A pulse of yellow light flew by as I dived. I could feel its burning heat and fury singe the fur along my shoulder. I barrel rolled to dodge another blast, pulling up at the last moment as I swooped over the castle towers. I turned my head ever so slightly to see what my opponent was doing, she was moving slower, but I could see the power she was building to unleash. With a snarl, I banked and charged the glowing white figure. She barely had time to block my scything horn with her own.

“You’re growing weak Celestia…” I growled, not fully in control of my actions.

“Let my sister free you monster...” my sister snarled, struggling to hold me back. I replied by sucker punching the solar Princess.

“HahahHAHAHAHha!” I not-cackled manically as she fell several Pony lengths, only to recover and speed away. I sped after my target, spraying the area in front of me with spells that would slay the unprepared.

Unfortunately my sister WAS prepared, she dodged or blocked my attacks with relative ease… But I saw that flicker of exhaustion setting in. As she pulled a sharp turn, I pulled up, rising above the beloved Solar Princess. I then angled my wings DOWN. Gravity pulled me ever closer to Celestia, finally forcing us to collide.

We tumbled in the air, wrestling in a brutal melee as we hit the roof of the castle below. She was forced into a slide that sent her rolling, I however just landed with a hefty clank. We pulled ourselves up at about the same time and faced each other. Celestia was breathing heavily… My own breath however was unlabored, but my blood SANG.

“Is this what it came to Luna?!” my sister screamed. “Would you truly abandon us?! Would you truly betray me for some power?!”

“You think this is about power?!” I yelled back. “This is about respect! Year after year! Day after day! Hour after hour! It’s all the same! Day this, sunshine that, Celestia this.... What about Luna?! What ever happened to her?!” I snarled “You betrayed me long ago ‘sister’...” I sneered.

“Luna… I never wanted this to happen...” Celestia said sadly. “I only wanted-”

“Only wanted what?” I interrupted. “Only wanted me, the only living soul who can claim to even come close to knowing you, your only living family, to live a life of seclusion and disrespect?!” I snarled.

“No…” Celestia stated. “I only want my sister back…”

I was awoken by a knock on my door.

“Who is it?” I asked with a yawn, rubbing my eye with the back of my hand.

“Supper’s ready.” the voice I recognised as my mother stated, before footsteps faded into the distance.

“Kay… Be right there…” I yawned again, flopping back down. I fell back into a sort of half sleep, waking only a few minutes later. I lifted my head to check the clock on my nightstand. The numbers ‘5:38 pm’ shown back at me in a red glow.

“Good ‘nuff…” I grumbled to myself. I sat up and pushed the covers off. I stretched and looked wearily around for clothes, I spotted a convenient pair of cargo khakis. I pushed myself off the bed and pulled them on. I walked towards the door like a zombie, groans and all, before I pulled the door open. The bright evening sunlight shone into my eyes as I walked down the hall. I quietly padded down the stairs and made my way to the kitchen.

“Hey…” I said to the dirty blond blob that I knew was my sister as she filled her own plate from the buffet of pots and pans.

“Go to hell.” she stated loudly as she stormed out with her plate.

“Kay.” I responded as I pulled a plate out of the cupboard. I quickly filled my plate and walked out of the kitchen. I considered going into the dining room, but then I heard rather loud arguing, so I decided I wasn’t about that and headed back to my room.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

I ate my supperfast quickly, browsing the latest content on Youtube before I had to get to get ready for work. I watched for several hours before I noticed the time, 8:01 pm. I closed my laptop and headed to my dresser, choosing a fresh pair of underpants and t-shirt. Once I found a pair, I crept out my room, lest I draw the attention of my cranky sister. I quickly turned into the empty bathroom and locked the door behind me. I put my fresh clothes on the toilet seat and pulled a towel off the rack, adding it to the pile. I soon had a hot shower going.

I stepped out half and hour later, feeling fully awake and refreshed, even though by this point I had already been up for several hours. I wiped the mirror down and looked at myself, running a hand through the scruffy hair that had grown on my face in the past few days.

“Yep, shaving time…” I stated to the silent room. I quickly got out my shaving kit and got to work.

Halfway through my routine a hard knocking rapped on the door.

“It’s occupied.” I said after pausing the shave.

“I need a shower!” growled my sister.

“Busy.” I replied, once again pausing in my work. In doing so I felt a small tug, one nick. “Fuck…” I said silently.

“You’ve been in there for nearly an hour!”

“No I haven’t.”

“Yes you have!” she stated. I pause to check the watch on my wrist.

“No I haven’t.”

“Yes you have!”

“I have my watch on Sarah…” All is silent for a moment or two.

“Are you going to let me take a shower?!” Sarah shrieks, causing me to jump and cause another nick.

“For fuck’s sake… I’m shaving! Go away!” I yell, examining the damage.

“Let me take a shower!”

“Sarah… I take a shower every day, at eight, every day, lasting half an hour each, taking 5 to 10 minutes to perform hygiene! It’s not my fault you can’t accept that I need to shave!” I finished with the blade so I got a dirty hand towel and wipe my face off.

“I need to take a shower!”

“I’m almost done!” I shout angrily as I put toilet paper on the injuries, blotting the bleeding and reducing the size of the scab. I pull the square away and put my clothes on. I grab a few more squares of paper and unlock the door. Immediately Sarah barges in and pushes me out of the way.

“Took you long enough…” she states as she sets up a speaker and iPod.

I ignore her and walk back to my room, closing the door behind me. I settle back on my bed, it’s almost 8:40. I shrug and get up again, gathering my work uniform and putting most of it on. A simple blue dress shirt and black pants. The apron is left where it is. I crawl back onto the bed and set my internal timer to 9:50. I’m soon asleep.

“No…” Celestia stated. “I only want my sister back…”

“Back?!” I shout, “Here I am!” I charge the white mare. Surprised, but still able to take action, Celestia took a step backwards and met my charge, we collide once more and we both slide down the shingles and fall off the roof, far above a winding river. Celestia almost instantly catches the wind, but I dive steeply and pull up, keeping most of my speed. I line up a powerful spell, one much more powerful than what I was using. Taking care to aim it properly, because it’d take a minute or two to be able to use again, I let it free. Celestia is dozens of Pony lengths away, but even at this distance I can see her eyes widen as the spell approaches with deadly accuracy. A high pitched shriek of pain and a puff of smoke confirms the hit. The blast rocks the building beyond, breaking windows and causing some of the stone work to fall. Among the chaos, I see a flash of white and an entire section of the wall falls down. A feral grin split my muzzle.

“HahahahhahHAHAHHAhaHAHAHHAHAHAHA!” I laughed with less sanity than probably is healthy, but I don’t care, I defeated my sister… I defeated Celestia! The very Sun was at my mercy! The thought causes me to break into even madder laughter.

I slowly approach the damaged building, landing as the dust settled enough to see. Below, is the white mare who caused all of this, the traitor. Celestia was covered in cuts and bruises, her normally immaculate coat and mane ruffled and dirty. She slowly stood and looked at me in defiance.

“You leave me no choice sister…” she growled. I then realized my sister wasn’t QUITE finished yet, so I let free another blast. My dark blue magic was met with Celestia’s own sunlight. We struggled for a moment before I began pouring my anger into the spell. And slowly, ever so slowly, the darkness pushed the light back. Even through the struggle and her blinding light, I could see that she was giving it everything. And I was still winning. I was winning!

Celestia was MINE.

I laughed as I put more power behind the spell. Another shining light suddenly caught my attention. It was something I had only ever seen ONCE… And was on the other side of when it was being used. The purple six-pointed star glowed above Celestia’s head with a benign light. And suddenly the magical struggle was caught in a stand-still.

“No…” I growled as five other lights joined that accursed star. A nebula of rainbow colored energy coursed outward from the star shaped sun, the five taking a circular orbit around Celestia and the Element of Magic. The rainbow joined with the sunlight and pushed back against my stream.

“No.” I snarled as I put my despair into the spell. Still onwards the rainbow enhanced sunlight came, pushing back my anger and despair with ease. I added my loneliness with an animalistic growl usually reserved to the demons of Tartarus.

“No!” I exclaimed as ever onwards the sunlight came.

My sadness was added, still it came.

My misery joined, still it came.

The area surrounding me lit up with a pale silver glow. I glanced behind me to notice some clouds had revealed a very full moon. I could still win. I could still-

Suddenly my horn was ablaze with a searing pain, the rainbow had pushed me back to my horn. I could feel it trying to purify me and put me back under Celestia’s hoof.

“NOOOO!” I screamed. I could not allow this. So I called to the Elements that Celestia had stolen from me.

IS THIS THE MEANING OF LOYALTY?! IS THIS THE REWARD OF GENEROSITY?! IS THIS THE TRUTH OF HONESTY?!

The light of the Elements above Celestia's head flickered as one. This wasn't what the Elements were meant for. This was an abuse of their power!

How DARE she?!

The power of the Elements coalesced, the backlash slashing at Celestia even as she held them aloft.

I. WOULD. STAND. TRIUMPHANT.

I however suddenly found myself flying backwards. The Elements didn't harm me, but the energy gathered could easily be used to propel me backwards. The Everfree Castle was already a tiny speck far below, and I could feel the Moon rapidly coming closer. I looked upwards to see the Moon growing rapidly in size. I snarled as I realized what Celestia had done.

Celestia had taken the backlash in stride. Sacrificing her own bond to the Elements to use the gathered power to propel me so much and so fast I was sent flying, to impact the Moon. How long it would take me to recover, I knew not. But it would be time aplenty for Celestia to lay whatever trap she wanted.

I spread my wings and used what was left of my magic to change course, it was extraordinarily difficult, but I missed the surface of my moon by only a furlong… Only to fly uncontrollably into the unknown.

“You will never win Celestia! Our subjects WILL love the night! They will love ME!” I shouted as the sphere Equestria was on grew smaller and smaller.

“Gah!” I exclaimed as I suddenly sat up in bed. I blinked a few times, finally taking a glance at the clock when the image of a shrinking planet was gone. It changed to 9:50 just as I looked at it. Right on time. I stretched and got up.

I grabbed a few granola bars, a can of soda and my own music player and threw them into my lunchbox. I quickly put on the apron and and black work shoes. And then I made my leave.

“I’m off to work.” I told mother as I passed her by at the bottom of the stairs.

“Bye.” she said simply. Her mousy brown head of shoulder length hair didn't even turn. Frowning, I walked past to the front door and left.

The moon was high and bright tonight. It wouldn’t be full until tomorrow but it looked gorgeous anyway. I stood outside my car for a moment or two… Admiring that pale silver orb in the sky. Ever since I was little I would stare at it. For hours and hours without end. And it never failed to fill me with a serene calm. A feeling that I would always pull through and be okay. I sighed and turned away, opening the car and ruining the beautiful night with the car lights. I cast one more longing glance at the moon before I pulled out of the driveway.

I pulled into the grocery store’s parking lot that I worked at. It was boring, my co-workers didn’t seem to like me and left me alone for the most part. I closed and locked my car and made my way inside.

It was brightly lit inside the store proper. Only one cashier was on duty right now and she was dealing with the few late evening customers. I made my way to the back, shoes making a distinctive clopping sound. After making sure I wouldn’t be ran over by someone with a pallet, I turned into the back room and made my way into the break room.

It was a small room, a refrigerator sat in the corner on the opposite wall, enclosed by a waist high counter. A four small tables were arranged in a square, filling the rest of the room. Two of my co-workers were already here, they ignored my entrance. I sat down at an empty table and pulled out my iPod. It was going to be one of those days.

I was looking at my watch a few hours later. 11:59 pm. 12:00 am. October 30th.

“Happy Birthday…” I said sadly to myself. I put my arm down and went back to work.

“Lucas, break time.” the manager said over the radio headset. I clicked the button on the wire.

“Alright give me a moment…” I replied. I quickly finished organizing the shelf I was working on and walked back to the breakroom. I yawned once and put my head down for a quick nap, setting my internal timer to 5 minutes.

An unending void. Even Celestia’s sun was an infinitesimally small speck in the distance. No different from every other star in the nothingness of space. The only reason I knew it was hers was because it was the only thing worth tracking as I sped forwards. Slowed down by literally nothing.

I don’t know how time passed… Minutes? Hours? Days? Years? I didn’t know. But by now even Celestia’s sun wasn’t visible anymore. Not even with a vision enhancement spell.

At first I didn’t know what the feeling was. Something tickling my face would be the closest I could describe. I realized then somewhere along the line I had passed out. Everything was dead cold and still. Not even my heart was moving. Slowly my body reawakened from what was obviously a long… LONG slumber. Finally my eyes were returned to me. And what I saw was startling.

A giant ball of fire directly in front of me. Its light was what was tickling my face. My heart fell. Somehow, I had turned around or Celestia had gotten in front of me. I had a brief moment of panic before I realized this sun wasn’t connected to my sister. No, this was a strange and alien sun that knew no loyalty to any living soul I knew. And it would surely devour me.

I had a moment of pure dread before I realized something else was familiar. Something very dear to me. Another moon. It too was strange and alien, but it recognized me as a friend anyway. I started to draw power from it, the sun would devour me to fuel itself for a few more seconds.

I had to escape.

Using the power of the foreign moon, I pushed myself away from the sun. I tried to veer towards the moon, there I could easily recover and grow in power. What I didn’t take into account was the giant mass of planet that was already behind me. I missed the moon to see a vibrant blue and green pearl peek over the moon’s horizon. I was heading right for it.

As I fell, I already felt the friction of the alien planet’s air slowing me down. In the prime of my power, I could’ve weathered it easily. But I had just woken up from who knew how long of a slumber. I was weak.

The alarm bells of the Castle Everfree rang in my head as natural orange plasma formed and burned at my armor and exposed coat.

It hurt.

It hurt a lot.

I felt feathers, half frozen and half scorched tear themselves away as I careened downward. My fur, curled and melted into the skin beneath, which in turn boiled and bubbled like hot wax.

The Castle Everfree is lost. We are over run.

Flee.

But there was no running for me. I could only unfocus my eyes, my eyelids now long burned away, watching as the ground below grew alarmingly closer beyond the field of natural plasma, and hope my death was quick when I finally landed.

I sat up straight in the break room chair. I wasn’t falling… I was however still burning. It took me a moment to realize that the burning sensation was only on my thighs. I stood up quickly and made my way to the restroom to see what was going on. Thankfully no one was around to see me wake up and almost immediately jump and run out of the room.

I got to the restroom in record time. I quickly claimed an empty stall and pulled my pants down to look at what was going on. There proudly displayed, on both thighs, was an emblem of a crescent moon.

Next Chapter: Chapter 2 The Tattoo Estimated time remaining: 18 Hours, 21 Minutes