The Story Of Celestia and Luna(TSOCAL)

by TehUltimmareFreakRobot

Shattered Crystals

The days passed since that dark time in Luna’s past. Ever since she had nearly taken over the kingdom, she took her duties as the future Princess of the Night more seriously than ever before. Her own tutor was surprised that the fillies were no longer using their magic to tease up her mane or print monstrous images onto her glasses. Even the royal baker was more shocked than delighted that the Royal Sisters were no longer stealing from the kitchen.

The passage of time didn’t go unnoticed by the fillies. All of their foalhood friends were now adults who had their own foals. The familiar castle staff had all been replaced with new staff members. And their parents kept growing older and greyer.

One day, Celestia and Luna were waiting for their mother to join them for a trip into town to choose their new dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala. Only, Queen Faust had not yet arrived.

It was an odd thing to the Royal Sisters. Their mother was always the first to arrive when any appointment was made. It was Luna who volunteered to go and find her. She asked every staff member who she passed by where her mother could be, but none of them had seen her. Even as she checked all of the queen’s usual places that she frequented, her mother was nowhere to be found.

At last, Luna encountered her father, who told her that the queen requested to stay a little longer in bed that day. He also noted that she had sounded ill when she said it.

Now that she knew where her mother was, Luna trotted her way to her bedroom. She opened the door and she let herself in. The room was still dark. The curtains had not been drawn for the morning. Yet, Luna was able to make out the form of her mother in her bed. And just as her mother had done for her for so many years, Luna was going to get her out of bed before she slept in too late.

“Mother?” Luna said, as she jostled the queen’s side.

The queen laid still and silent.

“Mother, wake up. It’s time to go and choose our dresses for the Gala.”

Yet, the queen wouldn’t wake up.

Luna’s nerves began to quiver. As she looked at her mother’s greyed and wrinkled face, she reached her hoof into the queen’s. Queen Faust’s hoof dropped limply over the side of the bed, and Luna knew the worst had come to pass. The dreaded inevitability that she feared would come to pass had finally claimed her mother.

News of the queen’s death spread quickly through the castle. And it wasn’t long before the entire kingdom knew it. The Gala had been canceled. Instead, a funeral would be held.

It was a dismal day for everypony. Celestia and Luna had always known that losing their parents would be the greatest blow that they ever felt. But nothing had prepared them for how much it would hurt.

Not long after, King Tempest’s steps began to fail him. The stallion who knew no physical weaknesses was having trouble standing up. In time, he too was confined to his bed. And he passed away in a matter of days.

Queen Dissonance was the next to go, followed later in the year by King Mandible. The four friends were now orphaned. With only one another and the lessons that they had learned in their early years, it was up to them to rule their kingdoms as their parents would have wanted.

Yet, there would always be trouble lurking.

---

Flames roared across the snowy streets of the Crystal Empire. Houses burned and ponies were slaughtered in the streets.

Guards in dark armor stormed the streets, pulling ponies from their homes and showing them the carnage that they would join if they did not swear fealty to the imposed leader of the kingdom. Through the streets of blood and flame, a dark figure walked. He swept his way toward the castle, cutting down any who opposed him. Towering at least twice the height of everypony he passed, his flaming eyes and glistening fangs struck terror into all who gazed upon him. Many swore loyalty to him out of fear. Anyone who resisted was dealt with in a way that was brutal beyond comparison.

Finally, the figure was upon the Crystal Castle. The guards were no match for him. However powerful their magic was, he overpowered them. However great their martial prowess, his bare hooves were faster and stronger than any weapon they possessed.

The doors to the throne room were in his sights. Just across the receiving room where the royal guests waited. The figure strode through the room, knowing that even if the royals hadn’t been evacuated, they’d be no match for him.

There was a flash of metal, and the figure stopped as a sword flew into the floor before him, cracking the crystalline marble with its blade. The figure looked to the direction that the sword had come from, and there stood the young king of the land.

“Take up arms and fight!” Shining Armor demanded.

The figure smirked at the king, then glimpsed at the sword. As though some important decision had been made, the figure lifted the sword out of the cracked floor and broke it with his own hoof.

“Your sense of fair play is admirable. But, I find the idea that I would need it insulting,” the figure said.

“Who are you to think you’re so grand that you can slaughter your way to the palace!?” Shining Armor growled.

“Ah, yes. One must always offer the dignity of knowing their betters,” the figure said, taking a mock bow. “I am called Sombra. And I will be the stallion who kills you.”

Sombra stomped his hoof, sending a tremor through the entire room.

Shining Armor barely managed to keep his footing when Sombra vaulted toward him. He dodged, and the floor was cracked beneath Sombra’s hooves.

Shining Armor’s sword sang as it sliced through the air at Sombra, who deftly dodged each blow as he advanced on the king.

Sombra’s eyes ignited with a hellish flame, and his maw turned almost dragon-like as crackling fire spewed from his gullet.

A shield of magic surrounded Shining Armor, who started wobbling from the sheer force of the fire. He lunged forth with his sword drawn, ready to cleave the intruder in two.

Sombra leapt over the attack. When he landed, he began swinging his bare hooves at Shining Armor.

Shining Armor’s magic shield deflected each blow, and his sword attacks were countered just as easily.

The power of Sombra’s attacks was almost unbearable. Without a weapon, he was able to push Shining Armor back.

Shining Armor focused his shield into a single point and thrusted it forth.

Sombra caught the shield by its point and was pushed across the room in the wall. The point of the shield drilled into his midsection, drawing blood as it inches into his flesh.

Shining Armor rushed across the room, his horn blazing wildly as he charged Sombra. Even as he pushed his own sword into the magic that drilled into Sombra, the usurper smiled.

Dark shadows began to ooze across Shining Armor’s magic. Like fresh tar on a hot street, it dribbled across the magic shield, then lashed onto the king’s sword.

Shining Armor yelped as the shadows crept toward him. His own magic was overtaken, and Sombra began to meld with the darkness until only his wicked grin and flaming eyes remained.

The shadows consumed Shining Armor, crawling down his throat, gouging out his eyes and flowing deep into his mind, heart and soul. The husk that was left of him would never have been recognized as the king of the Crystal Empire. Sombra grinned at his own handiwork and kicked what was left of Shining Armor, making it burst into ash. Now, to find the queen…

In the throne room, Princess Amore paced fretfully. Though she knew she was in the safest room in the palace, the thoughts of her husband facing the demonic intruder worried her to her very core.

The throne room opened. And a great, flaming eye peered in. The queen met the same fate as her husband. The Crystal Empire belonged to Sombra. Next, Equestria.

---

“What do you mean Princess Amore has been killed and the Crystal Empire has been taken over?!” Luna snarled at the poor messengers.

“Ah…I, uh…I mean that Princess Amore has been killed…And the Crystal Empire has been taken over…” the messenger said.

Celestia gasped in shock. It wasn’t too long ago when the empire began, and things were just fine. Now, some unknown usurper had undone all of the work that had been done to make it a livable place.

“Do we know who has done this?” Celestia asked.

“The, uh– The message didn’t say. But, there was this signature from an unknown pony,” the messenger said, showing the scroll to the sisters.

Scrawled at the bottom of the scroll was a signature, which shifted and waved at the bottom of the page like a flag, written in blood. The name Sombra.

The name was one that neither sister was familiar with. Whoever he was, he had the audacity to let them both know what he had done. There was no doubt in their minds that he would come for Equestria next, given half a chance.

“You are dismissed,” Luna said, waving her hoof to the messenger, who all too readily left the room.

As soon as they were alone, the sisters began their course of action.

“We need a plan,” Celestia said.

“We banish him. For as long as we possibly can!” Luna growled.

“After we find out what to do,” Celestia said, taking a map of the Crystal Empire from a shelf.

“What are we going to do? Chart a platoon into the kingdom? You heard what the messenger said! The entire army was wiped out!” Luna snapped. “The more time we waste, the closer he gets to doing the same to us!”

“I’m aware of this, sister. Don’t pressure me,” Celestia said as she looked over the map.

“If not from me, the pressure of a thousand lives lost and thousands more under the rule of that monster should spur you on!” Luna said.

“Just go! I need to think!” Celestia said.

“Alright. Fine. You think while ponies die!” Luna huffed, before leaving the room and slamming the door behind herself.

Now that she was alone, Celestia began going over the best course of action for reclaiming the Crystal Empire from its monstrous new ruler.

---

In the streets of the Crystal Empire, a battle was going on.

King Sombra dodged a swing of an ax, then another swing. The pony who had taken up arms against him swung furiously at the mad king, only to miss every time, taunted constantly by his fanged smile between blows.

The pony swung low and Sombra jumped right over it. When he swung high, Sombra ducked and rose up in one fluid motion.

A heavy swing to the right.

Sombra punched the stallion in the face.

A downward slice.

Sombra wheeled out of the way, kicking the pony twice.

A slice to the gut.

Sombra caught the ax, turned the blade to face its owner and headbutted the blunt end, driving it deep into the face of his enemy.

The pony’s eyes shot wide as he watched Sombra headbutt the ax again, driving it deeper into his face. Once more, and his world went red before death took him.

His enemy dead, Sombra took his entire head in his teeth and pulled it off of his body. His eyes flared up with hellish flames and his magic lifted the severed head of the fallen pony to the crowd that was gathered around.

“Who else dares to challenge the king? Or do you wish to try and assassinate me from the shadows now? Be warned, the shadows may simply swallow you,” Sombra said.

As he looked around, not one of the ponies in the crowd dared step forth. Not even an arrow from some hidden nook came flying forth to put an end to him.

“Disappointing,” Sombra muttered.

In any case, he knew that his reign of terror had not yet reached its limit. The Royal Sisters of Equestria had surely gotten his message by then. And they would be making their move to stop him.

A wicked smile crossed the face of the king, and his mantle swirled around his body until he became a gust of shadows that swept across the kingdom, back to his stolen castle. The time was drawing nearer, and he could taste his victory.

---

Luna was furious with her sister. She took her rage out in every way that she knew how. Her only regret was that now as a mare, she was unable to fire a homemade blowgun at anypony.

Minutes later, Celestia reappeared to her. Her face was different from how she remembered it. Instead of the stern, knowing scowl she wore once before, she seemed unsure of herself.

It seemed the Celestia had exhausted all but one possible option for the good and safety of all creatures in the world. Yet, it would require the both of them to go ahead with it. The minutes passed, and Luna listened to Celestia’s proposed plan.

A wry smile drifted onto Luna’s face. It just might work, should the two of them work together.

---

The darkness was gathering. And it would soon spread.

Sombra overlooked his kingdom from his lofty perch. The ruined remains of the kingdom were already being rebuilt to his will. The ponies were being made subservient to his new regime. It was glorious.

What he saw next on the streets shocked him to his very core. There, led by his city guard toward his castle, were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of Equestria. His surprise turned to joy. Then to curiosity. If anything, the Royal Sisters would have mounted a full scale attack against him. And as far as he knew, there was no such resistance from them. Not that the outcome would have been different. Things were just unfolding in a way that he hadn’t expected.

With a swish of his mantle, he returned indoors to receive his royal guests.

Celestia and Luna were guided at spearpoint down the once familiar corridors of the castle, their horns and their wings bound. Their faces remained forward, but their eyes were everywhere at once, looking at the terrible state that had befallen the glorious Crystal Palace. Finally, they were taken to a double door of obsidian, laced with veins of red stone. The doors were opened, and they were greeted by the sight of the mad king seated upon the throne of the castle.

The warm, welcoming beauty that had once graced the palace was corrupted far beyond recognition. Darkness pervaded the entire room. And the beast who sat upon the throne only exemplified everything that had gone wrong with the world at that moment.

“State your business,” Sombra’s voice rumbled.

The sisters exchanged an unsure glance. Celestia’s breath grew quicker with every passing moment. She tried to swallow her fear, but couldn’t hid the terror in her eyes. Finally, she turned back to Sombra, whose eyes peered out at her from his shadowy seat. Her jaw quivered as she tried to speak.

“S…S-Sombra–”

“King!–Sombra,” Sombra corrected her.

“Er…King Sombra…We’ve…My sister and I have come to offer our unconditional surrender…” Celestia said.

Sombra said nothing. He remained motionless upon his dark throne. From the darkness that shrouded him, his fangs bared in a horrid smile.

“Say that again. A little louder this time,” he said.

“We…Offer our unconditional surrender,” Celestia repeated.

“Again,” Sombra said, his smile growing.

Celestia glanced briefly to Luna, then back to Sombra.

“We offer our unconditional surrender.”

“Again! From your sister this time!”

“We offer our unconditional surrender!!” Luna shouted.

“Ah! Exquisite! Truly, no sweeter music has been sung!” Sombra jubilantly said. He looked to his guards. “You are all dismissed.”

The guards all bowed their heads as they were enveloped in fiery shadows. In another moment, they all vanished from the room. The sisters were alone now. Alone with a mad despot, who was eyeing them both with a vicious smile. Without any motion that they could comprehend, Sombra was suddenly standing before them.

Luna recoiled at the sight of him, and nearly took a step away. She froze completely when Sombra looked directly at her. When he did, Luna could see something different in the mad king’s gaze. Something sickeningly delighted at the sight of her. Like a venomous snake that had just seen something that it could bite sheerly for the fun of it.

“Tell me your reasons for surrender,” Sombra said, his voice a guttural whisper.

Celestia bit her lip, and she took a quiet yet deep breath inward.

“For the sake of our little ponies, we wish to–”

“No!” Sombra interjected. He brushed his hoof across Luna’s chin, “Let this one explain.”

Luna’s whole body shivered as she looked into the flaming eyes of Sombra. No matter what she heard about him from the messenger who had approached her, nothing came close to the real thing. He was a monster from the pit. A foul creature who had no place among the world of light. Not even in the world of darkness. He was an aberration that should never have been. And there he was, looking at her, staring her down.

“For the sake of our little ponies…” Luna began.

“Stand on no ceremony,” Sombra interjected. “Use no prepared speech or script. Tell it to me from the depths of your own heart and soul.”

“Our…” Luna began. She clenched her eyes shut, then cracked them open, hoping that Sombra would have moved back away from her. Instead, she could no longer see him. But she could feel his presence to her side. “Our little ponies are our greatest treasure…” she finally said.

“Yes,” Sombra said, intrigued.

“They bring us our greatest joys and memories every time we are among them. To let them fall victim to a mad tyrant such as yourself would not do justice to our title as Equestrian Royalty,” Luna said.

“Ah! Bravery. Nobility. I love it!” Sombra said.

“A beast like you has no business with our little ponies,” Luna said.

“Yes. Go on.”

“You’re a spot on this land that should have been scrubbed out of existence! How the others of your kind allowed you to remain is an oversight beyond reproach!” Luna continued.

“Yes! Yes!” Sombra said, his smile growing. “A mare with fire in her heart is truly rare. Something that one should never let go of.”

Luna shivered as she felt Sombra’s breath in her ear. And her entire spine went numb as she felt his tongue on her neck. Her eyes shot to Celestia. Now was the time.

In one fluid motion, Sombra was knocked away, and the false horns the sisters wore sheathed over their actual horns were thrown off.

They stood at the ready. Their magic was flared. Yet, they could do nothing as Sombra easily bucked them both across the room from one another.

Celestia opened her eyes in time to see Sombra leaping across the room at her. She jumped to her hooves and shot a burst of magic at him, which was easily knocked away by Sombra’s hoof.

Try as she did to get the upper hoof, Celestia found that she was little match for the monstrous king.

The aura around her horn elongated and solidified into a blade, which she swung mercilessly at Sombra.

Sombra dodged left, then right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Then he somersaulted backwards over Luna’s sweep at his legs.

When he landed on the floor, Sombra only had time to see the sisters cross their magical blades, before swinging at him from afar.

Blades of pure magic spun at Sombra, slicing through anything in their way. With a whoosh of his mantle, Sombra’s body waved like some pattern of heat through the air and he slid right through the flying blades unharmed.

He bounded across the room toward the sisters, who attacked as best they could, until Sombra landed before them.

Luna was struck first from the front, then from below as the floor rose up to jab her. Celestia’s blade was parried, and her face was slashed by Sombra’s horn.

Sombra dodged Luna’s downward swing and bucked her in the chin, before magically swinging her into Celestia.

Even when the sisters stopped rolling, their torment didn’t stop. Sombra was everywhere at once. Wherever there was shadow, there he was, striking them with his hooves and his devilish magic. In time, they laid crumpled on the floor beneath the triumphant glare of Sombra.

Luna’s entire body went cold as she felt herself enveloped in shadows. She was lifted off the floor and levitated before Sombra. Though he gloated bombastically to her, she could barely make out what he was saying. Her gaze was behind the mad king. On the floor in the corner, where her false horn was still adorned with its magic dampener.

Sombra smiled as he watched Luna’s horn ignite, and he mocked her for trying to struggle. His smile turned to terror when Luna raised her hoof and he was only just able to perceive the magic dampener she held, just as he was slammed over his horn.

They had won. Celestia and Luna stood victoriously beside one another as Sombra tried in vain to remove his hindrance.

“Accept your loss, Sombra. For now, you’ll face justice for the crimes you have committed!” Celestia severely said.

A fiery aura glowed around Sombra, who seemed to grow larger with each passing moment. Darkness filled the room, and his horn began to ignite with magic.

Fade away…

A chill voice filled the minds of the sisters, piercing their thoughts with the madness of Sombra. All of his hate poured into them, twisting their perceptions of all that they knew.

Fade away with me…

The world grew darker. There was no escape. Everything would go to Sombra’s darkness one way or another.

Celestia…Luna…

Though it was very faint, the sisters could hear their names being called. There was a glimmer of light. One that made them feel loved in a way that they hadn’t in years. It was strong, welcoming and protective. Everything that made them what they were. Everything that the creatures of Equestria loved about them. And they were going to follow it.

Sombra disappeared into the shadows, but Celestia and Luna chased after the light. They could see it growing clearer. There was a mare there. And a stallion. And finally, there was sky.

An arctic wind blew across the land, chilling the sisters to their bones. They sat shivering in the frozen wastes of the north where the Crystal Empire once stood. Now, there was nothing. The pristine buildings and sparkling ponies were gone. Not even Sombra remained. Wherever they were, whatever had become of them, Sombra was no longer a threat to Equestra.

Luna wondered if their parents would have been proud of them for saving their land by condemning the Crystal Empire. But Celestia assured her that she was somehow certain that their mother and father may have done things much the same, with so little control over the matter.

They took another moment to look over the land that had once been the home of thousands of ponies, then left to continue with their lives. For the time, that was all that they could do.

Author's Note:

Sorry again for the late update!