Moon paced back and forth amongst her Nightmare Guard. They were cramped into a corridor that led to Ifringale's entrance, made invisible by Moon's magic.

Her agent in Armor's search party had reported that the team was closing in on Ifringale. Her party was in position and ready to move in. She had become sick with unease about the potential for her newest adversary to fall under Celestia's control. He had a special place in his heart for her. If she ever learned how to leverage that...

Moon couldn't let that happen. The Sun Witch had been standing in her way for centuries. She had to die. Besides, what better way to vent her frustrations?

She stopped her pacing before the captain of her guard. She motioned towards him and moved out of earshot. The captain followed her and bowed.

"I propose we move in Captain," Moon said.

The captain shook his head. “I would advise against that my queen. There is a very specific time frame for our ambush. We would do well to wait for Flare's signal.”

“I am aware of that Captain. However time has become an issue.”

“It has?” he asked.

“Yes,” Moon replied. “I've...” She grumbled. “It is none of your concern. What concerns you is the need for swiftness.”

“It will only be a few more moments, I'm sure. Please, have patience my queen.”

“He has five more minutes,” Moon said as she turned towards the rest of the guard.

“Might I speak freely for a moment my queen?” the captain asked.

Moon looked back at him. “At your own risk Captain.”

He bowed to her. “I fear that this time constraint you speak of is causing you to be reckless.”

Moon glared at him. “Go on.”

“You are so eager to enter battle, even our battle plan seems...” He stopped and looked into Moon's eyes with a shudder.

“What of our battle plan?” Moon asked.

The captain cleared his throat and steadied himself. “We are ambushing and our enemy is separated. We have the upper hand. It would be safer to eliminate Armor's party, then attack Celestia as a unit.”

“You are questioning my capabilities as a commander then?” Moon asked.

He frantically shook his head. “No my queen!”

Moon smiled. “Wise decision Captain. I am more than capable of handling Celestia on my own. If you are confident in your team's capability to handle Armor's party, then this plan shall succeed. Are you confident?”

The captain opened his mouth as to make an argument but his words collapsed before they made it up his throat.

“Well?” Moon prodded.

He closed his mouth and nodded. “I am confident my queen.”

“Then there is nothing more to discuss.”

One of the soldiers galloped down the corridor and bowed. “We have received the signal my queen.”

A wide smile crossed Moon's face. She threw up her wings and thrust herself into the air. The squad moved into position just behind her.

“Tonight,” she shouted, “is the night that shall conquer the day! What lies before us is the last barrier to our glorious Empire. The world shall be our kingdom, and each and every one of you its lords!”

The guard cheered and clashed their shields.

Moon spun around and dropped her stealth spells. “Charge!” she roared.

The guard rumbled through the cavern. Moon could see a black mass of living creatures blocking their path ahead. She couldn't quite make out what they were, nor did she care. They were in her way.

She unleashed her beam on them, shattering the rock and scorching any of them that she could. They scattered away from her blasts. She let out a loud cackle as she painted a path. They fled from her onslaught and disappeared into the walls.

She charged through the cloud of shattered rock and saw the pink glow of Captain Armor's shield just ahead. She threw up her own shield and turned herself into a living missile. She rammed through the strained barrier and flew into the open cavern.

She analyzed the scene. Armor's party was surrounding Flare who had Cadence at spear point.

Moon circled around them letting loose a volley of missiles from her horn. They tried to repel her but their spells bounded uselessly off of her shielding. She swooped into position behind Flare and unleashed her beam. She swept across the ground at their feet, forcing them to backpedal towards the wall.

Her guard suffused the open space she had created and crashed into the front of Armor's party, pinning them against the wall. Moon set down beside Flare as three of her guards approached him.

He dropped the spear and let Cadence fall against him as tears poured down his face. “I'm so sorry,” he whispered to her. The soldiers surrounded him.

“Release her,” Moon commanded. “I assure you, she will not die yet.”

Flare looked at her, unconvinced.

Moon moved closer to him. “If you still want me to heal your baby sister, Flare, you will turn the Princess over.”

He released his grasp on Cadence. Two of the soldiers pulled her away, the third apprehended Flare. The senior of the two holding Cadence turned to Moon.

“Bound her, neutralize her magic,” Moon commanded. “When the time is right, I shall drown her in a pool of her auntie's blood.” The senior betrayed a shiver but he bowed to her and did as she commanded.

She cast a glance to the battle scene. Armor's party was struggling just to hold their ranks. Content with their status, she turned to the pedestal. She approached the console and pounded in the code that she had mined from Luna's memories. Kael, Okk, Ro, Lu, Rin, Cel, Pox. She was greeted by a screech from the platform. A pillar of light erupted from the center.

"NOOOOO!” Armor roared. He surged forward but Moon's guard swarmed him.

Moon's heart pounded and her limbs grew weak. She was here. She was finally here. She stepped into the light and the sounds of the battle behind her faded away.

Moon found herself standing atop another platform facing a city. It looked to be the city she had seen in Reikavra's dream, however now it was brightly illuminated by a small star that hovered above the Temple. She could feel, just below the star... Celestia.

She was here, alone. Luna was buried far too deep to be of any consequence and there was no Royal Guard, no elements, no Twilight, nothing to else to swoop in and save her. She had waited so long for this day.

She shut down the portal, launched into the air, and soared towards the temple. When she arrived she found Celestia standing at the center, facing the platform as though standing trial.

Moon set down three full leaps away from her. She took her stance and readied her horn but Celestia remained fixated on the platform.

“Sun witch!” Moon shouted.

Celestia turned eyes upon Moon that looked as though they had not seen rest for weeks. They widened with horror. “Umie...” she muttered. She turned back to the empty platform. “Please!” she shouted. “Not her! You must find another!”

Moon dropped back a step. She took a second glance at the platform. It was definitely empty.

“Why will you not hear me?” Celestia cried. She trotted around circular floor and gazed across the empty rows of seating. “These crimes are not hers. She has so much left to do, so much potential. She has already been robbed of the chance to reach it once before. Please do not permanently hamper her ability to reach it now.”

Moon uneasily followed Celestia with her eyes. Celestia darted back and forth across the seating as though meeting gazes from hundreds of onlookers. Moon kept her horn aimed at her.

Celestia circled until she reached the platform again and whisked a horrified stare across the temple. “What has happened to ye to leave you with such bloodlust? Do you truly have such a hunger for my pain that you would allow the soul of an innocent mare to suffocate just to satiate it?” Her eyes glistened.

She looked at Moon. “Umie, thou mustn't let them do this to thee. Thou art greater than I have ever been and can ever be.” She approached Moon but Moon retreated from her. “Thou mustest not allow thyself to succumb to the rage and hatred that these creatures have succumbed to. It will destroy thy soul sister. Please do not sacrifice thy soul. It is so precious.”

Moon furrowed her brow. “As if you needed another reason to be ill-fit for the throne. You've lost your sanity too.”

Celestia continued towards her. “Please hearest me sister.”

Moon slammed a hoof onto the ground. “What did I tell you? Her soul is dead, killed by your own greedy hoarding of Equestria's love.” Moon threw her head back and whipped it forward, launching her beam directly into Celestia's chest. Celestia wailed as it carried her across the temple and slammed her into the platform.

Moon waited for the smoke to clear. When she could see Celestia she walked towards her, watching as she struggled to get back to her feet. “One thousand years she lost because of you sun witch. One thousand years she lost because you were so frightened of losing your perfect little way of life.”

Celestia returned to her feet and looked straight into Moon's eyes. “Sister, thou mustn't fear her. Thou art greater than her. She fears thee.”

“You would dare!?” Moon screamed. She grasped Celestia in her aura and hurled her into the seating across the temple.

Moon launched into the air and flew after her. “I am Nightmare Moon!” She circled Celestia and dived at her as she struggled to get back to her feet. “I fear nothing!”

She slammed her fore-hooves into Celestia's side and sent her tumbling down, crashing off the seating as she fell until she hit the floor and skidded to a stop at the center of the temple.

Moon set down beside her and rolled her onto her back with a hoof.

Celestia flickered her eyes open.“Sis-”

Moon struck her across the face. “Shut up witch.” She thrust her hoof into Celestia's throat and pressed until she could hear her gasping for air. Celestia pressed at her leg with her fore-hooves. Moon smiled. “Oh don't worry, I'm not going to let you die just yet. I want to hear you scream first. I want to know that you have experienced the same pain that you have caused me for centuries. Let's give it a try, hmm?”

Moon lifted her foot from Celestia's neck, letting her desperately pull air into her lungs. She smiled at her and raised her hoof high into the air. “Here we go.”

“Sister,” Celestia gasped, “sister thou canst not let her consume th-” Moon slammed her hoof into Celestia's ribcage. “Arrgghh!”

Moon shivered with delight. “Very good!”

“Sis-”

Moon hammered a little lower, delighting yet again in her wail of pain. “Wonderful Celestia! You're better at this than I thought you'd be! Let's try something a little more fun now.” She collected energy at the end of her horn and cast a ray of superheated energy directly at Celestia's chest.

She slowly drew it across, scorching Celestia's flesh but Celestia didn't wail. Instead she let out a growl as it passed. “Wrong!” Moon shouted. She increased the power to her horn. “Scream!”

Celestia's eyes snapped open revealing a sudden fire. She loaded up her back legs and launched a double kicked directly into Moon's abdomen. The force of the blow emptied Moon's lungs and hurled her from atop Celestia. She flew through the air and landed in a heap on the floor.

She tried to right herself but Celestia pounced on her. Celestia wrapped her up in her forelegs and pulled her head tight against hers. Moon struggled against her but her lungs were still empty.

Celestia pressed her forehead against Moon's, met her eyes, and spoke with a soft determination. “If thou hearest nothing else sister, just hear this. The guilt thou feelest is not thine. What has happened to thee is my fault. I abandoned thee when I was needed most. Do just one thing for me sister. Give thy guilt to me. Let it die with me and live thy life free of it like thou deservest.”

Moon's lungs recuperated and she let out a roar. She summoned a stream of energy from the ground that wrapped around Celestia and tore her from Moon.

Moon rolled onto her feet and spun to face her. “You witch!” she shouted. She thrust her horn and the stream of energy slammed Celestia against the floor. She wrapped it around her neck and tightened it. “No more will you keep from me what is rightfully mine!”

Celestia struggled against the stream, and so Moon bashed her off of the ground again. “Equestria, the crown, your sister, they are all mine.”

Celestia managed an indiscernible whisper.

Moon bashed her again, finally hampering her struggling. She lifted her from the ground and stared into her tearing eyes. She could feel her body desperately straining for some sliver of oxygen. She brought Celestia's face a hoof length from her own and constricted the stream.

“Goodbye Celestia,” she seethed.