Showdown
* Three Years Later *
"Dear Princess Celestia,
I'm delighted that you want me to be in charge of planning the thousandth summer sun celebration in Ponyville. I've made a lot of great friends since I moved here, three years ago, and I know just the ponies for the job! You were right that I needed to get out of the books and be around ponies more often. Thanks again, for introducing me to the magic of friendship!
"Your student, Moondancer."
The cream-colored unicorn finished her letter with a flourish, and sealed it with a ribbon, before handing it off to Spike.
"All sent!" The dragon saluted.
"Good work. Now, we just get everything ready as usual, and wait for Celestia to arrive!" Moondancer grinned. It had been three years now, since she last joined the secret colony, and they had been the best years of her life. No one ever looked down at her because she had less magic than other unicorns. No one refused her projects funding for reasons that were petty or political. If it helped the colony, and they had the budget, she could consider it done.
She often worked with Bright Idea the batpony in the laboratory. He and his wife Sweet Dreams had become something of a surrogate family for her over the past few years. A typical day for Moondancer involved eating breakfast with her friends, and breakfast included Trixie's shenanigans, designed to make ponies laugh, sometimes joined by Pinkie Pie. After breakfast was working in the laboratory with Starlight, the resident alchemist, or in the library working on plans with Bright Idea. Throughout the day (night), Moondancer might also be found in the workshop with Twilight, or stargazing with Twinkleshine.
She knew what it was like to have friends now. And because she knew how much better life could be with friends by your side, she downright refused to let Celestia take that away from her.
That's why their plan had to work. Moondancer sighed deeply, as she examined the artifact that had been recovered weeks ago, and was kept in the library for safe keeping. It would be readily available for Twilight to summon from anywhere in Ponyville. They were ready.
* * *
"Is that all the apple fritters for the party, Applejack?" Fluttershy asked, having flown over the last plate of treats to their cart.
"Sure thing, sugarcube. Was there something you wanted?" Applejack asked, recognizing the look on the pegasus' face.
"AJ, what's... What's the worst that could happen today?" Fluttershy asked, bashfully hiding behind her mane.
"There's no need to feel bad about being scared. I'm scared too, hun." Applejack confessed. "The way I reckon, worst case scenario? We have to beat a hasty retreat to the moon and get defenses up before Celestia can invent the spaceship. I don't think she'll fly up there and shoot at civilians on her own."
"R-right. Celestia may be a terrible ruler, but surely she wouldn't d-do that... right??" Fluttershy eeped.
"Even if she does, we'll have Luna to protect us by then. Not to mention, while the elements can't be used as weapons, I doubt they'd let us get zapped by a jealous alicorn." Applejack added with a grin.
"So, so even the worst case is planned for?" Fluttershy asked, with a small smile.
"Yep!" Applejack gave the pegasus a warm nuzzle. "We're all kinds 'a prepared sugarcube."
"Okay then. But I'm still a little nervous." Fluttershy added quietly.
"How 'bout this? As soon as all this craziness is over, you and me can go out together, as marefriends?" Applejack offered, blushing a little beneath her orange coat.
"O-oh! Oh no, I couldn't!" Fluttershy whimpered. "I don't want you to ask me out just because I'm scared, AJ!"
"That don't matter one bit," Applejack explained. "I was gonna ask you afterward, regardless. Your bein' scared didn't have a thing to do with it."
"O-oh! Well, in that case, yes! I'd love to!" Fluttershy exclaimed, before leaping into the air with a smile and a small, quiet, 'woo-hoo'!
"Now go an' work on that bird choir, sugarcube! We'll meet up later tonight!"
* * *
After the day of preparations was over, the friends all gathered for a little party at the colony. It was the last night before the big showdown, and everyone felt the pressure. This might very well be the last night they spent on Equus. They celebrated as they usually did, except that in past years, the Summer Sun Celebration had been a reminder that Luna was one year closer to returning. Now, the festivities were ridiculous and raucous, since Luna was merely hours away.
She and Twilight had been debating how to go about it, and finally decided that Luna would take back control of her moon, and when Celestia found that she couldn't raise the sun, Twilight would step out of the crowd, and deliver the ultimatum: come peacefully to a meeting with Nightmare Moon, or face eternal night. Celestia's decisions after that would decide how she was received for the inevitable showdown. Luna might be feeling lenient if her sister had learned and matured over the past thousand years. If not, Luna would make her terms, and force her sister to comply. After all, what could Celestia do with no elements and no forces, save for herself, and an army that hadn't seen war in hundreds of years?
Finally, the moment came. Ponies filtered out of their houses, and out of the restaurants, clubs, and taverns of Ponyville, all eager to see their demi-goddess ruler raise the summer sun, heralding another year of peace. The Lunar agents shared an amused smile, as Celestia walked up to the stage, flapped her magnificent wings, and...
Nothing happened.
A murmur began to erupt from among the crowd, as ponies looked from one to the other, confused and disturbed. One pony stepped out from the crowd.
"Twilight Sparkle?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow. "I was aware your parents decided to leave Canterlot, but I didn't know you came to Ponyville."
Twilight was vaguely disturbed that her whereabouts were so known by Celestia, as after she graduated from college, Twilight Velvet had never really seen her old teacher much, and certainly not since Twilight the Younger was born. Said Twilight was more than a little disconcerted.
"I bring a message." Twilight said finally, forcing Celestia's meddling from her mind. "From your sister, Luna."
A murmur erupted from the crowd. Celestia's sister was not common knowledge to the common pony.
"Ah, so the rumours were true, hmm?" Celestia mused, maintaining a perfect expression of neutrality.
"What rumours...?" Twilight thought to herself, schooling her face to show no fear or confusion.
"I heard that your family was targeted as potential Lunar rebels before you were. I'm ashamed to discover the hearsay was true." Celestia frowned, and her horn lit up faintly, just barely, but Twilight recognized the spell.
"At least me tell you the message before you teleport away, Princess!" Twilight shouted, startling Celestia enough to give her pause. Twilight had prepared for the possibility, and quickly called forth the amulet Trixie had tracked down weeks ago. It shimmered into being around her neck, summoned by a teleportation spell, and Celestia gasped when she saw it.
"The Alicorn Amulet-!" The Princess murmured, and Twilight allowed herself a small smirk.
"I assure you, Princess, only so that you will remain here long enough for me to convey my message." Twilight explained, before surrounding the Alicorn in an anti-teleportation ward.
"Using dark artifacts, refusing to lower her moon? Luna has clearly remained the same for all her years of imprisonment." Celestia noted bitterly.
"Luna might say the same of you," Twilight muttered, before relaying her missive. "Princess Luna wishes to invite you to a meeting, held in the old Palace of the Two Sisters. You will not be harmed, given that you do not harm her subjects, or their home. You may bring a second, or witness, to these proceedings, but we would prefer if you came alone."
"Of course you would..." Celestia muttered, though she kept a neutral façade.
"That's it." Twilight finished. "For what it's worth, Luna really just wants to talk." On those parting words, Twilight smirked wickedly, and canceled the wards around Celestia, before teleporting away.
Miles into the Everfree, she ripped the amulet from her throat, and tossed it into a magically prepared trunk, one that would keep it's corruptive influence at bay.
"How did it go?" Nightmare Moon asked, draconic eyes wide with expectation.
"I think I got a little snippy at the end, but our point was made clear." Twilight answered, quickly activating a spell that cleansed her of mind-altering magics.
"The amulet will do that to a mare," Luna muttered. "I'm glad you were able to resist. And my sister?"
"As cool and calm as ever. I was slightly disturbed that she had so much information on me, but we've come to expect that sort of manipulation, haven't we?" Twilight sighed.
"If only she spent less time stalking potential element bearers and more time pulling strings among the common ponies..." Luna mused. "But then, she wouldn't be my sister, would she?"
Wait, Twilight had been on a shortlist for potential elements of harmony before she even knew about it? She'd have to ask Luna more about that later. In the meantime, the only thing left to do was wait. Moondancer and the bearers would be along soon.
* * *
"Moondancer!" Celestia announced, and the studious, bespectacled mare stepped forward.
"Um, here!" She offered. She knew Celestia would call upon her, but after their only contact was letters for the past three years, Moondancer was more than afraid to see her mentor in the flesh.
She doesn't know, she won't hurt you. This is Celestia, she won't hurt you- The cream unicorn chanted mentally, like a mantra.
"You told me in your letters that you knew of some ponies with special gifts that correspond with the Elements of Harmony. Can you bring them?" Celestia asked. She was slightly perturbed that Luna had Twilight Sparkle working with her, as House Twilight was a direct bloodline of Starswirl the Bearded. She had once been considered as a potential bearer of the element of magic, and as such, must surely be a powerful unicorn.
No matter, Celestia thought. Despite my sister's surprise follower, the plan remains the same.
Over the three years she'd been in Ponyville, Celestia had been subtly grooming Moondancer to locate and befriend the most likely Elements of Harmony. Such obvious fountains of Harmonic magic should be easily detectable at any time, but having Moondancer scout out the area beforehand was surprisingly helpful.
"U-uh, of course, Princess." The young mare stuttered before calling forth each of her friends, as agreed upon earlier, back at the colony. It had been decided that they stick with the five original bearers, not knowing the extent of Celestia's knowledge or mage-sight.
As it turned out, Celestia saw the overflow of harmonic magic around the five mares, and knew they were the true bearers of the elements. All the pieces of her plan were coming together.
Moondancer led her friends into the forest, and they were followed by Celestia, and another princess that none of them had ever seen. She had been introduced as Celestia's protégé and niece, Cadence. Moondancer inwardly stressed about this new arrival, because it was another Alicorn fighting against them, if push came to shove. Where did another Alicorn come from, anyway? As long as Moondancer had been living in Canterlot castle, she'd never so much as seen a glimpse of this mare. Then again, Moondancer had never done much socializing before moving to Ponyville.
"The path is free of obstacles, it seems." The Sun Princess noted, as they trotted through the Everfree, having not seen a single hostile creature.
"Well, Aunty Luna did invite us for a peaceful meeting." Cadance chimed in. She seemed eager to see the best in ponies, Moondancer noted. Maybe she'd be willing to see both sides of the argument.
"Cadance, her follower used the Alicorn Amulet, a known dark artifact. Do you seriously think we're dealing with anything less than black magic here?" Celestia sighed, and Moondancer could hear the condescension in her tone. She recognized it well enough, from all the times she'd jumped to conclusions during lessons, or failed to cast a simple spell. Her ears went down reflexively, and her new friends noticed the uncomfortable moment between mentor and student.
They trotted on in bitter silence, going down the familiar path that all of the secret lunar agents had traveled for years now. Soon, once they'd crossed the bridge over the gorge, the castle reared up before them, a bastion of civilisation in an unforgiving environment. Celestia gasped at the sight of it, completely whole, and gorgeous in it's renovation.
"How is this possible?" The Princess murmured to herself as she glanced over the repaired façade of the old castle, which had been abandoned for a thousand years now, and looked no more than a decade old.
"I can tell that a lot of love went into the repairs here, Aunty Celestia." Cadance noted. "The love is everywhere, strong and kind, like red strings that tie the building to the inhabitants."
So Cadenza was talented in empathy magic? Moondancer wondered what else she could tell, with her "Alicorn Sense". One's loyalties, perhaps.
Once they stepped into the castle, someone was waiting to bring the party to the conference room. It was Nebula, Nightblade's mother.
"Follow me, your highnesses. I'm sorry, but the others must remain here." The mare insisted.
"They are of no consequence against Alicorns, let them follow." Celestia soothed, as they knew she would. Celestia wasn't going to be caught alone without her element bearers. Moondancer stayed behind, as the plan agreed upon by both princesses had her retrieving the original elements, and bringing them back.
"If you insist, my lady." Nebula replied coolly, before leading the ponies into a large meeting chamber, with enough room for everyone. There was a round stone table in the center of the room, with four chairs around it. Twilight and Nightmare Moon were seated in two, while the other two were left open for Celestia and Cadance.
"Greetings, sister." Luna spoke politely, if a little stiffly.
"You are not my sister, Nightmare." Celestia replied in turn, ignoring Twilight, who bristled at the obvious and flippant disrespect.
"Greetings, Aunty Luna." Cadance added cordially, hoping to salvage a good first impression.
"And you. Pardon, but I don't believe we've met." Luna spoke to Cadance, looking her over with a critical eye."
"I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, first ascended Alicorn since you, Luna." Cadance replied, and Luna silently nodded. She and her sister had indeed ascended, and had not been born in their current forms, and as Cadence hadn't gained an ethereal mane yet, she was young enough to have ascended after Luna's banishment.
"Let us get down to business." Celestia interjected. "State your purpose, Nightmare."
"All we ask is for you to agree to a list of terms. If it is acceptable, we may begin the long road towards peace." Twilight explained, sliding a letter of requests across the table. It was mostly things that Celestia should have done long ago, like raising Luna to an equal partner in the diarchy, as she had never been, since Celestia could override her authority on a whim. Other terms included the addition of laws to protect commoners and bat ponies, and to allow nonviolent changelings a position in society.
"There's no way I'm agreeing to this." Celestia shook her head venomously. "Changelings, Nightmare? Do you want to drive the citizens into a panic?"
"Aunty-" Cadance tried to interject, but was quickly shut down by Celestia.
"Hush, Cadance. You might know about diplomacy, but you know nothing of ruling a kingdom!" The sun Princess hissed. "If I enact these laws without the common ponies' approval, there will be riots!"
"Perhaps it is high time for a riot." Luna replied calmly.
"If I force ponies to pay a higher price on farmed produce, and other goods provided by commoners, I'll lose the funding of the nobles!"
"Dost thou not have a royal tax fund, Celestia? Art thou still relying on the rich to fund thy schemes?" Luna retorted, briefly lapsing back into Old Equestrian, as she'd done a few times since her return. Apparently knowing modern Equestrian in dreams was different than speaking it on a daily basis.
"I cannot agree to these terms, Nightmare. What will you do now?" Celestia asked, keeping a neutral tone.
"Now, I will make you one last offer. You think I have no claim to the throne? Let's see, shall we? You give me a week. A week with no war, and no interferences, a week to recruit anyone among the common pony who would want to join me."
"I have a better idea, pretender." Celestia retorted, having sensed the return of her protege.
"Face the Elements of Harmony, and give back my sister!" Celestia shouted out, as Moondancer entered the room, and levitated each element to the appropriate bearers. They did, of course, nothing, firstly because the set was incomplete, and secondly, because the bearers hadn't activated them.
"Nice try, sister, but I have my own little surprise in store." Moon explained, and the doors on the other side of the room opened. Out stepped Twinkleshine, Trixie, Shining, Nightblade, and Starlight Glimmer, all wearing their elements.
"I call them the Knights of Harmony. Mine are also a complete set, unlike yours, sister." Luna smirked, as the crown and necklace latched onto Twilight, seemingly of their own accord.
"What!? But- but- how!?" Celestia stammered out, glaring at the black Alicorn.
"I hold both the element of Magic and the element of Friendship." Twilight explained. "You can't just banish Luna to the moon again, or 'purge' her of any ideas you may disagree with. I believe in chess, we call this a 'check'." The purple unicorn laughed amusedly. The plan was coming together nicely.
"I may not be able to purge you, but I can still fight you." Celestia growled, and Luna was taken aback by the viciousness.
"Sister, do you remember how many innocents died in our last war? I seriously do not wish for a repeat of that time, but I will fight for the ponies I love, Celestia."
"The ponies you love? You love nothing but power, abomination!" The sun Princess retorted, and Cadance, being able to see love and love's attachments, visibly cringed.
"She's telling the truth, Auntie." Cadance noted. "I can see her connections. She loves her Knights and her apprentice. She also loves..." The Alicorn's eyebrows furrowed.
"Aunty, she even loves the elements of harmony, the ponies who could well hold the power to kill her! What could be more noble?"
Celestia went stock still at this admission, and slowly turned to face her niece, whose horn was softly glowing from the use of her mage-sight.
"Don't be an idiot, Cadance." The made spat out in clipped tones. "She doesn't love them despite their being enemies. She loves them because they've already been corrupted to her side!"
"Checkmate." Twilight noted, as the elements of harmony trotted over to stand in front of their counterparts.
"You are damned lucky that I cannot use the elements for war, Celestia." Luna snarled. "If I could, I would obliterate you, as you planned to obliterate me."
"A-Aunty, is that true? You told me you only wanted the elements to help intimidate Luna into being cooperative to avoid all out war! Were you really going to- to kill her!?" Cadance cried, watching her adoptive aunt with horror.
"If that crown had gone onto your head, instead of Twilight's, it would all be over." Celestia explained. "Just the elements together in one place, with willing bearers, would have purged my sister of the Nightmare, and Luna would return to us."
"I do not need to be purged!" Luna shouted. To Starlight's magical credit, the new windows didn't even shudder.
"Luna isn't crazy, she's just angry!" Twilight added. "You stole her special talent and banished her to the moon because you didn't agree!"
"This is getting nowhere," Cadance interjected. "No one is purging anyone, and we're here because we're trying to prevent war!"
"I concur." Twilight noted, starting to like Cadance just the smallest bit. "Without civilian casualties, preferably."
"Fine. What do you want from me?" Celestia snarled.
"I already told you." Luna replied, surprisingly soft. "If you refuse to give me my initial terms, I want a week of recruitment, during which you leave me alone, and leave my followers alone, and refrain from preventing anypony from coming to me."
"After which...?" Celestia asked cautiously.
"After which I take my followers and abscond to the moon, where I expect you will treat us as a sovereign nation and leave us alone."
"The moon!" Celestia murmured in surprise.
"This is reasonable, Aunty. We should concede." Cadance noted in a quiet voice. Celestia cast a sound-proof bubble around their half of the table, to avoid having their discussion overheard.
"That's ridiculous, Cadance! The moon is-"
"Not your property!" The pink Alicorn interrupted. "No one's gone up there and staked a claim yet!"
"Because it's worthless! There's no arable land, no water or anything more than scant sunshine, and definitely no atmosphere! She'll be sending those misguided ponies to their deaths!" Celestia added, realizing the weight of what she'd just said.
"Aunty, Luna clearly loves her followers. As the Alicorn of love, I can attest to that fact. She wouldn't take them to the moon if she didn't have a plan." Cadance rolled her eyes.
"I can't allow my citizens to go with that- that- Nightmare!" Celestia shouted so loud that the bubble of sound almost popped.
"You don't have a choice, Celestia!" Cadance shouted, for the first time, referring to her mentor as something other than her beloved aunt. "Would you rather they be dead from an avoidable civil war, with an unknown outcome?"
"... Fine..." Celestia nodded reluctantly, and dispelled her soundproof bubble.
"We agree to your terms." Cadance answered, before Celestia had the chance to react. "You will have your recruitment week, and you will have no interference from me."
"... Or from me." Celestia reluctantly conceded.
"Thank you, Cadance." Luna nodded to the new Alicorn. "I shall extend you the privilege of becoming our first foreign ambassador. If you so desire, you may be the first Equestrian on the moon."
"Thank you... I... I actually don't know what you'd like to be called." Cadance admitted, blushing a little.
"Princess Luna, ruler of the Lunar Republic." The black alicorn explained.
"Long may the republic stand!" The assembled followers exclaimed as one. They'd practiced this, to be used in the future when announcing their Princess for trials and meetings. It was the perfect slogan for this brave new world, and it's innovative inhabitants. Finally, it was time to come out of the shadows.
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Long may the republic stand!
great chapter, i dont know why but i really wanted a doctor who speech to happen because this chapter reminds me of the zygon invasion speech
Wow Cekestia, you just proved Luna right with just your attitude.
Welp celastia I believe the right words for this are. "YOU BEEN OWNED MOTGERFUCKER!"
8992748
I'm not a Doctor Who fan, but I do love the meaning behind this speech.
I wonder what the conversation will be between Celestia and Moondancer.
Bruh, I think Celestia just got beat in a game of chess the hardest she's ever been. You don't often see the moves lining up to 'check' and then 'checkmate' right after. But when all your pieces disappear like that you're really only left with trying for a stalemate, poor Celestia lost before the game had started. On a side note, I like where this is going, sane Nightmare Moon is most dangerous Nightmare Moon! And before I leave...
"Long may the republic stand!"
9059502
I like to think the roles are reversed in this AU. NMM is calculating and manipulative while Celestia is throwing things at the problem and hoping it goes away, so self assured, she doesn't know she's losing until it's already been lost. She's lucky Luna doesn't want to take her throne (yet!)
You mean Luna right?
9066216
Thank you, darned autocorrect must have done that.
Fixed!
More?