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Chapter One: The Solar Empire1,080 words
Chapter Two: Eclipse1,060 words
Chapter Three: Dread and Deciet1,406 words
Chapter Four: The Lunar Princess1,003 words

Chapter One: The Solar Empire

“Hurry up, Luna! We’re going to be late for the ceremony!” Celestia yelled from downstairs. The tall alicorn straightened the marvelous golden crown atop her head nervously, wondering what her sister had planned for her speech this afternoon.

“Just one second!” Luna shouted in reply, her voice shaking the room. She levitated a porcelain comb through her pastel blue mane and stared at herself in the mirror. She looked startlingly identical to the young, childish alicorn she knew nearly a thousand years ago, yet her spirit was much older. Luna knew alicorns lived for an extremely long time, but had next to no knowledge about the aging process of her kind, which made understanding even herself difficult.
As the comb hit a knot, Luna grunted in frustration.

“How does Celestia always keep her mane so perfect?” Luna whispered to herself in wonder as she envisioned having a mane as beautiful as her sister’s, long and flowing and magnificently regal. Luna lifted her jet black crown and fitted it as best as she could on her head. The crown, as well as the medallion around her neck, sparkled like gemstones. And the crescent moon on the medallion shimmered in the faint light of her room.

But Luna had to admit, her attire was measly compared to Celestia’s bejeweled crown and golden medallion.

Suddenly, Luna felt a sharp pain race through her head, going across the inside of her skull as if a monster wanted to escape from her mind. Luna’s vision clouded as she quickly turned back towards the mirror, and studied her eyes, which were not her own.

The normally rounded pupil had dissolved into a thin, snakelike slit. The milky blue around her iris melted into a deep purple that engulfed even the whites of her eyes, while the rims of them were a bright shade of blue.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes.

Luna quickly shut her eyes and winced in agony as a small trail of light formed at the end of her horn and slowly flowed into the rest of her body, freeing it from any ounce of pain she had before. She sighed with relief as her eyes returned to normal. Luna did one last check to make sure she was ready and rushed downstairs to meet her sister.

“Took you long enough.” Celestia joked in the singsongy voice that always hid in her everyday speech. She saw her sister’s worried face as she ran down the castle steps, and Celestia instantly knew that she had said the wrong thing.

“Sorry, Tia, I kinda had, um, another, er, incident.” The look in Luna’s eyes spoke enough. Celestia gently
caressed her sister’s mane.

“Don’t worry, Luna. This is normal. This, er, phase you’re in will end after a year or two.” Luna slumped against the wall and sighed. As hard as she tried, Celestia could never forgive herself for what she put her sister through.

And she sure as hoof knew that Luna wouldn’t forgive her anytime soon.

As they headed out the castle doors, Luna stopped in the middle of the doorway and sniffed.

“Tia, I don’t think I can do it. Everyone out there,” she pointed towards the general direction of the provinces of Equestria. “They think I’m a monster.” Celestia frowned and walked over to comfort her sister.

“Well, isn’t that why we’re here? The whole purpose of this ceremony is to show everyone who you REALLY are.” Luna sighed once again and shuffled over to the royal carriage.

“Oh, Luna.” Celestia sighed.

As the sisters climbed inside the carriage, Luna noticed that the royal guards hailed Celestia with a single phrase.

“Long live the Solar Empire, your highness.”

The princess quickly dismissed the guards with a smile as the carriage started up in the air. For some reason, what the guards said had disturbed Luna. Something deep inside of her had flickered like a candle, and the spirit of Nightmare Moon that was still trapped in Luna screamed in protest.

“What was that all about, Tia?” Luna snapped, but instantly regretted. Celestia answered before she could apologize.

“Well, while you were gone, the ponies of Equestria were in distress. Without night, there was no sleep, no moments of peace in their active lifestyle. So I then took on the responsibility for raising the night as well as the day. Decidedly, the ponies hailed me as a queen, and threw themselves into a state of argument about oppression and such. So I then created a classification of a ‘Solar Empire’ to keep the ponies from starting a war amongst themselves, and the monarchy of Equestria lives. It’s nothing more than a title, I assure you.”

“If you say so.” Luna shrugged in disbelief. Immediately, Luna knew that the Solar Empire was much more than just a title. Numerous flags and posters hung all over the cities below. Enlistment posters for the royal guard were posted everywhere, all with the sentence, “Glory to the Solar Empire!” Guards were everywhere. At nearly every doorstep, pathway, street, or even alley was patrolled by countless ponies dressed in silver and gold armor.

The destination was a large clearing near the entrance of the Everfree Forest, where a large stage with a tall stone pillar stood shining and polished among the dirt and mud. Two huge banner displaying an image of Celestia raising the sun, along with, “Hail the Celestial Ruler! Long live the Solar Empire!”

Luna was led onto the back of the curtain by two armor-clad ponies, while Celestia flew up to the stone pillar. Cheers erupted from the mass of ponies crowded below as she flew up in the air and spoke.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, it is my great honor to present to you, my sister, Luna, who has prepared some quick words for you all.” Celestia beamed with pride as Luna shuffled on to the stage.

Not a single sound came from the crowd. A few shocked gasps and coughs were heard, but no applause. No praise. Nothing.

Ungrateful, lowly mules. Luna thought in disgust, or was it Nightmare Moon? Luna was afraid of the fact that she couldn’t tell.

“Um…I…Uh…” Luna looked at her sister for help.

Just tell them about yourself, who you really are. Express your feelings! She saw Celestia mouth.

They want my FEELINGS? Luna thought. Oh, I’ll tell them how I feel.

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