Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon fought in the air as lightning and rain danced to the sound of their blades crashing against each other. They both hated each other, and had let that hate fuel their swings and jabs at each other. Nightmare Moon felt a sick and twisted pleasure from all this. She was finally fighting Celestia, and after so many years of planning her rise to the throne, she was now at the last step of her journey. Celestia felt a burning fire deep in her stomach that pushed her to kill Nightmare Moon once and for all. She hated that she didn't see this happening and that Luna and now Equestria had to suffer for it.

Celestia and Nightmare Moon continued their hate induced fighting as they tried to stab and slice each other open, but they were equally matched. They were moving so fast, that with each slice and thrust of their blades at one another, the wind produced by their attacks was cutting each other's skin open and they were both riddled with cuts that seeped blood out of them. A blade covered in a black aura and a balde covered in the sun's flames met each other almost every other second, with small sparks of electricity apperearing every time the two deadly blades met. They both swung their blades with all their power, and both their blades met as they locked against each other. They both faced each other eye to eye as their hate for each other burned in them. Celestia hated seeing her white glowing eyes knowing that her sister was now a slave to Nightmare's will, and Nightmare Moon hated looking into her glowing golden eyes seeing her as she was the last obstacle in her way to power. Their blades shook and a giant explosion blasted both alicorns plummeting to the wet earth beneath them. The intenisty and strength of their power had became too much for their swords to handle, and raw power had exploded between them.

Celestia slammed into the wet grass and dirt, and a shock of pain from the force of the fall shot through her. She grunted as she laid on the wet grass, but she had to beat Nightmare Moon no matter what. She has had many regrets in her long life, and she was determined not to add another to her long list. She slowly staggered onto her hooves as wet dirt and grass covered the side of her body that she landed on.

Nightmare Moon's body dragged across the dirt from the explosion of raw power. She felt the side of her face grind into the dirt, but she didn't wince at it. Her lust for power overcame any type of pain she should have felt. Her dragging had ceased, and she also staggered onto her hooves as she narrowed her white eyes to the glowing Celestia.

They were both breathing heavily and not one had come out of their battle in the air unscathed. Spots of blood covered their bodies from their cuts along with their armor. Nightmare Moon's helmet was dented and scratched, and Celestia chest plate that had her cutie mark on it was cracked along with mutiple scrapes and scratches.

"This...this..this is..exciting!" Nightmare Moon cried out.

Celestia looked at her in disgust. She hated how her foe was enjoying all of this.

"You have not failed my expectations dear Celestia. No..you have actually surpassed them! This is the fight I have always wanted. A fight between gods!"

"We are not god's Nightmare Moon, and for you to see us that way only proves that your lust for power has no bounds."

Nightmare Moon beamed at her.

"A ruler's power shouldn't have any bounds. A ruler should pursuit power constatntly to provide their kingdom protection."

Celestia body radiated a golden aura from it now as she listened to Nightamare's deranged views.

"How would you know?!"

Celestia's eyes burned a golden fire now as her anger and hate burned even more within her.

"By you! You are weak and you are comfortable with the power you have. You don't look for ways to increase it, and that is why you were beaten by Chrysalis so easily! That is why the elements had to die. That is why I now have control of your precious Luna! You are weak!!"

"ENOUGH!"

Celestia's horn released a giant cone of fire that blasted towards Nightmare Moon. The grass turned to ash as it traveled towards the hated black alicorn.

Nightmare Moon's black horn glowed and there was a ripping sound. The trees that surrounded the valley began to rip from the ground as she quickly ripped several trees and stacked them in front of her. The cone of fire hit the wall of trees and they instantly lit on fire while Nightmare Moon stood safely behind them. She summoned her dark magic and levitated all the trees in the air as they burned.

"Your going to have to do better than that Celestia!"

She fired the burning trees straight towards the enraged white alicorn. Celestia began to run as the trees smashed into the ground with the intent of pulverizing her. She jumped to the side as another burning tree smashed into the ground, barely missing her. She unfurled her wings and took off into the air. Nightmare Moon dropped the burning trees on the ground as they set the valley's grass a blaze. Several dark tendrils appeared out of her horn and she smiled wickedly.

"Where are you going Celestia?! I have a kingdom to rule and your wasting my time!"

Celestia saw the dark tendrils coming towards her. She continued flying and dodged Nightmare Moon's dark grasp. She turned and saw the deranged alicorn on the ground as she controlled her magic. She closed her wings and began to dive towards her. Her white horn glowed and fired multiple fiery bolts toward her. Nightmare Moon's slits grew wide as she saw several bolts of Celestia's magic came towards her.

"You will never have my kingdom!" she said as she spiraled down to meet Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon abandoned her concentration of her black tendrils as the blasts hit the ground around her. One landed right next to one of her hind legs and she fell to the ground. She felt a burning pain in her leg and looked to see that that one of the firey bolts had nicked her leg, and her skin was scorched and bleeding. She looked up to the sky, but her vision was cut as she she felt a hoof land squarely on her throat and she choked feeling the force of it.

Celestia took the oppurtunity to pin Nightmare Moon down as she held her down by her black throat. She summoned her fiery blade and pointed it right to her head as the pinned the alicorn coughed, trying to breath.

"This ends now Nightmare Moon. My sister will be free from you, and Equestria will be rid of your forever."

She pressed her golden hoof down harder on Nightmare's throat. Fire ran through the once green valley, and Nightamare Moon's face was glowing from the light of her blade near her head. Ripped trees laid on the ground burning, and even the rain could not douse it. This would be the destruction caused if she failed and Nightmare Moon was left to rule, but it would be much worse, and much more blood. Nightmare Moon smiled at her weakly and coughed a couple more times.

"You would kill me Celestia? Is that what you plan to do?"

"Yes, you have caused too much to be forgiven, and death is the only appropriate punishment for one such as you."

Nightmare Moon laughed weakly with Celestia's hoof still pressed on her throat.

"You do realize if you kill me, you kill your precious sister also."

Celestia knew that, but she knew that Luna would rather die than to be controlled by something that had caused her to do such terrible things. She would give her that release, but she knew it was her hate for Nightmare Moon that was really pushing it.

"You are telling me things I already know. No matter your excuse Nightamare Moon, you will die. There is no other way out."

Nightmare Moon smirked.

"Then tell that to your dear sister!"

Almost instantenously, Nightmare Moon turned into a black mist and Celestia's hoof went right through and hit the ground. She heard a laughing from the mist as it hovered before her.

"You want to free your sister from me Celestia, that you are willing to kill her? Then it should only be right that you tell her that!"

The black mist swirled around Celestia and Nightmare Moon's laugh echoed within the whirlwind. Celestia swung her blade at the mist, but it only sliced at air. The burning valley and rain started to fade out until there was nothing but darkness. The black mist faded, and Celestia was now in a black void of nothingness.

"Where are you coward?!"

She heard Nightmare Moon's sinister laugh echo through the void.

"I'm a coward? Coming from the pony that refuses to make war with her enemies and wait for Equestria's destruction?"

Celestia was tired of her acting like she cared for Equestria. She knew she was using the excuse of Equestria as a guise for her true desire of power.

"Enough of your lies," Celestia called out to her, "stop pretending as if you care for Equestria! We both know all you desire is power, and only want to see pain and destruction. You enjoy seeing others suffer!"

"Lies? You misunderstand. I do want to save Equestria," a dark low laugh sounded through the void, "and pain and destruction will be it's savior."

Celestia burned with hate. She shot beams of light from her horn into the darkness as she tried to break whatever hold Nightmare Moon had on her, but nothing happened. The beams just shot into nothingness. Her bright golden eyes looked for a way out, but she found none. She looked for any magic running through the darkness and saw a faint sapphire blue aura radiating from a distance. She walked towards it and kept her blade beside her. She wasn't sure what it was, but if Nightmare Moon was trying to get the jump on her, she wasn't going to let it happen. She got closer and closer to it and started to hear a faint sobbing, and Celestia's heart stopped.

"Luna?" she whispered to herself.

Her eyes went back to normal and her blade disappeaeed as she walked closer and closer and the sobbing became louder and louder. She gotten close enough to see her sister Luna, who had her hooves over her face as tears ran down her face. Her mane and tail flowed, but her crown and chest plate she used to wear were gone, and she her body was covered in brusises and cuts, and she sat in a pool of blood.

"Luna?!"

The sobbing Luna slowly looked towards Celestia and her teal wet eyes opened in astonishemt as she saw Celestia before her.

"Sister!"

Celestia started walking towards her slowly. She didn't know what Nightmare Moon had done, and she wasn't sure if this was the Luna she knew, or the one that had been driven insane and was under Nightmare Moon's control.

"What's the matter Celestia? Aren't you happy to see your sister?" Nightmare Moon's voice once again echoed.

Luna yelped and covered her head, as if the sound was hurting her. Celestia looked around trying to see where her accursed voice was coming from. She turned back to Luna who sat in the pool of blood and cried once again. She knew now this was her Luna.

"Luna. Are..you okay?"

Celestia saw all the bruises and cuts and the shining pool of blood, so why was she asking if she was okay? Of course she wasn't okay, but she didn't know what else to say.

"I'm so sorry sister! I didn't want to kill them, she made me kill them!"

Celestia's heart broke hearing her sisters desperate apologies. She walked over to her until she stood beside the weeping Luna.

"Luna, it's alright. I know this is not your doing."

Luna continued crying.

"This is my doing! I have been trapped here for so long. I have tried fighting her, but I can't beat her sister! She torments me every single moment. She made me watch myself as I killed them! I killed them all! Twilight Sparkle's friends, your guards, so many innocents, and I did it!"

Luna's wails of guilt echoed within the black void, and Nightmare Moon's laugh began to ring out along with Luna's wails.

"This is all your doing Luna. You could've prevented all this, but you are too weak to even stop it! Now tell her Celestia, tell her what you plan to do to help her stop."

Luna grabbed her head once again as she wailed in agony.Celestia stomped her hoof in anger as she heard her taunts.

"This is not her fault! None of this is her fault Nightmare Moon!"

Luna looked up to Celestia as tears streamed down her dark sapphire face.

"What is she talking about sister? You know a way to make me stop all this?"

Celestia felt her eyes well up with water. Her sister spoke to her with a hint of hope. She was going to kill Nightmare Moon, but she also knew that Luna would die with her, but she would be free of this torment.

"Luna...I..I'm." Celestia was stammering over her words. She was now truly understanding what she was going to do. She had wanted to kill Nightmare Moon out of her hate for taking her sister, but now that she was facing Luna, and it was replaced with dread. It was hitting home to her now. She was going to kill Luna...

"Celestia?"

"Luna...I have to kill Nightmare Moon,"she swallowed hard trying to keep her tears from leaving her, "And you will die with her..."

Luna's tears continued to stream down her face, and her face twinged as Celestia said her final words.

"Your...going...to..kill me?"

Celestia couldn't hold her tears back anymore and she let them fall down her face. She had completely forgot about Nightmare Moon and her mind and heart was filling with sorrow and another feeling she knew well...regret.

"I'm so sorry Luna. I don't know what else to do. I don't know any magic or spells to undo this, and she threatens Equestria. I can't let her..."

Luna turned away as she began to cry softly.

"I understand sister. You must do what is best for Equestria..." she trailed off.

"Please Luna, " Celestia's pain was becoming unbearable seeing her sister like this, "I don't want to do this, but I have no choice. Equestria will suffer if I don't..."

"Just do it!"

Celestia froze as Luna yelled at her.

"Luna..."

"Just do it sister! I know how important Equestria is to you, so just do it and get it over with!"

"Luna! It's not even about that!

"Then what is it sister? Am I destined to be alone forever?! Am I only to suffer for eternity?! Kill me and end this torment of mine, and you may continue to rule."

Celestia's soul cracked in her hearing her sister's outburst, but before she could even utter an answer, Luna started screaming and howling as she held her head again in agony.

"Luna!"

Nightmare Moon's voice reappeared once again.

"This is sweet, but I have to end this here, but don't worry Celestia, you will see your sister again in moments. How does that sound Luna? Would you like to be with Celestia again?"

Luna continued screaming and she slammed her face against the floor in the pool of blood.

"Please Celestia, just kill me!"

Nightmare Moon laughed menaically within the void.

"Yes Celestia, please kill her...if you can."

Luna started to fade away as Celestia watched her scream in agony. The black void was slowly fading away around her, and slowly the burning grass and trees had come back, and she felt the rain against her body once again. She looked over to see Nightmare Moon who stood at her smiling with satisfaction. Celestia's heart was wrecked, her soul was broken, her judgement was now wavering. Seeing Luna in such torment and her outburst of being alone now haunted her mind.

"What did you do to me?"

Nightmare Moon smiled wide to hear Celestia's question.

"I didn't do anything to you. I was kind enough to show you your beloved Luna. The one that is trapped in her own mind as I control it. Did you see how she suffers? She has suffered for years and I have tormented her every single waking moment. All that blood she sits in is the blood of every pathetic pony she has killed."

Celestia's tears continued down her face from earlier, and now the image of Luna being tortured and trapped within her own mind every single day for so many years wrecked her.

"You bitch," Celestia said quietly through her quiet sobbing, "How could you enjoy what you do? How can you enjoy the suffering of others?

Nightmare Moon replied with a sick and twisted satisfaction.

"Because," she chuckled to herself, "It's fun."

Celestia threw her head up and yelled with anger at her.

"Who do you think are to make ponies suffer?! What gives you the right to do that?!"

Now the black alicorn licked her lips, relishing what she was going to say.

"My right as Equestria's new ruler and upcoming god."

Celestia gritted her teeth, almost hard enough where her gums could bleed. She couldn't believe the insanity that she was hearing being spewed out of the hated alicorn's mouth.

"Nothing gives you the right to do this. Equestria would never follow a leader like you!"

Nightmare Moon scoffed.

"They will have no choice. After I am done here with you, the lands of Equestria will be given an ultimatum. They can either pledge themselves to their new ruler, or I can wipe them off the planet. Any who refuse me will be made to suffer and die."

"They will follow you out of fear, not loyalty. Equestria will be in complete chaos, and you would have it start a war that would only bring it's own destruction."

Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes to her and Celestia stared right back into them as her tears slowly slid down her white cheeks.

"Then let it be fear that drives them, I don't care. They will eventually turn their loyalty to me once I acquire all the Elements of Harmony, and I have power beyond imagination."

Celestia staggered as she felt her legs become weak. She now thought of Twilight and Pinkie Pie, and the danger that they would be in if she couldn't stop Nightmare Moon. They had Rebris now, the key to bringing back Twilight's friends, and Nightmare Moon would no doubt pursue them to get it back.

"You don't have Rebris anymore in case you have forgotten. Even if I failed, Twilight will bring the other elements back, and they would defeat you. Either way, you have set yourself up for failure."

"Ha! I am not worried if they have it or not. Luna was worried because she had failed in protecting it, as was my will for her, but let Twilight Sparkle bring them back. I have seen the darkness that resides within her and the lust for vengeance she desires from your dear sister. Her hate for Luna and rage will consume her. Her and all her pathetic friends will come back to try and defeat me and I hope they do, " she licked her black lips once again as if savouring something delicious, "So I can have Luna kill them again, only this time, they will suffer beyond comprehension."

Celestia had to stop her and she knew it, but now that she has seen Luna and her suffering and pain, she dreaded doing what had to be done.

"Well Celestia, I did say you would see your Luna again, and I am a mare of my word," the slit eyed alicorn proclaimed, "so let's finish this."

Celestia watched as Nightmare Moon's body was engulfed in a black mist. Her body had become a bit shorter, and her slit eyes were replaced by two teal colored eyes. The mist evaporated away and revealed her once kind now insane sister, Luna.

"No..." Celestia whimpered to herself.

"Hello dear sister."

Celestia looked at her and saw Luna, but this was not Luna. This was a shell of her that had been filled with hate, anger, and insane views and ideas.

"Luna, you don't have to do this. You can fight her...please..."

The white broken alicorn was desperate now. Where had all her hatred for Nightmare Moon that pushed her to kill her had gone? Only the image of Luna crying in a pool of blood ran through her mind. She didn't know now if she could end her own sister.

"I don't wish to fight it sister. It has given me more power than I could ever hope for, and made me realize how weak you are. I am almost ashamed to call you my sister. I would never want be related to some pony who can't even save her own kingdom."

Celestia heard the words and knew this wasn't really Luna saying all this, but it still jabbed her inside. Nightmare Moon had twisted her and corrupted her, and the innocent and kind Luna was trapped, forced to watch as she comitted her unspeakable deeds.

"I know you can see this Luna. You have to stop this. I don't want to kill my own sister," she pleaded as she tried to reach out to the trapped Luna.

"Enough of this nonsense! Stop speaking to me as if I'm another pony. I am Luna, and if you do not wish to kill me, then I will kill you, and finally have Equestria under my hoof."

She summoned her black blade once again and pointed it at Princess Celestia.

"One of us dies here sister. I am tired of following in your shadow. It is time that I stepped out of it and removed you out of my path."

Celestia's tears were filled with such pain and dread to see Luna this way. There was no kindness, no happiness, no love within her. She was now just a puppet under Nightmare Moon's control, filled with illusions of saving Equestria by pain and blood. She lowered her head as she realized that there was no avoiding it. She couldn't let Nightmare Moon win, and if she had to kill her own sister to stop her, then so be it. She ceased her crying and held her head back up. Her body was broken inside, but her priority's in the end laid with Equestria. She had to sacrifice one to save many, but this was going to be the most difficult sacrifice of her life. Her white horn glowed as she removed her golden crown off of her head and threw it onto the scorched grass. She summoned her blade of fire and postioned herself for the inevitable.

"I see that you are ready then sister?"

She wasn't. She could never be, but she had to be. She needed to be. Equestria demanded it.

"Know this Luna.... I don't fight you as a princess or the ruler of Equestria this day, " she narrowed her eyes as her soul weeped inside of her for what she had to do, " but as your sister and that I have always loved you. Even after all this, and whatever happends here, I will always still love you as my sister Luna."

Luna looked at her in disgust hearing her sentimental words.

"We may be sister's by blood, but that is it. I have never loved you as one, and never will. Who could love a sister that was weak and not willing to gain power? I hate you Celestia. I hate you for what you had done to me thousands of years ago, and I hate that you are weak and useless. I hate you."

Celestia listened as Luna poured her words of hate out to her. She smiled sadly at her as she saw how far Nightmare Moon had thrown her mind into such madness and hate. She knew this wasn't her Luna, and she knew that the Luna inside loved her back as much as she loved her. She would kill her and release from this madness.

"I love you too Luna."

Celestia's eyes flashed a golden yellow once again as she raised her magic within her, and Luna did the same as her eyes flahsed white. Earlier, Celestia was filled with fury and hatred for Nightmare Moon, but now she faced Luna, and she was now driven by sadness and a want to finally free Luna from herself. Luna charged at her, filled with hate and anger, and Celestia stood and watched as she came towards her.

"Goodbye..," she whispered to herself.

Luna swung her blade at Celestia and it only met her reluctant blade.

She has heard many times through the years by ponies that saying goodbye was sometimes the hardest thing to do in one's life and she now understood why.

"...Luna."

Saying goodbye was truly the hardest thing to say...

.