Crushed and defeated, Twilight and her new friends stared in shock at the now shattered Elements of Harmony before them. But… how? Nopony can destroy the Elements! Mouth agape, she shakily picked up a broken piece. Her brain scrambled to process what lay before her. In stunned silence, she held what she thought to be the key to victory. The book said we could defeat her! Yet before Twilight could move, Nightmare Moon spoke.
“I am victorious! Eternal night shall reign supreme in this land! All shall bow before my majesty and might.”
“Not if I can hel--” began Twilight, throwing away the piece and getting up. Nightmare Moon looked down and sneered at her.
“Silence!” the dark alicorn commanded. The six crouched and covered their ears, the thunderous noise deafening them and shaking the walls of the old castle, shattering the windows. Her horn sparkled with dark energy as iron cages enveloped Twilight and her friends. The mares were powerless against the twisted alicorn as they looked on in growing despair. Nightmare Moon paused for a moment, reveling in her victory and contemplating her following move. With a devilish thought and wicked grin, she sparked up her horn for another spell. A cloud formed and a bound Celestia emerged in front of the group.
“These were the best defense you had against me? Six weaklings that were swiftly dealt with once confronted!” exclaimed Nightmare Moon, coming face to face with Celestia. The younger now stood tall and proud above the older. Their gazes met, and Celestia searched in her sister’s eyes for any spark of hope, but found only darkness. Nightmare Moon’s own eyes narrowed as she slowly circled Celestia. “And I see you placed so much misguided hope in your pupil. Yes, I know that the purple one is yours, dear sister. I am somewhat impressed, but I could have done better. In fact, I think I will. My time on the moon was not spent alone, so why spend my rule in solitude? I think one of you will make a fine companion."
Turning her focus to Twilight, the tainted mare of the moon lit her horn once again. This spell was unlike the numerous others cast in the recent moments. It was ancient and malevolent, searching for a living host. Twilight took a step back as she realized the target. As the magic enveloped her cage, a dark blue fog spilled from the ground, rising to cover the unicorn.
Anguish and misery filled the other five, as only muffled screams and cries seemed to penetrate the cloud that blanketed their friend. Their hearts dropped into their stomachs as the horror of the situation dawned on them.
With a thunderous crack, the cage crumbled. Stepping clear from it, the new Twilight stood proudly, facing towards Nightmare Moon. Gone was the indigo mane with purple and magenta streaks, all replaced with a darker blue color flowing from her neck. A single cobalt line trailed along where the original magenta had been. Instead of her purple coat, it seemed like darkness had crawled across her skin. Some of her original color remained in her tail, in a simple swirl of blended purple and little stars ingrained along the edges. Nightmare Moon smiled at her creation, nodding with approval as the new Twilight approached.
“Don’t you see, Celestia, I have won! Your rulership is coming to an end, the new Lunar dynasty begins! There will be none to oppose my power now!” continued Nightmare Moon, striding over to face Celestia again. “Now then, why don’t we make the new ruler known to our subjects? I believe we need a bigger audience.” With a few flicks of her horn, Nightmare Moon gathered all eight of them and teleported.
Touching down in the middle of Canterlot square, Nightmare Moon nodded her head with satisfaction at the spot. Closing her eyes and lighting her horn, a dark mist started flowing from her mane and growing around them. The ethereal substance began to ebb and flow towards the local inhabitants, pulling them from their homes and into the square. Stepping up to a silver platform, the dark alicorn lifted her head high as she watched ponies slowly draw near. Her grin grew at the craftiness of her spell.
Nightmare Moon stomped her hoof three times, silencing the crowd that had formed. “Behold! See your now previous ruler, Princess Celestia and her so called heroes, defeated and caged before you all! I, Nightmare Moon, have vanquished them. My sister is weak, unable to take care of our country and defend it. She sent six weaklings to overthrow me, yet they have been easily taken care of.” A few hushed whispers from the ponies followed as some shuffled in place.
“I believe our lands need a strong ruler, one who does not fall to such weakness. I shall take control and rule with an iron hoof, and all shall know of our kinds might among the nations!” More ponies whispered, ranging from agreeing to disagreeing. After declaring this, Nightmare Moon turned back towards her captives.
“I could easily dispose of you for attempting to defeat me, but I have decided to be merciful to some. I believe the mistakes of the past should be left to history. We must look to the future, and with the future comes change,” continued Nightmare Moon, walking around the group. “And one does not make changes without taking consideration of those around us. Yes, I believe I know what I want to do next.”
Breaking her train of thought, Nightmare Moon walked over to the new Twilight. “You. You shall be the first of my new empire. Therefore, your previous name shall become obsolete. Rise as Dawn Lighter, the one who lights the way of a new era of eternal night!” The dark alicorn grandiously swept her hoof across the sky, sending shooting stars across the heavens.
Turning back to the amassed crowd, Nightmare Moon looked around at their bewildered faces before addressing them again. “And for the rest. I believe it is time for our kind to stand strong in this new era. We must rid ourselves of those that have been deemed weak. My sister has proven that she is no longer fit to reign. And I have no use of her anymore.” After saying this, Nightmare Moon highlighted the still bound Celestia with her magic and leaped off the stage. Dragging the once proud monarch across the paved stone of the square like a ragdoll, the dark alicorn calmly walked through the crowd to another spot. With a simple twist of her horn, Nightmare Moon raised her sister into a seated position.
“Banishment would be too good for you. Take a good, long look, dear sister, because it will be your last,” whispered Nightmare Moon into Celestia’s ear, before stepping back and grinning.
“Let this moment be known among all of us, and let it cement that weakness shall not be tolerated. And that I shall hold back no judgement on those deemed guilty!” Lowering her horn, the alicorn of the night called upon another deep and dark enchantment. Tipping the scales of harmony and balance, she unleashed the spell upon Celestia. Every drop of magic was drained from the white alicorn. Celestia, Princess of the Day and protector of Equestria, now stood frail and withered, bowed in defeat before them all. Yet Nightmare Moon was not done yet. Striding forward, she took one final look into the eyes of her sister. A single shred of doubt flashed across Nightmare Moon’s features, yet it was gone just as fast. Finalizing the deed, she completed the last spell. The crowd slowly backed away in fear as stone swept across the features of the old monarch. Celestia, the pinnacle of justice and grace, was now a cold and still statue.
Once satisfied, and momentarily increasing the flow of her mane to steady the excess magic, Nightmare Moon looked back up at her audience. “And now, let this be a symbol to all that Celestia’s rule is over. Long live the new era of eternal night!
“With that finished, let it be known among all the land that the time has come to be renamed and to be blessed by the moon. Let every mare, stallion, and foal come to Canterlot Castle,” declared Nightmare Moon. Bowing her head slightly, she walked over to Dawn Lighter and teleported the two of them to the castle. Once gone, the enchantments that had been holding the other five fell away. Leaving them defeated and alone in this new world of darkness. Gone was Twilight, gone was Celestia, gone was hope.