Another day broke over Equestria. Solar Princess Celestia grimaced in accursed pain as she pulled the sun above the eastern horizon. With a haggard gasp of relief, the alabaster Alicorn completed her morning ritual and the last of her sister's night was chased away by her blazing orb’s brilliance. Such a sight was usually invigorating for the Solar Princess but today was different. Where she should have felt hope for what the new day would bring, she instead felt unease. The elder Diarch could not say for certain but it was almost like something terrible had happened.

“I have not heard from Luna or Twilight.” Celestia thought as she composed herself and looked out over her awakening nation. “It has only been a day but I hate being left out of the loop.”

Half expecting something to fall out of the sky or a distant mountain to explode, the Princess of the Day waited for the world to justify her fears. When the worst that happened was an errant cloud zipping past her balcony with a still half-asleep pegasus in pursuit, Celestia let out a long sigh.

“Good morning, my little subjects.” The Alicorn grumbled halfheartedly as she trotted back into her quarters.

As she passed her extensively refurbished bed, the eldest Princess’ mind wandered toward her beloved sister and the ethereal realm she guarded. With Luna awake and busy assisting Twilight, Celestia knew that the Dream World would be a bit tumultuous without its guardian but the few precious hours she had allowed for sleep last night had been rough. Her dreams, or more appropriately nightmares, had been filled once more with scenes of Equestria in ashes beneath a burning sky. At the center of it all was not Suneater or some other villain like Tirek or Discord but the infernal version of herself.

“A…Nightmare Star?” The alabaster Alicorn tried to give this phantasmal entity an appropriate name. “No, no. That’s not quite right.”

Labeling aside, the phantasm had once again tormented her with portents of doom and destruction. Celestia had taken a page out of her sister’s playbook and rebuked the fiend rather than argue with it. It had worked but before the dream collapsed, the creature had said something that was not some spiteful barb or condescending speech.

“Our star must shine the brightest.” The Solar Princess murmured as she continued past her bed into her study. “Seeing that I command the sun, I think I have that taken care of.”

“Then again, the sun shines alone.” A different part of her mind pointed out.

Dismissing these musings as matters better left to her nocturnal counterpart, the Diurnal Diarch approached her desk to see what Canterlot had in store for her. In keeping with Luna’s instructions following the destruction of the Crystal Empire that Celestia had yet to rescind, the table was free of letters from concerned citizens and only had the court itinerary and a single letter attached to a decorated tube.

“Alright, who’s first?” The Alicorn thought as she unsealed the scroll and read the only name contained within. “…Blueblood?”

The infamous noble’s name along with ‘and guests’ stared back at her. She flipped the piece of parchment over to find nothing else written down. It appeared her adoptive nephew and his cronies were the only ones to make an appointment.

“Strange.” Celestia thought as she rolled the scroll back up and set it aside. “I least the morning court should be brief. Now, whose letter got through the screen?”

The Princess of the Day took the letter off the tube to find it bore the seal of the Crystal Empire. A cold weight dropped into her stomach as she broke the wax seal and read it.

“Dear Solar Princess Celestia of Equestria,

I don’t need to tell you what this scroll carrier contains. For what it’s worth, I tried to delay the ratification citing that Canterlot would be in chaos after the dragon attack and unable to respond but the elites and commoners were insistent. I hope you can understand that I must put the needs of my little equines first.

I am sorry. For everything.

Wishing you good health,

Empress Mi Amore Cadenza of the Crystal Empire”

The alabaster Alicorn put down the letter with a dark expression on her face. With hooves trembling in rising anger, she opened the tube and slid the rolled up parchment inside. Using weights to keep it open, she recognized the document the Alicorn of Love had shown her at the gala. ‘Declaration of Succession’ stared back at her in bold letters followed by a long list of grievances, some overblow others uncomfortably true, ending with Equestria’s absolute failure at defending its populace from threats within and without. At very bottom was a collection of signatures from various crystal equines with her now former adoptive niece’s elegant name right in the middle.

“Traitorous bitch!” Tongues of flame flickered across the Princess of the Sun’s short mane as she seethed in ill-contained rage. “I’ll cast her in crystal and leave her to watch as I finish what Luna started!”

A polite knock at the door derailed her train of vengeful thoughts. A guard on the other side announced that the palace doctor and his staff wanted to check up on her. The still furious Princess was tempted to send them away but a glance at the bandages around her limbs and barrel made her reconsider. Celestia rolled the incendiary piece of paper back up and took a few moments to reign in her wrath.

“This does not mean anything yet.” She reassured herself. “Once the first harvest comes or bandits start harassing them, they will see reason.”

“A visit from the Luminious Solarii might convince them faster.” A more militant side suggested.

“Uh, are you still there, your highness?” The guard on the other side asked.

“Yes, send them in.” The Alicorn sighed as the doors opened and the medics filed in.

“Good morning, your majesty.” The head doctor greeted with a smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Ugh. If I get asked that again, I’ll stitch his lips together with his horn.” The long suffering Diarch mentally grumbled.

“Better than the last time you asked.” Celestia answered plainly. “If I seem tired, it is because I did not get much sleep last night.”

“You, too?” A nurse spoke up. “I was up all night with night terrors; I kept seeing that dragon burning down villages.”

“Huh, I dreamt we were in the middle of a plague.” Another added.

“The Dream World is more reliant on Luna than I thought.” The only sister of the dream strider mused.

“Let’s focus on reality for the moment.” Celestia brought their attention back to her injuries. “I think I am over the worst of it but the burns still flare up whenever I use magic.”

“Hmm, we’ll take a look after we check your legs and wings.” The doctor said as he motioned for a cart loaded with medical supplies to be brought forward. “Your bandages need to be changed anyway.”

After enveloping their patient in a simple levitation spell to make it easier to care for her wounds without aggravating her magically sensitive burns, the doctors and nurses went to work. They took extra care near her wings and right hind leg. Where they had once been broken, they now were nearly healed and it would not be long before she could fly again.

“I heard Captain Sentry commissioned a new suit of armor for you, majesty.” A nurse commented as she tested the once casted leg. “One with healing enchantments.”

“Indeed.” The hovering Princess nodded as much as the spell allowed. “It provides the function of those casts and splints without making me look like a leaper.”

“Well, it appears to have worked.” A doctor said after testing her wings. “Now, let’s look at those wounds.”

With care and precision befitting their profession, the doctors and nurses removed the bandages around the Solar Alicorn’s body. The head doctor frowned as he revealed a burn, an angry red bordered by blackened dead flesh against a pristine coat of white. They appeared no better than the day the Princess was wheeled into his ward.

“No sign of progress but they don’t look any worse.” The unicorn noted for a nurse to record. “Can you use a bit of magic for us, your highness?”

Celestia unconsciously grimaced as she ignited her horn. As expected, a wave of smoldering agony wracked her frame. The medical staff recoiled when the burns gained a hellish glow and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air.

“Stop! That’s enough.” A doctor shouted which the Diarch happily complied. “Sun above, that’s something evil.”

“You don’t say?” The Princess rolled her rose eyes.

“Have you found a cure for it?” She asked, not expecting good news.

“I’m sorry, your highness.” The head doctor shook his head as he started reapplying the bandages. “Short of asking the dragon that did this how to break the curse, I can only recommend you try to avoid using your magic.”

“That may be difficult.” Celestia frowned. “The sun and moon won’t move themselves.”

“You could ask Princess Sparkle to do it.” A nurse suggested. “She has before.”

“Only because Tirek left us with no choice!” The imperious thought screamed from a prideful corner of the Alicorn’s mind. “I’d sooner force it to go supernova than let that sycophantic foal touch it again!”

“Whoa! Seriously, watch the magic, your highness.” A doctor recoiled slightly. “Your burns just flared up again.”

“Fine, fine.” The alabaster Alicorn nickered irritably as she smothered her burning magic and temper. “I’ll find a way to manage.”

“It shouldn’t be for long.” A nurse said reassuringly as she assisted in re-bandaging the eldest Princess. “You’ve healed faster than anypony I’ve ever seen.”

Celestia just snorted impassively as the medics finished wrapping her back up. Once they had finished, the levitation spell dissipated and the Alicorn landed daintily on her hooves. Their task complete, the doctors and nurses trotted out of the room. One of them turned around to give some last minute advice only for the Solar Princess to close the door in her face.

“They act like I’m made of glass even when I’ve proved otherwise.” She thought bitterly. “It would be worth it to defeat Suneater just to put an end to their ceaseless prodding and advising.”

The Alicorn of the Day trotted toward her wardrobe to don her royal attire when she caught sight of her new armor on a stand. While she did prefer her gold tiara and regal accoutrements, the burnished and bronzed set did convey an image of strength and power. In the current climate of fear and uncertainty, the latter did have advantages.

“Plus that healing enchantment feels good.” The Princess thought as she enveloped the pieces of armor in her magic. “I should thank Captain Sentry properly when I get the chance.”

Without guards to help her this time, it took a little while for Celestia to don the suit of armor but she was in no hurry to hold the day court particularly if Blueblood was her only petitioner. As each piece clasped over her battered body, the healing charm spread its warmth over her concealed injures and eased the foul mood that had settled over her if only slightly. The now armored Alicorn faced a mirror as she slid the helm over her head.

“I could get used to this.” The Princess of the Sun gave herself a smile. “Now if only my mane were longer; I look as bald as Nightmare Moon in her helm.”

After attempting and failing to get her short pastel mane to show pass her helm, Celestia decided she had stalled long enough and trotted toward the exit after grabbing the itinerary. She placed one hoof on the door before she paused. While she could trot to the throne room in accordance with the doctors’ orders, the last time she had teleported in her armor without much issue.

“I see no harm in doing it again.” She thought as she ignited her horn.

Ignoring the pain that manifested along with her magic, alabaster Alicorn vanished in a flash of brilliant sunlight and reappeared in front of her throne. The sudden burst of light and flame nearly set its mismatched occupant ablaze.

“Goodness gracious great balls of fire!” Discord yelled as he quickly patted out the fur covered parts of his serpentine body. “That was quite an entrance, Celly. Nice armor by the way.”

“Discord?” The Princess froze, not expecting to see her ‘reformed’ foe. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m booooored out of my skull!” The draconequus lamented as he sprawled across the throne until his head hit the gold terrace below. “With my favorite playmates out on adventure, that just leaves you."

“I’m busy.” Celestia said bluntly. “Now get out of my chair.”

“Yeesh, somepony woke up on the wrong side of the sun today.” Discord frowned but floated out of the throne nonetheless. “So what vital task won’t let you enjoy a morning with your old friend?”

“The Day Court.” The Alicorn said with a huff. “I have to meet with petitioners and hear out their wishes and complaints. More of the latter, nowadays.”

“Ooh, a chance to see you put those stuff shirts in their place.” The Spirit of Disharmony rubbed his claw and paw together gleefully. “This might be fun. I heard you gave the last batch quite the tongue lashing.”

“And it was glorious!” The imperious thought lingered a bit longer than usual.

“I just hope it stuck with them.” The Princess sighed. “If you are going to stay, please keep it to wry remarks. I don’t need reality breaking down along with my patience.”

“Oh, I am an expert on political commentary.” Discord gave her a lopsided grin as he conjured a cotton-candy cloud to both relax and munch on. “Did you know you are technically a dictator with Luna and Twilight gone?”

“Ha. Then I make a poor tyrant.” Celestia said with a short laugh. “I can’t so much as eat a piece of cake without every mouthful being scrutinized.”

“Yes, it would take a purge of the elites and a show of power to cow the plebs to truly reign supreme.” A monarchal side mused. “Last time I held such authority, Equestria entered a golden age.”

“You sure it’s just your mouth they are scrutinizing?” The mismatched miscreant teased as his bushy eyebrows waggled.

“Oh, stop.” The Princess shook her head but could not stop from smiling.

The armored Alicorn settled into her comfortable throne and waited for the youthful page to begin the court while Discord floated with his hammock/snack off to one side. During the lull, the sense of unease returned to the Princess. She looked around the room to see if she had overlooked anything. What little damage the throne room had suffered had been repaired and refurbished but she could find nothing out of the ordinary save the draconequus. Yet the guards still appeared to be on edge.

“Almost like they are expecting something to happen. Can’t say I blame them.” Celestia thought as she gave the stoic equines nods of acknowledgement but receiving nothing in return. “Odd. They usually salute at least.”

At that moment, the page appeared at the door at the far side of the room. Like the doctors, he appeared to not have gotten much sleep. Still, he managed a warm smile for his liege.

“Good morning, your majesty.” He greeted. “Shall we begin the Day Court?”

“Let’s get this over with.” The Alicorn nodded as she passed him the itinerary. “It’s just Blueblood and his entourage today.”

The colt gave the Princess a sympathetic look as he trotted back outside. Celestia was debating whether or not she should ask Discord to conjure up a piece of cake when the page suddenly returned.

“Uh, announcing Prince Blue-“ The poor servant did not get to finish as the infamous unicorn barged in along with his fellow elites.

“Out of the way, ragamuffin!” One of them said as he brushed the page aside.

“Was that really necessary?” Celestia frowned from her throne as the colt picked himself up and quietly left the room.

The rather large collection of well-to-do mares and stallions approached the raised throne with Blueblood at the head. The guards and Princess watched them approach while Discord chuckled expectantly around a mouthful of fluffy candy. The blonde noble gave the draconequus a peculiar look only to receive a coy wave in response.

“What do you want?” The Alicorn of the Sun said flatly, not bothering with titles.

Blueblood refocused on his adoptive aunt. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated once he noticed her armored attire. Seeing this, one of the nobles whispered something in his ear that Celestia judged to be encouraging as the Prince steeled himself and took a step forward.

“I feel a speech coming on.” The alabaster Princess mentally grimaced as the noble took a breath.

“Solar Princess Celestia, we come before you not as elites of Canterlot but concerned citizens of Equestria.” The white stallion began confidently. “We have watched as our nation has slipped further and further into darkness, ruin, and chaos.”

“And not the fun type at that.” Discord scoffed beneath his breath.

“For millennia, you and your kind have stood as custodians of the world; guarding it against the wicked forces of evil.” Blueblood continued. “But recently, you have faltered.”

“The dragon caught me by surprise, I will admit.” The Alicorn said seriously. “But it is being hunted down as we speak.”

“The dragon attack is just the most recent example of your failure!” A noblemare interjected. “What about the centaur? Sombra? Discord, there? Hell, even Nightmare Moon defeated you!”

“Insolent nag!” An imperious side roared in rage as a frown crossed the Princess’ features. “How dare you?!”

“Yet here I am.” Celestia said calmly.

“Yes, thanks to Twilight Sparkle and the Element Bearers.” Blueblood said after giving the mare a look to step back. “They have saved us from these threats, usually after an exorbitant amount of damage has been done to private and public property, but they too have not been up to the task as of late.”

“But to their credit, at least they are out there facing the darkness.” Another noble added. “What are you doing, ‘your highness’?”

“Listening to a bunch of petulant foals.” The condescending thought lingered in the Diarch’s mind like smoke.

“I keep Equestria from falling apart whenever these crises occur.” The Alicorn answered flatly.

“You used to.” Blueblood said flatly. “I understand that my cousin, Cadenza, has decided to break away from Equestria and reform the Crystal Empire, has she not?”

“How did you-?” The still smoldering rage over the crystal pony’s secession began to flicker within the Princess of the Day.

“I have connections in Neo-Crystal City but that is beside the point.” Blueblood explained quickly. “It has become clear to us that you are no longer capable of defending Equestria or ruling it.”

“No.” Celestia’s eyes shrank to pinpricks. “He would not be this stupid.”

“Celestia, we are asking you to step down.” The seditious stallion said resolutely. “You and your sister will still guide the heavens but we will control matters of state.”

“Oh my.” Discord snickered deviously as he traded his cotton candy for popcorn. “Look at the big balls on Blueblood.”

“Traitors! Heretics!!” Righteous indignation joined the burning fury of the Alicorn like kindling on a bonfire. “I’ll have them all on a pyre!!!”

“Blueblood, you have done some foolish things in the past but this is beyond the pale.” The Alicorn of the Sun managed to keep an even tone despite the wrathful heat radiating through her body. “Guards, arrest these malcontents.”

With military precision, the solar guards approached the group of nobles. A pair of bleached-white pegasi joined their Princess on both sides of the throne while a pair of gray unicorns blocked the approach. The rest surrounded the seditious elites with weapons at the ready and horns aglow. Blueblood looked at the guards with an almost bemused expression.

“I had hoped that you would surrender power willingly.” He said, his arrogance bleeding through his façade of respect. “Plan B then.”

The noble unicorn raised a hoof and in an instant the guards turned on the throne. The flanking pegasi thrust their bladed wings beneath Celestia’s neck while the lower unicorns aimed high-power spells at her chest. The rest stood side by side with the nobles with their stoic expressions replaced with disdain.

“Oh this is priceless.” Discord was beside himself with mirth.

“What?!” The alabaster Alicorn could hardly believe what was happening.

“Apologies, Celestia.” One of the traitorous guardstallion said. “But Blueblood is right. A change is in order for the good of Equestria.”

“You swore an oath.” The soon-to-be dethroned Princess tried to move only for the blades to press against her throat.

“Yes, to the throne of Canterlot.” A guardmare spat disdainfully. “I will not follow to edicts of fools.”

“Well said.” Blueblood concurred. “Guards, take her to the dungeons. Use anti-magic if you have to.”

“Come along quietly, Celestia.” One of the pegasi ordered. “This doesn’t have to get violent.”

“Discord?” The Alicorn looked toward the draconequus, desperate for an ally in the developing disaster.

“Haha! I knew this would be fun!” The Spirit of Disharmony raised his claw and paw in the air. “I can’t wait to see how this plays out.”

“You see?” Blueblood pointed to the ecstatic draconequus. “Even he agrees.”

“This is ludicrous.” Celestia thought as her turncoat guards moved their blades just enough to allow her to get off her throne. “Do these fools think Luna or Twilight would stand for this?”

“Luna has betrayed you once already.” A voice whispered from an unfamiliar part of her mind. “Sparkle will not act with you as a hostage.”

“Celestia.” A guard said firmly as he prodded her exposed side with a wing. “Stalling won’t help you any.”

“You seek to depose me because I have failed to protect you from evil, right?” The former Diarch of the Day tried one last argument. “How do you, mere mortals, plan to survive against this rising darkness?”

“And you accused the nobles of being arrogant.” A guard scoffed. “Our ancestors survived long before the Alicorns seized power. We can do the same.”

“You feckless plebs were wallowing in your own filth under Discord when I stepped out from Faust’s shadow!” The ends of Celestia’s pastel mane began to burn. “By the end of the Long Winter, you were begging to serve me!”

“Not all of them.” A militant part of her mind pointed out. “Some of them only saw the light when it was delivered at the end of a sword. Fires below, we were strong then.”

“I still am.” The Alicorn muttered to herself.

“I understand this is a shock for you.” Blueblood told the immobile mare. “But for the good of Equestria, a new order has to be imposed.”

“Equestria…” Celestia looked at the stain glass depicting the history of the nation she ruled.

It has always been her adoptive mother’s dream to unite the disparate tribes under one banner; a dream she had passed on to her young daughter. Once she was old enough, Celestia was set to make this dream a reality. In the crucible that was the chaotic world of old, Equestria was forged. During the bitter cold of the Long Winter, it grew where others withered. Friendship, magic and harmony may have been the foundations of her nation but she was the keystone that defied the gravity of calamity. Where her weakling of a sister fell to corruption, she was a purifying light that burned away that horrid darkness, be it her fallen sister or horde of marauders.

“This is my Equestria.” The former Princess thought. “I will see it burn before it is taken from me.”

Something broke free within the eldest Alicorn. Thoughts she had long ignored or suppressed screamed through her mind in a hellish cacophony. Chief among them was a white hot rage; not the umbrage of a slighted royal but the wrath of an angry goddess. It surged through her body like fire through a dry forest. Her bandages blackened then caught flame beneath her armor as her wounds glowed hot and angry. The guards and elites recoiled from the intense heat their prisoner was putting off.

“Somepony get a ring on her!” A noblemare shouted. “Now!”

One of the guards galloped to the now violently shaking Alicorn with an anti-magic ring. He laid one hoof on the Herald of the Day only for it to burst into flame. As he fell back screaming, the rest retreated from Celestia just as her horn erupted in a blaze of sunlight. The incandescent magic formed a sphere around the Alicorn, vaporizing the throne and terrace in a hiss of molten gold and steam. Inside the miniature sun, the burning mare screamed in exquisite agony as an infernal power surged through her. Teeth grew into predatory fangs out of bleeding gums. A brilliant blaze ignited on her short mane and dock. The once alabaster fur turned a light fuchsia akin to sunburnt flesh. The sun cutie mark, once a symbol of reverence, gained a burst of burnished gold to match the transforming mare’s armor. Centuries of cozy living and sweet indulgences burned away to reveal the shapely but powerful figure of the warrior-princess who subjugated countless defiant tribes. Soft teats long the envy of many a mare grew to size to make even the most celibate stallion stare. Her eyes burned with a golden glow, the heat causing capillaries to burst and stain the sclera a deep crimson.

“Equestria! IS!! MINE!!!” The hellish horse shouted like an erupting volcano as she went supernova.

The explosion shook Mount Canterhorn to its base and radiated across the heartlands of Equestria. The marble walls of the throne room and surrounding towers were blasted into white-hot glowing chunks of molten rock that rained down on the rest of the castle. The roof was obliterated entirely, revealing that the sun had moved directly overhead as if in midday. The blazing Alicorn touched down on the still glowing floor, completely revitalized without a trace of the injuries that had plagued her. She surveyed what was left of the room, the shadows of the traitorous elites and guards burned into the now sun bleached stone of the semi-melted far wall.

“You always were a disappointment, Blueblood.” The mare grinned malevolently at a pile of ash that might have been the infamous noble.

“Well that was the shortest coup I’ve ever seen.” Discord’s voice called out from behind a giant husk of burnt popcorn. “I believe an appropriate response is: hot damn!”

The draconequus emerged from his shelter wearing a pair of swim trunks and sunglasses. He looked over the shades at the rather evil looking Alicorn before him. She gave him a toothy smile that was anything but friendly.

“Uh, Celestia?” The Spirit of Chaos asked nervously. “You’re…on fire.”

“I know.” The burning mare said simply as she ran an armored hoof through her brilliant mane.

Before anymore could be said, the charred doors burst open. An orange pegasus and a squad of heavily armored Solar Guards charged into the room only to recoil from the lingering intense heat. The lead stallion recovered and hovered in the air a safe distance away.

“Princess Celestia, are you alright?” Captain Sentry asked, unsure what to make of what he was seeing.

“Never better.” The infernal mare turned away from Discord, much to his relief. “I just incinerated a group of traitors.”

“Traitors?” The pegasus’ eyes widened. “Who?”

“A few nobles and some guards with Blueblood as the biggest loser.” Discord listed as his summer wear vanished with a snap. “I’m surprised he managed to get that many.”

“Which means there may be more conspirators.” The armored Alicorn fixed the guards in front of her with a sinister glare.

“I-I assure you, majesty, I am loyal!” Sentry wisely bowed before the mare. “As are they!”

The other guards did the same. The fiery Alicorn leered at them for an uncomfortable amount of time before she broke into a cruel laugh.

“Haha, I know you are not stupid enough to betray me, Sentry.” She chuckled. “That is why I want you and your minions to go through the Solar and Royal Guard to find those that are and kill them. My Solarii will aid you.”

“Kill them? But don’t they need a tri-“ The captain’s objection was silence by a single incendiary glare from the Alicorn. “As you command, your highness.”

“Good and do the same with the nobles.” The malevolent mare turned back to Discord who was trying to sneak away. “And as for you…”

“Hey, that was all Blueblood!” Discord raised his claw and paw defensively. “I didn’t do anything!”

“You’re right.” The equine that was Celestia said as her horn ignited in a fiery aura. “You just floated there and let it happen.”

The draconequus realized he was doomed a split second before the Alicorn immolated him in sun fire. He reflexively raised his mismatched arms to shield himself against the blinding light but that only ensured his limbs burnt first. The Spirit of Disharmony did not have time to scream as his flesh and bones were turned to ash in an instant. The Alicorn maintained the fiery assault for a few more moments to ensure her former foe was truly cooked before she ceased the spell, leaving a charred and smoldering Discord standing still as a statue with his arms in front of him. His red and yellow eyes snapped open and blinked in confusion.

"Ow." The draconequus let out a soot filled cough before he collapsed into a pile of ash, his still emotive eyes landing on top.

“Now you won’t do anything ever again.” The fiery Alicorn chucked cruelly. “Captain, when you get the chance, dump this pitiful mess into the Celestial Sea. There will be no bickering foals to help him this time.”

“As you command, Princess Celestia.” Sentry shared a nervous look with what was Discord before he bowed his head more out of fear than obedience.

“Celestia?” The fallen Princess smirked as she gazed out upon an unsuspecting Equestria. “No. I am the better, more powerful and, let’s be honest, prettier version of her. You can call me…”

“Corona Blaze? No, that’s taken. Daydream Sun? Better but…” The Solar Destroyer pondered over her new name for a moment. “Wait, I got it!”

“…Daybreaker.”

---

The corrupted Princess Luna gazed appreciatively at the endless sea of stars as she traveled through the void of space on the back of a Primordial dragon along with the dreaded Silent King. While she had always found the night sky to be beautiful, it was another realm of wonder when viewed from beyond the confines of Equestria. Star fields once invisible now shone amongst the know constellations. Multihued nebulae added their ethereal colors to the stellar canvas. Dominating it all was her steadily approaching moon, a mighty orb of pale highlands and grey seas peppered with craters great and small from ancient cosmic impacts.

“Even the smallest section of the night sky is a masterpiece.” The fallen Princess thought wistfully. “How can the day even compare?”

“Muh huh huh huh. The magnificence of my being was one of the few things to lighten your mood during your millennia long exile.” The regal laugh of the Lady of the Stars echoed within the dark Alicorn’s mind, louder and clearer than usual. “And you even have someone to share it with this time.”

The navy mare glanced at her travel companion who was looking behind them at the steadily shrinking planet. She followed his gaze to a point of light that shone from the center of Equestria like a miniature sun and then vanished. The pale horse furrowed his brow as if in thought for a moment then turned away, catching her looking at him.

“What do you think that was?” She tried to ask but found that in the cold vacuum of space, speech was impossible.

“Right. Have to use telepathy.” The Lunar Diarch tried the spell but was reminded of her current state by a pitiful spark. “Ah, damn it!”

The Dark Lord saw her mouth move but no sounds come out. He looked around for a solution to this lack of communication but found he neglected to bring ink and paper. He looked at the dragon they were riding on and then to his two-pronged staff. The pale horse upended it and used one of the prongs to etch something into the black scales. This, naturally, earned a look from Suneater. His old friend quickly pantomimed that they could not speak by conventional means and had to use what they had available. The Black Dragon nodded in understanding and focused on keeping them on course through the stellar expanse.

“You were saying?” The Dark Lord wrote before he passed his bident to the mare.

“What was that light?” She managed to write after fumbling with the unfamiliar and heavy staff for a bit.

“And I thought I couldn’t miss my magic more than I already do.” The Alicorn mentally grumbled.

“It was near Canterlot.” The stygian stallion waited for their scribbles to fade back into the Lord of Darkness before he continued. “Celestia?”

“Maybe.” The corrupted Luna paused to mull over the possibilities. “She learned that her minions are dead?”

“Too soon.” The Dread Lord shook his head. “Perhaps she sent a noble my way.”

“It would be the smartest thing she has done in centuries.” The Princess of the Night thought.

The two paused in communicated via back scratches for a moment. With some distance left until they made moon fall, Luna decided to purpose a more intimate question to her companion. She tapped him on the shoulder and gestured for the bident.

“If you are the si Silent King-“ The mare wrote out, taking a moment to properly capitalize his title. “-is there a Silent Queen?”

The Theoi stared at the question, his expression unreadable as always. He slowly took his staff from the Alicorn and contemplated his answer. The corrupted Luna began to wonder if she had touched upon a sore spot for the Dread Lord.

“The Iron Queen of the Dead.” He wrote out slowly. “As a maiden, she was known as the Lady of Destruction.”

“Stars above!” The Alicorn’s blue eyes widened. “With names like that, no wonder he courted her. She probably annihilated cities as anniversary presents.”

“Before you think I wooed a herald of the end times, destruction in this case was more to do with change.” The King read her expression and clarified, earning an uncomfortable shudder from their ride due to the longer sentence. “Like the passage of seasons.”

“Oh.” The Lunar Princess silently laughed as she took the staff. “Still, going from a simple Lady to Queen of the Underworld is a hell of a promotion.”

“What happened to her?” She asked.

“With the onset of the Downfall, we agreed that she should return to Nature for her protection.” The King wrote as his expression darkened in a rare flash of anger. “It was not enough.”

The Diarch of the Moon placed a sympathetic hoof on his shoulder as his sudden change in mood subsided. He placed his own hoof over hers and mouthed ‘thank you’ to her. After waiting for the considerable etching to fade, he continued.

“Nature was devastated during the wars leading up to the Downfall proper and many perished with her.” He wrote. “I was beyond furious. I made sure that those directly responsible spent their final moments in torment before they spent eternity in the deepest pits of Tartarus.”

“Be still my black heart…” The spiteful mare nearly swooned from such vengeance.

“The Downfall happened not long after.” The Dark Lord continued. “Luna already knows about that so I suppose you do as well.”

The Alicorn nodded as she took the bident for her turn. She was about to venture the possibility of him seeking a new Iron Queen when strange symbols and glyphs that made her eyes hurt appeared. Whatever the Khthonic writing Suneater had created said, the Silent King understood. He translated simply by pointing to the moon that now dominated their vision. They would be landing shorty and with the amount of momentum behind them and no real way for the dragon to slow down, they would be coming in hard and fast.

“Déjà vu. Same thing happened when the Elements sent me here.” The former Mare-In-The-Moon recalled as she braced against the pallid pony. “At least I got mister ‘I can charm forces of destruction’ to act as a cushion.”

The Lord of Darkness reoriented himself so he would at least land on his feet. He and his passengers braced as the pale ‘eye’ of the roughly unicorn shaped seas rushed up to meet them. Their impact kicked up a cloud of fine dust and added another shallow crater to the moonscape. Once the dust had settled, Suneater groggily peeled himself off the ground and climbed out of the new crater. Once out, he paused to let his sore but uninjured passengers climb off his back.

“Never thought I would willingly return to this place after a thousand years.” The once banished Alicorn thought as she looked over her former prison. “Not much has changed other than a few new craters.”

The lunar landscape was desolate and barren; a monochrome expanse of grey and white that stretched across the horizon. Only the rolling hills of stone and sharp ridges of craters broke up the view. Above, in the perpetual night sky, the green and blue pear of Equus shone as half was illuminated by the rising sun while the other was cast in shadow. The equines and dragon made a point to keep it at their backs less they be blinded.

“Excellent. You have arrived.” The Lady of the Stars said to the only one who could hear her. “Did you have an exciting trip?”

“The King was good company.” Her apostle answered. “And a fair consort, as I learned.”

“Ah, you speak of the Iron Queen of the Dead.” The ancient Primordial inferred. “Mortals feared her as much as the Hidden One if not more.”

“Oh?” The moon mare questioned.

“The Hidden One was fated to rule the dead.” The Khthonic entity explained with an air of menace. “She chose to rule by his side.”

“I think we would have gotten along.” The fallen Luna mentally mused. “But enough gossip. Where do I go from here?”

“The one place on this rock closest to me.” The malevolent presence said cryptically. “Retrace your steps and you will find it.”

A tap on the shoulder caught the Princess’ attention. She looked to find the Silent King had wrote in the dust ‘Now what?’. The moon mare tried to write out an answer but the pale dust proved to be harder to use than the dragon’s scales as her hoofwritting was illegible. She shoved the bident back to its owner in frustration.

“To Hell with this.” The navy Alicorn mentally grumbled. “I am literally standing on one of the sources of my power. If I can’t use magic now, I’ll have a fit!”

She motioned for the pale horse to stand aside and focused. Again, a few pitiful sparks shot of her stub of a horn but she did not let up. After a few false starts, she finally managed to ignite her horn but rather than the steady glow of a magical aura, it was unfocused and raw energy that looked more akin to bolts of lightning. Still, the night mare was ecstatic.

“Finally!” She smiled triumphantly. “Now, a quick telepathy spell and we should be able to-“

The moment she tried to contact her companions’ minds she was assaulted with the soul harrowing screams of the damned and the burning hellscapes of Tartarus. She recoiled as the Dread Lord realized what she was trying to do.

“Apologies.” His neutral tone entered her mind as the visages of Hell faded into silence. “I still had Tartarus cued up from the last time something tried to peer into my mind; it’s a defense mechanism.”

“An effective one at that.” The fallen Alicorn recovered with a shake of her head. “Did it work for you, Suneater?”

“This feels weird.” The dragon’s deep rumble joined the magical conference call. “I am not use to having voices in my head.”

“It’s better than scribbling in dust or into your back.” The telepathic pony pointed out. “Regardless, we need to head toward the dark side.”

“Somehow, I am not surprised.” The King mused. “Lead the way then.”

The three set off through the lunar sea following the ex-Mare-In-The-Moon’s lead. Along the way, they passed a crater surrounded by hoof prints and small scorch marks.

“I take it this is where you landed originally.” The Silent King inferred.

“Yes.” The Princess thought simply, unpleasant memories surfacing. “I was…not happy when I landed.”

“You threw a tantrum by the looks of it.” Suneater mused as he pointed to the places where the banished Alicorn had blasted the rock in rage.

“To be fair, I did the same when I was exiled.” The former voidian stalker admitted sheepishly. “Don’t act like you did not.”

“Fine, I guess I did as well.” The dragon prince mentally growled. “There not much else to do when you have been stuffed down a hole by some shitty wizard.”

“Other than try to escape.” The navy mare thought bitterly as she moved away from her crater of origin and toward a grouping of smaller, shallower impacts. “I tried for the better part of my first month but the shackles of the Elements of Harmony are strong.”

With a trail to follow, the group continued past the exiled Royal Sister’s point of entry toward a rugged ridge line that marked the boundary of the lunar sea they were in. As they traveled, the fallen Princess noticed that the Dread Lord was lagging behind a bit. He was favoring one side and had shifted more of his weight than usual to his staff. For the first time since they had met, the navy Alicorn thought the pale horse looked old.

“Nothing has lived or died here; it is completely devoid of anything he draws power from.” The dark Alicorn realized. “Up here, he is just a world-weary earth pony. Granted, a very tall one.”

“Is something ailing you, Hidden One?” Suneater noticed his friend’s condition.

“I am just taking the chance to admire the stark beauty of this place.” The Theoi responded before quickly changing the subject. “I find it odd that you strive for an eternal night when one is right here.”

“It is not the same!” The Lunar equine mentally huffed. “Of course the likes of us can appreciate the absolute majesty of the night but the lowly plebeians on Equus still shun it. They will learn to embrace it or they will perish along with their precious day. Plus the sun still rises to spoil it up here.”

The dark group moved on in silence after that outburst, the King making an effort to keep up. They followed the night mare’s hoof tracks to the edge of a steep ridge. To save time, Suneater grabbed both equines in his claws and jumped up the side; an easy feat in the lower gravity of Equus’ satellite. He landed with a mute thud atop the ridge and deposited his companions. A short distance away was a small collection of rocks surrounded by aimless hoof prints.

“You could say this is where I lived once I realized I was trapped here.” Luna explained somewhat nostalgically. “I had a bed, a couch, some Celestia shaped rocks for target practice and a calendar.”

“You were here for some time.” The Necroarch mused as he looked over at the calendar; an obelisk covered in tallies of various sizes denoting, he inferred, days, months and years. “Just a little more than a decade.”

“I did not know how long I would be banished.” The once banished Alicorn mused resentfully. “Years? Centuries? An eternity? All I could do was sit here and watch the world pass me by.”

“At least you had a view.” Suneater cut in as he admired said view.

“So did you move elsewhere for the remaining nine hundred nighty-nine years or did you just stop counting?” The Silent King asked.

“I grew tired of sitting here twiddling my hooves so I decided to do something more…” The corrupted Luna indicated another trail of her hoof prints that lead away from the camp. “…constructive.”

They followed this path through a comparatively featureless moon field until it reached the border between the currently sunlit bright side and the umbral dark side. The dark mare trotted confidently into the darkness, maintaining her lead with the King and dragon in tow. Her ancient hoof steps lead down into a massive sea of basalt from the time of the moon’s formation. In the center of the lunar sea rose a massive crater comparable to the caldera of Avernus. Peeking over the rim of the crater were looming spires. The Theoi and Primordial remained silent as they trekked up the side of the crater until they reached the rim.

“What is this?” They thought in unison as they beheld the structure before them.

Built on the crater floor and into the walls was a massive complex. Walls and gatehouses formed a seemingly impenetrable bulwark around a palace in the style of the old Palace of the Royal Sisters. Towers and spires along the rim of the crater reached out of the pit into the sky like the claws of some colossal beast. In the heart of the superstructure was a great dome supported by a ring of columns. Like the rest of the moon, the palace was cold and dark with no sign of life within.

“I call it the Bastion of Nightmares.” The architect answered proudly. “It may not be your Barathrum, Dread Lord, but it suits my tastes.”

“Impressive.” The Silent King nodded. “You have an eye for architecture.”

“I had to start over a few times but I had plenty of time.” The Usurper thought as she trotted down the reverse side toward what appeared to be an entrance. “I completed this about a century before I returned to Equestria.”

“Is the Lady of the Stars here?” Suneater wondered.

“No but it is where we will reach her.” The navy Alicorn answered.

After a short climb down the crater, the group reached the entrance to the bastion. A great set of black stone gates large enough for the dragon prince to pass through with his wings folded stood before them. The fallen Princess approached and sent a spark of her magic through the construct. Glyphs depicting the moon and stars glowed a vivid blue as the integrated magic of the structure recognized its creator. With a grind of ancient stone lost in the vacuum of space, the doors parted to allow them entry. As they trotted and stomped inside, octahedral stones rose out of pedestals in the walls and started to glow to provide illumination in the otherwise benighted bastion. The Lord of Shades felt an odd sensation like static in the air actually heard his hoof steps go from silent to muted to echoing.

“Can we speak here?” He asked, answering his own question. “Ah, yes.”

“I feared I would go mad living in total silence.” The jilted sister said as she doused the telepathy spell. “So I imbued each brick with a bit of my magic to prevent that.”

“Magic: the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems.” The Lord of Darkness said dryly.

Even with the gift of speech returned to them, the dark group continued through the entrance hall in silence as the structure awakened around them. Compared to the grandiose design of the exterior, the interior of the bastion was remarkably spartan. The walls and floors were bare with the only decoration taking the form of statues of vigilant Umbral Thestrals. Judging from the fact that each statue bore a different pose and expression, it stood to reason that the banished Princess had attempted to capture the feel of having living guards in her citadel to stave off the soul crushing loneliness. The Usurper suppressed these bad memories as they surfaced and focused on something more important.

“We have cross the void of space, took a trip down memory lane and stirred my bastion from its slumber.” The navy mare thought, her patience obviously thinning. “When do I-“

“The hour of your resurrection is nigh, my apostle.” The ancient Primordial said reassuringly. “Go to your Sanctum. You will know what to do when you get there.”

“Why would…” The corrupted Alicorn trailed off as it dawned on her. “I see.”

“Good.” The Lady of the Stars sounded pleased. “Oh, and send my consort to the Orrery. It is a private matter.”

The companions reached a nexus with several corridors leading to different parts of the complex. The corrupted Luna paused for a moment to get her bearings before she turned to the Theoi and dragon.

“Suneater, take this passage up to the Orrery.” She said, indicating the way with a hoof. “The Lady of the Stars will-“

She got no further as the dragon eagerly rumbled past her like a freight train. The Theoi watched his friend disappear up the stairs with a thin smile before helped the moon mare back up.

“I told you he is devoted to her.” He said neutrally. “Shall we follow him?”

“No.” The dark mare said with a wry smile. “You’re coming down here with me.”

The King arched an eyebrow but followed the Alicorn down a flight of stairs. Deeper and deeper they went until they reached the very foundations of the sprawling bastion. As they navigated the winding corridors, Luna broke the silence with another inquiry into her companion’s previous life.

“You told Luna you were a bit of a black sheep among your kin.” She said, keeping an eye on the Khthonic Theoi’s expression less she push too far. “Were you close to any of them or were you a total loner?”

“My youngest brother, as I mentioned.” The King answered as he maintained his usual neutral countenance. “The Lord of Battle, Lady of War and I had a professional partnership; death and war are inseparable after all. The Lord of Revelry was oddly friendly much like the late Pinkamena. The Herald of the Sun and I got along well enough-“

“What?” The corrupted Luna stopped in her tracks and gave him a quizzical look. “The Sun?”

“That is a bit of a long story.” He explained with a dismissive wave of his hoof. “In summary, I had been accused of breaking a sacred law and he argued in my favor as a witness. I do not know why he did that as he had nothing to gain but we remained on amicable terms up to the Downfall.”

“Huh.” The Princess of the Moon tapped a hoof against her chin in thought. “I forgot that just because you rule the Sunless Lands, that does not mean you loath the sun as I do.”

“When your kingdom is underground, giving up sunlight is unavoidable.” He said plainly as they resumed their brisk pace through the bastion. “It helped that I was able to make new friends out of the Khthonic Primordials and their daemonic children.”

“Did he shape the Underworld or did it shape him?” Luna was about to ask but ultimately decided against it. “Bah, it doesn’t matter. He’s going to be busy in the upcoming nights anyway.”

They eventually came to a long hall terminating in another set of doors at the end. In contrast to the precision and care placed in the rest of the superstructure, the masonry was of considerably poorer quality; rougher and more uneven edges with less uniformity in the blocks.

“I take it you built this area first.” The Overlord of the Underworld ventured.

“Indeed.” The Alicorn nodded as they reached the doors. “You will see why in a moment.”

The night mare sent another spark of lunar magic into the door and waited. Like the entrance, glyphs glowed in the black stone only these depicted fantastical images under an inverted crescent moon. The doors slid open with a hollow boom and the two trotted into Nightmare Moon’s inner sanctum. The room resembled a small temple with an altar in the center. Placed on the altar was a strange crystal shaped like a featureless face, its unnatural glow bathing the room in otherworldly energies. Visions of fantasy and nightmare flitted in and out of focus in a manner similar to the former Lurker’s windows into reality from the Void.

“This is one of the few places in existence were the boundaries between reality and the Dream World are weak.” The corrupted dream strider explained as she trotted toward the crystal. “Thanks to this thing I call the Dream Stone. I found it buried in the middle of the crater when I first started construction. It must have fallen to the moon as a meteor.”

The Dark Lord trotted closer to the strange crystal and eyed it curiously. The Princess of the Night half expected him to say it was the crystalized remains of some ancient daemon. She was not too far from the truth.

“I know who this was.” The King said plainly as he straightened up with an aged grunt. “Or rather, I knew of who this was.”

“Do tell.” The fallen Princess was all ears.

The ancient Theoi gave a brief explanation that the Lords and Ladies of old ruled different parts of the world and the Dream World was no exception. The Master of Dreams, who he knew only through his father and the Hand of Death’s brother the Mind of Slumber, once held dominion of the ethereal world with the aid of his own brand of daemons. What was left of the one between them was most likely one of the forgers of surreal and horrid dreams.

“As for how it got here from the ether, I can only assume the Downfall of my kin affected the Dream World as well.” The former Lurker concluded with a sigh. “That is another set of relatives I can scratch off the list.”

“I wondered how dreams worked before I existed.” The dream strider nodded her head slowly in understanding. “I’m surprised you didn’t dump this information on me during our foray into that slut Cadenza’s dream.”

“I did not want to presume.” He said neutrally. “My initial understandings of the mechanics of the world were demonstrably out of date.”

“Well, they’re about the change again.” The Mare-In-The-Moon smiled wickedly. “Can you ward the altar?”

“Anti-magical or…?” The Khthonic Theoi asked for clarification.

“Containment.” She added. “If this goes wrong, it could very well suck the moon into the ether.”

The King did not need any more prompting as he set about etching runes in a wide circle around the altar with the business end of his bident. The Alicorn watched him work for a moment before she focused on the Dream Stone. Igniting her magic once more, she enveloped the crystal and levitated it into the cool air. The dreamy visages became more intense as the gem began to slowly rotate.

“Done.” The Silent King called out as his runes glowed in response to the building magic.

“Excellent.” The Alicorn smiled widely. “You may want to stand back.”

The stygian stallion complied and stood near the door. The navy mare refocused on the now rapidly spinning crystal and fed more of her magic into it. A high pitched whine filled the air as the gem began to crack and distort.

“Soon there will be only one ruler of Equestria.” The fallen Luna thought. “Me!”

With a sharp snap, the crystal shattered into countless glowing shards. The pieces floated in the air like twinkling snowflakes for a few tense moments before they suddenly froze and flew outward like a paused explosion had been resumed. The slivers reached the boundary created by the Silent King and pierced the veil between the waking world and the Dream World. Like shattering a plane of glass, fissures of various sizes violently manifested in the air. The dark ether of the realm of dreams became visible through the cracks with the shimmering orbs of mortal dreams floating in the darkness. The corrupted Alicorn spread her hooves as if beseeching the breaches.

“Come back to me, Tantibus.” She said in a rapturous whisper.

“Yes, mistress.” The impossibly deep response came from the Dream World.

An unfathomable flood of darkness and stars surged toward the fissures, devouring the dream spheres in its path. Tendrils of the living nightmare reached out of the breaches and found purchase in reality, straining the already compromised boundary. The unicorn-shaped head of Tantibus forced its way through the fissure in front of the Alicorn, its eyes burning with a baleful light. The Alicorn gave her colossal minion a toothy smile that it unnervingly returned. The nightmare poured into the room and swirled around the Princess as she began to rise into the air.

“Yes!” The mare that was Luna screamed ecstatically as Tantibus closed around her in a sphere, her tiara falling from her head and bouncing across the floor to the observant Theoi. “YES!!”

Her ecstasy was short lived for the defiling touch of Tantibus was not a gentle one. The malevolent essence crawled over and into the equine; a torturous experience that the former Diarch welcomed like an old friend. The sphere turned a hellish red like a dying star as it reformed the Alicorn within into something darker. Her stub of a horn turned to ash and disintegrated as a new one grew out of her skull; a lance-like bone to bend the foulest of magics. Her wings finally tore free of their binds and stood rigid as long broken bones were mended and hooked barbs grew out of the carpal joints. Raven axillaries and covert feathers grew out of the bare wings. Instead of primaries, thin spines of bone covered in a membranous skin like the wings of the vampiric thestrals she commanded emerged. The mare cutie mark spread across her coat, turning it a midnight black while a mottle violet appeared beneath the now teal moon. Her frame became lithe and supple, nearly doubling in height as her chest plate shattered. The shoes cracked and fell away as her hooves became cloven talons. Luna’s already shapely flanks became taut with powerful muscle and, as befitting a creature born out of jealously of the Solar Alicorn, her pert and dusky teats swelled to a more voluptuous size. The infernal orb rapidly cooled to a pitch black surrounded by a red aura and then a stellar globe of stars and constellations. The sphere unfurled into the violet boarder banners that were the dark Alicorn’s mane and tail. Her eyes snapped open as her sclera turned an icy blue to complement her slitted teal irises. The mare’s pouty lips peeled back in a toothy smile as her teeth grew into gleaming fangs. The reborn Usurper of Equestria touched down on the now cracked and ruined altar and looked over her restored form. The umbral Usurper closed her eyes and took a deep breath; her first as her true self. In that moment of meditation, something occurred to her: she had pestered her weaker half all throughout her supposed purification. Could she do the same to her? The night mare stood still and listened for any sign of what was Princess Luna.

“No voices. No whispers.” She thought with a relieved sigh as she was greeted with mental silence. “I am alone in here.”

“Mhmhmhmhaha-“ Nightmare Moon began to laugh; a muted chuckle that turned into a triumphant cackle that haunted the nightmares of Equestria and its defenders. “AH-HA HAHAHAHAHA!”

Next Chapter: Light in the Darkness Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 57 Minutes