"Spitfire, along with Soarin and Fleetfoot, have been following these mysterious ponies for hours now. They have found themselves in the middle of the woods, next to a lake.
"Where are you taking us", Spitfire asked.
"Somewhere safe", a young, red coated stallion answered. "Were you three not listening?"
"Scales", a young, white coated mare hissed at the stallion. "Don't be so rude. We're heading to our base. By the way, if you tell anypony it's location we'll have no choice but to kill you."
"That's nice to know", Fleetfoot muttered.
The walked up to the bottom of the mountain. But the closer Spitfire looked, the more she realized that that mountain had doors. She watched as a stallion with a silver coat pulled a silver lever that was hidden behind a group of bushes. The doors slowly began to open up revealing a dark, cave like inside.
"Well, come on", Scales said.
Spitfire followed him in, and looked around the dark room. It was a fairly big room that had suits and goggles strolled out everywhere. As soon as they all got inside, the doors shut behind them with a load thud. Soarin yelp and jumped halfway across the room. The mysterious flyers started laughing at him. Soarin gave them a glare, obviously not thinking it was funny.
"Aw", said the white coated mare, giving Soarin a sorry look. "Don't feel bad. It got me on my first time too."
"So, who are you guys", Fleetfoot asked. "What organization are you from?"
"Well we don't really have an official tittle", the grey stallion said thoughtfully," But a lot of ponies refer to us as Shades."
Spitfire watched as the Pegasus began to take off their suits and goggles. The white coated mare also appeared to have a flame like mane that was long and wavy. On the top of her head was a strip of blue and the rest was orange and red. Her eyes was a light, sunset orange, and her cutie mark was a lily with flames for petals. The silver coated stallion had a blueish grey mane, and sharp yellow eyes. His mane was ruffled and all over the place. His cutie mark was a grey mark that reminded her of the symbol for wind.
The stallion known as Scales had a coat that was a very light red. He had a bright orange mane with fiery red eyes, and his cutie mark was a abstract symbol of a dragon. But there was on thing that Spitfire didn't seem to notice, which now seemed kind of obvious, that the guy looked as if he was a cross between a dragon and a pony. He had big dragon wings, three scale like marks on his neck, and two huge horns that came out the top of his head. Spitfire stared in shock.
"How come we didn't notice that from before", Spitfire asked, pointing at Scales.
"What", Scales asked said absentmindedly and looked at his back. "Oh you mean these?" He began to wiggle his dragon wings.
Spitfire nodded," And your horns? Where did that all come from?"
"You see", Scales began," I'm a Half Dragon. Half dragon, half pony? It's kind of a simple name. Anyway, I wear a special necklace that hides my dragon features because if the Lunars saw it, they would go nuts! Not in a good way..."
"Okay who's your leader", Spitfire demanded, shaking away her shock. "Who's the... um... captain?"
"Right here", a very familiar voice answered.
It was an all too familiar voice that answered, yet it was one she hadn't heard in years. Spitfire slowly turned around to the Pegasus that stood only feet away from her. She had dark mane that was in a similar style as Spitfire, slightly longer. A grey coat and blood red eyes that seemed to always be empty. A cutie mark that was a pair of shadowy wings.
"Hello Spitfire", the mare greeted. "Long time, no see."
Spitfire could only get her name out.
"Nightshade."
***
Celestia sighed as she sat in the dungeon. Luna sat beside her trying to comfort her, but she still felt like this was her fault. Celestia looked over at Cadence, who was worrying about her daughter. Flurry Heart didn't come back with them.
"Got any sixes", Fireball asked.
"No. Go fish", Eon replied.
Celestia looked over at them.
"What are you doing", Celestia demanded. "We are in the middle of a crisis!"
Fireball looked at her.
"You say crisis, I say time for Go Fish."
"Besides", Eon grumbled, "Unless you're planing on using Crash as a battling ram, I doubt we'll get out of here."
"And I don't really like that idea", Crash piped up.
Celestia glared at them. Why in the name of Equestria would Rainbow Dash have friends like these, Celestia thought. Do they just not care?!
"Can I play", Shadow asked. "I'm bored and Lightning is probably dead."
"Shadow don't say that", Colby snapped.
"Sorry! Geez!", Shadow quickly said in her defense.
Celestia stood up, looking down upon the young ponies. Her subjects. "As princess, I will not tolerate such behavior! Do you not want to save your friend?!"
She watched as Fireball raised her head. "Listen. Rainbow Dash is a big filly. She doesn't need to be saved." Celestia opened her mouth to argue, but Fireball cut her off. "But! But... she does need help. Nutmeg, what do you know that can help us?"
Celestia looked at the young mare know as Nutmeg who turned around and smiled. "I can pick a lock!"
Fireball gave her a look,"Why? Why would you willingly want to learn that in your own free time?"
Nutmeg gave Fireball an innocent look," So I can sneak into Eon's house and collect things for my shrine!"
Eon looked Celestia dead in the eyes mouthing the words "help me".
Fireball looked at Celestia," If she helps break us out of prison, it won't go on her record, right?"
Celestia frowned," Well, based on the given situation, of course not."
"Knock yourself out", Fireball said shaking her head.
Celestia began to prepare herself for the battle between her and Nightmare Moon that would take place in the future, while Nutmeg picked at the lock. She looked at Luna who, surprisingly, was happy.
"Why are you so happy for", Celestia asked.
Luna looked at her. "In all my years this is my first, actual prison break! It's very exciting!"
Celestia let out a heavy sigh. Oh dear...
***
Applejack sat at the booth. She hated waiting for answers. She hated waiting to see if her friends were okay. She hated waiting period. Fluttershy and Rarity sat across from her, talking about the town and how it held a certain "charm".
"I must say, it is quite a lovely town", Rarity remarked. "I never seen anything like it. The style of this place seems... new." Applejack knew what new meant. It meant it wasn't exactly what she had in mind. The house were close to each other in an almost perfect circle. The ponies who own shops would have their shops on the first floor while they had their actual homes on the second. Ivy covered most of the houses and some had wild plants growing around their fences. But the most peculiar thing was the fact that they didn't buy things. They like to barter. Fluttershy was the one who brought it up.
"I wanted to get this necklace from one of the shops, and all they wanted was for me to get a bat out of their attic." Fluttershy reached into her bag and pulled out a teal crystal that was on a silver chain. "It's a very nice necklace too."
Applejack let out a heavy sigh. Rarity and Fluttershy looked at each other with a knowing look.
"Applejack, darling. Are you okay", Rarity asked.
"You seem a bit sad", Fluttershy added.
Applejack looked at them. "What's wrong with me is the fact that our friends are out there an' were here! An' ah'm a bit peeved!"
"You shouldn't be too upset."
Applejack turned around to see a young stallion serving the table behind her. "An' who are you", Applejack asked, trying to hide the hatred in her voice. She hated when ponies put their noses where they don't belong.
"I'm Jackpot. I, um, work here. This is my business."
Applejack gave him a look," What?!"
Jackpot pulled his ears back," I own this place."
Applejack sat there for a moment before realizing by "This is my business" he meant he own the diner they were eating at. Not that their conversation was his business.
"Oh ah'm so sorry...", Applejack began but Jackpot waved it off. "It's fine. Really! I just thought to tell you that you shouldn't be too upset. There's plenty you can do to help your friends."
Applejack lets out a heavy sigh. "Like what?"
"Well", Jackpot said thoughtfully," You can eat so you don't starve." He sat a daisy sandwich down in front of her. "And you can check out my library upstairs. It's not much, but it may teach you a thing or two about this place."
Applejack smiled at him. "Thank you."
A young colt busted through the doors. He was grey with dark circles around his eyes, and a messy white mane. His eyes were silver, and absolutely filled with shock.
"Guys", the colt shouted.
"What is it Chip", Jackpot looked at him with concern.
"The mansion, my mansion, just disappear into a vortex in the sky! It was so awesome... hey where are you all going", Chip asked as all the ponies in the diner ran outside to investigate.
Applejack looked at Fluttershy and Rarity. "Ah guess it time to do some helpin'!"
They ran outside to figure out what in tarnation was going on. And most importantly, what was going on in this town.
***
Twilight ran full speed towards Spark. "Spark! There you are! Is everypony okay?"
Spark turn around," Oh yeah. Except Twister because it turns out my cousin was lying, and there's no cure except a really powerful spell, and Rainbow Dash went after him like Loni running after a pudding thief."
Twilight raised her eyebrow.
"A story for another time", Spark quickly said. Suddenly a mint green stallion with a rainbow mane came trudging through the woods. He looked like he got into a fight with gravity.
And lost.
Spark looked at the stallion," Maxium, where's Rainbow Dash?"
"I don't know", he grumbled.
Spark glared at him. "What do you mean you don't know? Like you don't know, like you don't care, or you don't know, like you don't know?"
"I DON"T KNOW", Maxium shouted. "After she beat the crap out of me she ran off!"
Twilight heard Spark curse under his breath and take off into the trees. She looked over at Maxium, who just shrugged at her. Twilight didn't understand why Spark was so upset. What could happen to Rainbow Dash in the woods? Of course that's what she thought before she heard it.
The sound of a scream ripping through the air.
***
Oddly enough, at the same exact time in Princess Moon's Castle, Scootaloo just released a similar scream. Not in agony or pain, but in short-lived terror. Mostly because she was sneaking around the castle and was caught by one of the guards. She didn't realize the guard was right behind her, so when he grabbed her shoulder this scared crap out of her. Which, of course, is understandable but little does the young filly know, her sneaking around the castle probably just saved Spark's life.
Of course neither one of them, or anypony else will know this except for me and Princess Moon.
And me, Pinkie chirped.
And Pinkie Pie. Unless, of course, she decides to tell them, which she might do since she's Pinkie Pie.
No I won't, Pinkie argued.
Yes you will Pinkie, now hush. Anyway, Scootaloo was force to sit in a room, and wait for Apple Bloom's brother, Big Macintosh, to pick her up. The reason her parents couldn't pick her up was because she didn't have parents.
That so sad, Pinkie whimpered.
Well I guess it is pretty upsetting.
Why can't you let her have parents, Pinkie asked.
I'm a narrator, Pinkie. I narrate. I can't change the story.
Why not, Pinkie whined.
Because I just can't! I can put my own way of wording the story but that is it! Now hush and leave me alone! The narrator looks around the super awesome narrating studio in an unknown location to see if Pinkie Pie was still there. When the narrator was sure Pinkie was gone she began to tell why Scootaloo was in the castle. She was-
I can tell you where the super awesome narrating studio is, Pinkie shouted at the readers.
Scootaloo just wanted to see the infamous Nightmare Moon for herself! Oh for Pete's sake, just go back to Rainbow Dash! Hurry! I'm going to take care of Pinkie Pie!
Wait, Pinkie Pie shouted, the studio is-
***
Rainbow Dash looked at Nightmare Moon. She was tricked. Ever been told a joke but didn't get until later, but instead of laughing, you want to punch something because it was so obvious, but somehow you couldn't see that? That was what Rainbow Dash felt. In the nicest way she could possibly put it...
She was pissed.
"You", she hissed, feeling her words twisting into Nightmare Moon's flesh like a dagger. But apparently she was the only one aware of the pain she was causing with her words, because Nightmare Moon just frown at her.
"Hello Rainbow Dash", Nightmare Moon greeted her.
"I swear, Nightmare Moon, if you hurt my friends I'll-"
"I thought I told you it was Princess Moon", she simply interrupted.
"Princess Moon, Nightmare Moon, what's the difference", Rainbow Dash growl. "You're still going to pay."
"I wouldn't say such things to me if I were you. You might loose your chance at saving your lover." Nightmare brushed by Rainbow Dash, her mane shimmering in the moonlight.
"What", Rainbow said, her mouth going dry. "How can you help him."
"Well you see, I am a very powerful Alicorn, who knows a very powerful spell that can wake a pony up from the inside. That is what you need, no?"
"How would you know that", Rainbow Dash asked, trying to keep her cool.
"I have eyes everywhere", Nightmare Moon answered, gesturing to Echo.
Oh course, Rainbow Dash thought.
"But that is not the topic of tonight. I want to make a deal with you. If you come with me, I'll save Twister and... spare your friends. Unless they come after me. Then I might do something about that", Nightmare Moon said. She now stood in front of Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash sat there for a second. There was a chance this was a trick but Twister is running out of time. And she didn't have a lot of options left. But there was one question she had. One thing that really bugged her.
"What I'm I to you", Rainbow Dash asked looking Nightmare Moon in the eyes. "Why do you want me?"
Nightmare Moon smiled. "I'll let you on a little secret, Dashie. You and I are closer than you can possibly imagine."
Rainbow Dash glared at her. "And what's that", she hissed.
Nightmare Moon leaned in closely. "I was once a beautiful princess", she began. "Well I still am. But I had gotten much more respect, praise, and... love back then. I was once happy, but one day my world fell apart."
"And what does this have to do with me", Rainbow Dash asked, glaring.
"Well", Nightmare Moon began," I had a family you know. I had... children." Rainbow Dash tried imagine a monster like Nightmare Moon tucking a cute colt or filly in bed. She immediately found the task difficult. "And one of my children had children, and their children had children, and so forth. There was a certain gene they tend to carry. One that never failed to be passed down from generation to generation."
She bend down, putting her muzzle next to Rainbow Dash's ear. "They all had something rainbow about their mane", she whisper.
The words echoed through her head until they begin to sink in. Slowly things begin to piece together until everything was a perfect picture. Princess Moon, the play A Rainbow's Shadow, the stories her father told her when she was little. Even the attention she has gotten from Nightmare Moon. It all made sense and yet confused her at the same time. This mare wasn't just any monster. She was monster in her family.
This monster was family.
All a sudden a rainbow blur jumped on top of Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon flung her attacker into the air, and shoot a blast of magic at them. The figure let out a piercing scream and fell on their back. Rainbow Dash looked down and realize that it wasn't just anypony. It was Spark.
Nightmare Moon looked down at Spark, and, strangely, smiled. "Well look at that", she said with a laughed. "My own flesh and blood not only attacked me once but twice." She walked towards Spark, who was trying to bare through the pain of somewhat burned flesh. "What? Didn't think I knew it was you? The one who used that magic destabilizing crystal on the day of my return?"
"Don't hurt him", Rainbow Dash shouted. Idiot she already hurt him, she scolded herself, but see quickly pushed that thought aside. Nightmare Moon glared at Spark, looking like she was ready to fry him she suddenly froze. It looked as if she was trying to listen to something. Nightmare Moon shook her head. "Even if I wanted to completely liquefy his insides, I don't have time. Some filly is messing around the castle, and I have some important... paper work lying around."
Rainbow Dash shook her head. Nightmare Moon already hurt one of her friends... er, Spark was more or less of one but still. What if this was Twilight or Pinkie? What if this happened to be Wisp or Hope? Rainbow Dash knew what she had to do. "I'll go with you. Just save Twister, and don't hurt my friends and family."
"No, Rainbow! Don't", Spark hissed through clenched teeth.
Nightmare Moon walked slowly towards her, ignoring Spark's pleads. "Are you sure", Nightmare Moon asked. "Because once we make this deal, there's no going back unless under very special circumstances."
Rainbow Dash looked at Spark. She thought about Twister. She thought about her friends and family. This was for the best. Ponies were getting hurt, and Rainbow Dash could stop that. Besides, maybe she can figure out what Nightmare Moon wants. There has to be more of a reason behind why she wants her and not ant of her other descendants. Rainbow Dash could try to get some information this mare. She will go with her, but she didn't have to play along.
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. "Yes. I will go with you."
Nightmare Moon smiled a actual, sincere, happy smile. She wrapped her wings around Rainbow Dash and Echo. Holy crap! He just sat there and witness all of that, Rainbow Dash thought. "First we grab your coltfriend, and then we return to Canterlot", Nightmare Moon informed them. Rainbow Dash looked at Spark and gave him a wink. Spark gave her the most confused look in history. Then they were gone with a flash of light.