“Aunt Kalissssa?” I whispered as I opened the door of Kristyn’s closet. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. I slowly walked down the isles, looking left and right. I didn’t see Kalissa, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t there. I reached the pedestal with the crown resting on it and reached out to grab it, but something stopped me. It was the picture hanging behind the crown. I hadn’t noticed it before, but now that I saw it, I felt drawn to it. It was an intricately painted watercolor of two ponies. I recognized them as Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. It was bordered with a beautiful gold frame. The name of the painting was “The Royal Pony Sisters.”
I looked past the painting and saw several others. Under each one was the title of the painting engraved on a gold plate.
The next painting was a painting of an alicorn with pink, blue, and green mane. The pony’s head was bowed, and her mane flowed down and became the sea. Yellow sparkles floated out of the pony’s horn. It was a painting of Princess Celestia. The name of this painting was “The Sun And The Sea.”
The painting after “The Sun And The Sea” was a sweet-looking portrait of Princess Celestia shielding a younger pony from the rain with her wing. The younger pony, Jicxie noticed, was Twilight Sparkle. The two ponies were grinning at each other. The name of this one was called “The Teacher And Her Faithful Student.”
The next one was an exquisite watercolor. In the painting, the pony Twilight Sparkle was floating in the air. Purple wisps of magic surrounded her. Her face was one of surprise and shock. The name of the painting was “THE Change.” I wondered what the “change” was, until I saw the last picture.
“The New Princess” was the name of this painting. Now I could discover what the “change” was. In this painting, Twilight Sparkle had wings, and not just a horn. A blast of pink magic circled her. She had a huge smile on her face.
I growled. I had seen this pony somewhere before. This had been the pony who had defeated me years ago. What? I had never been defeated. But… hadn’t Nightmare Moon been defeated a long time ago? If I was Nightmare Moon like the voice in my head said I was, then that would explain all of the strange memories and flashbacks. It would also explain why I knew what a “Cutie Mark” was and who “Twilight Sparkle” was. But there was more to this. I just had to figure out what.
“Jicxie?”
I whirled around. Kalissa stood right behind me.
“Whoa!” I gasped. “You’re quiet! What… what are you doing here?”
“I’ve come for the crown,” Celestia said, pointing to the golden headdress. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, I jussst needed to be alone,” I said. It was true, but not the whole truth.
“I see… Well, I had better get this crown downstairs.” Kalissa reached for the crown and I gasped. The gem in the center of the crown was glowing. The closer Aunt Celestia’s hand got to the crown, the brighter the gem glowed.
“Jicxie, close your eyes,” Kalissa demanded. She looked intently at the crown, not even paying attention to me.
“What? Why?” I protested.
Kalissa glared fiercely at me. “Close your eyes!” Her eyes were glowing white. She reached out and grabbed the crown. Both Celestia and the crown began glowing with an intense, white light. I yelped and crashed to the floor. I covered my eyes with my hands, but I peeped through my fingers, despite what Kalissa had said. I gawked. Kalissa was suspended in the air, and there was a white, glowing image forming behind her. It took me a moment to realize that the image was a pair of glowing wings! Kalissa spread her arms out wide, like she enjoyed being zapped by a magical crown. Her hair flowed like they were made of little flames of fire. All of a sudden, Celestia and the crown dropped to the ground. I raced to my aunt’s side and helped her stand up.
“Now you see what Selene and I mean,” Kalissa whispered. She looked straight ahead, like she saw something that I didn’t.
“What do you mean, Aunt Kalissssa?” I asked, confused.
Kalissa kept looking at the wall. “The claws, fangs, hissing, eyes, and horn. Do you still not understand?” I followed Celestia’s gaze.
She was looking at “The Royal Pony Sisters” painting.
“What? Understand what?” I protested. I was shocked. How had Celestia known? I had been keeping my… changes from everyone!
“Up! Down! Left! Right! We’re gonna party tonight!” came the DJ’s muffled voice.
“Let’s go, Jicxie,” Kalissa said. She shakily stood up and walked for the door, crown in hand.
“Horn? What do you mean?” I repeated. Kalissa kept walking.
“The coronation is upon us.” Celestia ignored my question.
I sighed and followed my aunt out of the closet. As I did so, a familiar voice began to speak.
Soon, Jicxie. Soon, you will be the gem of your school, and I… I will be free.
“Nightmare Moon?” I whispered as I walked down the stairs.
Yes, child. Get ready. Your destiny awaits.
“Kristyn Firena Spellan, you have come of age and are now ready to bear this crown. I give you the Crown of the Sun.” Kalissa lowered the crown onto Kristyn’s head. It was an inch from her head when a voice ran out.
“WAIT!”
All heads turned to the staircase where I stood. I was wearing my party dress and chain-covered high-tops. I had put black eye shadow on my eyelids, giving my eyes a deep, smoky look to them.
“You! Not you again!” Hannah and Dan Favian yelled in unison. Hannah was pressing a pink napkin on her tiny cut, the one I had given her. I ignored them.
“Can I… can I… crown her?” I asked.
“What?” Kristyn and Celestia asked simultaneously.
I stepped forward and made a tiny bow. “Please?”
Kalissa looked skeptically at me. “Jicxie Danette Darenesk, are your motives pure?”
I bit my lip. “I… uh… I…” All eyes were on me.
Nightmare Moon spoke to me. "Say yes, fool! Truth has no grip on you! To any villain, 'yes' means 'no,' and 'no' means 'yes.' Say yes!"
“Yesss,” I half-whispered.
“Very… very well.” Kalissa handed me the crown.
I smiled mischievously. “Yessss.”
I slowly approached Kristyn and started to set the crown on her head. I needed everyone to think that I had the right motives. When the crown was about a half inch above Kristyn’s head, I stopped lowering the crown.
“Jicxie?” Kristyn said apprehensively. “What are you doing?”
“Jicxie?” Kalissa began.
I ignored them. I grasped the crown so tightly that my knuckles turned white. The gem started swirling black and purple again, but only Kristyn noticed.
“What’s up with the jewel?” she asked innocently.
Kalissa looked at the gem. Her eyes widened in fear. “Jicxie!” she yelled. “Put the crown down!”
I looked at her aunt and cousin. Kristyn slipped her hand into her mother’s.
“No, Celessstia,” I said in a voice quite unlike my own. It took me a moment to realize that the deep, echoing voice I was speaking with was Nightmare Moon’s voice.
“’Celestia?’” Kristyn repeated. “What does she mean?”
“Oh!” I gasped mockingly. “You didn’t tell her?” I asked Kalissa.
“Tell me what?” Kristyn questioned. She looked questioningly at her mom.
“Your mother is a princesssss!” Nightmare Moon declared, for that is who I really was. Nightmare Moon and I were one. Nightmare Moon was no longer a voice in my head. I was Nightmare Moon.
“Mom?” Kristyn stared at Celestia. “You’re a… a… princess?”
“Yes,” Kalissa sighed hesitatingly.
“What a touching ssscene,” I sighed, clasping my hands to my chest. “It’ssss too bad that it won’t lasssst!” With that, I turned on my heel and ran out of the entrance hallway, crown in hand.
“Jicxie! Wait!” Kristyn raced after me, with Kalissa and the rest of the party guests in hot pursuit.
When I reached the front steps, I stopped and turned to face the mob of teenaged kids following me. I saw Kristyn, Susie, Hannah, Dan, and Sam Gronico. When they all exited the mansion, I smiled and reached up for my sunglasses. Everyone was silent. All eyes were on me. I scanned the crowd. Kristyn stood in the center of the group, and Aunt Kalissa stood next to her. Her hands were placed in her hips. Standing next to Celestia stood Hannah and Dan Favian. They both had their arms crossed. Susie Lyrica was next to Kristyn. She slowly shook her head at me. I smiled and pulled off my shades. Everyone gasped.
“Jicxie!” Kristyn cried. “What… how… huh?”
“I knew there was something strange about her,” Hannah declared.
“Cool contact lenses!” Susie cried. “I want some!”
Kristyn sighed.
I laughed a low, evil laugh and reached for my beret. I ripped the beret from my head. Everyone freaked out.
“What’s going on?” Susie wanted to know.
“Jicxie’s a monster!” Dan yelled, pointing a finger at Jicxie.
“Jicxie?” Kristyn sighed.
“No,” Celestia whispered. Her voice was barely audible.
I grinned maniacally and took a step toward my cousin. Everyone took a step back.
“For years, Kristyn has outshined me! For years, I have been known as the ‘weird girl,’ the ‘goof-off,’ the ‘misfit!’ Now, I will be the one to shine!”
With that, I jammed the crown onto my head. I saw everything in slow motion. Celestia’s arm was outstretched, as if she was trying to take back the crown. Hannah and Dan gripped each other tightly. Susie stared at Jicxie in horror. And Kristyn… Kristyn was hiding behind her mom’s back.
I cackled an evil laugh. Nightmare Moon was awakening!
A burning, pins-and-needles sensation trickled up my arms, down to my toes, and up to the tip of my head. It took me a moment to realize that I was on fire.