It did't take long for Lumen to reach the library, but Twilight and Applejack weren't there anymore. They must have gone after Nightmare Moon. I need some kind of a clue as to where they went.
Lumen searched the library for clues, but the place was a mess. Books were scattered everywhere, and none of them seemed to be related to Nightmare Moon. On the table though was one solitary book. It was opened to a page talking about something called the Elements of Harmony in the Everfree Forest. Great.
The path into the Everfree Forest was very rough. Lumen almost couldn't follow it at some points. Not long after entering the forest he came across what looked like a landslide. Lumen found a way to the bottom, and found tracks leading deeper into the foliage. I hope they're alright. After running past a content looking manticore and some very creepy trees, Lumen came to a river crossing where a large purple serpent seemed to be dancing with joy.
"Excuse me. Have you seen any other ponies come this way?" Lumen asked the serpent.
"Why yes. Are they friends of yours?" he asked.
"Sort of. They're headed straight into danger, and I need to help them."
"OH! Then don't waste time talking to me!" the serpent straightened out his back, "Quick! Go across my back. Your friends went that way."
"Thank you" Lumen bolted across the serpent's back and galloped further into the Everfree Forest.
He kept running until he finally saw the girls. There was a thick fog around them, so he couldn't tell who was there.
"HEY! GIRLS!" Lumen shouted trying to get their attention.
"Lumen!?" Twilight called back.
"What in tar.. Ah thought ah told you to stay put." Applejack scolded Lumen when he reached the group.
"Actually, you told me to get everypony calm," Lumen began, "Nopony trusted me, so I had the mayor do it."
"He has a point," Twilight said to Applejack.
"Twilight. Who are those ruffians talking to Rainbow Dash?" Rarity nodded at a trio of pegasi.
"What!? RAINBOW! DON"T LISTEN TO THEM!" Twilight shouted, but the fog seemed to grow thicker and eat up the sound. The ponies waited to see what would happen.
Suddenly Rainbow Dash flew through the fog and revealed a bridge that Lumen hadn't noticed. The stallion and six mares started to cross.
"Good job Rainbow" Twilight congratulated the cyan pegasus.
"See? I'd never leave my friends hangin'," Rainbow Dash responded.
The castle they approached was old, and starting to crumble. Vines were crawling up the stonework. The combined effect of the age and the night light gave it an eerie feel. The group entered the castle, and saw five stones sitting on an altar in the center of the room.
"Come on Twilight, isn't this what you been waitin' for?" asked Applejack.
"The Elements of Harmony," Twilight was awestruck, "We found them!"
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy started removing the Elements from their pedestals. Pinkie eyed the Elements curiously and started counting.
"One two three four, there's only five."
"Where's the sixth?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"The book said 'when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth element to be revealed'," Twilight knelt down in front of the Elements.
"What in the hay is that supposed to mean?" Applejack asked, clearly frustrated.
"I'm not sure, but I have an idea," Twilight answered confidently, "Stand back. I don't know what will happen."
Twilight's horn started to glow as she focused on the stones in front of her. The group started to leave, but Lumen couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. He stayed right in the doorway watching the purple unicorn. His suspicions were confirmed when a dark blue mist surrounded the Elements.
"Twilight! Look out!" Lumen yelled as he charged toward her.
"The Elements!" Twilight yelled as she leapt into the blue vortex. Lumen had no choice but to go in after her.
When the room came into focus Lumen saw Nightmare Moon standing over the Elements of Harmony. We have to get to those to beat her. Twilight's our best bet. He looked over and saw Twilight was just coming to.
"Twilight," Lumen started, "I'm going distract her so you can get to the Elements."
"I can't let you do that. You can't defend yourself from her magic."
"I've come to far to give up now. I won't let her beat me." the determination in Lumen's eyes told her it was the truth.
"Alright, but don't do anything stupid."
"We are way past stupid right now Twilight." Lumen let out a light chuckle. He started walking to where Nightmare Moon was standing.
"You dare approach me?"
"You really piss me off." Lumen's voice was full of contempt.
"Do you know who I am?!" Nightmare Moon was clearly angry, "Do you know what I am capable of?!"
"I know exactly what you can do, and that's why you piss me off,"Lumen began to explain, "Princess of the night, with the power to raise the moon, and what do you do? You get jealous of you sister because ponies are awake during her daylight."
"They didn't give me the respect I deserved," Nightmare Moon was clearly angry.
"Oh boo hoo. Life must have been so hard with your subjects worshiping you just slightly less than you sister," Lumen said with an almost palpable mockery, "I've had to live my life as an almost constant pariah because of my flank! What gives you the right to claim hardships?!"
"You know nothing of my struggles!" Nightmare Moon was furious at this point.
"You're right. I don't, but that doesn't give you the right to subjugate all of Equestria because you didn't get along with your sister."
"You are a very infuriating peasant who will die painfully." Nightmare Moon was in Lumen's face.
"And you're a spoiled brat who forgot about the unicorn I had with me," Lumen said with a smug expression.
"What?!"
Twilight had finished charging the elements with her magic, and they were sparking at Nightmare Moon's hooves. The Elements gave a sharp discharge of energy and stopped almost as soon as they had started.
"Where's the sixth element?" Twilight asked in a panic.
Nightmare Moon smashed the Elements of Harmony. Lumen didn't know what could have gone wrong. Hel ooked at Nightmare Moon as she approached him.
"Before I kill you, there is one thing I must know," she demanded, "Where do you draw your strength from? How are you finding the courage to stand up to me?"
"I'm scared. More scared than I've ever been, but I refuse to back down. I refuse to lose to the likes of you."
"You refuse? I believe you've already lost."
"As long as ponies can love, WE WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH OVER EVIL LIKE YOURS!"
There was a visible reaction in Nightmare Moon. Her stance became less aggressive, and the look in her eyes softened. Her demeanor and speech shifted as if she was a different mare.
"We said words very similar to those many years ago," Nightmare Moon looked at Lumen with tears in her eyes, "Have we truly fallen this far?"
Before he could answer her two creatures stormed into the room. They stood like diamond dogs, but had black and red scales all over their bodies. Their yellow teeth looked like razors, and the ends of their hands had long sharp claws. One of them stared at Lumen with piercing red eyes. One of them leapt at Nightmare Moon while the other ran after Twilight.
Lumen sprang into action and bucked the creature right in the face. It went flying, and hit the castle wall with a loud thud. Nightmare moon used her horn to pin the other one to a nearby pillar. Lumen heard the other mares coming up the stairs, and saw Twilight's eyes get big.
"We need to use the Elements!" she shouted.
"Art thou insane?" Nightmare Moon was struggling to keep her creature in place, "We destroyed them."
"You can't destroy the Elements of Harmony. Because the spirits Elements are right here!"
Lumen's opponent had gotten to his feet , and started charging him. He grabbed the creature's arm and pinned him by his friend.
"Applejack who reasured me when I..."
"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS TWILIGHT! THIS THING ISN'T AS PATIENT A NIGHTMARE MOON WAS!"
"Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and lastly Magic! These are the Elements of Harmony!" Twilight summed up.
The shattered bits of the elements formed around the six mares, and a bright light started to shine.
"Use it!" shouted Lumen, "We'll hold them in place!"
"But," began Twilight.
"JUST DO IT!"
The six ponies began to float, and charge up a large amount of energy. A rainbow of energy shot out from a tiara on Twilight's head and struck the creatures, Nightmare Moon, and Lumen. When the energy hit, Lumen's world faded to black.
When he came to, there was an light blue pony standing over him. She was the prettiest pony he had ever seen.
"I guess Twilight killed me." said Lumen.
"Why is that?" asked the pony.
"Because I'm waking up next to an angel," came Lumen's smooth reply.
"No, we are not an angel," she said as she started to blush, "We are Princess Luna, who you have saved from the curse of Nightmare Moon."
"Wait so you were..."
Luna nodded her head.
"And I called you..."
Luna nodded once more.
"Well, this is awkward."
"It was your courage and strength of will that made us see what we had become, and we thank you for that."
Lumen sat up and looked around. They were still in the castle, and he could see two black smears on the wall.
"What happened to them?"Lumen asked.
"They didn't have enough good in them to survive a purge," came a voice from behind Lumen. He turned around and saw Princess Celestia.
"Princess!" Lumen was incredibly surprised and tried to bow, but when he did a sharp pain shot up his torso.
"It's alright, you don't need to bow," Celestia walked closer to him, "In fact, I owe you a debt of gratitude."
"Why is that?"
"You saved my sister in a way that I never could," Celestia lowered her head, You are a true hero."
"Excuse me Princess," Twilight interrupted, "We really need to get him to the hospital to get checked out."
"Of course. I will carry him back," Celestia began to pick Lumen up when Luna stopped her.
"He is our savior, We would like to ensure his safe passage to the hospital."
Lumen felt a warm and gentle magic pick him up and set him on Luna's back. She wrapped her wings around him to hold him in place. In her embrace, Lumen drifted off to sleep.