Things were still as bleak as ever at the Crystal Empire. Luna and Celestia had to come to the kingdom to revitalize the Crystal Heart whenever necessary. It wasn’t easy, but this action would protect the Empire for another day.
When the sisters went back inside, Sombra – now sporting a graying beard – fretted, “Celestia, you cannot keep this up forever. The Tree of Harmony will soon be dead and –“
Celestia calmed her husband, “I know, but it would not be in our nature to just sit by and do nothing at a time like this.”
Luna agreed, “This is indeed a grave matter. My daughter lies ill with grief, my elder granddaughter has been banished, and my younger one has vanished without a trace. Do not think it hasn’t affected me worse than anypony else.”
Celestia put her hoof on her sister’s shoulder and comforted, “I know what you’re going through, Luna. I felt the same way when Sombra was cursed, when my elder daughters were kidnapped, and when my younger daughters almost died. You are not alone.”
Sombra said, “We share your pain, Luna. We really do.” Then, he got an idea. “Wait. You control the moon, right?”
Luna responded in bemusement, “Yes.”
“What if you could fly to the moon and try to talk to Skyla? Maybe she’ll be convinced to turn from darkness before it’s too late.”
The dark blue alicorn stood in silence for a few moments until she said, “I will try, but she inherited many traits from me. Stubbornness may be one of them.”
Celestia urged, “At least try, my sister. Try to make Skyla see the light before she’s free to harm anypony.”
Luna closed her eyes before opening them with determination and stating, “I will. I will bring back Skyla. For Equestria and my family.”
She went to the balcony and focused her eyes on the blemished moon. She lit up her horn and spread her wings. She then took off at lightning speed and flew towards the moon. At the rate she was going, she was within range of the moon in just ten seconds flat. Even though the comet of blue light seemed like it would impact the moon, Luna softly landed on the surface amid raised clouds of dust. All seemed quiet and calm on the heavenly sphere, but the nighttime alicorn was not fooled so easily. She knew her granddaughter had to be around, one way or another.
She called out, “Skyla? Are you here? Come out and show yourself to me.”
As if a reply to her request, the surface lining the horizon began to blacken. The darkness then crept towards Luna and blackened the ground under her hooves. She took this as a sign that her granddaughter was not far.
A voice then said, “Hello, grandmother.”
Even though Luna tried to prepare herself for the moment, her heart couldn’t help but drop when Nightmare Sky revealed herself in the form she now took. However, Luna kept a straight face and replied, “It is unfortunate that you are trapped here.”
“Yes, one cannot have any visitors in this dismal prison, the prison you control day and night. But…you are the first, and I thank you for taking the time to visit me and perhaps…even free me.”
Luna held her hoof up and explained, “Skyla, you must first be rid of this darkness before you are to ever return home.”
“Are you sure it is I who holds the darkness within? Are you sure it is not the so-called pure-hearted sister of mine? At least with the water, I will make sure that she never takes the crown that belongs to me.”
“’Water’? What water?”
“I was informed that there was a spring that could make one pure upon ingestion. As you can see, I am now powerful with purity and will right the wrong my sister has inflicted upon me.”
Luna shook her head, “No, my granddaughter. You are mistaken. The water you have taken did not purify you. And your sister has done no wrong, but only what was right.”
Nightmare Sky sharply raised her voice, “So…you’re on her side, then? Well, I’ve got just the trick for that.”
She stomped her hoof and Luna gasped as shadowy ponies arose from the darkened ground. They looked much like the Umbrum, but stranger.
“I would like to introduce you to my army, the Moonshadows. They were born of the Umbrum insignia that failed to cover the moon. Since then, they had waited for a savior to release them from this prison...until I came along, of course. With my loyal army behind me, I will stop Flurry and her followers at all costs! Unless, my dear grandmother, you were to join me. I heard all about Nightmare Moon and how she put every pony in Equestria into deep slumber. If you were that strong then, perhaps you can be strong once more. Join me, Grandmother, and you will become great by my side.”
Luna was appalled by the very idea, but to what lengths would she go to get her beloved granddaughter back? Still, she couldn’t help but utter, “What has become of you, Skyla?”
“I am Skyla no more. I am now only Nightmare Sky.”
“No matter what name you take, my granddaughter is still within your heart. Please, let go of your hatred for your sister before it destroys everything you hold dear!"
"Flurry's the one who’s destroyed everything I held dear! I’ve seen all that’s happened on Earth and she has caused so much damage to my kingdom, my country, and my family. Please, set me free so I can rectify all Flurry has done to the world and prevent another catastrophe like this.”
Luna’s heart twinged at the desperate tone in her granddaughter’s voice, but she knew that if Nightmare Sky was free to roam the earth, it would cause much more devastation than the crisis happening right now.
It pained her to say this, but Luna knew she had to. “I’m sorry, my granddaughter, but I will not.”
Hate flared up in Nightmare Sky’s eyes as she shouted, “She turned you against me, didn’t she?! She was always your favorite! She was always the favorite! Everyone loved her, but not me!” Venom then dripped from her voice, “Well, if no one will love me, then they will fear me.” Her eyes glowed red as she said those last two words.
Luna felt like her soul had just died from hearing Nightmare Sky’s words reflect who she had become both on the outside and the inside. This could not be. This couldn’t be the same granddaughter who had smiled blissfully and adored her sister with all her heart. What happened to her?
With virtually no way of persuading Nightmare Sky to revert back to Skyla, Luna heartbrokenly whispered, “Goodbye, granddaughter.”
As Luna flew off towards Earth, Nightmare Sky shouted harshly, “TRAITOR!”
That very word stung Luna with great hurt. The numbing pain and heartache that hit her now prevented her from shooting off like a comet. Instead, she flew for miles until she saw the Crystal Empire.
Meanwhile, a guard ran up to Celestia and Sombra and reported, “Princess Luna has returned.”
Celestia asked with hesitant hope in her heart, “With or without Princess Skyla?”
The guard shook his head sadly and the couple took that as a bad sign.
When the former rulers of Canterlot went out on the balcony, Luna flew up to them with tears streaming down her face.
Luna choked, “I couldn’t…I couldn’t save her…”
Celestia wrapped her arm around her sister as Luna wept into her pearly coat.
Twilight asked with sadness in her voice, “So she’s not coming back?”
Celestia shook her head on the other side of the mirror, “Not so easily, no. Luna was completely devastated when she couldn’t convince her granddaughter to reconcile with her sister. Skyla seems so certain that Flurry has become evil and that she needs to stop her before it’s too late.”
Blaze protested, “But Flurry’s not like that! She’s been Skyla’s sister for how long? Why now would Skyla turn against Flurry?”
His grandmother explained, “Luna said that Skyla told her that she ingested water from a spring that she thought made her pure. Obviously, that is not the case. The spring water must’ve transformed Skyla into the worst version of herself.”
Blaze added, “Give or take the bat wings.”
Sunset rubbed her chin as she suggested, “Maybe the spring water got corrupted in some way. Did Skyla say where the spring was?”
Celestia sadly replied, “I’m afraid not. Otherwise, Luna would’ve said so.”
Fluttershy asked, “Is there any way to reverse the water’s effect on Skyla?”
“This is very powerful magic we’re dealing with. The darkness that now enshrouds Skyla feeds on her hate, and that would make it very difficult to remove it from her entirely. She seems to have gone down a path that is not easy to return from.”
“Nor will she ever!”
The royals gasped as they turned to see who the voice had belonged to. Standing between two unconscious guards at the throne room’s doors was none other than the former changeling queen Chrysalis! Before anyone could react, Chrysalis shot a ray of magic and shattered the mirror through which the royals were talking to Celestia.
Discord said, “That’s seven years bad luck, Chrissy.”
She retorted, “Who asked you?! If anyone’s going to have seven years bad luck, it’ll be you all!”
Twilight angrily asked as she lit up her horn, “How can you be so sure?”
She then grinned wickedly, “Go on and take your best shot.”
Discord said as he formed a baseball-sized sphere of yellow magic between his hands, “Don’t mind if I do.”
Fluttershy cried, “Wait, Discord –“
But before she could finish her sentence, Discord threw the ball of magic at Chrysalis. However, it dissipated into blue wisps within mere inches of Chrysalis.
Discord breathed in shock, “How…?”
Chrysalis chuckled menacingly and asked, “Remember this?” She put her hoof on a jagged piece of rock hanging from a thread wrapped around her neck. She explained, “This was a small piece of my throne, one of the few things that could repel even powerful magic. I used my throne to prevent getting captured before Thorax destroyed what was mine!” Her voice then went back to its silky tone as she continued, “But thanks to my new allies, I will be more powerful than even Celestia herself! No longer will I or my loyal changelings be thwarted by the likes of you or your followers, for I have been given back a piece of my legacy that will ensure my total and unstoppable rise as ruler of Equestria!”
Blaze snapped, “Haven’t you heard? Magic is dying and your magic’s going to go, too!”
Chrysalis snickered, “Oh, I’m not worried about my magic. It can’t die with the other magic. The Moonshadows made certain of that.”
The royals gaped at the stunning new detail.
Rainbow exclaimed, “Whoa. You’re working with the Moonshadows?!”
Chrysalis mocked, “Oh? Did you have a pop quiz about them?” She then said, “Well, it saves me the explanation.”
Twilight scowled, “You will not succeed, Chrysalis! There is no love to drain if the plagues frighten everypony.”
The changeling waved her hoof nonchalantly, “Oh, I don’t have to worry about that. The Moonshadows gave me a new ability…the ability to feed on hate.” Her eyes glowed as she said that last word.
Applejack said, “But I don’t understand. What could the Moonshadows want with both you and Skyla?”
“Well, that’s for me to know and you to never find out.”
Sunset warned, “Don’t assume the Moonshadows can be trusted! If they’re anything like their Umbrum counterparts, then they will turn their backs on you!”
Chrysalis said unconcerned, “Oh? And how do you know they’re the bigger threat in this? Maybe I am.” She tapped her hoof in rhythm before she sang, “You’re just the damsels in distress…Glad I’m not your friend or the frightened princess…I'm not a sweet honey that lures many a fly…Nope...I'm the bad guy…
“All you tricky royals that I see…Each of you, with shaking knees, will kneel before me…so after many years, I will succeed this time…What am I now?”
The royals sang back with scowls on their faces, “You’re the bad guy…”
“Oh, it's classic…to watch the magic...shrivel up and die…Oh, it's thrillin'…to be a villain…I’ll destroy their homes and then I’ll watch them cry…” She chuckled wickedly before she was surrounded by a green flash. When she came into view again, she now took the form of a black male minotaur with a dark cerulean mane. “He” sang, “'Cause I'm the bad guy!”
Meanwhile at the Crystal Empire, Celestia took Chrysalis’ arrival in Canterlot as a bad sign.
She ordered, “Sombra, help Shining Armor take Cadance to somewhere safe! Luna, we must save the Crystal Heart!”
Her younger sister asked in concern, “Is the Empire in trouble?”
“I fear it will soon be.”
They teleported to the dais and retrieved the dimming Crystal Heart. Just then, they heard a buzzing growing nearer. They looked to see the kind of changelings they hadn’t seen in a long time - the bad, ugly kind. Celestia blasted her magic at the swarm as she and her sister rushed inside the castle. However, more changelings met them down the hall and ambushed them.
At the Canterlot castle, Minotaur Chrysalis sang, “Oh, ain't it fantastic? I see something, I blast it! And let me tell you why…” In another green flash, Chrysalis reverted back to her true form and sang, “I've always had a weakness…for barrenness and bleakness…I crush all your hopes and then I watch you cry…”
She sang as she encased the royals in green goo, “See, I find this business rather fun…I don't want your resistance or your aggravation…I'll take over Equestria and bid ya bye-bye…Why? Come on! Guess!”
The royals sang in irritation, “'Cause you're the bad guy?”
Chrysalis said, “Or, well, girl.”
Her maniacal laughter rang throughout the castle as her takeover of Canterlot was now complete.