From the depth of space, a comet came hurling towards the peaceful world of Equestria, a glowing, dark violet sphere that left a blazing blue trail of light in its path.
Princess Luna awoke from her sleep with a startled gasp. She leapt out of bed and walked to the window of her room in Canterlot. "A comet…" she murmured as she looked outside, at the morning sun. In her head, she recalled the vision she had just seen in her dream. "It is approaching us…"
Afraid that her dream might come true, she ran out of her room and towards the great hall, where she knew her sister to be, even at this early hour. "Celestia!" she shouted. "I just dreamed…"
Celestia turned away from the conversation she just had with the captain of her guards, an elderly grey pegasus stallion. "Yes, sister," she nodded. "I had the same dream… and I fear it is much more than just that. The comet exists… and if it continues on its path, I'm afraid terrible things will happen to Equestria."
"Wh-what?" Luna gasped. "It will really impact Equestria? When? How much time have we left? And what will happen?" The princess of the moon nearly had a panic attack on the spot.
Celestia sighed. "Please relax, Luna… I need you to be focussed and calm while I'm gone."
"Gone?" Luna gasped. "What do you mean? Where are you going?"
"Royal astronoms have calculated that the comet will, in fact, NOT impact Equestria… instead, it will fly past our world and hit… the sun."
"The… the sun?" Luna wondered. "But… will that even be a problem? Meteors have often hit the sun and were simply engulfed and destroyed by the flames."
"This time is different," Celestia said. "This comet is bigger than any we've seen before, it's even bigger than the moon. Also, this comet is surrounded by a very powerful, magical aura. I'm sure you felt it, even during your sleep…"
Luna nodded. She had felt something, but she wasn't sure if it had been just her imagination. "A comet filled with a strong magic force that impacts the sun…" she muttered.
"Even I cannot predict what exactly the results will be, but I can say that Equestria will never be the same. Maybe the magic is even powerful enough to… destroy the sun. You know as well as I do that our world cannot exist without its warmth."
Luna nodded with a sigh. Back when she had been Nightmare Moon, she had the foolish plan to shroud Equestria in eternal night… If she had actually succeeded, it would have had disastrous results to nature and the whole planet itself.
"You see, the comet must be stopped," Celestia said. "And you know that the only way to do that is for me to fly up to the sun and stop the comet. With some luck, I might be able to steer it off its route or even destroy it."
"But… wouldn't that reduce the comet to smaller meteors that might still be dangerous when they fall down on Equestria?" Luna asked her big sister.
"Of course I will try to avoid that, but it's still a better solution than having the sun destroyed."
"Take me with you!" Luna then pleaded. "Together, we might have a bigger chance of winning."
But Celestia shook her head. "No, Luna! You must stay down here and take care of everything while I'm gone. Someone needs to guide the ponies of Equestria in my absence and keep control over the exchange of day and night. Should I fail… Equestria cannot afford to lose both of its rulers."
"NO! Don't say that, Celestia!" Luna cried. She ran at the older princess and leaned her neck against Celestia's. "Please don't say that… I've spent 1000 years alone, without you… you can't leave me again…"
"I have to, Luna," Celestia said in a sad voice as she rubbed her head against her sister's. "I am the most powerful alicorn on this world… no one else can do it. Please understand…"
Luna held back some tears and sniffed. "Y-yes, Celestia… I understand…" she whispered.
Celestia smiled at her, then turned to face the captain. "You understand what I've told you just now?"
The large stallion nodded. "It will happen as you said, Your Majesty!"
"Thank you!" She turned back to Luna one last time. "Luna… dear sister… I don't know if I'll return… and if I do, I don't know when… so do your best while I'm gone. I know you can do it. I wish you all of luck in Equestria… goodbye!"
By now, Luna couldn't hold back the tears anymore. "G… goodbye, Celestia…" she sobbed.
And then, Princess Celestia spread her majestic wings, flew out of the window, out into the bright skies and upwards, higher than any pegasus could ever hope to fly, into outer space, towards the sun and the comet that was approaching it.
Luna looked after her. "Good luck…"
"Princess Luna?" the captain addressed her. "I'm awaiting your orders."
"Try to calm everypony in the castle," Luna said in a voice that was barely more than a whisper. "And excuse me for a moment. I… need to write a letter."
The ponies of Ponyville were staring up into the sky, at the strange glowing object that was slowly approaching the morning sun in the East… and the brilliant, shining star that was rising up from Canterlot. Even from down here, the comet was clearly visible in the morning sky. Naturally, unrest and confusion were spreading throughout the population.
Twilight Sparkle was standing in front of the library, looking up at the sky just like any other pony. Next to her, her faithful assistant and dragon friend Spike was standing.
"What do you suppose happened?" Spike wondered. "What is that purple thing?"
"I don't know, Spike," Twilight sighed. "Although I hope Princess Celestia does… see that small sparkle? That was certainly her. But at the moment, I wish she was here to tell me what to do…"
Spike wished he could do anything to cheer the insecure pony up. He wanted to give her some reassuring words, but before he was able to say anything, he felt a familiar feeling churning up in his throat.
"BURP!" With a strong belch, he exhaled a green plume of dragonfire, in which a single scroll appeared. It fell to the ground, and Spike leaned down to pick it up.
"It's a letter… from Princess Luna?" he wondered.
"What? Let me read…" Using her magic powers, the young unicorn levitated the piece of parchment out of Spike's scaly paws and in front of her eyes.
She let out a gasp after reading the letter. "Spike… we need to go to the mayor! We need to hold a meeting at city hall… this is more important than I thought."
Soon enough, everypony was standing in the grand pavillon in the town square. In the front row, Twilight's closest friends were standing: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy.
"What do you think could be so important that Twilight and the mayor made everypony come here this early in the morning?" Rainbow wondered.
"Ah dunno, sugarcube," Applejack shrugged. "But ah reckon it might have to do with the purple thing up there in the sky. Ah sure do wish ah knew what that thing is…"
"Oh! Oh! I know!" Pinkie Pie shouted excitedly. "It's a big, colorful baseball thrown here by a race of sportive aliens… and they expect us to hit it back, so that's why Princess Celestia is flying up there… to hit it with the biggest baseball bat in Equestria!" She grinned.
Her friends all facehoofed. "Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure THAT's not it, darling," Rarity sighed.
"Everypony, please listen up!" the voice of Twilight interrupted them. "I know you are all very nervous and confused, so let me tell you everything I know." She magically pulled out the scroll she had read the same morning. "Princess Luna sent me this message in which she explained everything to me, and she wants me to inform you about the situation Equestria is currently in. The purple thing in the sky is a comet… a comet that is flying towards the sun."
A collective gasp came from the audience. Several shouts and outcries such as "This can't be true!" or "We're doomed!" could be heard.
"Please calm down, everypony!" the mayor shouted. "I'm sure everything will turn out to be okay… will it?" She turned to Twilight with an uncertain expression.
Twilight sighed. "Well… Princess Celestia has left Canterlot this morning. She is flying up to intercept the comet… and if we're lucky, this will save us all!"
"Of course we'll be saved!" Rainbow Dash shouted, flying up from her seat excitedly. "The princess will whoop that comet's ass in ten seconds flat!"
"We can't say for sure what will happen," Twilight said. "For the duration of her absence, Princess Celestia has transferred government of Canterlot and all of Equestria, as well as the rise of sun and moon to her younger sister, Princess Luna. All we can do is to wait and pray for the safety of our princess… and hope that she will succeed. Please go home calmly and do not panic. As soon as we know more, you will be informed."
After the meeting was over, Twilight walked over to her friends.
"Are… are you sure Princess Celestia knows what she's doing, Twilight?" Fluttershy muttered in a scared voice. The yellow pegasus' whole body was shaking.
"I'm sure she will do her best… but I am worried," Twilight sighed. "According to Princess Luna, the comet is filled with a strong magical energy… and even Celestia herself was unsure if her powers will be enough."
"But… but she's the princess, for cryin' out loud!" Applejack remarked. "If she can't stop the comet, who can?"
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Rainbow Dash asked. "How about I fly up there and give that glowing rock a taste of my Sonic Rainboom?"
"But it's in outer space, Dashie," Pinkie Pie pointed out. "Outer spaaaaaace! Are you sure you can fly there?"
"No pony can!" Twilight explained. "Don't be silly, Rainbow, only alicorns have the ability to fly among the stars. However, Princess Luna has requested my presence at Canterlot, at the royal observatory, where the leading scientists of Equestria are watching Princess Celestia on her way to the sun."
"You mean… she… she isn't there yet?" Fluttershy asked as she looked at the morning sun. It was so bright that she could not see a thing.
"The sun is farther away than you might think," Twilight said. "Still, she probably will be there in time… and what happens then… well, only time will tell. I don't really know if I can help with anything at the observatory, but Princess Luna said that she wants me to be there… as an advisor."
"If Princess Luna trusts you as much as Princess Celestia did, then you must not let her wait, Twilight," Rarity said. "Letting the princess wait would be rude indeed."
"Well… I just wanted to ask… maybe you guys want to come along?"
She was met with five smiles. "Sugarcube… ya think ya need to ask?" Applejack smirked.
Soon afterwards, the six ponies were standing in the grand entrance hall of Canterlot castle. Princess Luna welcomed them with a warm smile. "Welcome, Twilight Sparkle, honored student of my sister and bearer of the Element of Magic… and also welcome to your friends, the bearers of the remaining Elements of Harmony."
"I hope you don't mind I brought them with me," Twilight said after they all gave the princess a curteous bow. "But I simply feel more confident with my friends at my side."
"I understand completely," Luna smiled. "And who knows, maybe their presence will boost the confidence of us all. Now, if you would accompany me to the observation tower…"
A couple of minutes and one long climb up one of the tallest towers of the castle, Luna and the bearers of Harmony were standing in the observatory, a circular room at the towers top, filled with dozens of Equestria's most intelligent scholars, among them earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns.
"Princess!" an old unicorn stallion with a grey coat, a short beard and a pair of spectacles on his snout said as he approached the group. "I'm glad you finally made it."
"Professor," Luna nodded. "I apologize for my tardiness but I was awaiting the arrival of my… advisors. Everypony, may I introduce you to Professor Horocopus, the leading astronom of the royal observatory."
"My pleasure," the scientist nodded, then he sighed. "I just wish we had met under more pleasurable circumstances…"
"Nothing you could have done about this, dear professor," Rarity smiled.
"Whooooo!" Pinkie shouted as she bouncer around the room, earning her several annoyed looks of the assembled scientists. "This seems like a great place for a party! We SO have to throw one for Princess Celestia as soon as she returns. What's that giant thing over there?"
"Please be careful with that, that is the biggest and most expensive telescope in all of Equestria," the professor explained. "With this, we are observing Princess Celestia's ascension to the sun, where she will attempt to block the comet."
"It sure is big… but don't you think it's a bit bland? All that grey is boooring! Ever thought of decorating it with some streamers?"
"Pinkie, we can discuss party preparations once we are certain that Princess Celestia will come back safe and sound… and we can say that we are out of danger."
"How much longer until the comet reaches the sun?"
"Won't be too long now," Prof. Horoscopus said while looking through the telescope. "In a couple of minutes, it will impact the sun… if the princess can't stop it, that is. But wait, there she is… I can see her! Princess Celestia has reached the sun and now attempts to stop the comet with her magic!"
"I can't see anything!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Can I take a look?"
"Wait a minute… I'll project the image on the main screen." The professor's horn began to glow and using his magic, he threw a switch on a nearby console. And suddenly, on the huge monitor that was hanging on the wall, they were able to see Princess Celestia in all her glory, hovering in front of the flames of her sun.
"That sure looks hot up there!" Applejack remarked. "How come she doesn't get a sunburn?"
"Alicorns such as Celestia and I are resiliant to pain and injuries that would be fatal to other ponies," Luna explained. "We can survive in and fly through outer space, we can endure the extreme temperatures of the sun and our magical capabilities are grand enough to stop a comet of that size… normally."
"But this is hardly a normal comet, isn't it, princess?" Twilight asked with worry as she looked at the projected image of her mentor. "Will she be okay?"
"I… must admit that I'm not sure," Luna said, biting her lower lip. "She certainly is the most powerful of us, however… I can feel the magic stored up within the comet… it's overwhelming me…"
"This… can't be natural, right?" Twilight murmured. "Where did this comet come from?"
"Does that matter? Princess Celestia just has to give it a solid kick to send it back where it came from!" Rainbow shouted.
"I wish it was that simple, Rainbow Dash," Luna sighed. "But it will take more than her hooves to stop that thing. See? She begins to focus her power in the tip of her horn." She pointed at the screen, where they all were able to watch how the white alicorn's horn began glowing like a beacon. "She will force the comet on a different course… and if that isn't enough, she will try to shatter it with an aimed burst of pure magic."
Twilight Sparkle watched in awe as Princess Celestia spread her wings and gasped when she flew directly at the comet.
"Comet approaching!" Professor Horoscopus shouted. "Impact in ten… nine… eight… seven…"
"Oh please, please…" Twilight muttered.
"Six… five… four…"
Fluttershy eeped as she covered her eyes. Applejack was so nervous that she started nibbling on her hooves.
"Three… two… one…"
They all gasped when Celestia's horn rammed into the comet… or rather, the magic coming out of her horn rammed into the barrier of chaotic magic that was surrounding the comet like a shield. Tendrils of wild magic were dancing across the comet and the princess' body as she tried pushing it back with all her force.
"Come on, Tia…" Luna whispered. "You can do it…"
The strain was visible on Celestia's face. Sweat was pouring down her face, evaporating immediately in the heat of the sun. The sun princess gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as she started to redirect all of her magic to a single spot.
"She's trying to destroy the comet," the professor shouted. "I guess steering it off-course didn't work…"
And suddenly, a powerful burst of energy came out of the comet, blinding all of the viewers inside the observatory for a moment.
"What in tarnation…" Applejack gasped.
"My eyes! I'm blind!" Rarity cried.
"Ooops… I guess I should have told you that my left eartip was itching," Pinkie spoke up. "That usually means I should close my eyes."
"Now she tells us…" Rainbow Dash grumbled. "Couldn't you have warned us sooner?"
Twilight blinked. Slowly, everyone in the room regained their eyesight and Pinkie Pie opened hers. The purple unicorn then gasped as she took a glance at the monitor. "Everypony, look!" she gasped.
The comet was directly in front of the sun. But it wasn't budging. Neither was Princess Celestia, who was still hovering in front of it. Both the comet and the princess were surrounded by a pulsating barrier made of dark blue energy.
"The… the comet's corona…" Professor Horocsopus murmured. "It's more than the trail of the comet… it's a force field… and it's locking both the comet and the princess in place!"
"No…" Luna said. "No, she's still fighting it… the comet… I feel that it somehow… SENSED that she's in its way… and it's trying to remove her… but Celestia is resisting… the comet wants to crush her using its force field… but she instead took control of it and used it to lock herself and the comet in place. She is hindering the comet from going anywhere."
"But that's great, isn't it?" Twilight shouted, full of hope. "That means she can come back home and keep that thing locked inside the barrier…"
"You don't understand, Twilight," Luna said, looking at her. "The barrier is preventing Celestia from leaving. She cannot get out as long as the force field is active. And as soon as she removes it… the comet will fly directly into the sun."
The princess of the moon walked up to the giant monitor and put her hoof against the glass, against the image of her sister. "She knew it… she knew she wouldn't be able to leave and yet she decided to do it… because she found no other way to stop the comet." She resisted the urge to cry in front of everyone. "I felt her in my mind when it happened… she tried destroying the comet with her magic… but she never expected it to have a conscience. It repelled her magic… forcing her to use its own corona against it."
"You… you're saying… Princess Celestia… will never be able to come back?" Twilight muttered. "No… nononononono, that can't be true…"
"Poor… poor Princess Celestia…" Fluttershy sniffled. Tears began to flow out of the sensitive pegasus' eyes. "Poor Philomena… whatever will she do without her?"
"Tell me that's not true!" Rainbow gasped as she flew in front of the professor and started shaking him with her forehooves. "Tell me she'll come back!"
"P-p-please calm down," the professor stuttered as he was shaken around. "W-we'll do everything we can… however… at this point… not even science will help…" He sighed. "We're powerless…"
"We have to accept it, everyone," Luna said. The voice of the lunar princess sounded like everyone in the room felt… devastated. "It was her choice… she'll do her best to force the comet away… we can only wait… and hope for the best that at some point, she will be able to send it away."
Everyone became silent.
"Suddenly… I don't feel like having a party anymore…" Pinkie Pie murmured.
So they waited. And waited. And waited.
Twilight was certain that Princess Celestia would find a permanent solution. After all, she was the princess, the ruler of Equestria, loved by everypony, who had governed the land for more than 1000 years… right?
The worst about it was the feeling of helplessness. Everyone wanted to help, to do something to make the situation better… but they all knew that it was impossible. The only pony capable of going up to help Celestia was Luna…
She was tempted to fly up to the sun to help her sister… then again, she remembered Celestia's last words: "You must stay down here and take care of everything while I'm gone. Someone needs to guide the ponies of Equestria in my absence and keep control over the exchange of day and night. Should I fail… Equestria cannot afford to lose both of its rulers."
She had promised Celestia she'd take care of everything while she was gone… and she would not break that promise! Now she had to take charge… in her absence, Celestia had ruled all of Equestria by herself, for 1000 years. Now she had to do the same…
She and the six bearers of Harmony were in the castle's grand salon, where they had been waiting for any signal of the observatory or from Celestia herself… a signal that the problem was solved, the comet would go away and that she would come home. But Luna realized that this wouldn't happen very soon, and that something had to be done.
She turned around to face Twilight and her friends. "Everypony, listen to me… we have to face the facts. Celestia is stuck up there, until either she or the… entity within the comet grow tired. We have to continue our lives. Celestia is fighting for us, risking her life for every pony on Equestria… I say we do our best in her absence to settle things down here until she comes back. I, for my part, will gladly accept the task she has given to me before she left… it will be difficult, but I am confident. Still, I would feel a lot better if I had some ponies here to assist me…"
The six ponies looked at each other, then nodded. Twilight walked in front of Luna and bowed. "Princess… we would be honored to assist you in this hour of dire need."
"Hour of what now?" Pinkie blinked.
Rainbow sighed. "She said that we're happy to help, okay?"
"Oh… then sure, I'll help!" the pink pony said.
"Y'all can count me in," Applejack nodded. "Jus' tell us what to do, and we'll get to it faster than you can say 'apple cinnamon crisp'."
Fluttershy and Rarity nodded as well, and Luna smiled at them. "Thank you, everypony… now, first, we have to…"
She was interrupted when suddenly, the door opened and Professor Horoscopus came running in. "Princes! Q-quick, you must come! The comet… something is happening!"
"What do you mean? Explain!" Luna demanded.
"I… I think it's better if you saw it for yourself," the professor said. "Take a look outside…"
Luna walked out onto the big balcony adjacent to the salon and stared up into the sky. Twilight and the others ran after her and did the same.
Even from this distance, they could clearly see the comet hovering in front of the sun… a shimmering star of dark purple energy. But while a sizeable part of the sun was blocked off, the sunrays still shone through the comet's purple light… turning the usually golden sunlight into rays of purple light that shone down on Equestria. All of this was casting the world in a sinister shroud of twilight, intead of the bright day they were all used to.
"What… what is happening to the sunlight?" Twilight gasped.
"We… can't say for sure," the professor replied. "But somehow, the comet's magic is affecting the sunlight… the sunrays are still reaching Equestria, but it's much different from what we are used to. I can't say how that will affect the plants, the wildlife… or the inhabitants of Equestria themselves."
"This is horrible!" Rarity gasped. "This dark light cannot be good for my complexion…"
"Oh no…" Fluttershy muttered. "What if this purple light is dangerous… and all those poor defenseless animals are helpless against it…"
"Let's not jump to conclusions here," Twilight spoke up. "Maybe it's not all bad… maybe it's just like holding a panel of violet glass in front of a lamp… maybe it's just the same light, just a different color."
"We need to be certain, but as long as there's a risk, we need to inform the ponies to stay inside their houses," Luna said. "Professor, I entrust you and your colleagues with the task to research this phenomenon as fast as possible."
Professor Horoscopus nodded. "At once, Your Majesty!"
"Let me come with you!" Twilight ran after him. "I read a lot about luminescent phenomenons… maybe I can help you."
"Well, we sure are happy for every helping hoof we can get," the professor smiled. "Thank you."
And for the next few hours, Twilight vanished inside the observatory to help the scientist with their research. In the meantime, the remaining five bearers of Harmony helped the princess to inform the population of Equestria. Rainbow Dash used her natural speed to fly from town to town and spread the news. Fluttershy did the same, only that she used her bird friends to deliver letters. Applejack contacted all members of her huge family that were spread throughout Equestria. Rarity used her contacts in Canterlot and other big cities to spread the news.
And Pinkie Pie drove through Ponyville in a big, bright pink van that had huge loudspeakers on its top: "Please listen, everypony! This is Pinkie Pie speaking, your fun-loving filly from Sugarcube Corner… oh, make sure to come over on Saturdays, we have a special on blueberry muffins that day. Anyways, pleeeaaaaaase make sure to stay at home for the next, I dunno… couple of days? This big glowy rock thingy in front of the sun is an old grouchy meany mcmeanypants and turned our bright golden sunrays all purple and icky. And we dunno if they're dangerous, so ummm, yeah, please stay inside. Oh, and this is important, Princess Luna herself told me to tell you this. Okie dokie lokie? Kay thanks!"
The ponies of Ponyville looked after the pink vehicle in bewilderment.
"Where did she get such a vehicle in the first place?"
"I dunno… you think we should do what she said?"
"Yeah… sounds like a good idea to me."
"Hey! Anyone wanna come to Sugarcube Corner with me this Saturday?"
"Shut up, Derpy…"