Aside from faint, muffled squishing and popping sounds, gels did not make much noise when they died, so Luna's imagination helpfully filled in the gap with distant memories. As she listened to the echoes of ponies screaming and begging for their lives, she repeated to herself that this time would be different. It was a forced and hollow mantra, but it let her cling to what little sanity she had left while the last lair of these blue, amorphous monsters finally burned to ash.

In a twisted way, she longed for the voice of the Nightmare to appear to whisper promises of power and respect in her ear. At least then Luna would have something besides herself to struggle against, and if she failed to resist its temptation, she could blame some small part of her actions on the demon. Words did materialize, but they were her own, from several nights before when she had made her arcane vow to overthrow Celestia.

I swear, upon pain of death, that I shall remove Celestia from the crown and throne of Equestria.

When her students had examined the intent of her words and found no trace of deception, those vile things had actually wept tears of joy. She still felt nauseous when she imagined the sight. Even though she had managed the small victory of extracting a similar promise from them to kill no ponies during the fulfillment of that vow, she still had to get away from them immediately afterward. She refused to even wait the couple days it would take for them to undue the damage they had done to her armor, to her continued regret.

They had compelled her to take the vow, yes, but they had not forced her, and there had been no demon's corrupting influence. All the responsibility rested solely on her shoulders. The Nightmare was gone, and there was only Princess Luna now.

Or at least, she was pretty sure it was only her. She heard steps coming through the woods behind her, and turned to see a band of brightly-colored ponies walking toward her. After the dark and muted colors of Zecora, Willowleaf, Platina, Thin Mint, and Nickle Waltz, it was almost literally unbelievable to see splashes of white, pink, orange, purple, blue, and yellow moving through the branches.

“Of course,” she said. “The Elements of Harmony are at work upon me again. Here come visions of them to torment me.”

“Huh?” Twilight Sparkle replied. “Torment you? We came to help.”

Luna blinked, then blushed. “Excuse me, my dear subjects,” she said, a smile lighting up her face for the first time in many nights as Twilight and her five best friends came fully into view. “It hath been—”she looked up at the moon and compared it with her internal clock; it had been five days”—some time since I last slept, so I am somewhat scatterbrained. It is so good to see you though. Well met!”

Her smile turned into a confused frown when they didn't smile back at her. Most of their faces vacillated among fear, concern, and disgust, with Fluttershy hiding her face in the back. Then Luna realized that she had neglected her training and experience as a warrior and had not checked her body for damage. She examined herself and understood exactly why they were looking at her like that.

Her skin, coat, and mane were nearly invisible under layers of scars, bodily fluids, and swamp muck, which, even with her accelerated healing, had swollen into nasty infections over the past several nights. The bare skin that was exposed was marred by deep scars, thanks to claws and burns from everything from timberwolves to swamp dragons. Most of her tail and half of her flank was still completely missing from when a hydra's head had snuck up on her while she was busy fighting the other heads. Most worrying of all was her left wing, which was bent in three different directions, all of them wrong. It would take hours of concentration to set the bones correctly again.

Her body's vast supply of adrenaline was beginning to ebb, and she felt the suppressed pain clawing up to the surface, threatening to overwhelm her. Luna clenched her jaw tightly. Tighter still as the six of them started to converge around her, talking over each other about how terrible she looked and how they could help. She could swear she saw sparks in their eyes. What would happen if they attempted to use the Elements upon me?

“Stay back!” she cried, and the six other ponies took a surprised step backwards. “I—I mean to say, that the danger hath passed, and I shall be well soon. I thank you for your concern.” Do not try to banish me, or I shall have to hurt you.

“But your wing is broken,” Fluttershy said, mustering up the resolve to stand next to the appendage in question and peer at it. “You shouldn't try to heal that on your own.”

“No kidding!” Rainbow Dash blurted as she flew over, not to have her own courage upstaged by Fluttershy's. “Even a sprain is no joke, and I've had my share of those. Could you imagine if I actually broke my wing? That would be terrible.”

“Why don't ya come back to town with us, Princess?” asked Applejack from a respectful distance. “I know it's temptin' to tough it out on yer own, but some things jus' shouldn't be done by yerself. I'd say getting' all kinds of messed up from here to Tuesday qualifies.”

“No!” Luna shouted, the Royal Canterlot Voice blowing everyone's manes and tails back with its force. She paused for a second, then lowered her voice. “Rather, I will, but I would prefer to follow alone. Give me but an hour or two to rest and recuperate. I know the way.”

“It's dangerous in the Everfree Forest though,” Twilight lectured. “You of all ponies should know that.”

“Actually, this part of it is not dangerous,” Luna said. “Not anymore.”

“Now that you mention it,” said Rainbow, “there was a definite lack of danger for us to defy while we were out looking for you. That's weird.”

“Yeah.” Twilight looked behind Luna and saw the field of dying embers where the gels' pond used to be. “A whole week of searching, and we didn't encounter anything more dangerous than mosquitoes.”

“Which are more of a threat than you give them credit for, Twilight.” Rarity huffed indignantly.

“Oh, come on!” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ya got bit once.”

“Twice, I'll have you know, and the one on my cheek is going to absolutely ruin my complexion.”

“Half of this darn place is a swamp! Did ya really expect yer fancy magic to protect ya forever?”

“Did you have anything to do with that?” Twilight asked Luna, ignoring the others. “The lack of cockatrices, hydras, and carnivorous plants, I mean. Not the mosquitoes.”

“Aye,” Luna answered. “I have decided to put an end to the threat that this forest poses to our land. I know its secrets better than Celestia does, and I am more capable in combat than she, so it naturally falls to me to undertake this quest.”

“Oh, no.” Fluttershy squeaked. “I mean, it's scary, but there are lot of innocent animals here too. And some scary animals that are also innocent.”

Luna recalled her first meeting with Zecora in the zebra's tree hut, where she had brought up exactly that point. Some more innocent than others, she thought bitterly, as she was unwillingly reminded of her erstwhile traveling companion. At least this was the first time Luna had thought of her since she began her campaign, being too caught up in the thrill of battle for much brooding.

“I know, Fluttershy,” Luna said, trying to be as gentle as she could through all the physical and emotional pain she was swallowing. “That is why I am not burning the entire forest. As I said, I know its secrets, so I know where the threats lie.”

“You still shouldn't be out here fighting them alone.” Twilight resumed her lecture. “And don't give me that nonsense about how we're too valuable to risk. So are you! We were really worried about you, and from the looks of things, we had every right to be!”

Twilight's stamped a hoof at the end of her exclamation. The desperate anger in her eyes caught Luna off-guard. What am I doing? She inquired of herself. Silence was her only answer.

“Guard thy tongue, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna reprimanded. “We may be friends, but I am still thy sovereign as well.”

Twilight's ears went down immediately, but she did not apologize for nor retract her words. Luna was secretly proud. The others fell silent at the outburst too.

They are only acting in this manner because of thy insane behavior, Luna. Reassure them. She conceded that she had a point there.

“After giving the matter further thought,” Luna said, filling the awkward silence, “I actually seem to be well enough to travel now. Moreover, this place pleaseth me not. I shall be glad to put it behind me. Let us go.”

She brushed past the six ponies with a limping stride. Her ears twisted back reflexively, but from the pond she heard only the silence of death. She went back and forth between being annoyed and being glad that it was shortly drowned out by the renewed chatter of six sweet voices.

Her breath suddenly caught in her throat. One blast of power, and they could undo me and all my plans. Luna was not so much afraid of that happening, though, as she was afraid of what she might do to them if they tried. The dark, morbid thoughts made her shudder. Perhaps it would be better for Equestria if they defeated me, but the oath I made to overthrow Celestia would doom me to death if they did. I have much to do before I die.

She watched Rarity fuss prettily over her insect bites, while the unicorn tried to cover up the fact that she was doing so. She listened to the deep, easy drawl of Applejack, as if the sound of it gave every conversation topic full, serious weight. Even whatever random topics happened to pop into Pinkie Pie's head. Luna was grateful for them, actually, because Pinkie's outbursts distracted the group from talking too much about Luna. Perhaps Pinkie could sense how tired she was getting of politely evading their questions, and was looking out for her. Maybe she was even doing it consciously. Fluttershy's innocent fretting over Luna's every step was endearing, as were the oblivious, casual aerial tricks Rainbow Dash was performing right in front of a Princess with a broken wing. And through it all, Twilight led the way with quiet resolve. Her gait and the movement of her tail suggested she was still greatly agitated, but not even that could stop her from putting on a brave face.

Yes. Luna sighed quietly. Much to do indeed. I can only hope that there will not be too much damage that they will need to repair. And maybe, just maybe, they will come to appreciate the good that could come out of this. Maybe I can as well.

Fluttershy's cottage had no right to be this peaceful. It was even more packed than usual, with her dozens of species of animals now sharing sleeping space with six average-sized ponies and one larger Princess. Yet, save for the latter, they were all sleeping soundly next to each other, buried in piles of fur and cushions.

The place also stank of waste, or at least it had, before the eye-watering bitterness of Luna's infections filled the air. The medicines Fluttershy had prepared smelled nearly as bad, but they were very soothing and effective. Luna's heart broke a little when she contemplated how often her gentle caretaker must have to treat severe injuries to be this good at medicinal alchemy.

Princess Luna gazed out of the window of her little alcove, apart from the others, at the dark space in the sky where the new moon resided. It looked just like the symbol on the cloak she had left under the lake, just like the sigil of the Palatins de la Nouvelle Lune. How many times over would I be dead, had I bound myself to those oaths instead? she pondered.

She drifted off to sleep early, wondering if her world would ever be that simple again.

Only to be awakened a short time later by a hoof gently nudging one of the few non-bandaged areas on her body. She almost reacted with a yell and a sharp kick, as that would have been the proper response for the past few nights in the forest. But Luna was in Ponyville, and it was only an orange earth pony that was nudging her, her Stetson hat held respectfully off of her blond head. Applejack flinched when she saw the momentary look of wild ferocity in Luna's eyes, but she held steady. It passed quickly, replaced by a one-eyed glare that looked more like she was dozing off than like she was annoyed; one of her eyes had bruised so badly that it was completely shut.

“I'm real sorry, Princess,” whispered Applejack. “Can we talk fer just a minute? It might be kinda important.”

“Of course, Applejack,” Luna answered, starting to sit up, then immediately regretting it and lying back down with a soft groan. Thanks to her wounds, she would have to address this subject without the usual regal dignity. “What is it?”

“Well, a couple months back,” Applejack said, “I was out plantin' some flowers in the garden when I got this weird feelin', like somepony was walkin' on mah grave. Then it felt like you were sittin' right next to me, and Zecora was with ya too. I didn't know what was happenin', but it seemed like ya'll were in trouble.

“I didn't think much of it at the time, but now, with Zecora missin' from her hut, and findin' you in the forest lookin' like ya did, I ain't so sure...”

“Zecora is missing?” Luna asked. And they can feel it when I meditate upon the Elements? Perhaps that was not so wise.

“Yeah,” said Applejack. “Nopony's seen her since she went off with you. Is she okay?”

If there is any justice in the world, no, Luna said to herself. “I am unsure,” she said out-loud. “We parted ways some time ago, but I assumed that she would make it back safely, being as skilled in wilderness survival as she is.”

If she hath not come back here, where would she try to go? Luna frowned, and Applejack's earnest face became even more sympathetic, perhaps mistaking the meaning of the frown. Assuming her guilt over her crimes was not completely manufactured, then she could be going toward Timbucktu... Perfect!

“My dear Applejack,” she said, putting on a troubled facade, “couldst thou convince the others to go in search of her for me? I have urgent business to attend to in Canterlot before I can seek her myself.”

“Sure, I guess.” Applejack laughed nervously. “Uh, I mean, of course, Yer Highness. I just didn't know if ya wanted me tellin 'em about mah vision thingy or not, but if'n ya say it's alright, I will.”

“Excellent,” said Luna, sighing with relief, though probably not for the reasons Applejack thought. “I shall give the details of where I saw her last when the others wake up. I shall also reiterate this point then, but I want to make it specifically to thee now, as well: be discreet. She may have enemies here in Equestria, or she may encounter angry, prejudiced ponies who would blame any foreigner for this land's recent troubles. Try not to draw too much attention in this quest.”

“Well, we ain't exactly known for subtlety, Princess.”

“Please try, just the same.”

Applejack nodded.

“Is there anything else I can help thee with?” Luna inquired.

“No, ma'am, that's it.” She flipped her hat to hang on the end of her tail and got up to reclaim her place in the pillows. “Thank ya very kindly fer listenin' to me. I was afraid ya'd think I was crazy.”

“Not at all.” Luna stretched her neck and the one leg that she could move without causing herself pain, then slowly closed her eyes. “I thank thee for coming to me with this information. Pleasant dreams to thee and all thy kin.”

“Goodnight, Princess.”

Luna's hooves felt like lead. She had been cooped up in bed for days, drifting in and out of sleep regardless of whether it was day or night, and now, with the dusk, her circadian rhythm was screwed up enough to make her sluggish and groggy when she should be feeling most energized.

More than that, though, saying goodbye to Twilight Sparkle and the rest had been a draining and stressful experience. She was sincerely thankful for their aid, which had shortened her wing's healing time down to just a few more hours now, and their promise to search for Zecora had potential to distract two possible wrenches that could be thrown into her plans, but it was hard work hiding her fear. What if they find out? What if they see what I am truly feeling, hear what I am truly thinking?

They were only separated by a few yards at this point, but it felt like the six of them were waving at her from the other side of a vast chasm. She gave them a smile, making it big to be sure they saw it. She realized that was silly, but considering that this may be the last time she ever saw them, she allowed herself that indulgence.

Then Luna turned her eyes toward Canterlot, the gleaming metropolis on the mountain that sat at the end of the wide, lolling road under her leaden hooves. She dragged them upwards and slouched her way toward the city.

Two nights and days of almost constant walking followed. Luna's restless mind would not allow more than ten or twenty minutes at a time of sleep. But that was nearly superfluous anyway, for watching the rich, green country of Equestria roll by, with nary a monster, disaster, or spoiled crop encountered, was a soothing balm all on its own. Whether it was the stalks of amber wheat reaching up toward the sun, or the crickets conducting orchestras in honor of the moon among the wild flowers, each minute provided new sights and sounds to heal the Princess. The only distraction was the distant roar of the train to Canterlot, the brisk business of which explained the dearth of ponies walking this ancient highway, but that too had a benefit, in reminding her of her subjects, the most wonderful things of all about this land. Peace had returned to this one small section of Equestria.

Other places were not so lucky, she knew, but soon those areas would reap the benefits of her protection as well. Her entire homeland would be this beautiful and serene again, the way it had been ages before...

She stripped off her splints and bandages hours earlier than she had originally expected to. Cautiously, Luna stretched her wing out. She began to laugh when she only felt the invigorating discomfort of flexing strong muscles that had gone unused for too long. Her body was nearly flawless now. Only the largest scars were still visible, and even then only under a rich sheen of dark, fresh hair. Her lustrous tail flowed in the mystical breeze perfectly again. Her legs were strong and sturdy, and they carried her quickly. Luna enjoyed the sound of her laugh as well, now that it was free of scratching and rasping. Her delighted roar scared off the crickets, but she could not stop herself. She laughed until she was crying and gasping for breath.

Then, at last, she stood at the base of the castle's steep mountain. It was mid-morning. The crag blocked her view of the sun, but she could see its brilliant light peeking around the edges, as if the mountain were crowned with fire. Princess Luna spread her wings and took to the air, beating steadily upward toward her goal: the royal palace.

On the way up, she remembered something she had forgotten in the bustle and misery of the past week. The arrival of the great comet, through which Zecora had implied Luna's apprentices would contact their zebra conspirator, had already arrived the night before. She could feel its enormous, sparkling tail tracing its way across the void, even now in the middle of the day. The three students had not mentioned any such signal, and Luna had not thought to ask. Was that another of Zecora's lies? A red herring to distract and mislead her? Or perhaps it heralds the coming of a dark and terrible evil! She laughed. Prophecies are rubbish.

Princess Luna was not questioned by the guards—who were rather sparse today, she noted—even after coming to a landing at the balcony to Celestia's private chambers. Just as she hoped, her sister was lying on her bed, preparing decrees like she always did this time of day. Celestia looked up from the parchments sprawled before her and in random directions all around the bed, and smiled.

“Hello, Luna,” she said, delicately levitating her pen back into its pot. “I've been expecting you.”

“Is that so?” Luna replied, picking up one of the declarations on the floor and glancing at the contents. Authorization for some cloud bridge construction program. She scoffed and tossed it aside. “Why no triumphal parade, then? My campaign hath been a rousing success thus far.”

Celestia climbed off the luxurious canopied bed and made her way across the floor, stepping carefully around her documents.

“Has it?” she asked. “Take a look at that treaty under your rear left hoof. I had to give up quite a bit of money to keep Oracle happy with us, after your stunt in his valley.”

“Thou knewest of his operation?” Luna looked down at the treaty. That is a lot of bits. “And thou didst nothing to stop it?”

“How could I?” said Celestia. “He is one of the founding members of the Dragon Conclave. It's unfortunate, but the reality of leadership is having to make decisions like that.”

“Aye, and he was but a pup, when we were at the height of our power,” Luna said. “So tell me, with all of that money going to him now, where are we getting the money for new bridges?” She picked a paper at random. “Or railway extensions?” Another. “Or the War Relief Fund?”

“More taxes,” Celestia responded simply. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“Nay,” said Luna. “My problem is still with thee.” She shuffled her hooves, her wings twitching.

Celestia remained still, her only movement being to close her eyes. “So you do still hate me.”

“Not as much as I hate this entire charade.” Luna began to stalk around the room. She slapped Celestia's pot of ink as she passed it, spilling it all over the fresh, white linen of the bed. “How long hast thou been preparing this speech? How long did it take to drudge up all of these scraps of paper to try to prove to me how hard thou art working to keep this realm together? I already know!”

Celestia opened her eyes and gazed sadly at her sister, but she kept quiet and let Luna continue.

“I appreciate everything thou hast done for Equestria,” Luna said. “Thou hast bathed the ponies of this magical land in nurturing light and love, and they have grown noble and virtuous. Some have even grown capable. But thou dost not have the wherewithal to reap that harvest and let them prove the strength that thou hast given them. Thou art content to coddle them into complacency.”

“The alternative is terrible,” Celestia said pointedly. “I don't want them to become hardened, cold killers. Ponies were not meant for that.”

“Damn thy 'want'!” Luna whirled around to face her older sister again, her face scrunched into a furious scowl. “Equestria does not need public works. Before the dragons or the griffons decide to take it for their own, it needs a true army, and an experienced pony to lead it!”

“And it needs a conquering hero to hail too, I suppose?” Princess Celestia picked up the spilled ink pot and dabbed around with her bedsheet, trying to limit the spread of the damage to only a few documents. “Is this another little rebellion, Luna? Will it be eternal night again? Or maybe you were thinking of founding a 'Lunar Republic' this time?”

“No.” Luna lowered her eyelids and her neck. “And I would suggest taking this more seriously.”

“I am taking this very seriously,” Celestia said. “As seriously as I take all threats to Equestria.”

The silence that followed was thick and heavy, as if it were filled with thousands of years' worth of memories and words, all crowding around the two sisters, begging to be spoken.

“Thou art working hard,” Luna finally said, raising her eyelids to reveal nothing but blank, glowing, white orbs, “and thou art tired. I have come to inform thee that such effort will no longer be necessary. Henceforth, I shall do all of it. The time hath come for thee to rest, Celestia.”

“This is your last chance to stop this insanity, Luna,” said Celestia, with an infinite compassion that sickened her sister. “We can work this out, but you have to calm down.”

Luna's horn crackled and surged with a mixture of silver and blue energy. “There can be no compromise this time, Celestia.”

Using the crown jewel that was now woven into the structure of her crown, Luna's casting of an astral sight spell was nearly effortless and instantaneous. Overlaid over Celestia's chamber, she now saw the magical plane between the stars and planets stretching out all around them. She also saw the elaborate array of wards and spellweaving that protected Celestia's form. More importantly, though, she saw the thin, nearly invisible strand of energy that metaphysically connected Celestia to the sun. Luna followed it with her eyes until it led all the way up to the glory of the sun itself.

Its power was nearly overwhelming. It seemed not just to occupy all of her vision, but to reach into her mind and shine into her deepest memories as well. Luna knew that was just a cosmetic effect; Celestia could not actually read her thoughts. Still, it was a disconcerting feeling.

Nonetheless, the sun was warm, but it did not burn, even when its raging furnace came down to where she stood and completely surrounded her, leaving her seeing nothing but fire and Celestia, the two of which started to seem one and the same. Gradually, the complicated spell matrix that Celestia used to control the sun's movement casually, and to protect it from threats, came into view as well

It looked startlingly familiar. It was much like the one Luna used with the moon and the stars. In fact, it was so much like the one Luna used, that she realized with joyous shock that the spells weaving through the sun were exactly as she remembered them, ages ago. While the web of purple and golden thread around the star was fiendishly complex, full of fail-safes, dead-ends, and counter-measures, Celestia had not changed it in over two thousand years. She could do this.

Luna gathered and focused her energy, forming an ethereal silver spear, which she hurled with all of her magical power at the thread that connected Celestia to the matrix. She even added some physical strength by stomping the ground and shouting a wordless battle cry, both of which caused mirrors to shatter and wood to splinter.

The mystical link cracked and sparked, splitting like a piece of rope being cut, but it did not break.

“Luna, what are you doing?” Celestia's mouth was not moving. The sound seemed to come from the inferno of the sun itself. Her own eyes were glowing brightly now as well, just like Luna's. “Wanting more power, whether your reasons are selfish or not, is one thing. But to take the sun from my control would throw the entire world into chaos!

“Moreover,” she continued, her eyes narrowing over the shining blankness filling her eye sockets, “you are trying to assault something that I have successfully protected since I was a filly. You can't possibly hope to succeed.”

Then a counter kicked in. The dangling pieces of golden “rope” shot toward Luna with blinding speed. They tried to wrap around her legs and trip her. She fought her instincts and allowed them to do so, causing her to hit the floor with a great crack and a spray of important official papers.

Without the distraction of trying to defend herself, Luna was able to get in another strike before Celestia could stop her. The shaft of energy she controlled cut at the mystical rope again, and this time, the cut went completely through. There was an explosive ripple, both in the astral plane and in Celestia's private chambers, a wave of golden light that shook nothing physical, but quaked the spirits of everything and everyone for miles. Celestia gaped in horror and panic as she felt the sun out of her direct grasp for the first time since she had earned her cutie mark.

The horror turned to grim resolve, her brow furrowing even further around her intensely shining eyes. Celestia brought her wings to their full span and gathered her own magic to her horn. With golden and purple sparks of light bursting all around her, she tried to quickly repair the link.

Luna, however, had already moved on. Something was streaking toward them. Fast. A ball of fire, trailed by bits of molten matter that stretched countless miles through space, was streaking right at the sun. The comet slammed into the outermost of Celestia's protective spells around her star with astronomical force. Immediately, the spells fought back, guiding the impact away from the most important centers of the web and softening the blow on the lesser areas. Countermeasures went to work disassembling the immaterial aspects of the comet, which remained intact long past the material aspect had been turned into plasma and absorbed by the star.

Confident that something as mighty as Equestria's sun could withstand a mere comet, Celestia almost did not notice that a faint trace of moonlit magic had hitch-hiked on its back. Using its signature, Luna was able to focus her power right past Celestia's first line of defense and, having seen where the most valuable spell components rested, she directed her sharp shafts of silver light to strike directly at them.

They held for a few moments longer than Luna expected, since her elder sister had brought her full power and attention to bear on that problem instead. Even then, the attack was too focused, and caught the sun's guardian too off guard. The centers of the outer web of spells collapsed, thread after thread spinning off into nothingness as Luna hammered at them with bolt after bolt of energy.

Fluidly shifting her mind away from that task, she went back to the tether Celestia had been trying to reconstruct, and stamped it out. This time, she bound her own chaotic magic along the path of ley energy. Celestia could break through it, but it flowed and adapted like liquid silver, so that any breakthrough would be temporary. More importantly, even breaking through it once would take up time, giving Luna the breathing room she needed to navigate her way through the more dangerous second and third tiers of Celestia's stellar defenses.

“Enough!” Celestia roared in the Royal Canterlot Voice, the first time Luna had heard her use it since the Summer Sun Celebration 1,500 years ago. Even more stunning, Celestia's eyes were no longer white, but a sickly green, with purple smoke billowing out from around them.

Luna reeled, both in her wild attack on Celestia's control of the sun, and physically in the room, bumping into a dresser.

“Dark magic?” she breathed in shock.

“Why not?” Celestia shouted. “It is not inherently corrupting, and if it brings this farce to an end, I will use it gladly!”

“I know well that it is not inherently evil,” Luna said, trying to buy herself time. To no avail. Her assault was crumbling rapidly as ugly, jagged rays of gray and purple magic cut her spells to shreds. “That is just the last thing I expected to hear from one as pure and perfect as thee!”

“There is much you do not know about me, Luna,” Celestia said, somehow using the loud, commanding Royal voice with the quiet determination that matched her expression. Her greatly magnified casting was snagged only momentarily by the morass of Luna's warding that prevented her from reforming her connection to the sun. “You will soon see just how much. I have been preparing for the necessity of fighting you since you first started down this path. I wish it had not come to this, but since you chose to come here and face me as an enemy, then this is how it must be!”

“That is thy greatest mistake, there,” Luna said, clinging desperately to the last fraction of hold she had over Celestia. Her reinforcements were dispelled almost as soon as they were cast, draining her energy further and further. She was starting to slump, and her eyes were starting to fade to their normal color. “Preparing only for fighting me.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia demanded, barreling down on Luna's physical form, backed by all the fury of a wounded but still fiercely burning sun.

“I mean that I may not be as old and wise as thee,” Luna said. “I may have made many mistakes, and acted too rashly and emotionally when the situation called for calm and logic. But I am not stupid enough to have come to face thee alone.”

Completely alien magic suddenly appeared all around the two of them. The three black bursts of darkness, like negative stars torn out of the fabric of space, were not coming from Luna. They grew “brighter,” replacing both the light and the darkness around them with pure nothingness, and their fire, colder even than the void, started to burn Celestia's magic away.

She countered with every spell she could think of, driving each of them back in turn. But as one star shrank and was pushed away, the other two continued eating away at her matrix of spells. They pushed through the holes Luna had made in it, and Celestia shouted wordlessly in pain and frustration as the stars started to melt through the second layer. Celestia's counterspells were powerful and backed by the darkest magic ponies had ever discovered, but she had spent so much time preparing them specifically to fight Luna, the one pony who rivaled her in magical power. As a result, while much of the lesser, but still quite powerful, foreign magic was destroyed in her attacks, it simply kept growing and adapting. They knew more about her spellcasting style than she did about theirs. Much more.

Luna pulled herself back up to all four feet, her dark wings now outstretched, and rejoined the magical melee with a swarm of meteors, each shining with the ghostly light of the moon. Far above the sky of Equestria, the barrage plowed through binding after binding around the sun. Celestia, dark energy billowing from her eyes and horn, was hard pressed, assaulted on four sides at once. She cast her eyes about in the physical realm, hoping to find some sign of the newcomers, but the furious arcane duel that was taking place had turned the room into a roiling, bubbling haze. Paper and wood was burning, stone was melting, and green, purple, and black smoke was pouring out of the windows, obscuring sight.

She launched her body at Luna, slamming into her with all the might she had, but Luna dug her hooves into the molten stone and pushed back. The two of them were pressed forehead to forehead, eye to eye, their horns burning like pillars of fire.

“Guards!” Celestia called in a booming voice that made Luna's ears pop at this distance.

“They are not coming, Celestia,” growled Luna. “My temporary allies have seen to them as well.”

“Who!? Who could possibly—“ All the color drained from Celestia's face. The third and final layer of spells she used to control the sun was almost gone. Her destiny, her special talent, was about to be adrift in space, with no one to guide it. Her eye twitched as she glared into Luna's eyes, but it was a hollow, defeated glare. The points of black energy were descending on her now, as was Luna's magic. “No. I will not let this happen!”

Lances of solar energy kicked at the advancing threats. Their power stung Luna, and held the four attackers off for several more minutes. Celestia calculated each of her attacks for maximum effect, but the time of the calculation itself allowed her attackers time to adapt and improvise. Even so, one errant blow of power struck Luna's horn, causing it to crack. She screamed as the crack in the bone widened, and the viscous, glittering, enchanted marrow oozed forth from the opening.

The scream turned from pain to fury, and Luna's now dangerously unfocused spells lashed out more randomly and uncontrollably than before. Celestia's intellect and millenia of practice could not keep up with all of the directions of assault at once.

It was over. It was now only a question of how much damage the assailants would sustain in the victory. The answer was a substantial amount.

By the time Celestia's horn ceased to shine and her eyes returned to normal, Luna had only the barest shreds of magical energy left, most of which was bound up in one secret spell. One of her companion stars had also winked out completely, its wielder unconscious behind the illusion glamor that Luna had cast on the castle balcony directly below this one. Combined with layer after layer of semi-permanent spells, the illusion had escaped Celestia's notice in the confusion of battle.

Likely Platina's star that went out, Luna guessed. She was always the weakest.

Celestia collapsed to the floor, bringing Luna down with her. The sisters lay on their sides against the stone, which was now smooth and cool again, though greatly deformed from the battle. Their heads were pressed close to each other. Celestia's purple eyes were still bright with the eternal peace and harmony she radiated, despite the anger and fear that filled the rest of her expression, and they refused to let loose a single tear.

“So what now, Luna?” Celestia coughed, turning her head so the splatter of blood would end up on Luna's coat, rather than in her face. “Are you going to banish me to the sun for a thousand years?”

“Banish my own sister?” Luna said, her question and every word after it advancing on Celestia like a tide of drawing daggers. “How monstrous! Who could ever do such a thing?”

“Play the poor victim all you like, sister,” said Celestia, “but know this. If you harm Twilight or any of her friends, I will kill you.”

Luna smiled. “I am pleased to hear thee say that.” She reached up to try to brush her elder sibling's mane, who swatted the leg aside forcefully. “I apologize profusely for ever calling thee weak. I see now that thou art stronger than even thou knowest. If thou hadst but updated thy defenses, or faced me with allies, there is a distinct possibility that thou couldst have defeated me.

“But that was not meant to be, I see now. As such, here is the 'what now': Thou art going to attend my coronation gala, wherein thou shalt formally renounce all titles and claims in this realm, giving custodianship of them unto me. What thou dost with thy life after that... is no concern of mine.” Luna looked away.

“Your coronation gala?” Celestia asked. “What, are you going to become Princess of the Day as well?”

“No. Wait but a moment, and thou wilt see.” Luna sat up and stepped out onto the balcony. Crowds from all over Canterlot were gathered in the streets below, staring and gossiping about what was happening in Celestia's tower. She freed up the energy she had bound up in keeping her apprentices invisible, and then Celestia saw the three violet-robed unicorns who had incapacitated her skeleton garrison—the rest of the guard being out of Canterlot on thinner and thinner patrols—and had supported Luna in the struggle for the sun.

The silver-coated Platina was unmoving on the floor, while the healer Nickle Waltz attempted to coax her awake. Willowleaf was standing in a defensive posture, albeit shakily. The two conscious unicorns looked harried and drained, with scorch marks all over their horns.

“Bind Celestia quickly,” Luna commanded them. “But do not cause her undue harm, or I shall have your heads, curse or no curse.”

The ever-grinning Nickle Waltz and the skeletal shell of a pony that was Willowleaf advanced on Celestia. She fought back ferociously, shattering bones, knocking out teeth, and singing their flesh with weakened but still potent bolts of energy from her horn. But slowly, the sticky, metallic cord the two of them conjured latched onto various parts of her body. Soon, her hooves were bound together tightly.

Then, in the final triumph and insult, they touched their horns to hers. The force she directed against them as they did so sent them flying across the room, but in her weakened state, the momentary contact allowed them to do what she feared most. Black ichor now coated her horn, and not even a basic levitation spell could penetrate its thick suppression. Cut off from the sun, cut off from her sister, cut off even from the most basic light spell, Celestia finally gave up. She went completely limp, her face becoming an impassive mask, only watching blankly as Luna did whatever it was she was about to do. But not even then did she cry. She was too proud, too shocked, and the gears in her head were too busy turning, trying to find a way out of this.

The Princess of the Night was slowly and carefully bringing up the moon and the stars... without lowering the sun first. It was only a little past noon, and ponies all over were staring in shock as the sky darkened. The deep hued blue of the night wove into the light blue color of the day, creating a scene like an all-encompassing sunset. At the same time, the shadow of the full moon passed directly in front of the sun, causing a total solar eclipse that was years off astronomers' schedules. It significantly darkened the day, but the light cast by the combination of the edges of the sun peeking out from behind the moon, along with the stars that Luna forced into great enough brightness to be visible, created such a different shade of daylight that ponies all over gasped and marveled. It was as though a great, yellow lamp were being cast through a prism that refracted only silver, red, and purple, shrouding Equestria in the colors of royalty and blood.

Luna reached up toward the union of the sun and moon and, when she pulled her hooves away, she had somehow plucked the very corona from around the eclipse. She held its flowing black and amber metal in her hooves, staring at it long and hard. The circle solidified into a solid ebony and gold crown, thick, straight, and heavy, completely unadorned. Just under its surface, the two colors were slowly but constantly shifting, as if fighting for dominance.

She held her body straight, erect and proud despite the ravages her battle with Celestia had inflicted upon it. Luna placed the newly forged crown upon her brow, where it melted and fused with the black and silver crown of the Princess of the Night. She turned to enter the room once again, her face shining with cold serenity. The amber, black, and silver mixture of light pouring out of the weighty crown on her head filled the entire room. It was entirely unnatural, but in the same way a great painting or a stirring piece of music were unnatural. It was not natural to cry simply at a semi-random arrangement of pigments, or vibrations of the air, or patterns of light, but the mere sight of the crown and the passionate dignity with which it was worn brought forth those deep feelings in all those who could see it, even denizens of Canterlot far outside of the room.

Luna's two conscious apprentices looked at each other in bewilderment, completely unsure how to fit this development into their plans. Nonetheless, they prostrated themselves before her.

“Go forth and spread the news,” said a voice that was clearly Luna's, though darker and deeper, quiet but thick with layers of meaning that the unicorns felt entirely unable to comprehend. “Leave a pamphlet for the former Princess of the Day as well. I shall tend to Platina until she is well.”

Willowleaf levitated a scroll over to where Celestia was bound, before she and her compatriot fled the chamber. They barely even waited until they were down the hallway before Willowleaf launched into a desperate rant about what they were supposed to do now. Luna lost the words, but she heard the tone perfectly, and smiled.

Celestia turned her eyes toward the “pamphlet.”

Hear ye, citizens of Equestria!

The following facts are unknown to most of you, not out of malice, but out of perceived irrelevance, yet in light of recent events, they have become of great importance. Equestria has been in a state of regency for two thousand years. When the parents of the Princesses Celestia and Luna died, Their Highnesses stepped in to bring balance, peace, and prosperity. Yet that gaping hole has never been truly filled, and the eventual, inevitable result is the strife any of you can plainly see around you. If you have not felt it yourself, you surely know a pony who has.

The Princesses have tried their best, but it has not been enough. Celestia has ruled by herself for one thousand years. She has done everything she can, and it has drained her. As a result, she is unable to step in and take her birthright as the eldest member of the royal family. Instead, Luna has volunteered to take up the abandoned mantle and become Queen of Equestria. Celestia is still a powerful individual to be respected and admired, but she is no longer ruler. All decisions now rest with Luna.

She now controls the sun and moon herself. The eclipse that fills the sky will end a week hence, after the official coronation takes place in the newly rebuilt and renovated Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters, henceforth to be known as the Everfree Fortress. Owing to the wise administration of Celestia and the skillful martial might of Luna, the forest surrounding it, once a place of terror, is now a place of peace. No pony, no being of any race, who desires to come celebrate the coronation will come to any harm. It will be a time of joy and renewal, where Luna will guide you all by the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars, all together, to help you through this difficult transition.

Rejoice, citizens! The true and rightful monarchy of Equestria is at last restored, and the crown will lead ponykind to glory and happiness! Long live Queen Luna!

“Mother won't be happy when she hears about this,” Celestia remarked wryly, after reading it three times to make sure she was actually reading what she thought she was.

“If she is displeased,” Luna said severely, “then let her corpse come stop me, if it can.”

“Think, Luna,” Celestia said, her tone tinged with just a speck of pleading. “You're an amazing warrior and an inspiring figure, but are you prepared for the stewardship and the diplomacy that come with being sole ruler? The compromise and the hard choices?”

“More than thou knowest,” said Luna, her voice closer to normal now that they were alone, but still changed in some fundamental way that Celestia did not yet fully understand. “I am ready and willing to face any challenge.”