said bursting into the office. “I have gotten news from all over Equestria!”
“What is it?” Luna said using her magic to closed the curtains of the window she was looking out of.
“The heat is so unbearable that wildfires have started all over Equestria! The worst one is the fires is in the forest that surrounds the castle so we might have to evacuate soon. Also all the water is evaporating so fast that we can’t fight the fires. So, either we’ll burn to death or just dehydrate, along with the rest of the world. We must defeat Solar Flare soon.”
“I know, I’m just waiting on my parents.”
“Well the wait ends now.” a deep masculine voice boomed.
Luna turned to see two tall alicorns, one a white mare who had a mane made out of bright burning stars, her wings looked like they were made of the flames of the sun, her eyes the same color of the sky at the break of dawn, and her cutie mark was an image of the galaxy itself. Next her was a slightly taller stallion with a coat made of the night sky, his mane the colors of the space between the stars, his eyes as dark as the shadow of the moon.
“King Callisto! Queen Galaxia!” The guard bowed.
“Mother! Father! I would love to have a lovely bonding experience with you right now but Equestria is under attack.”
“By who? And where is your sister?” The Queen asked looking around.
“You see…” Luna started, “Celestia has gone rouge. She won’t lower the sun at any cost, Equestria is slowly burning to ashes.” Both the king and and the queen gasped. “She calls herself Solar Flare she says she has been speaking to this voice in her head called the Tantabus. She says it gave her her new powers. Have you heard of it?”
Both of the alicorns nodded, “The story of the Tantabus has been pasted down from generation to generation in the royal family. It was supposed to come millenniums ago so your mother and I thought it was nothing but a myth, therefore we didn’t tell you or your sister about it.” King Callisto spoke with a worried expression on his face.
“The Tantabus is supposed to be an evil being that seeks out the lost, envious ponies and tells them it can give them unbelievable powers.” Queen Galaxia said as she slowly made her way to the covered windows, she then pulled the drapes open, “But at what cost? That is what those ponies do not think of.” the mare stared out into the distance as clouds of smoke rose.
King Callisto walked to the side of his queen and nuzzed her he then looked at Luna, “If it was any other pony you would be able to defeat them easily, but your sister...it will be much harder. Especially for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You'll have to use the Elements on your sister.” Galaxia spoke. Luna looked at her parents in disbelief. “I know you don’t want to hurt your sister, but it is the only way. We, as the royal family have to protect Equestria from your sister, and you are the only one that can use the Elements of Harmony. You have to understand.”
Luna’s eyes started to tear up, “There has to be another way! We can’t do this to her, she’s family!”
Callisto pulled his daughter into a hug, “Oh, Luna.”
Luna wiggled her way out of the hug, “I’ll be back.”
Solar Flare sighed as she looked out from her balcony at her new kingdom as it burned, but she didn’t care much about it. “Oh Tant, we work great together.” she muttered to herself. All of a sudden a light blue magic burst flew past Solar Flare, she turned towards the source, “Ha! You missed!” she teased her little sister.
“Celestia you can’t do this! Can’t you see what you’re doing to our people? Their homes are burning! They are burning, we have to help them!”
“They mean nothing to me now. Once they have nothing left they will come here to me to look for help.” she said with a smile.
“What makes you so sure you will be the one they will look for?” Luna asked as she neared her sister.
“Once I get rid of you, they will have no choice!” Solar then charged at her little sister, then tackled her. As the two fell, Solar wrapped her hooves around Luna, strangling her. The blood red mare laughed as she moved around where Luna would be taking the fall.
“I will not let you this to Equestria!” Luna screamed as she blasted her sister with another beam. Solar Flare instantly let go of her smaller sister as she flailed backwards unconscious. Luna opened her wings to fly upwards then she dove down at her sister. As she neared she begun to charge her horn, just as she neared her sister the mare’s eyes flew open.
“Surprise!” she screamed as she shot a quick blast straight at Luna. The blast knocked Luna out of the sky, Luna felt herself slowly fall out of the sky. She felt the air fly past her, she felt everything but could do nothing. Luna crashed into yet another room in the castle, the floor cracked around her. Solar Flare lowered herself above the newest skylight in the castle, “You think you can beat me?” the mare mocked as Luna slowly got up.
Luna had blood trickling from her snout onto the floor, she had large cuts all over her. Blood started to stain herself as she got on her hooves. “Yes, and for as long as you are in control I will never stop fighting for Equestria.”
“I thought you would say something ignorant like that.” Solar Flare said as she shot a wave of her magic at Luna, who conjured up a shield. “You cannot fight forever!” she snarled.
“And neither can you!” Luna said as she took flight and flew from her sister.Solar laughed before she took after her. The navy blue alicorn flew around the castle dodging blast from her sister. Each time Luna dodged a burst of magic another part of the castle was destroyed. She winced from her injuries as she flew, she needed a break. Knowing what she was doing was risky, Luna did a loop-de-loop around the bridge, she came back down she came face to face to one of Solar Flare’s magical burst. Instantly Luna shot one at it, trying to push the orb of magic back at her sister, who caught on instantly. Solar started to add on to the orb trying to stay in control. Luna started to pour in all of the energy she had leftover, every ounce went into the fight. She begun to cry as the orb came near here, “I am sorry my sister, I could not save you.” she muttered right before the orb hit her horn.
The orb exploded as soon as it came in contact with Luna. The moon princess started to go down the castle, her tears and blood moistened her coat as she crashed into the throne room. She laid on the floor as Solar Flare neared her, “You cannot defeat me, you are not powerful enough to face me!” the mare said as he burned Luna on the face using her mane.
Luna cried out in pain and stared at Solar Flare.”Celestia, listen to me. This is not you, you do not have to do this, we all love you just the way you were. Do not let the Tantabus control you Tia, I know you are in there, and I know you don’t want to do this!”
Solar Flare gave Luna a long stare, “Do not call me by that name. I am Solar Flare now, and that is the only name I want to be called. That is your one and only warning.” she said before she flew out of throne room. Luna laid there for a while staring at the floor, she then slowly got up on her hooves, “I am so sorry dear sister, but you have given me no choice but to use the Elements.” Luna said as she used to her magic to get the elements from their hiding place in front of the thrones.
Suddenly a statue came from the ground in the center was a stone sphere and five gems orbited around it. Luna grabbed the gems one by one, “Laughter, honesty, generosity, kindness, and loyalty.” she said grabbing the magenta one, then yellow one, then lavender one, then the green one the lastly the navy blue one. “And finally the most important element,” she spoke to herself as she pulled a sunset-shaped gem from the orb. “magic.”
With the gems in her magic grasp Luna felt confident again and took flight, as she took the sky sky she heard Solar Flare’s sinister laugh, “Look who came back for more! And what is that? The Elements? You think you can defeat me and Tant with those weak pieces of jewelry. You are hilarious!” she started to laugh.
Luna narrowed her eyes as she got the Elements in formation, “I am doing this for your own good sister!” Luna shouted as she put the sunset gem in front of her then put the other ones around her, she then started to spend the five normal gems around her slowly then they started to pick up speed. As they spun a soft light started to glow around Luna.
“I suppose it is time for round two sister!” Solar Flare said as she shot a powerful blast at Luna, Luna’s eyes turned completely white as she shot a rainbow-colored blast back at Solar Flare, who gasped as Luna’s beam got closer. “You brat! You can’t win, I am the stronger sister!” she said as the beam hit her horn.
Luna watched as a rainbow circled her sister, tears fell from her eyes. She watched as the red coat of Solar Flare was chipped away to reveal the white coat of Celestia, “Luna!” Celestia screamed as she was being lifted into the air by the rainbow.
“Celestia!” Luna cried as she watched her sister being sealed into the sun. She stood there staring at the at sun for awhile before she broke down crying. Her tears ,sweat , and blood soaked what was left of the grass. She sat there and sobbed, repeating Celestia’s name under her breath.
“Oh, Luna, it is not your fault. You had no choice.” Queen Galaxia said as her and King Callisto sat on the ground next to Luna. The queen used her wing to pull Luna close.
Luna nuzzled against her mother, “I-I know it j-just hurts! I’ve should have notices that she was in pain earlier, she was right all along, I am a terrible sister.”
King Callisto looked down at his daughter, “Do not say that, Lulu. You are an amazing sister, you tried everything you could.” there was a moment of silence. “Do you want us to lower the sun and set up the night sky?”
Luna shook her head, “I’d rather do it on my own. I need time alone with my sister.” Her parents nodded and went on their way. “Celestia, I know you are there,” Luna spoke as she took the sun in her magic grasp. “I am so sorry for upsetting you. And I’m sorry for banishing you but you gave me no choice. That came out wrong.” she began to slowly bring the sun down. “You know what I meant, I just want you to know that there is no need for apologies when you return, because I forgive you.”
Luna finally set the sun and brought out the moon, “Goodnight, Tia.”