• Published 17th Oct 2011
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The Elements of Discord - Midnightshadow



Evil stirs in the Everfree Forest. An unnatural storm, strange creatures... what could it all mean?

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Chapter 7

The Elements of Discord



Chapter 7

An MLP:FiM Fanfiction by Midnight Shadow

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic © Hasbro and Lauren Faust. Please support the official release


Dash woke up and groaned, stiff as a board. Somehow she’d survived the battle with barely a scratch on her, but it didn’t mean she’d got away entirely scot free. She ached, her entire body ached, deep into her bones like never before. Even during that freak storm which had started all this, she hadn’t ached as much. She’d even broken a wing-bone or two, although healing magic had set it right by the following morning.

“Oohhhh... feels just like that time I got a force four tornado up my tail in Junior Flightschool.”

She lay there in bed, just blinking, allowing the world to come into focus. She’d heard singing earlier, beautiful singing quite unlike anything she’d ever heard before. She didn’t know what the song was about - she didn’t speak Old Equestrian - but from the tone she could guess. It had been that song which had woken her. It had left her floating in an oddly serene state. Now that was fading.

There was a knock at the door. She dragged herself out of her warm cloud-nest and meandered down the stairs, “I’m comin’, I’m comin’, hold your horsefeathers..."

Opening it, she gasped as a regal winged unicorn stood, rather nervously for all she was royalty, just outside.

“Princess Celestia! I..I..your majesty! Come in, please.”

“Thank you, Lady Prism Radiance Windemere Silverhoof.” said Celestia, inclining her head regally.

Dash stiffened for a moment, then stared up at the princess, “How did you find out? Did my family..."

Celestia smiled softly, “Oh no, no, no, dear Rainbow Dash - your secret is safe with me. It’s hardly difficult to work out though, is it? I don’t see many other cloud-castles of such ostentatious grandeur around such a lovely little town as Ponyville.”

“Er, hehe, it is rather rad isn’t it?” said Rainbow, leading the way in. Celestia looked up and around as if genuinely impressed.

“Oh my, this will do perfectly.”

“For what?” asked Rainbow, suspiciously

“Well, Lady Prism Radiance Windemere Silverhoof..."

“Please stop calling me that!” begged Rainbow Dash, peering left and right as if she’d be spotted at any second.

“And just why do you hate that title so much?”

“I... it’s not me, Celestia, I didn’t earn it. They, my parents, wanted me to live up to something I’m not. I have to be me, and that means being Rainbow Dash, not some title they want to brand me with.” Rainbow stamped a hoof, looking sternly up at the princess, gaze unwavering.

“You first have to be loyal to yourself before you can be loyal to others, hmm?”

Rainbow nodded, “I can’t lie to myself. My folks, they don’t get it, they don’t get me. I made myself who I am. I dropped out of their precious flightschool. They got me this crummy castle anyway, but I pay the upkeep myself. So, what does it and my title have to do with anything?”

“Rainbow Dash, you must know that the gentry have certain... duties towards the common folk.” Celestia had an impish expression on her muzzle.

“Oh yeah? And what sort of duties would that be?” asked Rainbow, suspiciously.

“In times of dire need, a Lord or Lady - such as yourself - must pledge their aid to the crown.” Celestia leaned closer, and gave a conspiratorial wink, “That would be my sister and I.”

Rainbow slumped, “You mean you want my home.”

“Just the temporary use of your estate for the lodging of injured pegasi until such time as they can relocate themselves.”

“And if I don’t?” Rainbow’s tone was weary, she looked up at the princess who was grinning like an ape from the royal zoological gardens.

“Oh think of the shame and the scandal. One such as yourself, Lady Prism Radi-”

“Skip the titles, please.”

Celestia giggled behind a hoof, thoroughly enjoying herself, “A lady such as yourself failing in her solemn duty. Why, it would flash across Equestria like a bushfire!”

“If I don’t give you my castle you’ll tell on me?”

“Such accusations, dear Rainbow Dash!”

“You could’ve just asked you know. It’s not like I’m using the whole place... just... try not to break everything? I don’t exactly have the bank account my parents do and we don’t exactly see eye to eye.”

“Oh you’ll be reimbursed for your services, don’t worry about that. The crown sees fit to declare this a civil emergency, not a military one. We don’t go around confiscating property. We rent. I can do you a favour, perhaps?” Celestia’s voice was dripping with honey.

“Oh no, please don’t..." Rainbow didn’t like the sound of that.

“There’s a tricky... situation that has arisen due to the unpleasantness of these last few days. A certain princess was injured - not fatallly - and is unable to fly herself home. She requires not only a private suite but ambassadorial privileges. I am prepared to offer you an interim commission in our foreign service, Lady Ambassador Prism Radiance Windemere Silverhoof.” Celestia was leaning heavily on the ambassador word and didn’t seem to be in any hurry to let up.

Rainbow Dash facehoofed, “Oh please don’t... okay, okay, I give in. I’ll do it. You win.”

“We thought you might see it our way,” Celestia chuckled and turned to look behind her, out the door, “you can bring her in now. The third floor private guestroom with en suite bathroom is the best, I hereby designate it a temporary embassy of the High Reaches Griffon Clan with all rights and privileges thereof. Lady Ambassador Silverhoof here is it’s duly appointed liason. So let it be.”

“High Reaches Clan?” said Rainbow Dash, looking up as two male and beady-looking griffon guards were shouldered out of the way by none other than Gilda, tied up with a splint and enough bandages to swamp half a herd of cattle.

“Heya butthead.”

Dash smiled, “It’s nice to see you again, Princess Wildfeather Longwing Strongbeak of the High Reaches Clan.”

Celestia and Dash shared a look, smiling slyly at each other. Celestia winked. Dash could give as well as take.

“Oh don’t you start. I’ve had enough of that already. I’m gonna give Pops a piece of my beak when I get back.”

Celestia grinned, “I can see you two are already getting well acquainted. We’ll start ferrying up the rest of the wounded soon. Good day.”

***

Rainbow Dash nosed her way outside after settling Gilda in. She was well and truly awake now and couldn’t get back to sleep... and besides, there was a commotion brewing.

“That’s it, that’s it... take the slack - there! Set it! Let it rise, let it rise... valves opening... NOW!”

Rainbow watched perplexed as a team of pegasus ponies flitted around helping several unicorns - obviously with cloud walking spells - as a large and familiar-looking pink hot air balloon broke through the cloud cover. The pink balloon had something equally pink and far more hyperactive bouncing within the basket below it.

“Whee! Isn’t this fun!” shouted Pinkie happily as she leaped out of the gondola and bounced around on the clouds outside Dash’s home without the slightest acknowledgement that she was several hundred feet in the air and couldn’t fly.

“Pinkie? what on earth are you doing up here?”

“That’s nurse Pinkie to you! Oh and Luna wants to see you, and me! But I’m going to help here first.”

“Luna wants to see me, us?”

“Uh huh! I think it’s about Twilight and Fluttershy, they’re still lost and that’s so sad that..."

“Pinkie! You’re getting carried away again, tell me what you know.”

Pinkie took a deep breath, “I was delivering cakes to all the injured and needy but then I got told they couldn’t all have cakes and I used the ones I had and was going to get more but then I found Luna and she was singing so beautifully that I just had to stop and listen, and after that she said to come find you! And so I did! She’s just down there!” Pinkie pointed with a hoof to where Rainbow could see a dark blue shape amidst the fires.

Rainbow blinked, “Did she say what she wanted exactly?”

“Nu-uh, but she said to be ready for later tonight, and now I’m here, I’m going to help with all the poor pegasus ponies who’ve lost their pep becaues that makes me so sad and I can’t bear to see sad ponies so I’m gonna make it all better with lots of love and laughter and streamers and candy and..."

Rainbow let her patter on and went to see the balloon. Twilight’s contraption had been commandered and heavily modified. It now included a little basket in which lay a very content looking Spike, chewing on something glassy.

“Hey, Rainbow! What’s up?” said the dragon, with a cheeky wave.

“You are, sport. Heh, what’re you doing in there?”

“I’m the official balloon altitude management technician.” he pointed a clawed thumb at himself with pride.

“Which means?”

“I lie here and snack on gems, inflate the balloon to go up and when it gets there, a little bit more whoosh and the rope pulls the hatch open. Hot air goes out, we go down.”

“They pay you for that?”

“Yeah, and all the gems I can eat, too. Rubypeppers and Chillidiamonds, want some?” the dragon offered a clawful to the pegasus, who shook her head.

“Er... no thanks champ, I’m trying to cut down.”

“No problemo, Lady Silverhoof.”

“Et tu, Spike?”

***

Rainbow fluttered down, a little unsteadily. She’d been patched up by the doctors the previous day but it still felt awkward. Below her was Luna, directing the morbid yet solemn and necessary work of clearing the dead with as much dignity as could be mustered. The fighting was over, but it still felt strange to see ex-enemy soldiers working alongside their foes of the days before. If Celestia and Luna trusted them, she did too.

“Good morning, Rainbow Dash.” said Luna quietly, inclining her head

“Greetings your Majesty.”

“Please, call me Luna, I don’t like titles between friends.”

“You heard about that, huh?”

Luna smiled, “I did. My sister has no secrets from me - and besides, I looked you all up after our... altercation last year.”

“Luna, I’m-” Rainbow tried to say, but was silenced by the princess.

“No, Rainbow, I was in the wrong. I was... I was what I was. You freed me and I am forever grateful. As I was saying I looked you all up. You’re all related to us - distantly. Very distantly.’

“Really?”

Luna nodded, but leaned in, “Can I tell you a secret?”

Dash nodded, all ears.

“Almost every pony is!”

Rainbow blinked, and then thought, and then laughed, “Good one, Luna!”

“Took you down a peg or two, didn’t it?” she said, softly, but her eyes were bright.

“Haha, yeah. Not that I needed it. My parents need it a bit more, that’s why I’m here, rather than there.”

“Walk with me, Rainbow Dash.”

The pair walked towards where Applejack was helping to pull carts. A brief word later and the pair were a trio. They wandered back into town and collected Ditzy Doo - she was loathe to leave her mailbags, but at the insistence of the princess she did as bid - and they went to find Rarity.

Rarity was distraught, her life’s work was in ruins, set ablaze during the fighting, “Oh what am I to do? I’ve worked so very, very hard - the ball in Trottingham, the Grand Galloping Gala... Hoity Toity himself was endorsing my work! Now look at me!”

Luna thought for a moment, “Rarity... I know it hurts, but if you could... there are many, many ponies without homes, without clothing save what they wore on their backs..."

Rarity went whiter, “Oh I’m an awful pony! Simply awful! Crying over mere fabric when lives are in pieces!” she burst into tears, looking at the ruins of her shop and realising that she, at least, was able to rebuild.

Luna shook her head, “Dear Rarity, that wasn’t my intention. I meant - you should lend a hoof with making tents, curtains, clothing, blankets. Surely you can train apprentices in next to no time! Go find those with talents like yours, teach them, show them. Draw up some designs. Frugal, simple, effective - and maybe the name of so noble a pony as to give up so much for so many others will aid you in rebuilding what you had.”

Rarity sniffled, wiping a hoof across her nose in a very un-ladylike manner, “I will do it. Not for myself, but for those in need. Fashion need not be denied ponies merely because of their life’s circumstances. Feeling fabulous will bring a little bit of warmth all on it’s own.”

Luna smiled secretly to herself, “I know, Rarity, you couldn’t be the bearer of generosity if it were any other way... but don’t get too carried away! You’re needed elsewhere so very, very soon. We are almost assembled, we are missing one..."

“Pinkie? She’s... ugh, I left her at my place.”

There was a thump and a large white winged unicorn caught up to the group with a very mellow-looking pink pony on her back.

“Pinkie?” gasped Rainbow Dash, running to her friend’s side.

“Princess!” squeaked Applejack and Ditzy Doo, both bowing swiftly.

“My friends!” said Celestia, motioning for them to stand up. She deposited the pink pony in front of Rainbow Dash, who - with the help of Applejack - tried to revive her.

“You’re my friend?” asked Ditzy Doo eagerly.

As a response, the princess gently kissed her forehead, “After we have done battle together, how could we not be? We all have a common cause now - we must save Fluttershy and my poor lost student, Twilight.”

“What happened to Pinkie?” asked Dash, poking the pink pudgy pony.

“I fear she found your icecream and soda stash, Rainbow.”

“Oh no... what’s the damage?”

“I’m sorry to report, it was totally devastated.”

“So much... soooo much soda... so much icecream... sooooo gooooodd..." groaned Pinkie, flopping to the ground, her distended stomach almost acting as a cushion. She burped, rolling over and giggling, her legs kicking randomly. Rainbow Dash facehoofed.

***

They all headed towards the square, Luna requesting that the group keep together. There was a commotion and the group saw Zecora leading a strange pink unicorn into the square.

“That... that’s Pinkie’s double!”

“Weepy Cry,” said Celestia, nodding, “I fear I must deal with this. Luna, attend me.”

“Yes, sister.”

Rainbow watched spellbound and turned her head when there was talk of taking lives, but at the soft gasp of the crowd that had formed, she turned back. Spidery, gossamer threads of light were weaving around the head of the pink unicorn and she stood with her eyes closed swaying with the wind. Suddenly Celestia drew back, drawing the strange glowing cloud with her, before breathing on it softly. The strange light dissipated into the air. the pink pony slumped and lolled unconscious on the ground. The princess talked in low tones for a few moments, then nodded to each other. As Luna and Celestia dispersed, the pony was taken away.

“What happened?” Rainbow asked Luna, “Is she dead?”

“Dead? Oh no,” said Luna, “she is forgiven.”

“What? But... but..." Rainbow was furious.

“Calm yourself, calm. My sister was requested to take a life, and my sister... is reluctant to do such a thing unless necessary. Instead we took her memories. All that she was, many years of sadness and tragedy, are gone. What you saw was... a foal. She’s just a foal now, only a scant few summers of her life remain. Her life was a burden, now she has a chance to live again.”

“But she..."

“Are foals born evil, Rainbow Dash?”

“No! Of course not!”

“Then grant her this.”

Rainbow hung her head, “You are right. What’s going to happen to her now?”

“She is still troubled, I must work my magic on her, but that will be later tonight during her true sleep when she dreams. After that, you must all meet my sister and I in the Everfree Forest. You will know where. Promise me. When the moon has risen.”

“We shall, Luna.”

***

Later that night, five of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony stood their ground as the howling wind built to a crescendo, the sixth sitting panting not far off as she worked her magic. The storm which had ripped through Ponyville a little over a week ago was being replayed in miniature in the wrecked glade of the Everfree Forest. It’s sheer proximity was frightful although few outside the forest knew it was even happening. Four of Celestia’s top spellweavers were lending their talents to stabilizing the portal the sun-princess was forcing open, Luna was doing her best to shield herself and her friends and the rest of Ponyville from the raging maelstrom and Celestia herself, intent on a simple opening spell, was in the very centre, the eye.

With a burst of light the sealed portal sprung open and the storm vanished into thin air, like water down the drain. The four unicorn mages were sweating, their coats slick and shiny, yet Celestia and Luna seemed unfazed.

“Is this the right one?” asked Applejack, “Y’all been tellin’ me how we’re just one Equestria amongst many.”

“It is,” said Celestia calmly, “the barrier between our two worlds was weakened by their coming, and we have their spore.”

“How do we know it’s safe?” asked Dash, peering at it with dark eyes.

“Safe? Safe? It’s another world ruled over by a powerful tyrant, under siege from a unicorn posessed by ancient spirits set on waging war on them and us!” said Rarity breathlessly, “Whatever made you think this could possibly be ‘safe’?”

“I mean,” said Dash, “how do we know this ‘Celeste’ hasn’t set any traps?”

“With any luck, our Twi’s been keepin’ her real busy like.”

“I’m not sure she’s our Twilight any longer,” said Rarity with an unreadable expression on her face.

“She’s Twi’ alright,” said Applejack, “I can tell. Somewhere inside that gal is our Twilight, that’s the honest truth.”

“And we have to do this for Fluttershy, we can’t leave either of our friends there!” chimed in Pinkie, “they’d be missing Gummy’s second birthday and Gummy would be so sad.”

“Pinkie, it’s a bit worse than that.”

“Oh I know,” said Pinkie, seriously, “they’d be missing my birthday too!”

“Girls, calm down,” said Luna, “I’ve got this.”

The princess concentrated, and a spark of light flickered into life on the tip of her horn as she stayed perfectly still with her eyes closed. It flickered through the air, disappeared through the portal and then a few moments later returned.

“There is... something strange with the barrier but then I have never travelled between worlds quite like this before. I think it’s safe, safe enough that is.”

“I cannot change your minds?” asked Celestia, looking at each of the bearers in turn, who one by one shook their heads.

“No, sister, we have to do this. We cannot just leave Fluttershy, or Twilight, and we absolutely cannot rest until we know Celeste will not return.”

Celestia was troubled, staring at the ground for a few moments before looking back up with steely resolve, “Then go! Go now! Go with my blessings, and just... please come home safe? I don’t want another thousand years to pass before I see you again.”

“Have no fear, big sister, we will return. All of us. Take care of Weepy-Cry, I have done my best and she will wake tomorrow.”

With that, they stepped through.

The sky ripped open with a blinding flash that threw shutters from their holdings and shattered glass. Out of the burning portal marched the tattered remains of the elite guard, the war-troops that should have rolled over a defenceless and ignorant populace, crushing all resistance. Instead... something had stopped them. Whatever it had been, had surely been bad. For the beleaguered citizens of Poniberg, it was yet another in a string of disasters stretching as far as the mind could recall. They picked up the broken pieces of their lives and trudged on.

Speedy the unicorn - his real name was Fleethoof, but everypony called him Speedy - just hoped that whatever it was, it wouldn’t come back through.

As he watched, Celeste herself reappeared upon the back of her monstrous great dragon. She was screaming and spitting incoherent abuse at the glowing nimbus of light. With a crack of dark magic she did something to the portal, before turning back and cackling as she harried her pathetic minions along with threats of further abuse and executions.

“Twilight Doom? Pah! I’ll see her body crushed and her spirit ripped from her bones... MOVE YOU LAZY MULES!” Celeste screamed, taking wing and casting her dark magics about the column of light, “Just try to follow me now. You’ll die of old age in that nowhere hell and I’ll take what’s rightfully mine.”

Speedy whimpered, the devastated military horde trundled their way through the outskirts of Poniberg, looting where necessary - although they called it confiscation - throwing the ponies that lived there further into a miserable pit of despair.

***

As the days after the ignominious defeat turned into weeks he’d mostly forgotten about Celeste’s actions, he’d figured that whatever had happened through the portal would stay on the other side. He still kept watch, but he hoped... with all his might he hoped it was ended. That hopeful ignorance was shattered when the portal was once more thrown open.

He’d been skulking about the Everscream looking for food. He suspected most of the merchants in Poniberg of selling somehow tainted goods that blanked the mind and ate the soul as his own parents had started to neglect him. They faded more and more each day into quietly soulless automatons. He cried at night, and made himself scarce by day.

As he trotted cautiously but optimistically through the Everscream Forest, the ear-splitting screech of reality being rent asunder made him whimper. He’d been foraged through the undergrowth, and leaped to hide in some nearby bushes, expecting an invading army. The sight of the single demonic entity slamming through the barrier, showering flame and lightning was somehow worse. The creature - a purple unicorn with black burning wings of darkness and hooves lit with balefire - screamed in anger and sent flame searing through the darkening skies before turning tail mid-flight and heading deep into the Everscream.

Speedy gulped, foraging had just become more dangerous, but now something worse crossed his mind; Celeste had laid a trap, and it had failed. She’d crowed about trapping her adversary forever, leaving it weak and helpless. The creature that he saw winging it’s way into the forest looked anything but weak.

Ever since that night, he’d feared to set foot in the forest. The Everscream had always been a pit of darkness, dangerous and quick to punish the unwary. Now... now it seemed as if eyes watched from the uneasy pregnant silence of the close branches, ready to pounce. It hadn’t taken a day after that but the foals had started to go missing. First the three foals from the Apple Freehold. He’d heard them screaming on that fateful night, but... then they’d come back. For a few moments all had seemed to be over, just a scare. It hadn’t taken long before he’d realised they’d come back... different.

Now they were after him.

***

Travelling the bridge between worlds was not pleasant, the sensation was akin to being strained like spaghetti through a series of tubes each impossibly smaller than the last and yet emerging in one piece. There was a terrible feeling of crushing weight, vertigo, an odd feeling of being twisted inside out, and then they found themselves emerging into a clearing in a wood which looked frightfully similar to the one they had left.

“You sure this is the right place, sugarcube?”

Luna looked up and around at their point of entry, it was full night. They should have arrived in the afternoon, the worlds had been in sync, “I’m not sure. This is the right world, the right place... but the time..."

“Winter is coming,” said Ditzy Doo softly, a faraway look in her eyes, “I can tell. I have the weather in my bones, Mama always said and she says I’m never wrong.”

“Winter?” complained Dash, “but it wasn’t even summer back home!”

“I fear we’ve been tricked, led astray, or maybe... maybe it was just an accident. When travelling between worlds like this, things can get out of phase. We’re in the right place, just... not the right time. I think some six months have passed, we’re on the wrong side of the summer solstice!”

“Six months?” squeaked Dash, “Who knows what could’ve happened in that time!”

“I’ll tell ya what did happen!” yelled Pinkie, “You missed my birthday party!

***

The group walked as quietly as possible through the dark forest, even Pinkie’s bounces were restrained and careful. It was eerily familiar but somehow different and it didn’t help that there was an aching wrongness to everything, like an itch behind the eyes that they just couldn’t scratch.

Bringing it up, Dash said, “I wonder if this was why they failed? If I have to fight with this damned place giving me the creeps I’d go crazy.”

Luna shook her head keeping her eyes on the path, nothing had bothered them yet but it was likely only a matter of time, “They were unlucky. With a day’s less warning, and without Twilight and her nightmare army, they would have had the edge on us, even with the storm. It’s just plain dumb luck we’re alive to do something so utterly stupid as to walk into the griffon’s den.”

The forest thinned, the path was leading out into moon-touched farmland. Applejack recognized the lay of the land, it was Sweet Apple Acres, or it used to be. Now it seemed to be a training ground. There was a bonfire with a group of young ponies clustered around it. There was whooping and hollering and bucking, they seemed to be having a celebration. Applejack stepped out of the bushes to head towards the friendly gathering but Pinkie pulled her back, “Applejack down!”

“What in tarnation..?”

“Applejack, who’s the party pony around here?”

Pinkie was serious. Applejack stopped and thought, “Why you are, sugarcube, but I don’t..."

“That’s right, you don’t. I do! You don’t want to join that party, trust me. Just watch.”

Applejack watched as two little ponies brought out a third, she was clearly muzzled and from her body posture was scared out of her wits. She could just make out what they were saying...

“My little ponies!” said the leader, standing on a platform made from what appeared to be a felled appletree, “We are gathered here tonight to welcome our new sister, Tagalong, to the herd!”

There was a great stomping of hooves as the tiny party-going equines hammered their forelegs into the dirt with gusto, but finally the leader, she was a small yellow pony with a shock of red hair and mane that gleamed in the firelight, raised a forehoof for silence, “The time of the unmaking is here! Hold her down, girls, this is going to hurt.”

The muzzled pony gave a squeal and kicked, but could not get free. The two ponies holding her down had done this before. The watching ponies starting chanting, “Mark! Mark! Mark!” in a droning staccato exhultation that rose in fits and spurts. A knife gleamed in the firelight, held expertly in the yellow pony’s mouth and it flashed as it rose into the air.

Applejack gasped, but Dash pulled her back, “It’s not Applebloom! It’s not! Don’t look!”

Applejack couldn’t help it, she kept watching as the grizzly scene unfolded.

The muzzled pony let out a screeching wail as the knife sliced into her flank, near her tail. With a practiced sawing motion, a flap of hide was cut free, dripping red in the firelight. The sobs of the pony faded to choking noises and the pony just twitched. They had cut her cutie-mark off. As the not-Applebloom held it up, the throng cheered and hollered all the louder. she threw it into the fire, it evidently wasn’t even worth keeping.

The chant changed now, “Brand! Brand! Brand!”

“Do you want her, sisters?” asked the leader, and the noise grew louder, apparently signifying consent. “Do you accept her, my co-alphas?”

The two ponies holding down the third, a unicorn and a pegasus foal, both nodded, “we accept her, as the new omega.”

“So shall it be done! Fetch the brand!”

Applejack watched horrified as, with renewed squealing and the smell of scorched flesh, the mutilated pony was branded in place of her cutie-mark. Sobbing, she was set free. The muzzle was removed and the two ponies holding her down got off. She struggled to her feet, eyes on the ground, before whispering, “Thank you, herd leader.”

“The dark herd grew tonight!” shouted the yellow earth-pony, and she stamped on the log-platform rhythmically, chanting, “Herd! Herd! Herd!”

Her voice was joined by the others, growing louder and more manic as the new pony picked up the beat and raised her weak, strained voice.

Applejack looked away, finally, tears in her eyes.

***

The group had moved on, even more silently, skirting Sweet Apple Acres, or whatever it’s called in this world, Applejack had mused darkly. There would be no succour from that place.

“I don’t like this world,” said Ditzy Doo, “they-they need more muffins and hugs.”

“I don’t think any of us do,” said Luna, “but we must search for what allies we can and never lose hope. Our friends depend on us.”

The group stopped at the outskirts of a dimly-lit town, the wan glow of lights visible in the gloom.

“Poniberg,” read Rarity, using her horn to light up the sign, “how startlingly original.”

“That’s prolly what they thought when they saw our place, sugarcube,” said Applejack, with a sour smile.

“So much idle chatter from those who would seek to overthrow the sun tyrant.” stated a cold contralto voice from a hooded figure who had seemingly materialized in the middle of the road. She stood brazen and tall in the moonlight.

“Stand and deliver!” added a second voice, another pony had leapt out into the road with a wicked-looking blade tied in it’s tail, “I mean, if that’s alright with you..."

Dash had tensed at the first intruder, but at the sound of her voice took a step back. “Fluttershy?” asked Dash, one forehoof in the air from her aborted leap into action.

Fluttershy, for it was indeed the lost yellow pegasus, squeaked out in a very small voice, “H-how did you know it was me?”

Dash leaped instead to give her a hug, as did the rest of the gang. Ditzy Doo gave her an extra-special hug. When it broke, Fluttershy held her at hoof’s length for a moment, admiring the Element of Kindess, before hugging her even tighter again.

“I knew you were special, Derpy” said Fluttershy quietly into Ditzy Doo’ mane.

“Papa always said so,” whispered Ditzy Doo back, sniffling happily.

“If you’re quite finished,” said the first strange pony in a frustrated voice, “you’re late and we’ve got to get out of here before we’re spotted.”

“Late? Just a darn tootin’ minute, how were you waitin’ fer us and jest how long’ve you been waitin’?”

“I have been waiting for the last six months for you to show up, and every second you delayed has made things worse for us!”

“Who are you?” asked Dash, flaring her wings menacingly and striking an agressive pose, “Just why should we go with you?”
Dash stared at the strange hooded pony critically - she seemed like nothing out of the ordinary at first glance; a simple blue earth-pony - the hue may have been something else but in the darkness it appeared washed out. Still, she held herself with a certain regal pose, thought the pegasus, that seemed instinctual - inbred.

“You should come with me because I am the only one who can give you what you seek, a chance at reuniting yourselves with your other friend, Twilight. What do you have to fear from me? If you don’t want to believe me, believe your friend at least.”

“Fluttershy, is she the real deal?” Applejack asked, narrowing her eyes when the yellow pegasus nodded, “well alright then. If Fluttershy believes in her, I do to. Come on girls, let’s git whilst we can.”

***

The blue earth-pony led the way through Poniberg, wherever they passed remained in shadow and the few wary guards paid them no heed. She had motioned them to absolute silence and whilst the thumping of the blood in their ears seemed a clarion call, nopony was alerted to their presence. Their estimation of the seeming-earth pony went up several notches as she brazenly made way through the town to a familiar-looking tree.

“Come,” she whispered, “around the back here is the entrance to the cellars. This is no time to balk, get in. I can only keep up this glamour for so long before it’s use is detected.”

Luna forged ahead, opening the doors with her magic as delicately as possible and trotting down the wide stairs. She was followed, reluctantly, by everypony. The doors were eased shut by the strange earth-pony and the group trotted onwards into a corridor lit by pale balefire lamps.

“Now, lady, I want to know who you are,” said Rainbow Dash, turning “I want answers, and no tricks.”

“As you wish, we’re safe now.”

The mare in front of them closed her eyes. without any visible outward sign, her simple pastel colouration changed to powerful midnight blues and purples, her hair began to shine with the fire of the milky way and, as if they’d always been there but had merely been overlooked, her horn and wings burst into view. She spread them, every inch exuding an aura of power and might. She breathed deeply and shook her mane loose.

“Ahh but it feels good to stretch these wings... even in these cramped quarters.”

“You... you’re Nightmare Moon!” yelled Dash as she spread her wings in shock and prepared to attack, but a dark shape moved quickly to calm the pegasus.

“Hush, child, this is no nightmare,” chided Luna, “this is what I will be when I am truly fully grown, not merely imbued with the power of the element of magic.”

Luna turned to the uneasily familiar-looking winged unicorn pony who stood now where an unassuming earth-pony had so recently been, “I know you. You’re me. My double. Selena.”

A curt nod from the magical mare confirmed things, “You are the younger sister, I take it, from your world? Here, I am the eldest. I have hidden myself and my compatriots from prying eyes for as long as I could, waiting for you six to venture this way.”

“Wait, I don’t understand... is this really your double?” Dash asked Luna, peering back at the mysterious mare.

Selena stretched, stood straight, and looked the Equestrian ponies in the eye, one at a time, “I am Queen Selena du Lunara of the Starlit Reaches, Protector of the Great Deeps and Guardian of the Constellations. Mine is the night sky, dreams, the greater deeps, space, the constellations and every star within it.”

The enormity of that sunk in and they looked up at the goddess with new understanding. She nodded solemnly, “My sister, jealous of my domain, sought control of the Elements of Discord, but..." Selena tailed off for a moment before continuing, voice tight, “they cannot be controlled, they are chaos embodied. In my haste I cast them out into your world.”

“So it was you!” said Rarity, suddenly, angrily, “It was you and your damned foolish meddling that sent us those... those things! They created a monster from our sweet and gentle Twilight Sparkle and doomed our Luna to our moon for a thousand years!”

“That must have caused you great pain.” whispered Selena, the same pain echoed in her eyes as in her speech.

“They were weak, they sought a single bearer. They found me. I fashioned them into armour and took on my sister for dominion of the day.” Luna shivered for a moment before carrying on, “Ancient history, it is passed. If you will aid us in restoring our friend and protecting our world from another invasion, then many things can be forgiven and forgotten.”

Selena looked at her opposite sagely for a moment, “You are wise beyond your apparent years, little one.”

“A thousand years on the moon taught me patience, my friends taught me love and forgiveness. Neither of which will aid us if we are caught.”

“Then behold, the New Lunar Republic. Long may it reign.” said Selena brightly, forcedly, as she threw open the doors.

Six collective hearts sunk.