Night came to Equestria. Ponies were getting ready for enjoying their well-earned sleep after a long day of work, much to Princess Luna’s sadness. She still raised the moon, being faithful to her subjects. At least they are awake during Nightmare Night, she thought, then turned and walked back into her room.
Applejack was sleeping peacefully in her room. When she did not have any plans for the night, she usually went to bed early.
.
Wind began to blow outside, and grey mist leaked in through the window-frames. The mist collected itself in two clouds that slowly formed two pony-like creatures. The creatures' bodies were dark gray, their manes light gray, and their eyes black.
“Uhm, wha?” moaned Applejack as her dreams were slowly leaving her.
‘“Applejack,” said a dark, echoing voice, "the false bearer of the Element of Honesty.“
Applejack jolted up in her bed. “Hey! Ya two! What are ya doin’ in my room?”
“You failed to be the Spirit of Honesty, you will be punished for your sins,” the creature replied.
“What? Yes, Ah lied... sometimes,” she remembered. Lots of construction going on in there right now, she had said to Pinkie Pie, when they had been preparing for her birthday party.
“We are the minions of Darkness, we can hear your thoughts," it spoke again. "You have just admitted that you failed. You lied to the bearer of Laughter. You brought disharmony to your friendship. You are not worthy to be the bearer of Honesty.”
Applejack jumped out of her bed and put her hat on her head. The creatures started to walk towards Applejack.
“What in tarnation is going on?” Applejack asked.
“Exactly,” responded one of them, laughing.
“Stop righ’ there! Okay, ya wanted it,” she said, then turned and bucked in the direction of the closer one. Her hooves went through the head of it, but didn’t do any harm. The creature stepped closer and touched Applejack. A glowing green aura emerged under Applejack, slowly surrounding her, as the creature was keeping its hoof on her.
“Leave me alone!” Applejack shouted, trying to break free, but it was no use. She was slowly lifted up from the ground, enveloped into a green bubble.
“Is everythin’ okay, Applejack?” said a high-pitched voice. Apple Bloom appeared at the doorway of Applejack’s room.
The creatures turned their faces to the door, then laughed. Applejack was being levitated a foot over the ground. “Run, Apple Bloom!” she yelled.
Apple Bloom flinched.
“Go away, little one. You have no business here,” said one of them.
Apple Bloom frowned and stomped on the floor. “Put yer hooves off my big sister!” she yelled and charged them.
“Apple Bloom, NO!” Applejack yelled in desperation.
“Hee yaaah!” Apple Bloom jumped with her hind hoof stretched forward.
She flew through its body, hitting the wall behind it and falling on the ground.
The creatures laughed. Apple Bloom stood up and turned around. All three of them were fading away.
“No! Ya're not takin’ her away!” she yelled and charged again, now aiming for Applejack. She jumped, but Applejack vanished before she could touch her.
Apple Bloom fell on the ground. She got up quickly and darted her eyes around, but she could not see Applejack anymore.
“Applejack? Applejack! APPLEJACK!”
Big tears flowed down from Apple Bloom’s face as she kept calling for her beloved sister, but nopony answered her.
“You must go bed, Angel. It’s too late for a bunny to stay awake.”
Despite Fluttershy’s kind nature, Angel the rabbit refused to sleep.
“Please, Angel. You know it too that you need your sleep. I don't want to use my Stare on you,“ Fluttershy begged.
The front door shot open.
“Fluttershy, the bearer of Kindness,“ shouted a voice, while wind was blowing into the cottage.
Angel jumped and sprinted away.
Fluttershy, with her voice trembling, replied, “Y...Y...Yes?”
“You used the Element of Kindness, but you are not worthy anymore,“ answered the now visible dark creatures, slowly moving towards Fluttershy.
Fluttershy backed off, trying to keep the distance. Her cyan eyes were fully open, filled with fear.
“But... but...”
She heard her own voice inside her head,
YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE ME!
NOW PULL IT BACK TO THE LINE WHERE YOU BELONG!
NOPONY PUSHES NEW FLUTTERSHY AROUND, NOPONY!
Fluttershy fainted. The shadows surrounded her, and a few seconds later, they all were gone.
Pinkie Pie was bouncing outside of Ponyville. The sun was shining, and she was happy. Her last party went more than well. Gummy looked so happy. He loved the cake for sure!
“Oh, Pinkie Pie, were you hanging around with the losers again?” asked a deep female voice behind her. Pinkie turned around. She saw nothing more than a flour-sack. She looked around.
“Hello? Is anypony there?” Pinkie asked.
“Well, nopony is here. Don’t you find that... strange?” asked the voice again. The sack moved.
“Huh? What are you? A talking sack?” Pinkie raised an eyebrow.
“My name is Madame Le Flour,” answered the sack, now standing, with one of its knot pointing to itself.
Pinkie Pie shook her head. “But... no! I made you up! You can’t be here! I'm no longer the sad Pinkie Pie.”
“But you were,“ said something, similar to Pinkie's voice.
“Rocky?”
“Yes Pinkie,“ said a pile of rocks at her right.
“But, no, no, no! That is not possible! I have my friends, I don't need you!”
“But you still enjoyed our company, didn’t you?” Rocky asked, its voice now echoing, and becoming deep.
“You needed nopony. You didn’t want anypony to laugh anymore,” said Madame, her tone also deep.
The dream collapsed, and Pinkie saw two dark shadows in the place of her imaginary friends. The creatures were walking towards her bed.
“You do not deserve to bear the Element of Laughter, Pinkamena Diane Pie,” said one of them.
“You're right. I don't.” She hung her head and her hair deflated.
The mist ponies reached Pinkie Pie, and packed her up. She didn't even try to resist.
The lights in the library were still on.
I know something terrible is coming, but I don't know how to prevent it. Twilight read book after book, and scroll after scroll. She felt the same way when she first came to Ponyville: she knew a disaster was coming, but nopony listened to her.
“No. No. No. No. No. NO!” Twilight groaned, and the books she was levitating fell on the ground.
She sighed. “Oh, Spike! Without you, I’m lost,”
Twilight lifted the books up again, then she noticed something in the text of one of the books. She dropped the rest of the books , and brought the open book closer.
The demons of Darkness we faced. Their bodies... mist, their mane... gray. We fought, but failed. No muscle can hurt these.
Twilight hummed and put the book on her table. She checked the title on the cover. 'The Great Adventures of Challenge Mare'. Hm... What if it’s not just a made up story and it has connection to this Element of Dar—
A scream cut through the night.
Twilight jerked her head up. “Huh? Rarity? I’m coming!” Twilight yelled and immediately teleported to Carousel Boutique.
“AAAAAAH! LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU CREATURES OF HELL!” Rarity yelled at the shadows that were closing on her. She tried to throw the items she found in the boutique at the minions, but the objects fell through their bodies.
“You participated in the Best Young Flyer Competition for glory, stealing the attention from your friend. You took away Spike’s birthday present that he wanted to give himself.”
“HE GAVE IT TO ME!”
“Because you used your charm to take it.”
Twilight appeared near to Rarity.
The speaking dark creature turned to Twilight. “Ah, the one who bears the Element of Magic.“ It laughed.
“Oh Twilight, it’s so good to see you here. I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you,” Rarity said.
“You don’t need to apologize,“ Twilight said, then turned to the creatures, “Begone, demons!“ She charged her horn up.
“It’s no use, Twilight Sparkle, you cannot defeat us. We are the minions of Darkness.”
“We will see.” Twilight's horn was now glowing, bright sparks dropping from it. She lowered her head.
A purple beam of magic fired from Twilight’s horn, hitting and throwing the minion back. “Huh?“ flinched the other one, before getting the same treatment and crushing into the wall.
“Well, even if muscles can't hurt you, you don’t seem to resist magic very well,“ Twilight smirked.
“What do you think about us, Twilight Sparkle?“ Two other minions stood at the doorway of the boutique.
“Well, you can get your portion, too,” Twilight answered, her horn still glowing.
“Watch out, darling, they have horns!” Rarity motioned towards them.
Twilight checked them again. “So you got magic. Let’s dance!”
Twilight cast another spell, altering the parameters of the room to her aid. She now could see that the horned minions were charging black magic. Twilight didn't hesitate and shot a beam at them. The minions vanished and appeared next to Twilight, one of them touching her coat. Twilight teleported to the other side of the room.
A green aura started to envelop her. She gasped, but quickly cast a purple protective aura, that nullified the unconnected dark aura. The dark unicorns were already casting their next spell. Twilight teleported a few feet away. Two balls of black energy hit the wall behind her old position, burning in black flames that quickly vanished. Twilight answered with two magic missiles that hit the horned minions. They howled and flinched from the power of Twilight's missiles, but remained at their positions. Twilight, using up her advantage, tried to telekinetic grab the minions, but could not find their physical dimension.
“What? These are... ghosts?” Twilight asked with wide eyes.
The creatures laughed. “Well, close.“
Twilight frowned. “You two came for me and not for Rarity. What are you accusing me of, anyways?“
“You used the Element of Magic, but you are not worthy,“ replied one of them.
“What do you mean I’m not worthy? Is it because some of my spells failed?” Twilight asked, glaring at them.
“No. It’s because you are not the pure Spirit of Friendship.”
“What?” Twilight's eyebrows lifted. “Am I not supposed to be the Spirit of Magic?”
The other minion answered in a mocking voice, “Friendship is magic.”
The first one continued, “You left all your friends when Discord forced them to be the Spirits of Disharmony, but he didn’t need to force you, did he?”
Twilight clenched her eyelids together. With friends like you, who needs... enemies...? She lowered her head.
Rarity screamed.
Twilight jerked her head up. The creatures sent for Rarity came around and were enveloping her. Rarity’s eyes were full of fear and dread.
She teleported to Rarity. With a groan, she sent out another purple bubble, dispelling the spell of the weaker minions and knocking them away from Rarity. Then, with a bowed head, she began casting a long-range group-teleport spell.
“ENOUGH TELEPORTING! YOU ARE GOING NOWHERE FROM HERE!” howled the horned minion, with its horn blackening, and executed a spell that made teleportation impossible. Twilight narrowed her eyes, trying to finish the spell, but failed. Twilight raised her head and desperately gazed into the azure eyes of the now-shocked Rarity. The white unicorn was trembling in fear, panting, her eyes unfocused.
Twilight slowly turned. A new feeling appeared in her heart. A feeling that she had thought she would never experience in her life.
“So you still want to keep fighting,“ said the horned minion.
“I will fight for my friends!” yelled Twilight. “And if I need to kill somepony protect them, then I WILL!“
Twilight cut her inner magic chains. She rose into the air, with a purple aura surrounding her. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they were glowing in white.
The strong magical aura made Rarity recover from her shock. She glanced up, then gapped at Twilight.
“I WILL SHOW YOU WHO IS THE TRUE BEARER OF THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC!” Twilight shouted, her voice echoing. Collecting all her raw magical power, she stood up on her back hooves in air, stretched her now glowing front hooves back, and with a fast swing she stretched all her hooves forward, crossing over her belly, pushing her horn down between her two front hooves. A glowing dark-purple ray blasted out of Twilight’s body towards the two horned minions.
The horned minions shrieked as the ray vaporized them, wiping off their existence from Equestria. After finishing her spell, Twilight closed her eyes, lost her aura, and fell on the ground, unconscious.
“Twilight!” Rarity kneeled down. Twilight's mane was a mess, and she was breathing slowly. Rarity shook her.
Twilight came around, then gasped when she took in her surroundings. “Did... did I just kill two ponies?” Her voice trembled.
“You had to do it Twilight,” Rarity replied, her voice trembling too. “They... they gave you no other choice.“
The two still alive minions were shaking from fear. They didn’t even try to come closer.
Dark mist flowed into the boutique again. The two friends watched in horror as the mist slowly formed into two horned creatures.
“Congratulations, Twilight Sparkle,” The horned minion said with honest appreciation. “You have succeeded to banish us from this world. Our master had to recreate our body. The Ray of Death is a forbidden spell in Equestria for two reasons: one, it's the most lethal spell ever existed." The minion smirked. "Two, if someone even manages to cast it, it's so exhausting that it makes the unicorn incapable of doing any magic for hours.“
Twilight moaned, clenched her eyes, and tried to stand up, but pain jolted through her body. She fell back on her haunches and lowered her head.
“It’s okay, Twilight,” Rarity whispered, sitting down next to Twilight. “You tried everything you could, and I’m so proud of you.”
Twilight raised her head. Rarity was smiling at her, but Twilight could still see the fear in her azure eyes. They hugged each other. The dark ones started walking towards them.
“I’m scared,” Twilight whispered.
“Everything will be alright, Twilight. Don’t worry,” Rarity whispered, but Twilight felt her trembling.
The four minions reached them and broke their embrace by wrapping them up in their green prison.