Mother Nightmare

by SnowCrystal802


Reveal

Twilight nuzzled into her mother's chest, sighing in content. Her legs were curled underneath her and her wings tucked loosely against her sides. For the first time since her mother was taken from her, she was content. However, her content state was about to end.
"TWILIGHT!?" She whipped around to see her new, and most likely former, friends standing there staring at her. Rainbow's eyes locked on her mother and narrowed while her face twisted into a snarl.
"You! You turned her against us, DIDN'T YOU!?" She shot forward before Twilight could stop her and tackled Luna. Her mother grunted as she hit the ground and stared up, shocked, at the irate mare. Twilight grumbled and pulled the pegasus off her mother, glaring at her. Groaning, the black mare got to her hooves and dusted herself off. The rest ran over, with annoyed looks. Applejack sighed and stepped forward.
"Great job, RD. Now she's mad at us. Forgive ‘er, Nightmare Moon, she's a bit hot-headed. Also, will ya undo whatever magic, ya used on Twilight here?" Luna glanced at her daughter in confusion before looking back at the five mares.
"I have cast no such spell. Twilight is my daughter." Rarity promptly fainted again, followed quickly by Pinkie while Applejack and Fluttershy merely stared dumbly. Rainbow was the only one to actually react.
"Yeah right. She's Princess Celestia's adopted niece. Last time I checked, the princess doesn't have a sister."
"I am her sister and my name is Luna, not Nightmare Moon." Rainbow snorted and turned away from them, landing a few metres away. Twilight looked at her mother before turning back to Rainbow. Rarity and Pinkie were stirring while AJ and Fluttershy were trying to form words. Twilight walked over to Rainbow and gently prodded her in the back. Rainbow whipped around and head-butted her in the chest. Twilight yelped as she fell, rolling onto her back. Before Luna could react, however, a pale, silvery blue aura surrounded Rainbow and pulled her away.
"Now, now Rainbow, there's no need for violence. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for why she didn't tell us about her mother. Isn't there, Darling?" Twilight nodded and took a deep breath. It took her a while but when she finished explaining, the first thing she noticed was the sniffling. She looked up to see Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie in tears while the other two were merely misted. Luna gently wrapped a wing around her daughter's shoulders. She turned towards Rainbow and gave her a gentle smile. The cyan mare looked down, her whole body radiating guilt.
"It's not my fault that this happened. I knew that if my sister remained free here with us, she'd send me back and try to take my daughter." Rainbow nodded, though she still had a glazed look in her eyes. Twilight walked over to her friend and wrapped her hooves and wings around the trembling mare's shoulders. Rainbow wrapped her hooves around Twilight's shoulders and whimpered.
"I... I'm sorry, Twilight. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, Rainbow, it's okay." After she calmed down, Rainbow released her friends and took off, hovering in the air. She looked up at the silver moon and sighed.
"Princess Luna, I'm willing to be your subject but if the moonlight isn't enchanted or the sun risen, all the plants will die, and us along with them." Luna nodded and her horn began to blaze with a golden light as she tapped her sisters sun. A beam of pure solar power shot from her horn towards her own celestial light. The moon let out a pulse of deep amber light before going back to silver. Twilight shivered as the silver light began to emit a sense of warmth.
"There, now my moon's light holds the same life giving power as my sister's sun." The girls nodded and they started talking with Twilight. Luna moved a short ways away, smiling as her daughter talked with her new friends. It made her happy to see Twilight talking and being accepted. Before her banishment, ponies would run from Twilight or bully her as soon as they found out about her bloodlines. She sighed and set her head down, her ears flicking back.
"Mom, you and Auntie were severed from the Elements when she betrayed you, right? So, that would mean that Discord will be released, right?" Luna's head shot up at her daughters words. Twilight was right and that fact sent her heart racing.
"Elements?"
"Mhm. The Elements of Harmony. They're what my Auntie used to banish mom."
"We need to find them. If we can find the new bearers then we can defend our home from Discord and other dangers." Twilight stood and smiled before rubbing her head against her mother's chest.
"Now Twilight, I need to stay here to engage diplomacy with the Mayor. You and your friends with be going after them. I went there earlier and there's a spirit that will test anyone that approaches. Be careful." Twilight nodded and Luna stood up, turning towards the massive forest in the west. As they walked, the girls were all chattering in excitement. Twilight, however, was sticking close to her mother. Soon the forest loomed in front of them. Twilight looked at her mother and watched as her long, sleek wings open and came down, sending her mother into the sky. She turned back around and took a deep breath and started forwards.


They'd been walking for almost an hour before they reached a large cliff. Twilight had been asking if any of them had been inside the forest. When Rarity said no, Applejack made a comment about it not being natural.
"Folks say it don't work the same as Equestria." A shiver ran down her spine as Applejack said that. She was quick to ask what the farmpony meant. Of course, Rainbow chose that moment to be spooky.
"Nopony knows! You know why? Cause everypony whose ever come in-"
"Rainbow, quit it!"
"-has ever. Come. OUT!" A loud crack echoed through the air as half the cliff broke. Twilight spread her wings only to have a boulder hit her wing. A low snap rang out as she toppled over, sliding past Applejack. The orange mare had grabbed a root in her mouth as she waited for rescue. Twilight felt her hind legs slide over the edge and she screamed, her broken wing hanging from her shoulder. Applejack came sliding down the cliff, clouds of dust clinging to her fur.
"Hold on! Imma comin'!" She slide down, and turned onto her belly, grasping Twilight's hooves, glancing at her limp wing. Twilight scrabbled at the cliff face with her back hooves. Fear was pumping through her heart as she struggled.
"Applejack, what do I do!?" Applejack squinted before seeming like she had an idea. Taking a deep breath, she uttered two words that, for the now grounded Alicorn, seemed like a death sentence.
"Let go."
"Are you CRAZY!?"
"No Ah ain't. Ah PROMISE you'll be safe." Before she could continue, Twilight panicked.
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!!!" An irritated look came over Applejack's face and she spoke in a firm, commanding tone.
"Now listen here. What Ah'm sayin' to you is the honest truth. Let go and you'll be safe." Twilight's eyes widened before she closed them, placing her trust in Applejack unwavering voice. She let go and, naturally, screamed all the way. Suddenly, two sets of hooves wrapped around her shoulders and upper legs. As the two pegasi lowered her, Fluttershy's hooves slipped slightly. As she apologized, Twilight smiled as Applejack lumped down some ledges. A purple flash in her peripheral made her turn her head. Shaking her head, she smiled and they turned, not noticing the low roar nearby.