//------------------------------// // 5. Hunted by Moonlight // Story: Birthrights and Love // by Albi //------------------------------// Following the path over the small hill and crossing a babbling brooklet, Sunset stood before the little village she had seen on her arrival with Fluttershy. Most of the buildings were pink or white with thatched roofs. Some of the larger houses had wood or tile, and she could even spot the top of one that almost looked like gingerbread, though it was hard to tell in the moonlight. This can’t be Canterlot. She raised her gaze to the surrounding area. Beyond the town, she could see the outline of a tall mountain. A large cluster of lights sat sequestered on one side. By the light of the moon, she could see tall spires and waterfalls. “That must be it.” Sunset snorted and dug a hoof against the dirt. “It’s gonna take me forever to get there!” Though the more she complained, the more time she wasted. She broke into a manageable trot, pacing herself so she wouldn’t use up all her energy before she even got close. Fluttershy, knew something about me, Sunset thought as she crossed into town. Why did she want to know who my parents were? Gah, if it weren’t for her attack animals, I would have pressed for answers! It was quiet in the town, almost eerily so. Gone were the chittering bugs and low growls of the forest denizens. There was only the soft burble of the stream growing fainter behind her. Save for the light of the moon, the town was dim—windows shuttered and curtains drawn. When the stream fell away entirely, Sunset’s new pony ears strained to hear anything. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought she could hear muffled voices within the houses. “What kind of place is this?” Her own voice sounded odd against the silence, like an unwelcome guest. She continued onward, passing through what she assumed was the town square. While most of the cottages had thatched roofs, the building in the center had a tall wooden one. Hanging off it were two large midnight blue banners etched with a black insignia. It looked like the side profile of a pony’s face, with a long, sharp horn and a dragonic eye. Its mane was shaped like a crescent moon.  “Must be their ‘empress’,” Sunset muttered. Looking at the banner unnerved her. Even as she walked away, it felt like the eye was staring after her. Sunset moved through the town, finding empty flower beds and patches of dirt where lawns should have been. The lamp posts were extinguished, leaving thins slivers of light leaking through the window shutters as the only signs that this town wasn’t deserted. “You there!” Or, they were until Sunset heard that voice behind her. She froze and slowly turned around. Across the street stood a white unicorn adorned in a dark purple jacket and a blue blazer with a crescent moon clasp. The jacket matched her horseshoes and her mane, which was tied up in a neat bun. As she marched toward Sunset, a cross look on her face, Sunset saw a silver badge pinned to her jacket. It had the same insignia from the banner with little writing beneath it. Enforcer Rarity. Rarity stopped in front of Sunset, looked left and right, then leaned in and dropped her voice to a whisper, her cross look disappearing. “You should know not to be out after curfew. You’re lucky I caught you and not the Sentinels. What do you think you’re doing?” Curfew? Sunset cleared her throat, buying time to drum up a lie. “I was just… getting wood for my fireplace. You know, because it’s so cold.” As she said it, Sunset came to the realization that Rarity was wearing clothes while she herself was technically naked. What happened to my clothes? This place is weird! She didn’t have time to dwell; Rarity’s concerned look had morphed into suspicion. “Wood rations were given out two days ago. Actually…” She made a quick lap around Sunset, eyes moving up and down. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in Ponyville before.” Sunset swallowed and cleared her throat again. “Okay, you caught me.” She imitated Rarity, looking left and right before leaning in. “I was sent on a secret mission by the empress. I was to search the forest for rumors of a resistance.” Rarity gasped. “You mean Morning Light? Did… did you find anything?” Holy crap, I can’t believe this is working. Sunset shook her head. “Sadly, no. I was on my way back to Canterlot to report in.” “Ah, I see. I’m so sorry, dear, I just thought… I mean, you’re not very covert. Don’t get me wrong, your mane and coat are fabulous. Just not what I would expect from a recon pony.” “Exactly. In case I did find Morning Light, no one would suspect me of being a spy.” Rarity nodded. “Oh, of course. Our Empress does seem to think of everything. Well, at any rate, I’m just glad I don’t have to report you or anything. You know the penalty for breaking curfew.” “Sure do!” Sunset said with a nervous laugh. “Well, I should get going. I can’t keep Her Majesty waiting.” “But of course! Just, one last question before you leave.” “Shoot.” Rarity’s eyes narrowed again. “What phase is the moon in?” “Uhh…” Sunset looked up at the perfect, round orb above them. “Full?” Lips curling into a sinister smile, Rarity gave a short nod. “That’s what I thought.” Her horn began to glow an azure light, signaling it was time for Sunset to run. The second she turned her back to Rarity, a hot burst of energy struck her shoulder and sent her face-first into the dirt.  “The penalty for breaking curfew…” Rarity said, her soft voice filled with acid, “is far more lenient than lying to an Enforcer.” Sunset tried to get up, but something clamped down around her back and pinned her to the ground. Twisting her head, she saw an ethereal blue belt had come up around her middle. Rarity walked in front of Sunset and used the tip of her horseshoe to raise Sunset’s chin. “Now, darling, tell me who you are and what you’re doing here, or I’m going to have to report you. And I really don’t want to do that.” Sunset grit her teeth. She couldn’t get a read on this woman… pony? Her words sounded like poisoned honey, her lips were curled in a smile that said Sunset was a child who didn’t know any better, but there was something in her eyes, something Sunset couldn’t place. Whatever it was, it was far less malevolent than the rest of her tells. Struggling to break free of her bonds, Sunset grunted, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Rarity shifted her hoof, digging her horseshoe’s metal tip into Sunset’s skin. “You’ll find I make a better audience than the Sentinels or Her Majesty,” she said with false sweetness. Sunset tried to raise her head higher to get the tip out of her chin. “Fine. I honestly have very little idea where I am. All I know is, some monsters came and attacked me and took my sister! I just want to get to Canterlot so I can save her!” Rarity removed her horseshoe, letting Sunset’s head drop to the ground. “Well, that at least explains why you’re out past curfew.” She stopped giving Sunset her simpering smile and looked at her with genuine sympathy. “I understand what it’s like to have a sister you want to protect, but it’d be foolish of you to go to Canterlot.” “Yeah, I know, big bad empress or whatever. What else am I supposed to do?” If Rarity had an alternative, she never got to voice it. Her ears snapped to attention and she whipped her entire body around to face a shadowy approaching figure. Sunset craned her neck to the left to get a proper view of it. It looked like another pony, only larger and coated in midnight blue armor that blended into the shadows. The crest from earlier was etched into its breastplate. A helmet covered its face completely; the grate for its mouth was formed in a jagged line that looked like a sinister smile, and there was only one glowing eye in the center of its vizor. While the ponies Sunset had seen so far had soft manes of hair, this pony had a mane that looked like blue fire softly flickering in the night air. “Enforcer Rarity,” it said in a harsh, metallic drone, “have you found a disruptor?” “Oh, er, you see I thought I had, but the poor dear was just getting more firewood.” Sunset blinked. Why was this girl suddenly sticking up for her? Then again, she had seem reluctant the hand Sunset over to the ‘Sentinels’. Perhaps this was one of them? If Rarity was scared of them, Sunset could only imagine what they were capable of. “Firewood distribution is not for another four moon cycles.” The Sentinel stepped closer, the red eye in its visor glowing brighter. “State your name and occupation, or your punishment will be doubled.” Rarity looked over her shoulder and gave Sunset a sharp glare that said, ‘do it.’ “Um, Sunset Shimmer. Occupation… none?” Evidently, that had been the wrong thing to say. The red eye within the sentinel brightened to blinding levels, and a loud, angry ring sounded from its armor. It charged forward, knocked Rarity aside, and pointed its horn at Sunset. “Primary target found!” Its voice had dropped several octaves to a menacing growl. “Eliminating final threat!”  Crackling red electricity spiraled up its horn and gathered together into a ball at the tip. Sunset’s face burned from the energy pouring forth. She also felt a great pressure rise off her body. With the ball of energy reaching its peak, Sunset took a chance and rolled to the left just as the Sentinel fired. The blast struck the ground, missing Sunset but creating a wave of pressure and dirt that sent Sunset flying into the side of a building. “Destroy primary target!” the Sentinel roared.  Side aching, Sunset got to her hooves in time to see the monsters charging toward her, preparing more magic. She turned and ran as fast as her new body would carry her, weaving from side to side. A second blast flew by her cheek, grazing her fur. Come on, magic, Sunset thought hard. Come on, do something, please!  She tried to concentrate on her horn, willing her magic to come out from there. She didn’t care what she did, as long as she got this thing to stop chasing her! Another blast struck the ground just behind her, creating a shockwave that knocked Sunset off her hooves and onto her stomach. She scrambled up, but a metal-clad hoof slammed into her side and sent her careening into a tree. She rolled to the ground, ribs bruised and certain she was about to meet her death. She looked over to the approaching Sentinel. It greeted her with its jagged smile and red eye. “Eliminating final threat.” Why am I a primary target? Why does it want me dead? Sunset pushed the question to the side and tried one last time to think of a way out of her situation. I can’t die here! I need to save Twilight! A familiar warmth spread through her body, quickly scaling to a fevered heat. Sunset closed her eyes and let out short, haggard breaths, the heat exacerbating the pain in her chest. Instead of releasing from her horn like she intended, the magic enveloped her whole body and folded in on itself, and Sunset felt the entire world twist and pull away from her.  ****** Sunset stopped and knelt on the third step from the bottom. She wrapped her hands on the railings to keep her balance. Below her, just out of sight, she could hear her parents talking. “Honey, what is it?” she heard her dad ask her mom. “I just…” Her mom made a loud sniffle. “I looked at that note again today, Night. And I…” “Sweetie, sshhh. It’s going to be all right.” Why was her mommy crying? Did the note say something mean? Sunset leaned in closer. “It’s been years, Night. Seven years. I remember that first year we told ourselves not to get too attached because, what if whoever wrote the note did come back for her? It would hurt to let her go if we got too attached.”  Let who go? Too attached to what? “I know. Sometimes I forget that she’s… not really ours.” “Yes she is!” Velvet said fiercely. “She’s our daughter! We raised her! We changed her diaper! We gave her everything we could! We love her!” “And you’re worried her real parents are going to show up any day.” There was a long pause in which all Sunset heard were muffled sobs. “I can’t give her up now,” Velvet said. “I can’t. Sunset’s my baby. Maybe I didn’t give birth to her, but she’s mine…” Sunset almost lost her balance. Numbness spread through her hands that made her release the rails. She sat on the step, immobilized. She couldn’t feel her heartbeat anymore, she couldn’t breathe. Her mommy wasn’t actually her mom? Was that why she looked so different from Shining and Twilight and her cousins? They weren’t actually her cousins?  She choked back a sob. This wasn’t her real family? Then where was her real family? Where were her real parents? And why did they leave her here? Tears dribbled down her cheeks. Something hot burned in her chest. It stung and grew sharper with each heavy breath. Her thoughts grew hazy. All of her birthdays and Christmases and picnics and playtimes… were they all lies? Shining wasn’t her big brother? Twilight wasn’t her little sister? “Sunset!” Sunset jerked her tear-stricken face up at her parents. Three sets of heartbroken, fear-stricken eyes stared at each other.  “I… y-you…”  Sunset couldn’t manage more than that. The heat building in her chest yearned for release. It spread through her body, and the entire world twisted and pulled away. She felt herself sucked through a drain, falling and spinning and rapid speeds before she hit the ground, tears still streaming down her face. ****** Wherever she had ended up, the floor beneath her was cold and dusty. Sunset chose to lay against it, the cool texture a balm for her warm body and bruised ribs. She decided to crack an eye open to make sure she hadn’t been followed. A cobweb clinging to the bottom of a shelf was the first thing she saw. Casting her gaze around, she saw a broken table with a candelabra lying on the ground not too far away. The floor was stone and there were plants growing between the cracks. Turning her head to the right, Sunset saw a moth-eaten carpet and more bookshelves, their books scattered across the ground and covered in mold and dust. A library? Groggily, she got to her hooves, head spinning from her burst of magic.  “I really need to learn how to use that.” Sunset took another look at her surroundings now that she was upright. It was definitely a library, old and decrepit with most of its books lost to time. The vaulted ceiling had several large cracks in it, allowing moonlight to pour in. A bright ray shone on the library exit, one of the doors lying on the ground. She was in a completely foreign world, but Sunset headed for the exit to try and get a better sense of her surroundings. She stepped onto a large, narrow corridor that grew darker the longer it went on. Suits of armor lined the worn carpet, their expressionless visors managing to look as intimidating as the Sentinel Sunset had just escaped from. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate her power to her head again, willing some sort of light or fire to appear. Instead, Sunset felt the onset of a headache.  “Fine, stumbling in the dark it is.” Sunset stepped away from the moonlit ruins and proceeded down the corridor. Her visibility rapidly declined until she couldn't see but two steps in front of her. She took it slow, dragging her hooves to feel out for rubble or sharp objects. Switching her gaze from the wall of shadows in front of her to the carpet beneath her every few seconds, Sunset jumped and let out a short scream when she looked up into the face of a suit of armor. Her scream bounced down the halls, waking up who-knew-what within the darkness. Steadying her breath, Sunset saw the hall split into two directions. She could see soft moonlight coming from her right, and she was desperate to see again. The hall released her into another ruined room, arguably worse than the library. Here, the roof had also caved in, blocking off most of the other exits. The windows had been shattered, and plants had crept in and taken their place along the wall and floor.  A dais stood at one end of the room. The stairs leading to it had been severely cracked. Two thrones sat on the dais, though one of them had been thoroughly smashed, leaving only a blue one standing. As Sunset looked about the room, she noticed burn marks and jagged grooves near most of the damage. There was a fight here.  She walked to the middle of the hall. The moon hung ominously over her head. She felt oddly exposed, and retreated to the only open door at the front of the room. Sunset stopped in the threshold and looked back. There was something nostalgic about this room in particular. Looking at the thrones in the back, Sunset felt a strange heartache. She shook her head. Maybe, maybe she had been to this world before, as impossible as that sounded. But this place looked ancient, like no one had lived here in at least a few decades. Sunset continued on, crossing another corridor and ending up in what once was the entrance hall. Most of the walls had crumbled away completely, but the wooden door still stood, something Sunset found strangely humorous. In the middle of the room was an odd stone sculpture. A large orb sat on a plinth, and five arms stuck out around it. It looked like they were supposed to be holding something, but they were all empty. Sunset stepped up to it, her hooves brushing against rough debris. She looked down and found large stone shards, possibly what the statue had been holding. Looking closer, Sunset thought she saw something glittering amidst the rubble. It was tiny, but the gleam in the moonlight was surprisingly strong. Sunset knelt down and stretched her hoof out to touch it, mesmerized by its shine. “Luna, I will not fight you! You must lower the moon! It is your duty!” “Luna? I am… Nightmare Moon! And I only have one royal duty now: to destroy you!” Sunset jerked her hoof away, her head swimming. Both those voices sounded familiar. She had just heard them a few nights ago. And she knew one of them, Sunset knew she did.  Her breathing dissolved into short rasps. Where was she? Why did this all seem familiar? And where was her sister? Sunset squeezed her eyes shut and sank down to her knees. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see her parents and her brother and her bedroom and go back to being the weird girl at school. She felt a heat building in her, rising up to her horn and gripping her skull. Horn. I have a horn. I'm a unicorn. The sheer absurdity of it all hit her again, and Sunset jumped to her hooves and screamed. “What’s going on?” She pointed her horn at the stone orb and yelled as hot energy released from it. It was just like when she fired magic from her palms, only it alleviated some of the pressure in her head. Her beam pierced the stone orb like it was cloth and shot out the other side, smashing into the remains of the stone wall and turning it to dust. Cracks spiderwebbed from the hole in the orb, and the whole thing caved in on itself. Sunset took long, heavy breaths. She didn't feel any better. Outside of the crumbling walls was more forest shrouded in darkness. Even if it was the same forest from earlier, she had no way to navigate it, and she couldn't see Canterlot from here. She let out a snarl. Then she let out a sob. Twilight was going to die and it was all her fault. She put a hoof to her eye to try and wipe away the tears but only succeeded in getting dirt into them. With another yell, she twisted and bucked the stone plinth, sending a crack up the base, and a throb up her legs.  What was she supposed to do now? She couldn’t just sit here, but what were her options? She fell back on her new haunches and stared at the dirty floor. A cold wind brushed against her coat and she shuddered. There had to be one option left. Even as despair tried to settle in, there was that feeling—that voice in Sunset’s head that told her everything would be okay. Sunset got to her hooves and walked around the plinth to the front door. She pushed it open, the wood creaking so loudly, Sunset was afraid the door would break apart. She walked out and looked at the forest, a small canyon and broken bridge separating her from the rest of the world. In front of her, off in the distance, she could see the mountain again with flickering lights on its side. There!  Sunset hopped down the broken steps of the castle, and paused as she touched the dead grass. She looked at the mountain before her again. Its darker outline stuck out against the backdrop of night, though its definitions were lost. Even still, she could see an even darker shadow moving against it and steadily growing larger. Soon, Sunset could hear faint wingbeats. Then, a roar. She turned and ran back inside, the beating wings growing louder with each passing second. Retreading her path, Sunset lost herself in the corridors, passing by the throne room and hunkering down in the first fully closed-in hall she could find. It was silent for a moment, then the wingbeats came in, growing louder and louder, pounding through the stone slabs of the castle.  Vision obscured by darkness, Sunset was left to freely imagine what sort of monster owned wings of that size. Had she entered a world where dragons were real? If she hadn’t been in mortal peril, the idea of seeing a dragon would have been exciting.  After several long minutes, the noisy wings faded. Sunset released a sigh she didn’t know she was holding. She started heading back for the entrance again, ears at full attention.  How do I get out of here if there’s a giant monster circling around? Why does this place have so many monsters? She crossed back through the throne room and paused in the adjoining corridor. A sliver of moonlight snuck through a crack in the ceiling.  “If I figure out how to teleport on command, that’d be a big help,” she mumbled to herself. Sunset closed her eyes and tried to draw on her magic. “C’mon, it can’t be that hard.” The ceiling buckled around her with an earth-splitting crash, dropping down bricks and mortar while the suits of pony armor crashed against the ground. Yet not a piece of debris touched Sunset’s head. When she opened her eyes, she found her blue shield surrounding her, leaving her in a circle free from crushed stone and metal.  Sunset lifted her head and screamed, finding herself staring into six sets of red eyes looking down at her. The wing beats stalking her had belonged not to a bird, or a dragon, but some nightmarish combination of both with a few additional features. It was at least twelve feet tall, its ebony body shimmering in the moonlight. Pointed teeth extended out of its long silver beak. Sharp talons sat on the ends of its leathery wings, both as long as its body. The talons on its feet looked equally sharp, but what drew Sunset’s eyes were the appendages nestled right below its wings. “Why does it have pincers?” Two scorpion claws clicked menacingly at her. One shot forth and banged against the shield before retracting back to the beast’s side. It let out another roar, sounding like a cross between a dragon and an enraged turkey, and showing off a pair of black tongues. Perched on the crumbling remains of the ceiling, the monster brought its head down and slammed its beak against Sunset’s shield. She gasped and winced, dropping to one knee. With another slam from the monster’s beak, a crack ran up the blue bubble. When the beast raised its head again, Sunset dropped her shield and broke into a sprint, scrabbling over the rubble and throwing herself down the hall, ribs aching at the sudden exertion. The bird roared and beat its wings, sending vibrations through the hall. Dust and stone chips rained on Sunset’s head. Instead of heading back toward the entrance, she took a random turn and threw open a random set of doors.  Sunset came to a stuttering halt, stopping just before she crashed into a stone table. Upon a quick observation, she saw a woodfire stove, a stone basin, and several cabinets and drawers: a medieval kitchen.  The ceiling overhead shook violently. Breathing hard, Sunset took another look around for anything that could help her. A wooden spoon and a few heavily rusted knives were laid out on the counter. Sunset pointed her horn at the knives and lifted them up in her magic. The monster outside roared again, and Sunset tensed the muscles in her legs. She heard the beating of wings and then… something she couldn’t identify. A thrum of some sort. It was followed by a pained squawk and another set of tremors from above.  Sunset stepped back, knives wobbling in her grasp. One flying beast was already a nightmare, she knew she couldn’t survive a second one. A kitchen window shattered and in flew an alabaster mare. She landed on her side, rolled up onto her hooves and pointed her horn at the open window.  Sunset stared at the newcomer, then snapped back to the window as the monster bird shoved its head through and tried to snap at them. Sunset threw the rusty knives forward. Two of them broke against its beak, but a third lodged itself into one of its six eyes.  The bird roared in pain, and as it pulled its head back, the white unicorn fired a beam from her horn at its throat. The beast stumbled back and flapped its wings, crookedly taking off and shouting one more angry squawk. Both mares stared at the broken window, panting as they listened to the sound of flapping wings fade away. Sunset relaxed the muscles in her legs and dropped to the floor, head pounding.  “Thanks,” she said breathlessly. She looked up to see the unicorn standing right in front of her. She had jet black hair tied into a neat bun, and wore a collar with a red tie and thick-rimmed glasses. Glasses that looked very familiar, as did the brown eyes behind them. “Miss Inkwell?” Raven smiled, eyes welling with tears. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Sunset.” She offered a hoof. Sunset stared in disbelief but took it and got to her hooves. “What… how… why are you here?” “I came looking for you.” She looked at Sunset with far more tenderness than a principal should have had for her students. “I saw that Nightmare flying toward the castle and I followed it hoping it would lead me to you. I’m glad I was right and that I made it in time.” “Yeah, thanks for the help,” Sunset said slowly. Her mind was still desperately trying to make sense of things. She commended it for not giving up despite the ludicrosity of today’s events.  Raven stepped closer and put a hoof to Sunset’s cheek. “Goodness, it’s so good to see you, Sunset.” “Uhh… yeah.” Despite the awkwardness, Sunset couldn’t bring herself to pull away. “It’s good to see you too, but…” Raven blinked and lowered her hoof, her face red. “I’m sorry. It’s just…” Sunset’s brain underwent a minor reboot, enough for her to string a few thoughts together. “Miss Inkwell, you know what’s going on, don’t you?” “I—” “Who are you?” Sunset asked, frustration mounting again and voice rising. “Where am I? Why do so many things here want me to die? Why am I pony? Why, just why?” “Sunset, please, calm down!” “I can’t! Do you know what I’ve gone through in the past few hours?” Sunset yelled, chest tightening. “I’ve been attacked by monsters, chased through a forest, threatened by a bear, assaulted, attacked again by some robots, almost crushed to death, attacked a third time, and on top of all that my sister has been kidnapped and I can’t get to her!” Sunset dropped to her stomach and let out a long, heaving sob. There was no anger or frustration to follow it this time, just a painful swelling before Sunset sobbed again.  Raven stooped beside Sunset and put a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Sunset. I’m sorry about Twilight, and I’m sorry you had to go through all that. I want to tell you everything but—” “No.” Sunset lifted her head and glared at Raven through watery eyes. “Don’t play that trope, please. Just tell me what’s happening.” Raven inhaled softly and sighed. “Very well, Sunset. But I must warn you, some of this may come as a shock.” Sunset shook her head. “It can’t get more shocking than this.” Raven gave a soft chuckle. “You might be surprised.” She gestured to the window and the dark landscape outside. “You are standing in the land of Equestria. At least, that’s what we used to call it,” Raven said nostalgically. “Not very long ago, this country was a beacon of light and love. Our leader was the benevolent and wise Princess Celestia, who had ruled our kingdom single-hoofedly for a thousand years.” “A thousand years?” Sunset parroted. “Yes. She was an alicorn; an immortal being with traits from all three pony tribes: unicorns, pegasi, and earth-ponies. She was kind, and generous, and cared for all of her subjects. “Then, one day, we all learned she had become pregnant. All of us, even Her Majesty was surprised. None of us had thought it possible. But all of Equestria celebrated, all the way until the foal was born.” Raven took off her glasses and wiped her eyes. “For a year, everything was as it should have been. I had never seen the country so elated before. And Her Majesty… her smile had always been radiant, but whenever she looked at her foal… it was as if she was the sun itself. “Then, something even more unexpected happened. The seal on an ancient darkness broke sooner than predicted and without warning. One-thousand years ago, Princess Celestia locked away the most difficult enemy she had ever faced—one that had a… personal grudge against her. We all feared the worst. So, the Princess decided to hide her child in the safest place she could think of: another world entirely. “I was the one who carried the little princess to safety while Princess Celestia went to fight for Equestria.” Raven bit her lip, her throat quivering. “She… lost that fight. And the monster known as Nightmare Moon took control of the world and plunged it into night everlasting. “Ever since then, ponies have lived in fear of their new empress and her monsters. All the while, Nightmare Moon never ceased looking for Princess Celestia’s child; the last challenge to her complete control of Equestria.” Raven stepped back and lowered herself into a deep bow. “Sunset Shimmer, you were that child. You are the one and only daughter of Princess Celestia, and heir to the Equestrian throne.”