Ch 1A Very Important Date Twilight Sparkle is in the Royal Observatory checking the aphelion of mars, marking figures on star charts, and making sure the Hoofle Space Telescope is working well, when an assistant pops in to tell her she is nearly late for her appointment with the princesses
Twilight brought up her foreleg, and the readout on her watch was not comforting. She gasped “Feathers, you’re right!” She hurriedly grabbed her bag, stuffing a few select papers and quills into it. A few of her other notes flipped into the air, but Twilight was already halfway down the stairs.
“Please do me a favor and clean that up, would? Sorry!”
The intern merely turned to the mess and rolled his eyes. “Honestly, she can be such a scatterbrain sometimes…”
“I heard that,” Twilight shouted from the bottom of the stairs. She shook her head and headed out the door onto the castle grounds. Plenty of time to mark his performance review later.
Twilight trotted towards the main palace building at a brisk pace. She adjusted her saddlebags and chanced a glance at her watch.
It’s fine, plenty of time if I hurry. I could try teleporting there, but last time I ended up in a tree. Faster just to walk.
It’s a lovely night for a walk. Perfectly clear, great for telescope work. Twilight forcibly tore her gaze away from the sky and back to ground level. No, gotta focus. It’s a lovely night but getting absorbed in it is what made me late in the first place. She took another few steps three-legged while she glanced at her watch.
She passes by various buildings and then arrives in the throne room, breathing a bit heavily.
The princesses looked up simultaneously. Their identical body features made the motion a bit unnerving. All these years and they still get me with that, Twilight thought to herself. She flung herself into a bow and stood back up, still panting lightly. “Please, please excuse my near-tardiness, Princesses!”
The Royal Sisters raised a synchronized eyebrow.
“Twilight Sparkle, if we recall correctly your appointment was at x
I know, but I was almost late for being early
Discuss Twi’s research proposal, sisters reluctantly agree that some time in a new location, with new ponies would be good for Twilight. Celestia points out that Spike happens to be in Ponyville as well, and Twilight blushes when asked about it. “Curiosity.”
Celestia retires “It is nearly my bedtime. Sister, I trust you can help Twilight with the rest of her preparations?”
Ofc
After Celestia leaves, Luna asks Twilight something.
What is it, Princess?
I know I can trust my faithful student not to say anything, but this is very important Twilight.
Your research proposal was concerning a constellation whose stars are…blinking out
That’s right.
I know why
You do? Why didn’t you say anything
Because, I didn’t… Luna said. Listen, Twilight, what I am about to tell you must never leave this throne room
Twilight nodded solemnly
Allow me to tell you a story…
Ch.2 The Cast Constellation, Saddled Stars, The Stallion in the Stars?
This was a long time ago, Twilight. I’m not proud of it, but it was a long time ago, however little that means. I’ve matured since then. Perhaps not, since you’re the first pony I’ve told…
Regardless, this was some time after Tia—er—Celestia and I defeated Discord using the Elements of Harmony.
He…whispered things to me. A never-ending trickle. Just when I would forget about the previous time, he would be there.
The content of these whispers is best left unsaid, but they ran the gamut thematically:
I came close to breaking many times. There was a disturbing undercurrent of truth in so many of the things he said…
Eventually, I snapped, but not how he expected. I sealed him in a constellation. It was easy to hide; I called it an artistic surge and Celestia thought nothing of it.
Ch. 3 Magical Mystery Tour A Tiring Tour After listening to Luna’s story, Twilight is shocked. Luna asks her to gather some ponies to use the Elements with, just in case Luna can’t bring herself to tell Tia before the prison breaks.
Twilight agrees, ofc.
Cut to Twilight arriving in Ponyville. She unpacks at the library, and finally she saunters out, unsure how to approach Luna’s homework.
And then Pinkie smacks into her.
Pinkie apologizes for not greeting her right when she arrived (was working) and then offers to show her around town.
“Hmm… well, okay, that actually sounds kind of nice.”
Suddenly Twilight found herself being lifted up, and when she looked down she found herself on Pinkie’s back.
“Uh…”
“Okey dokey lokie! One aerial tour coming right up!”
“A-aerial tour!?”
Tour goes here; major destinations are café, sofas and quills, etc. Twilight asks about the Elements of Harmony and so Pinkie takes her to the main 6’s dwellings.
Does she asks them about the Elements or not?
Finally Pinkie says she has to get back to work so she takes twilight home. “If you ever need anything I live over there” (maybe she’s Rainbow’s roommate and they already ) Twilight sighs, glad that’s finally over, and goes back upstairs to work.
After eating dinner and everything (alonneeee) she checks on the fading constellation, and there’s only one star left (be sure to establish earlier that there were like 3-4 left).
Ch. 4 Twilight rushes to Pinkie’s house and asks here where those other 4 crazy ponies went. They gather the party, and Twilight explains the situation. Did Luna lend her the Elements? Did Tia find out because Luna was getting them out or because they were missing? When Twilight hands them out does she get them the same as the show or not? (maybe they start out as simple gold bracelets and when they put them on they morph or something)
They all head to Everfree Forest, towards a specific clearing that Luna mentioned (Luna banned the Nightmare over there so no one would find out) (either they fly over, Rarity/Twilight teleport them, or a mix of both)
Once they’re there, Twilight pulls out a star wheel astrolabe and a mini telescope (Never leave home without it!) and targets the constellation just as the last star flickers and blinks out.
The night suddenly grows darker, and at the other end of the clearing is a tall pony with an orange coat and an ethereal, pitch-black mane
Ch. 5 “Well, Ah guess you weren’t lyin’ about the story…”
But you shouldn’t have a body! Twilight jabbed a hoof at the creature Princess Luna said you hadn’t possessed anypony when she banished you!
“Oh? So Princess Luna sent you?” The stallion smirked. “I was hoping she would greet me herself. We have so much to talk about, after all.” He glanced lazily around the clearing. “And to answer your question,” he slowly brought his gaze back to Twilight, “I was trapped in a star for a thousand years. I had to do something to pass the time.”
He took a bow. “You may call me Nightmare Star. Though hopefully that name won’t last.”
We already know about all the lies you told to Princess Luna! She didn’t fall for it, and neither will we!”
Another smirk. “Oh, really?”
Nightmare Star blinks out the sky, pitch black. And it goes around confronting each of the main six with their biggest flaws. All of them are paralyzed (this is what causes them to part ways afterwards?).
Just as Twilight feels the dark energies seeping into her brain, Tia and Luna show up and Harmony the crap out of Nightmare Star (dissipating smoke->possible episode later on? Book ends; they lose to him the first time and beat him the second?). Was it all a secret test that the main six lost? Or was Luna honestly keeping a secret from Tia for that long?
Luna apologizes for putting everypony through all this, just because she was too afraid to confront her own problems or to ask for help. Celestia pats her on the back and apologizes to everypony for letting things escalate this far.
Major Deviations from Canon;
Pinkie – Pegasus. Her weather patrol duties mean she has less time to throw parties, but her hyperactivity and teammate dash help get the sky clear in 5 seconds flat.
Main flaw isn’t wanting to be liked—everypony likes her—it’s being afraid that she doesn’t have any real friends besides Dash
Dash – is less insecure, more fangirl (I don’t care what anyone thinks of me, I like what I like! Meme references? Gotta go fast!). Less lazy cuz of Pinkie being her BFF?
Flaws; stubborn? Afraid to try new things?
Flutters – earth pony
Spike was raised by Fluttershy. This actually made flutters more outgoing
Summer Sun Celebration and Winter Moon Celebration are the two largest festivals in Equestria. SoL opportunity. Ticket master? That’s the Ticket (They intentionally send twilight multiple tickets to get her to be more social and invite ponies? Naturally she chooses the ponies she kinda knows already)
Two of the main six have UST? (Rarity and AJ, mebbe?) Nah, don’t want any romantic plot tumors, Faust definitely had that right.