Are You Afraid of Me?

Chapter 1 - Are You Afraid of Me?

I levitated up the headpiece with my magic. Slowly. Meticulously.

Such a simple piece of armour it was, yet so striking and fearful. This simple piece of metal…It meant war. It meant destruction. It meant death. The headpiece was an iconic symbol amongst the ponies of this land, and all who were weak at heart fled from its very sight. There were many like it, but this one was mine.

Slowly, I made my way across the room that I was in. The contents of the room meant nothing to me. I almost didn't notice anything beyond the four walls was there at all. My mind, though hard-set and determined, was in a flurry of thoughts. The only sound that filled the room was the heavy, resounding echo as my hooves touched the ground.

Years…For years I have been here, and for far too long this had been going on. The time had long since passed the need for change, and I would no longer idly stand by. Decisions had been made long ago, and there was no way for me to turn back now. Though, it's not like I harboured any desire to turn back anyway.

Tonight, blood would be shed.

My eyes rested upon the full-length mirror that adorned the wall as I approached it. For a while, they were fixated to the headpiece; smooth and deep blue with sharp, stylistic edges. It was held aloft in the glorious blue aura of my horn's magic. I moved it to the side and regarded my own reflection.

There before me stood a tall, powerful mare. The kind of pony who could lead armies, conquer lands, rule nations, and earn the admiration and respect of her peers. She who stood before me was no ordinary pony, not by any stretch of the imagination, which is what made my current struggles so vexing. There was another pony out there, alike to me in so many ways. With her, the world had very nearly been conquered, and in fact had been done so with fairly minimal bloodshed.

My teal-coloured eyes turned furious and I held back a growl. Gone was the time for screaming and yelling. I brought the headpiece back towards me and slowly lifted it up above my head. As I did so, I took another look at my reflection. Four strong blue hooves, long slender horn, taut and powerful wings and a wondrously beautiful mane that shone like the beauty of the night sky. Not much had changed about this pony in the last decade, and yet the one in the reflection could scarcely be recognized as the once-demure Princess of the Night.

I took one more glance up at the headpiece before I stared straight ahead. I stared straight into the reflection of my own eyes. Even a facsimile of myself sent a shiver down my spine from the icy fury held behind those eyes. The headpiece slowly descended, settling atop my head and resting around my ears and horn.

After a single deep breath, I took in what I saw. The armour created a fitting image of who I was. I was a warrior, and a bringer of justice. I was merciless and steadfast, and I would not let anypony stand in my way. I was not who I was many years ago; I had changed for the better.

As an alicorn, my powers and abilities were matched by no other creature. None could possibly stand up to me except for the only other alicorn in existence. In the past, she had been superior in every way, but those times were gone now. She was nothing now.

I set my hooves onto the floor and took on an imposing posture, thrusting out my chest and raising my head proudly. Even while wearing no armour except for the headpiece, it was deliciously fitting. Yes, this was the pony who could rule. There would be no question.

I slammed my hoof on the ground to accentuate my resolve, not caring who heard or about the small crater I had just left in the marble floor. My eyes were like steel, unwavering in their steadfast glare. The time for petty emotions was gone. Now was the time for change, and some ponies in this world are afraid of change. They fear and despise it. Those ponies made me sick.

I turned and began to march towards the door, my purpose in this room completed. No further armour was necessary, nor was it wanted. I had, for the most part, sequestered myself in the room to mentally prepare myself for what was about to happen. As it turned out, this had been an unnecessary precaution. From the moment this headpiece had touched my body, any little doubts vanished.

I did not hurry as I began to make my way through the castle. I took my time, trotting at a leisurely pace and casting my gaze at my surroundings as I went. My expression turned sour at the gaudy interior. Bright, bold marble was everywhere, accented and decorated by golds, yellows and pinks. Everywhere I looked was bright, blazing, garish colours. It was all so ridiculously extravagant, like staring directly into an unbelievably bright flame. I was the only shade of blue to be seen.

I passed through some doorways and made my way down a couple hallways, all accented by excessive red carpets. There were guards stationed in many places around the palace. They normally prowled the hallways and stood guard in front of every door that I would need to pass through. I scowled at each and every one of them, all magically done up to look identical to one another. Nearly 50 ponies I passed, all coloured white and decked out in loud yellow colours. I resisted the urge to crush the skulls of their sleeping forms, every one of them rendered unconscious. Tonight, their true loyalty would be tested.

Like a quiet storm, I moved through the wondrously large castle towards my destination. Still, I was in no hurry. Nopony in this castle could ever hope to stop me if they wanted to, so there would be no trouble until I arrived. I thought about why I was here today, and my furious expression returned. I tried my best to not let everything around me burst into arcane flames.

I entered the second-last hallway that I would need to traverse, this one much more grand than the others. It occupied two levels, and I was currently traversing the upper floor. I passed 15 slumbering guards in the room, but there were no commoners to be seen. How unusual. Court was about to end, but it was strange to not see those last few pathetic peasants who would not be able to get in before closing time. It was if they all knew what was about to happen, though none of them possibly could.

One last hallway, devoid of anypony as it was a private access way, and I found myself before a large, ornate door. Only there did I finally pause. I stared angrily at the door, as if it had somehow wronged me. My heart hammered in my chest, but do not think for a moment that I was nervous. I was filled with exhilaration and anticipation, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I was anxious to burst through that door and face my enemy, but I savoured the moment.

Standing above all other emotions, however, was the one that had been my companion for nearly a decade now. Anger. The volatile, boiling anger that had fueled everything that had happened so far, and would fuel whatever happened next. Horrible anger that would not dissipate. No- Could not dissipate. Not until something was done. This injustice would end tonight, or I would die trying.

I had considered shattering the door into a million pieces, but instead I calmly opened it and stepped through. I found myself standing on a raised stone platform at the head of a large room. Two small stone stairways led down to the lower area beneath me. In front of me there was a semi-circular stone carving that mimicked the appearance of a small balcony, though it did not extend outwards. While I did not look at them, I knew that behind me there were two pieces of hanging drapery. The one to my left was yellow and gold and it depicted the shining sunlight. On my right was the moon's counterpart, though it was clearly an afterthought as it was exactly identical except in colour. Beneath them were two extravagant thrones in colours matching the drapes.

Sitting high above on the surrounding walls were a series of statues all looking down upon the room below. Each and every one of them was a sculpture of the same pony, and seeing them all made my blood boil. Below was a large area, with torches adorning the walls and an enormous red carpet with another extravagant depiction of the sun on it. This was the area that would normally be occupied by a number of guards as well as some peasant commoner pleading with the rulers for some thing or other. Now, however, it was occupied by only one pony; the same pony that all the statues resembled.

The alicorn down below stood off to the side, gazing out the window. Body covered in a coat as white as clouds, powerful wings and a long, slender horn. She was taller than I was, something that had eternally irked me. Her mane was a bright, vibrant pink colour and it flowed as mine did on an unseen, ethereal wind.

Her horn glowed in a bright golden aura as she looked out, a calm, content look upon her face. I stood silently watching her, unsure if she had noticed me or not. I did not care either way. Outside the window, in the corner of my vision, I saw the sun descend through the sky, cast bright, warm colours across the land, and slowly begin to dip below the horizon. I had entered the room at exactly the moment of sunset.

Just as planned.

"Good day, sister," the other alicorn spoke, sounding almost absentminded as she turned to look up at me. At first she barely altered her expression, but that changed when she got a good look at me.

I huffed derisively. "How kind of you to notice me, Celestia," The bitter words left my throat in a deep, poisonous voice, and a sense of elation swept over me as I swung them at her. I spoke her name, in particular, in a sharp, biting tone. It sickened me to even say it.

She blinked and stood there, staring directly at me. Not much about her demeanour changed, but I had known her long enough to know what was going on inside of her head. She was cautiously assessing the situation. I could tell there were a thousand questions brewing in her mind already.

"Is…something happening?" she spoke slowly, taking step towards me.

I glared daggers at her. "Stay where you are," I commanded.

She paused, her second hoof hanging in the air. "I beg your pardon?"

"Do not move," I repeated, my expression unchanged.

Celestia gently placed her hoof back on the ground. It was clear from her expression that she was in shock at having been given such a direct command, but it looked like she was choosing to obey it for the time being. Smart move.

"Who are you to command me?" she asked. There was no anger, malice or superiority in her voice. She posed her question in much the same way as one might ask to be passed something at the dinner table.

I grit my teeth. "You know damn well who I am," I spoke in a much lower voice.

Her eyes drifted upwards. "Why do you wear your headpiece? Has something happened?"

There was a silent pause in the room. For a moment, neither of us spoke or even moved. Then I cracked a smile and laughed. "Oh yes, dear sister," I said, bile dripping from those last two words, "Something is about to happen."

Finally, her expression changed. She narrowed her eyes and frowned, appearing as if she had just lost her patience. "You of all ponies should know that this is no way to treat the esteemed Princess of Equestria," she said, stepping into a trot towards me, "Unless you have something to discuss with me, I suggest you-Ah!"

I grinned in smug satisfaction as Celestia reared back and fell on her rear, the ground in front of her smoking from the arcane bolt I had fired at her front hooves. Her chest was heaving as she stared at the black blemish in the carpet, and then she turned to stare at me. My horn was still glowing.

She appeared completely flustered. "How…How dare you-"

"Silence!!" I exclaimed, using the full power of my voice. The room shook slightly from the vibrations of the Royal Canterlot Voice, something I hardly ever got to use anymore. It felt good unleashing it.

"Wh-"

"You will remain silent," I commanded her, not caring that she would most certainly not obey. I stepped forward, bringing myself towards the dais and taking my rightful position as most superior pony in the room. A wicked grin was cast across my face as I stood high, Celestia sitting on the ground and looking up at me.

"Tonight," I continued to speak in my most commanding voice, "Tonight, it ends, Celestia."

She appeared perplexed. "What are you talking about? What ends?"

The glow around my horn intensified slightly. "Your injustices, your lavish extravagant arrogance and, ultimately, your wrongful reign."

An expression passed across her face. I would best describe it as a mixture of surprise and disbelief. "You…" she murmured, "Am I to believe what I am hearing…?"

I glared at her. "For too long this has gone on!" I shouted, "For too long the ponies of this land have been feeding themselves to a gluttonous, selfish, wasteful regent and her blinding, scorching sunlight!"

Celestia began to get to her hooves, but I adjusted my head slightly and caused her to freeze. I had moved my horn into a position where I could aim downwards any spell directly at her, with no way for her to escape or dodge it, while still maintaining my elevated point of view so I may look down upon her. If I may be permitted to boast, I think it was a very striking and fearful pose. Yet, despite being under threat of my magic, she still did nothing but sit there. Her horn did not even begin to glow.

I had predicted this, and it brought me a wonderful feeling of satisfaction knowing what was happening. Despite a loaded spell being aimed directly at her…Celestia would still never harm me. She could never harm her wittle baby sister. Her pathetic act of weakness had given me exactly the advantage I had needed.

There was that expression again. Celestia was analyzing the situation. Calculating. Scrutinizing.

Stalling.

"You are not fit to rule this land," I spoke to her in a tone that was almost scholarly, "For too long your crimes have gone unnoticed and unpunished. For too long, the voice of reason has gone ignored and shunned. You have allowed your position of power to swell your head and I am here to put a stop to this."

"Sister…" Celestia breathed, barely above a whisper, "Think carefully about what you say. These words you speak are much more serious than I think you realise. If you…choose to stand against me, then…" She trailed off, unable to finish her statement.

I wouldn't have listened anyway. My glare had grown angrier, my blood beginning to boil. "Are you implying that I am careless and stupid?!" I exclaimed.

"No! I-"

"You think that I would be so callous as to make such an audacious claim on a frivolous whim? Do you think I just decided to do this a few minutes ago??"

"Sister…"

"NO!" The walls once again shook from the magnitude of my voice. "I am not your sister! I refuse to be associated with a pony such as you! You are an arrogant, self-centred, unjust, blind fool!" The aura around my horn flared as I stood there panting, glaring at her. Decades of repressed anger began to boil to the surface. This was not the first time I had yelled and screamed at Celestia, but in the past it had never felt like it was enough. Even at my angriest, I had always chosen to exercise some self-control. I only now realize how much of a fool I had been.

Celestia's eyes had drifted upwards to my brightly-glowing horn. "Sister…" she spoke, trying to sound calm and in control, "If you strike me…"

A short, curt laugh escaped my throat and cut her off. After a pause, it grew into full on laughter. I never took my eyes off of her, but my entire being shook and shivered with laughter. "Ah…You would like that, wouldn't you??" I exclaimed, my anger beginning to overcome me, "You would like to get me so angry that I lash out at you, and then you get to be the gooood big sister and preach to me about order and rules and royalty and how much more important you are! You would be the victim here, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you?"

"Sis-"

"I am not your sister!!" I exclaimed, rearing my front hooves up and bringing them down to the ground in a powerful stomp. The marble beneath cracked and shattered. "When will you learn, Celestia? You are not the victim here! You were never the victim! I am the victim, Celestia! It has always been me! Your little sister! Your little punching bag that you could just throw in the corner whenever you grew bored of me! You will never learn, so I will make you learn!"

At some point I had begun to shed tears. Perhaps some would have seen it as a sign of weakness, but at the time I didn't care. Maybe it was better this way, to let her see the pain and suffering she had caused me.

Celestia appeared concerned, or perhaps she was simply afraid for her life. "I…I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Of course you wouldn't!" I shot back at her, "How can you notice my plight when you do not notice me??"

She took in a breath and began analyzing the situation again. Always trying to be in control, that one. "Something…" she spoke slowly, "Something has clearly been upsetting you for a while. Why did you not come to speak with me? You know I will be-"

Her speech was interrupted by loud, growling outburst. I couldn't see myself, but I knew that my anger had caused a volatile aura of magic to erupt around me. Celestia shrank back in fear. "I have heard enough of your lies and false promises!" I exclaimed, glaring at her with as much malice as I could muster. I felt the energy surrounding me. It made my fur stand on end, and it drew out my wings and tickled my feathers. It was such raw, powerful energy, even more powerful than what I could have imagined.

I spread my wings out fully, taking on my most commanding posture. I was through talking. "Tonight…" I proclaimed as the last rays of her sun began to fade away behind the horizon, "The moon will rise and take its place in the sky." My horn glowed a brilliant whitish-blue as I began to let the moon rise, though it was not visible yet. "Come 12 hours," I continued, "when it is the appointed time for the sunrise…" I paused and glared daggers at the pony below me

"…the sun shall not rise."

Celestia's eyes widened. "What??"

"The moon shall retain its proper place as our glorious celestial guardian, where it shall remain…forever."

It was not visible through the windows, but I could feel the moon peaking past the horizon behind me.

"No! You cannot do that!" Celestia exclaimed, and she tried to get to her hooves. I laughed in satisfaction as she found her four hooves bound to the ground, compliments of a spell I had been slowly building. I had been casting it so slowly and discretely that she hadn't even noticed it. This didn't deter her words, however. "You can't be serious! Stop this madness!"

"Madness?!" I exclaimed, shaking the walls for a third time. I was beginning to wonder if they would crack and crumble. "You call this madness?! I should think the proper term would be 'justice', or perhaps 'destiny'. The moon is a glorious, sacred artefact, but you have pushed and shunned it away for nopony to see! You have cast it to a time and a place where none can regard its beauty, none can respect its wisdom, and some even fear it! I have stood by for decades watching you utterly destroy me and my beautiful night!"

"No…"

"The ponies of this land hide away from the night and slumber through all of my hard work and dedication! I spend every night crafting the stars into a beautiful array, so that every night is different! But they must all sleep, and they would all awaken to revel in your glorified daylight and spend all of their time and effort worshiping you and lauding you with excessive gifts and treatment. Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light? Do you realize, dear sister, that some ponies do not know I exist?!"

Celestia was quite concerned, and I knew it was because she was beginning to realize that, for once in her long life, she did not have the upper hoof. "Stop…Stop this…" she pleaded, "Luna…"

"Shut up!!"

"Luna, please…"

"You will not shun me away yet again!"

"Look at yourself…"

I decided to take her advice and glance down at myself. What I saw was brilliant, burning blue energy surrounding me. Wind was being whipped through the room, extinguishing all of the torches that lined the walls. My mane was flaring up, burning like a thousand angry fires. It was hard to see through my tear-filled eyes, but I was getting stronger. I was becoming more powerful.

"Are you afraid of me, Celestia…?" I asked simply, turning to look at the pathetic pony on the ground before me.

"I beg of you…" she replied, "Stop all of this before you do something irreversible. Before you do something you regret! I'm sorry if I have wronged you somehow…but this is not the way…" Her eyes were so caring and so pleading. It sickened me. "Luna…"

I struck the ground in front of her with a bolt of magic to shut her up. "You…are a horrible pony…" I spoke to her. I had expected that this confrontation would dredge up anger from within me, but I had never thought that it would reach such a fevered pitch. I could feel my anger and sadness coursing through me and emanating all around me. I began to realize what this powerful magic was. It was all of my hatred and sorrow personified. My rage towards Celestia was fueling me. It was empowering me!

"You are a terrible pony," I continued, "and a terrible sister! We started as equals, but as the centuries passed you let the crown get to your head. More and more I was pushed into your shadow, and it all ends now." My cheeks burned as tears left rivers of anger across them. The room was now a dizzying chaotic whirlwind of magic. My magic. "You have made it painfully clear to me that there can only be one Princess in Equestria."

By this point Celestia was shaking her head and struggling to escape from her bonds. I saw her horn glowing but it was fizzling out, probably because of my own whirlwind of magic overpowering hers.

"You think that it should be you, but you are wrong." I clenched my eyes shut as more tears of anger rushed out. I grit my teeth and growled before rearing up on my hind legs and exclaiming, "That Princess…will be me!!"

Front hooves came down with the full impact of my newfound power. They collided with the circular stone railing of the dais, shattering it into a million pieces. The marble floor cracked even more as my hooves landed, and I felt the entire foundation shift. Celestia actually screamed from the impact of my stomp. I had my eyes glued on her, but I could hear the floor cracking beneath and behind me. I heard the fault continue upwards, cracking the stone wall that surrounded the door and continuing up to a window that was located high on the wall behind me. I heard the sound of the stained glass cracking and then, a moment later, the window shattered. Glass sprinkled all around me, but any pieces that would have hit me simply vanished when they touched my aura of magic.

Celestia was staring at the entire scene in abject horror. This was the pony who had guided Equestria through countless wars and had never let the nation suffer a loss, and now it seemed my actions had petrified her to the spot. I gave her a scowling grin, a sign of my satisfaction.

I had been so angry that I had wanted to break something, but this had been a pleasant surprise. I had just destroyed part of the castle with a mere stomp of my hooves. I had been gaining power in secret over the years, but this was more than I had ever expected. I now began to regret keeping my emotions hidden for the past couple of decades. Letting out all of my anger and hatred for this pathetic pony was giving me more power that I could have ever imagined. It was swirling all around me, creating a veritable vortex in the room. I felt connected to it all. All of this power, and it was all mine!! My horn glowed brilliantly and I adjusted my head just slightly to aim it at the door on the opposite wall. A second later, it shattered into dust.

"Stop this!!" I heard her shout.

"I hereby abdicate you of your throne!" I proclaimed, ignoring her, "From now on, the ponies of this land shall bow down to their one and only true leader."

"This isn't the way!" she was pleading, "We can get through this, sister! I will be there for you, and I'm sorry if I wasn't! We were meant to rule together!"

"Oh really?!" I shot her a venomous scowl. "Now, on top of everything else, you are a filthy hypocrite!"

"No…!" She was shaking her head and pulling tightly against her magical bonds. She would probably break free from them soon, but I cared little.

"Tomorrow dawns in darkness!" I declared, "From this moment, and for the rest of eternity…" I paused as my horn glowed with familiar, warming magic. Even amidst all of this chaos, my connection with the moon was still comforting. Behind me, the moon began to rise into the sky, much faster than it normally would. I held both my head and my forehooves high, no doubt creating a glorious silhouetted image.

"…the night will last forever!"

"Luna, please!!"

"That is no longer my name!!" A fiery rush of anger coursed through my entire body, and I felt everything flare up around me as I smashed my hooves into the ground again. The ground blackened and the edges of the drapes behind me burned to cinders. I grit my teeth and glared at Celestia, my chest rising and falling with every heaving breath. I hated her. I hated this pony with every fibre of my being. I had never known anger like this before, and it felt like I could blow up the entire castle with a single huff of breath.

"What…?"

"Luna was a pathetic doormat of a pony who sat by and let her 'regal' elder sister do whatever she wanted. I have forsaken that name and bestowed upon myself a new name befitting the regent of the night and ruler of all Equestria!"

The moon was high in the sky behind me, casting a perfect beam of light through the shattered window and directly onto me. Now, on top of all of this newfound power, I had the power of the moon coursing through me. I was invincible!!

"I am Nightmare Moon!!"

The room erupted into even more chaos as my vision was overtaken by a swirl of black magic aura. It surrounded me, encasing me within a perfect sphere. There were traces of moonlight in the aura. I had not recognized it, but this was my power. This was but a small portion of the magic that I had at my disposal; more magic than I even knew what to do with. It was surrounding me, protecting me, loving me. I felt it close in on me, but there was no more fear. I heard Celestia scream, but only just barely. The power coursed through me, like wonderful fire in my veins. I felt it empowering me even further. It was changing me; making me better! It wasn't long before the black aura faded away, most of it having been absorbed into me. I landed back on the ground with a powerful stomp of my iron-clad hooves, standing tall with a wonderful new perspective on things.

I gave a pleased chuckle, running my tongue across my new, razor-sharp fangs. Everything seemed further below me as I was taller now, staring down victoriously at Celestia with striking green eyes of the night. I could see my mane billowing around me, filled with even more magic than before, and I felt my new armoured adornments. I brought up one of my hooves to idly inspect the armored hoofpiece, and got a good look at my new jet-black fur.

I began to chuckle again, and soon it evolved into a full-bellied laugh. This was far beyond perfect. Such a strikingly wonderful form befitting Nightmare Moon, ruler of all Equestria. I continued to laugh loudly, unable to contain my joy. There was so much power within me! I had basically already won.

I stopped laughing and turned to look at Celestia with a triumphant grin. She was frozen on the spot, her pupils the size of dots and her jaw hanging open in utter disbelief. Even from across the room I could see her trembling. It seemed my vision had been augmented. I gleefully wondered what other little surprises lay in store.

The now-smaller alicorn with her pathetic pink mane was heaving heavy breaths and seemed to be trying to say something, though she couldn't get the words out. It wasn't surprising really. I had transformed into something entirely new; far beyond whatever wretched pony I had once been. I would probably be in shock too if in her position.

The power welling inside of me was like a whirlwind, tornado and volcanic eruption all at once. It felt so wonderful to feel it within me, but I also wanted to just let it all out. My eyes quickly shot up towards the roof, seeking out all those eye-sores of statues. With a wicked grin I lanced my horn up towards them, channeling a substantial amount of my magic through it. A bright energy beam, teal in colour, shot forth and impacted the first statue. The statue crumbled in seconds, falling to the floor below in a pile of debris.

I laughed again as I began to destroy the rest of the statues. This seemed to snap their likeness out of her stupor as she began gasping and begging me to stop. My destruction continued, shattering every statue and not caring where the pieces landed. A few of them barely missed Celestia, much to my amusement.

Finally I rested my eyes on her again. She was gritting her teeth and pulling as hard as she could against her magical bonds. Her horn was also glowing, attempting to disarm them. Only a second after I laid eyes on her, she finally managed to break the bonds and stumble forward into a standing position. She was free, and she began to flee towards the door while keeping her eyes on me.

A split-second flash of my horn later, and she was now trapped within fresh magical restraints of strength tenfold. I grinned smugly.

Celestia gasped as she was halted yet again by my magic. Her horn glowed with a bright golden aura as her face turned to desperation. My attuned senses were able to not only pick up on the magical 'waves' she cast forth, but also identify them within moments.

"Don't bother," I said to her simply, trotting down the stairs towards her, "There's no guards left to come to your aid."

She turned to me in confusion as her horn lit up with a different kind of spell. An offensive one. I effortlessly squeezed her horn with my own magic and put a quick stop to that.

"They're all fast asleep," I continued to say, "I made sure of that." I continued to slowly stalk towards her, weaving my way around the rubble of Celestia-statues. "Isn't that what you wanted?" I continued, my voice slipping into a playful, condescending tone, "You wanted allll of your little ponies to sleep during the night…Didn't you?"

"Stay back…" she whispered, struggling desperately and lighting up her horn again. I extinguished her magic effortlessly.

"Awwww…" I cooed in a mocking tone, "Poor Celestia is all tied up. None of her endless legions of followers around to support her…" I stepped right up next to her fearlessly, placing my muzzle mere inches away from her own. My mane slipped forwards, moving like a tendril, to place itself under her chin and force her head up so that she was looking directly at me. "Not so tough when you're all alone, are you?"

There was unequivocal fear and panic in those eyes, something that few had ever seen. My spells were holding her completely immobilized, and were also putting quite an effective damper on her own magic. She was a sitting duck and I was her stalking predator. This was a position she was hardly ever in.

"What are you…?!" she breathed, the panic even seeping into her voice.

I furrowed my brow slightly. "Oh come now, Celestia…" I replied, "I may have changed for the better, but I don't look that much different, do I?"

She shook her head gently. "What…Who are you?? And what have you…Where's Luna?!"

Now my expression was anger. "You are a blind fool, Celestia! I suggest you convince yourself to believe what has happened, because it has happened and there is no undoing it. 'Luna' was a pony that I once was, long ago, but you can forget about her. She was me, and she has now become me." I gave a smug grin of satisfaction and lowered my voice to a deep whisper.

"…Hello, Tia."

She visibly jumped when she heard me speak that nickname. It was a name that only one pony in the entire world had ever called her, and hearing it from my mouth brought newfound horror to her eyes.

"No…" she whispered, "No, you're not Luna…"

"Astute observation," I said in an even tone, "I am not Luna any longer. You will address me as Nightmare Moon."

"It can't be…I won't believe it…You're not Luna. You're not…my little sister. You're not!"

"Such optimistic words…" I was beginning to enjoy myself, and it was quite entertaining to see the various expressions flash across Celestia's face. "Could it be that you fear the truth…sister?"

Celestia gave a yelp as if somepony has just pulled out part of her mane and she swung her head around, as if trying to bat me away with her horn. I moved my head back to dodge, my movements faster than the wind.

"You're a liar!!" she exclaimed, "What are you?? Some kind of Changeling?! What did you do with my sister? We've defeated you three times already! Give up!"

My humoured laughter filled the room. "Oh you fool! What kind of Changeling has this level of magical power?" To punctuate my point, I increased the 'squeeze' of her bonds, making her cry out in distress.

My laughter died down to a chuckle. Celestia was gritting her teeth in pain, and a moment later opened a single eye to look at me again. There was a mix between an angry glare and the look of a frightened filly, both mixed together. "Very well…" I said with a small sigh, "If I must prove it to you further…"

I relaxed her bonds back to their original strength, letting her breathe properly. She eyed me cautiously as I slowly trotted around her in a circle. "I am no longer Luna," I said to her, "but I was her. I will not deny my past, Celestia; I was once weak and pathetic. I was the pony living for decades and centuries in your shadow. I was the pony who crafted you a beautiful portrait in the sky using my stars and auroras. I gave it to you on your birthday in 998. My birthday on that same year? I didn't see a single trace of you. I didn't even know where you were until eleven days later."

With every word that I spoke as I circled her, the horrified expression on her face continued to grow. By the time I had finished speaking there were tears in her eyes. All she could do was gently shake her head.

"Centuries of neglect and mistreatment have led us here, sister," I spoke to her in a harsh whisper, "Now, at long last, I have put you in your place."

"What…happened to you…?" Celestia spoke in a shaken voice, "…What have you done?!"

I stared at her expressionlessly. "I did what I had to."

"You…You've become a…a…"

I curled my lips into a wide grin as I looked down upon her. "A 'what', Celestia? What is it you're trying to say? I've become a monster?"

She winced at the last word.

"I'll take that as a compliment." I then stood up tall once more as I towered over her. I began to idly trot away from her, speaking as I went. "In any case…You have heard me speak of what will happen in Equestria now. There shall no longer be 'day', and the sun shall never again rise. Before you say anything, I implore you to remember…This was all your own doing."

"You can't do this!" I heard her say from behind me, as I was no longer looking at her, "What about the land? What about our citizens? There is going to be mass panic come morning!!"

I idly lifted a hoof and examined it. "Dear me," I said in disinterest, "I suppose I'll have to deal with that, won't I?"

"There's still time to stop this! I promise you from the bottom of my heart that I shall right any wrongs I have committed against you! Please, sister! Don't be a fool!"

I chose to outright ignore her pathetic plea, and instead gazed up through the broken window at the moon shining down upon me. Just seeing it filled me with strength and confidence. "There is no point," I spoke, loud enough for her to hear, "in asking pointless questions…So I am going to assume that you will not stand down, Celestia. You would oppose me, no?"

There was a very drawn-out pause between the two of us. The tension in the air was so incredibly thick. Even without looking at her, I could picture the indecision and conflict in her expression. Then finally, she spoke.

"I…I would."

"You would stand against your own sister?"

"…Yes." There was resolve in her voice, but mostly I detected sorrow.

"Very well then," I said as my horn began to glow once more, "By your own choice, Celestia…This shall be war." I thrust my horn skywards, guiding my moon higher into the sky. It moved quickly across the night sky, nearly ten times faster than it normally moved, out of the frame of the window and up to the highest point in the sky. As I did this, I heard Celestia crying out in pain behind me. This rapid alteration of the moon's normal rotation was also affecting the sun's rotation, and the results appeared to be rather painful.

"The moon shall stand her ground," I announced as my celestial wonder came to rest at the peak, in the same place where the sun would normally be during noon. There, undoubtedly, it would be visible to all corners of Equestria.

"Stop this!!" Celestia was shouting, "Lower it!! You mustn't alter the course of nature like this!"

"Ha!" I exclaimed, "And who are you to speak about the course of nature! Have you forgotten how much you like to meddle with nature? Hm?"

"You must lower the moon back to its proper place!!"

"There is no such obligation other than your own," I replied with finality, "The moon shall remain where is currently is for as long as I see fit!"

I had expected to hear another retort from Celestia but instead, to my surprise, I heard a third voice.

"Your highness!! What's happening?!"

Quick as a flash I turned myself around and lanced a bolt of energy from my horn with perfect aim. The bright, glowing bolt whizzed through the air, zipped past Celestia's head by mere inches, and struck the stallion square in the chest. He cried out in pain for a brief second as jolts of arcane electricity danced across his body, and then he fell to the floor in a heap.

Celestia gasped in horror and I quickly galloped over to investigate. The lifeless stallion was wearing the armour of a Royal Guard. Damn! I had specifically acquired a registry of all guards who would be stationed in the castle tonight so I could put them all to sleep. This idiot must have been a new recruit or something.

It only took a moment's observation to see how effective my strike had been, and to accept that there was no longer any danger to myself.

"You…killed him…"

I rolled my eyes and turned to face Celestia. "Wonderfully astute observation as always, Celestia."

She wasn't looking at me. Her gaze was locked upon the soldier's dead body. "He was one of us…" she was murmuring, a shaken look in her eyes, "He was innocent and you killed him!"

"He was subservient to you and, therefore, my enemy," I retorted. With a growl of frustration I used the tendrils of my mane to once again force her to look at me. "You seem surprised, Celestia," I spoke smoothly to her, "Yet, you shouldn't be. Have you forgotten?" I took a pause before I leaned in close and lowered my voice. "Casualty is an inevitability of war."

"You didn't need to kill him…"

"You hammered that lesson into my head when I was younger," I said, standing back up tall. I noticed the tears in her eyes and scoffed at her weakness.

"How could you do this, Luna…?"

A sudden spike of anger shot through me. I turned away from her and used my magic to tighten her bonds again. I heard her crying out in pain behind me, but I didn't care. "I tire of this game, Celestia," I said as I began to pace towards the back-end of the room, "The way I see it, you have two options. You may change your mind and submit to me, or I shall destroy you and toss you into the dungeons to rot."

The squeezing of the magical bonds rendered her unable to reply except with more screams, and so I focused my attention elsewhere. My eyes fell upon the decoration of the back wall and, specifically, the two hanging tapestries. With a quick flash of my horn, the tapestry on the right burst into bright blue flames, being reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds. As Celestia continued to shout behind me, I then levitated the throne on the right into the air. With nary even a movement of my head, the throne tossed itself to the ground and shattered into a hundred wooden pieces. These too then erupted into flames.

"Well? Have you made your decision?" I mused as my eyes fell to the carpet on the floor emblazoned garishly with the sun, "I hope you're not thinking of opposing me or, perish the thought, fighting me. I think it's quite clear that I now have the upper hoof, dear sister."

Celestia let out a particularly loud cry. I remember thinking to myself that perhaps I was underestimating my own strength, and perhaps I was choking the life out of her. Casually, I turned around again to face her, but then my eyes shot open wide.

The other alicorn was gritting her teeth and pushing against her bonds, which were actually bending and beginning to give way. More than that, however, she was surrounded with a moderately bright golden aura and her horn was pulsing with energy. I took two hasty steps towards her, but then I was halted by the strong burst of magic.

My shield spell prevented any adverse effects, but I was still blinded from the flash. When my vision cleared, I saw that Celestia had broken free from her bonds somehow and was standing up. My focus, however, was drawn to her appearance. She was now nearly as tall as me, and her mane was now transformed into a flowing sea of pinks, blues, greens and purples.

Huh…That was new…

She also had her eyes closed, so I capitalized by casting another, more powerful immobilizing spell towards her. Her eyes flashed open and her horn glowed bright gold. My spell was batted away effortlessly.

"Oh my…" I said, keeping my cool, "Isn't this an interesting development?" I took a few steps forward, striding towards her. "Perhaps you can offer me some challenge."

She lowered her head slightly and alit her horn once more, this time with a much brighter glow. "Luna!!" she proclaimed, speaking in a much more powerful voice than before, "I do not wish to fight you! You must lower the moon! It is your duty!"

Immediately, I was surrounded by a powerful, fiery aura as I glared at her. "'Luna'?!" I growled, "You still choose to insult me by associating me with the name of an inferior pony?! Hear me now and engrave it in your mind! I am Nightmare Moon!!"

Celestia's expression did not change.

I took a single step forward, slamming it into the ground. "Since you refuse to yield, then I have but one royal duty now. This is your final chance, Celestia! If you do not stand down, I will destroy you."

For what seemed like an eternity, the two of us stood our ground and stared at one another. Tense silence filled the room as each waited for the other to make a move. It was many minutes until there was finally a change.

Celestia closed her eyes and heaved a sorrowful sigh as a single tear ran down her cheek. She remained that way for a moment and I considered attacking her, but I do have a sense of honour. Besides, if this erupted into a full-on battle, it would be so much more fun! Finally, Celestia opened her eyes and stared at me. For the first time that evening, I saw fury in those eyes. She opened her mouth and spoke two glorious words that would forever change the history of Equestria.

"En garde."

Baptism of Bloodshed

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Chapter 2 - Baptism of Bloodshed

The castle bell, she chimes for war,
One, two, three, four,
To call forth creatures so abhorred,
They slaughter all, and thirst for more.
-Author unknown; March 1009

***

"En garde."

One would not even have a moment to blink in the time between Celestia saying those two fateful words, and her charging directly at me with intent to cripple. In the briefest fraction of a second she had summoned a golden arcane sword and was now swinging it directly towards my neck. I too summoned an arcane sword, deep blue and silver in colour, and held it up to block her strike. Less than a tenth of a second had passed.

We stared at each other for a brief moment as we pressed our swords against one another. That single action of hers had told me all I needed to know. Celestia, for whatever reason, was through playing around. The weakness she had exhibited before in never wanting to harm her little sister was gone. Now, I wasn't entirely convinced that she wouldn't try to kill me.

How thrilling.

Her intentions now clear to me, I shifted into an all-out attack. I parried her sword away and thrust forward directly towards her chest. She was only barely able to block the strike, but I didn't stop there. I continued to swing and strike, throwing forth a relentless assault on the other alicorn. She managed to keep herself from harm, but there was strain in her expression as she rapidly moved her sword around to block. Me, on the other hand, I was grinning the entire time.

She blocked a particularly powerful strike from me and the two of us pressed our swords against one another's again. Sparks began to erupt from the magic swords as we both pushed harder and harder, and seconds later we were both forced back a few good feet from a minor outburst of magic. Celestia took this brief opportunity to cast a spell. In a quick flash, golden armour appeared all over her body. Comparatively, she was more decked out than I was, with protective plates covering her torso, her head, her limbs, and even the bridges of her wings. Despite the fact that I only had a chestplate, hoofguards and my headpiece, I chose not to summon anything further.

Celestia grit her teeth and swung wide towards me. Instead of blocking or countering, however, I swiftly moved to the side. My sudden absence caused her to stumble and lose her balance, and I capitalized by firing a beam of magic directly at her. She was just barely able to pull up a magic shield, which caused the bolt to deflect and fly directly into the ceiling. It shattered in a spectacle of rock and rubble, leaving a sizable hole through which the glorious moon could be seen.

She took a quick look at it before blocking and pushing back against more strikes from me. My opponent then surprised me by unfurling her wings, giving them a powerful stroke, and dashing off quick as lightning through the roof and into the sky above.

I stared after her bemusedly. "And where do you think you're going?" I called out before unfurling my own wings and giving chase.

I had honestly expected that she had turned tail and run, but I was pleased to see that she was waiting for me in the sky, ready to continue battle. It seemed she simply wished to do so in a different environment. Personally, I was confident that this would prove to be a grave error in judgement on her part. Though I had only just flown for the first time in this form, I could already tell that I was faster than her in the air.

Once I had reached her altitude, she wasted no time in darting towards me with her sword. I blocked her strike and began to circle around with a strike of my own. Aerial sword duels had always been a favourite of mine and I was honestly quite confused as to why she would choose to fight me in such an arena. The two of us began darting around like flies, whizzing through the air and trying to strike the other. Our two forms became a blur, occasionally punctuated by the clink of swords connecting.

As more time passed, I became quickly attuned to my new heightened senses. Despite my incredible speed, I could see everything around me clearly. Celestia never managed to catch me off guard because I could always see her coming. I, on the other hoof, had managed to dent her armour three times. Small victories, yes, but I was winning.

A loud battle cry caught my attention and I quickly twirled myself in the air to see her oncoming strike. I blocked her sword, but she didn't relent. Celestia launched herself into her own flurry of attacks, repeatedly swinging and striking at me. Her skill caused me to lose my smile and dedicate a lot of focus. I was never so arrogant as to believe that defeating Celestia would be easy. I constantly reminded myself that she was one of the most skilled fighters in the entire world and would not go down easily.

I was put on the defensive for a short period, and I took in Celestia's expression and appearance while I blocked her strikes. Something had definitely changed within her along with her new flashy mane. I would not, however, call what I saw in her eyes 'fury'. Perhaps a more fitting word would be 'determination'. I could see within her a drive to win, but not a drive to be victorious.

I pulled in my wings and dove underneath her quickly, flitting back up beside her. I swung a powerful slash at the armour protecting her shoulder, and part of the armour crumpled against her and fell loose. She cried out in surprise and quickly moved her sword to block, and then she also tried to zip around. I never let her get close enough.

We flitted through the air like dragonflies, each trying to sneak around the others' defenses. We moved through the air barely noticing our surroundings. All I cared about was that my glorious moon was above us, bathing me in its cool, caring light. We had moved away from the castle so I wasn't likely to fly into any walls by accident. We were probably above Canterlot now, and anypony on the ground would probably be able to see us, but it mattered not.

Who was I kidding? They were all asleep. And even if somepony had seen us, not one of them would dare set themselves between two duelling goddesses.

Celestia gave a few guttural grunts and began to pour on the offense again. As I blocked and countered, she launched a few arcane bolts from her horn at me. To her credit, that had actually caught me by surprise, if only briefly. I narrowed my brow as I dove forth to strike her again.

I had the upper hoof and was winning this battle, but I was winning far too slowly. If things continued like this, then Celestia would not fall from exhaustion or defeat for days. She was, after all, the pony who could most closely match my level of skill. Perhaps, I realized, I would have to do something to expedite the process.

I was forced to weave through the air to avoid more bolts from her horn. As I was dodging, she had been charging up a fairly large offensive spell, which she then lanced at me. I had no time to dodge, but a shield spell kept me unharmed. No sooner did it dissipate than I brought up my sword to block a daring strike from my opponent.

I pushed back with my own sword and forced her to remain in place so that I could observe her again. I could see a reflection of myself in her eyes; a beautiful, powerful mare with both anger and confidence in her own eyes. Celestia, however, was almost emotionless. What I saw in her eyes was no more than a desire to end what was happening. I smirked as I got an idea.

Celestia's sword lurched forward as I suddenly stopped pushing against it with mine. I fell back and allowed her sword to come within millimeters of my snout. She fumbled in the air, not having expected that, as I dashed up beside her and made a bold swipe directly for her exposed jugular.

Expectedly, she managed to block my strike, and then the shot of adrenaline I had given her pushed her to make a bold counterattack. Just as before, I feigned a block and then carefully positioned myself to allow her blade to come immeasurably close to ending my life.

"So!" I exclaimed to her as we continued to duel, "What is the plan, Celestia?"

She didn't respond as she blocked another flurry of strikes from me.

"Do you plan to kill me?" I yelled while staring her directly in the eyes, "Are you going to kill you little baby sister?"

I received exactly the reaction I had expected. Celestia's eyes widened, as if she had just realized what she had been doing, and her blocks began to get sloppy. I even saw the aura gripping her sword dissipate slightly. I grinned in satisfaction and slashed forward with my own sword directly at an unprotected part of her body.

She couldn't block my strike. The only thing she had the presence of mind to do was to teleport away, and only after my blade had sunk an inch or two into her flesh.

I tracked her spell and found that she had reappeared to my left, quite a distance away from me.

"Killing you is the last thing I want to do!" she called to me, her hardened eyes like those of a stone statue's, "But…I will if I must. If the ponies of this land are put at risk because of you…then I will not hesitate to put a stop to you." Her expression faltered just slightly. "Please do not let it come to that."

I didn't respond and instead zipped over to where she was with a burst of magic. I struck her armour before she could even react, causing her to bring up her sword and sloppily block my strikes. I had shaken her to the core; the damage had been done. The night air was filled with the sounds of clashes and clangs as metal met metal. Our horns were glowing furiously as we moved our swords around almost impossibly fast.

I ramped up my game, throwing in bolts of magic from my horn. She was far too imbued with magic for me to do anything such as making her armour vanish or teleporting her underground. Still, however, offensive magic held no prejudice and would burn whomever it struck. Between manoeuvering her sword around to block and the shield spells she had to cast, strain was beginning to show upon the face of my opponent.

Finally, though, Celestia's horn glowed with a different kind of magic and she fired off an offensive spell in desperation. I had not quite been expecting it and so it managed to graze my shoulder, burning the fur just slightly. I ignored the pain and didn't falter. Her first hit on me. I had expected her to do at least some damage to me.

I was vulnerable for only a brief moment, but she did capitalize on it. She dashed forward with her sword and forced me to bring mine up to block. Again, we began pushing as hard as we could against one another in a battle of strength and endurance. The minor hit she had gained off of me seemed to have snapped her out of her reverie, or at least partially. That cold, soulless determination had returned to her eyes.

We continued pouring strength into our swords, but this time neither of us yielded. It was as if we had shared an unspoken agreement to continue pushing until something broke. I grit my teeth and she did the same, the two of us staring directly at one another. I could feel lightning dancing between us. The pressure increased more and more as we poured all of our strength, magical or otherwise, into overpowering the other.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the two swords shattered into a cloud of multicoloured dust. Both of our arcane weapons had just been completely destroyed, and there would be no time to craft another one while this battle raged.

What's more, the momentum I had been pouring into my sword carried me forward, as I had not expected the swords to shatter. I predicted that the two of us would tumble into one another like some sort of clumsy painful hug, but instead I tumbled into air. Seconds later, I felt two very powerful hooves connect with my backside and send me flying through the air. Celestia had managed to teleport away as soon as the swords broke and buck me straight in the back.

Okay. I'll give you that one.

I righted myself before I could impact the ground and scanned the sky for my opponent. I realized with a scowl that Celestia had expected our weapons to shatter. She had sacrificed her own weapon to ensure the destruction of mine. Perhaps she was more dedicated to this battle than I thought.

A second later I found her, and she was yards away from where we had both just been. I began to fly towards her and, as I did, took notice of what she was doing. Her horn was glowing but I couldn't see or feel what she was casting. She saw me coming, twisted in the air, and launched an arcane bolt at me, which I blocked. I readied my own spell, but she had vanished again.

I swore as I sought her out again. Just like before, she was yards away with her horn glowing. I sped off towards her again, but then something caught my eye that actually made me slow down. I nearly came to a stop, staring at her with disbelief.

My eyes followed where her horn was pointed at, and my heart skipped a beat as I found myself staring at the moon. Rage burned within me as I realized what she was doing.

She was trying to cast my magic, and she was using it to try to lower the moon.

A furious, vengeful cry slipped from my throat as I sped through the sky towards her. I cannot even describe the rage that was coursing through my veins in that moment. Despite all that she had done, Celestia had never touched my moon. And now she was trying to use her own filthy magic to force it away! How dare she?!

In my blind rage I had dedicated little thought to planning. Celestia saw me coming a mile away and teleported. For the time, though, I was too mad to think properly. A couple of times this was repeated; Celestia appearing somewhere and reaching out to the moon with me hot on her tail. I could feel the moon slipping away from its rightful place and back towards the horizon!

Some of my common sense returned to me and I reached out with my own magic. The moon belonged to me, and so it heeded my call much closer. With a guttural cry of fury I thrust it back into the high point of the sky. I felt volatile magic radiate off of me, spreading outwards like an explosion. It managed to catch Celestia off-guard and interrupt her next teleport.

"You would dare?!" I exclaimed before quickly teleporting myself. Celestia could not recover from her momentarily disrupted magic in time, and she cried out in pain from a concentrated blast of magic right between the plates of her armour. Blood seeped from a fresh wound, as if she had been pierced by a large arrow.

She whirled herself around and backed away from me, gritting her teeth in pain. I was already readying another spell. "You have left me no choice!" she called out to me, but I barely heard her.

Another fiery arcane spell zipped towards her, and she blocked it with a shield. I flung more, smaller spells at her in an attempt to catch her by surprise again, but she blocked those as well. Celestia then began to sling golden spells back at me, which I also blocked. The two of us circled one another in the air, tens of spells flying forth from our horns, and just as many small, magical shields covering us.

Again, neither of us would yield. More and more spells sailed through the air, attempting to strike the other. Gradually, our spells grew smaller but more plentiful until eventually we were casting an absolute barrage of hundreds of spells. Not only that, but we began to slowly drift closer to one another. The air between us was filled with a dizzying array of golds, silvers and translucent shields. It was like a thousand fireworks erupting in the tiny space between us.

It was a test of endurance. Eventually one of us would fail and a spell would slip through. It took an incredibly long time, but finally something broke.

Celestia grunted as one of my tiny spells slipped through a crack in her armour, and this was followed by screams of anguish. The first spell had broken her concentration, and so all of the spells following it found no shields to block their paths. I grinned in victory as Celestia was buffeted by hundreds of tiny, painful spells. Unfortunately, at some point in the midst of this chaos she had managed to teleport away.

She was now many yards away, panting and glaring at me. Much of her armour had been damaged and had fallen away, leaving only the guards on her hooves, head and chest. In various other places, her fur was tinted with either black or red. She was now covered in quite a number of injuries, while I had managed so far with only a pair of bruises on my back.

"Do you surrender yet?" I called to her, a bit of playfulness slipping into my voice.

"You know that I cannot allow you to win…" she replied.

In response, I laughed. "We've only barely begun, and you've already taken at least 20 times as much damage as I have. I will admit that I'm rather sour at the loss of my arcane sword, and I will most certainly be getting you back for that pair of hoofprints on my back, but ultimately you may as well give in."

"There's still a chance for us to end this!" she called out, "I'm giving you a chance at survival here! If you continue these acts of treachery, then I will…I will kill you…"

I had caught that brief pause. I narrowed my eyes and grinned at her. "Very well, then," I spoke slowly, "Kill me."

I decided to show her how brutal I could be. I performed a quick teleport directly next to her, so close that I could feel the puff of air from her startled breath. Barely a blink of an eye passed before I began whaling on her. I began with a hoof punch directly to her jaw and followed it up with a nonstop barrage of punches, jabs, kicks and bucks. The metal guards on my hooves delivered quite a satisfactory amount of bloodshed. I didn't give my opponent the chance to do a single thing before I finally felt she'd had enough and kicked her in the back directly towards the ground.

To my moderate surprise, she managed to spread her wings and stabilize herself before she impacted. Before I could chase after her, she teleported away and then slammed into me from the side in a midair tackle. She began trying to punch me and managed to land a couple of hits, but most of her strikes were ineffective. In no time I had forced her off of me.

I regarded the beautiful, regal Princess of Equestria; beaten, battered and covered in bruises and blood. I saw her lips move silently, and I am certain I saw the word 'Savage' being formed.

"Having fun, Celestia?" I toyed with her, "War's not so much fun when you're not winning, is it?"

She coughed up blood before saying, "This doesn't have to be war!!"

I merely chuckled. "Those sound like the words of a pony who knows she cannot win."

The briefest flash of fire danced behind her eyes. "I know you think all of my military victories were lucky flukes, but I was there on the battlefield, or at least close nearby. I have defeated countless foes who would put the safety and serenity of Equestria at risk. I have defeated every single one of them, and I will defeat you as well!"

I stared at her for a moment with a neutral expression on my face. "You want to defeat me." There was a pause. "But I do not believe that you will."

"Silence…"

"I can see it in your eyes, Celestia. You feel the heat of battle, but not the drive to win! Though this newfound power of yours is definitely…" I took a moment to rub an aching spot on my jaw. "…making things difficult, you still do not match up against me. What you feel right now is how I have felt for centuries."

"I-"

Celestia suddenly gasped and had to duck out of the way of my arcane blast. "I am not a fool, Celestia! I can feel you using healing magic like a coward!"

I felt her teleport behind me and threw up a shield before she could send a magic spell directly into my back. "Ha!" I exclaimed as I danced away from her through the air, "You would have to do a lot better than that."

I dove towards her to attack, but expectedly she teleported away. I found her location and launched the spell I had been charging up directly at her. My grin fell, however, as I quickly had to focus all of my energy into a very powerful shield spell. The red magic that had been lanced at me smashed against it and caused them both to dissipate.

Celestia was serious, I began to think. That had been a spell designed to cripple wings. I could have been sent spiraling to the ground; that had actually been dangerous! Then I stopped, however, and thought more deeply about it. She was using cheap tactics to try to end this battle as soon as possible.

"End this!" I heard her command from above.

"Never!" I replied with a grin, "You will submit to me, one way or another."

"I beg of you not for me, but for the poor, innocent ponies of this land. Please, Luna. Stop this insanity."

Spells flew past her head. "What did you call me?"

"Luna…I beg of you from the bottom of my heart…"

My right eye twitched slightly. Rage. Blinding, burning rage, and it was all welling up inside of me. Immediately, I felt like shouting. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs and beat something, anything, until it no longer breathed. That name was an insult now! That name should never grace my royal ears for as long as I shall live!! That name must die!!

I could have shouted at her, but instead I remained silent. So much power had been welling up within me, and so I simply channeled it forth. A black and blue aura began to burn around me, complimenting my furious expression.

"Celestia," I spoke evenly, "I warn you not to anger me again."

After another couple moments of tense staring, Celestia's lip began to quiver. A single tear rolled down her cheek, mixing in with the dried blood there. Though she began to whisper, I could hear her clearly. "Please…" Her breath caught in her throat for a moment, and then she continued.

"Don't make me kill you, Luna…"

The aura around me erupted into a powerful, blazing inferno, making Celestia shrink back. "It is you who shall die!!" I yelled, the dam having finally been broken. Quick as a bolt of lightning I angled myself towards her, channeled all of my power and magic through my horn, and lanced a bolt directly at her with a wicked, animalistic cry.

She cried out and darted to the side to avoid it. I was prepared for this, however. She suddenly found herself facing me as I teleported into her flight path. Before she could even react, an arcane sword was buried up to the hilt into her chest. Simultaneously, I latched on to the remaining pieces of her armour with my magic and forcibly ripped them off.

She screamed in horrified pain as she focused all of her energy to backing away through the air to get away from me. I had barely even noticed that I had somehow created a new arcane sword in a matter of seconds. I took off through the air to chase her, the blazing aura around me causing the trees to erupt into flames as I passed them.

Celestia tried to grip the sword so she could pull it out but couldn't. To any other pony, a strike like that would mean certain death. However, as an alicorn like myself, it was merely a hard blow to her stamina. If she couldn't get it out, which I highly doubted she could, then she wouldn't last much longer on the battlefield.

She saw me coming and pulled herself into a sudden dive to try to escape my pursuit. I was ready for this, however, with a quick teleport. As she reached the base of her dive and began pulling herself back up, I passed by her in the opposite direction with a dive of my own. Celestia lurched back suddenly and let out a strained, strangled cry of pain.

I pulled her towards me with the glowing silver chain I had wrapped around her neck. She was flailing all of her limbs, including her wings, and grasping at the chain with her two front hooves. Her mouth hung open but no sound came out except for choking gasps. Celestia tried desperately to inhale and her eyes clenched shut as her face began to turn a pale shade of blue.

"Surrender, Celestia!!" I proclaimed, hopefully for the final time. Her horn was glowing, but the aura would simply sputter out. Her gagging, painful gasps of air were music to my ears as I held her there, keeping the grip as tight as I could. She had opened one eye and was staring at me with it. I had expected her to appear pleading, but I saw something much better in that one eye.

Fear.

Celestia was only a few seconds away from unconsciousness, and I refused to relent. Copious amounts of blood poured out from around the sword embedded within her, and all of the colour was beginning to drain from her face. I was so enthralled in this position of power over her that I unfortunately did not notice her horn beginning to glow a little more steadily.

She had only managed to make a short hop with her teleport spell, but it had been enough to free her from my chain. I could have immediately pounced and attacked her again, but I didn't.

It was clear that I didn't need to.

I could see it in Celestia's eyes; the fight was over. She simply hovered there before me, sucking in massive gasps of air to replenish the supply in her lungs, and all the while she was staring at me. Her eyes wide open showing utter terror. Her pupils had shrunk to tiny dots, though they remained focused on me as if afraid to look away. From her eyes alone, I could tell exactly what was going through her mind.

What I had just done was no attempt to disarm, disable or cripple her. Celestia was coming to grips with the fact that I had just tried to murder her. Furthermore, I had done it in cold blood. I could see it all melting away in her mind. Her doubts of my intent and her underestimating of my resolve. For the first time this evening, Celestia saw me as something other than her unruly little sister.

So, she turned and fled.

I paused to let loose a wild laugh and to savour the moment. The injured, terrified alicorn was flying off into the distance over the top of Canterlot, but she was hardly out of my reach. When I decided I had waited long enough, I gave my wings a powerful flap and shot through the air towards her. The deep black aura surrounded me and empowered me, letting me fly faster than I ever had before.

She saw me coming and tried to dart away. I grinned as I tailed her, enjoying this little game of cat and mouse. I noticed that she was indeed managing to at least stay ahead of me. It must have been pure adrenaline fueling her to move so quickly. I fired a few arcane beams in her direction but intentionally missed, and I then laughed at the terrified expressions I brought to her face.

We passed over low rooftops, circled the parapets of the castle, and dipped beneath the old stone bridge. She was beginning to pant, a combination of exertion and her injuries sapping her strength down to almost nothing. Still she managed to stay just ahead of me, but I think some part of my subconscious was letting her stay ahead just for the fun of it. I was drifting closer, though. Closing in on my prey.

As we left the castle behind us once again she actually accelerated, much to my surprise. I narrowed my eyes and grinned confidently. My prey was trying to fly away and leave Canterlot behind. "Oh no you don't…" I whispered. Celestia turned and looked back at me, panic still in her eyes, and I chose that moment to strike.

The bright silver beam from my horn cut through the air like a crossbow dart, flying directly towards her. There was barely enough time for Celestia's eyes to fly open wide in horror before the bolt struck her in the chest. She screamed in agony as lightning danced across her form, crippling her wings and causing her entire body to seize up.

A moment later, she fell from the sky.

Celestia impacted the ground in a painful-looking heap, landing at the top of a small grassy knoll just outside of the city of Canterlot. I saw both of her wings break as she tumbled along the ground until she finally came to a stop. She lay there on her side, her body covered in dirt, clumps of grass and blood, her wings bent at sickening angles, and her eyes glazed over. Her chest still rose and fell slowly, shudderingly, but she didn't move.

A second later the ground shook as I landed, standing tall and looking down upon the defeated pony beneath me. Celestia's eyes bugged out and she screamed, much louder than she had when I had struck her down. She began to shudder and writhe slightly on the ground, continuing to cry out in pure agony. My left-front hoof was covered in blood, the crushed remains of the top quarter of Celestia's horn beneath it.

Blood was pouring from where I had broken her horn off, no doubt causing her an unbelievable amount of pain. It must have been unbearable, and I grinned at the thought. My opponent stopped screaming, instead merely slumping on the ground and heaving painful breaths. No more wings, no more magic, and not an ounce of strength left. Celestia lay on the ground beneath me, utterly defeated.

I finally felt something within me that I had not felt for an unbelievably long time. Satisfaction. Elation. A sense of accomplishment. I had marched into that throne room expecting to come out on top, and here I was. It was such an amazing, wonderful feeling that I couldn't help but spend a few minutes basking in its warmth. Years of repression and injustice were now over, for I had won!

I heard Celestia groan beneath me, so I lifted my bloodied hoof from her horn and placed it square upon her cheek, holding her down. She moaned in pain and wrenched open one of her eyes to stare up at me. The fire in her eyes was long gone. Now, nothing remained but ashes. She did not speak, but she began to shed tears.

I grinned victoriously as I leaned my head down towards hers. "Game over," I spoke, "It is time you let a true leader sit upon the throne. You are a weak fool, Celestia. You never had any chance of defeating me. I merely allowed you to fool yourself into believing that you could."

"Please…" Celestia whispered, giving one last pathetic plea.

My smile vanished, leaving me with an emotionless stare. "No, Celestia," I spoke in a cold tone, "You have sat upon a throne of lies and blinded these ponies just as your horrid sun does." I increased the pressure of my hoof slightly and drove her head into the dirt below, causing her to moan in pain again. "Perhaps now the ponies of this land will finally see you as you truly are: a filthy, weak, pathetic egotist."

"You can't-"

"Your actions have led us to what has transpired today. As I told you before, you only have yourself to blame." I paused, my eyes flashing briefly with anger. "You pushed me too far, Celestia. Now you must pay the penance."

She made one last desperate attempt to defy me, but with her lack of strength this only amounted to her batting me lightly with her hoof. It had felt like the paw of a kitten.

I chuckled. "You built yourself a house of cards, Celestia," I spoke, my laughter building, "You have always been so pathetic." I continued to laugh as I shifted myself around her, lowering myself down. Celestia watched me with panicking eyes, but she was powerless to escape.

She then let out a horrible, blood-curdling scream as I stabbed my horn directly into the centre of her chest. With the tip mere inches from her heart, I began to focus my energy. Celestia's breathing was strained as she continued to yell and scream like a banshee, but I ignored her.

Her magic began to seep into my horn as I absorbed it and added it to my own. It was like a surge of pure adrenaline coursing down the appendage on my head, striking it like a lightning rod. It was an exhilarating rush as I took from her every ounce of magic that she had. Blood was running down my horn and getting on my face, but I didn't really care. There were certainly less messy ways of obtaining an alicorn's magic, but this was definitely the most efficient.

Celestia did not stop screaming throughout the entire experience. As I felt more and more power flowing into me, her cries grew weaker and more strained. I saw out the corner of my eye that her mane was losing its new colours and shifting back to simple pink, which eventually faded to a dull, washed-out tone.

I extracted everything I could from her, feeling my magical reserves increase twofold. My mane billowed like a glorious storm and the dark aura around me became more fiery and volatile. I had been all-powerful and invincible before, but now I was nigh untouchable. I was more than a goddess! I was now, without question, the most powerful being in the entire world!!

I pulled my horn from the unconscious body of what had once been my adversary and held my head high. I could feel the magic of two alicorns coursing through me, feeling almost as if it couldn't be contained. So much power! I had been a fool to call myself powerful before. This was unlike anything any creature in this world had ever experienced before.

I surveyed my surroundings, noticing the large crowd of ponies that was gathered many yards away. In the back of my mind there was a trivial memory I had not paid any mind to of them gathering around the town as we battled in the skies. They all shrunk back in fear as my gaze fell upon them. I grinned, my teeth and fangs glistening in the moonlight. Though my face was stained with blood, I wore it like war paint. If only lightning could have flashed behind me; it would have created the perfect image.

Then I remembered how much power I had, and with the tiniest magical pulse a powerful bolt struck the ground behind me. The ponies all cowered away from the thunderous boom.

"Citizens of Equestria!!" My voice boomed as it reached all ears of Canterlot, even those still in their homes. "You are now free from the oppression of the Solar Tyrant! Your princess has fallen in battle, and now a new and glorious reign shall rise."

A few of them began shouting nothings, but most of them merely cowered. It was a trifle insulting, but I understood that it was to be expected. These fools had served under Celestia for so long. It mattered not. They would all grow to respect me given enough time.

"Hear me now, and let it forever be known!" I proclaimed, "I am Nightmare Moon, and I am the new, true ruler of Equestria! Under my reign, we shall crush our enemies and live a glorious life together! The scorching sun shall no longer blind you, and the night shall last forever!"

There were a few shouts of protest from some bravely stupid souls.

I ignored them all. There was a time and a place for all things. As a heavy rain began to pour over all of Canterlot, a consequence of magically calling forth lightning, I gazed down once again at my fallen opponent. The rain slicked my fur and caused all of the blood that had accumulated on me to run like a river. My grin would not leave my face. Everything had gone exactly as I had planned it.

I couldn't help but laugh. It started so small and humble, but soon it grew into jovial victorious laughter. Soon I was cackling almost madly, raising my head high and laughing into the night. It was a moment that I shall remember for the rest of my long life. Celestia had fallen, and I had won.

I…had won…

Creatures of the Night

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Chapter 3 - Creatures of the Night

Asking anypony in the world to describe Princess Celestia would garner the same response 99% of the time. To every pony and every creature all across the lands, she was the same. They would describe her as wonderful, regal, majestic, powerful. They would talk of her coat and say it was like a dollop of gentle sunshine, and that her mane was the cheeriest, most magnificent shade of pink. Her smile was radiant and lifted everyone else's spirits when she entered the room. The Princess would glow whenever she was present, shining like a golden halo upon the rest of the land. Inspiration and bravery came forth from nothingness at the mere sight of her.

Not a single word of that was true any longer.

What had once been the mighty Princess Celestia was now a beaten, battered pony. Her coat was now filthy, dirtied and unkempt, and her mane hung limply instead of being carried by some unseen wind. Her colours were faded and her smile was gone. The Princess no longer glowed.

If it weren't for the presence of both wings and a horn, one might be tempted to call her a mere ordinary pony now. Even so, with her horn broken like that, would it be right to even call her an alicorn? I thought not. Armour gone, golden vestments gone, and wings broken. It was only her cutie mark that truly betrayed who she was.

She lay, still not yet within the realm of the conscious, in a filthy, disgusting cell deep within the castle dungeon. Ancient, rusted shackles were clamped around all four of her limbs, with a fifth smaller one tightened around the base of her horn. The mud and dirt of the cell had lovingly applied themselves to her fur, hiding even more of the once-pristine white coat from the eyes of onlookers.

Her eyes gently fluttered open and she let out a quiet grunt of confusion. She grit her teeth and clenched her eyes shut, moaning at whatever aches and pains she was feeling. She was incredibly weak, her head swaying like a drunkard's as she tried to hold it up. She began to stand, but every movement was slow and painful. She eventually settled for simply sitting, leaning herself against the cell wall for support.

Her tired eyes gazed over her surroundings. She seemed disoriented and confused, a hint of disgust seeping into her expression from seeing the neglected state of the cell. As she moved, she heard the clinking of her chains and looked down to see her bindings. The sight made her frown worriedly.

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

Celestia's head shot up, though the movement clearly caused her a wave of dizziness. She fought through it, though, and looked out from between the bars of the cell. Her eyes fixed on me, sitting across from the cell door and watching her.

"It hurts when you aren't on the winning side," I continued, my expression neutral, "It hurts when you're shackled down…Unable to move, unable to break free." My lips curled into the tiniest of smirks. "It hurts when those you love knock you down."

"Luna…!" she blurted out and immediately tried to get to her hooves again. She did so in such a way that all of her restraints pulled back on her and dragged her rear right back to the ground.

My hardened gaze returned as I slowly stood up myself. "I will give you one, and only one warning. Refer to me as Nightmare Moon, and nothing else."

There was much confusion written across the other alicorn's expression. "What…What have you-?" She was interrupted, however, by a massive coughing fit. For nearly a minute, Celestia's face was screwed up in pain as she held her hooves to her chest and nearly coughed up a lung.

"I would advise you to save your strength," I spoke evenly, staring down at her like a headmaster might stare down at an unruly student. "I have taken from you all of your alicorn magic except for your immortality. That, I have graciously allowed you to keep, so that you may bear witness to my eternal rule."

Her coughing ceased and she sucked down a few deep breaths before she turned her gaze up towards me again. The look on her face was quite interesting, to be honest. Her furrowed brow and half-frown seemed to show that she was nervous or anxious, but not necessarily afraid of me.

"What have you done…?" was all that she said.

I smirked at her, holding back a chuckle. "Why don't you tell me? What is the last thing you remember?"

Her face darkened and she broke eye contact. "I…" she said in an almost inaudible voice, "I was defeated…"

"Such a momentous occasion. I am glad you remember it."

"You struck me down…"

"I did more than that, Celestia. You do me an injustice."

Her gaze returned to me, but she said nothing.

I smiled back. "I can tell that you can feel it. You feel such emptiness inside, don't you? I've taken all of your power from you, Celestia. It is mine now." I focused just a tiny fraction of my magic and a black aura erupted around me. Celestia eyed it cautiously. "And even if you still had your magic," I continued, unable to stop a little bit of glee from slipping into my speech, "you wouldn't be able to do much with it, now would you? Not with a horn like that!"

Celestia's eyes briefly drifted up to her broken horn, still tinted red with dried blood. It didn't seem to faze her, considering it paled in comparison to my possession of her magic anyway. With less than half broken off, it would grow back on its own eventually. Maybe two or three years.

She looked back at me with a cautious look in her eyes. "Why have you not…destroyed me…?" she asked in a low tone.

A raging fire burned in my heart for a few moments, but then I gave her an icy chuckle. "Are you sure you should be asking me that?" I said to her playfully.

Her ears flattened against her head.

"Your life if a gift that you do not deserve," I told her plainly, "I warn you not to make me reconsider."

Celestia let out a huff of breath and steered herself away from that topic. "You must lower the moon…" she spoke to me. It was an emotionless command, her eyes hardened with resolve. "You've no idea what consequences could arise from this! What's going to happen when morning comes?"

I stifled a laugh, grinning and holding a hoof up to my mouth. "'Morning' has already come and gone, Celestia. You have been unconscious for nearly 70 hours."

I could almost hear the sound of her mind simply shattering. Her entire body froze as her pupils shrank to tiny dots. She stared at me in abject disbelief, and then turned to look at the wall to her left. At the top of the wall was a tiny barred window, offering her only a small glimpse at the world outside. The blackness visible through the window was enough to convince her that the moon was still where I had left it.

"You…"

"Yes, Celestia, the night has lasted this long, and it shall continue to last forever. Is it not wonderful?"

"But…but you can't!"

I narrowed my gaze at her. "I can and I have, Celestia."

"You are upsetting the natural balance of-"

"Oh, would you just shut up?!"

She shrunk back slightly from my outburst.

"I sincerely hope you are not so thick as to think you have any say in the matter anymore. There is not a single, solitary thing in the universe that you could do to sway me otherwise. Whilst you remain here in the castle dungeons, the moon shall stand its ground."

For a moment, there was silence and the two of us simply stared at one another. There it was, yet again. That cool, calculating look that Celestia always got. Even now in her darkest hour, she was still trying to keep everything in control. After a minute or two she spoke again.

"Tell me what has happened," she said simply, direct and to the point, "Tell me of the events that have passed since…my fall."

"Very well," I said with a grin, "After returning to the castle and locking you up down here, I used but a fraction of my magic to clear out the castle of its treacherous occupants. The sight of our battle had brought out your little soldiers en masse, but soon enough I made sure the entire castle was surrounded by an impenetrable barrier. I can't be bothered while I prepare things, can I now? I had to redecorate after all." I gave her a playful smirk to accompany that last sentence.

"The Solaris Guard are not pushovers," she spoke, "Powerful though you may be, I suspect they would have put up a valiant fight and at least overwhelmed you."

"Oh, please, Celestia…You insult me," I replied spiritedly, "The most your little warriors managed to do was waste time trying to get back inside. I have no place for such blind fools as them in my glorious nation. They are all either dead or imprisoned in the lower dungeons, where they will rot until they are no more. Resistance to my annexation lasted a few irritating hours and nothing more."

Celestia now had a dark look across her face. It looked like there were a thousand things going through her mind in the span of a minute. When she next spoke, it was in a very low, heavy tone, her eyes drawn to the floor.

"My guard…" She paused, as if unable to bring herself to speak the words. "My guard were…specifically trained to…to take me down…In case the unthinkable should ever happen…" After another pause, she turned to look up at me. "But you…You claim that the entire guard now lay defeated…?"

"You can choose not to believe it," I replied simply, "but I know you better than that, Celestia."

"You…killed them all…" was all she said.

My smile vanished once again as I glared down at her. "I have replaced your army with something that you never had the presence of mind to give to me. A thousand years of ruling, and through it all what did we have? We had your precious Solaris Guard and nothing else. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of ponies dedicating their lives to protecting the glorious solar princess…" I took a step closer and leaned down to glare at her with an even more venomous gaze. "What about me…?"

Celestia, to her credit, was unwavering. "The Solaris Guard was intended to protect you as w-"

"'Intended' is the key word, Celestia. Your guard carried the name 'Solaris'. Through and through, they were dedicated to you and you alone, despite whatever delusions you may have had. Nay, despite my many suggestions, my undeniably sound arguments, I was never provided with my own guard. The Night Guard was never more than 'a silly dream of a silly pony', wasn't it?"

Celestia seemed to have realized where I was going with this. "What did you do?"

I smiled and said nothing, merely stepping aside. As I did, Celestia took notice for the first time of something else that was in the room. Standing guard faithfully at the door were two ponies, both grey in colour and dressed in majestic blue armour. I motioned for one of them to step forward and, like clockwork, another took his place as he departed.

"Wha…?" Celestia's eyes shifted from curious to shocked and then to downright horrified as the pony stepped towards the bars of her cell, where it halted. He was a well-built stallion. Blue-teal armour covered his head and flanks. Across his chest he wore a decorative guard that depicted deep blue flames and a gem in the centre that represented one of my eyes. His coat was grey, just like all of the others, and his tail matched his chestplate in colour.

My frightened captive was paying attention to none of that. Her eyes were drawn to the stallion's more unique features. His ears were larger than a normal pony's, were in a funnel shape, and were topped by tufts of hair. His eyes were strikingly yellow and his pupils formed a thin slit, much like a cat's. Most noticeable, however, were the two jet-black bat wings jutting out from his back.

Celestia seemed to be at a loss for words. Her frightened eyes kept darting across this pony's rather un-pony features. "Wha…What…?" I grinned mirthfully at her stuttering. "What is it…?" she finally managed to say.

I put on a fake frown and said, "Awww, Celestia…You're gonna hurt his feelings! He's not an 'it'. He is a high-ranking Night Guard, and you should treat him with respect." I turned to him and said, "Say hello to Celestia!"

Without missing a beat, the guard took a sudden step forward and hissed at Celestia, showing off its razor sharp fangs. She screamed like a little filly and I laughed.

"What…?!" she murmured once she had her composure back, "What did you do to that pony?!"

I tapped a hoof on my chin. "Mmm…Close, but not quite…" I made a gesture with my head and the guard stepped back, resuming his stoic stance. As I continued to speak, I trotted idly in a circle around him.

"Even the most powerful ruler of the world cannot do so on their own. You of course remember King Sombra? Well, I realized that I needed some…support to assist me and, beyond that, I needed loyal followers. So I thought about it for a long while. I asked myself who, in the entire world, would be most faithful to me? The answer, once it had come to me, was a stroke of pure genius if I do say so myself."

I stopped next to the guard, looking in at my captive. "Tell me, Celestia," I spoke, "What is the first word that comes to your mind when you see him?"

Celestia's anxious eyes darted back to the pony again. After a moment, she replied, "He…seems almost like a…bat."

"Good job, Celestia. A-plus. It was all so simple! Bats are such wonderful, glorious creatures, don't you know? Ever since the earliest days that they roamed this earth, bats have always been faithful to the night. They are creatures of darkness that thrive in the shadows! If there were ever a creature worthy of the title 'undying loyalty'…"

I heard Celestia's voice catch in her throat as she continued to stare at the guard. "Wait…" she said, interrupting me though I let it slide with a grin. I knew what was coming. "Are…Are you saying…?"

"I am, Celestia. Isn't he marvellous?"

Her eyes shot back to mine. "What have you done?! You…You can't have…!"

"Oh, but I have."

"But…That's sacrilege!! This…goes against the basic foundations of nature! You…You can't just change creatures like that!"

"And yet, here he stands," I replied calmly, extending my hoof towards the guard in a sweeping gesture, "As a bat, he was forever loyal to the night…but as a pony, he will be infinitely useful to me. With the body and mind of a pony comes a sense of duty and responsibility! Nothing you could ever say or do would sway him! As long as it is night, he shall remain faithful in servitude to me!" I gave the guard a pat on the back. He didn't respond.

"You've…" Celestia was trembling, an utterly horrified look in her eyes. She couldn't tear her gaze away from the Night Guard that stood nearly unmoving before her cell. "You've created an abomination…"

I scoffed. "Well, that was rude."

"A creature's basic…form cannot just be changed like that. It's unheard of!" Celestia looked like she was going to be sick. "You…can't!! Luna, you can't just make ponies like that!!!"

Quicker than a breath of wind, my expression changed. My gaze narrowed and I set my jaw firmly, glaring at Celestia with utter contempt. I gestured with my head and the guard returned to his post. She was still watching him as he departed, but seconds later I stepped into her field of vision, scowling at her. My horn glowed briefly.

She opened her mouth to speak to me, but whatever she was going to say died on her lips. Instead, she screamed. She curled up on the ground, writhing in pain and crying like a banshee. The fur of her abdomen was stained a deep red colour by her blood.

After the initial spike of pain, she was reduced to seething breaths as she tried to endure the agony. She held her eyes clenched shut, but I stood stoic and stared at her without a drop of compassion in my expression. After a few more seconds, I forcefully yanked the dagger out of her and let it clatter to the cell floor. Celestia cried out in anguish once more.

Heaving painful breaths and holding a hoof firmly on her open wound, she wrenched open her eyes and stared at the dagger. I let my gaze fall down to it as well. It was small and smooth, made of stone. It was in the shape of a simple lightning bolt, jagged and sharp at both ends. I don't remember why I chose such a shape, but I don't think I cared what shape it was at the time.

Then, our eyes met. There was such shock and confusion in her eyes. If I hadn't been so angry, I might have taken pleasure out of her misfortune. She panted a few more times, shivering as she kept her hoof on the wound to try to slow the bleeding. Without her horn, she had no access to the healing spells that she had become so dependent on.

"Wh…" she breathed out, unable to even form a full word.

"You have been warned multiple times, Celestia. You will call me by my true name or, if you desire, 'Your majesty' or something alike. For every time that you utter that name, I will make you bleed."

The colour was draining from her eyes. She was losing strength from her blood loss, but still she kept them focused upon me. Hers was a gaze that quite simply said 'I don't believe it'.

"You will survive," I said, beginning to turn away, "Though you no longer have your magic, you are still as resilient as an alicorn. However, I urge you to keep your tongue in check. I cannot promise that my restraint will always be this grand."

I began to trot away, intending to leave the pathetic pony behind me to suffer. She would be in pain for hours, but I cared little. That tyrant deserved it. I made it halfway to the exit before she called out to me.

"L-" she uttered the first letter, but managed to catch herself. I paused, but did not turn around.

"N…Nightmare Moon…" she finally uttered. It sounded as if it had been a tremendous burden to even utter the name. A small grin graced my lips as I turned to face her.

"What?" I replied bluntly.

The shivering alicorn in the cell stared back at me, her entire belly drenched with fresh blood. It took her a moment to gather the strength to speak, but finally she did. "Please…You have to tell me…What of the citizens? What has happened to those out there in Canterlot? And beyond?"

I slowly trotted back over to the cell door, my grin never fading. "Celestia…" I spoke, just a hint of playfulness in my voice, "I am a very busy pony. Though I would love to go out and frolic with the commoners, I have been busy setting up residence in the castle, preparing my elite guard, and dealing with yours."

Celestia cringed at the mention of my guards.

I narrowed my gaze. "The ponies of Canterlot are of little concern to me as of right now. With your downfall having occurred so recently, they are all still rioting in the streets and crying your name. It is going to take a while to undo your corruption, Celestia. Soon enough, the Night Guard shall enact order and law throughout my kingdom and, in time, the ponies will respect the night."

"'Riots'?!" Celestia exclaimed in horror.

"Mm, yes. Thankfully, my guard were able to sort most things out. It's just a shame about all the casualties..."

Celestia's face grew pale.

I stared directly at her, a dark expression on my face. "Don't be so shocked, Celestia. Casualty is an inevitability of war, remember? It was by your hoof that this became war."

"Lies!"

"I gave you a chance to peacefully surrender and you refused!!"

She paused for a moment, as if flabbergasted. "You…You cannot expect the citizens to respect you after all you've done…!"

"They will come to respect the night! In the griffon territories far to the north, they are ruled by a singular king or, rarely, a queen. One does not become a ruler of the griffon territories without ruthlessness and power. And despite the grand number of rulers they have gone through over the years, what with the countless coups and assassinations, they are still respected for their power, each and every one of them. Songs are written. Statues are erected. Legacies are lain!!"

Celestia had the expression of a fool, but I had no interest in hearing her protests.

"You have poisoned the minds of the ponies of this land. Your lavish, extravagant ways have corrupted them to the point where they have become blind to any ruler other than their precious sun princess. They have become lazy, living a life they think will always be perfect. There is no sense in presenting myself to the minds of the tainted, and so my guard shall enforce order and spread word of my glorious ascension to the throne."

"You are going to destroy Equestria!!"

I did pause at that moment and return my attention to Celestia. She was in an even more pathetic state than when I had stabbed her. Now she was crying like a little foal who had lost her bottle.

"Listen to yourself!!" she pleaded, "You are not only invoking mass panic and riots, but now you are choosing to ignore it and just let it happen! Ponies are dying out there! Despite what your guard may be doing, there is no rule! I shudder to think what is happening in the cities beyond Canterlot!"

"I agree, Celestia" I said, cutting her off, "that more ponies will die than is necessary. And for that, Equestria shall forever hold you accountable."

"Luna, you're a fool!!"

The air rang out with Celestia's tortured cry, another lightning bolt-shaped dagger embedding itself into her side. She slumped to the ground, life draining from her eyes almost as fast as the blood did from her body.

"When the smoke has cleared and the ashes have fallen," I spoke emotionlessly, glaring at her, "I will graciously welcome them into the night, where they all truly belong."

Celestia was barely awake, but she was still staring at me. In all the time I had known her, I had never seen so much fright in her eyes.

"Worry not, Celestia. Equestria shall stand strong under the glory of the moon. I shall finally step out of your shadow and rule this land like I was meant to, surrounded by the ponies who shall respect and admire the night. Though it will take time, I am patient and I am willing to wait."

She was about to lose the battle to stay awake, though she managed to whisper one thing to me before sleep claimed her.

"Equestria…will burn…"

For a moment I stood silently and watched the tears roll down her cheeks. Her body had shut itself down in order to recover. Undoubtedly, she would have learned by now not to refer to me by such an insulting name. Disrespect would not be tolerated, especially not from her.

Finally, I turned and began to depart. Two night guards, who were waiting outside the door, joined me as I walked. I spoke instructions to them and they responded with quick screeches and squeaks. Over time, I planned to improve my magic spells and grant the bats the ability to speak as they became ponies.

As we ascended the stone stairs I heard the heavy door to the dungeons slam shut behind me, firmly sealing Celestia within.

…

It was many hours later.

I had made my way to the tallest part of the castle and now stood on the highest balcony. From there I had a perfect view of all of Canterlot and, beyond that, the rest of Equestria. Every inch of land that I could see was bathed in the silvery glow of my radiant moonlight. It almost brought a tear to my eye just to see how beautiful it was.

The moon had been in the sky for nearly 75 hours at this point. A grin came to my visage as I looked out upon the land. "Let's see them try to hide…" I murmured.

Canterlot was not as loud as it had been some evenings ago. I could see clearly amongst the city of Canterlot many of my night guards stationed, and few citizens causing trouble. A few brave souls were even going about their business, delivering food and such. These poor ponies had been tainted by that other alicorn, but now the healing could begin.

The first few hours after Celestia's fall had been simply chaotic. They had all been starstruck when they saw me stand over her defeated form, but Tartarus had broken loose when the Solaris Guard had been forced out. For a brief period, there had been anarchy.

Such a shame. If she had simply stepped down quietly, this all could have gone so much smoother.

Now, however, it seemed as if the populace was gently settling into a feeling of resignation. Their beloved princess had fallen, and with her the sun had died. Sure, they would bemoan these losses for a while, but I was patient if not understanding. These foolish ponies had slept through all of my nights, so they simply did not yet understand its wonders.

They would soon enough, however.

I was a villain in their eyes right now. I was a monster. In the face of devastating loss, it is so easy to place blame on others. Did I deserve it? Perhaps, but perhaps not. What the commoners did not yet understand was that these events could have been prevented. It was by another pony's choice that war had been declared and she had needed to be taken down so forcefully.

So much trouble to simply allow the night to show its brilliance. That damned alicorn preached so much about fairness and equality, but truly she was just a filthy hypocrite. Nopony could see her heinous crimes except for myself, and now she was paying the price.

I gazed out at Canterlot again. This time, I took notice of a few minor struggles between the guard and some rather unruly citizens. Still, some ponies chose to resist it seemed. Those poor, poor souls. Their hearts were black and their minds were crippled, poisoned by Celestia's toxin. I had instructed my guard not to use lethal force unless it was necessary, but the decision was ultimately left up to them.

I put my trust into the bats, as they put their trust into the night.

Celestia's poison could never truly be eradicated. Though unlike any other before it, this was still a coup. History has shown that even long-lasting successful coups still have rather cunning, violent protesters in its wake. The journey to a peaceful Equestria under the moon would not be easy.

But then again, nothing ever was. Was it?

I turned upwards, and the sight of the moon returned the favor. It was enough to bring back my smile. Whatever difficulties I would be forced to endure through, it was all worth it and it would always be worth it. The moon was on full display. The night could no longer be ignored.

Despite all the hard work I had been pushing through, I had made sure that the nightscape was especially beautiful for the last three evenings. Some of my best work had been put on display for the ponies of this land, as I thought it would help ease the transition.

Honestly, I couldn't wait for the fires to die down so that I could go and greet the ponies of the land. After taking some time to get used to the new status quo, I would undoubtedly receive their admiration and reverence. How could one deny the untouched beauty of the night sky? These poor ponies had been forced to sleep through it all, and now their eyes would truly be opened.

Yes…This is how Equestria would stand.

True Suffering

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Chapter 4 - True Suffering

A princess is permitted to be frustrated.

I was a very irritated pony, I will not lie. At the time, one could find me pacing about in my bedchambers, recent events replaying in my mind. I wore a sour look upon my face and grumbled under my breath.

It was the seventh cycle since Celestia's downfall. It had come to my attention rather quickly by word of the town guards that it was more difficult to tell time without the cycle of the sun and the moon. The uneducated among you would think that this would make me upset, but far from it. Nopony is perfect, and this was an honest oversight on my part. And so, I listened to their little pleas. I decided to increase the rate of the phases of the moon to compensate. Within the span of 24 hours, the moon would cycle from a new moon to a full moon and then back once again to a new moon to mark midnight.

What had once been called a 'day', I now decreed to be called a 'cycle'. Rather ingenious if I may be permitted to boast.

In any case, seven cycles had passed since I had defeated the sun princess. It should have been a glorious night, but there I was pacing about in my room fuming. Needless to say, I was rather displeased.

I sighed and paced over to the window, gazing out to see the moon still hanging high in the sky. It was like a symbol of stability for me. Even when things were not going right, it was calming and invigorating to see that the moon was still where it belonged. Nopony said ruling Equestria would be simple.

I huffed in resignation and trotted back into my bedchambers, where I began to reflect upon the cycle's events. After such time had passed, Canterlot Castle had been firmly established as a residence fit for a ruler. With the growing forces of my army, I no longer felt the need to hide the castle behind a magic barrier. In the end, it was simply a needless drain on my energy. Further defenses had been added to the castle, word had spread to the farthest reaches of our grand empire of Celestia's defeat, and all major riots had been ceased and had their instigators dealt with.

The castle was now populated by myself and my soldiers, the number of which had grown substantially. Equestria was home to thousands of bats, each one just as loyal as the last. With every metamorphosis I performed, my spell became more and more fine-tuned. I had figured it wouldn't be long before I could enable them to speak in the Equestrian tongue instead of merely screeching.

No actual ponies had yet set foot inside the castle. In time, I planned to allow in those who wished to serve within the castle walls, as such assistance would soon become beneficial. Only, however, if they could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt their undying loyalty to me.

Of course, nothing would ever dare to go smoothly. Honestly. An all-powerful alicorn with magic unrivaled stands tall before you, able to kill you within the blink of an eye, and some would still choose to worship the half-dead, magic-less lump rotting away in the castle dungeons. Those were not ponies, those were sheep.

I'm getting sidetracked…

The seventh cycle had arrived. Order had been attained in the streets of Canterlot, all instigators had been dealt with accordingly, and I had graciously allowed the population time to get over the suddenness of the coup. The time had come to officially address the populace.

A call had rung out through the city and the members of the Night Guard posted out there had assisted in organizing the commoners. Towards the end of the moon's waxing period, a crowd of unsure, anxious ponies had gathered in the main square of Canterlot.

Truly, the city was still a sight to behold. Even amidst some of the damage that had occurred, the vibrant city of Canterlot still managed to stand strong. A beautiful half-moon of structures that encircled the main plaza, directly opposite the castle. We sat amongst beautiful fields of green, fresh sparkling rivers, and a fantastic view of Canterlot Mountain in the distance, still pristine and untouched by ponykind.

The clock struck the hour, and my moment had arrived.

As they were all waiting patiently, I teleported into the airspace above the stage in a cloud of brilliant black smoke, falling down to land squarely on the wooden boards with an impressive crash. Awe-inspiring.

The ponies had all cried out in surprise, and were then left to simply stare at the larger pony on stage. I felt all of their eyes fixated on me, and let me tell you the feeling was amazing. Hundreds of ponies all gathered to witness the rise of their new ruler!

"Greetings, citizens of Canterlot!" my voice rang out, "I'm sure these last few days have been frightening and confusing for you, and for that I am truly sorry. But…! We can put all of our trouble behind us now. Allow me to welcome you to a new era!"

Many of them looked to one another in confusion, but most of them simply seemed afraid. I paused as I observed them. Clearly I had forgotten how skittish some of these ponies could be.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself," I said in a much more conversational volume, though still loud enough for all to hear, "I am the goddess of the night, and the new ruler of all Equestria. You may refer to me as 'Nightmare Moon'!"

Now murmurs began to erupt from the crowd. The Night Guard looked as if they were going to shut them up, but I silently signalled for them to stand their ground.

"You may have heard my proclamation a week ago," I continued, "but I shall repeat it again for you tonight. From now on, Equestria shall bathe in the glory of the night, the magic of the moonlight, and the security of the shadows. The night shall last forever."

Those murmurs grew louder. I began to wonder if one of these peasants would be brave enough to speak up. I got the answer a few moments later.

"Wh- Where is Celestia?!" a stallion, hidden far in the back, shouted. The crowd erupted in a chorus of agreement.

I held up my hoof for them to quiet down, which took a little longer than I would have expected so I instead stamped it on the wooden stage. Everypony shut up. "Celestia has been overthrown," I stated simply, "She no longer holds her title, and is of no consequence to any of you. She has failed you as a ruler, something I shall not do."

"Did you kill her?!"

"She killed our princess!"

"Celestia is dead!!"

Many such panicked cries erupted into the air, making me growl a little in frustration. I stamped my hoof again, but the crowd did not settle down this time. I stamped once more, louder, and managed to recapture their attention.

"Silence!!" I shouted, "I suggest you all cease to concern yourselves with Celestia and her extravagant ways. By the end of the month, all traces of her horrible rule shall be purged from this land, and we shall all move forward. Look to the future, my subjects! Do not live in the past!"

When the murmurs started up again, I realized that something needed to be said. In the face of the common ponies, I recalled, mercy is sometimes viewed as a virtue. Such nonsense made me sick, but I spoke up regardless. "I shall say this, and no more. I did not kill Celestia."

It was fascinating to watch what happened after I had said that. I saw a wave of relief pass over the crowd, cascading through them like water. Then, almost immediately after, I began to see their anxious expressions reappear. Such fun it was to play with simpler minds sometimes. I had only told them that I had not killed Celestia, but I had not told them that she was still alive. That would ensure that no exceptionally brave and exceptionally stupid ponies tried to do anything foolish.

"With her fall," I proclaimed, drawing in everypony's attention, "comes the dusk of a new era. Where once there was blinding sun that was painful to see, there is now a beautiful array of ever changing stars against a striking canvas of black. I assure you all that every time you look up to the night sky, it will not look the same. Above us all, the moon shall guide us through the tough times. With open arms, we welcome you into the night. And, with the night by our side, we shall rise in strength and-"

"Wh…Where's the sun…?!"

"You can't do this! We need the sun!"

"Bring the sun back!"

My eyes twitched slightly. There was that spark of anger. That burning flame that slowly began to grow within me. I could tell then a faint, fiery aura was already appearing around me.

The crowd continued to shout about their love of the sun and their want for Celestia to return. Some of them began to cry, but others began to get rowdy. Again, the Night Guard moved to intervene, but I stopped them.

"Citizens of Canterlot!" I boomed, silencing them all.

"Make no mistake!" I continued, my volume lowering but not my anger, "Your 'leader' has failed you, been overthrown, and is not coming back. The era of the night is upon us, and we will graciously open the doors and allow you to become a part of our new regime."

I paused before continuing, my voice dropping low. "However…There is no place in this society for troublemakers. As your all-powerful ruler I shall lead this nation into an age of glory and victory, but I also demand your respect.

"The moon sits upon high in a position of magnificence and power, and it shall be treated with appropriate reverence. Your leader will be respected and honoured, or you will be justly punished." I closed my eyes. "And, you will all accept that your former ruler is gone. I have given you time to mourn, but there shall be no more!"

Even before I had finished talking, the crowd once more erupted amongst itself and dissent began to spread through all of the gathered ponies. This time I permitted the guards to step in, brandish their weapons, and attempt to keep the citizens in line. Some rather rebellious things had been said, and I committed to memory which ponies had said them.

"Behold the magnificence of the night, my subjects!" I proclaimed, "With order and honour we will prevail higher than ever before! Now! Bow before your leader, ponies of Canterlot! Bask in the glory of a dark rebirth!"

Whether the ponies in the square below respected me or feared me, either way I expected them to immediately drop to the ground and remain there until I commanded them to rise. Instead, however, nearly all of the gathered ponies continued to dissent and revolt, defying the Night Guard and even fighting back in a few cases.

"Monster!"

"Horrible Creature!"

"Murderer!"

It was not just disrespect I was hearing, it was outright revolt. This was all coming from the citizens of Canterlot. Despite what I have said about the ponies under the rule of Celestia, they still clearly knew how to respect whomever was in charge and how to revere the celestial body that reigned above them.

What was going on? During any Griffon coup, there were always unchangeable dissenters who needed to be dealt with, but after the fires had died down the new leader was always met with bows and rousing cheers. Moreover, new griffon leaders did not bring with them the glory of the night.

What was wrong with these ponies?

While the guard continued to erect order within the crowd, I tried to keep a straight face and present myself as a steadfast leader. For a while, I stood striking an impressive pose to prove that I would not be pushed out by mere protestors. Soon, however, I had begun to grow frustrated. Apparently even a week was not enough time to undo the poison flowing through these ponies' veins.

And so I left. Hours later, I was wandering around the castle in a perpetually sour mood. These pathetic fools were all blind and stupid! How could they not see the glory of the night? How could they not respect my power and authority? What was so wrong with them that they would stare death in the face simply to stay dedicated to a pony who had been beaten down and defeated?

I let out a huff of frustration.

How was I supposed to get ponies to respect me when they were all pining for Celestia so damn much? Every single time, it all came back to that horrible, terrible pony down in the dungeons. Why had I not killed her yet?!

It was painfully clear and obvious, to even the thickest pony, that it was not my intention to go on random killing sprees and crush whoever I felt like. I was a ruler, not a maniac. When it came to the general public, I honestly demanded very little from them. I demanded respect, order and obedience to the law, of which I had only barely changed.

Even the Night Guard shied away from me as I passed by. Honestly, I didn't blame them one bit. I was in a foul mood. Even I wouldn't have wanted to deal with me.

A nagging thought at the back of my mind reminded me that I would soon have to present myself to the lands beyond Canterlot as well. Night Guard regiments had been sent out to keep the peace, and those who reported back to me had informed me that order was in place. Still, though, would that change when faced with my presence in the flesh?

I just wondered what it would take, and how much damage would be done.

I had been stomping through the castle not really paying attention to where I was going, and now I found that I was standing in a room few ponies had ever set hoof in. I stopped for only a minute, staring at the intricate mark engraved on the floor; the only thing within this room besides two doorways and a window. Few knew of this room's purpose, though it wasn't as if knowledge of this 'secret' would do anypony any good. Below my hooves sat the most mysterious and unusual artefacts ever discovered, sealed away where none could reach.

We had discovered the Elements by accident one day so long ago. We had decided to keep them secret, and we found they were absolutely brimming with magical energy, but apparently useless. We had tried everything. We had cast magic onto them, focused spells through them and brought them into contact with things. They were about as useful as the rocks they resembled.

That is, until we gathered them all together. We discovered that their magical energy seemed to grow exponentially when they were joined. Still, however, it didn't seem like they could do much aside from slightly amplifying the natural magic of the area they resided in, making certain spells a little bit more potent.

Then, Discord attacked. The entire nation had nearly been decimated. Despite the awesome power of two alicorns, the creature could hardly be touched. Our only salvation came when we noticed that when the Elements were gathered in an area for a time, the area would be cleansed of his chaotic magic and returned to normal.

With no other options and nothing left to lose, we had tried to use them against him. Useless magical rocks they had once been, they transformed suddenly into shimmering jewels of various colours, and magic that was not our own struck out against the demonic being and turned him to stone.

Of course, by this point I already hated Celestia, but there had a greater threat to the both of us and so I had worked alongside her.

The Elements had successfully done what it seemed they had been meant to do, but afterwards they all suddenly vanished. The room where we had originally found them was now completely sealed, and even the strongest magic from either of us could not break through. As impossible as it seemed, the room was inaccessible to even the most powerful creatures on the planet.

The idea of turning Celestia into stone had definitely been intriguing, even back then. I had reasoned that even if she were to turn me to stone with them, I could escape. Once when the land had been overrun by cockatrices, I had worked on weaving a spell which one could use to free themselves from within a stone prison, and it worked wonderfully. Of course, Celestia never bothered to learn it; she hardly cared to listen. I'm sure that the Elements' stone prison would be somewhat more powerful, but with time I would still escape.

In any case, it hardly mattered. Even with the power of two alicorns coursing through me, still I had not been able to break through to the room with the Elements. This castle had been built long ago so that this room sat atop the room with the Elements, but still they were unreachable.

Sorry. I got off topic. Where was I?

I barely gave the room a second thought before I continued on, resisting the urge to reduce the walls around me to rubble. Being in the same room as an obstacle I could not overcome was only making my anger worse. A fiery aura erupted around me, and it took all of my concentration to keep it from combusting the rugs and tapestries that I walked past. Everything had to be so difficult, and it was all because of her. None of this would have happened if she hadn't been such a…

Such a…

Words failed me. A beautiful chair to my left burst into flames. Simply thinking about the injustices I had suffered through got my blood boiling. It had taken me so long and so much effort to overcome said injustices and get to where I was standing today, yet a part of me still hungered for revenge. Taking away her kingdom, her throne, and her magic wasn't enough. Outright hurting her wasn't enough.

I shook my head slightly as I realized where I was now; halfway down the stairs to the dungeons. Before me stood the guarded door that kept all behind it from the outside world, including my old 'friend'. I wasn't sure why I had come here, but I found that I wasn't complaining. Perhaps some entertainment would do me well.

The guards parted as I approached the door, opening it for me and allowing me to step through. I crossed over to another, more heavily guarded doorway and passed through that one as well. The dark, shadowy room beyond welcomed me with its faintly-lit torches. The stench of an unkempt pony was the room's way of greeting me.

I silently trotted over to Celestia's cell. She was lying on the ground with her head facing away from me, and she did not move as I approached. Once I was standing in front of the bars, I stopped and stared in at her. I could tell that she was not asleep or unconscious, but she still did not move.

A number of silent minutes passed, and I simply stared at this pony. Fire was dancing within me; rage at the mere existence of the being in that cell. Her refusal to even look at me was an insult. Her fur was still stained pinkish-red, especially around her midsection. I could see two nearly-healed wounds there, scars left behind from her previous indiscretions.

I had a million things to say to her, but for a while no words came out. Do you ever get that feeling where you have so much to say, but your tongue is tied anyway? Perhaps I simply couldn't decide where to start. Still she didn't move, and all this did was tick me off.

"I hate you."

Not exactly the most eloquent thing I have said, but I think it got the point across quite well.

Her ear twitched in response, but nothing more. Another period of silence passed and my already-thin patience grew even thinner. I let out a groan of frustration.

"You know…" I spoke, "Ponies ignoring me is why this all happened in the first place. Perhaps it may not be in your best interest to do so."

Finally, she began to sit up. Her movements were stiff and slow, no doubt from all of the injuries she had received. She was healing, yes, thanks to her alicorn body, but without her magic it was a very slow process. She should have, of course, been thanking me for not doing even more harm to her. In fact, if I was given no other choice but to say so, I would have said that the bloody markings on her body gave her the appearance of a warrior.

A defeated one, but a warrior no less.

She slowly rose up from off of the ground, having the appearance of a pony who had just run five marathons. It looked like all she wanted to do was sleep for about a year. Slowly but surely she raised herself into a sitting position and turned her head to look at me.

I was momentarily frozen by her expression. If you had beaten a pony to within an inch of their life and stuffed them in a filthy cell for a week while you took over their country, what sort of expression would you have expected? Abject sorrow with tears flowing and pleas for their life? Livid anger, rage at their captor, and pure, simple hatred? Perhaps even a confident look that showed there was some crazy plan brewing in that crazy brain of theirs?

I saw none of that. Celestia looked at me with a completely calm expression, not a single volatile emotion to be seen. Her eyes were ringed with the signs of fatigue, but other than that she looked completely content and patient. It was as if she were sitting in a diplomatic meeting, waiting for the other party to speak.

She was totally calm and collected. Even under these most dire circumstances she was as cool as a cucumber. She was always calm. Why was she always so damn calm??

"Today," I said to her, hoping to spark some sort of emotion from her, "I presented myself to the citizens of this city and proclaimed the beginning of this new era. I made it clear that my place as ruler is true and absolute. If they didn't before, the ponies now all know of your defeat."

She blinked. Then after a moment of silence, she opened her mouth to speak. Her voice was raspy, but she didn't seem to notice or care. "And how did that go?"

Eyes twitch. Faint aura erupts. "Don't you care?!" I exclaimed, thrusting my head right up to the bars and glaring down at her, "Do you not understand the magnitude of what has happened??"

"How did it go?" she repeated.

"Your precious little ponies are mine, Celestia! After this formal address, and the ones to follow in other cities, they will all respect and revere their new leader. I hold the power now, Celestia! And there is nothing you can damn well do about it!!"

For a moment, the only sound that permeated the chamber was my heavy breathing. Celestia's expression did not change. After a number of tense seconds had passed, she spoke once more.

"And how did it go?"

The ground in front of her became a blackened smear as my magic strike just barely missed her hooves. I let loose a loud groan of frustration. "Damn you, Celestia! No matter how far I strike you down, you still choose to insult me! You think you have all the answers, don't you?! Well look where you've ended up!"

"I take it…not so well, then…?" she spoke calmly.

"Whether it went 'well' or not is meaningless. The ponies of Canterlot now understand the authenticity of your downfall and my ascension to the throne. Before, they were lost and confused, but now they will truly understand. The night is here to stay, just as I am, and they will have no choice but to respect me."

"'Respect', is what you would call it?"

I nearly tore off her wings right then and there. "Yes, I would call it 'respect'. Respect is what rulers get. Respect is what leaders get! If a pony is sensible, they respect those who have power! What would you call it?!"

"They're scared," she replied simply, "I have not seen them, but I can tell. The ponies are all scared. Most of all, I think, they're scared of you."

I gave her a huff of indignation. "I do not require their friendship, if that is what you are implying. What good has friendship ever done anypony?" I turned my head away from her before I said, "I am merely trying to undo your distortion of these ponies."

Finally, I noticed a subtle change in her demeanour. "My 'distortion'?"

"Yes. Your dark influence. Your poison, Celestia."

"I have done no such thing…"

"I bring them all the glory of the night and the might of an invincible ruler! At first I had thought that ponies ignored and shunned my night simply because you made them sleep through it, but I see now that it is far more than that. You were like a toxic influence on their minds, Celestia! Faced with the power of the moon and its invincible goddess, they forego the respect I deserve to instead cling to you like some lifeless parasite!"

"They only dislike the night because of the absence of day!"

"So you admit it then?!" I could feel the aura burning around me, and I tried my best to contain it. It wouldn't do to have the bars of her cell melt and set her free, though that did carry the possibility of engulfing her in flames.

"I…You are putting words in my mouth!" she replied, incensed, "You have altered the course of nature, violently and bloodily usurped a leader and a goddess no less! What did you expect?!"

I glared at her. "Power is absolute, Celestia. The ponies of this land, in their early days, flocked to you and worshipped you because you were the most powerful being on this planet. Even with me by your side, this continued for an immeasurable amount of time, during which you took advantage of their poor, tiny minds. Now I have the power, Celestia!"

"You insult them! How can you expect to earn their cooperation if you insult them like that?"

"Have I not been clear?" I shot back, "I have no need for friends."

We paused, staring at each other as a mix of emotions flowed through the both of us. I began asking myself why I had come down here in the first place, and yet a part of me refused to leave the spot. Celestia had lost her calm manner and had grown upset. I was honestly taken aback a little bit by her eyes. Despite the rest of her body being in a state of injury and mistreatment, her eyes were still bold and powerful. I couldn't help but stare straight into them, wondering if my own eyes had the same effect.

"Listen…" she finally said, "If nothing else, please just listen to me. I know there is no use pleading for my release, or pleading for you to stop what you are doing. I suppose there's even little point in pleading for my life, isn't there?"

I gave her an annoyed smirk. "The last pony crosses the finish line."

"But please…" she continued, "If you intend on continuing like this, then you must change your ways. The ponies out there…They're suffering. They're dying. They need a strong, powerful leader who also listens to them and is there for them when they are in need. They need somepony they can trust. I know nothing I say now can make you lower the moon, but at the very least you must go out there and help ponies who need it. I can't promise that it will go well, but that is the way you will earn respect."

I stared evenly. "The ponies of this land will receive my attention should needs arise." I paused and leaned in a little closer. "But only if they are loyal and faithful to the night."

"Don't be a fool!"

"I am no fool, Celestia. I stand looking upon one."

"You cannot continue without the kinship of the ponies! This nation can only flourish if all of its residents work together as a family! If this continues, then Equestria will crumble and die!"

"Equestria will be fine once they remember how to treat those who are in charge."

"Luna, please!!"

I sighed and glanced at my raised hoof. "Honestly, Celestia…" I murmured as the pony in the cell cried out in horrible pain, "I would have thought a pony as smart as you would have learned by now…" I then put my hoof back down and returned to looking through the bars. There was already an astonishing amount of blood covering the shivering body.

"Do you think I like hurting you?" Yes. "Honestly you're just doing this to yourself, so you'd better be more careful with that tongue of yours."

Celestia heaved heavy breaths, clenching her eyes shut and enduring the pain. She was remarkably good at that. Eventually, she let out a long, shuddering breath and whispered, "Please…"

"I have no desire to 'please' you…"

"I don't…" she spoke in a very laboured voice, "I don't care…what happens to me. I don't care if I spend the rest of my life down here…But please…Think of the ponies…" She had somehow managed to sit herself back up, drag herself a little closer to the bars, and hold her head up high to stare at me. "Don't…Don't let them suffer…"

I regarded her pleading gaze with a neutral expression. For a long while, the longest pause that eve, we stared at one another. A million things were being said, though neither of us spoke a word. Just a simple moment of silent contemplation. I could not to begin to imagine what was going through her mind. What was the mind of a broken pony like anyway?

"I won't," I said, plain and simple.

She blinked and tilted her head. "Huh?"

"I will not let the ponies suffer."

The look on her face told me that she had not expected to hear those words.

I closed my eyes as I continued to speak. "I will not let them suffer," I repeated, "because nopony deserves to go through what I had to go through. What your hooves put me through. The ponies out there will never endure suffering because not one of them knows what true suffering is!"

Her expression had shifted from pleasantly surprised to rather distraught.

"True suffering, Celestia, is being your sister."

I could almost hear a crack as I stared into her eyes; the sound of everything simply shattering. She was frozen for a while, unable to speak or move and barely able to breathe. Her lip quivered as she stared right at me. I could see so much behind her wide open eyes. I could see that something inside had broken.

And so, Celestia began to cry.

I watched her for a few moments as she fell under the assault of powerful cries and a torrent of tears. She remained sitting up, but her head hung low as her entire body began to shiver. Such incredibly loud cries filled the entire dungeon, carrying with them unbelievably powerful emotions that may well have broken any normal pony. She looked so pathetic. I couldn't decide whether this was enjoyable to watch, or if I should leave so that my eyes didn't have to witness this.

I settled on speaking instead. "It hurts, doesn't it?"

No response; just more rears.

"This is what it feels like, Celestia," I spoke smoothly, "You've lived such a perfect, unblemished life for eons and eons. You've never had a reason to truly break down and cry. It's awful, isn't it? It feels like there's a gigantic hole in your chest where your heart used to be. It feels like there's something wrong with you, but nothing you ever do can make it feel right again."

I could see that she was trying to stop herself from crying, but she simply couldn't. I did not smile, but there was a sense of grim satisfaction that I felt.

"Every night, Celestia. Every night we cried."

"I…" she managed to choke out.

"Hm? Speak up."

It was clearly difficult for her to speak, but she tried her best anyway. "I…I'm sorry…"

"You lie."

"No!!" she shouted, swiftly bringing her head up to look at me with red puffy eyes. She looked even more a mess than before. "No, I'm sorry!! I'm more sorry than…I've ever been in my whole life! And…And I will be sorry for the rest of my life as well…I never meant to…I…"

She couldn't speak clearly. She was mostly just blabbering at this point, pleading desperately for whatever her fragile mind told her she needed. She had been so calm and collected earlier, but it had all been a façade. I knew that I had broken her, and it was just one more victory under my hooves.

"I just…I…I just…"

I continued to stare emotionlessly at her. "Your feeble apologies mean nothing to me," I spoke, "because I know that you still do not understand the magnitude of what you have done to me. You weep because you have lost everything that is important to you, not because you are truly remorseful for the despicable things you have done."

She was shivering and clenching her eyes shut. I could tell she was trying to say something, but it seemed as if even opening her mouth would just send her into a fit of tears again.

I stood up. "Expect not to see me for many days. In fact you may not see me at all from now on." I began to turn around. "You are no longer amusing to me."

"I want my sister back!!"

Celestia's loud outburst was followed by another onslaught of uncontrollable sobbing, louder than before. I paused, but I did not turn back around. I simply listened to the raw emotion in her voice. I had heard few ponies cry this loudly and this painfully before, and this was from the heart of Celestia.

I heard the sounds of something touching the bars of her cell and I imagine that she must have been reaching her bloody, dirty hooves out to try to reach me.

"I…I'm sorry! Please!!" Her words were nearly unintelligible, as her voice was muffled by the heart-wrenching cries. "I know I was wrong! I was a fool! I hurt you in ways that nopony should…Luna, I just want…Please, come back to me! I love you!!"

The dungeon resonated with the sound of my hooves upon the ground as I began to depart. "Goodbye, Celestia," was all I said before I stepped through the guarded doorway. Just before the entryway was sealed shut, I listened to the sound of her gasping and screaming in pain once again.

…

A subtle grin had found its way onto my face as I made my way through the castle.

Night Guards bowed to me as I passed. A few higher ranking ones fell in line next to me and gave me a few squeaks, telling me of what was happening in the lands beyond. The news was not perfect, but I was at least relieved to hear that my faithful bats were performing their duties extraordinarily.

Tonight had been a momentous occasion, as the castle was now occupied by two ponies who were not bats. A former Canterlot lawpony and an admittedly unusual pony who was now a part of the cleaning staff. It was encouraging to see ponies that were able to see past their ridiculous fixation on their former ruler. They were clearly not admirers of the night, but they were smart enough to recognize power and rule.

The new moon crested high overhead, approaching the end of the current cycle. Most of the ponies in Canterlot were fast asleep, but this no longer bothered me. I knew that their mortal bodies would demand sleep and I was not going to take that away from them. It was no longer an issue, though. When they would awaken hours later, the beautiful night sky would be there to greet them.

Truly these were wonderful times. I was confident that it would not be much longer before the ponies fully adjusted to this new way of life and this new leadership. In three cycles I would begin to make public appearances in locations outside of Canterlot. What's more, with the incredible power of two alicorns churning within me, I would be able to teleport both myself and a division of guards to the farthest reaches of Equestria in mere moments. Ponies everywhere would be bowing before me.

I am not ashamed to admit small errors, as not a single solitary soul is exempt from them. I had clearly been too impatient in expecting undying loyalty and respect from these ponies. Ponies were not griffons, after all. They were not used to such coups yet. Still, there had to have been a first griffon coup at some point. Smarter heads would prevail, hope for Celestia's return would die out, and the ponies of Equestria would accept their new leader.

As I cantered leisurely through the magnificent castle, my mind was going wild with prospects. I remember at that moment something was going through my mind that somepony had told me once.

'Anything worth earning shall involve the most difficult journey.'

I had already reaped such incredible rewards for my bravery and perseverance, but I had set my sights as high as possible. Even for an invincible all-powerful alicorn, it was going to be difficult to get all the way to the top.

But I could do it.

I knew I could do it.

What could the ponies possibly do? Revolt? The thought was certainly humorous. Celestia was gone and not a single living being could stand against to who I was now. They could find their leadership in me, or they could simply go without, and I knew that they would not be able to handle the latter.

The biggest obstacle had already been surmounted. The night had stood its ground, and now the moon sat upon its throne. My beautiful, wonderful moon on display for all to see. Now, if only the ponies would recognize their true leader, we could become an unstoppable nation.

'The most difficult journey.' Indeed it would be.

My mood immediately soured when I remembered which alicorn's mouth this pearl of wisdom had come from.

Do You Dare to Anger Me?

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Chapter 5 - Do You Dare to Anger Me?

Time passed. About a month and a half my reign had lasted so far. The cycles would come and go, but the moon would never set. Weeks and weeks had passed, and I still sat upon the throne. I was uncontested. Every single living being in this nation knew that there would never be anypony else to sit upon this throne, and so only the most insane tried. Such attempts were laughable.

Ponies bowing in the streets when I passed by…It seemed like such a straightforward request, even for the simplest ponies. I had given the entire nation a grand show of my power, not the least of which was the glorious moon reigning upon high.

And yet, despite everything, the commoners continued to act in their ridiculous ways.

As time had gone by, I had been making public appearances in many of the major cities of Equestria, and tonight I had planned yet another. In the face of adversity, I knew that one could not back down. The citizens of this nation would not be permitted to think they can simply get away with their insulting lack of respect.

Upon the approach of the full moon, I found myself riding in the back of the royal chariot. It was a wonderful craft that had been created for me by the slowly growing number of truly loyal followers. It was covered in wonderful blues and blacks, and crafted out of steel and coloured gold. From the sides protruded beautiful metallic bat wings, signifying both my own power and the power of the night.

I was pulled through the air by four members of the Night Guard, and 20 other guards followed behind. They were honestly useless to me, as there was no possible threat that was of any concern to me. They were simply there for the sake of presenting a striking and powerful image.

Furthermore, I could have just as easily teleported to my destination in less than a fraction of a second. Again, however, it was in my interest to make a grand, impressive entrance to let the ponies know for certain who I was and what position I held. I would be merciful and generous to them, but only if they recognized and respected the fact that they were beneath me.

We were headed for Galvalon, one of the major cities besides Canterlot, where I was set to make a public address. It was one of the only major cities that I had not yet set hoof upon. I had flown over it before, silhouetting myself against the moon for a few brief minutes. I had done that for all populated places a few cycles back, as a way of turning the legend into the living.

As I said before, time had passed and word had spread. A number of times now I had asserted myself as absolute ruler of the land and made it clear that only non-compliant citizens would be treated with anything less than they had received under previous rule.

I knew for a fact that they would come around eventually. Most of the dissenters were still holding on to some deluded fantasy that Celestia would be freed or that she could somehow be rescued. Soon, they would come to accept the fact that I was here to stay.

Forever…

We touched down on a major road just outside of the city. A thought had occurred to me earlier that perhaps my previous public appearances had been a little too grandiose for a nation in transition. Thus, I had decided to enter the city by land once we had gotten close enough. The carriage was fitted with wheels that were stylistically hidden. It appeared as if the carriage were floating along the ground, and it gave the appearance that even an inanimate object cannot help but hold its princess upon high.

The Night Guard landed behind me and, as instructed, began to march in ranks. When they would fly through the air, there were no ranks which gave them the appearance of a flock of bats. On the ground, however, they were a tight-fit unit with one goal in mind; to protect and serve their ruler.

For a few minutes we marched towards the city, which was not too far away. A few of the guard detached and ran ahead to inform the guards posted there that we had arrived. I grinned and waited patiently. This time would be different. I don't know how I knew, but I just knew.

A few isolated houses appeared from the shadows of the night. It was a collection of about seven or eight houses that encircled the road leading to the city. A tiny village on the outskirts, it seemed, that we would be passing directly through.

I looked ahead. It seemed that almost all, if not all, of the village's inhabitants were milling about in the village square. None of them seemed to have noticed my approach yet, though they did seem rather concerned. Perhaps they had been startled by the Night Guard who had run ahead, presumably straight through the middle of their quaint little town.

Ponies should know that they should not fear the Night Guard unless they have a reason to.

My approach continued, and I made sure to hold my head high and present myself as an esteemed and powerful ruler. A few of the villagers saw me. They pointed in my direction and shouted something, and soon all of the heads in the village square were looking in my direction.

Their expressions turned to confusion and fear, and then slipped straight into abject terror. That is when the panic began.

The ponies all started dashing about in random directions, darting towards their homes or just ambling about in panicked confusion. Many of them were shouting. Some of them were crying. I could see heart-stopping fear in the eyes of each and every one of them. They were quite simply scrambling to get away as fast as they could.

They were trying to get away from me. I had not even done anything yet.

I could have gotten angry, and indeed I did feel a rather sharp burst of anger from within me, but I didn't. Their Princess and unquestioned, unchallenged ruler had decided to brighten their night with a rare, in-pony appearance. The correct etiquette is to bow and show respect, not to scream and panic like I was some kind of monster. No, why would I get angry?

I gave a quick tilt of my head, a silent command to the highest-ranking guards that were directly behind me. In a flash, they shot past me in a flurry of flapping bat wings. I kept myself calm and collected as they raced ahead, acting like a ruler would. A true leader would not snap their necks with magic simply for their disobedience.

The six guards that had gone ahead of me quickly encircled most of the rowdy ponies, preventing them from leaving the village square and brandishing their spears so as to discourage any further misbehaviour. Some of the ponies had escaped already, but that was all right. An audience was better than no audience after all.

I signalled for the carriage to stop, and then graciously stood up and stepped out of it. "Greetings, my subjects." I said, extending welcome to them as I began to trot towards them.

Now, what I would have liked to have seen was bowing and reverence. What I expected to see was this group of ponies at the very least sitting still and giving me proper audience. I had at the very least hoped for some form of terrified respect, which still would have been better than what I got.

Instead, when the villagers saw me approaching, they began to scramble again. They darted around the square, searching for some kind of exit. My guard held strong and kept every single pony in line. They were terrified but not stupid, and so none of them ended up getting hurt. Eventually, once they realized there was nowhere to go, they all huddled together in the middle of the square. They cowered together like a group of frightened animals facing down the hungry jaws of a predator.

It was time to put an end to this insolence.

Another silent signal and two more soldiers flew into the middle of the square, landing in front of the huddled group. I growled in frustration as they all quickly darted back, trying to get away from the two new intruders.

The Night Guard was quick, though. There was a sharp sound that split the night air as they crossed their two spears together, forming an 'X' shape and cutting off the escape of one of the villagers. The stallion they had chosen at random slammed on the brakes and dug into the ground with his forehooves to prevent himself from ramming right into the spears. He sat there cowering on the ground, staring up into the eyes of the two standing above him.

"What is wrong, my subjects…?"

The stallion's head darted around when he heard my voice, closer than it had been before. Not a second later, the two guardsponies began to march towards me, bringing their crossed spears with them. The stallion quickly found himself being involuntarily dragged towards my advancing form, and no amount of digging into the ground could stop his movement.

"…Is the moon not to your liking…?"

Before he even knew what was happening, the stallion found himself within mere inches of my head, which was lowered down to stare right at him. He was quivering like a leaf in the wind, unable to move and scarcely able to breathe. His eyes darted up to meet mine and they remained there for the briefest of moments, but then he quickly broke the connection and looked away.

It was hard to blame him. These ponies had insulted me and it showed in my expression. My jaw was set, not quite in a frown but far from a smile, and I was looking down at him with the eyes of a silent but furious schoolteacher. Foals often say that the scariest thing to them is an angry grown-up who spoke softly.

He was whimpering like a tiny colt who was afraid of the dark. He had his hooves clutched towards his chest, shivering like a pathetic child. He was nearly scared to death, and he wasn't answering me.

The air around me burned as I leaned in even closer to him, nearly touching his muzzle with mine. I glared, bared my teeth, and I shouted. "Perhaps…you just don't see!!"

He screamed in terror and crouched back into a tiny ball, shivering and whining. I stood still for a moment, seething breaths of pure anger the only sound. This pathetic pony was just like the rest of them! He wouldn't be able to submit to a true leader if his very life depended on it!!

If the fury in the air could have struck out, it would have killed. After a moment of tense silence, I took a step back and raised my head up high. The soldiers still stood behind him with their spears crossed, but I was no longer invading this poor soul's personal space. He cautiously peeked up at me from between his hooves, a terrified curiosity in his eyes.

My expression had not changed. I held my hoof aloft and, with a mere spark of magic, my mane billowed and expanded. What had once been a tiny peek into the glory of the night was now a grand, flowing masterpiece. The colour dimmed, the stars brightened; my mane became a work of art, second only to the real thing above it.

"The endless sea of black…" My voice was profound and whimsical, as if I were speaking a poem that had existed since the beginning of time, "and…all of the stars so striking…" This pony should have considered himself very lucky to receive a show such as that. Even if he didn't, however, he should have at the very least realized who was being so unnecessarily gracious to him.

"P-p-please…" I almost didn't hear the tiny, squeaking voice of the stallion. "Please don't k-kill us…"

The vast array that was my mane shrunk back to its normal size as I stared down at the pony beneath me.

"Please…!" he continued to beg, "We…We didn't do anything…We're just simple ponies…We don't know what's happening and…We have families…"

I took a single step towards him so that I was now towering over him as much as possible, staring down at him with one scrutinizing eye.

He began to cry. "Please don't kill me!!" he said between gasps of breath, "Yes, y-yes I see now…The night! It's all…night-y and stuff! But we…We just want…Suh-"

"DO YOU DARE TO ANGER ME?!"

The stallion cried out like a banshee and was quickly on his hooves, scrambling in a panic to get away. He was incredibly frantic, pushing and shoving his way past the Night Guard and the spears behind him. The two guards were taken aback by his sudden move and were about to retaliate, but one glance at me and they knew where their place was.

I was furious. I could see literal fire encircling me, and my normally calm mane had transformed into a sea of fire and lava. It felt like my entire body, inside and out, was blazing with anger. I could barely control my heavy breathing as I held my head low, staring daggers at these ponies.

These insolent…!

I knew what that stallion wanted before even needed to say it. I knew what they all wanted. Every damn pony in this whole nation, and I knew what they wanted. They all wanted what they could not have, and because of that, not a single one of them would even consider bowing before me! Before their leader!!

"Celestia…is gone!!" I screamed at them, stamping towards them and leaving small fires where my hooves landed. The ponies shrunk back again, though they were still encircled by the guards. As I approached them, they cowered on the ground and stared up at me in abject horror.

"The sun…is gone!!" I exclaimed as I pounced suddenly on a group of ponies to my left, catching them by surprise and frightening the living daylight out of them. The entire village was screaming now, running about and trying desperately to push past the stronghold that was the Night Guard.

"Like it or not…they are all gone!!" My voice thundered through the village as I stood tall once more, the ground burning beneath me. I had become a blazing fireball of pure anger, ponies running left and right to get away from my fury. The situation had very quickly devolved into absolute pandemonium.

Finally, after I had stood there for a couple of minutes simply being enraged, I let out a low growl and the fire died down. I signalled to the guards, who lifted their spears and flew back to their ranks behind the chariot. With nothing left to block them, the citizens all fled.

"You would all…be so foolish…"

These ponies saw only one thing. All ponies saw only one thing. Every single citizen in this damned country was completely blinded. Other creatures are smart. When a leader is usurped, they recognize the weakness and failure of this leader and turn to the more powerful individual. Small groups will always cling to the one they have lost, but not the entire nation.

I did not care if the ponies of this village were terrified. I didn't care if they were afraid for their life and viewed me as a threat that could end it. No matter how they felt, the ponies of this land should at the very least bow. Any pony that bows before me can look forward to a much better future than one who does not.

I turned around and began to walk through the ranks of the Night Guard and return to the chariot, the visit to Galvalon effectively cancelled in my mind. They all looked up to me with steadfast military resoluteness, but even in these mere soldiers I could see dedication, reverence and admiration. They were all standing there, patiently waiting for me to give them an order. No matter what I said, they would do it without question.

I stopped when I was right next to the chariot. There was a scowl on my face as I stared forward, not looking any of them in the eye. A moment of silence passed, and then I spoke in a calm whisper.

"Burn it to the ground."

…

The castle staff fled at the mere sight of me and curtains and tapestries I passed by burst into flame. Honestly, a lot of our budget went towards curtains and tapestries.

Such was the sight of a frustrated goddess. I had gotten almost everything that I had ever wanted, but sometimes 'almost' is just not enough. I was headed through the castle, having just returned there, with a single destination in mind. I was far too angry to even entertain the thought of simply teleporting there. Actually, the thought had occurred to me, but I was concerned that my anger would amplify the spell and I would end up at the North Pole or something.

A metallic door was ripped off of its hinges, punishment for standing in my way. The Night Guards who had been defending the door even cowered away in fear. I marched right past them without paying them any mind, focused on nothing more than my destination and my anger.

I made my way down the stairs. All too familiar stairs that I realized I was traversing too often. I barely cared at the moment, but it was certainly on my mind. I passed by more stairs and more doorways, though I left these doors intact. I was not about to do something foolish simply because I was angry.

Finally, I stepped through the final door, having slammed it against the wall loudly. The guards in the room leapt at the sound before bowing to me, but the target of my fixation did not move. Flames danced in my eyes; perhaps even literally, I wasn't sure. I pounded my way across the cold stone floor towards her, baring my teeth and trying in vain to keep myself from growling. The pony that I stepped towards remained curled up on the ground, seemingly fast asleep. I neither knew nor cared if she really was or not.

The walls echoed with the sound of my metallic hoofguards smashing against the iron bars. "WAKE UP!!"

I had been in the room for less than 30 seconds and already Celestia was trying my patience. She made a show of moving incredibly slowly as she woke up, yawned, stretched, and began to sit up. She was toying with me, moving as slowly as possible. The mare blinked her eyes, shook her head slowly, and yawned again.

My anger only grew as I stared at her acting so nonchalantly. Her time in the prison cell had not been kind to her. She had not been cleaned and so the stains of blood still covered her coat of fur, and the scars of previous injuries were still visible. Her alicorn body had mended her wounds, but without her magic they were not completely gone. She was even more decrepit than when I had last seen her, and still she didn't seem to care one little bit.

Finally having 'woken up', she rolled her neck around and let out a soft groan before finally turning to look at me. "Good evening, L-"

"SHUT UP!!"

Her mouth closed and she stared at me. A moment of tense silence passed before she heaved a heavy sigh and looked away.

I narrowed my gaze and spoke. "What have you done?!" It was not a question, nor a plea for advice. It was a simple, direct command. I wanted information from her, and I was going to get it one way or another.

She looked at me with one eye. "What?"

"What have you done to them??" I spoke again, with a little more force, "What secret black magic is this?? Not even the stupidest, most foolhardy creature would act this way!!"

More silence passed. I was breathing heavily. Bubbling, boiling rage was welling up within me, just begging to come out.

Celestia's head sunk a little. She did not smile or smirk, but rather frowned. It seemed like a very genuine, sad frown. "I take it…things are not going well?"

Fiery aura. Par for the course, it seemed. "Why you?" I spoke in a low, venomous voice, "Why is it always you?! I give those pathetic, whining ponies what they want and still they cry out for you to return and take my place again. I have defeated you and earned my place on the throne!!"

Celestia slowly turned to look up at me, that frown still upon her face.

"They say that it's too dark and dangerous out there. I flood the sky with even more beautiful constellations and increase the brightness of the moon. They say that without the sun, the crops will not grow? Ha! Barely a chore for one as powerful as I. The crops now thrive on the light of the moon. Too cold? The moonlight is now warm!" I began to pant heavily. Time on the throne had been both very enlightening and incredibly frustrating.

"You…did all of that?"

"Yes! I am more than willing to accommodate the needs of the ponies so that we may all live and thrive below the glory of the night…" I paused and narrowed my gaze even further. "But still, as an outright affront to their leader, ponies demand that you return. The ponies refuse to show respect."

Celestia was silent for a moment as she gazed at me. I saw something rare within her eyes; uncertainty.

"What…did…you…do?!" I spat at her.

"I…I haven't…" she muttered, "I simply don't understand…I mean, what did you expect?"

I stamped my hoof, making her flinch back. "I expected respect! I am Equestria's new leader! I now sit upon the throne! I have earned this!!"

"You-"

"SHUT UP!!" My rage made her shrink back into the corner of the cell. "It is taking every fibre of my being to prevent myself from maiming and mutilating you just to make me feel better! I hope you realize that!!"

There was an empty, horrified look in her eyes. She was cowering in the corner of her cell, quivering and trembling.

"Ponies should be bowing before me when I grace them with my presence!! Do they not realize who I am? Do they not understand the power I wield?!"

"Please…" Celestia mumbled.

I growled, the bars of the cell growing hot from the fiery aura. "It is becoming difficult to believe that so many ponies would blindly follow you this far under threat of persecution or worse. This is some trick of yours. Something else you never shared with me."

"You're…" she whispered, "You're not making sense."

"I am aware," I replied, catching her off-guard, "but I would not put it past you of all ponies to do something so abhorrent just so that you keep your position and popularity amongst these simple fools. To once again smile and sing about how nopony is as lovely and beloved as you"

"But-"

"Reveal to me how you have brainwashed those insipid ponies. Those freaks! Those sun-lovers!!"

Celestia gulped. "I-I have not brainwashed our citiz-"

"You are a filthy liar, just like you always have been! My night is glorious and my might is unquestioned! None can deny it! I have brightened the lives of these ponies by showing them the wonders of the shadows! I have fixed whatever small flaws may have arisen! How can these fools still outright refuse to show me that which I deserve?! Do they consider their own lives so meaningless?"

"I'm sorry…" Celestia said, looking away from me.

"If you're not careful, you will be sorry!!" I shouted, punctuating my words by slamming a hoof against the bars. She didn't even jump. "It is my turn, Celestia! Don't think you can somehow play to my emotions and convince me to let you out for whatever reason. I have defeated you. The citizens should be glad they do not live in the Griffon Kingdoms where rulers are upturned on a nearly bimonthly basis!"

"You have defeated me…" Celestia spoke in an emotionless tone, "This is true… I am defeated, and now…the price is being paid…"

Another twitch. "What?!"

"I…I am truly sorry…"

"Are you insulting me further?!"

Celestia once again gave me that horrible look, where she turned her head to gaze up at me with a single eye, filled with infinite emotions. Her gaze alone seemed to drain what little pink colour was left in her mane.

"What's become of you sister…?" she whispered with a haunted voice, "Don't you see…?! This anger burns for me!"

She fell silent, and I did not immediately respond. I simply stood there for a few seconds, staring at her in disbelief. She remained still, as if that one visible eye was staring right through me. Staring into my soul.

"Please…" she whispered after many minutes of silence, "End this…"

Like a flash of lightning, I moved forward. I walked through the bars of her cell as if they were not even there, and my horn began to glow. She had less than a second to react in fear before my dark aura picked up her nearly-lifeless body off of the ground and slammed her back-first into the brick wall behind her. The bricks broke and caved into a small crater and Celestia let loose a loud, strangled cry of pain.

I held her there by the neck with my magic and stepped right up next to her. I stared down at her directly into her eyes, aura burning around me and a blazing inferno behind my eyes. A desperate groan of pain escaped her throat as she struggled uselessly to escape my grasp.

"Now…You listen to me…" My voice was low yet strong. I didn't raise it, but the icy tone in it made every other creature in the room shiver. "You should consider yourself extremely lucky that I have allowed you to live this long…"

She opened her mouth to respond, but instead I pulled her away from the wall and slammed her into it again. Blood trickled down her back as she grit her teeth in anguish.

"Choose your words wisely, pony…or I shall not let this courtesy continue."

Her entire face was screwed up in pain as I held her there. It was difficult for her to breathe with my grip tight around her neck. She wrenched open one of her eyes to give me the most pleading look I had ever seen from her.

"Do you understand?"

She didn't respond.

"Do you understand??"

"Please…"

Another slam into the wall, another guttural cry of pain. I raised one of my hooves and pressed it against her neck as well. "Do you understand?!"

"Luna, please…Come back to me…!"

Though she was now leaking a puddle of blood onto the ground beneath her and what little strength she may have had was now completely gone, she still turned her head to look up at me. There were tears on the edges of her eyes, but there was this sad hopefulness in them as well.

Those eyes clenched shut when I drove another dagger into her midsection. "I will not stop doing this to you, Celestia," I spoke evenly as even more blood fell to the ground, "I will not stop harming you whenever you speak that name. I will not stop treating you like this. Yet you still hold on to dead hope, even though it hurts." Celestia's moans of pain grew louder as I twisted the dagger slightly. "It hurts…"

"I know you're in there…" Celestia whispered, looking up at me once again. Her entire body was quivering and it looked like she was having difficulty focusing her vision, but still she tried. "You're in there somewhere…Luna, please…!"

I'm sure you can quite easily guess what I did next. Once the second dagger was embedded in her, she began to cry. Yet, it was not cries of pain, but rather tears of heartbroken sadness. She cried like a little foal who was lost in the woods, or like a mother whose child had died. She couldn't move, even after I let her drop to the floor. All she could do was close her eyes and cry.

"I love you…!" she wailed out between her cries, "I'll love you always!! If you come back to me, I'll still love you!"

I stared down at her. "If you speak that name again, you know what will happen. How much blood you've already lost holds no consequence for me." There was still a bonfire of anger within me. I despised this creature beneath me. I was asking myself why I had come down here in the first place yet again, and I did not have an answer.

Did I enjoy seeing her suffer? Yes, immensely. But was it worth the insults and the anger that came with it? Did I really need to keep this pet any longer?

"Siisterrr~~" Celestia wailed like a banshee, though I was no longer looking at her. "I love you!! I'm sorry!!"

Why had I come down here? I honestly didn't know any more, but I did know one thing. This one thought stuck with me as I silently teleported away, leaving the pathetic snivelling pony to lie upon her bed of pain.

Killing her would be too kind.

Family Ties

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Chapter 6 - Family Ties

"Follow," I commanded.

"Yes, Your Highness," the Night Guard soldier replied.

Three months. Three long months of sitting on the throne, of basking in the glorious night, and of watching while the ponies lived their lives. One and a half months since I had seen that creature in the dungeons. One month since the last of the foreign dignitaries managed to get a message through to me enquiring about the absence of the sun.

One week since the last riot.

Having left the highly-guarded entrance of the castle behind me, I began to trot slowly across the city square of Canterlot. The full moon was proudly on display in the night sky above, but there were few souls out in the streets. Those that were there now stood frozen on the spot, their eyes locked unblinking upon me.

I walked forward with a stern, unreadable expression, as the single member of the Night Guard followed behind. Only those foolish enough to actually be in my way were able to move themselves. I directly regarded none of them as I continued on, but I was watching them all nonetheless.

I almost wanted one of them to try and attack me, just to see what would happen.

Something had been bothering me as of late. Well, that was an honest lie. Something had been bothering me for a long while. I couldn't seem to put my hoof upon it, which was utterly vexing me. The only thing I knew for certain was that something wasn't quite right, even amongst the glory of my victory and the reign of the night.

Without warning, I shot my gaze to the left and locked eyes with a random mare. She twitched as if an arrow had been driven right through her heart and backed up against the wall of the building behind her, pushing herself up onto her hind legs as if trying to move straight through it. I could see her chest heaving.

I narrowed my gaze at her. Furthermore, what was bothering me was not these ponies who refused to bow before me.

Silence filled the air as I continued forward, keeping my gaze locked on that one pony until my neck hurt too much. I walked down this street as if with purpose, though I wasn't sure I had one. The faithful Night Guard was behind me every step, keeping his gaze forward and only looking at me when it seemed as if I needed his attention.

I stopped at an intersection of roads and turned to the left, idly noticing as the guardspony posted there swiftly bowed to me. Members of the Night Guard littered every major city, posted at key intersections and points of interest. It was their job to maintain order. Each and every one of them would bow swiftly, so as not to distract themselves from their duties, but this was little to celebrate. Bats, after all, had always been reverent of the night.

As I continued, I noticed a well-built stallion pulling a cart of apples along who had stopped in his tracks when he had caught sight of me. The impression I got from this stallion's physique was that he could take down a bear with his hooves tied, and yet he regarded me with the same fear as his fellow citizens. My mouth twisted slightly into what was almost a grin.

I took notice of the apples, each one perfectly ripe and looking juicy and delicious. There was not a sour-looking apple in the whole bunch, and his cart was nearly overflowing. And ponies begged for the sun so their crops would grow. Foolish.

The stallion did not continue on his way until I myself continued in the opposite direction. For a few quiet moments, I slowly made my way down this road through a different district. The road continued on to the city limits, where I could see rolling fields beyond. The light of the moon from above bathed the green fields in a silvery glow.

There were less ponies on this street. I only passed three of them before I reached the middle of this particular block. My eyes roamed the surrounding structures. There were a few storefronts as well as a blacksmith. My attention, however, was drawn to one particular establishment.

The wooden sign hanging above the door with its two complimentary masks identified the building as a theatre. The reason I was focused on it was that I could hear muffled sounds coming from inside, and saw plenty of movement through the small windows.

I altered my course and walked towards the side of one of the windows and gazed inside. At my silent command, my guard followed and looked inside as well.

None inside had noticed me, because they were all focused on the wooden stage before them. There, to my surprise, stood a rather tall unicorn mare who had dressed herself in black clothing, given herself fake wings and a fake cutie mark, and attached silky strands of blue to her mane. This actress was portraying me.

My eyebrows raised slightly, but I stood still and continued to watch. The ponies in the audience were all staring up at her, but they did not seem off-put by her appearance as many of the locals were with the real me. They were all smiling. The mare moved her hooves and her head with regal flourish in her best attempt to mimic me, and she said something that I could not hear.

Any small elation that I had felt fell away within seconds as the audience erupted into laughter. The mare on stage then continued to speak and gesture, but she was now doing it in an over-the-top and rather ridiculous fashion.

She was mocking me. And the audience was loving it.

I stood still and continued to watch. I heard my guard shift beside me, but he said nothing. As the mare continued to do heavens knows what in her portrayal as me, other actors appeared on the stage. They were all unicorn and earth pony stallions dressed in costume as soldiers. More specifically, members of the Solaris Guard. The actress looked as if she were about to shout something intimidating to the soldiers, but instead she simply tripped and took a practised fall, whimpering in a pathetic heap.

I took a couple of steps back from the window, now looking up at the establishment as a whole. In the corner of my eye, I could see my guard looking up to me in concern. I turned my gaze towards him. In his eyes, I could see questions being asked. He was most certainly looking at my calm, collected expression and asking 'Why aren't we burning the place down yet?'

I shifted my head, a silent command for him to fall back in line. He did and I began to pace away from the theatre. When I was a building's length away, I coursed magic through my horn and cast a simple spell. In a muted flash, five more identical-looking members of the Night Guard appeared. They all bowed before me and then lifted only their gaze up towards me, awaiting my command.

As I continued down the road, I could hear the sounds of those inside the theatre, panicking as the Night Guard raided the place and arrested every single pony inside. I merely trotted on as if nothing had happened.

My walk had taken me to the end of this road, as well as to the edge of the city. At this particular point, there was a wonderful flat field that was perfect for simply relaxing under the moonlight. I stood at the corner for a moment. There was not a soul to be seen on the fields, but I could hear music.

Music had been such a rarity lately. The minstrels and troubadours of this land seemed to have disappeared, and the streets were sadly lacking of those beautiful melodies that made them seem more alive. I trotted forward and rounded the corner to my left. A small gazebo on the edge of the open fields came into view, presently containing a trio of young stallions. One was playing a lute and another was playing a panflute, both with matching cutie marks, while the third pony was singing. They all had their eyes closed with calm expressions as they performed their song.

From the snowswept mountain tops

To the emerald-green fields

Across the sea and sky, that wondrous light

Has touched us all…

The one on the lute played a jarring chord as his eyes slipped open and he noticed me. The others were startled by this and also noticed my approach, stopping the song altogether. They all froze on the spot, staring at me in the same way the mare and the apple seller had before.

I merely crossed the road and stood before the gazebo, looking down at the three of them. They were so frightened that it looked like they weren't even breathing. We all remained still for a minute or so, the silence of the night as our only companion. Neither one of them moved or even responded in any way. They all simply stared at me as if I was a ferocious predator.

Finally, I opened my mouth to speak. "I enjoyed your music," I said evenly. The three of them finally moved, if only slightly, turning to give each other quick looks of confusion. I then leaned forward slightly, bringing my head down a little closer to them.

"Why have you stopped?"

There was an uncomfortable pause that followed. None of the three seemed willing or able to speak, but they continued to give each other uneasy glances. I took a step back from them and remained standing there, awaiting the return of their music.

They gave each other a few nonverbal signals. All three of them were clearly terrified, feeling quite small and insecure beneath my power and position. But, to their credit, they raised their instruments and began playing again.

It was a different song than before, but I didn't really mind. For this piece, the singer did not sing any lyrics but instead made harmonic vocalisations. It was a rather serene song, almost sounding like a lullaby. They played with their eyes open and without smiles on their faces, but they scarcely made an error. I remained standing there, with my guard at my side, for the entire duration of the song.

"Impressive," I stated simply once it had ended.

Now that they had stopped playing, the three were once again looking up at me without moving or saying anything. They seemed just as afraid as before, almost as if they had not heard my generous compliment. A gentle breeze drifted past, and a minute passed by in silence.

When nothing had changed by that point, my expression soured and I turned my back on them, continuing on my way down the road. When I was about a block away, I paused again and turned to look down at the guard.

He bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Highness?"

"Remember the lyrics of that first song," I commanded him, "I shall require them later."

"I will, Your Highness."

My walk through Canterlot continued through the waning of the cycle. The journey passed mostly in silence with nothing much else noteworthy happening. My mood continued to grow sour the more petrified citizens we passed, not one of them dropping to their knees. With my position as ruler of this land, I could have had every single one of them arrested or even put to death if I so wished. Instead I merely trotted on, my mind coursing with more and more storm clouds.

After a while, I wasn't even looking at anything as I walked. My eyes were set straight ahead and my jaw locked in a scowl as I stormed past these irritating ponies. If some fool had been in my way, they would have been trampled over with nary a second thought. I was fuming by the time I reached the last road that led back to the castle grounds.

"Your Highness!"

My eye twitched slightly as I shot my gaze back towards the guard who had the nerve and audacity to speak out of line like that and shouted, "WHAT?!"

He did not shy away or cringe, but he did bow in respectful apology. Then, when he had risen, he merely pointed his spear towards the side of the road. I turned my head and followed where he was pointing.

In an instant, my anger and rage dissipated as I saw something truly rare; something I hadn't expected to come across tonight. There, in the middle of a small, open-air fruit store was an average-looking earth pony stallion. Pastel blue coat, light orange mane, on his knees and bowing.

I stood there and stared for a moment, regarding this one pony out of nearly a hundred that I had seen tonight that was bowing before me. There were two patrons in his shop, and they weren't bowing. Amongst a sea of disrespectful, sun-loving fools, this pony stood out by not standing.

I slowly stepped towards his store. The two other patrons quickly fled, but he did not move a muscle. I stood at the entrance, my guard faithfully at my side, and watched him for at least two silent minutes. The most he did was breathe.

"Rise."

He first turned his head to look up at me, as if to make sure I had actually said it and not somepony who merely sounded like me, and then he slowly got to his hooves. Now, he carefully trotted over to his place at the counter, where he turned and regarded me with a neutral expression.

I stood there in silence for a moment, my head held high but my gaze curious. I could see fear, if not uneasiness, behind his eyes, but he hid it behind a façade of professionalism. He simply stood there at the counter of his simple fruit store, waiting for something to happen patiently.

"I will take two of your finest peaches," I said, breaking the silence.

His eyes briefly glanced over to the stand where the peaches were, and then he simply nodded at me. Without speaking a word, the stallion retrieved a flat woven basket from behind the counter and trotted over to the stand. He spent a moment studying them, gently moving the ones on top to look at the ones on the bottom, and then carefully picked out a pair of superb-looking peaches by the stem and placed them in the basket. He grabbed the basket by the handle and returned to where I was standing, sticking his neck out and offering the peaches to me with his gaze held low.

I grabbed the two peaches with my magic, seeing that they looked even better up close. They had a potent aroma and vibrant colours. I picked out one of the peaches and levitated it down to my side, offering it to the guard.

He hesitantly grasped it, and gazed up at me with an unsure, questioning look. I gave him a small nod of approval and his face lit up with a grateful smile. He then sat down and held the peach close to his chest with his two hooves, nibbling away at it with a look of content. I regarded him for a moment as he ate the juicy fruit. You can turn a bat into a pony, but some things would never change it seemed.

I stored the other peach magically within a pocket dimension for later. Returning my attention to the storekeeper, I saw that he had returned to the counter and was standing there in much the same way as before with that same neutral expression on his face.

From the pocket dimension, I retrieved five silver coins and deposited them on the counter next to the stallion. He turned to regard them and then looked back at me, although his expression was now just the slightest perplexed.

"Why did you bow before me?" I spoke.

He seemed rather caught off guard by that question. He stammered for a brief moment before he respectfully replied, "You are our Princess. You rule over us."

I stared at him for a moment, and he stared right back.

"You have my permission to speak freely," I said, "If you had been bowing to me from the very beginning, I would have noticed a lot sooner. What has changed?"

His eyes shifted to the side for a moment, and he seemed to carefully consider what he said next. Finally, he held his head down and stared at the floor beneath my hooves, whereupon he said, "My sister lives in Stirrupling. She refused to bow before you, and so her apothecary was seized and she was forced out." He paused for a moment before continuing. "That apothecary has been in our family for three generations."

I watched him carefully as he spoke, observing his body language and listening to the tone of his voice.

"I realize now that there is nothing to be gained from going against you," he continued, "Regardless of whatever else, you are our sovereign ruler and there is a clear price to be paid for disobedience and disrespect. I bow before your power." He ended his statement with another low bow before me.

A stillness passed between us. He did not move from his position, but neither did I. As I watched him and studied him, I mulled over what he had said to me in my head.

"Rise and tell me your name," I said, breaking the silence once more.

He did so and replied with, "Harvest."

"What is your sister's name?"

He hesitated slightly before answering. "H-her name is Jasmine."

I turned to my guard and instructed him to remember that name. He was just finishing the last bite of his peach, and promptly stood up to salute me.

"Your Highness…?" I could detect worry in Harvest's voice and returned my gaze to him.

"Do not concern yourself," I informed him, "I do not intend to harm your sister. I do encourage you to write her a letter, however. Mayhaps advise her that if she disrespects me again, I shall do much worse than seize her shop."

There was a sparkle in the stallion's eye, but he managed to keep his emotions in check.

I gazed at him for a moment. "Enjoy the night, fair citizen," I said to him, "Others could learn from you…" And with that, I turned and began to walk away from his shop. My guard promptly fell into line beside me.

"Ah…Y-Your Highness?"

Harvest's call filled the air and I heard hooves stepping out onto the street. I smiled to myself for a brief moment without letting him see, and then turned around to regard him with the chilly gaze that I was so fond of using.

The blue stallion was standing there holding three of the coins in one of his hooves, eyes shifting with uncertainty. Again, I could see him choosing his words carefully. "The…price for my peaches is…one silver coin each."

I simply replied with, "I am aware."

"You have given me too much, Your Highness. I must…insist that you take these back…"

More silence drifted between us. At the edge of my vision, I could see ponies standing stock still, watching the exchange between us with terror and disbelief. Harvest simply stood there, holding out his hoof and offering the excess coins back to me. I had half expected him to attempt to return all five coins to me, but I could appreciate his intent to at least hold on to what I rightfully owed him. He was running a business after all.

"You have caught me in an unusually generous mood," I replied to him, "Keep them."

"But-"

"Are you questioning me?" I said sternly with a scrutinizing eye pointed in his direction.

"No, of course not Your Highness," he replied unflinchingly, "If you are absolutely certain this is what you want, then I will take them and…" He paused and glanced away. "I offer my gratitude…"

I kept my gaze trained on him. Throughout this exchange I had been staring at him silently quite often. Though I was studying him, I also wanted to keep him guessing. My stern, cold expression held no emotions; I refused to provide him a window into my mind. Weaker, foolish ponies would break under this gaze, if not soon then eventually. This pony certainly did not exude confidence; perhaps it was a psychological trouble just to get such words out of his mouth. I could not deny one true fact, however. He had bowed before me and shown respect.

"Harvest?"

"Yes? …Yes, Your Highness?"

"You have made wise choices tonight." In the blink of an eye I unfurled my wings, startling him slightly. "Keep it that way."

With nary another word, I took to the skies and flew directly back to the castle without casting even a glance behind me. I could hear the sound of a bat's wings as my guard dutifully followed behind.

…

Weeks passed.

I continued to make semi-regular visits to Harvest's fruit shop. Each time I appeared before him, the first thing he would do was drop to the ground and bow. I would make a simple purchase, perhaps ask him some simple question about his family or his life, and then depart. With each and every encounter, I was met with the same level of reverence.

I was keeping my eye on him. Ponies everywhere in this damn city would flee or freeze up before me, but this one stallion seemed to have learned his place. He did not speak until spoken to, unless there was something he truly felt deserved my attention. Above all else, he would always bow.

This young stallion was certainly very interesting. He was not some truly devoted worshipper who would toss himself off of a bridge at my command, but still I could see that he was properly honouring his sovereign, all-powerful leader like all ponies should. I got the feeling that he was afraid of me, but brave enough to keep his composure and understand what was requested and required of him.

Did he respect myself or the night? I wasn't entirely convinced of that. What grew more certain with every subsequent visit was that he respected my power and knew what consequences would befall him if he crossed my path. Something intelligent had clicked in this pony's head that was somehow remaining elusive to everypony else.

During one visit to his shop, I brought along a large stack of very important-looking scrolls. I entered his shop rather distracted by them, relaying confidential commands to the two guards I had with me.

Of course, there wasn't actually anything important written on the scrolls. They were all blank except for the one on top, actually. I would never be so foolish as to walk around in the open with all of my closest secrets there for somepony to swoop in and steal. Instead, I had other plans.

As I purchased my fruit and continued discussing important nonsense with the guards, I walked away without saying anything to him and the three of us disappeared in a bright flash. What had looked like a teleportation spell was actually an invisibility spell. Furthermore, I had 'absent-mindedly' left the stack of scrolls on his counter.

I watched him like a stealthy predator as he eventually noticed that I had left them behind. To most of these other sun-loving ponies, this would be a golden opportunity and they wouldn't hesitate to grab them and try to use them to find some weakness of mine. I'm sure if there had been other patrons in his shop, they would have done so or tried to convince him to commit the crime.

Instead, a satisfied grin slowly appeared on my hidden face. He had noticed the scrolls and gazed at them for a few moments, and seconds later he was out on the street and searching for me. When I was nowhere to be found, he ran back into the shop and ducked behind the counter, retrieving a burlap sack that would probably be used for hauling fruit. Without even peeking at the top page, he tossed every scroll into the sack and tied it up. He then hoisted it onto his back and immediately began to gallop towards the gates of the castle.

My test for him ended in his success when he presented himself to the Night Guard members standing at the front gates, told them I had left some documents behind, and gave them the sack. Important documents that could have theoretically been very useful to anypony that wanted me off the throne, and he had hoofed them back without any hesitation.

Another cycle began. Hours before the full moon would grace the sky, I left the castle. Unlike previous outings, I had a single destination and a single task in mind. Ponies parted before me in fear as I traveled directly for that fruit shop that had become so familiar to me. When I arrived, I stood tall and proud outside of the entrance and spoke forth in a commanding voice.

"Harvest."

He turned around from whatever he had been doing and took notice of me. His eyes widened slightly before he fell into his bow, no doubt noticing that I was unaccompanied.

"Yes, Your Highness?" he replied. Like it often was when he spoke to me, his tone was rather emotionless.

"Come with me."

He tilted his head up and gave me a perplexed look. "Y-Your Highness…?"

"I said 'Come with me'. Do not keep me waiting."

Hearing my displeased tone of voice, he quickly scrambled to his hooves. "Ah, y-yes…Right away."

I turned back the way I had come and trotted down the road. I heard the clopping of his hooves telling me that he was right behind me at a respectful distance.

I continued through the city until I reached the outer gates of the castle. The guards there gave me a swift salute before they turned and opened the gate. I heard Harvest's hoofsteps slow as I approached the entryway. I turned back to look at him, at which point he quickly trotted forward and closed the distance.

I returned my gaze to the gate. Beyond it was another guarded gate and the actual entrance to the castle, also guarded. The gates closed behind me, and I turned back to see Harvest standing awkwardly there. Besides confusion, I could clearly see that he was very anxious about what was going on. Ponies on the street knew that if one was sent into the castle itself, it usually wasn't good.

He was getting more uneasy with every step we took. After verifying that the gate was securely closed, I directed him towards the next one. At my beckoning, he nervously stepped through after me. A mix of conflicting emotions could be seen as he glanced around apprehensively.

We stepped through the front door of the castle as I led him into the grand entryway. That is where we stopped. I turned and saw him marvelling at the large room that he had probably never seen before in his life, even before my rule. The room was lined with marble columns, covered with a beautiful deep blue carpet, and adorned with blue banners that depicted the moon.

I sat down in front of him, returning his attention to me. I could see that even he knew something unusual was happening if his princess was sitting down before him. I set my eyes on him and gave him one last scrutinizing look; some have told me that my stare is paralyzing, and it wasn't hard to see why.

"Harvest, citizen of Canterlot…" I spoke.

He once more gazed around at the room we were in, gulping and no doubt feeling very small and insignificant. "Yes…Your Majesty?"

"You have shown dedication towards your Princess and reverence toward the majesty of the night. I am very pleased by what I have seen."

He gulped again, still looking around at the room as if he were feeling like he wasn't supposed to be there. My castle was a highly-guarded sanctuary that very few were permitted to enter. I could see in his eyes that he felt like he was committing a terrible crime with his presence alone.

"You have proven your devotion and shown me that, perhaps, I may be able to trust you." I paused and leaned in a little closer, lowering my voice. "Can I trust you?"

He jumped. "Ah! Of course, Your Highness. You are my ruler and I submit to you," he said, bowing quickly once more.

My lips curled upwards as I brought my head back up. "Good," I spoke, "Because I intend to extend to you a very prestigious and gracious honour. For your devotion towards the era of the night, as a valued citizen of my empire…I invite you to become a part…of my family."

His ears perked up and his eyes shot open. "Wh-what…?" he mumbled, "Your Highness, are you…are you offering me a position within the castle?"

I chuckled. "Perhaps not within the castle per say, but under my direct employ yes. I have not yet decided where to station you."

The look on his face could only be described accurately as 'conflicted'. His eyes drifted away from mine, shifting from the floor to the banners to the many guards stationed at every doorway. His front hooves fiddled together nervously. "I…I…" he stammered, "I am not quite sure what to say…Are you sure you want me?"

"Yes."

"But I'm just…a fruit salespony…"

I chuckled again, narrowing my gaze at him. "It matters not."

He gulped, still not meeting my eyes. "I'm just not sure I can-"

He yelped as I gently used my magic to turn his head back so that he was looking at me. "You sell yourself short, Harvest. I have learned that you are a very dedicated pony, not only to myself but to your sister as well. You respect the night, you abide by the law, and I feel I could wager that you would not dare set your hoof against mine."

He merely stared at me, his ears splayed back and quivering anxiously.

"Who am I?" I asked him.

He took in a breath and then said, "Y-you are Nightmare Moon. You are my leader, my Princess…my liege."

A subtle grin graced my lips as my horn's aura increased in intensity, spreading the glow from under his chin across his entire body. "You will make a fine subject of the night."

At first he twisted his head around in a mild panic as he felt my magic envelop his whole body, but a moment later he fell into a relaxed state. I coursed a powerful surge of magic through my horn, casting the wonderful spell that I had so recently perfected.

He let out a low moan as my alicorn magic began to flow through him, but he simply gave me a half-lidded stare and ceased all movement of his body. His hooves left the ground as he was slowly lifted up into the air, held aloft like a unicorn foal's doll. His face screwed up in pain slightly as my spell began to take effect. His hooves twitched every so often and he let out a few garbled sounds from his throat. The intense blue-coloured glow only continued to increase, wrapping his entire body in a brilliant show of pure magical energy. Finally, I began to see results.

The blue colour from his coat began to fade to grey, while the orange in his mane darkened and shifted until it was a very deep navy blue. His eyes slipped closed as parts of his body began to change. His ears enlarged and some of his teeth grew into sharp fangs. When he opened his eyes again, they rather resembled mine. Though he still twitched and moaned, his relaxed state began to wear off and some of his cognitive functions returned.

Such was not a blessing as the changed pony suddenly cried out in pain. I sympathised with him as two completely new appendages formed and emerged from his earth pony body, a necessary evil for a pony of his type. My spell finally complete, the aura around him faded and deposited the pony on the ground in a quivering heap, his fresh new bat wings hanging limply at his sides.

I stared at the new addition to the Night Guard as he lay panting, giving him a chance to recover from the agonising transformation. Besides the lack of armour, he now looked identical to the other members of the Night Guard standing nearby in the room. His cutie mark remained, though little else did when it came to his outward appearance.

As the excruciating pain began to fade away, he slowly opened his eyes and tried to get his bearings. I used my magic to carefully help him up. When he was in a sitting position, he gazed around the room in a daze for a moment before his eyes focused on me.

"Can you hear me?"

He blinked and held a hoof to his head, looking as if he had consumed far too much alcohol the previous night. "Y…Your Highness?"

"Who are you?" I asked.

"H-Harvest…"

"Do you feel any injuries or maladies aside from dizziness and aches?"

He clenched his eyes shut for a moment. "What…happened?" he murmured.

I grinned and proclaimed, "You now belong to a greater good and you answer to a higher call. You are part of the best and the greatest, and there is no room for failure. You will leave behind all weakness, for you are no longer a mere mortal."

Focus seemed to be returning to him as he looked up at me with worried eyes, hearing what I told to him.

"You are now an indestructible Soldier of the Night, and as you and your brothers and sisters move as one, none shall stand in your way." I pointed to his body and said, "Feel free to examine your glorious transformation."

I watched him as he slowly turned and regarded his new fur coat and stunning set of bat wings with wide eyes. "I…" he muttered as he gave the wings a fumbling, experimental flap. His jaw dropped slightly when it was confirmed to him that he did indeed have control of them. "I…" His eyes roamed the room a bit, no doubt experiencing his new heightened vision. "I-I…"

"Face me young Night Guard," I told him, "Speak."

He turned to look up at me again. I could see him struggling to focus on me completely, his eyes glazing over just slightly. His head tilted to the side for a moment before he blinked again and spoke. "I…thank you…my liege." He dipped his head in a simple bow. "Thank you for this…wondrous gift of the night."

Yes, the spell had worked perfectly. At this moment I knew that his mind was being influenced, though not controlled or replaced, by the wonderful spirit of the bat. Nothing about his likes, dislikes, hobbies, beliefs or memories would change, but they would be infused by an undying adoration for the night and, by extension, myself. The transformation was complete; he was exactly like the others.

"Do you accept my offer for a position as member of the Night Guard?"

"I would be honoured…" he replied, still with his head bowed.

"Your fruit shop will have to be closed down or sold."

"Of course. I have some friends in the city who would be interested."

"Good. At a later date, tell me their names and I shall perform the transfer for you. Your position will come with lodgings in the castle. Is there anything you wish to retrieve from your home?"

"Yes, Your Highness. If you would allow it, I would like to keep all of the letters from my sister."

"They shall be retrieved. Rise."

At this point, it seemed that his strength had returned in full and he got to his hooves. He stole a glance back at his wings again, this time managing to flap them correctly though not very much in sync.

"Worry not, you shall learn quickly," I informed him, "You shall be tested and trained by our highest ranking officials. Until such a time, you will treat them as if they are me; the same respect and the same obedience." I then signalled for one of the guards standing at the door to our right. He trotted over and, like clockwork, was swiftly replaced by another from the shadows. "Take him to the training grounds."

The other guard saluted, bowed his head, then turned and led the new member into the heart of the castle.

"Harvest."

Both ponies stopped and turned back to look at me. "Yes, my liege?" he replied.

I gave him an enigmatic smile. "Welcome."

He grinned gratefully at me before the two continued through a side door and out of sight.

I chuckled to myself as I turned in the opposite direction and slowly trotted towards the door there, the guards bowing and offering me passage. Another addition to the Night Guard who was sure to be up to the tasks required of him. With his new form he was now the same as all of the others, with the same skills, fortitude and devotion as those that had once been bats.

This new spell was proving to be infinitely useful. Over the months, I had cast it on many ponies and without any sort of issue. True, there were five or so failed cases at the very beginning, but with my near-limitless magical power it was hardly any time at all before the spell was perfected. Since then, none had been transformed incorrectly and, more importantly, not a single one had shown any signs of rebellion, insubordination or secrecy. With a bat's devotion, they truly had become part of our grand collective.

I was trotting up the brilliant marble staircase that led to the second floor, smiling to myself. With so many wonderfully dedicated members of the Night Guard at my side, I had come so far. The castle was now an indomitable fortress, surrounded by further fortifications to the walls, parapets and all otherwise vulnerable areas. Even some hypothetic creature that was immune to magic could not hope to cause more than a few hardy chips at the stone walls.

On the outside it was a barricaded fortress of war, but on the inside it was a beautiful love letter to the glory of the night. All of the hideous statues had been destroyed and the egotistical banners removed. I could have replaced them with stunning and inspiring depictions of myself, but that went against the whole point, didn't it? My ascension to the throne was for the magnificence of the night sky and the unmatched power of the moon. Banners and tapestries around the castle only depicted these two things. Windows and lighting were designed to cast dancing shadows across every room. Every doorway and balcony was decorated with flourishing stars and moons, and one could not go anywhere within the castle walls without seeing dedicated soldiers of the night.

They were all like a family to me. At first they had been my comrades and fellow admirers of the night, but now I was coming to appreciate them. Most of these ponies had once been simple, yet wonderful, bats but they were taking to their new forms and responsibilities with undying loyalty. While their reverence and respect was not what I desired, as bats' respect for the night was nothing new, I still greatly appreciated it and knew that I could not have done it nearly as smoothly without their help.

Magic is a strange thing that even the smartest and most powerful pony cannot possibly understand entirely. I knew this because as time continued to pass, I had begun to feel a connection with each and every member of the Night Guard that went beyond this simple earthly realm. It could only be described as something magical, and from it I knew that I could count on each and every guard here to follow me until the very end. As I trotted past the carefully designed windows that looked out upon the city, I felt a calm sensation wash over me and I felt the spirit and energy of every single-

But then I stopped suddenly. My eyes opened and I focused, frowning. Something was wrong. Something was not right, and it had something to do with the Night Guard. It was something so faint that I had barely felt it, and at that moment I hadn't even been sure I had felt anything at all. I had learned long ago that life was full of unexpected surprises, so I focused on this faint feeling and performed a teleport.

In a flash, I was gone.

Confrontation

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Chapter 7 - Confrontation

When I reached the destination of my teleportation spell, I found myself in a very familiar area beneath the castle. Immediately in my field of vision was the reason I had been drawn here in the first place. Two guardsponies lay unconscious on the ground, minute traces of blood visible on the sides of their heads. The armoured door leading out of, and into, this room was barricaded shut by planks of wood.

Predictably, I heard Celestia's startled gasp from behind me. I ignored it, however. My attention was drawn instead to the other five gasps that I heard.

I spun around to face the cell, my eyes burning intensely. I took in the situation and my blood began to boil. Rage unlike I had felt in a long, long time blazed within me when I saw what was going on.

Celestia was up against the back wall, frozen and with one hoof held up like a foal caught stealing from the kitchen. The door to her cell had been forced open, and some but not all of her bindings had been torn off. Along with her, occupying various spots in the room, were five ponies in various colours.

One of them clinging to the edge of the tiny ground-level window near the ceiling of the east wall, holding onto where the iron bars had once blocked it and clearly identifying how they had got in there in the first place. Two more were standing around the outside of the cell, while the final two were inside and in the process of assisting Celestia with her remaining bindings. All of them had that same stunned, surprised expression as they remained frozen on the spot.

I had just walked in, so to speak, on a rescue mission.

Not even a second after she saw me, Celestia held her hoof out to me and shouted, "No, wait! Stop!!" The others immediately began to scramble, fleeing from the scene and heading towards the open window.

They barely made three steps before I fired a spell directly at the window, sealing it with an impenetrable barrier of shimmering teal magic. The pony who had been at the window was gone, only the chopped-off fur at the end of his tail remained.

I hardly cared. A burning tempest began to swirl through the room as a furious, blazing black aura ignited around me. I was furious. With the window securely sealed and the only other exit blocked, I turned my attention to the four remaining ponies. I could almost feel the fire dancing in my eyes. I grit my teeth, baring my fangs, and let loose an enraged growl.

"Stop! Please!! Don't hurt them, Luna!"

Now with nowhere to go, the four ponies could only stand frozen on the spot and look up at me. Eyes wide, jaws slack, they all quivered on the spot as they gazed at the most powerful, most infuriated pony any of them had ever seen.

"I told them not to, Luna! I beg of you!"

The ground shook as I took a step forward. The air around me was like a hungry bonfire, but coloured jet-black. The pathetic, terrified ponies cowered even more as I approached. Some of them began begging for their lives, but I didn't hear a word they said.

"This is how you choose to waste your pathetic lives?!" my voice boomed, nearly cracking the stone walls.

They all cried out and scattered, but I effortlessly lifted one of them up with my magic. A white unicorn mare with an orange mane. She screamed in terror and wiggled hopelessly in my grasp.

"The…sun…is…DEAD!!" I proclaimed, "For this crime against your Princess, you will be punished!"

"Please-" was all the mare could get out before I flung her into the wall.

"No!!" Celestia screamed.

I could hear the sounds of her bones snapping as I slammed her into the wall once more, leaving a small blood-stained crater in the stonework.

"Luna stop!!"

The treacherous pony could only let out a strangled breath before I slammed her against the wall one final time, releasing my grip and letting her drop to the floor.

The room was filled with the screams of the other three ponies and the incessant pleading of the pony in the cell. I turned round to find the three cowering together, expressions of shock and disgust on their faces as they sat frozen in complete shock. As soon as they saw my furious eyes, they split apart and scattered once again like a mischief of tiny mice. Two of them dove for whatever small hiding place they could find, but the third fell flat on his belly as my front hoof pinned his tail to the ground.

The orange stallion screamed and pawed at the ground frantically as he tried to free himself. I'm sure he would have gone so far as to yank his own tail off had I not crushed him with my other front hoof. His eyes bugged out and he let out a strangled cry as his weak, mortal body crumbled beneath my might. I left him behind, laying in a pool of blood.

The second mare, a pegasus, had circled around behind me and was desperately hopping up against the wall with her hooves outstretched towards the sealed window. She let out a shriek of terror as I magically yanked her up off the ground. She turned her head back and regarded me with a look of hysteria. Tears streamed from her eyes and all she could do was cry like a filly. Somewhere in the distance, Celestia was still screaming.

The pegasus squeaked and shot her head down as she felt something coil around her legs. An unused chain from the cell was weaving its way around her body like a snake, glowing in my magic's aura. She tried to cry out in protest, but the words died on her lips as the chain tightened itself around her neck and torso. Her front hooves pulled at the chain, her back hooves flailed around in a panic, but on her face was a look of hopeless defeat. Her mouth hung open but no more rebellious words fell out, her white fur coated in crimson. I dropped both her and the chain once she stopped moving.

I stood there for a moment, my chest heaving ragged breaths that almost sounded like growls. Dealing with these filthy insubordinate ponies was only fueling my rage. It felt like every hair on my body was charged with electricity. Everything around me was windswept by the furious aura that surrounded me. For a few seconds, I stared at nothing with vengeful, bloodthirsty eyes.

One of my ears swivelled towards a sound in the room and I whirled around to face the last remaining pony. This wretch, a third mare with yellow fur, was hastily trying to remove the barricade on the door that the five of them had no doubt set up in the first place. To their own detriment, she was having a difficult time accomplishing this.

Ignoring the pleading voice from the cell, I slowly stomped towards her. She heard me coming, fueling her panic and making her move faster. I continued to stalk towards her, rage in my soul.

To her, my approach must have seemed terrifyingly slow. She had made some progress towards her escape, but it wasn't enough. She let out a frightful cry of surprise as she found herself hoisted into the air and held in front of me. I rotated her so that she was facing me, but she didn't scream. She merely stared deep into my eyes, seemingly unable to tear her gaze away, as she trembled and murmured in fear.

"What was your intention?" When she did not reply, I yelled, "Answer me!!"

She cried out and murmured, "We-We were trying to…free…"

"What did she tell you?"

"Sh-she told us to…leave her there and…and run away…"

"Why did you not listen?!"

She sniffled and didn't respond.

"Look at your companions!" I thundered. Her eyes briefly darted to the fallen forms of the others before she dissolved into more tears. "Look at what has become of them!!"

"I'm sorry…" she whimpered.

A sudden spike of anger shot through me and I tightened my grip, causing her to cry out in pain.

"You were here to free your overthrown leader! You were here in an attempt to defeat me! You are here now because you despise me!"

She didn't say anything.

"Say it!!" I exclaimed.

"I…I…"

"Say what is so obviously true! Reveal to me what is so obviously true; that you would chose to support your weak, defeated Princess because you have no…respect…for…the…night!!" I yelled every word as if each one were a spear going right through her pathetic form.

She tried to say something, but her words came out a jumbled, crying mess.

"Say it!!!"

"I'm so sorry!!" she finally exclaimed, "We tried our best! Celestia, we love you!!"

A moment later, her pupils shrank and her mouth fell open wordlessly. All of her limbs extended outward as the magic aura around her increased in intensity. Then, her eyes clenched closed and she began to let out a horrible, wailing cry of pain.

She remained like that, suspended in the air with her cry slowly growing louder. My furious eyes were locked on her, watching her agony. Her long unbroken scream rose in volume an almost absurdly long time until she finally needed to suck in a breath before screaming again. To the outward observer nothing seemed to be wrong with her, but her wails told another story. Somepony else was screaming, but my focus was on this damned, treacherous mare.

Her voice reached a pitch that barely sounded like it belonged to a pony any more. Blood began to trickle from her ears and the edges of her mouth, and a moment later she was shedding crimson tears. My teeth were grit painfully hard, my body filled with a volatile anger that felt like it would never dissipate. I could have kept going until there was nothing left of this wretched pony. I wanted to destroy her!

"Luna, that's enough!!"

The air was filled with the mare's sharp intake of breath, and then she fell unceremoniously to the floor. I left her dead body behind, turning around and briefly regarding the other three unmoving ponies before setting my sights on the one pony left alive.

Celestia wasn't even looking at me. She was seated on her haunches, hunched forward and staring at the ground as she shivered and heaved shuddering breaths. Even as I stepped towards her and into her cell, she didn't look up.

"You…You didn't have to…" she whispered, almost inaudibly, "They could have been punished…or locked up…but you…"

I stopped when I was standing a pony's length away from her. "Look at me," I commanded.

She let out another trembling breath before slowly turning her dishevelled, broken face to me. She did perk up once she saw me, and saw the cloud of daggers hovering around me. I narrowed my eyes at her and spoke.

"I counted 27 times."

Her eyes barely had time to open wide before all of the daggers zipped through the air and found their way into her body. Her scream was not unlike the one I had just heard from that last mare. Her face twisted up in unimaginable pain as a torrent of blood flowed forth. She was on the floor in seconds, lying on her side and curling up like a tiny foal, crying, shivering and moaning in anguish.

"You have now witnessed what will happen to foolish ponies who not only injure my guards…" I paused and cast a spell on the two downed guards, as well as two more unconscious ones I found outside the window, and teleported them to the medical wing where they would be tended to. "…but also commit the highest act of treason that there is." I used my magic to quickly lock her bonds back into place where they belonged, and then turned and began to depart. "Should you encounter any more, try harder to convince them to leave, and you may just save their lives."

My anger had finally been winding down, but I was still fuming. There was still a scowl on my face as I slammed the cell door shut and trotted not-so-lightly towards the exit, intending to get as far away from this infuriating pony as I possibly could. I was so focused on leaving that I almost didn't hear the incredibly quiet, wispy voice from behind me.

"I…I don't understand…"

I stopped and brought my head up, my eyes widening but my brow still furrowed. I turned and cantered back over, flinging the door open with a heavy clang.

"What?"

Celestia was laying curled up on the red-stained floor, shivering. Her head lay on its side on the ground, her eyes half-open and glazed over as she stared at nothing. "I don't understand…" she repeated in a hoarse whisper that could barely be heard at all.

"What is there to not understand?!" I shouted, "Those ponies committed an act of treason towards their Princess and sovereign ruler…"

I trailed off because she wasn't listening to me and was continuing to talk. "I remember…I remember so long ago, when you were still…" She paused and I listened. "When you were…young."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, debating whether or not I wanted to bother listening to what was sure to be drivel.

"You were crying…and you came running to me…and you told me that you were upset because everypony in…the village was asleep…and nopony could see what you had made. You wanted ponies to stay up at night so they could see the stars. I…I was powerless to do anything, but I should not have stopped listening to you. You grew to feel unappreciated and lonely. You just wanted a… a friend…"

I was about to interrupt her, but she kept talking.

"You wanted somepony, even just one pony, to tell you how amazing your night looked. Even just one pony to stay up all night with you and gaze at the stars. You never found anypony, but…that pony could have been…me. But I was just so busy, so many things were changing, and Equestria's rise to power was going so…so well… I never…"

"I hope you are not so dense as to realize that it is far too late for empty apologies."

Still she kept talking as if I had not spoken a word. "And even…even when this whole thing started…when you became who you are now…" A shiver passed over her body. "You told me…that you wanted ponies to respect you and to respect the night. You made the night last forever so ponies would have no choice but to admire the stars. I know this."

"The ponies of this land have been poisoned by you!" I exclaimed, "Such is why it is taking them so long to understand their own admiration for the night!" I stopped and paused for a moment, blinking once. "They will all understand to respect the night!"

"I cannot pretend to know what is in your mind…" Celestia whispered, sounding weaker with every passing minute, "but I know what I have heard and what I have been told…When you were young you wanted love and admiration for the night and, though that may not be true any longer, you have always wanted the respect of your fellow ponies."

I stared at her, unable to deny the truth in her words but equally unable to reply. She then lifted her head up, the first sign of movement I had seen from her, and turned to look up at me with indescribably frightened eyes.

"…So what happened??" she whispered as loudly as she could.

I found myself tongue-tied for a moment. "What…are you talking about? Do not think you can confuse me with riddles."

A little bit of strength seemed to be returning to Celestia's broken form, though all it served to do was make her voice louder and her expression more vibrant. "You wanted love and respect…! You wanted to rule ponies who would admire the stars, bow to your rule, and follow you to wherever you would lead them."

I was so perplexed by her words that I couldn't even scowl at her any more. I simply regarded her with a confused expression. "Clearly," I stated the obvious, "A goal I have stated to you numerous times, and will-"

"Then what is this?!" she suddenly yelled, managing to reach quite a high volume and startling me slightly. She thrust one of her hooves to point outward, flinging blood on the floor, cell bars, and my legs.

I followed her hoof to see she was pointing at one of the dead bodies.

"Your actions do not match your words!" she exclaimed, "You speak of leadership and admiration, yet the strides you have taken are ruthless and power-hungry! If your plan was to oust me and then continue in my place, that would still be unacceptable but at least it would be sufferable! What are you doing?!" She closed her eyes and groaned, her brief bout of strength coming to an end. "You cannot gain respect from ponies when you threaten them with death."

I furrowed my brow and stamped a hoof on the ground. "Enough of this," I proclaimed, "Attempting to rescue you is an act of treason and the rightful punishment has been enacted. I shall not idly stand by while you deliver lies and deceit. I have told you this before, and I shall tell you again. You should cease to concern yourself with the ponies of this land, as they are out of your hooves. One way or another, whether it takes weeks, months or years, the Equestrian ponies shall have no choice but to adore the night!!"

My eyes shot open wide. "They shall all revere the night!" I added without losing face, but my mind was reeling. It was the second time that had happened. What was wrong with me? The words had just slipped out as if they had come directly from my brain, but they hadn't.

"What's happened to you…?" My eyes shot back to Celestia, who had lost whatever strength had been returned to her and was laying comatose on the floor once more. "What do you want from them…?"

"Shut up!!" I exclaimed, "They are all going to…to…"

I stopped myself. I could feel the wrong words on my tongue just waiting to come out. I was sure by now that something was happening to me, but what? Was this some trick by Celestia? But that couldn't be possible; she had no access to magic. Even disregarding that, what would she hope to accomplish by putting the wrong words in my mouth? She knew that I cared not for the love and admiration of these ponies. Hadn't I proved that?

The world around me seemed to slow down as I began to dwell on this thought. I didn't care about what these ponies thought of me. I was their leader and I could do whatever I wanted, whether they liked it or not. Ever since this had all stared I had known this.

I couldn't deny, however, that Celestia was right. My actions didn't match my words. I reflected on everything that had happened since I had defeated her. Everything had gone according to plan, or at least I had thought so. But now, looking back, I was only filled with questions. The events of the past were not so much memories as mysteries. I was Nightmare Moon, and I planned to rule this land as I saw fit! So what was I doing? I had not realized it before, but now it was the only thing that was crystal clear to me.

It all didn't make sense.

I realized that I had been standing there for a couple of minutes staring off into nothingness with my jaw half-open. I glanced down at Celestia, but she wasn't paying attention to me; she was barely awake. I felt like I needed to say something, anything to assert my superiority. Instead, I simply teleported away.

…

When I materialized, I found myself in my personal chambers. In seconds, I was pacing about with my mind running a mile a minute. I searched for answers, but I wasn't even sure if I had the right questions.

'What am I doing?!' I asked myself, 'What have I been doing this whole time? I have defeated Celestia in battle, imprisoned her, and taken her magic from her. I am now the most powerful being in the entire world. I am invincible! None shall be able to stand in my way, the night has already taken the celestial throne…The whole world is mine to take!

'Yet, I have been attempting to serve as this nation's respected leader. I have been altering the properties of the moon to fix problems that have arisen, I have instructed the Night Guard to enact order and rule in the cities, and I have been walking through the streets like some sort of common peasant! I have been holding meetings with the leaders of other nations!

'I am Nightmare Moon! I am destined to rule this world!!'

I tried to recall my memories from the past months, but somehow they didn't feel completely my own. I could remember from long, long ago my desire and intent to rule this world. Celestia had stood in my way, and this ambition to conquer had fueled my anger and determination, and it is what had ultimately managed to take down Celestia. Truly, she had been the only creature alive who stood any chance of defeating me and preventing the night from its domination of the entire world, but I had bested her and now nothing would ever impede me.

But then, what had I been talking about during that whole tirade before the battle? I had been talking about injustice and arrogance and the right to rule.

'Equestria is at my hooves, ready to submit to the glory of the night lest they be punished or destroyed, and I altered the properties of moonlight so the crops would grow. I removed the chilling cold and replaced it with warmth. Warmth like in the day. Like the light that shone from Celestia's infuriating sun! Why is she still alive?!'

I stomped my hoof on the floor, probably causing something to fall in the room below. 'I am invincible. If I were to go out and conquer the world right this second, it would be done. I have an army, I have the means to make my army bigger, and I have unlimited power at my hooves. But all of this should have been done already! Why have I been wasting so much time concerning myself with the wellbeing of these fools! Each and every one of them are pets of the sun. They can never be cured!

'These ponies live in relative comfort under a facsimile of the night. I still call myself their Princess, of all things. Their lives are mine to control! If I want to crush my opposition under my hoof until nothing remains, I shall! When I walk the streets of Canterlot, the ponies shall all smile at me and compliment the night.'

I had been pacing again, but I stopped as if I had hit a brick wall. My eyes shot open and my mind stalled for a bit. 'Smile and compliment'?! Where in Equestria had that come from?! I sat on my haunches and held my two forehooves up to my head, as if trying to squeeze out whatever intruder was inside.

'It's a trick…' I was struggling for answers at this point. 'Celestia must have cast some sort of hex on me before the battle had even begun. How can that be possible?! That damned, filthy alicorn is messing with my mind! Does her treachery know no bounds?! She is the source of all of my problems and I should have killed her long, long ago, but I love her so much…and I hurt her.'

It felt like the temperature in the room became twice as cold. 'What?! What are these words? These are the words of a weak and pathetic fool…!' I set my forehooves firmly on the ground and grit my face in determination. 'I will not be defeated by some hex. I know who I am! I am Nightmare Moon, ruler of the entire world!'

You hurt Celestia.

'Of course I hurt her! She is my enemy and must be dealt with!'

You have gone too far. You have hurt her too much.

'I can do whatever I please! I control her magic! I am unmatched in power! She should consider herself lucky she still breathes!'

I would never have done this, no matter how I felt.

At that moment, I gasped as a sense of recognition overcame me.

'…You.'

The moon sits upon its throne and the citizens are under our rule, but this has gone too far.

'It's you who has been influencing my actions. How dare you?!'

What choice did I have?

'This should not be. You have no power any longer. You are something that belongs to me now. A relic of the past.'

I am not your enemy, and you are not mine. Together, we have accomplished things I had always thought impossible. But this is wrong. It's all going wrong.

'You have no say in the matter. I control you.'

That is not-

'When I found you, you were nothing! You were pathetic, you were weak and you were powerless!! When I offered myself to you I was met with refusal, but as the injustices against you grew you changed your mind.'

I was angry.

'As you should have been! I extended to you a gracious offer, but not a single thing happened until you yourself accepted. By your own choice, you have submitted to me! If you are unsatisfied, you can only blame yourself!'

This is not what you promised me, at least not exactly. I never would have-

'Look at the world around you! Do you see injustices anymore?!'

Yes!!

'Where?'

You have replaced Celestia's sins with your own!

'Mere semantics. The glory of the Lunar reign could be leagues beyond where it currently stands if you had not been meddling. The night is a cold, dark place filled with scarce, twinkling lights and beautiful dancing shadows. It is where fierce, fantastic creatures roam. It is where life becomes more exciting and thrilling! You cannot deny this.'

I…cannot.

'So why is the night now bright and warm?!'

Ponies were suffering…I wanted them to see the night, but-

'The citizens of this land are inconsequential! Soon, Equestria shall live under a new paradigm, and the pathetic ponies of the daylight shall die out. In their place, our glorious citizens of the night shall take their place!'

That is not-

'You will remain silent! You came to me crawling on your hooves, tears in your eyes. I could see in your heart that you had been hurt in the most unimaginable ways. You ignored me for all those years, but on that night you surrendered your body and mind so that I may correct these crimes.'

You helped bring the wonders of the night to the citizens of Equestria and ousted Celestia from her position of wrongful power, and for that I am grateful, but-

'You should hardly be grateful at the pitiful progress that has been made so far. If you had not been reaching for the reins, then the entire world could have already been at our hooves! Your time is over now! I shall forge the path to a glorious future!'

…No.

'What?!'

I do not want this anymore.

'You must be joking.'

I rescind my offer and hereby render any contract or agreement as null and void. You have committed atrocities I would have never done, no matter how angry I may have been.

'Is that so?'

You will cease these ambitions and stand down.

I began to laugh. I was still simply sitting in the centre of my chambers where nopony could see or hear me, but still I laughed. All of my frustration and anger was gone, and all I could do was laugh.

'Do you honestly think I still need you in any way? You have given me your body, your mind and your magic. What possible use could I still have for you? I rather enjoy this limitless power that I have been granted. I've barely gotten to play with it. You played your irritating little game of influence from within some deep, well-hidden corner of my mind. You heard right, I said my mind. For you seem to have overlooked your biggest mistake. You have now exposed yourself to me, so now I know exactly where you are hiding!'

You cannot- Augh!

'This world no longer has any need for you! I no longer have need for you! As you presently stand you are only getting in my way, so I will make sure that you never bother me again!'

You are not a creature of this world! You have claimed my entire being, but I shall claim it back!

'I would love to see you try!'

You have no power without me! You are nothing but a reflection!

'I am what you see when you gaze into the mirror!'

I will never be like you!

'It has already happened! Perhaps you don't realize! I have taken your thoughts and memories as my own. Your past, present and future now belong to me! No being out there in this world shall ever be able to separate you from me!'

You are a monster!

'And you are not?'

You are nothing like me!!

'I am you!!'

No!

'Yes! You have welcomed me in and I have already devoured your soul! Long after you are gone, I shall still be here carrying on where you have failed!'

Stop! Stop, you can't do this!

'Your little games shall end right now! You are insignificant, just as you have always been!'

No… Please…

My horn was glowing, my eyes closed in concentration, and a small wind was twisting through the room. 'Begone!!' I silently commanded, 'Begone from the hidden recesses of my mind, you pathetic trickster! This world has no place for you, and it shall never hear your cries of sorrow ever again! I am Nightmare Moon, and you are nothing!!'

I gasped out and held my head up high, the wind in the room suddenly vanishing. Blissful silence prevailed for a moment, as if the entire world had come to a gentle stop. When at last I opened my eyes, it felt as if I were seeing through them for the first time. A smile graced my lips. Every single part of my body felt fresh and energized. I had shed from my being a debilitating poison, and now more than ever I truly felt alive. For the first time in a long, long while, my mind felt clear.

I began to laugh again. There was not a single question in my mind. I knew who I was, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what I wanted to do and what I would do. My laughter grew in volume until I was cackling almost madly as loud as I could.

I got to my hooves and stood tall, spreading my wings. I felt newly transformed. I felt reborn. What was in the past no longer mattered, for now I could step forward on the path towards the glorious future. Now there was truly nothing holding me back. The whole world would be mine!

I turned and cantered out to the small balcony connected to my chambers. Night Guards that had been hanging upside-down nearby took to the air and fluttered away to a respectful distance, but I barely noticed them. I looked up to see the moon directly above. I aimed my horn straight at it and reached out towards it with my magic, not wasting a single second. I focused on the energy and properties of the moon, shifting it and playing with it until it met my satisfaction. The aura from my horn diminished and immediately an invigorating rush of cool air swept past me.

The vile changes that had been made to the night were now gone. Chilling air prevailed and shadows danced as they were meant to in the pale silvery glow of the moon. I decided to leave the new phases of the moon as a timekeeping measure, but everything else was now as it should be. Equestria was once again bathed in the true glory of the night.

Moments later I was in the air, gliding blissfully around the outside of the castle until I alighted seconds later on the central balcony that overlooked the entire city. I stood at the very front, surrounded on three sides by the impenetrable fortress that was Canterlot Castle, and standing high above the city and its tiny occupants that were spread out below me.

I was grinning in anticipation. Soon, Canterlot would be more than just a vibrant city. It would be the centre of my empire; an invincible, indomitable fortress from which I would rule this pathetic world! These ponies, and all ponies across this land, would serve me and fight for me or they would be killed. There would be no middle ground.

With my growing forces of soldiers of the night, even some impossible foe who matched my power would fall before me. There were still thousands of bats in this land, and furthermore all of these ponies. In fact, I reasoned, there perhaps could be a middle ground. Those who would not serve me could be transformed into soldiers of the night. I now had the means. I briefly considered simply changing them all. Perhaps that was how Equestria would stand.

I glanced out at the roads of the city. Most of the citizens were asleep at this time in the cycle, but there were a select few still wandering about. Perhaps some of them had noticed the familiar chill in the air. The crops would likely wither and die, but I hardly cared. Under the glory of the night, Equestria would thrive one way or another. My soldiers, my children, did not feast on food that required the harsh light of the sun. Yes, transforming them all was sounding more appealing by the minute.

I thought about my children as I turned my gaze inward, looking at the castle grounds below me. Every possible vulnerability in the castle was guarded by at least three members of the Night Guard. They and I were connected in a way that was like no other. They were made stronger by it. As long as I still drew breath, my soldiers of the night would prevail. I leant them my strength, and they leant me their loyalty.

I felt a chilly wind ruffle the feathers of my outstretched wings. I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the wonderful, welcoming sensation of the glorious night. It was astounding how much different I felt. My mind was no longer clouded. My ambitions were unchecked, and I would pursue them until they were in my grasp. Any creature who would not follow me was worthless in my eyes. I was the most powerful being in the world! None would dare anger somepony as powerful as I!

And yet, I knew they would. Perhaps a lot of them would. Memories of the past few months returned to me, and I nearly grimaced at my own behaviour. In truth, I had only really been half there. A shadow of a nightmare. Now, however, I was truly in charge. I no longer cared about the lives of these awful, sun-loving peasants and I certainly did not care what happened to-

My eyes shot open and I gasped. Then, furious anger bubbled through my veins as I grit my teeth and growled.

Celestia.

That rotting heap down in the dungeon. She was still alive! It made my blood boil just thinking about how that alicorn still breathed the same air I did. If there was only one thing I was certain of in this world, it was how much I absolutely despised that pony. Even as far back as I can remember, I have hated her. She is for everything that I am against. Her reign over the day is what overshadows the glory of the night! She was my enemy and she needed to be destroyed!

My horn flashed brightly and deposited a lifeless lump onto the floor before me. The beaten, bloodied form that had once been Celestia a long time ago was barely awake. Her head lolled to the side, a helpless victim of gravity, her chest barely rose and fell, and her filthy mane lay draped across herself and the ground like a deflated jellyfish. It was quite possibly the most pathetic sight I had ever laid eyes on.

Her eyes barely moved around as she registered her new location, but a moment later they shot open wide. The alicorn found herself being lifted off the ground headfirst. She grit her teeth in pain and held her front hooves up to her neck, where the silvery aura of my magic could be seen. She then closed her eyes and opened her mouth, but not even a breath of air came out. She struggled as best she could while I held her in the there, but her weakness was evident even when advanced by the adrenaline that comes with a danger to one's life.

I was staring right at her, a hungry flame burning in my eyes. The mere sight of this pony ignited anger within me that was unmatched. The fact that she was still alive filled me with rage. Every second that her heart was still beating was an insult to me. I took a step forward, tightening my magic's grip.

She inched open one of her eyes and stared back at me. Her mouth was still open, trying to speak or to simply breathe, but she could do neither. Tears of pain rolled down her cheeks and panic began to set in. Celestia desperately pawed at her neck with her hooves, trying to remove something that was not physically there. Her wings began to involuntarily spread out, an animalistic instinct of her fight or flight response.

She started turning a sickly shade of blue and I began to grin. I took another step forward as if it would expedite the end of her life. I was vaguely aware of a burning aura around me, fueled by both rage and satisfaction, but everything around me was growing dim and unfocused. I only had eyes for Celestia.

The alicorn closed her mouth again and grit her teeth, silently growling against the onslaught of pain. She stopped moving her hooves, leaving them resting on the front of her throat but not affecting my magic's grip in the least. Her eyes, though, were rather unexpected. They did not seem angry, scared, or even disappointed, at least not in me or whoever she thought I was.

The look in her eyes showed that she was simply resigned to her fate. She did not, and could not, speak any words, but her eyes told me what she wasn't able to. She was weak and broken, nearly dead anyway, and she knew that there was no way she could defeat me. There was no way she could possibly hope to free herself. I imagine it must have pained her greatly, but she was finally realizing that she could not win.

She was about to die.

My gaze hardened as we both counted down the last seconds of her life. I wanted to see every moment of her demise. I wanted to watch as the life slowly faded from her eyes, as her body stopped moving, and as her heart stopped beating. I stared straight at her, not blinking once. This was a moment that I would never forget, and it was so tantalizingly near. Her eyes began to roll upwards. Her muscles began to relax.

And then she was gone.

I blinked. It took me a brief moment to realize what had happened. Celestia was gone! She was no longer held in my grasp. I found myself staring at thin air with only the vaguest recollection of a split-second blur.

An unacceptable two seconds passed before I regained my senses and shot my head to the left, my wings already spread and ready for flight. Time seemed to slow down as I took in the scene before me. I saw a sky-blue pegasus mare wearing a deep red scarf that depicted a small sun at the tail end, and she was straining to fly away from me as fast as she could. Two other pegasi with the same scarves were a mere pony's-length away from her, rushing forward to help carry her heavy load.

Heavy…because it was Celestia.

A single grain of sand did not have time to pass through the hourglass before I was furious. I cursed myself for getting so engrossed in ending Celestia's life that I had not paid attention to my surroundings. Now some incredibly brave, and incredibly foolish, pegasus had dashed right in front of me and snatched her away like a gull snatching food from an unsuspecting foal.

They were moments away from clearing the castle grounds when I was in the air. Though incredibly furious, I was not very worried. What hope did three tiny, unarmed pegasi have against the likes of me? Before I could dash forward, I caught movement out of the corner of my right eye. Instead, I dipped my entire body down slightly, letting the fourth pegasus sail harmlessly over my head. While my attention was briefly on that side, the same side that the initial pegasus had come from, I saw four soldiers chasing after them. They had been alerted, but apparently not quick enough to warn me.

That brief shift in attention was long enough, however, for yet another pegasus to come dashing in from the exact opposite direction. Though the one from the right missed entirely, this one managed to clip one of my wings. I lost my balance for a brief second before I regained it. I paid no further attention to those two pegasi, but my horn glowed and I heard their screams of pain.

They had managed to delay me, yes, but the advantage they gained amounted to less than a second. The ones with Celestia were now beyond the castle walls, but still easily within my grip. I pulled up a barrier around me to ward off any other suicidal pegasi and dashed forward.

I smashed muzzle-first into something and came to a dead stop. The pain in my snout was negligible but I was briefly disoriented. I was just barely able to see a shimmering purple wall of magic shudder and shatter before me. I had been stopped by a magic barrier. Time slowed once again as I considered this. A magic barrier had somehow managed to impede me, the most powerful being in the world. How was that possible?!

The barrier had dissipated from the sheer force so I dashed forward once again, but I chanced a quick look down below me. I saw two unicorn ponies, wearing those same scarves, standing on top of the castle's curtain wall next to a pair of incapacitated soldiers. Before I could even focus on them, they dropped to the ground unconscious. The purple glow around both of their horns told me all I needed to know.

The magic of a simple unicorn could not possibly affect me in the slightest, given how powerful I was. Perhaps one of Celestia's glorified, once-in-a-lifetime students could manage to draw blood if they really tried, they were all gone now anyway. However, I could see that these foolhardy ponies had cast something that was far beyond their own abilities. They had crafted magic that had to have been at least ten times more powerful than what a standard unicorn could achieve. It had not injured me or stopped me for more than a few seconds, but it had impeded me. And now they were paying the price for taxing their bodies to such an extreme level. They were now at the mercy of the Night Guard, and that was if they even woke up at all.

The pegasi carrying Celestia were still well within reach, but as I dashed forward once again I saw another barrier shimmer into existence before me. This one was blue, but it was otherwise identical to the last one. I turned myself so that I slammed into it with my shoulder, shattering it easily but costing me speed yet again. I caught a glimpse of two more unicorns on the street, both in the process of falling to the ground.

Now I was really getting furious! I could barely see straight I was so angry. My thoughts were wild and frantic, but I did not let that distract from the task at hoof. I grit my teeth as I tucked my hooves in, preparing to strike forward like a spear so that my horn would pierce right through any other barriers they decided to put up. I granted them the fact that they had managed to catch me off guard, but this nonsense would end.

You can imagine my surprise when I found four green coils of magic wrapping themselves around me like the snap of a whip. I was in utter disbelief. Restraint magic like this took years to perfect and was usually only practiced by lawponies. The loud screams of painful exertion coming from below me confirmed my suspicion that these too were cast by ponies pushing themselves beyond their limits. I was loathe to admit it, but I was temporarily restrained.

I let out a furious shout, though I realized that I still wasn't focusing properly. I took the obvious course of action and began to craft a counterspell. A fifth green coil managed to wrap itself around my horn just before I cast the spell. That coil took the brunt of the spell, and I saw its caster standing on a nearby roof. He cried out in agony as smoke exuded from his whole body and collapsed to the ground, dead from the magical discharge.

I growled and cast yet another counterspell, this one successfully disarming the other four coils and freeing me. I knew for certain that those four ponies were dead; I was rather shocked they had even managed to cast something so powerful for so long. It didn't seem possible.

I sought out Celestia. She and her carrier had gotten unacceptably far from me, and were now almost two blocks distant. I yelled furiously once more and commenced my pursuit yet again, fury burning within me. These insane ponies could slow me down for a few seconds as many times as they wanted, I could pursue Celestia for far longer than they could fly.

The three pegasi, however, were not trying to flee from the city as I had expected. Instead, they were dipping towards a building with a flat, open roof. I focused on the rooftop, noticing that there were no less than ten scarf-wearing unicorns standing there. All of their horns were glowing at once. My eyes shot open as I realized what they were about to do.

I shot through the air like a flaming arrow, zipping towards the rooftop as fast as I could. By then, the pegasi had already thrown Celestia through the air towards the unicorns, as if attempting to skewer her on all of their horns. That would have been a much more pleasing outcome.

My airspeed began to drop. The world turned slightly pink and I glanced back in fury to see that there was a glowing pink aura around me connected to a tall unicorn mare standing on a roof behind me. I had been so focused on Celestia, I hadn't even noticed her. She was struggling to control her magic, and collapsed seconds later with a series of charred marks across her horn.

Her telekinetic grip gone, I was able to cross the remaining distance but those few precious seconds had been too much. I watched in disbelief as the ten unicorns worked together to craft an absurdly powerful spell and cast it on the falling body of Celestia. In a blindingly white flash she was gone, leaving ten unmoving bodies on the rooftop.

I slammed down onto the roof a fraction of a second later, crushing one of the unicorns beneath my hooves and sending out a spider web of cracks beneath me. I let loose a furious, vengeful battle cry before I took to the air once more with my horn glowing. This was far from over.

I quickly found and latched onto the teleport spell that had just been cast. Considering how powerful it was, it was easy to detect it against the natural field of magic. Simpler ponies falsely believe that a teleportation spell is a poof here and then another poof here, which is why unicorn criminals who do not plan ahead properly think they can escape pursuit by teleporting away. In actuality, like any other spell, it was a subtle interaction with the planet's latent magic and one with a finely-trained horn could see a trail leading directly from the departure point to the arrival point. From the rooftop, it was ironically like a brilliant white shooting star, and I could cast pathfinding magic through it so that it would become plainly visible and not fade away after a few seconds.

However, to my utter exasperation, more treacherous scarfed ponies appeared from what seemed to be thin air itself. Four pegasi each carrying in their hooves a unicorn with an already-glowing horn. Though I had not believed any more would appear, I had prepared myself already to immediately deflect any binding spells or disarm any barriers, as well as to neutralize any attempts at telekinesis.

But they did none of that. They surprised me yet again by boxing me in on all sides with shimmering waves of green magic. The spell trail that I had been intending to follow was still visible right next to me, but it vanished completely once it passed by their green waves.

I was floored. Field disruption spells. Magic intended to block and hide from view or detection any kind of magic. This was magic that had been developed over years by one of Celestia's damned pets. How had these ponies learned how to cast it?!

Now I was beyond furious. I do not believe there is an adequate word in the Equestrian language to describe how vengeful I felt. I lashed out at one of the pairs, striking the unicorn directly in the chest with lightning magic. Both he and his support dropped lifelessly from the sky. As I had begrudgingly expected, they were replaced within seconds by another pegasus and unicorn. I was running out of time.

The skies over Canterlot were filled with my piercing cry of rage. The untameable anger boiling inside of me was threating to burst forth like an angry volcano, and that's almost what happened. A blinding glow condensed around my horn for a moment before the whole world went white. The concussive force released outward from my horn impacted with all eight ponies surrounding me, tossing them to the ground or against buildings like ragdolls.

The dust cleared as I panted. No more foolish ponies were accosting me. My horn began to glow once more as my eyes swept the surrounding areas, but what I had been dreading had come to pass. The residing trail from the teleport spell had already faded away, mixing back together with the natural magic of the earth. The trail was gone and I had no idea where Celestia was. Furthermore, I knew that even if I had clairvoyant powers and knew exactly where the trail would have led me, it was almost certain that she had been teleported further a number of times so as to get her as far away as possible.

She was gone. I had lost her.

The city was silent but for the subtle clopping sounds as I landed on the ground below. Almost everything was still. I found myself simply staring ahead at nothing, my chest rising and falling as I took in heavy breaths. A part of me simply refused to believe what had just happened. I struggled to come up with an explanation, or a reason that what was happening wasn't actually happening. I stood there for quite a few minutes, simply staring and breathing.

And then I screamed. I yelled louder than I probably have ever yelled before. There was not a single pony within the entire city would could not have heard me. I was angry. There is no other way to describe it. I was absolutely furious at the events that had just occurred, and I could not and would not hide my anger from the rest of the world.

I can look back on that day now and see that there was truly nopony to blame except myself. I had been overly impulsive and unacceptably unfocused. At that moment, nothing in the world had mattered more than ending Celestia's life, and I took my focus away from things that I should not have under any circumstance. Worse than that, I had underestimated my opponents. All of the unstoppable magical power in the world can still be defeated by cunning and guile. The most powerful warlord, undefeated on the battlefield, can still be crushed if they become careless.

But, at the time, I was just furious. I demanded answers that I didn't have, and changes that I couldn't make. I was in a state where I couldn't have calmed myself down if I had wanted to, and I had not wanted to. I wanted to make sure everypony nearby knew just how enraged I was, because somepony was going to have to pay for this.

My screams into the night finally ceased, leaving me with my head hanging and my chest heaving. I panted as if I had just run a marathon. I was no less angry, and the ten-metre-high pillar of burning aura that engulfed me could attest to that. I wanted to burn a hole in the ground below me. I wanted to expel such powerful magic that the entire city would be levelled.

I heard the sound of bat wings and turned my head slightly so I could look behind me. I saw the Night Guard spread out across the roads, dutifully performing what needed to be done. A full contingent of them was approaching me, ready to serve whatever command I would give them, but I had no command to give. Instead I focused on the other soldiers.

Some of them were working together to haul some of the scarf-wearing ponies away; those, I assumed, who were still alive. Seeing the defeated forms of those vexatious ponies who had managed to one-up me made me reflect on what had just occurred. Just about 40 ponies had willfully given up their lives just to have a slim chance at rescuing their cherished Princess of the Sun. 40 ponies who were either now dead or would either be imprisoned for life or killed anyway. Not one of those imbecilic ponies would ever see the light of day or the light of the moon ever again.

I watched as the streets and rooftops were cleared of the traitors and as troublesome bystanders were arrested. So much blind sacrifice just to get their hooves on a nearly-dead, magic-less pony that had once been something a long time ago. A failure. How many more would be willing to throw themselves on the pike for a dream that could never be attained? I wasn't sure if the thought thrilled or disgusted me.

"You think this is over?!" I held my head high and shouted, "Do you insipid fools think you have won?!" My anger had not subsided in the least, and I was sure it would not for quite a while.

I slammed my hooves into the ground and thrust out my chest. If there was any doubt remaining in their tiny minds, I would squash it right here and now. "You are nothing, Celestia! You are deluded if you think you can defeat me! You cannot hide from me, Celestia, and you cannot stop me! Equestria is mine!! No matter where you are, I will not rest until I have found you!!

"And when I do…I will destroy you!!"

The Eclipse

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Chapter 8 - The Eclipse

"Do not move! Return at once! Guards! Keep her down!"

My mane swirled in the wind as two jet black blurs rushed past me at remarkable speeds. Ponies screamed as the two soldiers of the Night Guard tackled the fleeing mare and held her down. She cried out in pain and began weeping, her muzzle sporting a nasty gash.

"Consider yourself lucky to still be breathing," I spat at her. "My soldiers are trained assassins," I continued, turning back to look at the assembled crowd, "Do not move unless you are commanded to, or you will not survive!!"

I growled and stomped one of my hooves, concentrating on dissipating my burning aura. It burned like the raging fires in the distance. The tiny village of Naponi had not been as cooperative as other places I had previously traveled to; a trend that was continuing even as their town hall, library and theatre were being reduced to ashes. These ponies were testing my patience.

I pounced on the next pony in line, my furious eyes glaring right through him. He squeaked in surprise and fell back on his rump, then began moaning anxiously as he was encased in a navy glow. His eyes bugged wide open and his jaw fell for a moment, and then he grimaced and held a hoof to his head.

"Where is she?!" I shouted.

Instead of responding, he brought his other hoof up to his head and yelled in pain.

I growled in growing frustration and stood up straight, glancing off at my surroundings. I knew that this was just one part of an ultimately ridiculous process, but what else could be done? I asked myself that at least a hundred times a night. Equestria was a very large place, after all.

Celestia had been taken from me and was being hidden away somewhere. The mere thought sparked flames within me. She was my greatest foe, even in her nearly-destroyed state, and so she was my number one priority until she was discovered. Nothing else mattered!

The ponies who had rescued her, however, were doing a frustratingly efficient job of concealing her. I now had three times as many bats scouring these lands as Soldiers of the Night. At the time, it would have been impossible to look up at the sky and not see one of my soldiers flying overhead for more than five minutes. My eyes were everywhere, and they were not seeing anything!

Celestia clearly had a large group of ponies dedicated to her. If more than 40 of them had been willing to simply give up their lives, then it was clear that there were a great number more of these scarf-wearing adversaries that I had to deal with. In fact I had even discovered quite a few, though this was ultimately proving to be of little use.

I shook my head in frustration. A soldier alighted next to me and whispered his regiments' findings into my ear. I scowled from what I heard. "Search harder!" I shouted at him before sending him away. It was looking as if this village held just about as much information as so many before it; absolutely none.

I returned my attention to the stallion in front of me, still encased in my magic's aura. He was recovering, and was staring up at me with frightened eyes once more.

My horn pulsed and I spoke. "When was the last time you saw Celestia?"

"One month after the summer sun celebration in 1009," he replied immediately. His eyes shot open and he clasped his hooves to his mouth in surprise.

I growled. "Get out of my sight," I spat, releasing my magic's hold on him and letting him scamper away like a frightened kitten.

My army was everywhere, dedicating their very existence to finding Celestia or her scarf-wearing crusaders, yet the most they had found were a tiny collection of the latter, which would have been great except that they had no useful information to dig out. Celestia was being hidden frustratingly well. I quite simply couldn't fathom it.

That left myself with the next-best course of action, which was yielding a similar set of results. Truth-telling spells were usually an exceedingly-useful tool, so much so that they had been forbidden during the sun's reign. It was becoming irritatingly evident, however, that Celestia's little servants had planned for this as well. We had interrogated her rebels and had uncovered some information while questioning the townsponies, but they always had very little to say.

Though they were unquestionably involved with Celestia's planned rebellion, their answer to 'Have you seen Celestia?' was always 'No'. My enemy was thinking intelligently, letting as few ponies as possible actually interact with the alicorn so that truth spells would have little if anything to unearth. Similarly, it seemed that any of her soldiers that knew where their 'base of operations' was were staying there, and those stationed elsewhere had no idea where it was.

So when we found them, we knew what they were doing, but any specific details remained in the unknown.

I barked a command and began to ask the next citizen in line some questions. While this lack of success was irritating and extremely frustrating, I was certainly not worried about anything. Even if I never found her, what was she going to do? She was barely any better than a run-of-the-mill pegasus at this point. She had no magic and a horn that would probably not heal completely for a couple of years.

Still, however, that didn't mean I was going to give up and simply let her live. She was still my enemy, and I knew I would not rest until she was destroyed. Celestia would pay for her crimes.

It is not as if my army had achieved no success whatsoever. We had confirmed through interrogation of her soldiers that she was still residing somewhere within Equestria and that there were no plans to take her across the borders, and we had discovered that there were a large, indeterminate number of ponies dedicated to this rebellion who were hiding amongst the commoners. We had found a few, but it irked me to know that there were some slipping past us.

We had even managed to storm a base of rebels near Shetland, arresting more than 20 ponies. However, we did not discover much of interest inside besides these ponies. Shetland is quite far from the capital, so the only thing these rebels had been planning were relief operations in case all-out war erupted. No plans to storm the castle or any information regarding Celestia.

The dice had not been favouring me as of late.

"Where is Celestia?" I demanded.

The tiny mare responded by moaning loudly in pain.

I let out a huff of frustration. Of course, there was another flaw in truth spells which was probably the reason they had been forbidden in the first place. If the target is asked a question which they do not know the answer to one way or another, the result is a painful shock to the brain. With them hardly in a state to answer anything afterwards, it just ends up causing frustrating delays.

This damn alicorn was causing me such a waste of time and energy. I would have much rather been in Canterlot, gleefully planning my total domination of this world. I knew, however, that it would be unwise to attempt anything while Celestia still roamed freely. The most important lesson I had learned was not to underestimate her.

I asked the mare another question, but I had been too impatient and she was still clutching her head. I growled in frustration, stamping my hoof on the ground before her.

"Leave her alone!" a male voice shouted, "You're hurting her!"

"She will live," I replied without shifting my gaze, "You, on the other hoof, may not be so lucky."

To my surprise, he yelled right back. "We're all going to die! You took away the moon's harvest light! All of the crops are dying again and we'll starve!!"

This time I shot my head up to glare at him. He flinched under my gaze, but otherwise held a determined, if not fearful, expression. I was not terribly angry at him; I knew that he was mere moments away from being hoisted away by soldiers. So, I calmly informed him, "Equestria shall adapt to the night. The night will not adapt to you." I turned back to the mare, saw that she was still in pain, and instead gazed at my surroundings.

"But-" was all I heard from the stallion before his words were covered up by the fluttering of leathery wings.

I sighed. This place was more vibrant under the moon's light anyway, even if it was on fire. The city of Canterlot had definitely seen better days, though I hardly cared. Previously the home of an unwelcome ruler, the castle was now an impenetrable fortress hosting a powerful mare set to conquer everything set before her.

It was of little surprise that most of the citizens had fled. True, I could have forced them all to stay, but what use would that have been to me? It had been amusing to watch them run with their tails tucked between their legs. The city itself mattered much less to me when compared to the castle itself. Sitting directly in the centre of Equestria, it was the perfect seed from which an unstoppable empire could grow, and it was mine.

This weakling had not seen Celestia since before her fall either, a trait shared by most of the ponies in this disgusting hovel. I was about to send her away, perhaps forcibly if only to amuse myself, but a thought occurred to me.

"Are you a member of the rebellious group who wear the red scarves?"

"No," she answered from behind the glow of my truth spell. It was not the answer I would have hoped for, but something else caught my attention. Though her truthful answer was 'no', she had become noticeably nervous upon hearing the question.

I stared down at her for a moment. "Do you know of this group?"

"Yes."

For the first time this evening, a welcome grin appeared on my face. "Interesting…"

The mare was trembling like a leaf.

"Is there a rebel in this town?"

"Yes."

"Do you know him?"

"Yes." The mare had her eyes clenched shut and was shaking her head, as if trying to stop her own mouth from betraying her.

I chuckled quietly. Perhaps I had been asking the wrong questions. Perhaps these everyday citizens could prove more useful after all…

"This pony you speak of, you have seen him don the red scarf and then commit acts of treason?"

"Y-yes…" She was crying now.

"Has this pony…" I leaned down, bringing my muzzle a mere few inches from her own, glaring at her even though she couldn't see me, "Has this traitor ever told you anything about Celestia's current whereabouts, or have you overheard said subject being discussed?"

She sobbed a couple of times before murmuring, "No."

My grin vanished, quickly replaced by a glare. "Then tell me who-"

"Your majesty! I have urgent news!"

I swung my head around to face him so hard that my horn was nearly flung right off my head. "Do not interrupt me!!"

The night soldier was already bowing low to the ground. "Regiment Omicron has witnessed several rebels in the vicinity of Palermino. You wished for word to be delivered to you as soon as possible."

My rage disappeared in an instant. I turned around to fully face him, and saw that he was not part of the regiment that was currently with me, identifying him as a messenger. "I see," I spoke to him, "You have done well."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," he replied in the raspy voice that most of my soldiers shared.

I glanced back at the assembled citizens. The mare I had been speaking to was rooted to the spot, frozen by fear and unable to move.

"Captain!" I shouted, and moments later heard the flapping of bat wings behind me. He didn't need to respond for me to know that he was there and awaiting orders. "This village is to remain under observation. Your entire regiment will remain here, and if you see any rebels you will capture them alive and hold them here until I am able to deal with them myself."

"As you command."

I tilted my head to regard the mare once more. She shrank back slightly when my gaze fell upon her. "And," I continued, "take her to Canterlot and hold her for future questioning."

Upon hearing this, her pupils shrank to pinpricks and she gasped in horror. "No!" she exclaimed, life returning to her frozen limbs, "No! Please don't take me! Please!!" She cried even more as she tried to backpedal along the ground to safety, but the Night Guard was soon upon her. "I know nothing! I swear!!"

"Do you understand your orders?" I spoke.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Do not fail me."

If the Captain or the panicking mare said anything more I did not hear it, for I had already disappeared in a flash of magic.

When the bright light dissipated before my vision, I found myself standing in a new location. I was not in Palermino yet, but the beauty of such powerful teleportation spells was that they allowed for certain luxuries. I was now back at the castle, standing on one of the smaller and less obvious balconies, and I used my magic to seek out what I wanted.

A moment later, it appeared before me in a more muted flash. My brilliant, pristine scimitar crafted of pure silver, retrieved from the armoury and thirsting for the blood of rebels. I grinned at my own reflection in the shining blade, my eyes sparkling back like two radiant aquamarine jewels.

My blade was begging for a coat of red paint. Celestia was free, and so the more foolish of ponies in this land now thought that they had a chance, but I laughed at them. Though free, she was just as useless as when she had been in her cage. Now that some of the ponies were acting out, all it did was give me reason to slaughter them all.

One of my ears twitched. I quickly shot my gaze down to the ground. The balcony I currently occupied was on the west side of the castle, away from the front-facing south end that connected with the city itself. Whatever view I had of the city was blocked by a small wing that extended out from the main fortress, but I could still see a small section of the street that bordered the castle grounds. The source of the noise had only been in my vision for a tenth of a second, but that had been enough.

In even less time, I appeared on the street and lanced my horn forward. From it, swirling navy aura was released that shot forward like a bird of prey and pinned my target to the ground 20 metres away. He cried out in surprise and began frantically pawing at the ground, trying to escape.

I somewhat casually trotted over, observing my prize with a satisfied smirk and a twinkle in my eye. The young, lithe pegasus was struggling valiantly, but all six of his limbs were painfully anchored to the ground by my magic. I got the impression that if I had let him go, he would have sped off and been out of sight in mere seconds. As I had expected, an iconic red scarf was wrapped around his neck.

I trotted around so that I was in front of him. His eyes turned up and he stared defiantly at me, but he did not stop struggling. I could tell that he was brave, that I couldn't deny. Besides his scarf, he was carrying nothing and was completely unarmed. I didn't even have to ask to know what he had been doing. He was alone and unarmed, wandering around in a deserted city, and he looked as if he had been picked for his speed. I had caught a scout.

"Well, well…" I purred, "I sure hope whatever you were trying to accomplish was worth it…"

He grit his teeth and continued staring at me, but he didn't say a word.

"These streets are not exactly safe for little ponies like you," I continued, giving him a sinister smile, "You should be careful where you wander…or else you may get hurt!"

Upon that last word, his eyes bugged out for a moment before clenching shut. I could see pain rippling through his body as he buried his muzzle in his hooves, but still not a sound escaped from him. My telekinetic aura dissipated, depositing his severed wing onto the ground right in front of him.

"You look like a smart pony. I'm sure that you know that had been entirely avoidable, right?"

He wrenched open one teary eye and glared at me. His resoluteness was certainly amicable.

"What's wrong?" I asked playfully, as if speaking to a frightened child, "Don't want to talk to me? That's okay. I know how to fix that."

As a familiar navy aura surrounded him, I saw his eyes close once again. This time, however, I noticed a small hint of defeat in his demeanour.

"What is your name?"

"V-Velocity…" he murmured, trying valiantly to keep my spell from dragging words from his throat.

"What were you doing when I caught you?"

"Searching for hidden or forgotten entryways into the castle."

I chuckled. "I can assure you that you would have found none. If your pathetic little band of scarf-lovers wishes to retake Canterlot Castle, they are going to need a lot more than a mousey little pegasus such as yourself."

Still he stared at me with his defiant eyes. There was not a drop of fear to be seen within him, only disappointment and hatred.

"Where is-" I caught myself and formed a better question. "Do you know where Celestia is?"

"No," he replied without hesitation.

I growled. "Why not?"

"I do not reside in the city closest to her location and, as such, are not privy to any information as to her whereabouts."

I considered this information for a moment. "I see…" It seemed even fewer ponies than I thought knew of where she was. I realized that perhaps the only ponies who knew were the ones in direct contact with her, and I had a feeling that they would not allow themselves to so easily be caught.

"Where do you reside?"

"Pegassaly"

I mentally took note of this. At least that was a place where I knew Celestia was not.

"She will destroy you."

I blinked and leaned down towards him. "What was that?"

Velocity was glaring straight up at me with fire in his eyes. "Celestia will destroy you."

I let out a curt laugh before saying, "If you and your friends think I am afraid of Celestia, you are more foolish than I thought. Celestia poses no threat to me. I am searching for her because she deserves to die."

"Celestia will slaughter you. The sun will rise."

"What makes you say that?" The aura around him brightened. "What do you know for certain about Celestia's current status?"

"She is hidden, and is being cared for."

I scowled. "That's it?!"

"Yes."

A growl escaped my throat. The pegasus was losing blood and it looked like it wouldn't be long before he fell unconscious, so I put my anger aside continued my interrogation.

"Are there any other rebels in Canterlot at this moment, to your knowledge?"

"No."

"You're a brave pony."

"You're a monster."

I chuckled and then continued. "Is there a significant rebel presence in Pegassaly, or are you some lone ranger living amidst a town of commoners?"

He grit his teeth and growled, but then answered, "There are others in Pegassaly, but we all work as one big group. Our allies come and go, with some constantly on the move."

"Is there a rebel base in Pegassaly?"

"No."

That made things a little more difficult. It seemed as if the rebels had few bases at all, with most of them working on the fly from wherever they could. That made them a weaker threat, but also made them harder to catch. "Do you know where any rebel base is?"

"No."

"I get that answer a lot. Why is that?"

"If you are enlisted to work in a base, or the location where Celestia is behind held, you will hardly ever leave."

I scowled once more. Just as I had thought. "Tell me," I continued, "You said Celestia is being 'cared for'?"

"Y-Yes…" Velocity was beginning to struggle now against my magic's hold. He had his muzzle clamped shut in a futile attempt to prevent any more rebel secrets from leaking out.

"Your group plans to treat her wounds and bring her back to health?"

"Yes…"

That would certainly not be an easy task. "Does your group plan to use her against me somehow once she is healed?"

He did not answer but grimaced in pain. I cursed loudly and stomped my hoof. These rebels had taken 'need to know basis' to a ludicrous level. These ponies hardly knew anything of what was going on within their own movement! According to this fool, all they knew was that Celestia was damaged and they intended to mend her. I was certain that this rebel group was more than some glorified hospital.

I waited for what seemed like forever until the pegasus seemed able to speak once again. He was growing weak, but still had that defiant sparkle in his eye. I had to choose my questions more carefully with this spell.

"I assume you were instructed by somepony to come here. Is that true?"

He let out a painful breath and then said, "Yes."

"What were your instructions?"

"I was to enter the town without being detected, take note of the status of Canterlot and discover if any aid was necessary, then observe the castle from as many angles as possible, searching for ways to get inside."

I glanced up and to my right at the nearly-opaque magical barrier; the one I was kicking my formerly muddied mind for taking down in the first place. "Did you really expect to succeed?"

"Yes."

I snickered. That had been rather hypothetical, but the spell could not discern. "If you had found a way in, what were you to have done?"

"Returned immediately and reported to… to…" He groaned and growled loudly before saying, "…S-Sunrise…" He then hung his head and murmured, "Forgive me, sir…"

"Don't worry," I replied with a smirk, "I'll make sure to take good care of him."

"Grrr…"

"Do the rebels intend to take back this castle?"

"Y-yes…"

"And do what with it?"

"Canterlot Castle is a…" He paused, and I could see he was getting woozy. "…is the most heavily fortified structure in the land…and a strategic point of military occupation."

I opened my eyes wide. Now he had my attention. "'Military'? Your pitiful, weak little group plans to use Canterlot Castle as a military base?"

"Yes…"

"You ponies plan to fight me? You aim to make war with the unstoppable glory of the night?"

"Yes…"

I couldn't help but laugh. For at least a good minute, the streets were filled with my chuckling. "If you ponies are looking for ways to die, I assure you there are far easier and faster methods. You do not have an army! You barely have a fighting force!"

He remained silent.

"Let me tell you, peasant. Even if you had the full force of what was once the Solaris Guard and you nursed Celestia back to fighting condition, you would still have no chance of winning. Or perhaps you are not aware that I am all-powerful and unstoppable, and I have a tremendous army that shall remain loyal to me until the end of time."

"Your army shall fall…"

"Really?"

"You shall fall…The forces of harmony shall prevail, and the hour of dawn shall arrive. Know that your enemies will not rest until you are gone."

I barely heard his last sentence because I was laughing once again. "'Harmony'?? Harmony is but a fantasy, you fool! It is an imaginary construct dreamed up by ponies with over-privileged lives. The battle shall end before it even begins if Celestia hopes to defeat me with an army of 'friendship'. I question your intelligence if you still place your faith with her."

He remained still. He was beginning to lose consciousness as he lay in a thick, red puddle.

I narrowed my gaze. "What other duties have you performed for your superiors?"

"I have… protected the ponies of Pegassaly from the bat ponies. I have delivered messages by wing from town to town. I have transported weapons to our allies in Featheraklion."

I considered his words. I knew that in the following cycle, Featheraklion would be swarming with soldiers. "What are other activities that rebels you know have performed?"

"Some of us are…gathering supplies in secret. Some of us are performing reconnaissance. Some of us…are training…" He mumbled a few more words, but they were unintelligible. His head was drooping towards the red-stained ground.

I knew I only had the opportunity for one more question. These foolish rebels would, no doubt, stay by Celestia's side until they were victorious even if it seemed impossible to win. I was pretty sure they would continue even if Celestia was gone. Honestly, their actions seemed foolhardy even to the most optimistic pony, and so I asked, "What is it that makes you ponies believe you will win?"

His eyes were barely open. He moaned for a while before slowly, lethargically moving his lips and mumbling one word.

"Secret…"

His head hit the ground and I growled in frustration. What an utterly useless answer! I turned around and walked away, leaving the lifeless pony behind me and considering what I had learned from him.

This rebel group was more ambitious than I had thought, though this certainly made them no more dangerous. If their intent was to nurse Celestia back to health, then I was certain she would present herself to me once she was able. That would simply make it easier to find her and destroy her.

But these ponies were also planning to militarize themselves. What frustrated me was that I could see no logical reason for them to think they would have the ability to do so. Did they not know the power of who they were dealing with? They could perhaps possibly win if they had a legion of ten Celestias, but only if they got lucky. I had used the term 'suicidal' to describe these ponies in jest, but it was becoming more and more accurate it seemed.

As I teleported back inside the castle and retrieved the weapons I had come for in the first place, I thought about his final word once more. The tone in his voice had suggested that 'secret' was to be the first of two words he was planning to say, but could not utter anything more before his life slipped away. Secret what?

Secret base? All of their bases were secret, not the least of which was the one where they were hiding Celestia. No matter how elusive they remained to me, they were still simple, basic rebel bases. Unless they housed some apocalyptic weapon inside one of them, I failed to see how one particular base could hold the secret to their supposed victory.

Perhaps it was 'secret weapon'? The wording of that phrase felt unusual to me, so it didn't seem like the correct answer. Secret magic? For all of her faults, Celestia had been obsessed with magic and had been incredibly dedicated in documenting everything there was to know about the art. Of course, few ponies had access to these notes, but with the castle under my control I certainly did. I highly doubted they could come up with entirely new and fantastic magic to defeat me in any short amount of time.

'Secret plan' seemed to be the most logical answer, but that offered no information whatsoever. Obviously these rebels were planning something if they had the courage to militarize themselves against me, but what sort of plan could that possibly be? Any chance of victory for them would involve getting to me in some way, and I was completely untouchable. Entire villages could be wiped off the face of the earth with a wave of my horn.

This rebellion had been irritating me for a while by this point, but now it seemed as though they truly needed to be taught a lesson.

…

"What did you call it…?" I asked, skepticism evident my tone.

"An 'eclipse', Your Majesty."

I furrowed my brow. "'Eclipse'…"

"It comes from an ancient word meaning darkness or obscuring-"

"Yes, I have figured that out on my own," I barked testily.

"I apologize, Your Majesty."

It was a couple of weeks later. I found myself sitting in a large room within the castle which contained a large, round table. It was a 'meeting room' that I only permitted the most top ranking officials to enter. Seated around the table aside from myself were six other soldiers of the night; four stallions and two mares. Five of them had originally been bats, while the remaining stallion had once been a member of the resistance before 'joining' our side. These ponies had proven themselves to be steps above the rest, and their accomplishments had been rewarded in more ways than one.

It was good to hear others' thoughts, even if most of them were simply ludicrous. There was always the chance that somepony else had a brilliant idea, and it would be a shame to go to waste. As such, I met with these elite members of the Night Guard every so often to hear not only their thoughts, but the thoughts of our entire army. I usually went in optimistic and came out bored, unfortunately.

I was presently listening to one of the stallions speak; one of the ones who had been a bat. They never did truly lose that scratchy, screeching quality to their voice, but I rather liked it. I felt it gave them a sense of identity, and it could definitely be seen as intimidating.

"You do realize just what you are suggesting and whom you are suggesting it to?" I asked him, a hint of impatience in my voice.

He briefly bowed his head. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I must stress again that this is not my idea."

"Then whose idea was it?"

"I am not entirely sure, Your Majesty. It has been circulating throughout the guard for a number of days by now, and I felt it prudent to at least bring it to your attention." He spoke with more eloquence than most Soldiers of the Night, a gift few were privileged enough to receive.

I tapped my hoof on the table in irritation. "You are suggesting to me that I raise the Tartarus-damned sun. That horrible blinding thing that I worked so hard to banish from our lands!"

The soldier kept his mouth shut for a moment, and I could see him carefully considering his words. When he finally had the courage to reply, he said, "Yes. I agree that it would send a message to our enemies."

"Then perhaps you had better explain it again," I snapped, "because I am not seeing this supposed 'message'."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," he said with another bow, "I am not sure if this is entirely the original intent of the idea, but this is how I see it. If you will, please allow me to walk you through what would occur."

I growled quietly. "Very well…"

"At six hours past midnight upon the next cycle, a time when the sun would have risen in the past, the ponies of this land, the rebellion included, will witness the sun rising into the sky against all odds. It will fill them with a sense of hope and optimism, fulfilling the dreams that they have been so desperately holding on to…

"Imagine then, Your Majesty, how they shall feel when the sun is completely obscured, without warning, by the dominance of the moon. What had so recently been 'graciously' returned to them would suddenly be taken away from them once again, and in such a striking way. That sense of hope and elation will be crushed when they see what power the moon holds over the sun. It will demoralize and destroy them."

He paused for a moment as I gazed emotionlessly at him.

"And, perhaps, Celestia will see it too. Seeing her sun defeated in such a way shall certainly have a great impact on her."

I regarded him thoughtfully for a few moments, and he gazed back at me passively. With my magic, I raised a small, silver goblet filled with wine and took a small sip. I was quiet for quite a few minutes, mulling over the idea in my head.

"It is…not a terrible idea…" I eventually decided. I took another sip and then spoke once more. "The peasants will not be able to see me as I do this. I cannot be everywhere at once, and they would just run in fear anyway."

The soldier who had brought this up tapped his chin in consideration. "Your Majesty, I believe that works in your favor. The ponies will believe it is Celestia's doing, only to see that it was you the whole time, which will emphasize your control and dominance over the sun."

"Mmmm…" My eyes trailed upwards as I envisioned the scenario in my mind. "Even so, the peasants of this land do not deserve to see the sun's light."

The soldier hissed and said, "I agree…You could perform the eclipse after it has cleared the horizon; that would be all that is necessary."

"Perhaps…" I replied thoughtfully, "I do appreciate the idea of false hope and crushed dreams. There are few better options for quelling rebellious dispositions…"

"A small gift to the opposition can lead to a grand strike against them."

I merely nodded. What this soldier was proposing, or whomever had come up with this idea in the first place, was a display of power and dominance. When I had first taken the throne, the sun had been defeated by merely being prevented from rising. The last they had seen of the sun had been it setting naturally. Perhaps a display of 'defeat' was necessary, even if it meant subjecting these unworthy peasants to a few minutes of their precious sunlight.

"I will consider it," I replied finally, which brought the discussion to a close, "What of the situation in Saxpony?"

"The rebels have been forced out of the city. The skirmish is won in your favour, Your Majesty."

"And I presume there is still no word on Celestia's whereabouts?"

The soldiers all bowed their heads. "No, Your Majesty," one of them replied reluctantly.

I could only growl in irritation and try to prevent the table from bursting into flames.

…

In the early hours of a new cycle, I stood below the silvery light of the waxing moon. I was situated atop the main balcony of the castle, the one that overlooked the main square of Canterlot. There were no ponies in the city to gather in the square below, but this was of little concern. Instead, my gaze was fixated upon the horizon.

I had given the notion of the 'eclipse' some more thought, and over time the idea had grown on me. The ponies' spirits were growing too high. It seemed as if there were more members of the rebellion every night. A reminder was needed of just who was in charge and how ultimately powerful she was, and this would do adequately.

A few minutes later, the sixth hour arrived. Those peasants still tied to their ordinary lives would be waking up and getting ready for whatever it was they needed to do. I could imagine that a good majority of them were looking out their window in hopes that the sun would be there, as they surely did every single cycle.

They were in for a surprise.

I tapped into the vast reserves of my celestial magic, channeling it through my horn and reaching out to the cosmos that lay beyond. The magic reached my moon, which I admired and caressed for a moment before moving past it. I cast out my grasp beyond the horizon, looking for the piece of trash that I had left there to rot.

The damned thing was still burning hot, and an uncomfortable wave of warmth passed through me. Simply touching this thing with my magic filled me with disgust. I hated this thing and everything about it, so I was going to show these ponies what I would do with it.

Then, I began to pull upwards. Like pushing a marble across the ground, I could move it effortlessly through the cosmos. The sun was under my control, and I could do whatever I wanted with it. I began to grin, imaging the foolishly hopeful expressions that would soon adorn the peasants' faces.

I guided the sun closer to the horizon, enduring the persistent discomfort it caused me. It felt as if somepony were casting a heat spell on me that was a touch too intense, and it was incredibly irritating. How Celestia managed to deal with this volatile thing every single morning I would never know.

A few moments later, the first sunbeams broke past the horizon. I stared at the appearing light with mixed feelings. It was still rather detestable to see the pride of my enemy reappear once again, and a part of me was considering just forgetting the whole thing. However, the more logical side of me reasoned that a number of ponies had to have seen the sun by now, so there was no point in stopping.

Though I could not see or hear anypony, I could envision their reactions in my mind. The Night Guard had been instructed to make themselves unseen near their posts so as to seem like they had disappeared. Once the eclipse was complete, they were to step out into the open and reassert my power over them by proxy. Now, however, it was not hard to imagine all of those fools smiling, hugging one another and dancing in the streets.

The sun had nearly crested the horizon entirely, bathing the land in its horrid, blinding light. I began to move the moon as well, as it had a long distance through the sky to cover. It felt a little unfavorable to have the moon leave its rightful position, but any good ruler must leave their throne occasionally to deal with their enemies.

Certainly, nopony would be noticing the moon's movement as they would all be focusing on the 'wonder' of the sun. The moon was approaching the sun, and I planned to complete the eclipse only two minutes after the sun was above the horizon. "Yes…" I murmured, "Enjoy your last few minutes of sunshine before the sun disappears forever. The sun is mine to control, mine to conquer, and mine to destroy." A few moments later, the sun rose the last remaining distance upwards and was completely visible above the horizon.

Immediately, I found myself hunched forward and steeling myself against the powerful forces rippling through my body. Something was wrong. Very wrong. I completely lost my focus and both the sun and moon stopped moving. In less than the span of a second, I had gone from standing proudly to grimacing in pain and struggling to remain on my hooves.

My eyes were open wide and my mind was running wild. What was this?? Was I under attack by some unicorn assassin? Impossible! Not even the most powerful unicorn could harm me. Yet, it felt like there were powerful forces ripping apart at me from the inside. I was suffering vague but painful sensations of churning, yanking and pulling. It felt as if somepony were trying to telekinetically pull me inside-out.

And, above all else, I felt hot. I was burning hot.

I lifted my head and glared at the vile thing that I had just lifted from the horizon. I didn't know what was happening to me, but I immediately knew what to blame it on. I should have known better than to play with this horrid thing! I should have left it to die! I knew that I had to put the sun back where it belonged, so I prepared to aim my horn straight at it and cast it back down.

I realized then that my horn was somehow already pointed towards the sun. What concerned me even more was that my horn was already glowing. I tried to move my head away, but found that I could not. I strained the muscles in my neck, but I could not shift my head's position at all.

I realized a moment later that my head wasn't locked in place, but rather just my horn. It was as if there were a powerful magnet attached to the top of my horn, drawing it directly towards the sun. I grunted and strained, trying to regain control of my body. A moment later, however, yet another strange sensation overcame me. My body was warming up even more, and the heat was especially concentrated in my head. I could barely feel anything in my hooves; it was as if the heat were being drawn up through my body to the top of my head, where my horn resided.

I had no idea what was going on. I can definitely say that I started to panic a little. I fought against my barely-responsive body and tried to cast any sort of spell that would stop whatever was happening; shield spells, remedy spells, teleportation spells. Everything I tried died before it reached my horn, and as I gazed up I started to realize why.

At the extreme top-edge of my vision, where I could barely see the tip of my horn, I noticed a brilliant, wispy golden glow. It was connected to my horn and it appeared as if it were flowing, or 'leaking', out. It did not take long for me to recognize this aura; one that was forever burned into my memory. I gasped in shock.

Then, not a moment later, my entire being was rocked by a powerful jolt. It felt like my insides were on fire, churning with molten lava. I grunted in pain at the sensation of something trying to rip my head off by my pulling on my horn. My defenses were shattered. I could barely stand and hardly comprehend what in the world was happening.

Through my strained vision, I glanced upwards. I saw a blinding golden beam of light shooting forth from my horn and traveling directly into the heart of the sun. It appeared as if I were casting a spell, but in reality it was quite the opposite. My head, and especially my horn, burned so intensely that I thought they could both simply crumble to ashes. It felt like an eternity of pain, but it was actually only a few brief seconds before everything stopped.

I managed to catch myself before crumpling to the ground. I stared at the stone floor beneath me, eyes wide as I panted heavily. All foreign sensations were gone, and the only negative effect that remained was exhaustion. I could not believe what had just happened. I refused to believe it.

When I glanced up a moment later, I realized I did not have time to neither recover nor contemplate. I let out a loud cry of absolute frustration as I watched the scene before me unfold. Out in the distance, now twice as high above the horizon, the sun was rising on its own.

I let loose a cry of rage like a wild animal and coursed magic through my own horn. A brilliant silver light erupted from its tip and the moon rushed forward to meet the sun. The glowing sphere began to slow until it eventually came to a stop as the moon pressed back against it. I grit my teeth, growled, and set my stance as if preparing to duel somepony, which was not far from the truth.

"Damn you, Celestia!! You shall not win!!"

I poured every ounce of magical energy I had towards the moon, holding it against the sun and forcing it back below the horizon. Sweat ran down my face as I struggled against my opponent's strength. In the sky before me, the celestial bodies unsteadily wavered back and forth, sliding downwards a ways before shifting back up a second later. Opposing forces met like an inverse tug-of-war as powerful magic struggled for dominance.

As I battled, I ran everything that had just happened through my mind. Of course the sun was filled with much more volatile magic; it always had been. Of course it had powers and properties that nopony besides its master would understand. As soon as I had foolishly allowed it to re-enter the sky's domain, that is when its true properties could take effect. Now, the sun was moving through the sky, and it was not my horn casting the magic.

That was all she had needed. Only a few brief seconds with the sun in the sky, and what was rightfully hers was ripped violently away from wherever it was. While the moon was akin to a silent and powerful guardian, the sun was like a rowdy, obedient beast. When it was permitted control, it had the power to correct what was wrong.

Even with only the magic of one alicorn, I refused to back down. The sun was pushing against the moon, the two entities forcing themselves against each other and struggling for dominance, but I knew that the moon would refuse to allow the sun to raise any higher than it already was. I would not allow it!

It seemed as if a stalemate had been reached. The sun was barely touching the horizon, but neither entity could make any further headway. More sweat ran down my body as I strained myself to my limits, gritting my teeth and letting lose a war cry. I would force this thing out of the sky if it destroyed me!

Yet, at the same time, I was still thinking. Still analysing the situation. The magic had been torn from my grasp, but that should have been the end of this unfortunate incident. Instead, though I could not see, it was clear that the aura of golden magic was moving the sun and fighting against me. Celestia was using her magic.

How?! The question repeated itself through my mind a hundred times. I had taken from Celestia the ability to cast her magic, and that was a wound that could not be healed in a short amount of time. No other mortal pony could possibly utilize magic as powerful as this, so there was no other answer. It was impossible!

I have no idea how much time passed. I remained vigilant, pouring every ounce of strength and magic I had into the force of the moon. Fate had not been on my side and more than a couple of unacceptable incidents had occurred. Much of what I had gained had been taken away from me, but I refused to be defeated. I was being challenged, and I would not lose! These strikes against me only served to make me angrier and more determined to get back what I lost. Those foolish ponies had gained nothing more than the vengeful wrath of a powerful enemy.

Finally, after what seemed like an impossibly long time, I felt my opposing force simply vanish. My horn shone a brilliant silver glow as the might of the moon forced the sun down. Further and further it went until it completely disappeared, once again basking the land in the glory of the night. When I cast my horn skywards and returned the moon to its rightful place, the sun did not reappear to challenge it.

I was left panting. I was thankful that I was presently within the castle grounds, as this war of attrition had left me without strength or stamina. I took in heavy breaths as I attempted to recover.

I knew that my opponent had not been defeated. It was rather obvious what Celestia had decided to do. She knew that, even with her magic returned to her, I was still a more powerful being. She also knew that I would do everything in my power to prevent the sun from rising, and that the ensuing struggling between the celestial bodies would put a huge strain on her. So, she must have decided to simply cede the heavens to the moon, instead setting her sights on me. Leaving the sun below the horizon and not wasting effort to raise it until I had been defeated was the more logical option.

After a couple minutes of catching my breath, I brought my head back up and glared. There was an inferno burning in my eyes, and if I hadn't just exhausted myself I would have been surrounded by a furious tornado of black fire. When the citizens had refused to bow, when those ponies had tried to rescue Celestia, when Celestia had escaped…I could not rightfully say I had been angry during those times. Not in comparison to how I was feeling right then and there.

I was beyond angry. I was far beyond furious. I was absolutely livid!

I turned my furious gaze back towards the castle, almost trembling as the rage boiled through me. It took a lot of concentration to tap into my connection with my soldiers and seek out the pony I required.

The flash from my teleport could almost be called an explosion. The startled soldier fell back on his rump, squeaking in surprise.

"Who told you?!"

"Wh-what…?" he mumbled in fear.

"The eclipse!! Who told you?!"

He blinked. "I…I…I think I overheard it from the guards near the armoury…but everypony was-"

I didn't hear the rest of his sentence because I was now outside the armoury, glaring at a group of equally surprised soldiers.

"Whose idea was it?!" I screamed, "Which one of you came up with the eclipse?!"

Many of them glanced at each other in confusion. A few of them mouthed a few words to each other.

"Now!!"

"Y-Your Majesty, uh…I-I do not believe it was anypony within this division. I-it was just something one of us heard…"

I glared at the soldier who had spoken, the captain of this division. He shrank back below my furious, dominant gaze.

"I do not know what else to say, Your Ma-G'ak!!"

He began flailing wildly as I lifted him in the air by his neck. "It had to have come from somewhere! Ideas to not just appear from nowhere!"

"Y-Your Majesty, wait!"

I turned towards the other soldier who had spoken.

"I think…I think some soldiers were talking about it while retrieving weapons."

I tossed the captain roughly to the ground and advanced on this other soldier, who cowered before me.

"What soldiers?!" I exclaimed, "Doing what?! Going where??"

"G-going to…to fight in Maris."

A second later, I was in Maris. Not long after that, I found myself in Pegassaly. The trail continued, with every soldier seeming to have heard it from somepony else. The ranks of the soldiers I interrogated continued to lower and lower, but my rage did not. The fire burning inside of me would not be doused until whomever had come up with this ridiculous idea was no more than a stain on the wall.

A soldier cried out as I slammed him painfully to the ground, roughly holding him down with my hoof and shouting loudly at him. "Who told you?!"

He groaned in pain. "I…I don't know…"

"Do not try my patience! Tell me who told you!!"

The trail continued. The air of Equestria was filled with my cries of rage. There was no doubt; I had never, ever been this angry in my entire life. Finally, however, I began to find soldiers who were more confident about whom they had heard it from. Some of them told me they had been pleased that this idea had managed to reach me. Those ponies found themselves with painful bruises.

And then, after teleporting around like a mad pony for almost 20 minutes, the soldier presently standing before me said with utmost certainty, "Yes, Your Majesty! My bunkmate had this idea. He told it to me and I shared it with-"

"Who is your bunkmate?!"

One teleport later, and it seemed I had found who I was looking for.

"So it was you??" I shouted at the startled soldier.

"Wh-what, Your Majesty…?"

I cast a quick truth spell on him as I demanded, "It was you who suggested the idea of this eclipse?!"

He shrank back, but my spell made him reply, "Yes." He quickly found himself held in the air by a painfully tight magical grip. His eyes bugged out slightly as he groaned in distress.

"You are an imbecile! You knew what this would do! Because of you I have been weakened and humiliated, and my greatest foe now has power! Do you have anything to say before I completely obliterate you?!"

"Y-Your Majesty I…I…" He closed his eyes and grimaced. "I have de…defied the g-glory of the night…and f-failed you…m-my liege…"

Every muscle in my body ached to end this fool's life. The only thing that was making me hesitate was his strange behaviour. His pauses and difficulty speaking did not seem to be borne out of fear, though he was certainly terrified.

"I was just trying to…I was…trying to…" His face twisted up in pain for a moment and he let out an unusual-sounding groan. "I was trying…to…save our Princess." As soon as those last three words slipped out of his mouth, he threw his head back and screamed in pain.

I stared wide-eyed at this pony, this Soldier of the Night, and memory struck me. I remembered how this particular pony had joined our family. He had walked right up to the castle from a distant city and requested to join our ranks, after which he wilfully submitted to my transformation.

Realization hit me after hearing what he had said. This pony was no believer of the night. This was a damn sun pony who had placed himself within our group and somehow managed to hold on to his love for the sun. Even with the mind of a bat, some small part of him must have managed to resist its influence for long enough to plant the idea of the eclipse, knowing full well what it would lead to.

I squeezed him a little harder, glaring at him with murderous eyes. "You realize what you have done, don't you? Your actions have now condemned the lives of who knows how many supporters of the sun. This will lead to conflict, and so many of their lives will be lost and wasted. Is that what you wanted? Is that what your precious little Princess wanted??"

"Your…Your Majesty, I…"

"I almost think that I should spare your life, just so you can run back and tell that pathetic alicorn what her actions have gained her. To tell her how many more lives are now on her conscience, and that she has evoked the wrath of an unstoppably powerful creature who will not rest until she is destroyed."

Blood splattered on the wall.

"…Almost."

Massacre in the Moonlight

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Chapter 9 - Massacre in the Moonlight

It didn't take long for the fighting to begin.

It was admittedly sudden. For one cycle I had total control over the land with only a few small rebellious troublemakers to deal with, and the next cycle I found myself facing an army. Truly, it was almost as comparable as night and day.

In the short time following what had come to be known as 'hour zero', a somewhat abstract reference to the attempted eclipse that had gone so wrong, my enemy made its presence known. As I sat in Canterlot, more and more messengers returned and delivered the news that battles had erupted.

In most major cities around the nation, the Night Guard suddenly found themselves facing an organized and somewhat formidable group of ponies. Featheraklion, Palermino, Galvalon and more. What they spoke of did not please me. In addition to many of the cities' residents taking up arms as if they were part of a militia, cities across the land were receiving support from ponies wearing golden armour.

At first I scoffed at the notion, but after a quick teleport to Galvalon I could see that it was true. The Night Guard was fighting against ponies wearing the branding of the Solaris Guard. I didn't understand what I was seeing because it should have been impossible. I had destroyed the Solaris Guard. The only idea that made any sense was that normal citizens had somehow gotten their hooves on Solaris armour, but reports of their offensive skills gave me doubt. There was absolutely no way that a 'new' Solaris Guard had been pulled together after I had taken care of the old one.

Messengers were also informing me that we had lost control of Pegassaly. Compared to other cities and towns, the rebel forces were a much stronger force there and were somehow able to force the Night Guard out completely. From what I heard and observed, it seemed as if Pegassaly was becoming their central fortification; the heart of their army. I suspected a certain alicorn was hidden there somewhere, if only I could draw her out.

It had been just over 24 hours since hour zero. While I dearly wanted to be out amongst the skirmishes, putting an end to the battles faster than any of those fools could possibly perceive, I chose to stay in Canterlot for the time being. Suffice to say, I had learned an important lesson over the past month or so. I had been letting overconfidence get to me. It was because of overconfidence that I had let those ponies into Celestia's cell in the first place, that I had lost Celestia, and that I had ultimately had her magic taken away from me.

I refused to underestimate my foes any longer. Even if victory seemed completely certain, I would no longer take any chances.

My time on the battlefield would come soon, and those ponies would rue the day they stood up against me, but for now I was playing the role of commander. I wasn't sure how, but even with still no sign of Celestia these ponies had somehow become a force worth fighting.

As soon as the sun had been sighted in the sky, the ponies of this land had begun fighting back. Every able-bodied stallion and mare seemed to be willing to throw themselves at the army of the night in the name of their pathetic Princess. This combined with these members of the Solaris Guard coming from seemingly nowhere made them a threat.

I did not find them a very large threat but, again, no more overconfidence.

I was presently gazing at a map of the land where approximate representations of territory for ourselves and them was drawn. There was a black mass centred around Canterlot, an orange mass centered around Pegassaly and the northern border, and smaller collections of both black and orange scattered about.

"Should we regroup, Your Majesty?" a voice hissed beside me.

I turned to the soldier standing next to me, second-in-command and leader of our entire forces after myself. The only other souls in the room were a few messengers who were ready to carry any message that needed to be delivered.

"No," I replied, "Have our forces remain where they are in the cities. The smaller cities have smaller fighting forces, and we should not give the rebellion a chance to regroup. Stay strong and crush the enemy while their groups remain small and divided."

The soldier saluted and nodded.

I turned my gaze towards another point on the map. "As for the soldiers in Pegassaly…" I murmured.

"They are unable to re-enter the city and establish a presence, Your Majesty."

"I am aware…" I replied. After a moment's thought, I told him, "Forget Pegassaly. Order all Pegassaly troops to return to Canterlot and join forces here. I am fairly certain that these fools are going to attempt to march on Canterlot. Since most of them are in Pegassaly, it is wasted effort to try and reclaim it. They can have it for all I care. Instead, we'll meet their advance with the full force of the night."

The soldier turned towards one of the messengers, who quickly saluted and then dashed out the window.

I furrowed my brow as I continued to stare at the map. Aside from Canterlot and Pegassaly, significant conflict had broken out in at least ten other cities and towns. The case was the same for each of them; forces that were apparently from the Solaris Guard revealed themselves, and those citizens who had not already been granted a fighting spirit by the sight of the sun joined their ranks and charged forth. Eyewitness estimates were vague, but I was being told that their numbers were growing large. I had a significant number of loyal followers, but still I could only create so many soldiers at a time. It seemed that we still carried the advantage in numbers, but a cautious part of my mind warned that this advantage may soon shrink to almost nothing.

Unfortunately, I had to keep reminding myself that I was no longer invincible. I was still as powerful as the mare who had defeated Celestia with nary a scratch, but I was not untouchable. This is what made me hesitant to appear out in the open on a whim, as being out in the open was how I had lost Celestia. These ponies were tricky, and it was impossible to plan for everything. I would join the battle when the time came.

And still, through it all, no sign of Celestia. In essence, we were fighting her 'army', and it was almost certain that she had somehow unfathomably been able to regain the use of her magic. After giving it some thought, I reasoned that she was perhaps taking the same precautions that I was. She had, after all, once been a brilliant tactician. I would just have to be a better one.

"Your Majesty," the soldier spoke, recapturing my attention, "in a few cities, we are outnumbered. Smaller cities like Palermino did not have as large a presence by our soldiers."

"I am not concerned," I replied calmly, "They will be able to hold their own with the support of their goddess."

The soldier nodded and I grinned to myself. No matter what odds my soldiers faced, they would always have the upper hoof. My Soldiers of the Night were all connected to me and, so long as I still drew breath, my magic would empower and protect them. Like the purest black of shadows, my brothers and sisters held within them a gift that no other creature in this world would ever taste.

There was not much more to say, and so I began to wrap things up. "Keep me informed of our soldiers' status in the smaller cities at all times, and ensure that those retreating from Pegassaly get back here in one piece." I turned and began to trot out of the room.

"Prepare the soldiers of Canterlot," I continued, "We march in 32 hours."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. "If those fools want a battle, then they shall get it. Whether they stay in Pegassaly or march for Canterlot, they shall soon find themselves slaughtered at the hooves of the Soldiers of the Night.

"And I shall be there to ensure that none of them ever rise again."

…

Events began to play out as I had expected them to. How boring.

The rebel army struggled to take control of more cities, but my soldiers made sure to beat them back down. Still, however, they were not a weak fighting force and continued to stand their ground. Most cities were locked in evenly-matched duels, although rebel forces had fled from Galvalon and the small city of Ajapinto.

That hardly mattered. Our forces had been keeping an eye on their de facto stronghold in Pegassaly, and reported to us that a full contingent of their army was beginning to march south. Only an hour before we had been planning to march north, too. It's as if they wanted to engage in a hopeless battle.

These surly ponies in their golden armour and vibrant red scarves were certainly proving themselves to be determined and capable, but the forces of the night were making it sufficiently clear that we still held all of the cards. Our presence was everywhere and would not be shattered. They had not yet lost, but we aimed to show them that they could not win.

Now it was time to play our ace, and it looked as if they were graciously rushing forwards to receive it. The small scuffles in the cities could be written off the map entirely. Preparations had been made, and now the near-full strength of both armies would meet in the shadows of Canterlot Mountain, a bloody clash that would not end until one side lay defeated.

I was betting my bits on the side that was marching with an alicorn.

It was an impressive sight, without a doubt. Just outside the city of Canterlot stood thousands of soldiers ready for battle. They were all outfitted with sleek black armour and impressive weaponry, and were all lined up in perfect rows. A sea of nearly-identical stallions and mares, bats and former citizens alike. It was completely impossible to discriminate what my soldiers had once been. I had no doubt that each and every one of them would do no less than their best for their Princess and the glory of the night.

I stood amongst them, about ten rows back from the front. I was ready to end this war, or at least put a colossal dent in our enemy. The rebels in the cities were occupied, the bulk of their army was marching from Pegassaly to meet us, and we were accompanied by at least 50 scouts. With the acute hearing of a bat, I would be surprised if any potential sneak attacks were to slip past their detection.

No, the only ponies who would be able to reach me would be the ones that fell before me. Blood would be shed on both sides, but a victor would emerge. I knew not when, but did know who.

I took one more glance around at the collection of soldiers, all prepared for slaughter. A foolish leader would have wasted time at this point by delivering some empty promises or supposedly uplifting speech. Instead, I simply said, "If there are no objections, march."

The hours rolled past in silence as we moved forward as a group. We crossed the frozen fields, leaving Canterlot behind. In the distance, Canterlot Mountain slowly approached. It stood tall over the rest of Equestria, reaching up and nearly touching the moon. Scouts continued to inform us that our opposition was not changing tactics and continuing to approach from the other side of the mountain.

I gave the order to pick up our pace a little bit. If the point of contact ended up being north of the mountain rather than south of it, we could use the higher ground to our advantage. We continued forth and when we reached the foothills of the mountain, the first five rows broke away from us and rushed ahead. They took to the air and quickly encircled the mountain, just as the rest of us would not long after.

It was the job of this first group to be a 'first strike', drawing our opponent into battle on our terms rather than theirs. It was our intent that this small group would hold their attention and distract them from the rest of us arriving, and perhaps even incite overconfidence when they think this small group is all that we have sent.

The rest of our army refrained from taking to the air for the moment, circling around the foothills. It was not long before the sounds of battle reached our ears. The enemy had been engaged. We waited less than ten minutes before the rest of us made our move.

I took a look back at the jet-black sea of soldiers standing behind me. Each one of them wore the face of determination, and I felt nothing but confidence looking at them all. Our enemies didn't stand a chance. With a subtle nod of my head, my wings swiftly unfurled and I rose into the air. The wonderful sound of a thousand bat wings graced my ears as we circled the mountain and entered the battlefield.

I crested the low side of the mountain, and beheld the scene that was revealed to me. I noticed a small, flat outcropping a few metres below me that would suit my purposes well and landed on it while a small group of soldiers continued to hover around me. It gave me a fantastic view of the field below as a tremendous cloud of soldiers filled the sky behind me and began to plunge forward towards their prey.

Somewhere in the distance, a church bell was ringing. It chimed four times for reasons that I did not know nor care about.

I was remaining still for the moment just in case they had some secret plan that was intended to take me by surprise, but I did not find myself bothered in the least. I was rather delighted that my chosen vantage point gave me a fantastic view of these tiny rebels as a look of anxiety and perhaps even horror slowly overcame them. Those who were not directly engaged in battle were now all staring up at me, fear clearly written on all of them.

I knew exactly what was going through their pitiful little minds. All of their bravery and valour had drained out from them the moment they had looked up to see who was joining the fray. They were treated to the sight of what looked like a vast colony of bats, but they all knew what sort of creatures were truly flying towards them in such great numbers. And at the centre of this dark cloud was me. The pony who had easily managed to defeat a powerful alicorn goddess, and who possessed enough magic to murder them all with barely any effort.

I smirked and chuckled as my soldiers descended upon them and the blood began to spill. It was too bad they didn't have an alicorn on their side, wasn't it?

I stepped forward, my hoof landing on thin air as I allowed gravity to pitch me forward off the edge of the small outcropping. With my wings spread, I turned the tumble into a swift dive. My soldiers' acute senses allowed them to nimbly step to the side and clear a path for me as I swooped down directly into the large group of rebel forces.

Many of them backed away from me as I advanced, but there were simply too many ponies occupying the same area that I was rather difficult to avoid. The unicorns threw spells at me, and the others swung their weapons towards me, but an effortless shield deflected them all. I decided to begin with a bang.

I fell into a low horizontal flight, only a metre above the ground. I plunged straight through the heart of the rebel army and eventually came to a stop. Behind me a few dozen lifeless bodies fell to the ground, their blood dripping from the sharp blades attached to the bridges of my wings. Before any of them could even react to me, I focused a great amount of power inwards. Time seemed to stop for the briefest instant of time before the massive shockwave burst out around me. It appeared as if a bomb had gone off, but instead it was simply me. There was no sound from the spell, but I was instead treated to the cries of pain as those who were too close to me were violently blown away.

A second later I was standing in the centre of a circle of charred ground. Rebel ponies were still falling to the ground in painful heaps. I raised my head up high and put on a predatory grin. I had been on the battlefield for only 20 seconds, and already dozens had fallen by my hoof. As I took in the fearful expressions of the ponies around me, I couldn't help but laugh triumphantly.

I took to the air swiftly, gliding over the heads of the opposition and firing spells at pegasi as I went. I took a few seconds to observe my soldiers in combat. While a few of them had been overwhelmed or caught off-guard and defeated, I was elated to see the carnage they were inflicting. With their wide array of weapons, or even simply the fangs in their mouth, they were all spilling rebel blood.

I landed in a random spot amongst their army, crushing a pegasus as I did. A rather large-looking unicorn did not let my sudden appearance faze him as he swung straight for me with a mace. I caught it with my magic mere inches from my neck, gave him a smug grin, and watched the horrified expressions of his comrades as I felled him with barely any effort. I then swung my new toy in an arc behind me, catching more soldiers in the face with the spiked weapon.

Like ripples in a pond, a wide open area was beginning to form around me wherever I went. These ponies were insanely brave and seemed to have prepared for everything, but it was obvious that they had set the bar too high when it came to the forces of the night, myself especially. I almost dared any of these weaklings to give me an actual challenge. True, a few brave souls did come at me with their strongest strikes or their most cunning strategies, but nopony could even come close to landing a scratch on me.

And whenever one pony assaulted me, at least three of them fell as punishment.

I was cackling like a madmare as time went on. As I took the time to observe their forces, it seemed as if they had indeed marched into this battle outnumbering us. This fact only made me even more elated to witness the massacre that was slowly occurring.

My soldiers were losing a little bit of the upper hoof as our opponents began to study our tactics, and many brave soldiers fell. Never, though, did the tide of battle turn. Their side moved further and further back, our strength pushing them away from Canterlot and forcing them towards retreat.

They were simply no match for us. A large group of brave, but still ordinary ponies could never match up to a supreme alicorn goddess and her enhanced family of soldiers. "This is your rebellion?!" I yelled out, taunting them as I took yet another pony's life, "You fools should observe what is happening! You are nothing! Your Princess is not here to protect you anymore! You stand facing a superior leader and a superior army!" I quickly turned and faced a large group, mostly smaller pegasi who froze with fear when they met my gaze. My horn began to glow bright and wild. "This is your last chance to submit," I proclaimed, my spell growing more powerful, "or we shall destroy you all!!"

Before any of the ponies in front of me could react I swung my head down, aimed my horn directly at them, and unleashed a massive beam of lethal magic.

My senses were briefly overwhelmed by the magnitude of power contained within the offensive spell. The world was a blinding white and all I could hear was the loud cacophonous sound of the wild, untamed magic. When the bright magic shrunk down to a thin stream and then vanished entirely, I was met with complete silence.

That was my first red flag. There were no ponies screaming in pain or horror. I turned my head up to see what destruction my magic had wrought, and my eyes opened wide. There was a wide path of charred ground leading away from me, marking the path my spell had taken. It traveled along the barren field until it reached the large group of rebel soldiers, whereupon it stopped.

There, perched between the charred ground and dozens of uninjured ponies, was a damaged and fading magic shield in the shape of a hemisphere. Behind it stood a tall pony, slightly unsteady on her hooves and panting heavily. She glared at me and I stared right back, my lips curling into a smile.

"Celestia…"

The shield vanished, or perhaps 'shattered' would be a more descriptive word. Celestia was left in her defensive pose, her eyes glaring daggers at me. Neither of us moved as we regarded one another. Aside from looking a little drained, which was to be expected after deflecting such a massive offensive spell, she appeared in perfectly good health. Her garish pink mane was flowing, there was nary a bruise or blemish on her body, and she appeared just as fit as she had once been. What held my attention the most was her horn, resting on her head unbroken and completely undamaged.

She was definitely outfitted for war. Her entire torso was covered in a protective golden armour that connected to plating covering the front of her legs. Her hooves were protected by impressive hoofguards, and her wings were covered as well. There was a small but sturdy-looking spear attached to her broadside.

Most notable, however, was that unlike what she had worn in our previous battle, she now wore a headpiece. It was similar to mine, but it was golden and it was certainly more visibly distinct than mine, as was par for the course between us. It had sharp ridges along the side and back that mimicked the appearance of dragon scales. This was certainly most significant, as we both knew that her headpiece carried the same connotations that mine did.

It meant war.

Most of the fighting around us had ceased. All of the soldiers of both armies were looking anxiously towards the pair of alicorns, waiting with bated breath for whatever would happen next. None of them dared to make the first move until one of us did so.

Celestia still had not said anything or changed her expression, and so I chuckled and smirked at her. "You always did enjoy being fashionably late, didn't you?" I taunted, "Come to offer your surrender?"

Her strength was returning to her, so she stood herself up tall. The look she was giving me was rather interesting. In it, I saw none of the emotions she had shown during the fight that had started this war. I could no longer see sadness and fear. She was staring at me with a quiet fury, and I could see the fire welling up within her. "Stand down," she commanded.

I struggled to suppress my snickering. "I beg your pardon?" I replied sarcastically.

She took a single, powerful step forward and stood before me. A few of my soldiers wisely took a step back. "Nightmare Moon," she said, beginning to address me. Honestly, I had not expected to hear that. Even under threat of torture, she had always insisted on using that name. This was the first time she had willfully acknowledged me as 'Nightmare Moon'. Something had definitely changed.

"I will no longer stand idly by while you bring such suffering to the ponies of this land," she continued, "This is not a war, this is a massacre…and I will end it before you can do any further harm. This is your only chance to surrender and call off your devilish swarm. Refuse, and you will pay the penance."

I couldn't stop grinning. "Did you come here to destroy me with laughter? A poor choice." I took a bold step forward and adopted an aggressive stance. "I must say, it is wise of you to join the battle. Your helpless little ponies have been floundering like fish out of water. I had thought this was going to be all too easy and no fun at all."

My words soured her expression for a brief moment, but she replaced it with a scowl. "I will protect my ponies with my life," she said resolutely, "Make one more move, and I will kill you."

I blinked. Something had really changed in that royal head of hers. "My, my…" I mused, "Such a temper. You seem to have this all figured out, don't you? You think you have the upper hoof just because you have managed to outsmart my soldiers twice." I chuckled, pretending to glance away as if I wasn't interested. "No, Celestia…I will give you one chance to surrender. If you go back into your cage like a good little puppy, then maybe the lives of your precious ponies will be spared. Remember, Celestia, every death that occurs in this land is ultimately because of you. If you want to get the blood off of your hooves, then surrender and submit."

A chilly wind swept through the battlefield, still tensely frozen in time. When she did not move, I pressed her. "Well? What is your decision?"

Still she did not move, but her eyes swept the battlefield. She glanced at the vast array of Soldiers of the Night, cringed at the sight of the many defeated rebels, and then turned her head just slightly to regard her own army still standing fairly strong behind her. "My…decision?"

Quick as a flash, she thrust her forehoof forward and shouted "Charge!!" Before anypony could make a move, a blinding light erupted from her horn. I had to shield my eyes from the searing brightness as it flowed into the sky and hung over the battlefield, casting down further beams of light to the ground below.

The rebel ponies let out a valiant war cry and began to either charge forward or resume whatever skirmish they had been in the midst of. I first cast a spell to darken my vision so I could see through this blinding light of hers, but then I heard troubling sounds from behind me. My soldiers were all hissing and grunting in distress.

Sunlight.

I growled and launched myself directly at her, colliding with her hastily-cast shield but not stopping my advance. She dipped to the side to get away from me, and seconds later we were both in the air. I glared at her, noting the golden glow that was continually surrounding her horn. She was using sunlight as a weapon. My soldiers detested the light of the sun and shied away from it. I had to put a stop to this immediately.

A familiar scene began to play out as the both of us drew glowing arcane swords and charged towards each other. A flash erupted in the air as our blades clashed, bringing us close enough that I could feel her breath.

"You're late, you know!" I taunted.

"I can no longer sit idly by!" She growled and pushed back. "You will bring apocalypse! I refuse to let that happen!"

I teleported a few metres away, letting her suddenly fly forward uncontrollably. I was above her and looking down, and I could see the rest of the battle below me. My soldiers were struggling. This phantom sunlight was weakening and disorienting them. Whatever ground we had made in our conquest of the rebel army, they were quickly evening the score.

When Celestia tried to charge at me, I blinked out of that position for a brief second, reappearing in time to deliver a painful dropkick to her back. As she righted herself in the air, I took this opportunity to cast magic on her.

My spell immobilized her in the air, though I knew it would not hold her for long. I wasted no time and darted forward, holding out my hoof and smacking her horn as I sailed past. She cried out and span around completely in the air from the recoil. The shock to her horn was enough to disrupt the sunlight spell she had been casting, and the area was once again bathed in darkness.

"A rather devious tactic!" I called out to her as she regained her balance and returned to a fighting stance, "I am impressed. I thought you always played by the rules."

She didn't respond to this, and instead teleported herself to the space directly in front of me. Mana sparks began to fly as our swords clashed in the air faster than the mortal eye could see. There was still that intense look of fiery determination in her eyes. I could see memories of conflicts past, but none could recall her looking like this. I dodged to the side, but she accounted for it and nearly managed to strike me. We flitted through the air like dragonflies, each trying to outwit the other and failing every time. I tried to catch her off guard by suddenly throwing in an arcane bolt aimed directly at her forehead, but she blocked it with a swift magic shield.

Our swords clashed together, once again bringing us close and into another small war of attrition. "I must admit that you continue to surprise me," I said with a smug grin, "This certainly would have been a lot duller without that horn of yours, and yet there it is." I made a sudden swing for her horn, but she expertly blocked it. "I'm curious. Indulge me."

She offset my balance slightly by sending a kinetic spell towards me, and pushed me away with her hooves. I simply fell into the recoil and looped through the air, using the momentum to my advantage and quickly circling under her. She was only barely able to block my powerful spell with a spherical bubble shield.

"I have ponies everywhere across this land who are loyal to me," she said as we continued to clash, "It is with their help and support that your heinous wound was healed and that we may stand against you." She growled and thrust her sword directly at me, forcing me to shift back to dodge. "Unicorns everywhere would gladly lend their magic to heal my horn. You do not share this luxury."

She suddenly put on the offensive, mostly aiming for my horn. I successfully evaded damage, but my smirk had turned into a scowl. So, to get her magic back she'd had her unicorn followers all work together to imbue her with their magic and speed up the healing process. I hated to admit it, but she had a point. If my horn were damaged, my soldiers could not do the same thing.

Discussion fell away as the two of us continued our airborne battle. Celestia was proving to be a much more difficult opponent this time. Her expression never changed from that hardened, unwavering look. In our first clash, she had been defending herself. Now she was on a mission. She had a purpose to fulfil and an enemy to destroy. We moved faster through the air than anypony else could possibly follow, zipping around with wings or blinking around with magic. Neither of us could land a good hit.

After avoiding a swipe from her arcane sword, she almost caught me off guard by suddenly brandishing her spear. It nicked my armour on the side. When she tried to take advantage of my brief moment of stabilization and slice one of my wings off with her sword, I decided to change tactics.

"Well, Tia…" I said while dancing back through the air, "You seem to be a lot more aggressive this time. Perhaps you'll even succeed…" It was a complete lie, but her attention was focused on me. "Are you prepared this time?" I continued, lowering the tone of my voice, "…Prepared to kill your own sister?"

I ducked just in time to avoid a thick bolt of electricity aimed straight at my head. I could only look surprised when I brought it back up.

The look on her face was cold and furious. She wore such a scowl I was certain had never adorned her face ever before. "Luna is dead," she spoke, venom dripping from her words, "You killed her."

Well, this was certainly an interesting turn of events. I was stunned in astonishment for a moment, but then my lips curled into a grin. "Bra-vo, Celestia. Now, how long did it take you to figure that one out?" Something had finally given her the push she needed to fully comprehend what had transpired. Without that guilt and reluctance she would prove to be a more difficult opponent, but at the same time a more interesting one. For in its place, there was burning rage. I now understood the meaning behind her fiery expression. Hope had given way to a desire for vengeance, and I could use that against her.

A few short seconds later, she dove straight at me with her sword but I simply teleported away. "Your words are true, Celestia!" I called, stoking the fire, "She is gone forever."

"You killed my sister." She did not shout; she kept her tone unusually calm.

"Luna's intentions were right, but she was weak. She was a pathetic pony, and I no longer had any need for her so I 'disposed' of her."

Another slash, followed by another teleport.

"Does that make you angry, Celestia? Why?" I called out playfully, "You never cared about your sister anyway, or none of this would have happened in the first place."

When I teleported away from her a third time, she growled in frustration and finally shouted, "Silence!!" As she screamed the word, her horn was surrounded by white hot flames and, a second later, she launched a stream of fire directly at me. A powerful shield spell was able to deflect the flames and keep me from harm, but their incredible heat managed to penetrate the barrier. It was almost painfully hot. I endured the attack until it was done.

I teleported away as the flames disappeared, appearing as if I had vanished within them. Celestia did not see, and so she was not expecting the sudden kick between her wings. She cried out as she was sent flying through the air, struggling for a moment before righting herself and stopping her momentum.

I continued to taunt her. "That temper of yours is-"

"Enough!!" she shouted, cutting me off, "Foul creature, you have taken from me what I treasured the most, and from her ashes you have wrought havoc across this land!" In the blink of an eye, she was suddenly surrounded not by a fiery aura, but an aura of fire itself. With a small flick of her forelegs, sharp claws suddenly extended from the golden gauntlets on her two front hooves. She grit her teeth and stared directly into my eyes. "You killed my sister!! Now I shall obliterate you!!"

She then flew directly towards me, moving faster than she usually did and appearing like a flaming arrow shot through the sky. I used the force of a kinetic spell to divert her path, but she adjusted and swung back around to aim at me once more. I blocked the sword swipe that followed with my own sword, but the force actually pushed me back through the air.

She let out a frightfully loud war cry and I was treated to another up close look at her eyes and her scowl. If looks could kill, I would probably be dead on the spot. Gone was the brave yet delicate Princess, now replaced with a wild animal desperate to devour its prey. I was no longer faced with a victim, but an opponent. I recalled the promise I had made to myself earlier to not become overconfident again.

And so, the battle was truly on. I have no idea how long the two of us darted about in the sky, trading blows and blocking or avoiding just as many. The airspace above the barren field was filled with bright flashes of volatile magic, streams of fire, small but potent explosions, and a thousand sparks as our arcane swords continued to collide.

Neither one of us spoke another word. All of our attention was devoted to each other as our duel continued to become more intense. Wounds were struck as defenses were pierced. The blood of two alicorns spilled onto the field below, but neither one of us yielded a single inch. I was steadfast and determined to win his battle, but Celestia's face simply showed unbridled fury.

Here at last was a challenge worthy of somepony as powerful as me. With three weapons and the vast array of dangerous spells she was utilizing, it took all of my attention to avoid anything more than minor damage. It was still very satisfying every time I was able to wound her, but her rage-fueled vigor solidified the fact that I could no longer be careless.

We engaged in close-quarters combat, long range spellcasting, and even darting towards one another like a pair of dueling hawks. She managed to tear open a painful gash in my side, but I had struck past her and damaged one of her wings. These injuries may well have been non-existent for the determination that fed us both.

At one point, I found myself on the receiving end of a slew of white magic bolts raining down upon me. In defense, I surrounded myself in a spherical blue shield which deflected every one of them. Then, instead of simply getting rid of it, I charged directly towards Celestia while it still surrounded me. I rather enjoyed the brief wide-eyed look of surprise before I barrelled straight into her like a massive bowling ball. She had been sent flying back, the larger surface area of the shield giving me a more favourable impact.

Before she could properly recover, I was barrelling into her once again from above. I almost managed to knock her straight into the ground, but she pulled out of the dive at the last minute. When she returned to the fray, she herself was surrounded by a similar pink shield. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the copycat I was fighting against.

From there began an entirely new sort of battle as the two of us careened through the air, repeatedly bashing into one another. We each poured a substantial amount of magic into these shields, rendering them rather sturdy. As we circled through the skies like a pair of dancing fireflies, we would crash into one another with such tremendous force but would remain unharmed. I was trying to either shatter her shield through sheer accumulated damage, or force her into a tree or the ground. As the forceful collisions continued, however, I began to wonder if this particular duel would simply go on forever.

For quite a number of intense minutes, the sky exploded with shockwaves as we rammed into one another. Finally, we collided once more but this time we both refused to relent. Two unstoppable forces collided as we struggled against each other, pressing our own shields forward and not letting up. We both wore gritted teeth and fierce scowls, and we both growled determinedly as we tried to overpower each other, with neither side gaining any ground.

With all of our energy dedicated to pushing forwards, the two glowing bubbles fell from the sky and impacted the ground below. That is where they finally shattered, both at the same time. A massive burst of energy was expelled outward in a sudden shockwave that wracked the ground below with destruction.

When the dust settled, myself and Celestia found ourselves staring at one another and heaving heavy breaths. That last mayhem with the shields had left me vulnerable, but Celestia was equally as affected. Things grew tense as we glared at one another, neither of us daring to make a move.

Our senses were closed off to the outside world, only focused on one another, until we both heard a loud, agonizing groan. We both glanced towards its origin, and were quickly made aware of the events surrounding us.

We had both been so focused on trying to kill each other that we had all but forgotten about the battle waging on the ground below. Now, we both found that we had to take a pause and see the current state of our forces.

What was immediately evident was the rather large circle of disturbed land that had been blown away by the shattering of our shields. In its wake lay the bloody forms of dead or unconscious forces from both sides. It appeared as if they had been caught in a bomb's explosion.

In the space behind them, the two sides were continuing to war with one another. However, the intensity of the fight had diminished noticeably. From the appearance of the few soldiers I could see, both sides were beginning to succumb to the fatigue of battle. Every visible pony had substantial injuries of some sort, and they were all exhausted.

My attention was drawn back to the soldiers we had knocked out with our rough landing. It was such a waste to have soldiers fall in battle because of my skirmish. I lit my horn, not even thinking twice, and surrounded about five soldiers with a silvery glow. They were not mortally injured. They could be healed and returned to the heat of battle.

When I caught sight of golden magic, I quickly whipped my head back towards my opponent. It was like looking in a strange mirror. Celestia was casting her magic on her soldiers, and had looked back towards me at the exact same time. Both magic spells faltered, but when we saw that neither was using offensive magic we cautiously allowed each other to finish the spell.

I watched her carefully, like a predator facing down prey that was larger than it. The air between us was incredibly tense, and I was ready to react at a moment's notice. When my healing spell had taken hold and would be able to do its job without my help, I planned to quickly switch to a striking spell so as to catch Celestia off-guard.

Just before I did, however, I took notice of another large skirmish happening just behind her. A group of three of my soldiers were facing down a group of five foes, and two of the soldiers' wings were damaged. Before I even considered what I was doing, I cast out another silver spell that zipped right past Celestia's head and surrounded the soldiers, quickly healing their wings and giving them a boost in strength to fight back.

An icy jolt ran up my spine as a wisp of golden magic just missed my own head. I reflexively threw up a shield, but it had already sailed past me. I saw Celestia do the same thing, and then chanced a look behind me. Celestia had just used her own magic to shield a squadron of her ponies from a swarm of my soldiers.

There was a strange feeling in the air as we both turned and looked at one another. My soldiers were hurting. While I would have loved to continue beating the life out of Celestia, I reminded myself to also think of the war as a whole. My soldiers were powerful, swift and imbued with my essence, not to mention within their element, but that could only go so far against the massive forces of the rebel army. Even as a group, they still held weaknesses.

I quickly considered something. If I were to successfully kill Celestia, then I had no doubt whatsoever that her army would continue to fight against me, even in the midst of the loss of morale. That was the kind of ponies they were. If I, on the other hoof, were to perish, then I was not so sure about the wellbeing of my own forces. Some part of my mind boasted that I could never be killed, but once again I suppressed the overconfidence.

I could see that Celestia's mind was working just as hard. I couldn't be sure, but I felt fairly certain that she was becoming overly focused on the value of every life in her army. Death had always been something that she feared and despised.

Decisions were made.

It was only a minute or two later that the entire scene had changed. Both myself and Celestia had quickly teleported back behind our forces. I had cast out a massive spell that latched on to every Soldier of the Night who was still breathing and pulled them all back into a swift tactical retreat. Similarly, Celestia had magically pulled some of her own forces back and erected a huge golden wall of magic.

For the moment, our armies were separated and the battle was paused. The violent marks of war could still be seen on the battleground between us, marking a scar on the earth where our forces had clashed.

I had decided to make a change in tactics, as it appeared Celestia had done so as well. I had no idea what she was doing, but I wasted no time. Killing Celestia was my top priority, but it was abundantly clear that this would be no easy task.

So, I decided to approach the war in an entirely different way. My forces all gathered around, partially hidden behind one of the foothills of Canterlot Mountain. Of the large group that had set out from Canterlot, we had only lost about 20 or 25% of our forces. A damaging blow, but nothing terribly threatening. I made it appear as if our army were regrouping and instructed some scouts to see what Celestia was up to.

They informed me that she and her army were surrounded in what was basically a golden box. Having seen one wall earlier, I made an educated guess that it would not be easy for us to get through it, but that it would be equally difficult for them to get out until she let the barriers down. They also told me that Celestia was tending to the wounded.

She was healing her precious ponies and rebuilding from her losses, just as I had expected her to. To her every life was precious and she believed that none should be wasted. This was a weakness, and I could use it to my advantage. That was not my focus, however.

To win this battle, I was going to have to win this war. These ponies would stop at nothing in their quest to end my reign and all needed to be eliminated, not just their leader. To defeat an army required a bigger and more powerful army, and that is exactly what I intended to give them.

When the golden walls finally fell and the order was given to charge, Celestia's army would not face the same foes as before. After a mere short time in my company, my soldiers would prove to be a much greater threat. A matrix of spells flowed through my forces, imbuing them with improved strength, defense, agility and stamina. The effects were temporary, yes, but while they lasted my soldiers would become a much more formidable force to be reckoned with. Though Celestia's remaining army would have certainly returned to full strength, ours was at a level above.

I watched from the foothills as the rebels charged towards certain death, their beloved alicorn flying above them ready to offer assistance. Moments before the two sides clashed, the voice of a general rang out above the clamour of battle from behind our lines.

"Palermino is about to fall! Division Alpha, head there immediately and annihilate them."

Right on cue. I have no idea if what he said was true or not, it didn't matter. I saw the quick change in the expression on Celestia's face as she realized even more of her precious ponies' lives were at risk. While her army continued forward, she halted in the air and remained for a moment in an indecisive hover. Our eyes locked for a moment and I laughed.

I don't know what happened after that, because I was gone. The battlefield disappeared from my vision as I teleported a rather long distance. Celestia would no doubt try to follow me to Palermino and attempt to help her forces there, but she wouldn't find me there. I was a couple of kilometres outside of Canterlot and already speeding through the air to cross the remaining distance. Celestia could spend all the time she wanted playing medic for her little children, and I expected her to. Myself, on the other hoof?

I was off to gather more bats.

War Games

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Chapter 10 - War Games

"The ponies of Equestria will never surrender! The sun shall rise!!"

If this poor soul had anything else to say, I would never know. He could only let out a single, breathless cry as his whole body was painted red. He fell to the ground and his lifeless eyes stared up at me. I stood with my hoof still in the air, blood dripping from the metallic claws attached to it. There was something to be said for Austrotian weaponry.

The rolling hills of Galvalon marked the perfect place for a thrilling battle. Metal clashed, war cries filled the air, and flesh was torn. The rebel forces occupied an admittedly strategic area behind some of the city walls. Though they fought valiantly, the number of them that had met my blades was only increasing.

Our forces had been engaged in Galvalon for some time. The rebels had outnumbered us five-to-three when I had arrived, but with me I had brought along a swarm of fresh recruits eager to taste blood. Even if they still felt they had a fighting chance against a larger opposing force, I saw that hope die away once I flew across the battlefield and dove into the fray.

It was almost becoming a fun little pastime for me. With my powerful magic flowing through the veins of my soldiers, the rebels didn't stand a chance in any battle unless they greatly outnumbered us. Despite this, I rather enjoyed entering the scuffle and personally ending a few worthless lives. It was so amusing to see the soldiers try to remain brave in the face of certain death.

I had been taking my time, flitting about to random soldiers and dealing with them individually. In the background, I could see my soldiers closing in and slowly overwhelming them. If the rebels did not receive reinforcements, then Galvalon would be ours.

I smirked as my claws tore through another soldier's throat. That was exactly what was going to happen. Of this I was certain.

I took a moment's pause and observed my valiant soldiers, flying forth without delay and brandishing silver weapons or even just their own fangs. I could hear the panicked cries of the rebels they downed, and the frantic orders of their commanders. It was always very enjoyable to watch the tide of battle turn.

And I took enjoyment wherever I could get it, if I were being honest. I could have been reigning much more death and destruction for these fools, slicing through the land like a malevolent storm. I could not do that, however, as part of my energy was being devoted towards my faithful servants of the night. It wasn't as fun, but I knew that it was the better course of action.

As one I could eventually win, but as a group we could swiftly conquer.

And so, as it were, the number of ponies I had slain was only slightly above average when compared to the rest of my troops, in the long run I would reap the reward.

A spear clattered against my shield, which was weak but completely invisible. It shattered, having done its job, and I turned my sights on the fool that had thrown it. I saw a jolt of fear course through his body, though he did his best to maintain his brave outward appearance.

"Ouch," I droned sarcastically.

The unicorn used his magic to quickly retrieve another spear and wasted no time in aiming it directly towards me. He prepared to charge.

I gave him a low chuckle. "For me? You shouldn't have."

His expression was priceless as he found his spear suddenly yanked from his grasp. Now within my own magic's grip, it began to move much faster than he could keep track of. It zipped around his immediate surroundings like a dragonfly, flying straight through the bodies of five of his comrades. He watched in shock as the soldiers fell to the ground compliments of his own spear, before I circled the weapon around and ended his life as well.

This was fun, but when was something interesting going to happen? I didn't even get a chance to strike the next pony I had set my sights on. Before either of us knew what had happened, one of my soldiers crashed into him like a diving hawk and sunk his teeth into the rebel's neck.

My soldiers were pushing back this division of the rebel army and slowly dwindling their numbers. I saw many wounded, yet still alive, soldiers being taken behind the city walls. Whether through death or injury, their fighting forces were vastly shrinking and it wouldn't take long at this rate for Galvalon to be ours.

I knew that one of two things would happen before long. My enemy was predictable.

I tussled with a couple more enemy soldiers, having fun with the way I dealt with them. After taking an earth pony to the air and tossing him back to the ground at a terminal velocity, I found myself with a bird's eye view of the battlefield. While picking out my next target, I noticed something peculiar about the rebel soldiers back behind the city walls, as well as a few struggling out on the field. Most of them had begun to glow a brilliant golden colour.

I grinned in anticipation. Looks like it was option two.

My soldiers below organized themselves and prepared for the next stage. I watched as enemy soldiers who had retreated or were in the process of doing so turned and charged forth once again, their minor injuries healed. I saw ponies standing up who moments before could do nothing more than lie and groan. For those who were not dead, the damage was being undone.

I remained stationary in the sky, ready for what would come next. I counted the seconds in my head. When I reached the appropriate number, my arcane sword flashed into existence next to my head, blocking the sudden strike from its counterpart. I pushed my blade down, absorbing the momentum and using it to redirect my foe around me. A quick flap of my wings, and the two of us were facing one another. The opposing sword came towards me once again so I raised my own to block appropriately, a wonderfully loud sound resonating across the entire battlefield.

Celestia glared at me, while I simply gave her a confident smile. The two of us separated and hovered in the air for a brief moment, staring in silence at one another. The pure hate she radiated towards me was simply delicious.

I could not even get out a friendly greeting before she began relentlessly trying to attack me.

She appeared rather unkempt, because I knew that she had barely had a moment's rest over the past few weeks. I had made sure of that. This little game of ours was progressing just the way I wanted it to, and I was taking slow steps forwards.

Our war waged on below the glory of the moon. While before it had been a waste of time and energy for her, now Celestia did not have the time nor energy to raise the sun. This war would be fought by my rules alone.

She attacked with unbridled fury, the air aglow with her numerous offensive spells. I simply kept my focus and blocked them all, remaining unharmed as we danced through the sky. I saw the look on her face and it filled me with satisfaction.

As the days of conflict rolled on, the strength of either side continued to rise until we found ourselves at what was essentially a stalemate. Each side headed by an all-powerful alicorn who was more than capable of supporting and empowering their troops. Each small advantage was quickly crushed by an opposing advantage.

I, however, knew that it was not a true stalemate. Celestia was too foolish to realize it, but things were progressing exactly as I had planned.

Celestia's weaknesses were so easy to exploit. Even if I could not defeat her in battle, which I was certain I could, I would easily be able to defeat her in other ways. Now, the emotions I could see behind her tired eyes told me more than she ever could with words or actions. I was making her suffer.

Celestia and I had different approaches to war. To put it in the simplest terms, I was offense and she was defense. It had taken me very little time to figure out how to exploit this. You see, while her army may have been sturdier and more resistant to casualties, the forces of the night were everywhere and I was constantly creating new recruits. Our onslaught was constant and unyielding, preventing the rebels from making any sort of progress.

When my soldiers fell in battle, there were always more to follow. The loss of such valiant ponies was truly unfortunate, but what they had accomplished in life would always contribute to our greater goal. As I have stated before, casualty is an inevitability of war. I knew this, and they knew this. To fall in battle like this was what truly made these soldiers loyal, and I applauded every one of them.

To Celestia, however, every life was precious and worth saving. So much of her time was wasted with saving the lives of her little rebels. Some of them were injured so much that she would simply not have the time to make them healthy enough to fight, but she tended to them anyway. This weakness was my tool, and I used it in a number of ways. Her compassion and care was her greatest flaw and would ultimately be her downfall.

As we continued to trade blows in the sky, I repeatedly managed to draw blood while she only managed a few small strikes at me. Just like always. A sound in the distance caught my attention. When it was safe to do so, I looked towards the horizon. There, I saw a rather large group of golden-clad soldiers rushing towards Galvalon as quickly as they could.

I smirked. So predictable.

Celestia's spear missed my head by inches, so I tucked and rolled out of the way. "Having fun?" I taunted her.

"I have no words for you!" she spat, "I will kill you, monster!"

"Now, that was rude." I left myself vulnerable for just enough time to grab her spear with my own magic and fling it back at her faster than she could react. With her unable to bring up a shield spell in time, the spear embedded itself into her torso.

She grunted in pain but used her magic to make the spear vanish, leaving only a gaping wound. What followed was a vengeful flurry of offensive spells that I had to spend my time blocking. I waited patiently until there was a small opening, at which point I deftly twirled through the air and kicked her from above. She was sent sailing towards the ground momentarily before she could correct herself.

"How much abuse must you take before you give up?" I shouted to her once she alighted at my altitude once more.

"I will never surrender! Galvalon will not fall to your foul, demonic creatures!"

She summoned about ten more spears and quickly lanced them directly at me. Most of them I blocked with small, focused shield spells. However, I caught two of them in my magic's grip. Without taking my eyes off of her, I flung them both at precise angles towards the ground below. The dying shouts of two rebel ponies rang out simultaneously as the spears cut through their fragile bodies.

Immediately, a look of horror and disgust flashed across Celestia's face. I merely smirked at her.

She charged at me but I quickly zipped behind her. While she corrected herself, I coursed a large amount of magic through my horn. I cast the spell out, enveloping every one of my soldiers on the battlefield and imbuing them with a hint of my strength. Stronger they were now than before, and much more difficult to take down.

Celestia looked ready to charge once again. I simply winked at her and then teleported away.

…

I reappeared amidst chaos. In the wake of my teleportation spell, masked with charms to prevent anypony from following me, I was now at the main point of conflict. Where the fighting had all started, and where it continued to this day.

With Canterlot Mountain standing tall in the distance, I hovered above the largest battle of this entire war. The majority of my forces were concentrated here, pushing back against the steadfast opposition of the rebellion in our attempts to reach Pegassaly.

I had been here not too long ago, and I grinned at the progress that had been made.

As I had expected, not only had our forces gained more ground to the north, but the opposing army seemed a fraction smaller than before. I knew exactly where these missing soldiers had disappeared to, since I had just been there myself.

Celestia was such a blind fool. She had no idea what I was doing. I wasn't sure how many times by now I had arrived at the one of the smaller skirmishes in the various cities to cause mayhem and trouble. Expectedly, Celestia would arrive with a contingent of reinforcements for driving my soldiers back. Sometimes they managed to succeed.

What was important, however, was that each time soldiers were called away to aid in other battles, it weakened the rebels' main front. I grinned as I watched the bloodbath taking place below me. Slowly but surely, my creatures of the night were slaughtering the ponies that were here. Their numbers were gradually being decreased as we littered the ground with their corpses.

I could see Pegassaly. The hastily but heavily fortified city could now be seen from my army's position on the battlefield, whereas it could not have been seen before. That was just how much closer we were getting. Our army would descend upon Pegassaly and make it ours, quelling this rebellion at its strongest point.

I wanted to kill Celestia. So bad was the desire to hunt her down and maim her in the most brutal way possible. However, I had managed to convince myself that what we were doing was the smarter option. Too many mistakes had been made in the past by rash decisions, so it was time to play the tactical game.

I saw the eyes of many rebels look to the skies to see me. Many seemed nervous, but each one of them had a certain bravery behind their eyes. I knew that Celestia was imbuing each and every one of them with an ounce of her power, just as I was for my own soldiers. They were a tougher batch to defeat at this point, but that only made the game more interesting.

Celestia would no doubt return here from Galvalon before long. I had been hovering motionlessly in the air for quite a while. I watched as a group of my soldiers surrounded a hapless pegasus and swarmed him. Two of them bit down on his wings and tried to pry them off. Elsewhere, one of my soldiers had used his spear to successfully disarm a stallion with a sword. Once on the ground, another of my soldiers ended his life with a swipe of Austrotian claws.

A rather powerful looking spell started to lance through the air directly towards me. It looked lethal, but I lazily dodged out of the way of its slow trajectory. A cursory glance down revealed a group of defiant looking unicorns glaring up at me.

I let out a loud, echoing laugh. No doubt, the entire battlefield could hear me. A black, fiery aura surrounded me, growing larger with every second. Soon, I was a chaotic fireball burning in the sky. I could see a large percentage of the opposing army fall back slightly and take up defensive positions.

With a simple twist of my head, the fiery aura disappeared. A split second later, it reappeared surrounding those unicorns that had dared to fire a spell at me. Their excruciating screams were the last thing I heard before I departed.

…

Weeks passed and the battle continued to wage on.

My hooves were soaked with blood. Not literally, of course. What I mean is that we were winning. Rebels were dying, and the swarms of bats refused to stop. The reign of the night continued to stand strong.

Celestia's forces were no pushovers, however. In fact, they seemed to slowly be getting stronger. We had gotten so much closer to Pegassaly, but progress had finally slowed until it seemed we had once more reached a stalemate. It was as if their army was suddenly filled with a great deal of determination. Those ponies sickened me. Curse every one of their souls. Do they really think they can save this land?

Small cities were being taken back by the rebels. We had lost Galvalon again. It had never reached a point where those fools were winning, but they had suddenly stepped up their game somehow and it was frustrating.

I was prepared to be patient, but my patience was beginning to wear thin. This ridiculous game had been going on long enough. It was fun toying with these fools, but I knew that they could not last much longer. Soon their army would dwindle down to nothing and Celestia would draw her final breath.

I was standing on the tallest tower of Canterlot Castle. The impenetrable barrier still surrounded the stronghold, though it was rare if there was anypony in the city to even see it. In the distance, Canterlot Mountain remained strong against the mayhem of war.

Another cycle of the night had arrived, and with it brought the promise of more fighting, more bloodshed, and more death.

If these rebels wanted to truly fight back, then they would regret the decision to take up arms against us. That night, I had planned to make a concentrated strike and wipe out a huge chunk of their numbers. Clearly, our message was not getting through to them.

I took to the air gracefully, opening a small hole in the barrier to pass through. Rising to the air with me was a dark, jet-black cloudy mass. It swirled around me like a chaotic aura, following me through the opening in the barrier and spreading out into the night sky. The swarm of bats, at least one thousand of them, encircled me like a raging storm cloud. They followed my movements like moths to a flame, drawn as they were to the glory of the night.

I grinned before alighting my horn with powerful magic. As I cast the familiar spell, I found myself wondering just how Celestia still thought she could win.

For a short time, the city was unfortunately lit up like the light of day. Such was the burning intensity of my magic as it spread out and encased each and every bat. It was a powerful strain on my body, and especially my horn, but it mattered not in the abandoned city of Canterlot. This was the true might of Nightmare Moon, more powerful than any other alicorn before her.

When the blinding flash finally faded, I was left panting for just a few minutes. I was still surrounded by my thousand comrades. The swarm was a lot larger, however, on account of their newfound size. A thousand ponies, transformed from the bats, now hovered around me on their glorious, leathery wings. Their eyes glowed in the darkness of the night, each one staring at me and awaiting orders from their glorious leader.

I couldn't help but laugh. Celestia was losing her mind, going mad with grief as I slaughtered more and more of her forces. I, on the other hoof, now had one thousand new recruits to replace however many I had unfortunately lost. True, I mourned the loss of such valiant creatures. That mattered not, however, in the midst of war.

With one more incredibly bright flash, the entire group was teleported all the way to the top of Canterlot Mountain. I crouched behind a curve in the mountainside, the swarm of ponies staying low to the ground behind me and hidden in the shadows. Two spells of such intense magnitude did, unfortunately, require me to rest. I used this time to observe the situation below.

The battle on the main front was far enough away that no normal pony would be able to see more than a mass of indistinguishable bodies. I could see everything in the finest detail, however. We still remained three quarters of the distance from Canterlot Mountain to Pegassaly, fighting against golden clad ponies who seemingly refused to be defeated. As I watched, I saw an equal number of rebels and my own ponies get struck down.

Celestia was playing all of her cards. She was clearly feeding more of her own magic into her troops. I smirked. That would only make her weaker.

I signalled a single one of my soldiers and gave him a silent direction. He saluted and quickly darted off to the west. I waited a little while longer, regaining my strength up to its maximum, until finally it was time to make our move.

I spread my wings and leapt into the air, sailing down the mountain in a controlled freefall. I heard the excited clicks and cries of my soldiers flying behind me. A black waterfall cascading down the side of the mountain, bringing the promise of death.

As we reached near the bottom of the mountain, after many of the rebels had no doubt seen us, a sound suddenly rang through the air. Four loud, ominous chimes of a church bell echoed across the land.

With our speed, we cut across the land in a fairly short amount of time. I purposefully held back, letting my swarms of fresh recruits dash ahead and aid in the slaughter of these pitiful rebels. It was like a flock of vultures descending upon a dying animal. The rebel forces soon found themselves overwhelmed by soldiers of the night. The sounds of their desperate fighting reached my ears.

I saw weapons fly as I approached the skirmish. Blood sailed through the air as I saw pony after pony sent to the ground, their bodies torn apart. I grinned in satisfaction, watching the punishment that these loathsome rebels deserved.

Much of the opposing army had seen me flying through the air towards them like an approaching storm. Some of them even smartly began to retreat behind their own lines; that is if my soldiers didn't strike them down first.

Celestia was nowhere to be seen this time. Usually, upon a new advancement towards the main front, she could be seen assisting in the battle or performing healing duties behind their lines. Now, however, she was apparently elsewhere.

Pity. I had hoped that tonight might be the night I would manage to rend her throat in two.

Some rebel pegasi, high in the air and on the outskirts of the battlefield, met me as I approached. Some bravely tried to attack, while others cowered and tried to flee. The result was the same in either case. I latched onto each one as I passed by, twirling them around me to pick up momentum and then launching them towards the ground fast enough that they did not have a chance to recover before impacting.

I loved the sound of their screams. The sound of rebel blood being spilled. The sound of defiant spirit being crushed. These ponies were not fit to inhabit my new world.

I sailed over the top of my amassed forces, casting a menacing shadow in the moon's light. Normally at this point, I would have dipped down into the heart of the battle and started ending some rebel lives. It was a fun game that I enjoyed playing, whether in this battle or elsewhere. With my energy funneled into my innumerous troops, it was sometimes the best I could do.

Not tonight, however. I had decided it was time to make a bigger statement.

I sailed further ahead through the air until I was beyond the enemy lines, hovering directly above the collection of rebels. They stared up at me with a mix of emotions. Some were terrified, while others were furious and defiant.

I smirked at them, chuckling loudly as a black aura started to form around me. My horn lit up with brilliant silver magic, building in intensity until a large silver sphere had formed within seconds. It took the fools on the ground far too long to realize what was happening.

By the time they started to scatter, the immense sphere of concentrated offensive magic was ready, dangling off the tip of my horn and just waiting to be unleashed. With a triumphant laugh, I twirled my head around and tossed the sphere to the ground, directly into the heart of the rebel army. Those directly below it had barely had a chance to take five steps. Escape was impossible.

I watched, satisfaction on my lips, as the sphere descended from the sky towards those doomed souls below. That satisfaction immediately vanished when the sphere exploded into a shimmering display of sparkling magic far too soon. It dissipated quickly, revealing unharmed rebels on the ground. I scowled.

Escape had been impossible, but it was unnecessary when Celestia intervened like that.

She remained there in the air for a moment, perfectly still and hovering. The last sparkling remnants of my magic attack drifted from her horn like the wake of a ship. I noticed that her horn wasn't even glowing. She hadn't shielded my attack, she had cut right through it. Now in the aftermath, she had this rather dramatic pose that, I must admit, looked like it had come straight from the oils of a striking painting.

I was definitely surprised by what I saw. Celestia didn't have a scratch on her, despite having skewered through offensive alicorn magic with just her horn. Her expression exuded just as much intimidation as the rest of her body language. Her teeth were grit, she was scowling, and there was an unquenchable fire burning behind her eyes. The way she breathed heavily, almost as if she were panting, was a clear sign of the rage that was coursing through her like an angry ocean.

What was most important was that she didn't look tired or hindered at all, which meant I had to move right now!

Celestia's arcane sword missed my head by a hair's breadth, nearly taking off a chunk of one of my ears. I scowled at her as I shifted back into a more favourable position.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with sharp things?" I called to her with a smirk.

She dove for me again, lancing her sword which I dodged. She twirled around and brought her sword about, nearly catching me on the upswing. When I dodged that as well, I next caught sight of her horn glowing. Three luminous yellow daggers shimmered into existence and suddenly found themselves sailing through the air directly towards me. I was forced to deflect them with shield spells.

Either I had hit a nerve, or Celestia had made the decision to make a bigger statement as well.

"Mere child's play," I taunted as I teleported to her side. Once I had her attention and her defenses were aimed in that direction, I quickly teleported again to her opposite side and fired a short beam of magic. She caught my movements just in time, though she could only move the mere centimetres far enough to have my magic impact her armour instead of her exposed flesh.

She seethed in pain, still. The armour was no doubt burning hot where I had struck it.

Celestia dove towards me again, her sword poised to strike. I deftly moved away, summoning an arcane spear to lance directly at her. While she was blocking it, I fired more offensive spells. To my surprise, she was still able to block them all.

I dove in for another attack, which she evaded. Then, suddenly, I found myself surrounded. At least a hundred glowing golden daggers had encircled me like a globe, aimed directly at me. With a flick of Celestia's head, they all plunged directly into the centre. They clinked off one another at the spot where I had been less than a millisecond ago before teleporting.

"Are these your attacks, or cheap parlour tricks?" I called to her.

She responded by tossing a golden spear at me.

"Rude…Not even going to say 'hello'?"

Celestia screamed in rage as she shot through the air towards me. "Foul creature of Tartarus, I shall end you!!"

Thus the duel was truly on as we zipped through the air faster than one could see.

"Enough of these games, Celestia!" I shouted, changing my tone, "Surrender now and some of your precious day-rats might survive."

Celestia shouted in fury and thrust at least six glowing weapons my way. I was getting her angry.

"You cannot win this war!" I continued, "Your determination is admirable, but not once have you been on the winning side! My children eat away at you piece by piece until nothing will remain. Is that really what you want?"

"Genocidal fiend!" she spat, "You have destroyed everything I worked so hard for!"

That made me pause and raise an eyebrow. "Everything you worked so hard for, is it? Is that how it is now?"

She screamed and charged straight into me, actually managing to briefly catch me off guard and tackle me through the air a short ways before I could teleport away.

"Taunt me further and you shall burn!" she exclaimed, "She worked hard too, but she's gone now!"

As she shouted at me, glaring with untempered fury, I realized something important. Celestia wasn't crying. She had just mentioned her dear sister, admitting the fact that she was as good as dead, and there wasn't a single tear in her eye. As the alicorn struck out at me once again, screaming in fury and using a strong combination of magic and weaponry, I really had to work to prevent her from injuring me.

Celestia was out for blood. There wasn't an ounce of hesitation within her any more. Not even the memory of her sister was holding her back; Celestia was ready to kill me.

I teleported a moderate distance away, giving myself a brief moment to prepare. Spells built within my horn, ready to be cast when I needed them, and three silver arcane swords appeared.

"Very well," I said, just loud enough for her to hear over the din of noise but still in a fairly low tone, "If you wish to try your skill, I invite you to go right ahead." The swords moved into position. "You'll only die that much faster."

"I refuse to let Equestria die like this!" Celestia shouted, passion in her voice, "Whether I live or not, I will defeat you and save this land from the evil of your ways! Soon, the sun will rise once more and you will be nothing but a forgotten memory."

I started to chuckle. "Oh ho ho, Celestia…Very soon, 'Princess of the Sun', you will turn to me and pray. It will truly be a sight to behold as the life drains from your eyes."

Seconds later, a blindingly bright silver sphere appeared next to the other alicorn and struck her in the torso. A piece of her armour simply vanished, leaving a deep burn in her flesh. Celestia cried out in pain, but kept her furious eyes locked on me.

And so, the two of us danced through the sky. Not since that first battle so long ago at the castle had the two of us poured so much effort into destroying one another. The sky was alight with magic of all kinds, zipping through the air as it sought to cripple and maim one of us. Silver and gold-coloured arcane weapons clashed, sending sparks to the ground below.

Poor Celestia still only had the magical capacity to wield one arcane sword. If I could break it, then I would have the upper hoof.

Interestingly, though, it seemed as if neither of us had the upper hoof. We appeared to be equally matched. Yes, something had changed inside of Celestia. She was a different pony now, Tartarus-bent on murdering me. I could see it in her eyes. She wanted my blood on her hooves.

Pieces of armour fell away. Scratches and abrasions appeared, slowly growing more intense as we managed to score hits off of one another. As always, Celestia lost more blood than I did, although some of mine did spill.

I laughed in victory as I sent a bolt of electricity down, striking Celestia square in the back while she was below me. I couldn't stop grinning. Every blow against her filled me with indescribable mirth. All I could picture was her falling to the ground in defeat.

As I looked down at her damaged form, however, I was also reminded of what else was occurring by the sight of the battle below. My army had made no headway whilst we had been here. Those damned rebels were putting up a fight, and it seemed that they couldn't advance.

I effortlessly blocked Celestia's counterattack and furrowed my brow. I had lost focus once again. Now was not the time to focus on killing Celestia, but rather to win the war. My troops needed my help.

I decided it was time for the old song and dance again. The two of us twirled through the air, striking at and dodging one another. During the confusion, however, I quickly vanished in a teleport and then covered my tracks.

I was now in Palermino. It was time to turn the battle here.

Over time, Palermino had mostly fallen to the rebels, though my troops remained to fight. Some of them, I knew, were hiding away. They were waiting for my return. Now that I was here, my magic would flow through them, healing their wounds and raising our numbers in this skirmish once more. With myself there as well to cause death and mayhem, it would only be a matter of time before Celestia diverted more troops from her front line to assist here.

Thus weakening the main bulk of their army, and thus allowing us one more step closer to Pegassaly.

I gasped in shock as something heavy suddenly impacted me from the side, nearly sending me tumbling to the ground. As I righted myself, and threw up shields as a precaution, I scanned the air for the perpetrator.

To my utter disbelief, I saw Celestia hovering just above me a short distance away.

For the first time in a while, I was stunned. How had she managed to follow me? Just as I had always done in the past, I had cast a spell to cloak the trail of my teleportation spell so that I could not be tracked. Had she just blindly guessed? Or had she figured out some devious trick of her own?

"You cannot flee this time, monster!" Celestia proclaimed.

"Silence!" I shouted as I rammed straight towards her, brandishing all three of my swords and aiming each one of them at her heart.

She teleported a short distance away, but I followed her. This was different now. My tried and true method of attack was far less useful if Celestia could somehow track my movements. She would dare not follow me back to Canterlot Castle, where she would be slaughtered on the spot, but anywhere else she would be sure to follow. For this, I had no plan of action.

I swung fiercely at her, using a myriad of magic spells to try and slow her down. Perhaps it was time to do a little more damage to Celestia after all.

The battle in Palermino continued below us unnoticed as the two of us dueled in the sky. I focused myself, putting more effort and energy into the attack. Celestia, though, seemed even more bloodthirsty than before. I found myself straining to properly block all of her strikes.

I hit her square in the chest with a concentrated energy beam, causing her to cry out and curse as her fur sizzled slightly. She took the attack in stride, however, looping around as if I hadn't even hit her. She cast a series of spells at me as well, and managed to slice painfully into my side with her sword while I was blocking them.

"Grrr…" I growled, glaring at her, "Why won't you just die?!"

We circled around and darted back and forth, trading blows against shields. She swiped at me, I cast a fireball at her, she tried to cripple my wings, I tried to hack off her leg. It was a dizzying sight to behold.

I darted across the sky and fired another powerful lightning bolt directly at her. It just barely managed to miss, with Celestia twirling out of the way like an acrobat. What I did not expect was for her to continue this twirling dive until she was right up next to me. Her horn was alit and she was surrounded by a thin but white-hot layer of flame.

My eyes shot open momentarily as I pulled up a powerful shield spell to block her lancing strike, while also making sure to make it flame-retardant. Her momentum died, as did her flame spell, leaving her faltering in the air next to me. The powerful shield had left me just as flummoxed and unprepared as she was. With no time to think of something fancy or build another spell, I did the first thing that came to mind.

I reared my hoof back and then punched her right in the face.

She shouted out in pain as the tumbled away from me in the sky, a fresh red welt appearing on her cheek. She had her teeth grit and I could hear her low groaning. I couldn't help but laugh. You have no idea how cathartic that had felt!

Celestia spit blood and possibly a tooth, staring up at me with dark eyes. I can safely say that I do not think any living creature on this Earth has ever seen the Princess of the Sun so vehemently angry before. Perhaps I should consider myself lucky.

"Had enough?"

"This cannot continue…" she spoke, though she sounded somewhat slurred. Looks like I had hit her jaw as well. "You're killing the land…Ponykind will be no more if I do not destroy you…"

I chuckled unamusedly. "Spare me your theatrics."

Without wasting another moment, I quickly poured as much magic into my horn as possible. The blazing dark aura that surrounded me caused her to flinch back in surprise. Her own horn started glowing golden as well, but it was too late to stop my attack. From my horn lanced a blinding and powerful beam of pure energy. In the distance, I saw it sear the top right off of a tree.

Of course Celestia had managed to dodge it and was now sailing towards me with her arcane sword aimed for my throat.

Though I grunted in exertion as I raised one of my swords to block, I also rolled my eyes. This was beginning to get old. I took a quick glance around, trying to decide how to make this interesting.

Below, I noticed that the battle of Palermo was still going on, undisturbed, and I grinned. Perfect…

I continued my little 'dance' through the air with Celestia, focusing on using my swords to block, parry and strike. My horn glowed brightly the entire time, and I could see Celestia watching me warily. I knew that she was mentally preparing herself for whatever magical attack I would fire at her next.

Foolish Celestia. She never saw it coming.

After blocking a powerful strike and using the momentum to push myself a fair distance away from her, I released the spell from my horn. I saw her throw up all kinds of shields, but no magic touched her whatsoever. Her eyes grew wide as she saw what was happening behind me, however.

Precisely 30 distinct bolts of lightning struck down from invisible points in the sky. They traveled blindingly fast to the ground below, each one striking a rebel soldier and reducing them to dust before they even had a chance to scream.

The two of us stared silently at each other for a moment. I gave her a wicked grin, while she simply looked sick to her stomach.

She appeared next to me in less than the blink of an eye. The air was pierced by Celestia's guttural cry of rage. Hooves and swords flew about faster than could be seen, forcing all of my concentration to keep up my defences. I tried to dance away from her, but she kept on me. She had the look of a ravenous carnivore.

She had the eyes of a wild beast.

She swung wildly and without abandon with her sword, forcing myself to constantly block with mine. She even managed to knock one away, where it went spiralling to the ground below. She sliced and stabbed, managing to clink against my armour a few times.

I kept my cool through this onslaught of attack, keeping my eyes wide for openings to attack. My swords lashed out a few times, but for the most part she had me on the defensive. She was going wild, fuelled by an unstoppable fury. It was almost awe-inspiring in a strange way.

Swords clashed in the sky, creating a huge spark. I pushed off and twirled away through the sky, but Celestia mirrored my actions and met up with me once again. She slashed at me ten times without stopping, and I just managed to block them all. I pulled up a powerful shield to try and defer her, but she thrust her sword right into the centre of it while her horn glowed even brighter. A second later, the shield shattered.

Hints of worry finally started to appear. My smirk was gone. I was forced to remind myself who I was dealing with here. This was the only other alicorn in the world. While still less powerful than I, this alicorn was no longer shackled by concern for her kin. Now, I had pushed her farther than ever before.

A sudden, powerful kinetic shockwave was what finally caught me by surprise. I felt the wind get knocked out of me as I tumbled back through the air. My sense of direction had been completely shot, and I lost track of where my other two swords were.

It didn't matter. Less than a second later I heard another animalistic war cry and Celestia's heavy form slammed into me. While I was recoiling through the air, I felt the tip of her arcane sword strike. She slashed upwards once, striking my shoulder and scarring my cheek, and then slashed downwards across my midsection. Fresh pain rippled through my body, unlike I had felt in a long time, and I lost control of my wings and fell towards the ground.

I regained my senses and focused on righting myself before I impacted the Earth, but I never got the chance. A strained, gurgling cry escaped my lips as Celestia's sword, flung downwards through the air, struck me and embedded itself into my upper chest. It sunk through the area just below my shoulder, sliced through bones, and erupted out from behind my shoulder blade. I landed on the ground in a painful heap on my back, the tip of the sword further embedding itself in the ground.

I let out a gasping cough, blood spewing from my mouth. The pain in my entire left side was indescribable, and I couldn't even feel my left hoof. Celestia's sword, being arcane in nature, burned my insides upon contact.

I growled, more blood leaking from my mouth and splattering all over my chin, as I raised my head and gazed skyward. I saw Celestia hovering up there, staring back down at me. She was panting; her energy so depleted from her berserk attack that she couldn't even follow up now. Her eyes, however, showed a dark satisfaction.

I found myself silent for a moment, just staring. I reflected on what Celestia had just done to me. There was a sword essentially nailing me to the ground below. I couldn't quite believe it, but she had actually gotten me. I let out a few more bloody coughs, glaring at that damned alicorn.

She started to fly down towards me, so I quickly dug into whatever magical reserves I could still access and flung her own sword back at her. Damn it hurt when I pulled it out, but she fumbled in the air to catch it. That managed to stop her once again, leaving her panting and staring down at her foe with the gaping wound.

And then I grinned. A bloody grin that made Celestia jerk back slightly. I started laughing. It began as a quiet chuckle that slowly grew in volume until I was unashamedly cackling like a mad pony. My entire upper half was soaked from the blood of my wound, and blood was still pouring like a river do turnfrom my mouth, but still I laughed.

When she started diving towards me again, I quickly teleported away.

Now back in the safety of Canterlot Castle, I appeared in the throne room in a collapsed heap. Night soldiers quickly flocked to my side when they saw me, worried expressions on all of their faces. Some shouted orders for first aid, while others simply tried to help me sit up.

And still I was laughing. My horn glowed as a healing spell began. I had taken fairly heavy damage, so the process would be slow. I didn't care, though. All I could do was laugh.

My soldiers would later tell me that they saw a dark glint in my eye. A strange, frightening look that none of them had ever seen before. I believe them.

"You're such a damn fool, Celestia…" I muttered darkly once I had finally stopped laughing, "I hope you enjoy your petty victory…"

I was now in a sitting position, painting the blue carpet below me a deep crimson red. I grinned as thoughts danced through my head. Exciting thoughts. Thrilling ones! Another low chuckle escaped my throat as I stared straight ahead at nothing.

"You're going to regret that, Celestia…" I whispered.

Soldiers, my family, flocked around me and started wrapping my wounds. I could have told them they needn't have bothered because my healing spell would mend the wounds within hours, but I simply let them work. My mind was elsewhere.

"These wars have gone on long enough…Since you still choose to stand in my way, then there is only one fate for you and your precious ponies." My grin only grew wider.

"…It's time to say 'goodnight', Celestia. When next we meet, none of you shall survive the night."

Surrender or Perish

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Chapter 11 - Surrender or Perish

"You there!"

Amongst the busy bustle of soldiers in the castle, the one I had singled out paused and turned to look at me. "Yes, Your Highness?"

"Follow me."

"As you wish," the young member of the Night Guard replied, bowing quickly before falling in line behind me.

I was surrounded by the flurry of leathery wings as Night Guard soldiers, both old and new, scurried about. Canterlot Castle was a hub of activity on this particular cycle's waning hours. There were a thousand preparations to be made.

I calmly walked forward, as if the storm of ponies wasn't there at all. The cacophony of sound that filled the halls was like a distant din in my ears. I would have had my eyes closed in peace if not to look where I was going.

No, the hustle and bustle hardly registered. I felt calm and serene. My mind was in a faraway place, far from the troubles of war and the frustration of the rebel army. Inside my head, it was like a step into a beautiful future. The calmness of the night surrounded me as I strode across moonlit fields, the world free of my enemies.

I slowly ascended stairs, climbing the many levels of the castle on my way to one of the highest points. The single soldier followed silently behind me the entire way.

I passed captains and leaders barking orders to their subordinates, laying out extensive plans of attack. Their words were like a mist passing by as I continued upwards, eventually leaving the populated areas of the castle behind. I'm sure many of them were worried, anxious, determined not to fail. Some of them may have felt weary and exhausted. Not I, however. I could not have been more content.

After all, the war was about to end.

Once the soldier and I reached one of the highest levels of the castle, there was finally silence. Nopony else was up here. I led him down a silent hallway and through a set of glass doors to a balcony on the side of one of the castle's towers. I invited him to stand beside me, and he silently obeyed.

"What do you see?" I asked in a soft voice.

He glanced uneasily up at me. "Y-Your Highness?"

I turned and gave him a smile, inviting him to speak his mind. "Tell me," I spoke once more, "What is it that you see?"

He glanced forward again. I could see the hesitation in his eyes, as if to make sure he said the right thing. I followed his gaze and watched the world as he described it.

"I see Canterlot, Your Highness…under the light of the waning moon." He turned to me, but I glanced at him and nodded for him to continue. "The land is in shadow, but the buildings and hills are in the moonlight."

I smiled and nodded. His eloquence was lacking, but proper communication had not been the strength of those who had once been bats. Like a mother appreciating a child's drawing, it was endearing to me.

"Stars are bright…" he continued, "The moon is strong. I see my kind in the city. They fly and they prepare. Canterlot Mountain is tall and…in the moonlight. It shines, but it is in shadow. Equestria…Your kingdom."

"It is a truly beautiful sight," I replied, gazing out at the wonder of the night-lit landscape. So much had happened that I had forgotten how long it had been since that first day that the moon rose from the horizon for the last time. "Tell me how it makes you feel."

The soldier hesitated. "Strength…" he replied at last, "Power…but, soft. It is a song…It is…" He turned to look at me, and I glanced sideways back at him. "…beautiful."

"This is our world. This is Equestia, young soldier. And it is yours. It is mine. It belongs to all of us. Our entire family. The moon spreads its wondrous light to touch us all, for now and forever. Feel its soothing chill. Listen to the quiet serene of the night's air. Feel the tickle of evening's breath on your wings."

"Your Highness…?"

"Yes?"

"I see this and, I feel…happy."

I grinned at him. "That makes me happy, young soldier. The night is inviting and kind to those who respect it."

"I respect the night, Your Highness."

We both turned and looked towards the horizon once more. In the far distance, just beyond Canterlot Mountain and almost too far away to see, was a series of periodic bright flashes. There was a barely perceptible orange glow focused on a single spot on the horizon.

"I see…" the soldier spoke, and then he hissed angrily. "I see our enemies."

"We have been pushed back from Pegassaly."

He growled.

"The rebels think throwing a sword at me has given them some tactical advantage…"

I turned to the side and looked at the young soldier, and he turned to look up at me. For a moment, we remained in silence. In appearance, he was not unlike the thousands of other soldiers at my command. Mane, coat, wing and eye colours were shared amongst their kind with little variance. Despite that, however, this was an individual. I could see just by looking at him that he probably excelled in being nimble and evasive. He seemed determined, but with a hint of wiliness that was sure to be useful on the battlefield. Even the way he simply stood. He had a habit of twitching his left ear every so often.

"You of course know what will happen at the hour of the new moon this cycle?"

He nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

My expression was grave and serious. "And you know what is expected of you? Do you feel capable of the duties you must perform?"

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"And your kin? Your brethren? If I were to ask them the same questions, would I receive the same answers?"

"In truth, I believe so Your Majesty."

A small smile graced my lips. "Good…" I then turned my head and looked towards the horizon again. I quickly found the sight of the battle once more. "They are, after all, blind fools…"

Another moment of silence passed. The moon was waning, and only two hours remained until the cycle ended and the new moon would be above us. 'Midnight' as it had once been called. It was the darkest hour of the cycle, when only the grace of the stars shed light upon the land.

"Tell me," I said, once again addressing the soldier, "Is there any part of the coming events that leaves you in question?"

He gazed up at me uncertainly. "Well, Y-Your Majesty…"

"You have my permission to speak freely."

He blinked once, his expression unchanged. "Your Majesty, why…are we not to slaughter them all? Is that not our goal? Why must those who surrender be kept alive?"

I neither smiled nor frowned. "Those who surrender shall join our family."

The soldier was silent for a moment. "I understand."

"The creatures of the night shall rule this land, no matter what they may have once been."

"It will be glorious, Your Majesty."

I chuckled and gazed up at the moon, only a thin sliver remaining visible at the moment. "Soon, Celestia…" I whispered, "Enjoy this little game while it lasts."

I then turned and walked back into the castle. The soldier obediently followed me. As I turned down one of the hallways, I started to speak to him once again. "I hope that you and your kind understands how thankful I am. You have all been truly helpful in this endeavour."

"We do, Your Majesty. We shall follow you until the end, and not one of us would dare disagree."

I turned down one more hallway, this one ornately designed with depictions of the moon and stars. A few statues of myself lined the sides. At the end was a doorway flanked by two stoic and intimidating guardsponies. I heard the hoofsteps of the soldier beside me stop.

"Y-Your Highness?" he spoke as I approached the guards, "Er…Those are…your-"

"My personal chambers, yes," I replied simply as the two guards saluted and permitted me entry, "Continue to follow."

"Yes, Your Highness," he replied quickly. Wordlessly, he caught up to me and followed me through the opulent doorway. Then he simply stood still at the entrance, glancing around like a nervous child. I could tell from the look on his face that he felt like he was somewhere where he didn't belong.

I honestly could not blame him for that. We presently stood in the most private room of the entire castle. It was an incredibly rare occurrence for anypony other than myself to set foot beyond those doors, and very few reasons for why that would happen.

I simply stood in the centre of the room and addressed him regardless. "I am no fool. I am not so arrogant as to believe that there isn't a chance of something going wrong. I cannot promise safety nor success. There is a chance that you may die."

He gave the curt nod of a trained soldier.

"…And there is a chance that I may die."

He seemed shocked. "Your Majesty, no! Impossible! Do not say such things!"

"No creature in this world is perfect. Not even myself."

"Your Majesty-"

I held up a hoof and he instantly fell silent. "We have come a long way from simple beginnings. From that first victory when none of you were even here, we have reached such a glorious point. These rebels refuse to bow down, and so we must take from them what little they hold on to. To ensure success, I must have everypony performing their duties to perfection."

The soldier immediately saluted. "Your Majesty! We shall not fail!"

I grinned. "It is good to see such enthusiasm, even though these may be your last hours on this Earth…"

His positive appearance did not falter. "It is an honour to die for you, Your Majesty."

I turned to the side and glanced out of the window. "It may the last few hours for many of us…" I mused. The room fell silent for a moment.

"Um…Your Majesty?"

I turned to the soldier.

"If you will forgive me…Why are we here?"

I gave him a different sort of grin. "As I said…Upon the arrival of the new moon, it shall all be over. One way or another, this war shall end. Do you have regrets?"

He paused. "Regrets? N-no, Your Majesty."

"It is not a good thing to have regrets," I said as I turned away from him. I trotted across the room to the opposite end. There, I stepped onto the soft, inviting mattress of my bed, decorated with deep blues and blacks and surrounded by a four-poster frame with a glittering veil that was drawn back. I laid down on my side, lounging against the pillows, and turned to the guard at the door with a half-lidded stare. "Come," I said as my horn lit up briefly, and all of my armour disappeared in a flash.

"Join me."

…

From atop Canterlot Mountain I stood, looking out upon the land below and seeing nearly all that Equestria had to offer. The chill of the higher altitude nipped at the tips of my wings. I was alone up here, a solitary figure standing atop the tallest natural structure in the entire nation. With my wings spread wide, I knew that anypony paying close enough attention would be able to see me, even in the waning light.

Dispersed all around me, covering hundreds of square miles but not so densely as to be easily noticed, were my soldiers. If each one were to suddenly glow, it would look like an array of fireflies covering the entire land below me. They waited, hiding or hovering in midair. They waited for their moment to strike.

The hour of the new moon was moments away. All across Equestria, the light of the moon was slowly growing dimmer. A shadow slowly cast itself over the face of the moon, reducing it to a thin crescent. Yet, it was still a beautiful sight. Like a slice of heaven adorning the skies.

I could see the battles in the distance. Small ones, such as in Palermino and Galvalon, and the main fighting front between myself and Pegassaly. They were easy to see. The skies were lit up from the fires and the offensive spells. I could see soldiers fighting valiantly on both sides, slaughtering their foes without mercy.

Even with my enhanced vision, I could not see Celestia. Somehow, though, I knew that she was watching me.

A single minute remained. Soon, as in every cycle before, the time would arrive where for a short moment the land would only be alit by the light of the stars. This time, however, would be different.

I closed my eyes and started building magic in my horn as the last few seconds ticked away. A brilliant, almost swirling aura of silver magic surrounded my horn, undoubtedly making me visible to those who had not noticed me yet. The last visages of the moon started to vanish. I suspected that some swift pegasi may even have been coming my way, ready to strike. They would not get the chance. Two seconds remained, and then one, and finally the light of the moon vanished completely.

I cast out my magic, a bright silver beam spreading out from my horn and arcing upwards to the skies. I held the spell for about a minute, which was all that was needed. Then, the aura vanished and everything went dark again.

And things remained dark. Minutes upon minutes passed. Normally, the new moon would remain for only about three minutes before the first slivers of the opposite side of the moon appeared. I grinned victoriously. This time, the moonlight would not return. At the bidding of its master, the new moon would remain in the sky for as long as I saw fit.

Moments later, the stars began to vanish. One by one, they simply twinkled out of sight. It started slow, but soon more and more of them were disappearing. They took with them what little light remained to grace the land below. Though I was too far away to hear, I could just imagine the shouts of confusion and terror as the sky slowly but surely turned to black.

Before long, the last star disappeared. The world below was cloaked in complete darkness.

For a brief moment, there was utter silence. As the light vanished, the battles had stopped. After all, what was the use of fighting when Celestia and all of her little pets were completely and utterly blind?

Then I opened my eyes, both of them emitting a vibrant green glow. The world below appeared to me as if the darkness was not even there. I could still pick out each and every individual soldier as easily as I could before. I smirked.

And then, all across the land, more sets of green, glowing eyes appeared. One by one my soldiers opened their eyes and stared at their enemies. All of my children, not a single one hampered by the darkness with their perfect night vision. The gift of the bats, enhanced by the transformation.

It is not hard to imagine what any of Celestia's rebels were seeing. Before them in the blind, pitch darkness, a thousand glowing, menacing green eyes appearing from nothing. A shiver ran up my spine just thinking about the fear that would consume them all. Unless they were a unicorn with a particularly powerful light spell, that is all they would be able to see.

A church bell chimed four times in the distance.

I chuckled quietly. "Now, my children…" I whispered as I watched swarms of soldiers disperse through the air, flocking to the many sites of battle, "…march!"

A bright glow caught my eye in the distance and I turned back towards the main battlefront. With my vision, I could just barely see that Celestia had appeared on the scene and she was casting as bright a light spell as she could. It was so bright that she was visibly straining.

I smirked. "Go ahead," I whispered, idly glancing off to the side in the direction of one of the other battles, "You cannot be everywhere at once, after all."

The world was in my element now. Our element! Even an alicorn's light spell can only cast back the darkness so much. Celestia's rebels were truly blinded now, and it would be suicide to even attempt to fight back. Yet, somehow, I knew that they would.

I looked in the distance to see Celestia once again. Already, the intensity of her light spell had dwindled. The main battlefront covered a large area, and even a powerful alicorn would have difficulty providing light to the entire thing. Furthermore, Celestia was not at her full strength. The ravages of war had been wearing her down.

"The game is over, Celestia," I spoke, though nopony could hear me.

I watched as my soldiers, cloaked in the darkness, snuck up on Celestia and pounced on her. She tumbled to the ground as she fought them off, the light spell dying completely.

"I win."

A moment later, I was gone from the mountaintop.

…

I strode confidently across the darkened landscape, a full regiment of soldiers marching behind me and a second regiment in the skies above. Together, we traveled across my land. My world. There wasn't a soul that appeared to stand in our way.

The moon may not have been visible in the sky any longer, but it was still there. Its dominance was unchecked. It had taken me months to perfect the spell to darken the stars and halt the cycle of the moon entirely, but it was well worth it. I grinned victoriously as I trotted forward.

All across the land, the battles had ended. The rebels had either fled or surrendered as soon as the darkness had fallen. They were at least smart enough to know when there was truly no hope. Cities and towns across the country were reclaimed under my control, and a great many prisoners had been taken back to the castle. Soon enough, we would have many new additions to our family.

Only one battle still waged on; the main front. Celestia stayed by her ponies, futilely trying to defend the one city that they still controlled. Pegassally was lit by unicorn magic and burning torches, looking more like a refugee camp than a city. Still, however, bravely idiotic ponies still fought against our army in a pointless attempt to avoid utter defeat.

The problem was that Celestia was lighting the battlefield with sunlight now. That was the only thing keeping my hungry soldiers from slaughtering them all. I was on my way to put an end to that. I could still see the battle in the distance, glowing a dim whitish orange colour. Once again, it seemed, it was time for ponies to be taught a lesson.

I heard the sound of a teleport. My eyes darted skywards. Before I even had a chance to react, Celestia unleashed a thunder spell that spread out from her in a blindingly fast sphere. More than a third of my airborne soldiers cried out in immense pain and then fell from the sky, their wings crippled by the electricity.

I got into a defensive stance and cast shields around myself, but by that point Celestia had already dipped down low to the ground. As she came to a running stop on land, she cast forth a forceful wave of kinetic magic from her horn. My shields protected me from any ill effects, but most of the soldiers behind me were thrown to the ground in a tumbling heap.

Finally, I cast out my own offensive spell. Forced to bring up a particularly powerful shield of her own, Celestia ceased her actions.

"You…" I whispered, thinking quickly and trying to analyze what had just happened. In the distance behind that damned alicorn I could still see the battlefield glowing with sunlight. What, had she just left the light behind somehow? Damn Celestia and her crazy magic tricks.

"Interesting…So you've come to me then, have you?"

I dashed forward in an instant, connecting with her in a forceful tackle and then drawing two arcane swords while she stumbled back. She was able to draw her own and prevent one of mine from sinking into her neck with only moments to spare.

We pressed our swords against each other for a moment, glaring at one another. I saw that her eyes were coloured golden instead of their usual pink. Quickly, I realized that she was casting a spell on herself to see in the dark. Clever girl.

I heard the sound of fluttering bat wings. Celestia forced me back with a grunt, and then tossed up a series of shields to fend off the couple of soldiers that had tried to dive for her neck.

"No!" I shouted, my voice carrying across the entire field. Every soldier immediately froze. I cast my hoof towards the battle near Pegassaly and gave a command. "Go! Leave her to me. Do not interfere."

Without waiting to see if they would obey, as I knew they would, I dashed for Celestia once again. She quickly sidestepped me, but I took advantage of her off-centre balance. I cast out powerful magic and gripped her entire body within my telekinetic grasp. She let out a shout of surprise as I suddenly flung her upwards like a lightweight doll, taking to the air and darting after her.

My soldiers all flew off in the opposite direction, leaving the two of us alone.

While she was still tumbling helplessly through the air in the general direction of Canterlot Mountain, I caught up to her and delivered a hoof right to her back. This not only inflicted pain, but only increased her unstoppable velocity. I then sped up, zipping through the air like a bolt of lightning, so that I was directly in her flight path.

Celestia surrounded herself in a spherical shield just in time to bounce harmlessly off of my horn instead of getting skewered on it. This also slowed her momentum, but allowed me to zip up in front of her again and deliver a powerful downward buck with my hind hooves.

I watched her tumble downwards this time, slightly to the side of Canterlot Mountain, though this lasted only a few seconds. The mare was finally able to teleport to a different location and end her little flight.

I saw her hovering around the side of Canterlot Mountain. We were both about halfway to the top. I smirked and darted right for her.

So, yet another battle of the alicorns had begun. Swords drawn, spells at the ready, we charged for one another. Throughout this entire escapade, I had always considered Celestia a worthy opponent. She truthfully was the strongest being there was apart from myself. It was what made duelling with her so interesting.

Celestia was also very crafty. I was still feeling astounded that she had just shown up out of nowhere and surprised us. It gave me suspicion that she had another of her damned tricks hidden under her wing, and so I trod lightly for the time being. Once I was more certain that she would not try anything sneaky, then I would really lay down the hurt that she deserved.

We traded blows. Our swords clashed in the sky, raining magical sparks to the ground below. There were loud, piercing clinks as attacks connected with our armour. For a while, the two of us battled rather traditionally. We dashed through the air like a pair of hummingbirds, slashing and blocking with our swords.

We moved with the flow of battle, slowly encircling the massive structure of the mountain. Its untouched wilderness and rocky cliffs stood silently watching as the two goddesses battled nearby.

I tossed a few weak but fast-moving offensive spells to try and shake things up. Celestia grunted as she brought up a couple magical shields to block them. In her moment of weakness, I dove forward with my sword. She let out a strained cry as she beat her wings and dodged to the side just in time.

Celestia responded to this by circling around to my other side. I followed her, but she moved rather quickly and I did not see her charging up her next spell. Two glowing golden eyes floated with the mountain as their backdrop, and Celestia lanced a deadly bolt of lightning directly at me.

My magic shield took the brunt of the impact, but a stray bolt hit my shoulder and knocked off the piece of armour there. The heat from the electricity stung painfully. I growled at Celestia, and she teleported away before I could quickly retaliate.

I found her hovering nearby and gave chase. She turned tail and flew away from me, though she was not fleeing. Instead, she was leading me in a circle around the mountain. I growled in frustration and summoned more magic, coursing a bright silver glow through my horn. A moment later, my body was surrounded by a burning sphere of pure, cyan-coloured magic. It was essentially a ball of energy, and I was at its centre.

I put on a burst of speed and tried to ram into Celestia. She barely saw me coming and tumbled out of the way. I saw her nearly fall into the mountain itself. When she corrected herself, she looked up and saw me. The alicorn put on a determined face, and then let out a loud scream as golden magic flowed through her horn as well. I dashed for her again, but a moment later she was surrounded in a similar sphere of energy. Hers was pink, but otherwise completely identical.

We collided, and the two magic spheres met each other. Like a pair of magnets meeting at similar poles, the repelling forces were astounding. There was a visible explosion of multi-coloured energy at the meeting point, and we were both sent flying back.

I stabilized myself as quickly as I could and sought out my opponent. I saw her, flirting the opposite side of the mountain. I growled and darted forward. She similarly darted towards me again.

When we collided this time, we both expected the repellant forces and used them to our advantage. When we 'bounced' away, we each used the resulting momentum to our advantage and circled around for another strike. Again and again we smashed into one another, the magic keeping our bodies safe but creating mayhem in the surrounding environment. The air exploded with each collision, and many trees on the mountain caught fire.

Our speed increased. It wasn't that I was moving my wings any faster and neither was she, but our momentum slowly built up. With every impact, we were flung away from each other with much greater force, and all we had to do was influence the direction so that we would collide once more. Before long, we were circling around the mountain in seconds, lighting up the sky with flashes and explosions as we smashed into one another.

If nothing else, I will say that was perhaps the most thrilling battle I'd had the privilege to be a part of. It was a spectacle to watch the land zip by so inconsequentially, and it was invigorating to ride through the skies and feel such power welling within me. I simply focused more energy into my sphere, for I knew that something eventually had to give and it would not be me.

I was correct. As we circled around to the northwest side of the mountain we struck once again. As before, I merely bounded away. Celestia's sphere, however, dissipated upon this impact and she was thrown back through the air a few metres. I grinned victoriously. Celestia's energy had run out first.

That is when it hit me. Of course her energy ran out before mine did. I could see her eyes glowing golden. She was still casting that night vision spell. She had been casting it this entire time. A sense of elation filled me when I realized that Celestia was fighting me with a pretty severe handicap. I had to admire her bravery if nothing else, but that was where the pleasantries ended.

I focused my physical energy into slowing my momentum completely. I came to a stop in the air, still surrounded by my own sphere of chaotic magic energy. Celestia was hovering awkwardly in the distance around the side of the mountain, trying to recover from her sudden magic drain.

She never had a chance to do more than look up at me. I worked quickly and focused all of the magic from that powerful sphere into a single concentrated point in my horn. It was painful to do, even for me, but I did not need to hold it there for long. As Celestia gasped in shock, I released all of the magic in a single, blindingly powerful concentrated beam.

The pure white magic shot straight through the air, amazingly fast. The side of the mountain was somewhat between myself and my opponent, but the magic didn't care. I watched as the beam sliced straight through the mountainside as if it wasn't even there, continuing straight towards Celestia.

The powerful stream of magic lasted a few seconds. Once it dissipated, I saw the large hole that had been carved straight through the side of Canterlot Mountain, leaving an uneven plateau in its wake. The side of the peak that had once been above, now with nothing below to support it, began to crumble to the fields below in a massive, deafening earthquake. In the span of a few seconds, the shape of Canterlot Mountain had been changed forever.

I hardly cared. I sought out Celestia, looking to see if I would find a corpse or not. She wasn't on the mountain or the ground below, so I quickly flew forward. I poured every ounce of focus I had into scanning the landscape before me. What I did see, instead of Celestia, was an utterly destroyed building in Canterlot itself where there had not been one before.

In a flash, I teleported myself to the city. I quickly spotted what had once been a tall building, but was now a pile of rubble. I beat my wings and moved towards it, but suddenly something burst from the rubble into the air before me.

To my dismay, it was an unharmed Celestia. She was panting heavily, flying unevenly, and glaring at me. Her eyes still glowed gold.

"Seriously?" was all I could say.

"Nice…shot…" she panted, completely out of breath, "Didn't think I could cast a shield spell that powerful…"

I was in no mood for talking. I darted for her like a wild animal, but she teleported to the skies high above. I flapped my wings and ascended to her level. We were about a yard apart, hovering above Canterlot.

Celestia, however, wasn't looking at me anymore. Instead, she was looking at the city around her. She had this utterly shocked expression as she took in the dilapidated city that surrounded us. A useless relic of the past, she stared at it like it was a dying child. When her eyes fell upon the magnificent castle, her disgust only grew.

I took a moment to smirk at her. "What's wrong, Celestia?" I taunted, "Can't handle change?"

"My ponies told me, but…seeing it for myself…" She looked like she was going to be sick. I could swear there were tears forming in her eyes. "This was…" Her voice dropped to a near whisper. "…our home."

I scoffed. "Not this again. You know that-"

"Not you!!" she shouted suddenly, "This was…our home…For me…for all of the ponies, and…" She shuddered a little. "…f-for Luna…"

I watched her carefully. This had been an amusing little pause, but I readied myself. I could see what was happening with Celestia, and it was something dangerous.

"…And it's all gone…"

Her emotions were going wild. She was losing that characteristic balance that defined her.

"This devastation you've caused…You've destroyed this city…You have ruined the lives of ponies everywhere."

I was somewhat startled when Celestia suddenly exploded with power, becoming surrounded in a bright golden fiery aura in the blink of an eye. She slowly raised her head and glared at me with one golden eye.

"You do not deserve to tread this Earth!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, "For all of the damage you have caused, I will make you pay!"

I growled and readied my pair of swords. I quickly darted towards her, then teleported to the side at the last moment and fired a powerful offensive spell at her in an attempt to catch her off guard.

Instead, she herself teleported. I suddenly felt the painful strike of a sword upon the armour covering my back, enough to hear it crack. As I tumbled away and righted myself, I heard a murderous cry fill the air.

"Nightmare Moon, I will kill you!!"

Just like that, the battle had resumed. Our battlefield was now the ruined city of Canterlot, offering its many buildings and structures to be used as both offense and defense. Celestia had not stopped casting her night-vision spell, but something had definitely snapped inside of her and she was now being fueled by a newfound surge of energy.

We darted through the streets, finding each other and clashing our swords. Celestia started using offensive magic, firing beams of golden light that shattered windows and destroyed walls. Structures crumbled around us as the battle waged on, but I don't think either one of us cared at this point.

It did not take long to acclimate myself to Celestia's new paradigm. I could already see where her weakness lay. She was unfocused, letting her anger and thirst for revenge drive her forward. As we danced in the streets, I routinely teleported away and left her confused. From building tops, I rained down a web of lightning strikes. Hiding behind corners, I picked up chunks of rubble and hurled them at her when she least expected it.

Celestia was ruthless. More than once she managed to strike one of my magic shields so much that the impact sent me reeling back. Once or twice, she even managed to launch me straight through the walls of a building. The only reason that was acceptable was because I had done the same to her so many times.

Magic clashed with magic. Swords clashed with swords. The city was rocked by a massive explosion, reducing an entire block to nothing but dust. Still the two of us fought. I was forced to keep on my hooves. Celestia had a ragged, yet animalistic look upon her face. I could see the desire to kill behind her glowing eyes like I had never seen before.

It seemed like hardly any time had passed at all before the city of Canterlot simply wasn't there any longer.

Celestia stood panting amidst the rubble and the flames, glaring at nothing and waiting for my next strike. She was able to duck out of the way when I teleported directly in front of her and stabbed forward with my sword, but the silver glow of my horn produced a sweeping wave of magic along the ground. Celestia was sent tumbling back into a painful heap.

She teleported away before I could sink my swords into her. I turned to look at where she had appeared, only to see the remnants of an entire storefront careening towards me. I calmly stood there and allowed my magic to shatter it into broken bricks and rubble, clinking harmlessly off of my armour. I grinned at Celestia, seeing how heavy she was panting and knowing that the constant drain on her magic was only making her more and more exhausted.

A sword struck to my left. We teleported around swiftly, eventually ending up back in the air above what had once been the city. To my surprise, Celestia did not seem to be letting her fatigue get the better of her. She was letting out loud growls and war cries as she dove for me like a bird of prey, trying her hardest to fatally injure me.

Blood had been spilled on both sides. A vicious gash on my side dripped down my leg, while half of Celestia's face was painted in a splash of red. Various other small injuries were on both of our bodies. Again, however, Celestia's damage outweighed mine.

I swiftly wove through the air, dodging the onslaught of magic strikes and beams that Celestia was firing at me. She was managing to keep me on the defensive at this point, throwing everything she had at me and not giving me a chance to strike. I dodged a bolt of lightning, and then our eyes met. I quickly had to encase myself in a shield to defend against the powerful stream of concentrated magic. I could feel the heat as it passed me by.

I attempted to put some distance between us by retreating slightly to the south side of the city. Celestia followed after me. I hovered in place, appearing to charge up a spell of my own. Celestia was flying straight towards me, trying to intercept me before I could cast it. The mare was moving remarkably fast.

The moment before she would have hit me, I teleported away and then unleashed my own stream of magic. Celestia dove out of the way at the last minute, but part of the beam managed to strike her in the shoulder and tear off a good few pieces of her armour.

I watched this in satisfaction, but then grunted in pain as a number of painful spells struck me. She was still managing to cast magic at me while in the process of being injured. I quickly recovered and darted for her, but suddenly found she wasn't there anymore. As a precaution, I encased myself in a shield. Moments later, an arcane spear struck the sphere from behind. I quickly circled around to face my opponent.

I have no explanation for how I had managed to let that one get to me. The blinding sphere of concentrated, immensely powerful magic was already sailing through the air towards me. I could only summon a small, inadequate shield before it struck me. The pain was unbelievable. My shield shattered and my armour, luckily, remained intact. As I was sent reeling back through the air at breakneck speed, I had a brief moment of clarity. Perhaps I really had pushed Celestia to her breaking point this time. There was no way to lie about it; she had gotten me there.

The pain doubled as my body collided with the surface behind me. I barely had the reaction time to course magic through my body and prevent my bones from breaking. I let out a loud cry of pain, but it was completely drowned out by the other sound that filled the air. Like a thousand windows breaking at once, there was a painfully deafening shatter. The surface that I had smashed into, the spherical shield surrounding the castle, crumbled into a million glittering pieces.

It took every ounce of effort in my body to force my wings to work once again. By sheer force of will, I was able to stop my tumble from what had once been the shield to the ground below and return to an unsteady hover. Shards of the magic shield, still not yet completely dissipated, rained painfully upon me.

I panted heavily, casting a quick healing spell and trying to catch my breath. I groaned in pain, glaring upwards. That had hurt, and now my castle's shield was completely gone. More than that, my pride was hurt. Unquestionably, that had been the biggest victory Celestia had achieved over me thus far.

I found the damned alicorn not long after. She was flying through the air directly towards me while I remained hovering rather unsteadily. I was still somewhat dazed. My defense was compromised.

However, it was easy to see that Celestia had slowed down. She wasn't approaching as fast, relatively considering. I caught a glimpse of her expression. The mare was completely worn out and exhausted. All that bravado may have given her this little victory, but it was ultimately all for naught.

While I was still in the process of healing myself, I teleported a short distance so that I was beside her in the air. I saw her eyes pop open in surprise when I reached out with powerful telekinetic magic and latched on to every piece of armour she was wearing. She flailed about and tried to cast more magic back at me.

Celestia's world span as I swung my head, pulling her along through the air like a lassoed animal. With a flick of my horn, I released her. She let out a cry of surprise as she was sent hurtling directly towards the castle. The alicorn was unable to escape from her tumble before she went smashing directly through one of the outer walls. A cloud of dust was left in her wake.

I slowly flew down after her, letting the healing spell complete. I had no idea if she were casting any of the sort, but I was at least back in fighting condition by the time I reached the rather large hole in the wall. I calmly stepped through, letting my armoured hooves land on the deep blue carpet that was now strewn with debris.

To my mild surprise, Celestia was already on her hooves. However, she was certainly not in good condition. More of her armour had crumpled and fallen off, her body was laced with lacerations and coated in blood, and she was panting like she had run five marathons.

Most notably, her eyes no longer glowed.

My horn glowed. My swords were at my side, pointed and ready. Her horn glowed as well, its golden light barely illuminating the room.

"Nightmare Moon."

Her voice was still rather loud and commanding, considering her relative condition.

"Listen to me…" she continued, "I have…an offer to make."

I paused and stared at her. "An 'offer'?" I repeated, "You are full of surprises today, aren't you?" Instead of letting her answer, I cast a quick ball of magic at the ground near her hooves. Utterly blind, she jumped back in surprise. "Today seems to be the day you're ready to really and truly kill me. You know that I cannot let that strike against me go unpunished, but it did catch my attention. Little Tia is really trying to end this, isn't she?"

"…Exactly."

I paused again, narrowing my eyes. "Indeed?"

"Nightmare Moon," she addressed me once more, "Grant me an arena where I am able to see, and…" She paused, and I could see her steeling herself for what she was about to say.

"…and I will fight you to the death."

I arched an eyebrow.

"This war has gone on long enough," she continued, "Too many ponies have needlessly lost their lives. This world is being destroyed. This has to stop. So…" She took a moment, swallowing. "So, give me a way to see, and I will fight you until one of us is dead. I shall not run, I shall not retreat, and I shall not bring in reinforcements. The battle shall wage, and the war will end."

I stared at her.

She stared right back.

"The words of a desperate pony…" I mused with a smile on my face, "It is a shame I was not able to darken the moon sooner. It has rendered every one of you completely helpless. Now, I could be a fool and say that the war is already over, but I know that is not true. For one single reason…"

I took a few steps forward, allowing my eyes to glow in the darkness. "You are still here."

"I have backed you into a corner," I continued, "and now you scramble for what could possibly be your last remaining hope of salvation, however small it may be. Of course, why should I trust you to keep your word? Hundreds of your rebel ponies could be on their way here at this very moment, somehow inexplicably gifted with sight."

I paused. "But…that is not who you are, is it Celestia? You are a cunning pony. You're a trickster, and you like to bend the rules to get what you want. However, one thing has never changed. You are a pony of your word. A foolish yet amicable quality."

A moment of silence passed.

"I could kill you right now. You wouldn't even see it coming."

"You could," she replied.

"Yet, you are a pony of your word. In such a case, you would run and cry for help, hiding yourself away and prolonging this deadly battle."

Celestia did not reply.

I gave a low chuckle. "Do you want to kill me, Celestia?"

She didn't hesitate even a second. "I will give every effort that I have within my body to slay you."

"How thrilling…"

My horn lit up, casting a small amount of light on our current location. Celestia's lost eyes suddenly snapped towards me, finally able to see me in full. I could see the weakness and fear in her eyes, but they had not lost that spark of determination.

On the left wall in the space between us, a torch suddenly lit itself. Celestia jumped at the sudden sound. Behind her, more torches suddenly sprang to life. Behind myself as well, all the way down the halls, around corners, up stairs and amongst every room. The torches that lined the walls of this castle, every single one of them, suddenly burned brightly. Even places where there had been no torch at all, one now hung and burned.

"Very well," I spoke as I looked down at Celestia, the room now bathed in a bright and healthy orange glow, "I shall accept your offer."

She merely looked up at me, understanding what I had said. The entire castle was now lit with torches. As long as the battle remained within these walls, she would be able to see.

"However," I continued as I lit up my horn again, "I will also hold you to your word."

Celestia gasped in shock and tried to cast defensive spells as she suddenly felt my magic envelop her completely. My horn's aura disappeared before she could even do anything. She blinked and looked at me in confusion.

"I have merely charmed you," I informed her, "Should you leave the castle grounds, the charm will activate and paralyze your entire body. Should you break your word and flee, you will merely find yourself collapsed on the ground for me to find and destroy."

"I…" Celestia's horn briefly glowed, and I imagined that she was scanning herself to make sure what I had said was true. Honestly, I imagined that Celestia would have been able to remove the charm with very little effort.

"I understand…" she said to me. I got the impression that the charm would remain where it was.

"Very well then," I spoke with a grin.

In response, Celestia got back into a fighting stance and raised her sword into the air.

"Just…be careful, Celestia," I said as I picked up one of the torches with my magic. It moved through the air quite quickly, floating directly towards Celestia. She gasped and ducked to the side, but the flames licked the tips of her wing as it passed by. She hissed in pain.

"…Don't get burned."

I then tossed the torch to the ground behind her, setting a part of the carpet ablaze. Celestia glanced back briefly, concern written across her face, and then turned back to me once more.

"Well, Celestia? Is this satisfactory?" I got into a battle-ready stance myself. "Do you have anything to say before I end your life completely?"

Celestia merely stared back at me. In the distance behind her, the fire engulfing the carpet was growing. Her eyes, now naturally pink once more, danced in the light of the flames. I saw something familiar. Just like so long ago, they were filled not with rage and anger, but simply pure, steadfast determination. She opened her mouth, and spoke two simple words.

"En guard."

This is Where it Ends

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Chapter 12 - This is Where it Ends

Do you ever look back on a decision and spend hours of your time questioning it? Endless time spent thinking of ways you could have altered the flow of events? One decision or a thousand? A million? Perhaps one day you simply sit back and wonder how things would have gone if you had done everything different?

Do you ever look back on a decision and realize that it was the right one, and yet things still went wrong? Do you ever fail to see a way to have changed things for the better and it frustrates you, eating away at you from inside? Do you wonder, perhaps, if things might have been different if you simply hadn't tried at all?

This is the story of how I died.

One need not go any further back than the fire. Surrounding two infinitely powerful beings, capable of altering the course of celestial bodies, the roaring fire burned like a hungry beast. Heat radiated off of the old stone walls, and the fire crept along the ground towards its prey. It is infinitely fitting that our battlefield was surrounded by fire. Burning, hungry, and full of desire, that is what we had both become.

Celestia had been glaring at me, that same fire burning in her eyes, and she made the first move. With a loud clash of arcane swords, the true battle began.

The battle that killed me.

The thrill of combat quickly returned to me as I danced back along the expansive hallway. Celestia followed after me like a furious yak warrior, swinging her sword with near reckless abandon. I effortlessly blocked all of her strikes, and then used my telekinesis to fling a full suit of armour at her. The heavy decorative piece clattered off her shield but left her stunned.

The first of many walls crumbled as I fired an offensive strike at the disoriented mare, sending her crashing through to the room beyond. I followed after, picking her up in my magic, twirling her around, and flung her through yet another wall.

When the dust settled, we found ourselves in a large, open room. Torches lined the walls, providing the light that she so desperately needed. Behind us, however, the fire roared to life thanks to the many more torches that had fallen to the ground.

Celestia was not fazed by these strikes against her, and quickly circled around through the air to attack me. The room had a high ceiling, allowing the two of us to flit through the air as we fought. I continued to block as many of her strikes as I could, focusing carefully and striking out when I could.

My suspicions about Celestia were true, however. The damned mare was not holding anything back. No matter what I threw at her, she refused to be knocked down. Quite a number of strikes resounded off of my armour, and one or two lucky shots with her sword managed to draw a little blood.

A decorative statue flew through the air at a frightening velocity. I quickly teleported out of the way, letting it crash into the wall behind us. The entire wall crumbled, revealing the next room. The two of us continued dueling, and at some point ended up making our way into this adjoining room.

Celestia was proving difficult to fight. Compared to our previous engagements, she was allowing much less harm to come to her. For every strike against her that I managed to make, she would eventually be able to make one of her own against me. I refused to admit it, but some pessimistic part of my head was telling me that in this fight we were evenly matched.

I decided to silence that part of my brain. Distracting Celestia with our dueling swords, I charged up a massive electric spell and unleashed it when I was right next to her. It struck her square in the chest, reducing her chestplate to a singed mess, and launching her back through another wall. I heard her cry out in pain.

I calmly followed her through the hole in the wall, only to find that she had landed in the centre of a burning room. The fire from the torches was spreading, slowing engulfing this wing of the castle and destroying it all.

I honestly didn't care in the least. I quickly leapt through the hungry flames and tried to pin Celestia to the ground. She teleported away, but found the fire licking at her sides. She gasped in distress and tried to back away.

I stood up and gave her a predatory grin, watching her amidst the destructive flames. "Look at you!" I called out, "You're already starting to get worn out!"

Celestia had her teeth gritted and was panting as she carefully stepped back from the fire.

"It will be a pleasure to watch you burn."

She cried out in surprise as the fire suddenly sprung to life, guided by my magic, and snaked through the air directly towards her. She furiously backpedalled, but the stream of flames managed to lash out against her, drawing another painful cry.

The route she took actually surprised me. With her horn pointed straight upwards, she unleashed a bolt of magic. The roof above her crumbled, collapsing and bouncing off of the shield she had summoned, while she unfurled her wings and flew through the newly formed hole. I growled and gave chase.

Our dance continued in this room and the many beyond it. Most of the rooms and halls in this castle were expansive enough to allow us to duel, while providing an interesting battlefield for each of us to take advantage of. Our swords continued to clash, sometimes the two of us coming mere inches away from each other's faces, and every so often they drew blood. Magic spells lit up the air, and walls came crashing down one way or another.

We eventually came to one of the castle's expansive staircases. Celestia tried to force me up onto it so as to put me in a disadvantaged position. Instead, I lured her onto the stairs, teleported upwards, and then came crashing back down with my forehooves. With a painful-sounding crunch, I slammed her down into the stairs, painting them red.

Painful, yes, but she was back on her hooves soon after. Such was just one tidbit of our battle as we moved through the castle. I tossed her directly through a window, skewering her with broken glass, while she dropped an entire chandelier on me. Our attacks were brutal, but neither of us would accept defeat.

Celestia was most definitely exhausted, and I could see it even from afar. She was breathing heavily and dripping sweat. However, what set her apart from weaker ponies was that she was not letting it affect her. Despite the exhaustion, she was fighting back just as hard. The damage she had managed to do to me was evidence of that.

It was as if we were experimenting to see just how much abuse an alicorn body could possibly take.

Celestia tumbled down a long flight of stairs, her remaining armour clanking loudly against the uncarpeted marble. I grinned and flew down to the bottom ahead of her, where I grabbed her in my magic and tossed her right back up to the top. She impacted the wall and went straight through it, bringing down the walls around it as well. I was not surprised when I saw her stand up only a few seconds later, glaring at me and daring me to make another move.

As we cavorted through the castle, the fire slowly followed us. It wasn't long before the entire eastern wing was ablaze. I could hear the sounds of structures loudly collapsing in the background as I duelled. Even if not for the fire, our fighting was causing widespread destruction through the whole castle.

I smashed Celestia through another wall, ripped an entire column out of the wall to my right, and tossed it at her. I glared as she blocked it with a shield, reducing it to rubble without causing her any damage. There was a scowl on my face, my teeth barred, and I breathed like a hungry animal.

If the entire castle was destroyed, then I was fine with it. So long as this Tartarus-damned mare was destroyed!

Through yet another wall and into what had once been the castle's open court room. It was wide, spacious, and half consumed by fire. Before she even had a chance to react, I teleported to her side and struck her with a kinetic blast. It knocked her off of her hooves and she rolled right towards the fire.

Celestia cried out, scrambling to her hooves as quickly as she could while the fire attacked her. With a quick spell she doused herself, but I grinned victoriously at the burns that had been left. She then took to the air, once again showing not a single ounce of exhaustion, and dove right for me.

Another aerial battle commenced as we flitted about, darting back and forth and striking out with magic. Fire burned along the ground, and the walls collapsed as they were hit with all of the spells that missed their targets. It wasn't long before the roof itself collapsed. The two of us, however, simply darted around the falling debris and continued our duel.

On and on it went, through room after room after room. Blood covered both of our coats, our bodies painted with bruises and burns. Time moved on, unaware of the duelling goddesses. I have no idea how long we were fighting for. It almost seemed endless.

One could watch from afar as Canterlot Castle, beacon of pride and symbol of the rulers of Equestria, slowly burned and crumbled to the ground. The two of us were still fighting at full strength by the time the entire eastern half of the castle was in ruins. All that remained were unstable pillars and structures.

The two of us moved down one of the main hallways, moving through the centre of the castle. I glared at Celestia as we fought, watching her every move and studying every detail about her. The mare's eyes told a thousand silent tales. I could see immense exhaustion in them, masked by a burning rage and unbreakable determination. She fought with a scowl on her face, something she usually did not do. With every strike against me, she grit her teeth and glared down at me.

The grand entryway passed by in a flash. Celestia dodged a massive energy spell from me, which instead reduced the surrounding balconies to pieces. She rebounded off of a pillar, sailing through the air towards me with her sword. It tore through the hanging banners once I teleported out of the way. Seconds later, Celestia found herself thrown through one of the gigantic decorative pillars and smashed into the one behind it. A deep rumble resounded from within the castle, but neither of us paid it any mind.

Celestia, covered in blood and injuries, picked herself up from the ruins of the pillar and glared at me.

"Heavens be damned!" I cursed, "Would you just die?!"

"I cannot die, or so shall Equestria," she replied in a deep tone, "I will not allow this land to crumble."

I simply let out a vicious cry and charged at her. When she teleported away to the top of the nearby stairs, I quickly retaliated by hurling an arcane spear at her. She dodged it, but never saw the second one coming. It smashed into one of her leg guards, tearing it off and leaving a bloody gash behind.

"Do you enjoy this? Give up!" I shouted, "The longer you fight back, the longer you shall suffer, Celestia!"

I then quickly dashed up, slashing my sword directly for her throat. She blocked with her own, and the momentum carried the two of us through the large ornate doors behind her. Seconds afterwards, the entire entryway collapsed.

The castle was falling apart around us, and the fire was only growing faster. We now ended up in another half-destroyed room that was partially surrounded by flames. Celestia was focused on stepping away from the flames, so I quickly took the opportunity to fire a bolt of lightning directly at her. It struck her in the side of her torso, making her cry out in pain and tumble to the ground.

She simply stood back up. Her face was grimaced in pain, but still she didn't slow down. For a moment, I stopped and simply looked at this pony. Still defiant to me, refusing to allow herself to be defeated. No matter how many times I knocked this pony down, she just got right back up.

Even beyond this fight, the same was true. Ever since this had all started, way back on that last fateful sunset, I had been doing nothing but constantly knocking Celestia down. Every time, to my frustration, anger and suffering, she would just get back up. What was it about this pony that refused to just give up? Didn't she see that this whole thing was pointless? Just looking at her made me feel angry.

I had taken the throne. I had defeated the sun. I had won the war. Though Celestia refused to admit it, this was over!

I let loose a loud growl, filled with frustration and rage. In a flash, a burning black aura surrounded me. Celestia took a hesitant step back in surprise. "Enough of this!!" I shouted, magic already swirling around my horn. A brilliant silver glow quickly grew in size, making Celestia stare up in shock. She quickly took to the air, but I followed her every move.

"Just die!!"

The beam of pure, magical energy that I unleashed from my horn was bigger than anything I had ever cast before. It was blinding to look at, and it shook the castle to its very foundations. Entire rooms were vaporized as the beam cut through the structure of the castle, effectively slicing off a portion and letting even more of the magnificent structure crumble to the ground.

When the beam dissipated, I found Celestia a few floors above me through the holes in the ceilings. As I had expected, there was a spherical shield surrounding her that she had no doubt used to protect herself from my spell.

I didn't give her the time to catch her breath. She cried out in surprise as I suddenly rammed into her, surrounded by a sphere of magic. Just like before when we had fought near the mountain, I dashed towards her while letting the burning sphere of my magic smash into her. She quickly swapped her shield for an energy sphere of her own and started fighting back.

I could see her panting, though. To be uninjured after a magic beam of that caliber would have required an extensively powerful magical shield. I smashed into her, sending her flying back. Walls, floors and ceilings fell before us like mere paper as we circled around, occasionally colliding with one another. Every time we came into contact, I got another good look at her. Even though the burning magical wisps of the two energy spheres being forced against one another, I could see it on her face. By now, she was beyond exhausted. I watched as her movements became sloppy, and before long her energy shield was flickering.

Perhaps a third of the castle still stood untouched. The rest was a burning pile of stone and wood. Celestia cried out in surprise as her sphere bounced along the ground where parts of the castle had once stood, carrying her with it like an unfortunate hamster, and then disintegrated.

I flew down to meet her, but this time she was slower in getting to her hooves. She was still able to perfectly block my sword strikes, and determination was still shown in her expression.

I pushed back from her, standing still against the burning flames. Celestia stood still as well, panting and glaring at me. A strange silence passed between us. The only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the fire. The ground we stood on was ashen, and the fire encircled us like a blazing ring.

"Why won't you die…?" I spoke. It didn't even feel like my own voice. "Why won't you die? Why do you still live? What is it about you?!"

She faced me for a moment, staring and panting heavily. "Do you understand now?"

I growled. "Understand what?!" I spat back at her.

"Do you understand who I am? Do you understand what it is I represent?"

I furrowed my brow further, glaring at her. I had no idea what she was talking about.

She set one of her hooves onto the ground firmly, taking a symbolic stance against me. "Nightmare Moon, I represent Equestria!"

Again, I growled. "Enough of your false hopes! I rule Equestria now! It is mine!"

She shook her head. "No! That's not what I'm talking about. I represent all of the ponies in Equestria. Every single citizen, be they young or old, big or small, pony or otherwise. I represent our nation of citizens, the ones who are struggling and suffering. Nightmare Moon, I am Princess Celestia and I represent the spirit of Equestria."

Her glare grew darker. "And…" she continued, "just as the spirit of Equestria shall live on forever and never be defeated, neither shall I."

I simply scoffed, then encased her in my magic's grip and tossed her unsuspecting form back towards the castle. She cried out in surprise as she was sent hurtling towards half-destroyed walls, crashing through them.

I teleported to where she would have landed, but was surprised by a large piece of rubble striking me in the chest. I grunted in discomfort, and then Celestia leapt from off the ground and tackled into me. I quickly recovered, but then grunted as an arcane spear gouged into my side, letting out a river of blood.

I saw Celestia standing in the ruined hallway a few metres away, and she stared right back at me. I decided not to give her a chance to act, quickly powering up my magic and then unleashing a beam directly at her.

There was a deafening sound as the magical beam collided with an identical beam being fired from Celestia's horn. Like a mirror image, she had done the exact same thing I had done, and now these two unstoppable beams of magic were being forced directly into one another. Sparks and arcane flames erupted from the meeting point, as each powerful force refused to yield. I saw pained determination in Celestia's expression, while I simply gritted my teeth and concentrated.

The impasse didn't last long. With neither side being forced back and nowhere for the excess energy to go, the large explosion was inevitable. When I saw that it was about to happen, I quickly cast an intangibility spell and stood there as the explosion passed through me. A complex spell, it lasted just long enough to avoid the concussive wave of force. A smirk came to my lips when I saw that Celestia was not able to defend herself in a similar way beyond a hastily-cast shield, and watched as she was sent reeling back through at least five walls.

Once the explosion had cleared, leaving destroyed structures, pillars and suits of armour to clatter to the ground, I calmly flew through the five perfect holes Celestia had left. I alighted in another expansive room of the castle and saw her lying on the ground in a painful heap.

As I had pessimistically expected, she got right back to her hooves and stood defiantly against me. Her movements were much slower than before, however.

She spat blood on the ground and glared at me. "I will not be defeated…" she spoke in a low tone.

I laughed. "It's so funny the way you cling to empty optimism," I said to her with a sneer, "You are not invincible, Celestia. You will fall by my hooves." I paused and took a look at the room where we were currently standing. Though fire was burning in one corner and one of the walls was now destroyed, it was still an iconic room that could easily be recognized.

Celestia glanced around as well, apparently not recognizing the room.

"Don't you know where we are, Celestia?" I asked in a playful tone, "Isn't this room familiar to you?"

She glanced around again, but kept a careful eye on me.

"This is where it all started, Celestia," I reminded her, "It was in this room that you set the sun for the last time, and where my glorious transformation took place."

I watched her eyes slowly widen as faint recognition began to come to her.

"Do you ever reflect on a decision and wish you had not made it? This is the room where I gave you the offer to surrender…and you refused. From here the battle commenced, and you were defeated."

Celestia definitely recognized the room now. Though she dared not look behind her, for fear of lowering her defenses, I'm sure she knew that sitting behind her was my throne. There had been two there once, but now there was only one sitting below a beautiful banner of blue night skies. The large window above, I had left shattered as a symbol of my ascension.

"This is where the war started, Celestia."

I took a step towards her, but she didn't move. She didn't even focus her gaze on me completely.

"Do you remember…Celestia?"

Then, I saw it. For only a brief second had it lasted, but I had definitely seen it. Celestia's entire body had shivered. I took another step forward to recapture her attention, but when her eyes returned to look at me they were not the same. They were wide, pupils shrunk to dots, and she had this lazy half-frown. Gone was the determination, gone was the fire in her eyes, and gone was her rage.

I grinned as I watched the alicorn get shaken to the core, grinning in satisfaction.

"Is something wrong, Tia?" I asked.

Another shiver passed through her body. She was breathing heavily, staring straight at me but not making a single move.

"Awww…" I cooed in a dark tone, "Did I dig up some bad memories? Was this something you didn't want to remember?"

She took a single step back. I saw her gulp, and could see that she was trying to refocus herself and get back into the proper mindset. It was easy to see that she was having trouble.

I chuckled. "Such a glorious battle, was it not? I remember it like it was yesterday. I think we should take a stroll down memory lane. How about I break that horn of yours right off this time?"

"Silence," Celestia finally spoke, "Your words mean nothing. Fight me or surrender." She got into a battle-ready stance and narrowed her eyes at me, but I could still see the little signs of trepidation that she was trying to hide. This was exactly what I needed.

"This is where it all started, Celestia." I said with a hint of finality in my tone. I lifted up both of my swords and pointed them directly at her, giving her a menacing grin.

"…And this is where it ends!"

She pulled up a shield, but not even a second had passed before I dashed over and utterly shattered it with a crossing slash of my swords. I moved quickly into a flurry of slashes, forcing her to move her own sword around like mad to block them all. With a final, powerful strike to the side, Celestia's sword twirled through the air and landed on the opposite end of the room.

This was followed by a short burst of magic right to her chest.

Celestia was thrown back right into the raised dais, knocking the wind out of her. I glided across the room quickly and swung my sword in a broad, downward arc. She barely had time to react, and was only able to teleport away after my sword had cut through her flesh slightly. She was left with a bleeding wound on her barrel as she appeared on staggering hooves to my left.

"Wai-"

Celestia reeled from the punch to the face. She grunted in pain and quickly brought up a shield, which I shattered with magic. Multiple short bursts of powerful magic shot forth from my horn, striking her body and causing her to scream. With one particularly powerful strike to the side, she toppled to the ground.

"Please! I-"

The alicorn let out a horrifying scream as her entire body was subject to an electrocution spell. Smoke filled the air as I glared down, white bolts dancing off my horn as well as my victim. My swords dissipated due to the amount of magic I was using, but I didn't care.

When that spell ended, I lifted her with my magic and tossed her into one of the room's columns. She smashed into it hard, leaving a bloody splatter. Before her limp body could even fall back down I had her encased in my magic once more. This time, I put more force into my telekinesis and tossed her straight upwards. She smashed through the roof, sailing up to strike painfully against the roof of the floor above.

Another horrifyingly loud scream pierced the air a moment later after I tossed the arcane spear directly at her. It had pierced directly through her wing, though not through the feathers but straight through the flesh of the limb itself and between the bones. The pitiful alicorn was left hanging with her wing effectively nailed to the roof.

I paused for just a brief moment to catch my breath and regain my energy. Celestia struggled to free herself, groaning loudly as the weight of her body yanked painfully on the trapped wing. I wondered if it would be torn off, or if she herself would tear it off in desperation. Tears formed in her eyes as unimaginable pain rippled through her body while she futilely continued to get free.

I darted up through the hole in the roof. She managed to teleport away just moments before I struck her, which was a notable feat given how difficult it would be to focus on a spell in her situation. Predictably, it was a feeble teleport and she stumbled to the ground next to me. I picked her up with my magic and slammed her into the ground, making her cough up more blood.

I held her there for a moment. Her entire body was bloodied and bruised and her left wing was completely mangled and useless. It hung limply at her side. She had one eye clenched closed, while the other was looking up at me in fear. Aside from the beginning, she hadn't even been attempting to use any shields.

I smirked. "Well?" I asked, "Is this it? Do you surrender?"

She simply stared back. I subtly nudged a suit of armour nearby, letting an iron sword fall to the ground next to her head. It was well within reach for her to quickly lift it with her magic and plunge it right between my eyes, and it would have only taken a miniscule amount of magical energy.

Nothing happened. She simply stared at me, nothing but fear on her face. From that moment, I knew that this was it. The battle was over.

Celestia gasped and then screamed as I picked her up suddenly and tossed her right through the nearby window. Broken glass tore through her, leaving a trail of blood as she sailed through the open air outside. After a moment, her screams died on her lips.

I teleported next to her and held her aloft in the air, a great height above the castle grounds below. She had a distant look in her eyes that turned to pain once I started repeatedly striking her with both hooves and blasts of magic. Like a common street thug, I pummelled her for a good minute or two. She didn't make a sound throughout. Then, with one powerful uppercut, I sent her sailing upwards through the air.

I watched her for a moment as she flew helplessly upwards, rising to the tallest part of the castle that still stood and continuing up higher. A trail of blood followed her like a morbid contrail. When the momentum finally ran out and she reached the peak of her little flight, I teleported myself above her. For a brief moment, time stood still. I glared down at Celestia, hanging limply in the air with all six limbs dangling uselessly, a faraway look on her face, and more blood on her coat than white. The only sign of life was the glow of magic from my horn reflected in her eyes.

"Goodnight, Celestia."

The powerful beam of pure magic struck her right in the chest, vaporizing most of her remaining armour and sending her plummeting straight back down towards the castle. She sailed through the air at a velocity that would be terminal for any mortal being. It was incredibly satisfying to watch her smash through the roof with a tremendous crash, followed by the repeated rumbling of her near-lifeless body tumbling through each and every floor of the castle without stopping.

A huge cloud of dust filled the air, and then all sound but the crackling of the bonfire ceased. I hovered in the air for a moment, staring down at the hole in the roof with a huge grin on my face. I remember thinking at that moment that I had no idea whether or not Celestia had survived that, but was planning to do the same thing over and over again until she didn't.

In all of our encounters, that had been the most damage I had ever managed to inflict upon her, and she had barely fought back. This, I had definitely known. I had already won the battle, but in the moment I hadn't wanted to just kill her. I had wanted to make her suffer, and having achieved that brought a great sense of satisfaction.

A dark chuckle escaped my lips.

Finally, I gently dove through the air and descended to the hole in the castle's roof. I peered inside as I entered, marvelling upon the perfectly lined-up set of holes in the floors below, as if a magic beam had pierced the castle itself. I flapped downwards, passing five, six, seven, at least eight floors.

When I reached the castle's second floor, however, I hesitated. Below me were two more holes, indicating that Celestia had been blasted below the ground level. I briefly entertained the thought that I had sent her straight to the castle's dungeons.

As I gazed through the hole to the ground floor, however, my good spirits started to vanish and be replaced by curiosity and confoundment. I immediately recognized the room beneath me. I had trod its floor many times before.

It wasn't possible. It simply wasn't possible!

The room below me was empty, as it had always been since the castle had originally been built. Where once an intricate mark adorned the floor there was now a crumbling hole to the underground room below. It was the room above the chamber housing the Elements, which meant that Celestia was now in the chamber.

I was struck with sheer disbelief, hovering in place like a befuddled idiot. Ever since the Elements had sealed themselves in that chamber, who knows how many years ago, not a single thing had ever managed to penetrate the room. Every attempt, from the simplest tools to the most powerful alicorn magic, was met with failure. Celestia had tried more than anypony else, but to no avail. For the longest time, the Elements had been locked away from the outside world.

Now the top of the chamber had simply shattered like it was made of clay. It didn't make sense. It was impossible.

I heard quiet grunting and saw a flash of light, which shook me from my stupor. I quickly dove through the air, flying cleanly through the two holes and entering the underground chamber. I quickly took in my surroundings, finding a vast but simple room with intricately carved stone walls and a strange-looking dais in the centre. Everything had been slowly eaten away by the ravages of time.

The room was alit with a bright glow and I quickly turned around. Standing across the room, only a yard away, was Celestia. She was miraculously on her hooves, though she truly did not look well. Her injured wing hung limp and mangled at her side, coated completely in blood. There was more red than white on her fur, her mane was a mess, and only two small crumpled pieces of armour were still attached to her body. She looked frail and exhausted. She stood on quavering hooves, she looked like she could barely keep both eyes open, and her whole body trembled with every shuddering breath.

Her teeth were grit and there was a heavy amount of strain in her expression. Her horn glowed with a slightly flickering golden glow, though the objects she held aloft remained dutifully floating in the air.

Celestia was surrounded by six fairly large spherical rocks. Each one was grey in colour, and they all had a crude symbol carved into them. Five depicted a simple emerald-cut jewel, while the sixth had a six-pointed star shape on it. They were large, heavy-looking, and cleanly carved, but that is all that they were. Just rocks.

I took a quick glance at the dais, seeing once again that it was empty. I knew that the dais was where the Elements should have been. It seemed too fantastic to be true, but I realized that what Celestia was holding were the Elements. What had happened to them? When they had been originally discovered, they were rock-like but they didn't look like boulders. Furthermore, I couldn't feel an ounce of magical energy in the entire room.

Celestia heaved heavy breaths while I simply stood there and tried to understand what was happening.

"I…"

I almost didn't hear her. Celestia's voice was so weak and quiet.

"I will…defeat you…"

My lips were pursed as I calmly assessed the situation. Celestia had broken through the unbreakable barrier and was now in possession of the Elements. But…were they the Elements?

"I will defend Equestria…" she continued, "If…you leave me no choice…If you don't…surrender…I will use them."

I didn't reply.

"I will…use the Elements on you, Nightmare Moon."

Still, I did not reply. I simply growled defiantly and stood my ground. I tried to analyze the situation presented to me, but for the first time in such a long time, I felt anxious. Of the hundreds or even thousands of scenarios I had envisioned, this had not been one of them. Never had I expected that Celestia would manage to break into the chamber and reclaim the Elements.

As I have said before, the Elements are unusual but they are most definitely dangerous. With little effort, they had imprisoned the untouchable, all-powerful god of chaos in an unbreakable stone prison. Celestia was threatening to do the same to me, and I could not allow that to happen.

I didn't make any sudden moves. For the first time, it seemed, I did not want to provoke her. In the mere blink of an eye, the tables had turned and Celestia now held the advantage for the first time in this long war. For the first time, I could feel the weight of the possibility that I could lose.

Yet, I found myself wondering if I could lose. The Elements seemed as if they were themselves in stone prisons. Why did they look like that? Previously, even being in the same room as the elements felt like walking through a manifested dizzy spell. Now, there was nothing. There was only stillness to the room.

Celestia was staring at me with those eyes. She was still panting heavily, and I could see that it was causing her a great deal of strain just to keep the heavy boulders elevated. She was brandishing what could have been ultimately powerful weapons, and yet she appeared more like a child trapped in a corner. There was no ferocity in her eyes. No will to dominate, succeed or even survive.

Stealthily, I started to form the spell I had come up with ages ago to break free from a stone prison. Even if they did work, I would not allow myself to be defeated so easily.

I took a step forward. She took a step back. "Stop!" she shouted.

Regarding her closely, I spoke in a quiet voice. "How did you get in here?"

She shook her head but kept her eyes on me. "Don't try to distract me. Surrender or…or suffer!"

Tears were running down her cheeks. Her whole body was still trembling as she stared up at me. Her head was lowered and her eyes seemed fearful, like a submissive wolf pup. The more she spoke and the more time passed, the more it seemed like her threats were empty.

I decided to explore this a little more. "So…This is where it ends, is it?" I said, still speaking quietly, "You're going to encase me in stone…forever?"

I could almost see the shiver run through her body. "Y-yes…"

A grin snuck onto my face. "Such a shame…" I lamented, "Your poor little sister, trapped forever within a statue, and by her own sister's hooves no less."

I took another step forward, and this time she took two steps back. She lifted the rocks up higher, as if to physically shield herself. "No…!" She half-shouted, "Don't try to trick me! Luna is gone! You're not Luna!"

"Which is why you are going to use the Elements, yes?"

"Yes!"

"Are you quite sure?"

More tears streamed down her cheeks, mixing with the blood in her fur and making a mess. She shuddered for a moment, the glow from her horn fading even more. Still, though, she managed to keep them all aloft.

"I…"

"You won't use the Elements on me," I said confidently with another step towards her, "I can see it in your eyes. I can see it in your soul, Celestia. You don't have it in you. You used the elements to defeat something that was completely evil."

"Y-you are completely evil!"

I stood still and arched an eyebrow. "Am I?"

Celestia's eyes grew wide. That's when I took my chance. I knew that my life could have ended at this very moment, but Celestia truly had backed me into a corner, loathe as I was to admit it. I had to take the risk. I quickly aimed my horn directly at her and unleashed a bolt of lightning.

She lifted some of the stones up to block the strike, which dissipated against them completely. I saw her continue to cast magic into the stones, her horn glowing slightly brighter. I didn't give her a chance to act any further. I ducked to the side and aimed my horn lower, firing another bolt of lightning that managed to strike her in the torso.

Celestia cried out in strangled screams of pain as the electricity coursed through her whole body. She screamed to the heavens for a few moments, her body jittering, and then she immediately collapsed into a smoking heap on the ground. All traces of her golden magic vanished. As a consequence, the six large stones suddenly fell to the ground and gently rolled away. One of them landed on her outstretched hoof, drawing out another loud, painful shout.

I watched as one of the stones lazily rolled straight towards me. When it was before me, I picked it up in my own magic. I gazed at it, smiling as a sense of renewed vigor filled me. The stone floated before me, held in my magic's aura, but it did nothing more than any other stone.

"My, how unfortunate for you…" I mused with a chuckle. I turned to look at Celestia, seeing her lying on the floor and quivering in pain. "The Elements are completely inert," I continued, "I can't feel a trace of magical energy in them. Time must have taken its toll, Celestia. They're nothing more than rocks now."

Celestia had one eye wrenched open and staring up at me. I saw a deep seeded fear in her gaze, like an overwhelming sense of defeat. The Elements had been her last, desperate chance and now they were useless to her. She couldn't even stand up. She was through.

"A pity that means I cannot use them on you instead, but oh well…" I chuckled again and gave her a smug look. "I have other ways of dealing with you. Perhaps I should just get it over with and use one of these things to smash your little head in?"

She was still crying as she lay there. As I spoke, she stared up at me with that one big eye. Just like before, I had beaten her. The fight was gone, and all I saw now was a plea for mercy. After a few moments, however, her gaze was drawn elsewhere. She started looking at the stone I was holding, and her eye opened even wider in astonishment.

I gazed back down at the stone. "What…?" Confusion filled me as I watched my magic aura grow darker ever so slowly. From the point closest to my horn, a dark colour seemed to expand and snake outwards to cover the surface of the stone. As we both watched, this darkness covered more than half of the sphere.

Then it started glowing. It was a dim glow, pure white in colour, but it slowly started to grow brighter. It started to light up the room, and the darkness that was covering it stopped. Brighter and brighter the sphere got, and the darkness of my aura started to recede. I watched in stunned astonishment. It was like two opposing forces, and this new lighter force was prevailing.

"Wh…What is this…?!"

I realized that the stone was also growing hot. It took me a moment to truly comprehend that fact, since I wasn't actually touching it. Somehow, I could feel the stone's heat through my magic alone. The dark colour continued to recede, getting smaller and smaller, until it shrank to a single point. The sphere was almost blinding at this point.

"Ah!"

My magic faltered as a painful jolt of heat ran down my horn. The sphere dropped from my grasp, landing on the ground at my hooves. I winced in pain for a second and then looked down at it. It shined brighter and brighter, as if it were simply brimming with energy. Then, a moment later, it shattered.

I reflexively shielded myself with both my wing and a spell, but kept my eye on it. From within the remains of the shattered rock emerged a glowing red crystal that I recognized immediately. It was one of the Elements! A split-second later, it zipped across the room faster than my eyes could follow it.

The air was filled with an ear-splitting scream from Celestia. When I turned my head up to look at her, my eyes shot open wide. She was floating, suspended in the air by a white aura, with her mane and wings fluttering as if in a gentle breeze. Her eyes were clenched shut and her mouth hung open as she screamed in pain. The Element was affixed to a spot on her chest, and was glowing brightly.

Before I could try to understand what was happening, I noticed more glowing in my peripheral vision. I quickly glanced around and saw that the other stone spheres were glowing as well. One by one, I watched them grow brighter and shatter, revealing one of the Elements within which would immediately fly to Celestia. In desperation, I tried to reach out with my magic and grab the last sphere. I yelped as the same spike of hot pain shot down my horn.

Once all six Elements had attached themselves to Celestia, she stopped screaming. She was nearly too bright to look at. Through squinted eyes, I saw that her mouth was still open but no sound was coming out. The Elements were all glowing brightly, encasing her body in a multicoloured aura. A moment later she opened her eyes, and they were glowing pure white.

This had all transpired so quickly. A sense of panic had been building within me, but when I saw Celestia and the Elements together, that's when I felt afraid. For the first time, through all the pain, strife and troubles, I felt afraid. "No!" I shouted and took a few hasty steps towards her, but I was then blinded by a painfully bright flash.

When my vision cleared, I quickly looked back towards Celestia. My heart nearly stopped. She was still suspended in the air, but now her limbs were outstretched prominently as if she were standing on thin air. Her injured wing, though not healed, was surrounded in a golden glow and extended to its full length. Her other injuries remained, but the blood on her fur had vanished. Instead, her coat almost glowed a pristine white. Her mane fluttered on an invisible breeze, emblazoned with four vibrant colours. The elements were no longer stuck to her chest, but were now orbiting around her midsection.

I took a step back, fear sweeping through me. Celestia hovered before me, staring ahead with those empty white eyes, powered by the Elements themselves. Any of the damage I had done to her was meaningless now. With the Elements empowering her, especially with all six of them, she was now far more powerful than she ever was before. In the span of only a couple minutes, the tide of battle had completely shifted leaving me standing there with absolutely no idea what to do.

At the time, I had no idea what was going on. Moments ago, the Elements had been completely inert. Then I had picked them up and suddenly this was happening. I can look back on it now and perhaps try to understand. When I picked one of them up with my magic, the Element could perhaps sense the 'disharmony' within me. Harmony is such a faded, pointless concept but that is what the Elements are attuned with, and there is no question about how 'harmonious' I was being. With my magic's aura surrounding the one, the Elements knew that there was something to right and were drawn to the only other master they'd had before; Celestia.

I had tried everything I could think of to break into this room and utilize the Elements to kill Celestia and ultimately rule the world. Now, however, I stood facing against them.

Celestia let out a strangled, confused-sounding gasp and her eyes returned to normal. She gazed around for a moment, as if she wasn't sure what was going on. She took notice of the Elements encircling her and no doubt could feel the new surge of power within her.

I growled and adopted a defensive stance, managing to quell the fear within me. I had come so damn far, and I would not allow myself to be defeated so quickly. There had to be a solution. This was not a foregone conclusion. The spell to free me from a stone prison was ready to cast. I knew not how effective it would be, and understood that I might possibly be trapped in stone for an extended period of time, but I refused to be another Discord.

Celestia breathed deeply for a moment, and then she turned to look down at me. I was struck by her expression. Still, she looked sad and remorseful. Was she still crying?

"The…Elements…" she spoke softly.

I channeled powerful magic through my horn. "Do not think I am defeated just yet," I responded in a bold tone, "Do not forget who you are dealing with!"

Celestia closed her eyes, a heavy frown on her face. "The Elements are here…with me. You… You have caused so much pain and destruction…" Tears ran down her cheeks. She was crying. "Now…I have the power to end it all."

"You know not what power you yield!" I shot back, "You are just as clueless as when you used them on Discord. I doubt you have the ability to simply bend them to your own will! Do you even risk using all six at once? You may tear yourself apart, Celestia! You are weak!" These were a few of but a thousand doubts in my head, though honestly they spoke with such soft voices.

"N…N…" I saw her shiver. "Nightmare Moon…These words have been repeated often…with such little value behind them…but now, I speak them one last time." She opened her eyes and faced me. "I give you one chance to stand down. One chance, right now, and your…your life will be spared."

"You must be dreaming!" I shouted, "Even if you strike me down, I shall not be defeated! Even if I have to start all over again from the beginning, I'll do it!! Your victories are Pyrrhic, you fool! Long as I live, long as you live…long as this whole damn world lives, I will never surrender! Do you hear me, Celestia?? One way or another, the night shall last forever!!!"

"Then…you leave me no choice…"

I stared at her. She stared right back at me. The elements continued to swirl and she continued to glow and shimmer like a deity. Some time passed and she said nothing. Still, there was not an ounce of confrontation to be seen in her eyes. There was no conviction. She wore the face of the saddest pony in the entire world, lip quivering and on the edge of tears. The more I studied her, the more I realized how little had changed.

Even with the fully activated power of the Elements coursing through her, she still couldn't bring herself to use them. Her threats were empty.

"Well?" I broke the silence, "Do you plan to simply bore me to death?"

She shook her head gently. "You are a monster…You have destroyed this nation…I will use the Elements and I will defeat you."

I smirked. "Then go ahead."

More silence passed. I triple-checked to make sure the stone prison escape spell was still ready.

"I…"

"All of the cards are in your hooves now, Tia. You have all six Elements at your command! There is truly nothing I can do to stop you, so do it! Use them! Claim your victory, however empty it may be!"

"I…I-I…" she stuttered.

"Hurry now, before I strike you or perhaps run away."

"…" I could see so much turmoil in her expression.

"Well?!"

"Please…!" The tearful plea suddenly burst from her lips.

"It is just as I thought!" I quickly switched to an offensive stance and aimed my horn directly at her. "You simply can't!"

"Please!! I-"

From my horn erupted a powerful stream of magic that darted through the air directly towards her heart. Celestia winced and cowered. The Elements then suddenly spun faster and a rainbow-hued shield encircled her in the span of a moment. My spell impacted it, and then the world suddenly became a blur.

I was aware of a powerful outburst of energy, and a split-second later my hooves no longer touched the ground. I felt the air rush past me for a moment, and then my body impacted something hard and I fell to the ground in a heap. I struggled to quickly regain my senses, finding myself at the base of a ruined statue one floor up. I had been blown clear through the hole in the ceiling.

I quickly got to my hooves, but a moment later Celestia levitated out of the hole with the Elements still encircling her. I could see a faint aura, almost like golden fire, that was surrounding her. The Elements were feeding more power into her, and I had just gotten a taste of what they could do. It had hurt.

Celestia stared down at me with a strained, conflicted expression. I barely had a couple seconds to look at her before the Elements glowed and a bright red beam was fired directly at me. I swiftly dodged to the side with a flap of my wings and cast another spell at her. A blue beam met my spell halfway and nullified it, while a yellow beam was shot at me. More multicoloured beams of magic flew through the air as I struggled to dodge and shield them all.

Damnit!! My mind was running a mile a minute. She's nigh untouchable now! I can feel the raw power against my shields.

I put my agility to the test as I circled around her, dodging her attacks and watching carefully for an opening. Celestia simply floated there in the middle, not moving and watching me with those sad eyes. Occasionally she grit her teeth and looked strained for a moment, but most of my attention was drawn to the raw power I could actually see emanating from her.

I continued to throw attacks at her whenever I could, but nothing managed to touch her. Everything was blocked by a rainbow shield, an opposing colourful beam, or one of the Elements itself acting as a physical shield.

One beam caught me off guard and I was only able to half-cast the shield spell. I was unharmed, but the sheer concussive force blasted me back through the wall. I artfully righted myself in the air and skidded to a stop on my hooves. From the fairly undamaged and empty room, I now stood amongst rubble. What had once been multiple rooms of the castle was now a burning wasteland of debris. Celestia floated through the hole in the wall after me.

Another beam was fired at me and I blocked it with a powerful shield. Afterwards, I stood glaring at her and catching my breath. My mind was scrambling to come up with ideas but not having much luck. I growled like a trapped beast, feeling my hatred for this pony burn within me like the flames that surrounded us.

"P-please…" Celestia murmured once again.

"I will not surrender, you damn fool!" I shouted back.

Celestia strained and groaned for a moment and then looked down at me with tear-filled eyes. "Please…!" she pleaded more loudly, "Don't…Don't make me…"

The Elements started glowing again, and I dropped into a defensive stance while still eying her.

A sob escaped her lips. "Don't make me do it!"

My ears perked and I raised my head slightly.

Celestia appeared terrified, her cheeks stained by her tears. "I…I can't c-control them!!"

I hopped back into the air just in time to avoid the sudden white-hot beam of powerful magic as it struck the ground. Instead of landing, I unfurled my wings and started flying around the area at high speed. More attacks were thrown at me, and I had to use all of my skills and agility to carefully weave through them.

'Can't control them'? Did that mean the Elements were somehow doing this on their own? Celestia clearly was not in a state of mind to use them, but if she couldn't stop herself from doing so then that was an entirely different matter.

The fire-lit ruins of the castle was like an illusion spell gone wild, with multicoloured beams and bolts of magic zipping through the air in every direction. I was exhausting myself in trying to dodge them all. Being in the air gave me a lot more mobility, but I was still just barely escaping without charred fur. It was as if the more time passed, the harder these things were trying to kill me.

I tried as hard as I could, but at this point I couldn't even find a spare moment to counterattack. I saw that Celestia was watching my every move, but the golden energy surrounding her was almost blinding to look at, and the Elements were cycling around her at a dizzying pace. Rocks on the ground fizzled and vanished when she hovered near.

At that moment, I finally made an important decision. It was something I never thought that I would ever have to do, but the Elements were making Celestia more powerful by the minute. These things had not been fully understood when last they were used, so I honestly had no idea what I was going up against. Celestia somehow getting her hooves on them was a powerful strike against me, but I was coming to grips with the fact that I couldn't do anything about it for the time being.

It was time to flee.

Running away like a coward was the last thing I wanted to do, but I decided that it was the only way to keep the reign of the night from dying along with me. Nothing in this world is completely infallible. There had to be a way to combat the Elements, so all I needed to do was find it.

Simply flying away would have been suicide, so I carefully built up a powerful teleportation spell. It took all of my concentration, but I needed to mix in masking charms as well so the damn mare couldn't simply follow me. It was a massive pain to do so while still holding on to the stone prison escape spell, but I managed.

Then, when I was just about to cast it, Celestia finally scored a hit. While flying up above her, my world suddenly erupted in searing pain. A bright purple beam of magic cut through the air and went straight through one of my wings. In seconds it was broken and mangled. Fate had chosen to deliver an ironic punishment, and I fell through the air to the ground below.

I ended up on my back, my right wing laying spread next to me in a sickening display. Pain unlike I had ever felt before rippled through my whole body, threatening to make me pass out. My body ached further from the painful impact with the ground, my armour was cracked, and worst of all my pride was bruised.

I growled and focused through the pain. I still had the teleportation spell ready. Injured or not, I could still cast it. Before I could, however, I felt the powerful sensation of something impact my head. It didn't hurt me, but it felt like a jolt of electricity ran down my horn. Suddenly, the teleport spell was completely gone.

I gasped as a second wave of shock ran down my horn, dissipating the escape spell as well. After a third more powerful and more painful jolt, I felt a massive outburst of magic in the air. Above in the sky, I saw the waxing moon suddenly reappear. Then, with one more very painful jolt, I was left feeling numb.

I scrambled to get to my hooves, but I was panicking now. My magic was gone. Actually, it wasn't gone, but I could feel all of my magic powers being suppressed. I couldn't even cast a simple light spell or telekinesis. My magic had dissipated, even revealing the moon in the skies once again, and it left me defenseless.

Absolutely defenseless.

Irony did indeed seem to be the current attraction. For I now stood on trembling legs with a mangled wing, a pure mirror image of what I had earlier reduced Celestia to. The mare in question descended slowly to the ground in front of me. I took a few steps back defensively, but already I knew it was useless.

It was all useless. Just like that, I knew it was over. I had no magic and I couldn't fly. In mere minutes, the Elements had crippled me. There wasn't a way to escape; I could only stare ahead at my oncoming doom. My mind refused to accept it. Furiously and unceasingly it searched for an answer. For all I had worked so hard for and all I had accomplished, this was where it was all going to come to an end? To be destroyed by some shiny toys?!

I glared venomously at Celestia. She was completely surrounded by a fiery golden aura at this point and her eyes were glowing white, though I could still see her pupils. Her expression was unchanged. If anything, she looked more distressed than before.

"Surrender…" She spoke up, her voice quivering, "I-It might be the only way…to save you."

"I would rather die," I spat back.

Tears filled her eyes. "P-please…" she said for about the millionth time. She shook her head, flinging tears about. "Don't make me do it!" she then suddenly shouted, "Please don't make me do it! Don't…make me kill you!"

I simply stood there and regarded her with hatred. Still I searched for escape and still I found none. I was about to become a stone statue or worse. It felt like a bad dream, to be honest.

The aura grew brighter and the Elements swirled faster. "I…I can't stop it!" she shouted, "I… It's like they know! If you surrender now, they…might stop…"

"You cannot destroy me. You cannot kill me, Celestia. No matter how much you strike me down, I will find a way to return. I will never surrender. One way or another, the night shall last forever."

She was openly crying now. "I never meant for any of this to happen! I…I never meant for you to be hurt! After all that I've done…it was me. It was never you!" A loud sob escaped her lips as the light grew more blinding. "Please don't make me kill you, Luna!!"

My eyes shot open wide. That's it! I knew it was desperate, but it was my last chance of salvation. "Celestia!" I addressed her, "Do you understand what you are about to do? If you destroy me…then you destroy your sister!"

"No!" she shouted, shaking her head, "It doesn't have to be like this! We can just…start over! We'll do everything different! I just…I don't want to lose you!"

"If you want to save Luna's life," I proclaimed, "Then you will cast aside the Elements!"

"But I can't!"

"Then you will leave! Flee and take them with you!"

"I…I…"

I stood tall and firm to get my point across. I wasn't even exactly sure what I was saying, but I was desperate at this point. Despite my bravado, I could see the Elements were gradually glowing brighter and moving faster.

A bright flash suddenly lit up the area, and Celestia cried out in surprise. Through the blinding light, I could barely see her writhing around as the Elements hovered around her. I was almost like she was imprisoned within them.

"No!!" she shouted, "You can't! She's my sister!"

I cautiously backed away, but something inside of me told me that time was up.

"I thought I could destroy her, but I can't!!" Celestia cried out in pain. "Luna!!"

I held up a wing as a feeble effort of defense, but my confidence was shot. I was watching the Elements activate themselves and prepare to cast the most powerful magic known to this world. Surely, this is what Discord saw in his last moments. The horrible fact that there was simply no escape made me shiver. It made me feel like a little foal, lost and alone in the world. I had come so far, and now I was going to die.

Celestia was sobbing in heartbreak. She couldn't even bear to open her eyes, much less look at me. "I can't stop them…" she murmured in an eerily calm voice, "You are a terrible evil upon this land, and…you must be dealt with." She let out a quiet whimper, and then spoke once more.

"I never meant for it to end like this…"

I watched as the Elements started to shine a multicoloured hue, and a swirling trail of rainbow started to cast out from them.

I growled and glared at Celestia. I stared at the mare who was about to kill me. The mare who would be my downfall, and she was crying like a baby. It was maddening, it was humiliating, and it was utterly unacceptable. I had overthrown her. I had taken the crown. I had defeated the sun!

"This is no end!" I shouted angrily, "This shall never end!!"

The rainbow contrails swirled into one another, creating a visual spectacle in the form of a helix. I could feel the raw energy emanating throughout the whole area. Celestia was looking straight up, her mouth hanging open uselessly and her eyes glowing pure white.

She couldn't win. This was the era of the night! "I will not allow you to defeat me! I will not!!" I started galloping straight towards her. "The night shall last forever! Forever!!"

The Elements angled themselves, as if forming an invisible shield in front of Celestia, though I knew it was rather a way of aiming. Rainbow colours were swirling all around now. It was hard to see anything.

"I am Nightmare Moon, ruler of the night!!" I stopped a few metres away from her and pounced, sailing through the air like a jungle predator with my teeth barred. "And I won't rest until you are dead!!" I aimed straight for her neck.

And then, a single moment later, the entire world around me shattered. I felt the impact of powerful magic completely halt my momentum and throw me back. For a brief moment my vision was filled with rainbows, and then everything faded to white. I felt myself suspended. I couldn't even feel the air around me.

All I felt was the pain.

I screamed loudly. I cried out louder than ever before as the crippling pain ripped through my body. It felt like I was being torn apart from both the outside and inside at the same time. The pain was unimaginable. I screamed and screamed until I ran out of breath. Then, I took a breath and screamed some more.

I couldn't see or hear Celestia. I couldn't see anything. It was painful to keep my eyes open, but I couldn't muster the strength to keep them shut. It hurt straight through to the core of my being. It felt like my soul itself was in pain. I thought I could hear Celestia crying, but then the sobering reality hit me as I realized it was me.

Still the pain continued. I couldn't think. I could hardly breathe. All I knew was that no form of torture could ever measure up to this. The Elements were slowly killing me; this I knew. I was about to die. My plans, my dreams and aspirations…They were all about to simply die.

Then, a moment later, everything stopped. The world faded away. The pain vanished too, but so did all feeling in my body. There was just blackness. Darkness. Nothingness…

…

And that was it.

That was how I died. It feels like it was only a few minutes before, but truly it was so long ago. In the briefest span, the tiniest moment in time, I lost everything and the Elements destroyed me. I don't really know if they killed me…but I must be dead, because…

…

…because I don't know where I am.

It's dark. It's empty. There's nothing here. I am not even sure that I am here. I cannot feel anything, but I also cannot feel myself. I have no sense of movement. I cannot feel the air, and I cannot feel gravity. It feels like I do not exist.

But I can think. I can speak, though sometimes I'm not sure if I can hear the words. If everything else truly is gone, I am fairly certain that my mind remains. My memories are all there. I can think, I can remember, and I still feel emotions.

…

My mind is all that I have.

…

I don't know where I am…

I don't know what happened. All I know is that I was defeated. I have no magic within me. That familiar sense of alicorn magic is simply gone. I cannot see my body, and I cannot feel my body. I do not have a body any longer. It must be true.

It's over. It's all over! It makes me angry. So incredibly angry and furious. I had in some way known that defeat was always going to be a possibility, but it all happened so suddenly. Struck down and trapped, and just like that it's all over!!

I still can't believe it…

Time passes, and yet I have no sense of time. With nothing to mark its passage, I have no idea how much time has passed. What could have been an hour may well have been a whole month. I am certain that years have passed. Years and years and years…

…

…and…years…

…

…years and years…and I don't know…

…

…I…

…

…I don't know where I…am…

…

Sometimes…Sometimes I can see…Just, every so often…amidst days and weeks of darkness, I get this…vision of the world. Like an observer. Often, the images are blurry and unfocused, and time moves at a strange pace. Other than these brief, vague glimpse though…there is nothing.

The first one I saw was only a few weeks after my downfall, and what I saw made me angry and upset. The war had ended. I was looking at the aftermath. My blood boiled when I saw that the sun was high in the sky once again, and the ponies were tending to the land and rebuilding. I caught a glimpse of Celestia, stony-faced as ever as she led her subjects onward.

I didn't see any of my soldiers anywhere.

I can predict with almost absolute certainty what had transpired. Upon my defeat and the dissolution of all of my magic, Celestia was able to set the moon and raise the sun immediately. This would be the largest of the many daggers thrown into the heart of my army. Their leader was gone and the empowering magical influence she had given them was gone too. Severely weakened, I could picture them all cringing and shying away as the sunlight returned. Sunlight was their weakness. None of them could stand it.

…I imagine it only took a few days for my army to be defeated entirely.

That vision had left me so unbelievably angry and frustrated. I was cursing Celestia and berating myself for all of the mistakes I had made. In the end, I had been an utter failure. I had seen that Equestria was on the road to recovery, and my poor bats were simply gone.

…

Gone…

I suppose it's only fitting. I was their leader…their…mother, in a way. I am gone…so…

…

…It's been so long…

…How long have I been gone?

…

I have seen more, however. Time passes in Equestria, and every so often I am able to see a tiny slice.

I saw the land return to what it once was before I had even set my hooves on the ground as Nightmare Moon. The ponies frolicked in happiness and the country flourished. The citizens had all worked together to rebuild, and Celestia was now leading the nation on her own.

…I had set out to take her down, and in the end the reverse had happened.

…She doesn't deserve…

…

Night still exists. I saw it. The land was bathed in the shadows of night, and the ponies were all safely tucked away in their homes. It brought me some small amount of satisfaction to see that Celestia at least had the decency to let the night continue as it once had. Though, it angered me to realize that she must be the one controlling the moon now. She had stolen it from my cold, dead hooves.

I could only imagine its pain.

…I saw it once. I saw the full moon high in the sky. It appeared exactly as it should, except for one thing. There were strange markings on the light side of the moon. Black marks, or perhaps craters, that seemed to form the shape of a mare's head. I have spent seemingly forever trying to figure out what it means.

Celestia probably put it there. Celestia!! She is- She…I…

…Mnn…

I…

…The castle was never rebuilt. As years went by and I caught glimpses further and further into the future, I saw that a massive, tangled forest had grown around it. Perhaps the two of us had used so much untamed magic that it was unstable now. Slowly it grew until it consumed the old city of Canterlot entirely.

It was gone. All gone.

…

G…Gone…

Gone, gone, gone, gone, gone…

…

Gone!!

Yes…! Yes, well it's…Celestia built a new castle…and a new city. I saw it a few times. She had chosen to build this new city on the top of Canterlot Mountain itself. On the flat plateau that we had created during our battle, an extravagant city now stood. Since the castle is there too, I can only imagine it is the new capital of the land.

It is just like her to make such a big, grand, vainglorious spectacle of the whole thing. Just like Celestia.

Just like Celestia.

I see her. She is everywhere. No, she is nowhere. She is quiet and distant. I can see how she rules the ponies. She has the power. All of the power. That power is not hers! That power should have been-!

…

I…

Aah…Nghh…Tartarus be damned…

I…I am…I know who I am. I just…don't know where I am. I don't know where I am but I'm here.

I'm here!!

…

I'm here…

…

…I…

…

…I see…my family. I have seen my soldiers, and it makes me weep.

I saw that they were treated as war criminals after the wars were over. In my second vision, only a mere month or so after the battles had ended, I could hear the voice of an official drifting on the wind. He commented that most of them had been executed already.

…However…They survive.

I think…I think the ones that used to be a pony got their old memories and personalities back once my magic vanished, but they retained their forms. The ones that had been bats hadn't changed, yet I saw less and less of them with every fleeting glance.

Years later and my family still survives. The ponies call them 'bat ponies', and they are treated like second-class citizens. I see them huddled inside of dark dwellings, much too small and poorly constructed. They live amongst the ponies, but…

Years and years and years…

I see their descendants. Time passes. Equestria slowly comes to accept the 'bat ponies' more and more. It seems, though they have lost me, my family has managed to carve out a comfortable life for themselves.

That makes me feel happy.

It is perhaps the only thing that makes me feel okay. I was a ruthless killer on the battlefield, but I…I loved my soldiers. I love my family. With any luck, they will still be there when I come…

…

…back?

…

…Ngah!!

I…I am still here. There is nothing, but I am here. I feel nothing, I see nothing, I hear nothing, I sense nothing, I am noth- No!

No!

…

…No.

…

…The words…

…Words in my head. Is that all they are? I can't feel my head. Is my head there? There is no-one here to talk to, and yet I continue to speak. I have been talking for so long. I lost track of time before a single year had passed, and it has been an infinitely long time beyond that.

…

I-

…

…I…

…

I am…

…

…Nightmare Moon.

I feel like I am dead. I am convinced that I am dead. Yet the world continues on before me, so I have…

…hope?

I don't know where I am.

…

…There is just nothing. I am nowhere. I don't know where I am because I am nowhere. There is nothing around me but the empty, infinite expanse of space. I'm not even sure if space itself is there. I can't move, I can't feel myself breathing. I have no perception of my own body, and…

It's all swirling around in a sea of nothingness. Darker than night. Emptier than space. A lonely purgatory of never-ending nothing. The brief glimpses of Equestria are nice. They are wonderful. Yet they come about once every twenty years, if I had to guess. As time rolls on, I am certain the visions are less plentiful. It's like it's all drifting away.

Drifting away to the empty expanse of swirling empty black nothingness that swirls and churns and holds me here forever in a place where I cannot feel myself though if there is nothing to feel then there is nothing there to feel where my body is gone and my senses are gone and I am gone and there's nothing left and nothing and nothing and nothing and nothing and nothing-

Gah! Ah…Hah…

…

N…

…

…N-nothing…

…

I have nothing but my voice…my thoughts…

…

I cannot forget my thoughts. With my thoughts, there is my mind and my soul. I am still here.

I am Nightmare Moon.

…

I…

…

Every time…I feel a little more insane.

Every time…I try and I fail to mark the passage of time.

Every…time…and yet, I can't stop…

I mustn't stop…

Or…

…

…I'll…

…

…I'll be gone…

…

…Help.

…

I…

…

I…I…

…

I am…Nightmare Moon…and…I…

…

I-I…

…

I…levitated up the headpiece with my magic.

…Slowly.

…Meticulously.

…

Such a simple piece of armour it was, yet so striking and fearful. This simple piece of metal.

…It meant war. It meant destruction. It meant death. The headpiece was an iconic symbol amongst the ponies of this land, and all who were weak at heart fled from its very sight. There were many like it, but this one was mine…

The Nightmare Wars

by GigaBowser

Are You Afraid of Me?

Baptism of Bloodshed

Creatures of the Night

True Suffering

Do You Dare to Anger Me?

Family Ties

Confrontation

The Eclipse

Massacre in the Moonlight

War Games

Surrender or Perish

This is Where it Ends

Epilogue