“Right girls” said Twilight commandingly, “There’s eight of us and four of us have wings. Everypony grab a passenger, there’s no time to lose!”
She nudged Spike towards Fluttershy, whom she knew was the weakest flier and in return received a look of silent gratitude from the primrose pony. She looked around and noticed that Rainbow had made a beeline for Applejack; so there was something behind the rumours, the thought of their not-so-secret romance cracking the merest smile on her face.
As she happened to be stood next to Pinkie Pie, they buddied up without question, leaving Ember to carry Rarity who gratefully accepted, complementing her ride on her beautiful new look; ‘glowing topaz’, she christened it. Only Rarity could think of fashion in a time of crisis thought Twilight.
The unusual party took off and aimed for the secluded grotto, a slight sense of unreality pervading the urgency of their mission, Pinkie giggling enthusiastically as she felt the wind across her face.
Behind them, a sinister dark shape sped her approach towards Ponyville looking for a showdown.
The friends scudded over the Everfree, that somehow managed to look even more unforgiving than usual in the pervading darkness. Fluttershy braved a peek down, then quickly snapped her gaze back up as her mind started to fantasise about the horrible monsters down below waiting to gobble her up. Spike heard her pitiful whimpering and reached forward, stroking her neck reassuringly, and the primrose pegasus turned to give him a grateful smile.
Soon they saw the familiar gorge and Twilight led her irregular party in a downward banking turn to touch down in front of the ghostly white glow emanating from the grotto.
All the passengers dismounted, Ember looking visibly impressed with the magical aura she could see emanating from the Tree of Harmony, but when she tried to follow her ponyfriends closer, found her path magically impeded.
“Hey, Twilight”, she called, “Oddest thing. I don’t seem to be able to follow; it’s like some magical force is stopping me.”
Twilight turned and looked. Ember’s light blue glow had turned deep red, and the more she tried to push against it, the more angry the colour became.
“The two magics aren’t compatible” she observed, “That red colour is what we saw when the sirens used this power to control others. Don’t try and get any closer; I’m not sure what might happen.”
“OK” called back Ember, “I’ll stand guard while you … do whatever pony thing it is you need to do.”
The ponyfriends entered the grotto and each made their peace with the Tree of Harmony in their own way, requesting its help. The tree acknowledged graciously and glowed brighter as it released the Elements, each drawn ethereally back to its rightful Bearer.
Back in Ponyville, scared animals were running in all directions as a dark figure stood contemptuously beside the burning remains of Fluttershy’s cottage. She had traced the magic she had felt earlier to this point and enquired as to what the animals had known, but none had answered her. In retaliation, she had drawn down a bolt of evil magic and shattered the building in an instant, a bright burning fire now the only testimony to the animal sanctuary it had once served as.
Not far away, another flash of light showed her clearly where her quarry had gone, so she took to the air, ridding herself of the panicked screams from the newly dispossessed animals below. The trail was hot, and she was on it!
Ember thought she saw something from the corner of her eye. She stared back, focusing hard. Yes, there it was again. Silhouettes, shapes of all sizes swirling around, all drawn towards her.
“We got your summoning” said a gruff voice.
“Heard there was a fight, and we didn’t want to be late” said another, to an approving chorus of dragon voices.
Twilight emerged serenely from the grotto, bathed in white light and accompanied by her friends.
“Ponies?” called one dragon in disgust, “I thought you promised us a fight, not a pushover!”
“Right, listen up!” commanded the blue dragon, “We face a common enemy who’s going to switch off daytime for ever. That means, nothing grows, we all get cold and we all die, got it? The ponies are the only ones who can stop this happening, so we’re working together on this. No dragon is to harm anypony - got that? Except for one …”
A chill fell across the gathering as they all felt the presence of something evil. They looked up and all around were multiple copies of Nightmare Moon; some hovering, some circling around in the sky, others advancing on hoof.
“Oh, that one!” growled one of the dragons.
“Got it in one!” confirmed Ember, “Now attack!”
Dogfights broke out in the air and close quarters combat prevailed on the ground, dragons and ponies fighting side by side against the unending tide of Nightmare Moons.
Standing on the edge of the bluff overlooking the scene was one Nightmare Moon not deigning to get involved in the fight herself, but simply watching and cackling to herself. She glowed blue in the darkness as her magic reached out to control her clones. It didn’t matter to her how many clones were lost; the numbers were overwhelming and she knew, just as she had with her defeat of Princess Luna that she would win by grinding down her opposition, her last remaining opposition.
More dragons arrived, pitching in to the fight with an eagerness that quite disturbed the ponies, but were quite happy to accept, secure in the knowledge that more friends working together had to be a good thing, especially against Nightmare Moon.
The clattering of swords and screams of falling clones and dragons mixed together in an insane cacophony, rising up to greet her ears. How she enjoyed watching the last barrier to her future omnipotence being ground into the dirt!
“Ember!” shouted Twilight when she saw a space in the fighting, “This isn’t working! She just keeps making more, no matter how many she loses!”
“There!” called Ember, “High on the bluff! A blue glow!”
“That must be the real one!” growled Twilight, “We have to take her down. Together!”
Twilight focused and suddenly her eyes lit up brilliant white as she rose above the clamour, her friends drawn magically to her side, each protected by the white glow of a forcefield. Ember rose by her side, her blue glow shining ever brighter, matching the intensity of the white glow from the Element Bearers.
From her vantage point, Nightmare Moon saw the white and blue glowing lights start to form and coalesce together, rising up towards her and felt a sickening lurch inside.
“No!” she screamed, “This cannot be! I have defeated you!”
She stepped back feeling an entirely new sensation - fear!
The white and blue magical auras merged together into one gently throbbing ball of energy, trails of white and blue flashing around in pairs, weaving their magic together, getting bigger, faster.
Nightmare Moon’s eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open as her hooves remained rooted to the spot, unable to move.
Then it struck, with a whistling sound that physically burned a hole in the air as it sped towards her. She quickly cut contact with her clones that all vanished in mid fight and redirected her power to her horn in a final desperate act of self-preservation. It was too late; the white and blue magics that had now fused together hit her magic head on, thrusting her evil magic back inside her horn, back inside her head, back into her soul.
It was quiet.
It was dark.
A chorus of groans echoed from the dragons who were disappointed that the fight was over so quickly.
Up on the bluff, a group of dragon and ponyfriends stared down at the comatose body of Nightmare Moon.
No-one spoke.