Begining of the end

by Raot

Laughter and Lies

After the celebrations

“Just rest.” Celestia bade Luna.

“But I just raised the moon. All on my own…” Luna said in her bed, eyes half closed already.

“Your exhausted. And like it or not, your still a little filly.” She nuzzled her sister. “Just rest.” Luna looked away for a moment, There was something in her eye akin to sadness,

“I miss mom and dad.” She said quietly.
“I do to.” Celestia said knowingly, closing her eyes. “But now it’s our turn to rule. So just rest. You will make them proud one day.” Half of a smile appeared on Lunas face for a moment, and then she closed her eyes. “Good night.” Celestia said, leaving her sisters chambers.

“Full house.” Grumbled a white colt.

“Horseapples!” a black pony with Cyan colored hair threw her cards down on the table.

“Why aren’t you two helping clean up?” Both ponies looked back to see Celesta herself entering the throne room.

“Er, Candy Cane said she had everything under control.” Said the Black filly, shrugging guiltily.

“That filly is going to work herself to death.” Celestia shook her head. “High Noon, go ahead and help her. Tell her Celestia sent you herself.”

“Like she’d believe it.” The white colt said, rolling his eyes. He left the two, showing his cutie mark, which was a playing card with a joker on it. “She’ll just think it’s another joke.”

“Cyan Star.” Celestia said to the black filly as High Noon left eyesight. “I see you have been trying new things…” Cyan looked down and away.

“They… they don’t tease me as much anymore.” She said. “Probably because they know I live in the castle now…”

“Cyan…” Celestia stepped closer to the pony with a smile. “I know Ponies usually get their cutie marks when they are… younger then you.” She said. Cyans face showed visible shame. “But every pony has a talent.” Celesia continued. “Just keep trying new things. And know that, above all else, you are one of my friends.” Cyan star was taken aback.

“Th, Thank you princess.” She said happily.

“Good, now, I have to go see a dragon about some bits.” Celestia giggled.

“Switch owes you again?” Cyan asked.

“Yes, those dragons aren’t usually business types.” She said. “But I’m pleased to say that they are more kind then they look once you get to know them.”

“Good luck with that.” Cyan said. “I’ll go help out candy cane…”

“Actually, I have a different task for you.” Celestia said. Cyan Star waited anxiously for the order. “Earthheart was not at the festivities today, and I am worried for her, could you check on her…”

“I’ll do my best.” She said. Celestia smiled and left the young, markless pony.

In the halls of the breaking bastion

Celestia ran as fast as her hooves would let her, and speed through the halls, narrowly avoiding falling debris and trying to find an exit. But it was so dark, and half the doors had caved in… Celestia had never ran so much, and her sides her heaving and burning with exertion.

“Oh, you look exhausted.” She heard the evil words echo and boom. “Like a little filly.” Celestia fought the urge to scream as she finally found an open doorway. She dashed through, but found a pony lying on the ground…

“Candy Cane!” Celestia shouted in shock. The white and red pony lay there on the ground, eyes wide in fear. Celestia took a few precious moments to catch her breath before shouting, “Get up! We have to go!”

“Its too late.” Celestia racing heart skipped a beat. The royal party planer continued to lay there, in the dark, caved in room. “Cyan was just here… she said Every door, every window is covered. And outside… there’s no moon, no stars… just black.” Her beady eyes, once filled with so much joy, now shot icy tendrils around Celesta’s soul. Tears flowed freely from the windows into her mind, and hopelessness filled the room. “The way is shut. The magic is gone.” Celestia had been frozen to her spot as the castle began to quake with new found vigor. “It’s too late,” she closed her beady eyes and weeped openly as the castle shook. “There’s no way out.”

“Then we make a way.” Celestias head turned to see High Noon gallop in from the other side of the room. “The walls are made of paper round here, I can buck us a way out, come on…”

Celestia was still stuck. Frozen solid by fear…

“So scared.” She heard the voice again in her ear, that evil voice, like a whispering foe, sending greater chills down her spine. “What would mom and dad think of you if they saw you now? Too scared to even run away. You think they would be proud…”

“Who are you?” High Noon said, taking up a fighting posture.

“Don’t you recognize my voice?” Celestia heard her possessed sister say. “I’m Luna. Your princess. Your new, singular, queen…”

“Buck you!” High noon cursed. Celestia was taken aback. “Whoever you are, you ain’t Luna no more.” He smiled. “If you’re so high an mighty, why don’t you show yourself so I can knock some sense into you.”

A wall burst open and Celestia turned her head in shock to find the Black mare from before, with armor and a mane of stars.

“Waoh” High Noon said. “I thought you’d be… I don’t know.”

“What?” Nightmare Moon asked.

“I don’t know… prettier?” High noon shrugged.

“What?”

“Yea, I mean, sure your taller but… boy howdy, only a mother could love that face.” Celestia couldn’t help but wryly smile a bit.

“I’m Nightmare moon! Respect your new queen!” she shouted, causing more quakes in the ground below them.

“An, you know, no offense, but I don’t see how those tiny wings of yours can lift up something so heavy.” High noon continued. “I know the armor isn’t exactly slimming but, I’m sorry, I ain’t never seen something as fat as you manage to fly more then a few inches.” Celestia giggled, and lifted a hoof to her face to try and stifle her laughing.

“Stop it!” Nightmare Moon screamed, her horn glowing. “Shut your mouth or I’ll…”

“What? Sit on me?” High noon asked. Nightmare Moon screamed and charged forward at the Earth Pony with her horn aglow. He then quickly sidestepped and avoided the charging alicorn as she ran headlock into the stone. Her powerful charge ripped through the wall and made a portal to the outside world.

“We got ourselves an escape route.” He looked back to Celestia who found that she could once again move her hooves. “Lets go.”