The mountain city of Canterlot was thrown into chaos, as the air above the city crackled with lightning, exploded into flame, and roared with the primal force of creation, striating the sky in silver, blue, and gold. So far, none of these attacks had reached the city. Celestia fought like a dragon protecting her hoard, never giving an inch, always managing to just barely block each incoming blast of magic. But it was apparent to the ponies of Canterlot that she was tiring. Her attacks became fewer and fewer as the brilliant light of her coat dimmed, her latent magic burning up faster than a dry forest consumed by flame. A thousand years of sunlight was nothing to scoff at, but on the level of magic being used, it paled in significance. Tonight was Luna’s night, the peak of her powers. Nopony questioned why she was attacking her sister. It was assumed that Twilight Sparkle had somehow corrupted her, brought the Nightmare back to life. But it would not be long before Celestia was overcome by her sister.

Even now, as a lance of gold ripped the sky in two, splintering on a shield of sharp silver, the foundations of the city began to shake. The fires from the bombing began to spread out of control, and teams of Pegasi took to the air to quench the flames with whatever they could find, from sand to water to cold crystals. They were fighting a losing battle, and they knew it, but it gave them more time to evacuate ponies to a safe location and establish a proper cordon around the inferno that was consuming entire city blocks.

A cry of shock rose from the crowd at what was occurring over the very top of the city itself. Celestia had retreated, and was even now bringing the city’s ancient wards to life. Sigils of the sun, healing, and protection flared into glorious life over the city proper, fueled by the ley lines converging underneath the mountain. Exhausted, she folded her wings and dove a bit, drawing on that same fount of energy to replenish herself. But the Nightmare was not far behind.

The stars actually tuned red, a bloody red, as the moon burned with a brilliance that spoke of cataclysm, destruction on a planetary scale. With a mighty roar, Princess Luna struck the barriers of Canterlot, which flickered and shook, disrupted for the briefest of moments. Screams of fear echoed throughout the streets as civilians scrambled away from the point of impact. The Shadow drew back, and this time, the moon and stars burned an icy blue. Again came the impact, and this time, some of the runes disappeared entirely. Then came the worst blow of all. The moon went out. The stars dimmed. And the runes above Canterlot ceased to be. A laugh of triumph pierced the sudden hush that had consumed the fleeing crowds below, and then, with a rush of air, the light of the moon returned. And Luna stood among them.

The ponies of Canterlot began to despair. And then they began to scream.

The top of the mountain was still and silent, all dark and still. Even the wind, a constant companion to the icy peak, seemed to be waiting on something. It was here, on top of the highest peak in the range, that a goddess lay, dead and sleeping next to her lover, soul fled into a sphere of crystal that gleamed and shone. Before, it had glowed with a soft violet light, filling the cold and ice-rimed hut with a comforting, if not warming, flame. But things had changed, in that hut. The soulbind was complete. Now all that remained was for the young Alicorn to regain herself.

The light had separated. A soft and rosy glow filled the top of the sphere, fluttering and ephemeral and beautiful to look at. It was the soul of Mi Amore di Cadenza Allegretta, and at last she was ready to return to her reign. And she was stronger for it. At the bottom of the sphere, beating slow and steady like a measured pulse, was her counterpart, her soul mate. Shining Armor, son of Nightlight and Twilight Velvet, last male descendant of House Radiant, lay in spiritual sleep, waiting on his wife to free him and let him defend the Realm once more. It was time.

With a flash, the sphere began to rise, tendrils of pinkish light flowing from it in gentle lines, coiling around but not touching the body of the Dawn Princess. They waited, forming what almost appeared to be a loose cocoon of light, until the very last shades of pink had fled from the sphere, which settled back onto the simple shelf it had been placed on. The light shuddered, threads blurring into one another, and with an almost palpable glee, the light sank into the stiff form of Princess Cadance, while the sound of thunder filled the air.

Her eyes shot open, and Cadance screamed in pain. Something was changing inside of her, something truly unusual and monumental. As she watched, her legs lengthened, her chest grew ever so slightly broader, she felt her neck begin to curve gracefully. Her wings, majestic before, were truly those of a goddess now. And with a final groan, she felt her hair cease to exist as it normally did, merging into a sinuous mass. As if a match had been lit, her hair changed from a normal, if somewhat unusual head of hair to the billowing mass of energy common in her Monarchs. The process was magical, yes. It was a miracle. It was the birth of a goddess, for true and certain, but that does not mean that it was in the least bit enjoyable.

Cadance rose, and immediately noticed differences in the world. Where before she was able to notice emotions in ponies and then subtly influence them, here she was able to do much, much more. The entire emotional tapestry of creation stretched before her. No, that did not describe it. She was the tapestry, as much a part of it as the creatures that comprised it. She could feel all of it at once, each individual part. She felt the sudden surprise and fear of a Minotaur, passing from this word violently by the hands of his comrade, who valued his fine mace. She felt the exhausted joy of a Gryphon mother, giving birth to a new clutch of eggs, and the pang of regret she felt as they were gently removed to be raised by their community.

Not only this, she found that each emotion could be manipulated as easily as a musician might pluck the strings of a harp. She eased the passing of that Minotaur, providing some measure of solace as he entered the void and was lost to her. She gently coaxed the Gryphon into sleep, filling her heart with love for the brood-mate who even now held her tightly as she smiled through tears of joy and anguish. It cost her little to do so. In fact, it seemed to her as natural as moving her hooves or wings. Gradually, she came back to herself.

She frowned, feeling the area around her. Something was wrong, that much she could tell. Canterlot was a cauldron of fear, confusion, and pain. Ponies were dying in brutal agony, and she could feel the fear and despair rising from them like black, oily smoke. She gasped to feel such negative feeling, but what truly made her ache was what had clearly inspired them. She did not know how she knew it, but Cadance could tell that Luna was free. And it was not just her. Something had taken hold of her, something both of Luna and of something else, something darker and far more destructive. Its anger burned like a firebrand in the night, threatening to become an all-consuming inferno if left unchecked for long. And that was not all. Celestia was cornered, trapped trying to save as many ponies as she could. As Cadance rushed to the cabin entrance, spreading her wings against the snow, she felt another large group of ponies disappear, reappearing on the plains below. Celestia was trying her best to save them. But she could not afford to evacuate ponies and fight her sister at the same time. It was more than what was within her power.

Cadance’s wings gave a single snap, echoing through the night, and she shot off of the side of the mountain with force enough to leave a crater. Speeding faster than even the most powerful fliers in Equestria, she arrived at the edge of the city in moments. And there, hovering above the marble towers of Canterlot, besieged by fire and shadow, she tapped into the true potential of her magic for the first time in her life.

An eerie calm descended over the city as ponies looked skyward once more. A lone figure hovered over the castle, the colors of a spring sunrise spilling from her and bathing the city in their light, bands of color that calmed ponies wherever they found them. Adoration in their eyes, the inhabitants of Canterlot cheered as they recognized who had come to fight for them. Only two minds resisted her, and it was those two she sped towards.

The Shadow and Celestia were locked in combat in Equestria’s main forum, powerful blasts of magic shredding marble edifices and annihilating columns with ease as they both blinked into and out of existence almost faster than mortal eyes could perceive. Each blow would be a killing blow to a normal pony, but it was apparent that these two were made of stronger stuff. AS Cadance watched, Celestia took a blow under the wing that sent her barreling through the side of a shop, disappearing in a pile of rubble. The Shadow pressed its attack just as the shop burst into flame and exploded, shards of wood flying through the air like so many javelins. They shattered on the skin of her sister, and Cadance felt one bounce off of her wing. So preoccupied were they that neither noticed her until she let her power flow. Her voice rang like a bell, high and clear with such command that it was impossible to disobey.

“Stop.”

Both Alicorns sank to their knees, eyes focused on her. Cadance eyed them both. Celestia was panting heavily, bleeding from cuts near her eyes, wings, and throat. Luna had not been trying to disable her. She had been trying to kill her. Her eyes were wide with panic that was rapidly being replaced with a sense of relief. She remained silent, but Cadance knew that she was encouraging her to continue.

Luna struggled and spat, but the creature she had become was ruled by emotion, and Cadance was the master of that realm. The shadowy aura around her heaved and writhed like an alive thing, coiling and striking at her as if it could harm her on its own. It raged against her, but Cadance was able to hold in in check. Barely.

She smiled. Not only did she feel powerful doing this, she felt right, right in a way she never had before. She realized that this was her true calling, to use the emotions of others to promote the well-being of all. She was in control, she could bend the hearts of ponies to her will. She was ascendant at last.

Cadance pushed harder, leaning in to Luna’s mind, and noticed something unusual. Luna was not the Shadow. And the Shadow was not Luna. Luna was very much a prisoner in her own mind, and even now she was desperately warning Cadance.

Fly, you fool! Flee!

It was at that moment that three things happened at once. The first was the roar of an attacking dragon, rising from the treetops of the Everfree. Cadance immediately placed the roar as that of Spike. The second was an explosion of light and magic, revealing a group of heavily armed and armored ponies. Strange collars of flame danced around the necks of some, and others let magic flow from their horns as they started forward, with obviously hostile intent.

And in the confusion caused by her revelation about Luna, the attacking dragon, and the appearance of the pony she now recognized as Twilight Sparkle, the third thing happened. The Shadow lifted itself off of Luna’s body completely, leaving the Alicorn behind, and dove straight at Cadance.

The process of teleportation, for those unfamiliar, is an unusual one. The body is reduced to the purest form of energy, and shoved roughly through the fabric of space, time, and magic to the destination envisioned by the caster. Guided only by will, the helpless passenger can often be disoriented or in serious pain if the magic user in question isn’t correctly focused on those with them as well as the destination. The feeling is akin to being turned into stars, a billion points of flame, or possibly as mist or steam. It is at once the most exhilarating and terrifying thing in the world, to be so transported. Not only this, but in such a state, if one has the presence of mind, they can actually feel the essential self of the ponies they are traveling with.

Because of the long distance to be covered, all the ponies were able to feel exactly when they had reached the edge of the Everfree Forest, and Radiant Zenith suddenly dropped out of the party. She was to land directly on top of Spike’s position, apprising him of the situation and sending him to help Twilight if at all possible. The Wielders prepared themselves mentally for the battle ahead. They were none of them strangers to danger, but at the same time, they were aware that the battle had changed. No longer could they rely on a goddess, either of Moon or Sun, to help them if they should falter. Indeed, the odds were good they’d have to fight both of them.

Twilight’s voice reached them all at the same time, an intentional message for the group.

I’ve suspended us in time until Spike can get closer to the castle. He’ll be drawing the Guards away from us. Get ready, because we’ll be arriving in three, two…

And just as easily as they had disappeared from the Regia, the first Wielders of Harmony in over a millennium, the greatest mage of any generation, and a dead pony in a paper shell appeared, not twenty meters away from the magical epicenter of a fight between goddesses.

The first thing that Twilight became aware of was the presence of Cadance. But at the same time, she was…changed. Now more than ever, she resembled Celestia in form as well as function. The second thing she noticed was Luna, or rather, what had once been Luna, pinned to the ground by some sort of powerful magic. Her horn tingled in warning, and Twilight swiftly erected mental barriers, centering her mind. There was powerful mental magic at work here. The distraction caused by their arrival was clearly enough for whatever had possessed Luna to free itself. And free itself it did, sliding from Luna as if it were a skin from a snake.

She sensed what was going to happen before it did, and stepped aside. The three Wielders stepped forward, channeling their newfound powers, and fire erupted in pink and orange and blue, wrapping around the Shadow and causing it to screech in pain. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy formed a wedge almost instinctually, with Pinkie at the head. Together, they were able to push the darkness back enough for Cadance to free herself. Her eyes widened in shock at what she was seeing, but the look of surprise on her face turned to one of hope and determination. Her horn flared, and a blot of icy blue magic impaled the Shadow neatly. The Wielders and goddess worked together, and soon it was all the Shadow could do to keep them at bay.

Twilight and Golden Radiance stepped forward, faces drawn. The light of the magical display occurring reflected off of Twilight’s armor faintly as she stepped forward. Her helm slid down, covering her face, and the half-mask of silver grinned its toothy grin in the light of the burning city. Golden Radiance indicated the Princess in front of them, and Twilight prepared herself for the spell that would take them all back to the Regia, safe and sound. All she needed to do was wake up Luna, and she could provide the energy needed to…

“I would not do that, Twilight.”

Twilight spun around to see Princess Celestia watching her calmly, with a sense of detached curiosity. The Alicorn’s horn flared, and the fire around them flickered and died. Even the blaze in the distance seemed diminished. She smiled embarrassedly. “Pardon me. Luna was quite the challenge to deal with, and I’m famished. In the absence of sunlight, fire will have to do.”

Twilight signaled Golden Radiance, who approached the fallen and still form of Luna, who lay on the ground, unconscious. She turned to Celestia again. “I’m taking Luna.”

Her former teacher nodded as if in acquiescence. “Very well. But I’ll be taking back the Elements.”

“No games, Celestia.” Twilight growled. “You’ve lost this round. It’s best to retreat and make your next move from there. Tend to your city, and your subjects. And I’ll go back to my forest, and take Luna with me.”

“That’s hardly fair to me, Twilight. I can’t let you leave this city, you know that. Especially with the Elements and my sister in tow. And if you are here now, I presume you know about the soulbind?”

Twilight was at a loss. “The what?”

Celestia’s eyebrows shot up. “You mean you don’t know?”

Twilight shook her head. “No. I don’t know.”

Celestia laughed. “Then, my once-faithful student, I most certainly cannot let you leave this city.”

The Shadow screamed loud enough to set the ears of the surrounding ponies on edge. It lashed out with one limb, from which a blade formed naturally, almost gutting Fluttershy. She retaliated with a torrent of pink flame that ate at the creature horribly, causing it to stagger back. It was cut off from escape by Applejack, whose magic pulled up the very earth and set it behind the beast, pinning it against the wall. Pinkie Pie followed up with a burst of tiny stars, brilliant points of magic that chewed through the beast with ease. Cadance was ready to deliver the knockout blow, but her magical blast missed the thing by inches, as it seemed to melt and reform somewhere else.

It hissed, and darts shot from its tail, which now resembled that of a scorpion. One of them caught Applejack high in the chest, piercing her armor and knocking her backwards. She gasped in pain as some sort of venom coursed through her, and she felt her heart begin to stutter and fail before the familiar amber fire filled her up and pushed out both the venom and the dart, leaving her healed and fresh. The rules of engagement were clear. It would take a perfect killing shot to end the fight for either side.

With renewed ferocity, Applejack leapt back into the fray. A bolt of azure lightning soared overhead, met by a frothing and billowing column of shadow that caught it easily. Pinkie Pie let loose with another bolt, and then another. Fluttershy’s magic lashed out, coiling around the middle of the creature and tightening rapidly, but before she could cut it in half, it seemed to melt away, reappearing behind the yellow Pegasus. She dove to one side just as it buried itself in the cobblestones where she had stood.

Applejack set her hooves, and with hardly more than a thought, seized a huge chunk of marble and flung it at the monstrosity. Turning the magic inward, she rushed forward just as it turned, catching it under the chin with both hooves. Its neck broke with a sickening crack, and it slumped to one side, staggering. Cadance’s magic pierced it through the head, and it twitched once before becoming still. But of course, that wasn’t enough to kill it.

With a groan like that of breaking metal, it collapsed in on itself. The four combatants backed away slowly, fearful of what would happen next. They did not have long to wait. The pool of blackness drew itself up, a towering monstrosity that was all leering eyes, shattered claws, and razor sharp teeth. A mouth formed, and it spoke on its own, without the aid of Luna for the first time.

Hate…

It made no move to attack them, and Cadance approached it carefully. Maybe she would be able to seal it…

Without another word, it grew wings, speeding off into the night. It turned once more, and before any of them could react, it spat a ball of greasy black fire at them, forcing the four to take cover. When the explosion had cleared, there was no trace of the creature. It had vanished into the night, just like the shadows it was made of.

Celestia’s horn shone with golden magic, and the next thing Twilight was able to perceive was the fact that she was laying on her back. Her armor hummed with excess charge, and she deduced that her crystal inlays had absorbed all of the excess magic in Celestia’s stunning spell. This would likely explain why she was not unconscious. Silently, she crept to her hooves, the armor moving easily with her. Celestia had turned her attentions to the Wielders, and was getting ready to do the same to each of them, along with the Shadow, when the massive magical discharge from Twilight’s armor, coupled with a bolt of dark gray Breaking magic, caught her in between the wings, driving her down into the ground. She turned to see Twilight getting back on her hooves, a smile on her face.

“I’m nowhere near finished yet, Celestia.”

Without another word, the Alicorn unleashed another barrage of magical bolts, each of which was deflected, avoided, or absorbed by Twilight’s armor. Twilight laughed, and accessed the spells in the pendant under her armor, suspended by its simple leather strap. Fueled by the energy in the armor, Twilight’s beam of energy could have leveled a city block easily. It was focused down to a fine point, however, and caught Celestia squarely in the chest, knocking her backwards a step.
Twilight followed up with two more bolts of Breaking magic, followed by a web of crackling lightning and a series of small stars that erupted from her horn. The Sun Goddess bore each blow impassively, catching them on her wings, chest, and body. Her retaliatory strike knocked Twilight off of her hooves, causing her head to buzz and her vision to swim before she staggered back to her own four hooves, ready for more.

Celestia didn’t let up the assault, pressing Twilight close. The unicorn was only just able to keep ahead of Celestia’s attacks, and she was tiring swiftly. Another bolt of magic left a scorch mark on her armor, and then another. Twilight staggered, almost spent. She triggered the crystals in her armor, focusing the energy they had stored at Celestia, who blurred to one side, avoiding the blast of energy entirely. Twilight sank to her knees, and reached for her crystal one last time.

Then it happened. A blow from Celestia caught her square in the chest, and Twilight slumped to one side, utterly beaten. Celestia’s face held no joy as she gazed upon her student. “Just be still, Twilight. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have. We’ll get you taken care of in a moment.”

Twilight raised her head, horn flickering weakly. Celestia placed a gentle hoof on her forehead, forcing her back down. “Enough. The last thing I wish to do is cause you or anypony else pain.”

A new voice, one much like that of the Sun Goddess, but possessing the high qualities of youth, echoed across the square. “Then you and I are not so similar, Celestia. Because I’m going to enjoy this.”

Luna stood on her own hooves, horn lit up as she drew in magic from the three Unbound Elements. Pointing her horn squarely at Celestia, she smiled. “This will only last until sunrise. But I can’t help but to appreciate the irony.”

With no further preamble, she released the magic in her horn, and it flew straight and true. The colors of the Elements faded to silver as they roared towards Celestia, and struck her in the chest. The Solar Alicorn didn’t even have the time to scream before the Power of Harmony struck her in the chest, and she vanished completely.

Luna’s horn faded to a cool blue, and she seized the Wielders and Twilight in her grasp. She nodded at Golden Radiance, who bowed. “Have I your blessing, goddess?”

The Lunar Alicorn smiled. “Be well, brave warrior. Thy family awaits thee.”

The sound of thunder echoed through the forum, and then it stood empty, save for the newly forged Alicorn. And one other. And soon after, there was only one pony in the square. She spread her wings wide and waited. And she looked at the moon, upon which was emblazoned the mark of Celestia, the eight-pointed sun.