> The Ballad of the Two Sisters > by SuperGiantRobot > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Loneliness, Love and Loss > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- There lives in old Equestria The Princess fair Celestia Charged with moving the moon and sun above, She had no partner, nor a friend To aid in her task without end She despaired for she had no-one to love. The heavens were once all she knew Her sun, her moon, her skies of blue And her clouds fattened with both rain and snow, But glories of the sky above Paled next to somepony to love And was a cruel fact for her to know. Yet Celestia soldiered on From dawn to dusk, from dusk to dawn Accepting that this was the way of things, But this was not to be her lot She'd soon find the friendship she sought For something wondrous waited in the wings... One night she returned to her room Her only friend midnight's dim gloom She sighed sadly and shook her pink-maned head, She opened her room's heavy door And was shocked to her very core A filly was asleep upon her bed! Waking with the lightest of sighs She opened her lovely green eyes Each pony's eyes locked upon the other, The filly was the first to speak In a lovely voice soft and meek She asked the Princess "Are you my mother?" The question caught her by surprise And tears of pure joy filled her eyes She leaned down and kissed the dark filly’s head, “Though that would please me to no end I am not, my dear little friend But I can be sister to you instead.” Her mane and coat both dark as night They glowed softly with their own light The filly's eyes were a-glow just the same, Bereft of name, of title none Celestia chose for her one "Luna" would be her friend and equal's name. Her coming was no chance event There was a reason she'd been sent And that special reason came to light soon, Not merely one, no, there were two To love her and to be loved too And to become the Princess of the Moon. She would show her how it was done Raising moon after setting sun And lower it to hasten forth dawn bright, Luna would be her protégé Celestia would show the way And teach her how she would control the night. That could come on a later day For now she wished to prance and play With dear Luna, the apple of her eye, But then that day came, all to soon To teach Luna to raise the moon And she commenced the lessons with a sigh. The lessons taught were quickly learned For the young Princess Luna yearned To help Celestia in any way, Besides, it looked like it was fun Raising moon after setting sun To bring a close to each and every day. And soon the lessons were complete And Luna promised she would meet All that was expected of her station, Seeing the truth in what she said Celestia nodded her head And to Luna made a proclamation: "Now that you have learned what to do Dear sister Luna, I trust you To take on this duty and do it right, "To you this duty I now give And for as long as we both live I shall be morning and you will be night." Both Celestia's love and pride Flooded out from her soul inside And her mane and tail filled with a dim light, Her sister saw the dim light grow Soon becoming a spectral glow And Luna stepped away from her in fright. Luna's green eyes went round and wide She pointed a hoof and she cried "Oh sister mine, your mane is all aglow!" The strange glow soon faded away Celestia's mane changed that day And was now the colors of a rainbow. And thus the sisters joined as one One rules the moon and one the sun The two together danced in harmony, But all good things come to an end A fate on which you can depend And this friendship would end in tragedy... The years uncounted floated by The sisters two both shared the sky But soon envy stole into Luna's soul, The envy seethed, bubbled and stirred To Luna wicked whispers purred And they slowly began to take their toll. It spoke to her one summer night As she enjoyed the full moon’s light In a silken voice designed to beguile, The source of the voice heard within Was one of corruption and sin A demon’s voice both devious and vile. "Greetings to you, O’Princess fair I am known by the name ‘Nightmare’ But fear not, for I mean no ill intent, “I've come to be your special friend Upon whose words you can depend In fact that is the reason I was sent. “The ponyfolk all rise from bed To greet the sunlight overhead And they bask in the sun’s bright warming gift, “Soon enough comes the pitch black night Lit by your moon and stars so bright But unlike the day’s sun you get short shrift. "They all ignore your nightly toil Does it not cause your blood to boil? Why bother to continue anyway? “You raise the moon after sun's fall Nopony cares, not one at all They wait for your sister to bring the day! "T’is true that under moon above Some ponies confess their deep love But these events are few and far between, "You think your sister gave a prize When she offered the evening skies? My dear Luna how naïve you have been! “She only gave this task to you So she would have less work to do A gift born from both laziness and spite, “And in truth I have heard it said You are merely a figurehead Nopony stays awake to watch the night…” She paid no heed, or so she tried To these dark words from deep inside For sister princess she truly adored, She pushed Nightmare’s smooth voice away But it was strengthened day by day Stabbing at her heart like a sharpened sword. Nightmare went on, wheedled and lied Stoked her ego, prodded her pride And she began believing what it said, Her heart and soul fought back in vain But their strength soon began to wane And Nightmare’s voice grew louder in her head. It tore at her, it slashed and screamed Both while awake and while she dreamed The walls within her mind fell one by one, It breached the light within her soul The darkness took complete control And she confronted her sister, the Sun. "You are the only one they see No love is given unto me Next to you, I am merely second rate, "I soon felt envy towards you But that feeling, it swelled and grew And now for you I feel nothing but hate. "I hate you, Sister of the Sun I hate you for what you have done I hate you and I will forevermore, "My eyes are opened — now I see This 'duty' as a mockery And I refuse to take this any more. "You laugh at me when I'm not there And you believe me unaware Your sunlit days are numbered, sister dear, "Ponies will not show me respect Hold in esteem nor genuflect So I will just have to accept their fear. "I will force them to honor me I will be all that they will see I will banish your sunlight infernal, "When ponies look up to the sky They will not see you, only I For I shall bring forth Midnight Eternal!" To aid her in this wicked deed The demon Nightmare Moon was freed She set about to see this dark work done, And so the day confronted night And so the dark confronted light And so that day were seen both Moon and Sun. The two took to the skies above Envy and hate fought grace and love A battle terrible and glorious, Moon's chill frost mirrored sun's warm fire But soon Nightmare began to tire And her sister emerged victorious. Celestia begged at the end: "Please stop, sister! Please stop, my friend!" But Nightmare laughed and spat into her eye, With both a foul curse and a leer She swore revenge on "sister dear" And would return to make the sunlight die. With Luna lost to Nightmare's voice The princess made a fateful choice Only one punishment could fit this crime: Using her most powerful spell She made the pale moon Nightmare's cell Her prison forever and for all time. Sun Princess took back night's power And from her castle's high tower She once again controls both night and day, Now when she makes evening's moon rise Grief-stricken tears flow from her eyes For she believes she failed Luna some way. And so she lives alone once more Within stone walls, behind locked door In penance to the soul of sister lost, And on the moon hanging in space Lay a profile of Luna’s face Memorial to that day and its cost. So should you hear dark envy speak No matter how strong nor how weak I pray you take this tragic tale to heart: Fight it with all your soul within For if that loathsome voice should win It can tear friendships and families apart. > The Hymn of a Million Voices > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Led astray by a demon's call Orchestrating young Luna's fall To darkness and corruption of her soul, Possessed by both envy and hate Banishment was her final fate Her sister forced to pay this horrid toll. These events are well known to all The Moon Princess's rise and fall A tragic tale and a warning as well, And yet there still is much unsaid More of this story to be read Of the time after Princess Luna fell... Luna now banished for all time Final victim of Nightmare's crime Celestia's warmed heart began to chill, She knew that what she'd done was right Sending away Princess of Night Yet still this knowledge was a bitter pill. And for days Celestia wept From when she woke to when she slept But she continued her appointed task, She wished that she could change the past But soon accepted this at last And hid her grief beneath an aloof mask. So came the day, so came the night The moon's dim glow, the bright sunlight And Celestia sat upon her throne, Second to minute then to hour Hour to day within her tower Soon she no longer cared she was alone. Within her oubliette locked tight Corrupted Princess of the Night Looked down upon her lost world with a sneer, She thought of the Princess of Day The traitor who sent her away Nightmare’s hatred of her grew year to year. This was all Celestia's fault T'was she who locked her in this vault So all attention would be hers alone, And when she tried to have her say Her sister then sent her away To this prison of dust, craters and stone One day, atop her tall tower In the cooling breeze of dawn's hour Celestia heard voices call her name, The voices began at dawn's light And they went silent come the night Come the next day and still more voices came. She found from whence the voices came The folk below who called her name And she watched them, curiosity piqued, Caught in the depth of her sorrow She'd ignored the ponies below And so upon their lives the Princess peeked... Three tribes were once segregated Their tribe best, the others hated And for some time this was the way of things, They fought and cursed and threatened war The cycle then began once more A symbol of the chaos hatred brings. Celestia watched with dismay As the three tribes fought night and day And more than once she thought to intervene, But she chose to just watch and wait Observe but not participate It was safer to see but not be seen. She knew if she became involved Things would not be truly resolved She'd merely scare them into making peace, But members of the tribes below Worked to end this hate and sorrow Together as siblings to make this cease. Soon came the Priesthood of the Sun Aiding all those they came upon For all were equal in the Priesthood's view, Showing kindness in word and deed A helping hoof in time of need Or a smile and a friendly word or two. Working in the Holy Sun's name They fed the hungry, healed the lame And spread the word of her with every deed, They fought the hardships they would face To make the world a better place Their pilgrims set forth, sowing friendship's seed. And so they traveled night and day Gaining converts along the way From tribes of earth, of magic and of sky, Ones who felt for the greater good To join the cause of the Priesthood And render themselves deaf to hatred's lie. The Priesthood had a second goal: To shatter bigotry's control And show the tribes the damage it had done, They should accept and tolerate Spreading friendship and not just hate And then they could live together as one. They were different, one can't deny One used magic and one could fly And one could tame the earth and make crops grow, But in their souls they were the same Only different in form and name And this was a fact that they hoped to show. And so they offered aid to all And slowly tore down distrust's wall And soon the three tribes felt their hatred die, For the Priesthood had shown the way And thus they cast their past away And in the end the three asked themselves: Why? "Why did we do what we had done Why did we hate, why did we shun Why did we three do all these foolish things? "From the beginning, we tribes three Should all have lived in harmony And basked in all the joy that friendship brings! "What were we thinking? We were fools All that we cared of was who rules Who stood above the others in the end, "Instead of hatching plot and scheme And bolstering our self-esteem We could have spent that time making a friend." And thus the three tribes joined as one All were equal under the sun A fact that they should have known all along, So now the three stand side to side Discrimination pushed aside For together they stand three times as strong. Word of praise from across her land Spoken by one or by a band Extolling the virtues of Princess fair, Their voices soon were raised in song All Equestria sang along They sang their love of her while deep in prayer. Earth ponies and the pegasi And unicorns prayed to the sky The three pony tribes sang in harmony, She was the glory of the sun Gave warmth and life to everyone And so they worshiped her with melody. The Princess smiled from high above As ponyfolk shared peace and love And she felt the cold in her heart dissolve, For watching the three tribes make peace Conferred on her blessed release And on that day she came to a resolve. The Sun Princess Celestia Would travel to Equestria In answer to the three tribes' prayer and song, Yet she would go there in disguise Hiding her true form from their eyes To see just how well the three got along. The earth pony strode into town Her mane yellow, coat mottled brown And on her side there hung a threadbare pack, She spied an Inn in which to stay And call an end to her long day But first came to a halt to stretch her back. Many ponies bade her good day As they continued on their way Some waved a hoof and some gave her a smile, A pegasus stallion drew near And asked her: "May I help, my dear? "It's clear that you've traveled many a mile. "You're tired and you could use a break "So please allow me to help make "Your stay in my town the best that I can "Your saddlebag, it weighs you down; "I'll carry it for you through town." Celestia thought 'Such a gentleman!' She smiled. "Thank you sir, that's most kind Are you certain that you don't mind? My saddlebag is quite heavy, you see," The pegasus who'd offered aid Gave the mare a kind laugh and said "I am quite strong - this weight won't bother me." The bag was taken from her side The earth pony happily sighed And together they trotted down the road, But the pack weighed more than he thought He thought it light, but it was not And soon he struggled beneath the pack's load. The Princess was raising its mass For she saw that they would soon pass A light green unicorn with mane pure white, This was a test so she could see What the pony's response would be Upon seeing her winged companion's plight. The unicorn shortly came by With a concerned look in her eye She saw the pegasus began to list, The unicorn mare stopped to ask "May I give you aid with your task? You seem exhausted, please let me assist!" The unicorn then cast a spell To help carry the weight as well The pegasus thanked her for her kind act, His ribs and back were growing sore He couldn't hold the weight much more He had almost reached his limit, in fact. The three stopped at the village Inn The saddlebag was bundled in And the glow faded from their helper's horn, After a stretch of wings and back Responding with a hearty crack The pegasus turned to the unicorn. "Thank you, ma'am, you were very kind To help we two out of that bind It seems I'm not as strong as I had thought, "That will teach me I should not boast I'd nearly given up the ghost And I appreciate your help a lot." "Think nothing of it" she replied "For I was happy to provide Assistance to the both of you, good sir, "And I see here a brand new face Somepony new's come to this place Pray let me introduce myself to her." The unicorn's name was Limecream, The pegasus was named Jet Streem, They welcomed hidden Princess with a smile, She told them her name was Sunray And she had traveled all the day And so she planned to stay here for a while. They spoke for a while with Sunray But soon the two went on their way They bid farewell, she thanked the two once more, So far the Princess was impressed Limecream and Jet had passed her test So she decided that she would explore. She saw the three tribes mingled free In some cases intimately Many were married with foals by their side, And thus the Princess of the Sun Had proof the three were now as one And so decided to no longer hide. She trotted into the town square A pale glow surrounding the mare And soon all attention was on Sunray, "I'm certain you can no doubt see I'm not quite who I seem to be And there is something that I wish to say. "I've misled you these three days past Sunray naught but a role I've cast I am not the pony that I appear, "Yet my deception was benign A part of a greater design And I intend to unmask myself here." Sunray raised her head to the sky And then let out a wordless cry A blinding burst of sunlight filled the square, The bright light focused on Sunray The earth pony melted away And instead a statuesque mare stood there. She was a beauty to behold Her rainbow mane, her hooves shod gold Her violet eyes, her coat of silken white, And then wings unfurled from her side And the Princess stretched them out wide Her body glowed as if filled by sunlight. And yet nopony was afraid Instead rapt attention was paid Nopony balked, nopony broke to run, "I am the Bringer of the Day I am she to whom you all pray I am Celestia, Princess of Sun!" She told then the tale of her life Of loneliness, love, hate and strife The rise and fall of Luna of the Moon, Of what she'd gained and what she'd lost And just how much this loss had cost And how she had stopped caring all too soon. "One day I heard you call to me And I watched over your tribes three And how you three fought all your night and days, "And then the Priesthood of Sun came And bound you three under my name And showed you the foolishness of your ways. "Your rivalries came to an end An enemy became a friend This victory was yours and yours alone, "And seeing you working as one Seeing hatred being undone Brought life once again to my heart of stone. "I am proud of you, one and all And so I now answer the call Made by ponies all across this nation, "I should have done this long ago I waited far too long, I know So to you I make this proclamation: "You need no longer pray to me I shall come forth for all to see From this day on I will not hide away, "I'll leave my castle's gloomy hall, For somewhere seen by one and all." The plans for Canterlot were born that day. In her lunar cell locked and closed, The demon Nightmare Moon reposed, Visions of Celestia filled her dreams, Her betrayal would be repaid She'd stab her heart and twist the blade And relish in her sister's tortured screams. But she'd not raise a hoof to her The torture that she would endure Would bring her sister Princess to her knees, Nightmare would call a wind that chilled A wind that burned, a wind that killed And Celestia would watch her land freeze. The sun would fall and never rise She would be the Queen of the Skies And she would release the Forever Night, The ponyfolk would scrape and plead And beg her for the warmth they need And cower in fear beneath her moon's light. Her castle hung from mountain high Landmark to every pony eye She built Canterlot for the sake of all, A place of marble purest white It glowed by day, shimmered at night From its cobbled streets to its towers tall. A city grew 'round castle grand Now the Capital of the land The greatest city in Equestria, And to the three pony races Was the holiest of places As the home of Princess Celestia. And thus the days, they came and went The ponies of the land content Life for them was both joyful and serene, But on the thousandth year, some say These happy times would fall away And an evil darkness would intervene. Nightmare Moon would then reappear Demon Princess of dark and fear And she would bring with her eternal night, Nightmare would then strike dead the sun Nightmare would see the day undone Nightmare would forever destroy daylight. Most thought this was an old mare's tale A story penned to make foals pale Nopony believed Evernight would fall, They spurned this dark tale of Nightmare Little were the ponies aware There was truth to this fable after all. Still asleep in her airless tomb Deep within the moon's dark cold womb Nightmare dreamt on - her dreams wicked and vile, Soon her slumber was forsaken And she began to awaken And to her lips there came an evil smile. The magic that held her at bay Was growing weaker day by day So she fought against the diminished spell, And she would break free of the moon And she would return all too soon And she would make the world a sunless hell... > The Coming of the Evernight > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- And now I near the final act Of this tale of both myth and fact A story told over a thousand years Of a lonely princess, forlorn Of friendship found, lost and reborn Of love and hate, of laughter and of tears But enough talk of yesterday Let's jump from past to present day And tell of adventures and life-bonds born. Of six ponies who joined as one To fight darkness and free the sun It all began with a young unicorn... Her coat the shade of coming night Just after the fading sunlight Twilight Sparkle was the unicorn's name She was Celestia's student And it was young Twilight's intent To prove her worthiness to wield this fame As a filly some years ago Learning all that there was to know Was the only thing on the youngster's mind She studied morning, noon and night Under sun's rays or candlelight For each day there was a new fact to find She forsook friendship in those years And the fellowship of her peers Becoming introverted and awkward Not unfriendly nor was she rude She simply preferred solitude To focus on each equation and word One day she received a letter Formally recommending her To join a magic school - one of the best For her, this was a dream come true An honor shared with very few But first she had to pass an entrance test As tests go it was hard to match A dragon's egg she had to hatch And so she set to work, casting her spell This proved to be too much to ask Her magic not up to the task For not one crack appeared upon its shell She was forced to admit defeat This test beyond her skill to beat She'd failed - and right before her parent's eyes With a mournful look upon her face She lowered her head in disgrace And then a rainbow-hued blast filled the skies The explosion's sharp sudden shock Made her magic powers unlock And the room was filled with a spectral light The magic burst forth uncontrolled As Twilight quickly lost her hold It possessed her and her eyes glowed pure white The dragon shot forth from it's shell And grew one hundred feet as well Playing its role in this chaotic scene The air was filled with gasps of fright As every eye locked on the sight Celestia rushed forth to intervene She came upon a scene most dire A sphere made of lightning and fire Twilight trapped within the magic field's heart The filly moaned in agony And struggled to break herself free As her magic slowly tore her apart She raised a hoof and broke the spell And freed young Twilight from her cell She gave a wave - the storm faded away Twilight groaned and opened her eyes And gave a gasp of shocked surprise She'd been saved by the Princess of the Day! Celestia pledged on that day Twilight would be her protegé The filly jumped for joy and gave her thanks But she had won more than one prize For there before her very eyes Her cutie-mark rested upon her flanks Twilight's years passed without a care She grew from filly to young mare While satiating her thirst for knowledge As students came, she was the best Breezing through each school's quiz and test Quickly finding her way into college Though she still studied on her own She was not completely alone Her companion was the dragon she'd hatched 'Spike' was the little dragon's name And over time he soon became Both her friend and an assistant unmatched She read the tale of Nightmare Moon And learned that she would return soon Twilght felt her soul growing cold in fear On the thousandth year's longest day Was when the spell would fade away And that day came upon this very year! She knew then that she had to act And warn the Princess of this fact So that all the land would be protected She warned her of this dire event And quickly a reply was sent But the message was quite unexpected "Go to Ponville," she decreed "And ensure they have all they need To celebrate the coming summer day" "See preparations are complete Music, fun and fine foods to eat And try to make some friends along the way." Her order made no sense at all But she obeyed her mentor's call And set out to the distant town post-haste Her chariot took to the sky Twilight let out an annoyed sigh She didn't have very much time to waste She stewed and worried the whole ride Faithful Spike standing by her side Spike tried to cheer her up as they flew on "A break from work is what you need Making friends? You're sure to succeed Then we can celebrate the summer's dawn!" They soon arrived in Ponyville A charming town, quiet and still Their chariot landed in the town square Twilight thanked the two pegasi Who ferried her across the sky They nodded to her, then took to the air As the two walked through the town square They came across a bright pink mare Spike suggested Twilight go say hello As Twilight bade the mare good day She leapt up, gasped and ran away Twilight and Spike both blinked and watched her go With a shrug and a shake of head The two continued on instead To meet the ones catering the event An apple farm of some renown Was located just outside town So off to the farm Spike and Twilight went In Sweet Apple Acres' prized yard They spied a pony working hard An orange mare with a blonde mane and tail She raised her hind legs, strong and thick And laid a tree bare with one kick The apples dropped into a waiting pail She said her name was Applejack In charge of baking every snack And she greeted the two cordially She took to the pair right away And asked Twilight "Why don'tcha stay? I'll introduce you to my family!" The ever-friendly Apple brood Plied their new friends with snacks and food 'till Twilight felt her stomach fit to pop She bid farewell to Applejack Apple Bloom, Granny and Big Mac And then stumbled away to her next stop The next thing listed on her scroll Was to meet the weather patrol A pegasus by the name Rainbow Dash She looked up to the cloud-filled sky Twilight let out an annoyed sigh Then a sky-blue blur struck her with a crash She landed in a puddle dank Mud covered her from nose to flank Her assailant gave an apology "I'm sorry; didn't see you there Looks like I caught you unaware I'll clean you up in a jiffy, you'll see!" The pegasus used a cloud's rain To shower Twilight clean again But now poor Twight was soaked to her skin "Don't worry, I can fix that quick - A Rain Blow-dry will do the trick!" She dried the unicorn with a quick spin Twilight's mane was a sight to see - A tangled-up monstrosity The pegasus laughed out loud at the sight Twilight Sparkle just shook her head Glared at the pegasus and said: "I'm guessing you're Rainbow Dash, am I right?" "Yep, that's my name; you've heard of me? I'm picking up fans already! That's so cool, but then again so am I!" Twilight listened to Rainbow gloat And then she loudly cleared her throat And pointed her hoof at the cloudy sky "This sky should be both bright and blue! Stop slacking; you've got work to do The clouds won't clear themselves, so do your part!" Rainbow said that she'd get it done After completing her test run For she had a hope deep within her heart: Wow stallions, mares, fillies and colts Stunt-flying with the Wonderbolts And showing off for one and all to see Rainbow Dash bragged about her fame And awestruck fans shouting her name Twilight broke in to snort derisively: "You want to join that famous team? That's nothing but a silly dream I highly doubt you have skill for that." "Is that a challenge? I accept!" And up amongst the clouds she leapt. Rainbow cleared the sky in ten seconds flat! Twilight and Spike stared up and gaped Not one single cloud had escaped The rainbow-maned mare gave a cocky laugh "I told you I'd get the job done; I like you kid, you're lots of fun!" Still shocked, the two contined down the path. The pair soon reached the town hall door Twilight wished to check the decor And ensure that the hall was set just right A beautiful unicorn mare Hung silk streamers with style and flair Spike fell in love with the mare at first sight Her coat of alabaster hue Her eyes of purest sapphire blue Her violet mane and tail so elegent 'Rarity' was her name, he learned A name he felt perfectly earned Beauty such as hers must be heaven sent She let out a scream of distress Upon seeing the horrid mess That Twilight's mane and tail had come to be "The damage done to your coiffure Is more than my heart can endure Don't say one word; you're coming home with me!" She brought her home and set about Combing all the kinks and knots out And at last restoring Twilight's tresses Rarity asked "Oh Twilight, dear I wonder, since I have you here, If you could model some of my dresses?" More than a dozen dresses tried With each failure Rarity sighed She could not find a dress of the right style Something to complement Twilight But nothing she tried looked just right And yet she faced this challenge with a smile Fussing with a bejeweled frock Rarity made simple small talk And asked Twilight Sparkle from where she'd come "I came from Canterlot this day, To see the party underway" The seamstress gasped, the news striking her dumb "Canterlot? You really live there? You're ever so lucky a mare!" Rarity let out an enamoured sigh "That's exactly where I should be A city that's worthy of me I'm sure we'll be best of friends, you and I!" "Emeralds? Oh where was my head? This dress must have rubies, instead!" She gave her new best friend a winning smile "Just let me go and fetch them, dear Be a darling and wait right here It shan't take me much more than a short while." While occupied with Twilight's dress Twilight made a speedy egress She had to drag the smitten Spike along, Her list had one last box to tick: The pony in charge of music Suddenly the air filled with bright birdsong. She followed the song to a tree Where perched birds sang in harmony A bright yellow pegasus conducted, The pink-maned mare used gentle words As she taught the assembled birds The small flock gladly did as instructed. Twilight gave out a loud "Hello!" The birds darted off to and fro The pegasus nearly fell from the air, The unicorn gasped with dismay For scaring all the birds away And apologized to the frightened mare. She said her name was Fluttershy And tried to avoid Twilight's eye She cowered down and meekly backed away, Then she saw Spike, and she leapt up And she rushed to the dragon pup Shoving Twilight Sparkle out of the way. Spike basked in Fluttershy's delight For she'd dreamt morning, noon and night For this day - a dream finally fulfilled, Spike greeted her, she squeaked with glee And clapped her forehooves happily He spoke as well! Fluttershy was just thrilled. Fluttershy begged her new friend Spike To tell her what his life was like And the young dragon cheerfully complied She followed them home down the trail Raptly listening to Spike's tale Twilight trotted on, rolled her eyes and sighed. They arrived at the library A hollowed stump of a great tree And Twilight's home for the length of her stay, She bade farewell to Fluttershy And with the help of a small lie She briskly sent Fluttershy on her way. Spike glared at her and shook his head "Rude much, Twilight?" the dragon said Twilight gave her friend an apology, "I'm sorry, Spike, that wasn't fair But I must learn about Nightmare Defeating her is top priority! "Six 'Elements' laid Nightmare low But that's the only thing I know I need more knowledge and I need it soon "If I can learn just what they are And where to find them, near or far I'll have the tools to defeat Nightmare Moon. "Every single second I burn Is one closer to her return And if I study, I might a way "One of these books might hold the key If I search them diligently I could quite literally save the day!" She stepped into the library There wasn't anything to see For total darkness confronted her eyes She lit a lamp to clear the gloom Dozens of ponies filled the room And each and every one shouted "SURPRISE!" Greeting them with a boisterous shout Was the pink pony they'd freaked out Her blue eyes glinted with joy unrestrained, She danced and spun like a filly And jabbered on willy-nilly In a rush, the hot-pink maned mare explained: She wasn't running away scared A party had to be prepared For welcoming the two to Ponyville, "I set all this up just for you Party-planning is what I do And making new friends is a total thrill!" Her name, aptly, was Pinkie Pie Twilight gave an exhausted sigh She wouldn't get any studying done, She accepted this with poor grace And a glower upon her face While Spike raced into the crowd to have fun. She poured herself a nice cold drink Took a long sip, her face went pink Which quickly darkened to a blazing red, She let out an agonized yell Her throat burned like the flames of Hell For she'd drunk a mug of hot sauce instead! The party continued all night "They're all crazy!" shouted Twilight "It's three AM, and still they party on?" Spike, trying to coax her return Said it was nothing of concern It was tradition to stay up 'til dawn. Twilight's thoughts turned to the fable She wondered if she'd be able To do anything to prevent this fate, She prayed this was a old mare's tale For she felt herself doomed to fail She'd learned nothing, and now it was too late. Dawn came, and ponies one and all Trotted over to the town hall Twilight's five new friends kept her company: Applejack, playful Pinkie Pie Rainbow Dash, and meek Fluttershy And, naturally, graceful Rarity. Fluttershy's bird choir sang their song Their chorus rang out sweet and strong Mayor Mare made a speech to set the scene, Twilight cast her gaze to the skies And before her horrified eyes Luna's profile was gone; the moon was clean! The mayor's speech soon reached it's peak "Of course you know of whom I speak A name famous across Equestria, A pony we admire and love Who controls moon and sun above Welcome to you, Princess Celestia!" The Princess wasn't there at all And panicked gasps filled the town hall The mayor tried to calm the frightened throng, There was no sign of the Princess Which merely heightened their distress It was clear something was terribly wrong. Dark smoke took the Princess's place And Twilight's heart began to race For an ancient evil had been reborn, And then the glowing mist congealed It wisped away and then revealed A pitch-black, imperious alicorn. Rainbow rushed forward to attack But she was stopped by Applejack Before the alicorn could strike her dead, "I'm far more worthy to rule you In truth I am a Princess too; Can you not see the crown upon my head?" She snickered and addressed the hall: "Am I not remembered at all? Have ponyfolk forgotten me so soon?" Twilight spoke up, "Yes, I know you; You're vile and wicked through and through You're the thousand-year banished Nightmare Moon!" "Somepony knows me, that's so dear - You must also know why I'm here So raise your voice and pray tell everyone!" Terrified, she gave a reply "To take vengeance and rule the sky; To strike down forever the morning sun..." Nightmare Moon smirked at her distress "I've locked away the Sun Princess My moonlit sky is all you'll ever see" "And every single one of you Will pay me the respect I'm due For you pony folk will bow down to me!" And so with an evil cackle, Lightning bolts and thunder's crackle She took her place as ruler of the land Twilight felt her soul fill with shame For she felt that she was to blame For allowing Nightmare to take command And this is how the chapter ends With Twilight making five new friends And evil beating good without a fight Take heart, reader, the tale's not done For even though we've lost the sun Something may yet defeat the Evernight...