Princess Celestia is old, nigh timeless. She has been everywhere and done everything. She has saved the world from a force of chaos. She has transcended mortality and become a god. She has waged war and done battle with the best, and she has brokered peace between people who hated each others’ guts. She has performed acts of heroism the world over, and her reward was the title of “Princess”, and effective retirement as the next generation took up the mantle of “hero”.

She yearns for a chance to return to the old ways, the days when she ruled by the sword and proved her right to rule by conquest. A simpler time.

She gets that chance, and it costs her more than she realizes. Now, stripped of her title and power, she must fight at whatever cost to take back what she gave up; not just for Equestria, but for herself.

There’s no “royal we” here. Just good, old-fashioned revengeance.

Also on Google Docs

My National Pony Writing Month 2013 entry. Credit where it's due:

>Shoutout to Gentelman Clam for generally keeping an eye on me