The War of the Skies
Inspired by the incredible music of Not a Clever Pony
For Kylan and Not a Clever Pony.
Over 1,000 years ago, there were two sisters who ruled over Equestria together. There was the older sister, Princess Celestia, who raised the sun into the sky every morning. And there was Princess Luna, the younger sister, who brought the moon and stars into the sky every night. That was the way it had been for countless years. But one fateful day, that perfect balance began to be disrupted. And, so our story begins…
It was a beautiful night in Canterlot. Morning was approaching. The two sisters were in a field just outside the palace, enjoying the night together. Celestia was ready to raise the sun high into the sky to light up all of Equestria. All that needed to be done was have Luna lower the moon.
"What another beautiful night, Luna." Celestia said to her sister. "But morning is approaching again. It's time for you to lower the moon."
Luna had been thinking all night about this. She had been feeling like her beautiful night was underappreciated for a while now. So she hesitated.
"Big Sister?" Luna said. "I've been thinking hard about this for a long time, about my night, and it just doesn't seem fair that everypony loves and enjoys your daytime but sleeps through such a beautiful night. Could we maybe leave the moon up for a few more hours?"
"Luna," Celestia started. "I understand how you feel, but it's our responsibility to give everypony morning and night every day at the right times. And also, ponies love your night. I certainly do. It's beautiful! But you have to understand that other ponies work and play in the daytime because it's bright enough for them to see, and they rest during the night because it's too dark for them to do their daily tasks, and also because they need sleep."
"We don't need sleep." Luna said. "Why do they need sleep?"
"I know. But we're not like other ponies. You and me, we're special. And that's why it's our job to bring everypony the different times of day."
"Well, I still wish they didn't sleep through my night. I raise the moon and the stars to give them enough light during the nighttime, yet it feels like I'm doing it for nothing. You know what? I don't think I should lower the moon tonight. I want everypony to get to experience my night, not just your day."
"Luna, we can't. I know where your heart's at, but we have to do it! Please!"
"I'm sorry, Sister, but I've made up my mind. I'm not lowering the moon tonight."
After she said that, a shadowy cloud of black mist appeared around her, and it began to swirl around and envelop the young pony. The mist lifted Luna into the air and began to swirl around faster. And then there was a sudden flash of white light that burst from the veil and vanished in the blink of an eye! The mist disappeared and Luna was lowered down to the ground again. She didn't look the same anymore. She had transformed into a fully-grown mare with a jet black coat and what seemed to be the night sky itself for a mane.
"What has happened to you, Luna?" Celestia said worriedly. "You're not the same anymore!"
"I'm not Luna anymore, Celestia!" her sister said. "I am Nightmare Moon, Ruler of Night! I'm not going to lower the moon for you, or anypony, ever again!"
"No!" Celestia cried out. "You can't do that! The very balance of this world would be undone! Without my day, the world would fall into disaster!"
"You and everypony else has enjoyed your day long enough! It's time they got to enjoy my night for a change! From now on, we no longer rule side by side. I will create my own government and rule my own part of the land. It shall be known as the New Lunar Republic, and the two of us will be enemies!"
"So, it's come to this." said Celestia sorrowfully. "In that case, I must lead my own government. I will call it the Celestian Empire, and I will rule apart from you. But I realize that we will not be able to both rule peacefully, because there cannot be two times of day at once in one place. So, I'm afraid, we must go to war. We will gather the whole city of Canterlot into our palace tomorrow and have a meeting explaining to everypony what has happened, and give citizens the opportunity to sign up to fight in the war against each other."
"So be it." Nightmare Moon agreed. "Tomorrow, we will have a temporary truce between each other, but the night after, there will be war."
And Nightmare Moon vanished, having teleported back to the palace for the time being, beginning preparations for the upcoming war. Celestia lowered the moon and the stars herself, and raised the sun into the sky, beginning morning. She walked back to the palace with a heavy heart, to prepare for the war as well.
After a morning of preparations, the afternoon had arrived. The entire city of Canterlot was called into the audience chamber of the palace, where Celestia and Nightmare Moon were standing, ready to give their speeches.
"Good citizens of Canterlot." Celestia began. "I hate to inform you all about this, but the times of peace we have enjoyed for so many years are over. Your princess, Luna, has decided for us to rule separately, and I have agreed to do the same. There will be a great war tonight, I'm afraid. The battle will decide who will be in charge of the different times of day. We must have this war because, as you know, it cannot be both day and night in one area. And now, Princess Luna will explain the rest to you."
"Good day, everypony." Nightmare Moon greeted. "What Celestia has just told you is true. We have divided the nation in two. She will rule her part as the Celestian Empire, and I will rule mine as the New Lunar Republic. We have given you the choice to join mine, or my sister's government, as well as the choice whether or not to fight in the war for that side. We've made all the necessary preparations for the war, but we have little time to train you, so we ask that only those ponies who are absolutely sure about this to enlist in it. We cannot guarantee the losses from the war to anypony. So, at this time, we ask you to divide yourselves up, and move to either her, or my side of the room to signify to everypony whose government you have chosen."
Everypony was sad to hear such tragic news, but they divided themselves up, and moved to the side that they chose. It was a pretty even division, too! About one half of the city moved to each side.
"Excellent!" said Nightmare Moon. "Now, those of you who wish to enlist in this war, please step forward to either me or Celestia. We will personally tell you where we need you in our armies."
The whole city began quietly chattering between one another while brave ponies from each side made two single-file lines and approached their princess to enlist.
"Hello." Princess Celestia said to the first pony in her line. "What's your name?"
"My name is Kamus, your Highness." said a young, green pegasus pony with a cutie mark of two crossed swords.
"Alright, Kamus. What are your skills that we can use in a battle?"
"Well, I've been on the Canterlot City Weather Patrol for about five years, and I can fly very fast and cause all kinds of storms. I have lots of experience with leading the rest of the patrol, and am really good at leading large crowds."
"Very well, Kamus. I believe the best job for you in our army would be to lead part of the Celestian Air Force. Your group in the Air Force will lead an attack on Luna's Navy. You will be in charge of everypony else in the same group and can give them orders as you see fit. Congratulations, General Kamus!"
"Thank you, Princess." he said. "Or is it Empress now?"
"Either one would be fine, thank you." Celestia said with a smile. "Ok, who's next?"
Kamus stepped aside and the next pony stepped forward to Celestia. In the meantime, Nightmare Moon was recruiting her first soldier.
"Greetings!" Nightmare welcomed. "What is your name, sir?
"Cutlass, your Majesty." said a young, red pony with a golden mane, bearing a cutie mark of a ship sailing the sea. "I'm a sea pony with years of sailing experience. I've been living by the water for most of my life."
"Sea pony? I've never heard of a sea pony before. You look just like an Earth pony."
"I'm not from Canterlot, your Highness. Sea ponies look like Earth ponies, but have the natural ability to breathe on both land and in water. My civilization prefers to live underwater, deep in the sea, but I've found the land to be very hospitable as well."
"I see. Are you good at giving orders?"
"Oh, yes. I also know everything there is to know about sailing and ships."
"Wonderful! Your best job would be to lead our Lunar Navy in battle. You will have an entire crew and ship under your command. I'm counting on you to lead our Navy to victory. Congratulations, Captain Cutlass!"
"Thank you, my Princess." Cutlass said bowing. "I won't let you down."
"Thank you, Captain. You are dismissed. Who's next?"
Cutlass walked away, back into the crowd, while another, older looking pony approached Nightmare.
"Hello, sir." Nightmare greeted. "What is your name?"
"Everypony calls me Clever, your Majesty." said a unicorn stallion. "I'm great with leading people and taming all sorts of wild animals. I'm also skilled in magic."
"Great! I think you're best fit would be as a general in the Lunar Legion. You will ride one of our beasts of war and command a large part of the Legion. I will show you your animal tonight on the battleground. Congratulations, General Clever!"
"Thank you most kindly, Mistress of Night! I'll do my best!"
"Mistress of Night? I like the way you think! You are dismissed. Who's next?"
The recruiting process went on for another two hours for both sides. Many more ponies were recruited during that time and all were given important jobs. After the recruiting was over, Celestia and Nightmare gathered all of their troops outside to two different sides of a wide open field by the sea. That was to be their battleground that night. The war would take place late at night, right as morning was approaching. They explained how the war would take place. Celestia would try to raise the sun into the sky and push the moon out of the way, while Nightmare would try to keep the moon up as long as she could, and keep the sun down. The troops would try to defeat the opposite teams and bring victory to their group. Each side went back to the palace to ready themselves for the war. Nightmare gave everypony in her Legion who wasn't a unicorn a helmet with a built-in metal horn. The horns weren't magical, but they would still prove useful.
In the meantime, while her sister was readying her side's troops, Celestia flew off, far from Canterlot, down to an uninhabited part of the land. She didn't tell her troops why, but they knew she had her reasons. Nightmare took her ships that she built to the ocean and boarded the captains and their crews onto them. The ships were armed with many cannons and strong sails. Celestia had already done this earlier before she flew off. Nighttime fell, and both sides were still preparing. Celestia had returned carrying large saddlebags that contained something she had found while away in the unknown land. Nopony else knew what it was that she brought back, but it definitely seemed important. The troops were now going over their battle strategies, and some were taking brief naps before the battle. It was a lot of preparing to do in one day, but they took care of everything in time for dawn. The princesses gave motivational speeches to their armies before the war began, and gave everyone the chance to say their possibly last goodbyes. It was a sad moment, but they had to be strong, because it could very well be the longest and hardest dawn of their lives.
Dawn was approaching fast. The time for war had almost begun. Both princesses sent all of their troops to get into their positions on the battleground. Nightmare Moon asked General Clever to follow her behind the rest of the Legion.
"General Clever," Nightmare began. "It's time for you to meet your war beast."
Clever looked around. He saw nothing except for Nightmare and the wide open field.
"I don't see anything. Where is it, Commander?" he asked confusedly.
"Up there." Nightmare answered, looking up at the stars.
"You mean the stars? How am I supposed to ride stars?"
"Watch."
And Nightmare fired a powerful magic that had never been done before, into the sky. She fired it straight at two different constellations, and her magic caused them to take physical shape and become alive. They appeared as a giant blue bear and a purple bear about five times the size of the blue one. Nightmare Moon lowered the bears down from the sky and onto the battlefield in front of them.
"This," she introduced. "Is your ride. An Ursa Minor. You will ride it through the field, control it to attack Celestia's war beasts, and protect the Legion with it. I will ride the Ursa Major throughout the field while keeping the moon in the sky and forcing down the sun. I'm counting on you and the rest of the Legion to help me achieve this goal."
"Yes, Ma'am!" Clever said without hesitation.
"Good."
Clever used magic to lift himself up onto the Ursa's back and mounted it. Nightmare Moon flew on top of the Ursa Major's back and mounted the celestial bear. They walked back to the front lines of the Legion and got into position.
Meanwhile on Celestia's side, she and the lead general of the Celestian Legion both mounted their war beasts. Her general mounted a brown hydra while she mounted a huge, red dragon. The two of them returned to the front lines of their Legion, awaiting dawn.
The captains and the crew from both Navies waited on their ships on their sides of the battleground. On each side, the ships were lined up in three horizontal rows of five, ready to set sail. Captain Cutlass stood on the bow of his ship, with a prepared look on his face. Everypony was in suspense, waiting for dawn to finally arrive.
Both Air Forces flew into their various positions. Some were assigned to fight above the land, others, assigned to the sea. General Kamus was leading the fight against the Lunar Navy along with many other troops. He was fairly nervous, but ready to fight for his Princess. They all landed on their positions and anxiously awaited the signal. Everything was perfectly still. Not a sound was heard for a moment. The tension was so great you could actually feel it in the air. Everypony was ready, ready for the great battle that would surely go down in history. And then, after having kept everypony waiting long enough, dawn arrived.
To be continued…