Stargate - Rise of the Sun God

by Arvaus

18 - Apocalypse

Luna stood, watching, as the column of fire twisted slowly upwards from the centre of the blaze, towering high above her. She could feel the heat pressing down on her, but she forced herself forward, getting as close as she could.

Gradually the column of started to coalesce at a single point, tendrils of fire swirling in arcs around it. Luna raised a hoof to shield her eyes, looking upward and watching as the fire came together once more into the form of a pony. Two great wings of light unfurled, the column falling away to the ground, and Celestia glided down, landing softly in front of her sister.

"Eight thousand years I have waited," she said, "and still you are here."

"You are my sister," Luna replied. "I would not abandon you."

Celestia laughed. "Is that so? Then why did you turn away from me when I asked you for help?"

"Listen to me," Luna said, walking toward her. "So much has changed since last we spoke! It is meaningless for us to argue about the past!"

Celestia shook her head and turned, walking in a circle round her sister. "Nothing has changed," she said. "I have seen what you have seen. The Goa'uld still persist. They still hold the power in this galaxy, and now they even come to reclaim Equestria, the one world I had managed to push them from! This galaxy is as diseased as it was millennia ago!"

Luna stood her ground as Celestia paced round her. "Do you truly believe that?" she said.

"I do not believe it," Celestia said, "I know it. The free spirit of ponies died long ago. Ra took it for himself, twisted it to suit his needs, and then crushed it. The ponies that remain are just echoes of their former selves, stumbling around in the illusion of happiness as the Goa'uld use them as tools and playthings. This has been clear to me for a long time. The difference between us is that I am not deceiving myself into thinking they can be won back. You cannot offer freedom to one who doesn't even know what the word means."

"You're wrong," Luna said. "Freedom is a very real in this world; I have seen it!"

Celestia grabbed Luna by the shoulder and pulled her round, bringing them face to face. Celestia's hoof felt like fire, but Luna ignored the pain.

"Have you seen it?" she asked. "Do you not remember when we were fighting Ra? So many times we felt the taste of freedom – a town liberated, a pony saved from execution, an attack foiled – but every time they were waiting to bring even greater ruin in retribution. Ra tricked us, making us think we had a chance, and we ended up playing into his hooves every time. From the moment he arrived, we have never been free."

She took a step back and spread her wings, small tongues of fire shedding from her feathers and rising into the air.

"Don't you understand?" she said. "This is what I have been searching for ever since he arrived! This is freedom! This power is mine to do with as I see fit! They have no control over me, and I can make it so they never control any pony ever again! I can rid the universe of them once and for all now! I can wipe out all trace of their presence! I can wipe out the very memory of them!"

"You will not listen to me then?" Luna asked. "I have waited so long to speak to you again, and you will not even give me a chance?"

Celestia's eyes narrowed, and she folded her wings away again. "I have given you a chance," she said. "A chance to see that nothing has changed. I know what needs to be done. If you still cannot see that, and still intend to resist, I have already told you what will happen."

Luna sighed. She had been expecting this. A mind in this state was not easily persuaded, as she knew all too well. All that mattered now was that she gave the others sufficient time to escape. She closed her eyes, bowing her head.

"Very well," she said.

Celestia looked down on her sister, her expression cold. Then, she lifted on hoof into the air, and with a loud shout, crashed it down to the ground again. Waves of fire burst out from her, consuming what remained of the grass around them. Luna braced against the fire as it tried to push her back, but she could feel it slowly eating away at her magical defences, so she spread her wings and pushed up away from the ground. The updraft from the fire carried her quickly into the sky and away from Celestia, but when she looked down she saw jets of flame chasing after her, pouring out from her sister's horn. She twisted to the side as one came toward her, rolling out of the way of a second as it grazed her neck.

"Don't resist!" Celestia shouted, lifting off and rising up to meet her. "Don't delay what has to happen!"

She continued to throw fire upwards and Luna fired spells back, deflecting and extinguishing as much as she could.

"I will never stop!" she responded. "As long as I live, I will fight to protect the life in this galaxy!"

Celestia ceased her attack for a moment. "You protect a tumour!" she said. "The only way to save the galaxy is to cut out the infected flesh! You have chosen their side, so you share their fate."

She looked to the ground, pointing her hoof down at the fires which still raged there, and with a thought drew them upward into the sky. They raced up and arced through the air, streaming in toward Luna from all sides. With nowhere to run, she summoned as much magic as she could, throwing out a protective bubble around her. The flames pushed in on the shield, the light's intensity almost overwhelming her even with her eyes closed, and she held out as long as she could, until she felt the onslaught begin to weaken again. Then she gave one more push, forcing the flames back and bursting out of the column, straight toward Celestia. The two princesses collided and spun through the air. Luna saw the fires around them weaken as her sister lost concentration, but the heat Celestia's body was giving off was too much for her and she was forced to let go after only a few seconds. She backed away, firing spells from her horn, but Celestia swatted them away with ease.

"You are weak, little sister!" she shouted. She returned a volley of spells, Luna dodging and countering them, and firing back when she could.

"I am not your sister!" she said. "I am Princess Celestia's sister! I don't know who you are anymore!"

"Silence!" Celestia shouted. She pulled back, drawing a wall of fire up between them which absorbed all of Luna's spells. Relented against the impregnable shield, Luna moved back, watching the fire carefully for movement, but as she did so Celestia burst through it, flying at full speed right toward her. She tried to dodge out of the way, but Celestia spun round and kicked her in the side beneath her wing. Her muscles spasmed and she lost control, falling down to the burning ground below, flapping as hard as she could with her other wing in an attempt to slow her descent. Her back hit the charred soil hard, and she lay there, barely able to move.

Celestia landed on top of her, pinning her down and pressing a hoof down onto her neck. Luna tried to push it away, but the heat made it impossible to concentrate.

"How do you still not understand?" Celestia said. "I am still your sister, and always have been. I have not changed. I chose this. "

"No…" Luna spluttered, "there was no choice. I know what happened; it… happened to me too, remember."

Celestia laughed. "You think this is the same?" she said, pushing down harder on Luna's throat. "What were you fighting for back then? Jealousy! Arrogance! Selfish, petty desires –nothing more! I am working for the redemption of an entire galaxy! Don't you dare compare—"

"Enough!" Luna shouted. She threw her head forward and the tip of her horn caught Celestia's chin, digging into her skin. Celestia fell back, and Luna stumbled to her feet, limping away from her sister toward one of the ruined buildings.

"Stop this!" she shouted. "You don't understand what's happening to you, and it's destroying you! Let me help!"

"Help?" Celestia said, looking up at her again. "I don't need your help!"

She reared up, a huge, fiery spectre rising from the ground behind her. Then she thrust a hoof out toward Luna, and the mass of flames raced forward over her. Luna leapt into the building behind her, taking refuge behind a stone wall as the fireball crashed into it.

---

A few kilometres away, the noise of the explosion drew the others' attention as they ran for the temple.

"Doesn't sound like it's going well back there," Sam said.

"Forget them," Jack said. "We need to focus on getting to the ship before Celestia does."

"What makes you think the ship will still be functional?" Koresh asked.

Sam looked over her shoulder at him. "Because Celestia knows it's her only way out of the system. She'll have left it spaceworthy."

"Right," Jack said, nodding. "That."

Silence fell again as they continued running. They had ended up on a wide thoroughfare, and Jack had a clear view a long way ahead of them, but this just made it clearer how far they had to go before they got to the temple.

"We're never going to make it in time," Sam panted.

"We'll make it," Jack said, eyes focussed forward. "Luna'll be able to hold her off."

"Actually, Sir," Sam replied, "I'm surprised she's held out this long. I've seen Celestia firebomb an entire planet."

Koresh looked round. "Maybe she doesn't wish to destroy the planet while she is on it," he said.

Daniel pushed forward, coming in line with them. "I still don't like abandoning them," he said. "We barely had a chance to get to know them."

"Yeah, I know," Jack said. "I hate leaving ponies behind as well. But remember she chose to do this. And she's doing this to try and save the entire galaxy!" He looked over his shoulder, at the bursts of fire rising from the ruins in the distance. "When I die, I hope I can be remembered for something like that as well."

"But what about Celestia?" Sam said. "She doesn't deserve to be remembered for this."

Jack sighed. "I know," he replied, "but there's nothing we can do. Best we focus on the future."

"Yes Sir."

They came to the end of the thoroughfare, and Jack led the group to the left, through a building, vaulting over the back wall onto a narrower street running approximately towards the temple. Sam landed shakily and started to slow, falling behind the team, but Ro'shur pulled up next to her and held his wing out across her back, pushing her forward.

"Thanks," she said.

"You should not be running yet," Ro'shur said. "You still need rest."

"We can rest when we're on the ship," Sam replied.

Jack looked over at Ro'shur. "Speaking of the future," he said, "what are your plans once we're off this planet?"

Ro'shur chuckled. "I do not know," he said. "Our god is dead, so for once that is entirely up to us. I have no idea where to go next."

"Rebel Jaffa numbers are growing throughout the galaxy," Teal'c said. "I have friends who would be glad to have you join them."

"You'd be welcome on Earth as well," Jack said. "You've saved our lives a few times today. I'm sure we can find some spare rooms somewhere in return."

"Thank you," Ro'shur replied, nodding.

"You know," Jack said, "a day ago I never would've thought we'd be having this conversation."

Koresh laughed. "And a day ago I would gladly have killed you! But in this one day alone you have given me more reason to respect the four of you than Zipacna ever did!"

"Indeed," Ro'shur said. "We were told that you were our enemy. I am glad we were able to learn otherwise." He then glanced over his shoulder. "I only wish we had had the same opportunity with Princess Celestia."

"Me too," Sam said. "Luna only showed me part of her life before all this happened, and I wish I could've seen more."

Jack opened his mouth, about to try and change the subject again, but there was no denying that he agreed with them.

"Yeah, me too," he said. "This doesn't feel right, just running away like this. Luna stayed to fight, and we're just… running."

"As you said," Teal'c responded, "the ship is Celestia's only way to escape the supernova. We need to leave in order to trap her here."

"Yeah," Jack sighed, "but that doesn't exactly make it a good thing."

They fell quiet again, looking onward to their destination, the distant sounds of more explosions echoing behind them. Then Ro'shur looked over and said, "Then we shall make it right."

Daniel looked round. "What do you mean?"

"We failed to save their lives today," Ro'shur went on, "so for each of them we will save a hundred lives in their names!"

"More than that!" Koresh added. "For them, we will fight to give all Jaffa the freedom we have received today!"

Jack laughed. "That's the spirit!"

"And we can do it," Ro'shur said. "Today proves it. If there is hope for us, there is hope for all Jaffa in the galaxy!"

"Hear hear!" Daniel called.

They all smiled. Sam pushed forward again, galloping onward without difficulty, and Jack realised he could feel the entire group speeding up.

"You really think we can do it?" Sam said.

"I have never been surer of anything in my life!" Ro'shur replied.

"Nor I," Koresh added. "Together we could bring the Goa'uld down forever! The six of us could give the entire galaxy freedom! We will show them what the word means!"

Jack laughed. He felt like he was thirty years old again. He didn't care how cheesy their enthusiasm sounded; he was starting to believe it himself. "Let's do it, then," he said, pushing on even harder. "Let's get out there, and show the Goa'uld what you can do with the power of friend… ship…"

He went silent. He didn't break gait, but suddenly he could feel something welling up inside him out of nowhere. For eyes unfocussed, a small spark flickering deep within them for a moment.

"Jack…" Daniel said.

"You felt that too?"

"Yeah."

"As did I," Koresh said.

One by one the others spoke in agreement, but suddenly the words seemed irrelevant. Jack's whole body felt energised. He felt like he could do anything. But more importantly he knew exactly what they needed to do.

"We need to go back," he said.

"On it, Sir," Sam said. Jack looked round at her; the Major's eyes were wide open, glowing brilliant white. Light blossomed from the tip of her horn, completely engulfing the six of them.

---

Luna raced through the ruins, dodging wave after wave of fireballs as they rained down from above. One hit the top of an archway as she ran under, showering fragments of stone over her.

She could see Celestia hovering over her out of the corner of her eye, smiling in her perceived triumph, and Luna wondered how close that moment was now. She had lost track of how much time had passed since the other ponies had left, and had no idea if they would have made it to the rings yet. She'd stopped trying to count the seconds, focussing only on trying to get as many as she could.

A blast hit just ahead of her and she skidded to a halt, tumbling over herself onto the charred grass. As she fell on her back she saw another heading straight for her and tried to roll out of the way. The force threw her forward and she fell through a doorway, rolling down a flight of steps into a covered basement.

She slid to a stop on the dusty ground, coughing and spluttering, but thankful for the shelter as she picked herself up and stole a few deep breaths of the basement's cool air. Her entire body was aching, and her energy was running out, but she looked around for any way forward.

She saw another opening – an old window, at about head height, leading back up to ground level. She limped over to it, grabbing hold of the frame and pulling herself up through the narrow gap. As she lay there, hind legs still hanging down into the cellar, she looked up into the sky and tried to find her sister, but she couldn't see anything anywhere. Had Celestia left already? Was it too late?

"There you are," said a voice behind her. She looked round into the cellar again and saw Celestia peering down the staircase, looking over at her, and smiling.

She turned and tried to pull herself out again, but suddenly she felt an immense heat building up behind her. The entire cellar exploded, the blast throwing her out and clear across the street. She fell back to earth, crashing into the base of a large stone wall. The wall cracked and crumbled, falling away from her, and she lay on the ground, bruised and sore.

Celestia landed metres away from her, the green grass withering and dying beneath her hooves.

"You are strong, little sister," she said, walking up to Luna and looking down at her. "Stronger than I gave you credit for."

Luna tried to move away again, but she didn't have the energy to stand.

"This is madness," Celestia said, picking her sister up with her magic and pulling her up into the air, the two hovering metres above the ground. "You are the one thing Ra never managed to take from me – the one pure thing remaining in the galaxy. It would be a crime to kill you."

"Then stop…" Luna stuttered, but she was having trouble putting sentences together. She was having trouble holding on to consciousness at all.

Tongues of flame started weaving their way around the two of them, cocooning them in a ball of fire. "I cannot stop," Celestia said. "I need to do this. But I can still have you with me. I can teach you. I can help you understand."

"No…" Luna said. "Don't…"

She was losing focus. Flames swirled round them in all directions, filling the world with constant motion. She tried to concentrate, tried to focus on her sister, but her mind felt like a sieve.

"Listen," Celestia said.

Luna scrunched her eyes up. There was a scratching in her head. Between broken thoughts, she could hear voices, but she tried to push them back. She tried to bring back happy memories, of times when she still had friends on Equestria.

Ra destroyed all that.

Images of war and destruction flashed before her. She remembered cities burning as ponies rose up against Ra and he destroyed their homes in retribution. She saw death, enslavement, and Ra's Jaffa watching over it all, uncaring.

All that remains are their thralls. Nothing pure is left.

"No!"

Luna thought of Daniel, and Sam, and their friends. They were pure. They had done so much to help her. They had tried to help her escape.

They tried to sell you to the Goa'uld to buy their freedom.

"Stop it!" Luna shouted, trying to drown the voice out. "They're good!"

The Goa'uld lie and deceive. It is their nature. None can be trusted.

"I won't… I won't kill…"

They have corrupted everything. The galaxy must be purged.

"Must… no…"

It will burn, and then it will rise anew.

"Rise anew…"

All must be destroyed. It is the only way.

"Must... be destroyed…"

---

The light cleared and the team found themselves galloping down a wide street, a huge sphere of fire churning in the air ahead of them.

"How did you do that?" Daniel said.

"I don't know!" Sam replied. She looked forward at the scene ahead of them. "Are they in there?"

"They must be," Ro'shur replied. "Colonel, we have to clear the fire!"

Jack nodded. The two pegasi jumped into the air and pushed on ahead of the others, flying on toward the edge of swirling ball. As they reached its edge they banked to the left, pulling into a circle around the fire and pushing themselves faster and faster, closer and closer, their wings pulling air in from the surroundings and pushing it up, drawing the fire away into a burning tornado.

"Keep it contained!" Jack shouted. "Let the fire put itself out!"

The two of them climbed higher and higher into the sky, drawing the column away with them. The flames began to splutter and die in the turbulence, disappearing into a faint pillar of smoke.

As the tongues of fire started to clear, Sam peered in through them and saw the two princesses, locked together, hovering above the ground.

"We need to separate them!" she said. "Teal'c, give me a boost!"

"Yes, Major Carter!" he replied, moving ahead of her.

"Daniel, Koresh," Sam added, looking round at the others, "get ready to catch Luna!"

They nodded, peeling off to the side. The four of them continued forward in formation, gaining quickly on the battle. Then, when they were just metres off, Teal'c skidded to a halt in front of Sam. She jumped up onto his back and pushed off as Teal'c bucked forward, throwing her up into the air and directly toward the princesses. She twisted her body to fit into the narrow gap between them, and as she passed just inches in front of Celestia the two of them locked eyes for a split second.

"Who are—" Celestia said, staring at her in shock, but at that moment the tips of their horns met; Sam released a massive burst of magical energy, the blast throwing them apart. Sam landed first, rolling across the grass and jumping back to her hooves, and she watched as Celestia's glowing form crashed down to the ground.

The spell broken, Luna fell out of the air. Daniel and Koresh caught her, laying her down onto the grass. Her body was limp and her eyes were unfocussed.

"What's wrong with her?" Daniel said.

"Let me," Koresh said, leaning over the princess and summoning his own magic. She was losing consciousness, but he gave her a boost of magic and she jolted awake, her head flying forward, deep coughs shaking her entire body.

"Daniel!" she spluttered. "Why are you here? You need to leave—"

"Don't worry, Princess," he replied, smiling. "Take it easy. We can handle this."

Koresh nodded. "You're safe now," he said.

Luna stared at them, confused, then rolled back onto her side. "O…okay," she said. "Hurry."

Daniel nodded, and the two of them a turned and ran over to join Sam. Teal'c caught up with them moments later, just as Ro'shur and Jack landed again, and the six of them formed a circle round the collapsed Celestia.

"Good shot, Major," Jack said.

"Thanks, Colonel," she replied. "That won't buy us long though."

Jack smiled. "We won't need long."

Celestia's form stirred again. She picked herself up and stood, eyes darting around at the assembled ponies. The magic aura around her horn was flickering, still recovering from Carter's spell.

"How did—?" she said. "Who are you?"

Jack looked round at Koresh and Ro'shur, and they nodded back at him.

"We," Jack said, "are SG-1, and we're here to save you."

Streams of magic burst from each of them, flowing round the circle and weaving together into a single glowing band of rainbow-coloured energy. It rushed in towards Celestia, wrapping itself round her legs and holding her in place. The air stirred into motion, lifting them all off the ground and up into the air. The sky seemed to go dark, the light of the watching sun drowned out by the magic's power.

"How are you doing this?" Celestia shouted, struggling against her bonds and staring at them in panic.

"You were wrong about this galaxy," Ro'shur shouted. "You thought its spirit had died, but there are some things which cannot be killed."

"You were trying to save the galaxy," Daniel said, "but you can't do that by destroying it. That's not how you create peace."

"No," Teal'c said, "peace is created not by ending lives, but by protecting them! By offering shelter to a pony in danger…" – he looked round at Koresh.

"…or by a simple magic spell…" Daniel added, looking at Sam.

"…or even with a well-timed joke," Sam finished. "None of us would be here right now if it wasn't for simple acts like this!"

The bonds holding Celestia started to wind their way up her legs, spreading across her body, and she struggled, tring to fight them off.

"No!" She shouted. "They lie! They deceive! I can't trust—"

"Yes you can!" Koresh shouted. "You know that trust can come from anywhere, and the Goa'uld can never completely destroy it!"

"Look at me!" Ro'shur said. "I earned the trust of my enemy simply by offering him the truth, even though it was a truth he didn't want to hear."

"And I," Teal'c said, "earned the trust of my friends by promising them mine."

"No!" Celestia yelled as the magic spread up her neck, binding her entire body. "Stop this!"

The circle parted, and Luna limped in below them. The magic reached down and flowed round her, lifting her up until she was face to face with her sister.

"Listen to them," she said. "They are here to help. Their words will do you good."

"They will ruin everything!" Celestia shouted.

"No," Luna said, shaking her head and smiling. "Not long ago I thought I had lost you. I couldn't see any way forward. But then, just by talking to me, they reminded me of what was important. They gave me the strength to fight – to fight for you, and to protect you and all you love – and I will never stop again."

"Kindness," Sam said. "Loyalty, Honesty, Laughter, Generosity, and Magic. All these Elements are alive in the galaxy today. Their light may be dim at times, but it will never go out. Wherever they still exist, friendship can and will appear, and as long as friendship thrives, the Goa'uld will never win."

"We are friends," Daniel said, "all of us, and that friendship will not easily be destroyed. Now we offer it to you as well."

The magic surrounding them pulsed. One by one, the teams eyes flew wide open, burning bright white, and the energy around them surged, its light drowning everything else out. As the world disappeared around them, Luna stretched a hoof out and held it to Celestia's cheek.

"Come home, sister," she said, tears running from her eyes. "You have my forgiveness, if you want it."

Comments

[GordonFreebrony]

I so need sleep for finals tomorrow... But I want to know what happens next!

[Black--Soul]

But can they save Equestria, even if they managed... The planet is devoid of sentiment life... Unless they can magicaly restore all races?