Twilight Sparkle was still trying to figure out how everything had gone so wrong, why she was now facing down the return of the wicked mare of darkness that was Nightmare Moon. It shouldn't have been like this.
It had all started innocently enough, with Twilight taking it upon herself to do some research after hearing about the "Elements of Harmony" in a story. "'Elements of Harmony', see 'Mare in the Moon'?" That was the first development that had set into motion events the studious unicorn (the student of Princess Celestia) could not have anticipated occurring.
"That's just an old mare's tale." Her baby dragon and trusted assistant Spike had replied, though even he wasn't entirely sure about that.
Twilight had simply read further, learning about the titular "Mare in the Moon" (who was called Nightmare Moon) and what she would do. "She will bring about nighttime eternal," And she had then instructed to Spike. "Take a letter, please! And send it to Princess Celestia, it's urgent!"
Spike did so, and received a reply in a matter of minutes. Twilight was convinced this meant her mentor also realized what was going to happen unless drastic measures were taken to prevent it. "I'm sure she'll agree that we need to take action right away!"
But the written reply from the sun princess was not at all what Twilight had anticipated, especially as Spike read it over to her. "My dear Twilight, there is far more to a young pony's life than just studying. Make some friends! Real friends!" And to that end, the two were sent to the town of Ponyville, tasked with overseeing preparations for the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration.
Twilight wasn't exactly in a mood to make friends, especially when her first attempt involved meeting a rather energetic (and weird) pink coated earth pony that she later learned was called Pinkie Pie. The first meeting between the two had been brief, ending with Pinkie letting out a gasp and running away!
Partially because of that meeting, and partially because of everything else she had to endure that day, the unicorn mare ended up with a not very favorable impression of Ponyville's residences. She even proclaimed to Spike at one point. "I swear, all the ponies in this town are crazy!" Yet secretly, part of her was hoping to be proven wrong about what she'd found out.
Alas, Twilight was soon to find out that she'd been right all along. For when the time came for Princess Celestia to appear at the celebration and raise the sun, she was nowhere to be found!
"She's gone!" A unicorn named Rarity had reported, just before a dark blue mist appeared in the same spot the sun princess had been intended to appear at.
And from that mist emerged a mare of darkness. Twilight had no doubt about who the mare was. "Oh no! Nightmare Moon!"
Nightmare Moon had then quickly proclaimed to all. "The night, will last, forever!" And then as she laughed, lightning flashed and crackled all around her, creating a frightening display that made even the bravest of hearts tremble with fear.
Twilight didn't know what she was going to do now. Heck, what could she do now that Princess Celestia had been either defeated, or captured and imprisoned? She had only a vague clue about something in the past that had defeated Nightmare Moon, but she had no further leads on that something. And she doubted Nightmare Moon would just let her search for that something.
But something would have to be done! Somehow, someway, Nightmare Moon would have to be defeated! But Twilight didn't know if she was the pony for the job.
Nightmare Moon continued to show off her power, seeming quite confident that no one was going to be able to stop her (let alone pose a challenge to her).
But you can bet that the ponies of Ponyville weren't taking the news of this sudden attempted overthrow of their government lying down. Oh no no no! There was at least one pony brave enough to issue a command in defiance of the mare of darkness that stood on the balcony. And that pony was the mayor of Ponyville herself. "Royal guards, seize this would-be tyrant at once!" She barked out with authority! "One way or another, she'll tell us where Princess Celestia is!"
A trio of royal guards (who had just so happened to have been on security detail for the celebration) immediately sprang into action! Flapping their wings, they took to the skies with spears at the ready! They were prepared and determined to capture this usurper. It was what they had been trained for.
Without warning, however, Nightmare Moon ceased her laughing and boasting. Her eyes glowed white as she bore her teeth and glared at the approaching guards! "Stay back, you foals!" She shouted, turning into the dark blue mist that had announced her presence. And then, for good measure, she had lightning strike at the three guards and send them crashing to the ground (fortunately, they were unharmed). Then, still in her mist form, the evil alicorn proclaimed. "Consider that a taste of what I'm capable of. So don't anypony get in my way, or else!" And with that, as if to make herself heard, Nightmare Moon disappeared into the night as quickly as she had arrived.
Twilight was the only pony who thought to give chase to the mist, rushing out of town hall as fast as her legs would carry her (and with Spike in tow). "Come back here, Nightmare Moon!" She shouted, not caring who might overhear! "You're not getting away that easily, not if I can help it!"
Unknown to the unicorn, however, somepony was watching her. Said somepony was Rainbow Dash, who had heard everything Twilight had just said. "So, there's more to you than meets the eye, huh?" She commented to herself. "I knew you were trying to keep something from me! But I'll find out what you know! I'll make you talk!"
Twilight's attempted pursuit of Nightmare Moon didn't get very far. Try as she might, the unicorn couldn't keep up with the mist and soon lost track of it. With no other options, she retreated to the one safe haven she could think of on short notice: The Golden Oak Library.
Once inside, Twilight immediately lifted Spike off her back with her magic. They had already been through a lot in just the short amount of time Nightmare Moon had made herself known. "You were right after all, Twilight," Spike commented with regret. "I shouldn't have doubted you."
"It's okay, Spike. You couldn't have known," Twilight reassured him as she then floated over a small basket next to her bed. "But you need to rest. You're not used to being up so late like this."
Spike let out a yawn even as he protested. "But... I'm not tired."
The unicorn wasn't taking no for an answer. "Please, Spike. I have enough on my plate as it is without having to worry about you. Rest, and let me do the worrying for both of us."
Reluctantly, the little dragon obeyed as he slowly crawled into the basket and let Twilight pull the sheets over him. "Okay," He yawned again. "Just please don't do anything too crazy." Soon afterward, he shut his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
The studious unicorn allowed herself but a few seconds to breath and rest easy. Spike was taken care of, that much was a load off her shoulders. But more pressing matters quickly occupied her mind. "I need to find more information on those Elements of Harmony," She whispered to herself. "Without them, I don't see how anypony's supposed to be able to stop Nightmare Moon."
Just then, however, Twilight found herself unexpectedly face to face with none other than Rainbow Dash. It seemed the brash speedster had followed Twilight all the way to the library without being noticed. "And just how do you know so much about Nightmare Moon, huh?! What are those 'Elements of Harmony' you just mentioned?! You didn't come here just to check on the preparations, you must've had another motive! So spill it, what are you really here for?! Are you a spy?!" But before she could say anything further, Rainbow felt a tug on her tail.
The tug came courtesy of Applejack, who was desperately trying to hold Rainbow Dash back. "Simmer down, sally," She protested through clenched teeth, promptly spitting out the tail and releasing her grip on it. "She's no spy, I can tell you that much."
"Oh yeah? What makes you say that?!" Rainbow retorted. "She's been acting mighty suspicious ever since Nightmare Moon showed up, almost like she knew this would happen!"
The farm mare shook her head. "She seems way too startled for this to be an act. There's no way she's workin' for Nightmare Moon," But then she added while looking at Twilight. "But she does know what's goin' on here, don't ya?"
Rarity (along with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy) happened to show up at that very moment, giving her own two bits on the matter. "I must agree with Applejack. Whatever you came here for has something to do with Nightmare Moon. It's time you told us who you really are."
Sensing that there was no way to get out of this situation without talking, Twilight reluctantly took a deep breath. The time had come for her to confess. "It's true that Spike and I weren't just sent here to check on the preparations," Recalling her neglected other assignment she explained. "I read about The Mare in the Moon and how she was supposed to return on the longest day of the thousandth year. But when I tried to warn my mentor, Princess Celestia, she had me sent here. I was supposed to check on the preparations and make friends."
"No wonder you seemed so impatient," Fluttershy realized. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"
"Would you have believed me, though?" Twilight glumly commented as her lips quivered. "Even I began to doubt myself. I began to hope that I was wrong even though everything told me I was right. Besides, even if I had told you it wouldn't have mattered. There's nothing any of you could've done to prevent this. Princess Celestia is the one who defeated Nightmare Moon all those years ago, not me. I'm but her student, and as gifted as I am I'm not strong enough to take on an alicorn on my own," She then sought to change the subject. "The only lead I have are these things called The Elements of Harmony. They're what Princess Celestia used to defeat Nightmare Moon. But I don't know where they are or how to find them."
Pinkie Pie then chuckled as she proclaimed. "Did you try checking under E, silly?" She promptly rushed to a nearby bookshelf and soon found something as she read aloud: "The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide."
Twilight Sparkle immediately rushed over and shoved Pinkie aside! "Oh, it was so obvious! Why didn't I think of it before?!" She quickly pulled the book out and opened it, taking notice of how similar it was to the other book that had mentioned the elements: Predictions and Prophecies. She began to read through the pages, unaware that a dark blue mist was watching her from a nearby window. "Legend has it that there are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery."
"Great!" Rainbow Dash enthusiastically exclaimed! "So all we have to do is find those 'Elements' and Nightmare Moon is history! Where can we find them?"
Twilight read further. And when she did her heart began to fill with dread. "It is said that the last known location of the five elements is in The Castle of the Two Sisters, where the two alicorns once ruled together in harmony. But the castle itself resides deep within what is now-"
"The Everfree Forest!" All six ponies exclaimed all at once when they approached the forest entrance! Even Twilight Sparkle knew that the forest was not a place ponies ventured into willingly.
"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go in!" Pinkie Pie proclaimed without concern. "This'll be fun!"
Twilight shook her head, using her magic to pull the pink party pony back from the edge of the forest. "Something tells me it will be anything but fun," She seriously stated before turning to face the other mares who'd been brave enough to accompany her up to this point. "Look, I appreciate your concerns, but I'll be just fine on my own. I don't need you risking yourselves for me when we only just met."
Applejack would hear nothing of such a proposal. "No can do, sugarcube! Never in a million years we would let any friend of ours just waltz on into that forest by herself. That ain't how we roll," And when the other mares nodded in agreement she then declared. "Like it or not, we're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple."
Pinkie licked her lips while innocently remarking. "Especially if there's candy apples in there," When Twilight shot her a strange look she defended herself by saying. "What? I can't help it if those things are good."
The studious unicorn mare could only sigh and hang her head. She was sure these five mares would only end up getting in the way, and that's if they were lucky. Yet it seemed like there was nothing she could say or do to change their minds. So she instead joined them as this unlikely bunch of hopeful heroes entered into the Everfree Forest.
The trek to The Castle of the Two Sisters was sure to be a long one, and there was no telling what lay in store for the unsuspecting mares as they all tried their best to be brave.
The group hadn't been walking for very long when Twilight Sparkle saw fit to break up the eerie silence of the forest, illuminated only slightly by the full moon in the sky. "So, I take it none of you have ever been in here before for any reason?"
Rarity was the first to reply, groaning audibly when she did so. "Heavens no! Not on your life! Just look at this place, it's dreadful. And quite dangerous too. Everypony whose anypony knows to stay out of here if they know what's good for them."
Applejack nodded in agreement. "Exactly. This place," She shuddered. "It ain't natural. I've only heard stories, but folks say this place don't work the same as Equestria."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight nervously inquired, failing to notice a dark blue mist seeping into a nearby cliffside.
"Nopony knows," Rainbow Dash declared in a spooky tone of voice, slowly making her way towards a terrified Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. "Wanna know why?"
Applejack was not amused for a second by Rainbow's antics. "Knock it off! We all want the same thing, so stop tryin' to scare ponies!"
Rainbow didn't listen, instead continuing to say in that spooky tone of hers. "'Cause everypony who's ever come in has never come out! Think we'll be any different? 'Cause if not, it's not too late to back out."
But before anypony could react to the proposal, the cliffside they were standing on gave way with no warning at all! Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy only just thought to flap their wings to escape the downward slide, quickly realizing where the others were headed! "Fluttershy, quick!" Rainbow whistled to her fellow pegasus, before promptly swooping down!
"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Oh, I hope we're not too late!" Fluttershy nervously said to herself as she flew down after Rainbow Dash!
Fortunately, luck was on the ponies' side. Applejack managed to grab hold of a branch jutting out from the slope, and with her teeth she brought herself to a stop. And Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, reacting quickly, managed to get Pinkie Pie and Rarity to safety.
That left only Twilight, who couldn't find anything to grab onto to stop herself from sliding down the slope! Soon, another steep cliffside presented itself to her, and the horrified unicorn knew she couldn't stop in time! She skidded over the edge, her front hooves just barely managing to clasp it while her rear hooves (and much of her body) dangled helplessly in the air! What's worse, she knew that if she went over this cliff, it would be a straight drop to the ground with nothing to stop her! Panic immediately filled every fiber of her being, and she desperately screamed since it was all she could think to do!
Applejack could see everything with her sap green eyes, and she knew at once that something had to be done to save Twilight before it was too late! "Hang on, sugarcube!" She yelled out and let go of the branch that she'd been clinging to. "I'm a comin'!" Slowly and carefully, she descended the slope until she was eye level with Twilight. She grabbed Twilight's front hooves with her own, the farm mare using every ounce of strength she had to secure her grip on the unicorn.
But Twilight wasn't out of danger yet, she was still dangling dangerously over the edge. If Applejack let go there'd be nothing left to stop her from falling! "Applejack, please!" She pleaded at the top of her lungs! "Pull me up! I know you can! I saw you kick an apple tree like it was nothing!"
Applejack groaned, trying to pull Twilight up but finding it almost impossible to do so. And in the process she knew was expending a lot of effort. "I... can't!" She muttered and grit her teeth. "I may be strong, but even I can't pull a full grown pony up all by myself!"
Horror flooded Twilight's mind as her eyes widened! "What are we gonna do?! I... I think I'm slipping!" And indeed it seemed like gravity was working against the panic stricken unicorn, pulling her down even while she tried to pull herself up with Applejack's aid.
The strong earth pony mare quickly realized she needed to think of another way to get Twilight down to the ground safely. And then, after looking up to the sky, she got an idea. Looking back down at Twilight she calmly instructed. "Let go."
Twilight could hardly believe her ears! "What?! Are you out of your mind?! I'll kill myself!"
Applejack protested. "No you won't, we got two pegasi ready and waitin' to catch you. What I'm tellin' you is the honest truth. Let go, and I promise you'll be safe."
"No I won't! This will never work!" Twilight protested back! "There's gotta be another way!"
"We don't have time to figure out that 'other way'," Applejack insisted and looked deep into Twilight's eyes. "Do you trust me? Do you think I'd lie to you at a time like this?"
Those words touched at something deep inside the studious unicorn mare. Much as her mind told her she couldn't trust the advice of a pony she barely knew, her heart told her that Applejack was a pony that could be trusted in a situation like this. So, reluctantly, she let go of Applejack's hooves and let herself fall! She shut her eyes and screamed, waiting for the end to come.
But it never came. Twilight suddenly felt her free fall come to an abrupt halt. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had indeed caught her just as Applejack said they would.
Still, it was very difficult for the two pegasi to lower Twilight to the ground to join the others. Mostly because of Fluttershy who apologized profusely while saying. "Sorry, I'm just not used to carrying anything heavier than a bunny or two."
Meanwhile, Applejack smiled and gave a wink. "Told you you'd be alright, Twilight. An Apple never turns its back on a pony in need."
As the group of mares slowly recovered from their harrowing experience, they were unaware of a dark blue mist that was watching them from afar.
"Blast that puny apple farmer!" A voice hissed to itself! "She had to go and ruin everything!"
"Please!" Another voice desperately protested! "We do not wish to bring harm to other ponies! What we want is respect."
The first voice then replied. "The only way to get respect is to be feared. And I'll teach those ponies to fear me if it's the last thing I do! This forest is filled with dangers, it's time I took advantage of them!" And then without being noticed, the mist raced ahead of the ponies, striking a creature far ahead on the path.
Mere moments later, the six mares were continuing their trek through the forest. And Rainbow Dash was recalling in great detail the daring rescue that she and Fluttershy had just been part of. "And once Pinkie and Rarity were saved, whoosh!" She spoke in dramatic tones while performing dramatic gestures. "Fluttershy and I loop-de-looped around and WHAM! Caught you right in the nick of time," When a voice cleared its throat she added. "'Course, I can't take all the credit. But you gotta admit, that was a brilliant move on our parts."
Twilight sighed. She was grateful for the rescue but was fast growing annoyed with the speedster's ego. "Yes, Rainbow. I was there. Thanks again for the save," She spoke up. "Now if we could just-"
Before Twilight could finish her sentence, however, a ferocious roar filled the air! And just like that, emerging on the path before the ponies was a truly terrifying sight! It was a creature that sported a lion's mane, a scorpion's tail and the wings of a dragon! It had a dark red mane and an orange coat of fur, not to mention terrifying black eyes! The ponies knew at once what it was! "A manticore!"
The manticore roared loudly while rearing its paws back, or at least one paw back. But only Fluttershy noticed that it kept its other paw hidden for reasons unknown. Everypony else was focused on the fact that this fearsome beast was blocking their path! Like it or not, they'd have to find a way past it if they were ever going to reach the castle.
"If he won't move, we'll just have to make him!" Twilight firmly declared! "Stay sharp and stay alert!"
Rarity was the first to make a move against the manticore, ducking under its paw swipe and kicking it square in the face. "Ha! Take that, you ruffian!" She boldly proclaimed! But the manticore just shrugged it off and roared back at her, so loudly that it made Rarity's mane and tail stand up straight. "My hair!" She whined! "You monster! That was uncalled for!" Then she jumped out of the way when it tried to swipe at her again.
"Wait." Fluttershy tried to call, but she spoke so softly she couldn't be heard over the commotion of the battle.
Applejack was next to try her luck with the creature. Timing her moves carefully, she leaped up and climbed on top of the manticore's mane as she then slipped a lasso around his mouth. "YEE-HAW! Get along, little doggie." She cried out, riding the manticore as if it were a raging bull. She hung on for dear life as it tried to throw her off.
Again, Fluttershy called out. "Wait." This time it was a bit louder, but she was still not speaking loud enough to be heard.
The manticore, meanwhile, finally managed to get the upper paw against Applejack. It swung hard and sharply, finally managing to toss her off!
"All yours, partner!" Applejack declared to Rainbow Dash in mid-flight, before she tumbled into the dirt.
Rainbow Dash smiled! "Finally!" She eagerly proclaimed and rushed towards the manticore! "This'll just take three seconds!" Then she surrounded the manticore in a whirl of rainbow colored energy, trying to lift it off the ground.
Once again, the animal loving pegasus cried! "Wait!" Now she was beginning to shout, but still she could not be heard.
Try as she might, Rainbow found the manticore was too heavy to life into the air. And worse was to come when the manticore swung its tail at her and knocked her back, sending her tumbling towards the other mares! Fortunately, much like Applejack she was more dirty than hurt.
Five of the mares quickly gathered their composure and summed what courage they could muster on short notice! Then they all ran towards the manticore together, prepared to take it on all at once and hopefully prevail.
But before they had a chance to attack, Fluttershy jumped in front of them and shouted at the top of her lungs! "WAIT!" That got everypony's attention. Then, without saying a word, she approached the manticore and sniffed it. "You've been holding back all this time," She commented. "I could tell. You weren't using both paws, and I think I know why," Then she gently coaxed the creature to show its right paw. "Let me see."
The manticore obeyed, revealing a huge, dark blue thorn wedged right into the middle of its right paw. "Oh, you poor little baby," Fluttershy sincerely cooed. "No wonder you're so upset."
"Little?" Rainbow blinked in disbelief. The manticore was anything but "little".
Showing more bravery than any of her fellow mares, Fluttershy said to the manticore. "Just hold still. This should only hurt for a minute." And she proceeded to yank out the thorn with her teeth!
The manticore gave a sharp roar and pulled Fluttershy close! Yet to the surprise of the others, the manticore subsequently began licking her while purring happily.
Afterwards, as the manticore allowed the six ponies to pass, Twilight opted to ask a rather daring question of her animal loving companion. "How did you know it wouldn't attack you once you took the thorn out? It could've shredded you to pieces."
Fluttershy smiled as she replied to Twilight. "Sometimes, we just need to be shown a little kindness. And that little kindness can go a long way."
Had anypony looked back they might have seen the thorn dematerialize and turn into dark blue mist. "Why didn't that work?!" The first voice complained!
"You underestimate these ponies," The second voice replied. "Please, let us go. Thou hast already done enough to taint our reputation!"
But the first voice only hissed anew. "Never, it's too late for that now! I think it's time I showed these ponies why they call me Nightmare Moon!"
Not long after the manticore encounter, the ponies unknowingly entered into a part of the forest where the trees were tall enough to block all natural light. Not even the rays of the full moon could penetrate the darkness.
"I know my eyes needed a rest from all that icky muck, but I didn't mean it literally." Rarity insisted.
Twilight, meanwhile, was quite concerned about another development. "This isn't good. The ruins could be right in front of us and we wouldn't even know it 'cause it's so dark."
Just after Twilight finished saying that, Rarity bumped right into Rainbow Dash. "Sorry, didn't see you there." She sincerely apologized.
"Standing right here!" Rainbow grumbled. "If those trees weren't so tall, I'd fly right up and be our eye in the sky."
Then Applejack looked down at her hooves as she nervously commented. "Hold on, y'all. I think I stepped in somethin'."
Unknown to the ponies, the dark blue mist had entered the dark part of the forest and worked its way into the trees. Fluttershy was the first unwitting victim to stumble across the twisted, terrifying faces the trees now bore. And when she did, she took one look and let out a scream of fright!
Unaware of what Fluttershy had seen, Applejack insisted. "It's just mud! I know mud when I see it," But then she too happened to see one of the trees' faces and immediately she took a step back and screamed! "Gah!"
Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash stumbled across the same shortly thereafter. And was it their imagination, or were the trees beginning to growl? They didn't know, and that was enough to make even them scream out in fear!
But there was one pony who wasn't screaming! That pony was Pinkie Pie, who just giggled and made funny faces right back at the scary faces. It seemed like she wasn't frightened or intimidated at all, she was having the time of her life!
The five frightened mares couldn't believe what they were seeing and hearing! Heck, Twilight saw fit to question. "Pinkie Pie, what do you think you're doing?! That's not gonna work!"
Pinkie Pie only shook her head and made a tsking motion. "Oh girls," She chuckled a bit as she began bobbing her head. "Don't you see? There's nothing to be afraid of. I learned that lesson a long time ago," Then she suddenly began to sing. "When I was a little filly and the sun was going down!"
"Wait, tell me she's not-" Twilight began, not believing what Pinkie Pie was doing.
Pinkie ignored the comment and just continued to sing. "The darkness and the shadows they would always make me frown!"
"She is." Rarity briefly replied.
The pink party pony kept on singing, not concerned in the least that no one was joining her. It seemed like she was performing for an audience of one, and only she could heard the music. But that was just fine with her. "I'd hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw. But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at all."
"Then what is?" Rainbow Dash asked. With the way she spoke it was hard to tell if she sincerely wanted to know or just wanted the singing to stop.
Pinkie was still happy to oblige either way, singing proudly. "She said: 'Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall! Learn to face your fears! You'll see that they can't hurt you, just laugh to make them disappear.'," And as if to make herself heard, she locked her blue eyes with one of the scary tree faces and laughed right at it. "Hah, hah, hah!" It worked! Like magic, the scary face disappeared in a poof of smoke.
Everypony else was amazed! There was no way it should've worked, but somehow it did.
"Come on, girls!" Pinkie Pie proudly proclaimed! "No turning back now!" And as the others joined in one by one in laughing with her, she kept singing. "Sooo....: Giggle at the ghostly. Guffaw at the grossly. Crack up at the creepy. Whoop it up with the weepy. Chortle at the kooky. Snortle at the spooky. And tell that big, dumb, scary face to take a hike and leave you alone, and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming, and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna..." She paused briefly while seeming to appear inside one of the tree trunks, then she let out a hearty laugh as she held the last note for what seemed like forever. "Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuugh!"
Laughter quickly replaced the screams as the six mares all lay on the grass, laughing so hard that their sides were starting to ache.
"See?" Pinkie grinned and beamed afterward. "A little laughter goes a long way!" Then she stood up. "Come on, girls! We're not gonna let this spooky forest get the best of us, now are we?!" And without waiting for a reply she bounced away, prompting the other ponies to follow her, until slowly but surely natural light began to illuminate the forest again.
Meanwhile, back in the darkened part of the forest, the dark blue mist was appearing once again. The scary faces had failed to phase the ponies like one of the voices had hoped.
The voice of Nightmare Moon again complained to herself. "Curses! Why is nothing working?! Everything I throw at these ponies, they just throw it right back at me like it's nothing!"
The other voice once again pleaded. "Stop this, now! We shalt never regain the trust of our subjects like this. We art to protect them from what frightens them, not make them fear us even more!"
But the voice of Nightmare Moon only growled. "This is why I'm in charge and you are not. You're too weak to do what needs to be done!" And she then vowed. "One way or another, I will stop them from reaching the castle! All will bow to us eventually, or would you rather I cast you off and find a more worthy host?"
"No!" The other voice whined! "Please, do not abandon us! We will have no one left to protect us!"
"Excellent," Nightmare Moon smiled. "So leave everything to me from now on. Those ponies may be tough, but they're not invincible!" And then the dark blue mist took off once more.
The ponies blissfully pranced their way through the forest with Pinkie Pie in the lead. But it came to a sudden halt when the pink party pony happened to notice something up ahead that would hinder their progress! One by one, the ponies piled up behind her and poked their way around the party pony's rump to see what was the matter.
A raging river with rapidly churning waters and waves splashing up and down as if driven to madness now presented itself to the six mares. And there was no bridge anywhere in sight.
"Now how are we gonna get past this?" Pinkie pondered aloud.
"We can't walk through a river like that, we'll never make it!" Applejack firmly insisted!
At that moment, a voice not belonging to any of the ponies cried out amidst the raging river. "What a world. Oh, what a world." And the owner of said voice was soon discovered to be a rather large creature. It had purple scales, an orange mustache that matched its head and black eyes. It appeared to be a sea serpent. A closer inspection indicated that half of its mustache seemed to be gone. This sea serpent was responsible for the river existence in its current volatile state, its tail kicking up waves every time it moved up and down.
Nopony knew how best to approach this upset creature, but Twilight took it upon herself to try. "Excuse me, sir," She asked, assuming the sea serpent was male. "Why are you crying?"
The sea serpent paused briefly in his sobbing to answer. "Well, I don't know. I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when all of a sudden this tacky little cloud of dark blue smoke just whisked right past me," He made a motion with his hands to convey that sudden passing. "It tore half my mustache clean off, and now I look simply horrid. Oh, why'd this have to happen to a guy like me? I didn't do anything to deserve this!" And he began to wail once again, showering the ponies with river water stirred up by his tail.
Rainbow Dash wasn't happy to hear the serpent's tale. She frowned. "Really? Give me a break."
And Applejack chimed in in agreement. "That's what all this fuss is about? It's a mustache, it'll grow back!"
Rarity, however, stepped forward while remarking. "How can you two be so insensitive?" She proceeded to approach the sea serpent and spoke in admiration of his features. "Just look at you. Such lovely luminescent scales."
The sea serpent ceased his crying momentarily. "I know. Nice to see someone appreciates it."
Rarity nodded and then spoke again. "And your expertly coiffed mane."
The sea serpent nodded back. "Oh, I know, I know."
Rarity continued to lay on the charm. "And your fabulous manicure too."
The sea serpent let out an audible gasp. "It's so true! Everything you've said is true."
"All ruined without your beautiful mustache." Rarity declared.
The sea serpent agreed as he sobbed once again. " It's true, I'm hideous! Don't you know how long it take a mustache to grow back?!"
The fashion loving unicorn smiled. "Indeed I do. I know a thing or two about beauty. I've made it my life's purpose to bring out the beauty in others," Then she declared. "I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulosity such as yours go uncorrected. There's only one thing to do!"
Suddenly, the sea serpent felt a slight poke and saw one of his scales be plucked off, causing him to give a small yelp. "Hey! What was that for?!" He questioned, before he saw Rarity brandish the plucked scale not unlike a dagger.
"Rarity, what are you-" Twilight began. But before she could say anything else, she and the rest of the mares saw Rarity swing the scale! The sound of something being cut off split the air!
The sea serpent moaned for a moment, before realizing what Rarity had done. She had sliced off her own tail, and was now using her magic to mold it into a mustache similar in design to the half the sea serpent had before. The sea serpent could hardly believe his eyes! "You... you fixed my mustache!" He happily exclaimed! "I'm fabulos again!"
Seemingly unconcerned at having tarnished her own natural beauty, Rarity just smiled as she said to the sea serpent. "It was my pleasure, always happy to help in a fashion emergency," And she then complimented. "You look smashing!" When she turned back to face the others, she was surprised to see them give her the most puzzling of looks. "What? Do I have something stuck in my teeth?"
Twilight was the first to speak up. "Rarity, your tail."
Rarity looked briefly to her considerably shortened tail, but seemed to shrug it off as she said. "It'll grow back eventually. Besides..." She seemed to struggle to keep her lips from quivering. "Short tails are in style this season. You know me, always gotta keep up with the latest trends. Can't run a boutique if I don't."
Twilight Sparkle then declared. "Well, at least we can cross now. Come on!"
But before any of the mares could take a single step into the now calm river waters, the sea serpent swam over and offered. "Allow me. It's the least I can do to pay you back for your gift." He arched his long back, serving as a series of small bridges that the ponies could leap across to reach the other side of the river.
But as the six ponies were reaching the other side and heading deeper into the forest, they were still unaware of the dark blue smoke that was watching them.
Nightmare Moon was fast losing all patience. "They're still going! Nothing's working!" She complained! "Do they really think they stand a chance against me?! Me?!"
The other voice responded. "Perhaps they do. Soon, we shalt be free and in control once again!"
Nightmare Moon thought otherwise as she growled. "No! I won't allow that to happen! This has gone far enough! I know how to split them up." And her mind began to scheme.
Not long after leaving the sea serpent behind, something slowly came into view for the ponies in the distance. It looked like an old castle, one to which the years had been anything but kind.
Twilight knew at once what that castle was! "The Castle of The Two Sisters! We made it!" She happily shouted and rushed ahead without bothering to wait for the others! That proved to be a mistake when she noticed that the rope bridge leading to the castle had been knocked down! She only just managed to stop herself before she would've fallen into the gorge.
"What is it with you and almost falling off cliffs?" Rainbow Dash remarked as Twilight was brought to safety. "Rushing ahead is supposed to be my thing!"
"We're so close!" Twilight insisted! "If that bridge were up it'd be an easy trot into the castle."
Rainbow smiled. "Guess it's a good thing you've got me, then," She unfolded her wings and began to flap them. "Just sit tight, I got this!" She quickly flew across the gap and retrieved the downed part of the bridge. She was just about to tie it up when she thought she heard a voice calling out to her.
"Rainbow Dash..." The voice spoke.
The brash speedster turned around to face the darkness. "Who's there?"
Again, the voice called out. "Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow plucked up courage as she proclaimed! "I'm not scared of you, whoever you are! Come out and show yourself!"
Suddenly, from the darkness emerged a trio of pegasi clad in navy blue flight suits. Their eyes were obscured by flight goggles, but the one in the middle had a vivid orange mane and tail with amber stripes. Another had a dark grayish-blue mane and tail and appeared to be a stallion. And a third had a light brilliant and very pale arctic blue mane and tail. The mare with the vivid orange colored mane and tail spoke up, using the same voice that had been calling out from the darkness earlier. "We've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the best flyer in Equestria."
"Who's that?" Rainbow Dash inquired, suspecting nothing.
The mare in the middle gave an ominous smile as she declared. "Why, you, of course. We've been expecting you."
It was now that the brash speedster realized who this trio of pegasi were, the flight suits alone were a dead giveaway. Her eyes widened as she gasped! "No way! You're... you're..."
"That's right," The mare with a vivid orange mane and tail responded. "The Wonderbolts! Your skills have impressed us. We want you to join us and be our new captain. Together, we'll be the greatest flying team in all of Equestria! Maybe even beyond!"
The rainbow maned pegasus was ecstatic at the prospect! "You really mean it?! You want me to lead the team?!" It sounded too good to be true!
The mare in the middle nodded. "Yes indeed. Are you interested?"
Rainbow was all too eager to accept! "You bet I am!" But then she remembered why she'd flown across the gap and had come into the Everfree Forest to begin with. "Just let me tie this bridge real quick and then we have a deal."
But the Wonderbolts immediately glared at Rainbow as the mare in the middle firmly insisted! "No, there's no time! It's them or us. An offer like this only comes once in a lifetime."
Meanwhile, Twilight (along with the other four mares left on the other side of the bridge) had begun to grow impatient. And so she chose that very moment to call out. "Hey, Rainbow! What's the hold-up?! What's taking so long?!" By chance, she happened to glance across the bridge. And when she did so her eyes fell upon the Wonderbolts, but something about them didn't seem right. "Oh no!" She gasped, a little louder than she had intended to.
As if by magic, a thick blanket of clouds and fog covered the other end of the bridge, effectively making Twilight and the other ponies invisible. Yet still, Twilight managed to call out. "Rainbow, don't listen to them!"
"Well?" The mare in the middle questioned Rainbow Dash. "What's it gonna be?"
Rainbow Dash thought over the offer for a bit. But then she looked the Wonderbolts firm in the eyes and told them. "I don't know who you are, but you're not the Wonderbolts! The Wonderbolts would never turn their back on ponies in need! So thanks but no thanks! I'm not gonna betray my friends just because you want me to!" She proceeded to tie the bridge and motioned for the five other mares to hurry across. As she did so, the clouds and fog slowly lifted. And the Wonderbolts disappeared in a cloud of dark blue smoke.
"You actually turned down the Wonderbolts?!" Twilight exclaimed in amazement afterward!
Rainbow shook her head. "Those guys weren't the real Wonderbolts! Besides, I'd never leave my friends hangin'. That's not how I roll."
Once across the bridge, it wasn't long before the six mares reached their destination: The Castle of The Two Sisters. They made their way inside without fanfare, taking notice of how run down and abandoned the place seemed to be.
Suddenly, reaching an interior room within the castle, Twilight's eyes beheld a magnificent sight! Five stone orbs rested on a pedestal!
"Well, this is what you've been waitin' for. Right, Twilight?" Applejack questioned when she noticed the star struck expression on the unicorn's face.
Twilight nodded. "It is," And then she instructed to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. "Be careful with them! They're our only way of stopping Nightmare Moon."
Soon, five stone orbs were placed on the ground in front of the studious unicorn. A fact that did not go unnoticed by the others. "So, where's the sixth?" Rainbow Dash questioned.
Twilight simply recited from memory. "That book said: 'When the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth element to be revealed.'"
Applejack shot a most puzzled look at the studious unicorn mare. "And just what in the hay is any of that supposed to mean?"
Twilight replied. "I'm not sure, but I have an idea," And then she warned the others. "All of you stand back! I don't know what will happen." And she began to light up her horn as she closed her eyes, deep in concentration.
The farm mare seemed to realize what Twilight needed most as she informed the others. "Come on, y'all. Let's leave her to concentrate."
The mares did so. But just after they had left, the dark blue mist that had been following them finally chose to reveal its presence. It scooped up the five element stones, surrounding them in a swirl of the same dark blue color!
"The elements!" Twilight gasped as she opened her eyes! Then she did the only thing she could think to do, she jumped into the swirl!
Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash rushed back as they heard a commotion! But they only managed to arrive in time to see Twilight disappear in a flash!
"Twilight," Applejack whispered under her breath. "You really think you can take on Nightmare Moon all by yourself? You're crazy."
Suddenly, however, Rarity cried out! "Look!" And in a distant part of the castle, lights could be seen flashing on and off! That couldn't be a coincidence!
Applejack quickly rounded up the others! "Come on, we're goin' after her! Twilight's gonna need our help!"
Twilight was teleported to a lonely part of the castle in a puff of smoke, coughing and choking in the process.
But the unicorn was not alone, for Nightmare Moon also happened to be nearby. She was standing at the other end of the room, the five orbs surrounding her but doing nothing. "Welcome to your worst nightmare, Twilight Sparkle!" She greeted as lightning flashed. "I warned you what would happen to anypony foolish enough to get in my way. Now it's time for you to pay the price!"
Twilight was worried for a moment, before she plucked up courage and made her horn sparkle with magical energy. She narrowed her eyes.
Nightmare Moon was surprised by the defiance shown in the unicorn, and she was anything but amused. "You're kidding. You're kidding, right?" She rolled her eyes.
Twilight wasn't kidding! She charged forward, seemingly prepared to do battle with a pony much bigger (and probably much stronger) than her!
"Well, if that's really how you wanna play, then so be it!" Nightmare Moon declared as she charged forward to meet her opponent! "I'll show you no mercy!" However, she was surprised to see Twilight teleport right past her just before the two would've collided. "What?" Was all she could bring herself to say.
The studious unicorn was a little bit dazed from her bout of quick thinking, but she shook it off as she said aloud. "Just one spark. Come on, come on!" She surrounded the orbs with her magic, hoping to produce the sixth element and active The Elements of Harmony!
Nightmare Moon wasn't about to let that happen! She teleported over to Twilight's location and knocked the unicorn back with ease! She soon realized the folly of her rash decision, though. The five orbs beneath her hooves began to glow and crackle with energy. "No! No!" She cried, fearing that they were about to active!
However, the display of power ended just as quickly as it had arrived and the orbs fell lifelessly back to the ground. Twilight Sparkle felt her heart sink. "What?! But... where's the sixth element! Why didn't the spark work?!"
The evil alicorn just cackled with fiendish glee as she brought her hooves down, shattering the orbs into tiny pieces right in front of Twilight! "You pathetic little fool!" She taunted afterwards. "Thinking that you could actually defeat me? I should be impressed that somepony other than Princess Celestia could stand up to me, but right now I only feel annoyed! You're a bothersome little pest! It's high time I made an example out of you!" And she made her horn crackle ominously, subsequently firing off a beam that surrounded Twilight entirely with dark blue magic!
Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs in pain!
"Painful, isn't it?" Nightmare Moon smirked. "Well there's only one way to make it stop! Submit to me and become my faithful student! Maybe then I'll let you see your beloved princess, once Equestria learns to appreciate the night and accept my rule!"
Was this it? Was this how it all ended for Twilight Sparkle? Her own free will drained away by the evil Nightmare Moon while Equestria suffered under an eternal nighttime?
Yet just as the studious unicorn mare with a light purple coat was prepared to surrender to what seemed like the inevitable, she heard five familiar voices calling out to her. She knew at once who they were, and hearing them was enough to fill her with hope. With that hope, she was able to shrug off Nightmare Moon's assault and dispel the spell. Then a smile broke out across her face as she stood up, looking Nightmare Moon deep in the eyes. "Let me ask you something, Nightmare Moon: You really think you can destroy The Elements of Harmony just like that?"
"Of course I do." Nightmare Moon honestly replied with a smug grin.
Twilight snickered. "Then it's you who's the fool! You may have destroyed the elements' physical forms, but the spirit of those elements is alive and well. And those spirits are right here!" As she finished speaking, the five mares who had accompanied her on this long journey joined her by her side. And when they all stood together, the stone fragments of The Elements of Harmony began to reassemble themselves.
Nightmare Moon was shocked to see such a thing! "What?! What's going on?!" She stumbled back in disbelief! "This... this isn't happening!"
Twilight simply smiled as she began to explain. "Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt and believed me in when nopony else would, represents the spirit of... honesty!"
Nightmare Moon proceeded to fire off a powerful blast of magic from her horn! But it just bounced off a forcefield that surrounded Twilight and the other ponies. It seemed The Elements of Harmony were protecting these ponies.
Twilight smiled. "You know, it's rude to interrupt ponies when they're talking," And she continued to speak. "Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion by seeing what nopony else could see, represents the spirit of... kindness! Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by literally giggling in the face of danger, keeping our spirits up the whole time, represents the spirit of... laughter! Rarity, who calmed down a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, tarnishing her own beauty to do so, represents the spirit of... generosity! And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends even for her own heart's desire, represents the spirit of... loyalty!"
"So what?" Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. "You think your speech frightens me?"
The studious unicorn nodded in reply. "It should, because it was the spirit of these five ponies that allowed us to get past every challenge and every obstacle you threw at us! Without them, I wouldn't be standing here now to oppose you!"
The wicked mare of darkness only responded with. "But you still don't have the sixth element, the spark didn't work. Without it, none of you are a match for me! I'll crush you all!"
"Wrong again, Nightmare Moon!" Twilight retorted. "The spark did work, but it was a different kind of spark," She then turned to the five mares who were surrounded by circling stone shards. "It was a spark that ignited inside of me. I felt it the moment I realized something: How happy I was to see you all, to hear your voices, to have you with me and how much I cared about you. When I realized that you all," She paused for a moment to boldly declare! "ARE MY FRIENDS!"
Just after Twilight finished saying that, there was a blinding flash of light. And then, from above descended a stone that had not been there a moment ago. She smiled as she realized what it was. "You see, Nightmare Moon, when those five elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth and final element: the element of... magic!" Then she felt herself and her new friends be lifted into the air as five necklaces and a tiara appeared around them.
A beam of rainbow colored light promptly shot out, surrounding Nightmare Moon before she could escape! "NOOOOOOO!" She cried in vain! "I... WE..." And it was the last thing she said before she was completely encircled by the rainbow beam! And soon, another blinding flash filled the entire castle!
A few minutes later, the six mares lifted their heads as they slowly regained their bearings. "What a light show!" Rainbow Dash commented while putting a hoof to her forehead. "Ugh, my head hurts."
"Are we all okay?" Applejack questioned. "Did we win?"
"I... think so," Rarity commented, before looking down at herself! "Oh my, what a lovely little necklace! It even matches my cutie mark!" She was referring to a necklace that displayed a purple gem similar to the three diamonds for her cutie mark.
"And you got your tail back as well." Fluttershy pointed.
Rarity looked back and saw that Fluttershy was indeed telling the truth. But then she noticed something else as well. "Fluttershy, your necklace matches your cutie mark too! What do you know about that?!"
Fluttershy saw that her necklace displayed a pink butterfly not unlike the ones on her cutie mark. And the same was true for the necklaces of Rainbow Dash (a red lightning bolt), Pinkie Pie (a blue balloon) and Applejack (an orange apple). The only one without a necklace was Twilight Sparkle, who had a tiara that depicted a pinkish-purple star similar to the one on her cutie mark.
Applejack smiled. "You know somethin', Twilight? You were more right than you knew. We really do represent those Elements of Harmony after all."
"Indeed you do, my little ponies." A gentle and warm voice called from the distance. Then, suddenly, in a brilliant display of white light, the ponies were greeted by the presence of an alicorn. This alicorn had a coat of majestic white, a long, flowing mane and tail that had shades of light blue, light green and light pink, eyes a pale, light grayish pink in color, and a cutie mark depicting the sun.
Twilight recognized the alicorn at once! It was her mentor, Princess Celestia! She immediately rushed over to embrace said princess! "Princess Celestia! Oh, I'm so glad you're okay!"
Princess Celestia smiled. "I was never in any real danger. Nightmare Moon knew she couldn't best me in a magical showdown, so she simply used her magic to confine me to the royal palace in Canterlot. I couldn't leave or get in touch with you at all. But I knew you would prevail in the end. This is something I'd been preparing for from the moment I took you on as my student."
Twilight blinked in surprise. "You knew all along?" When she received a confirming nod, she then commented. "But, I don't understand! You told me Nightmare Moon was nothing to worry about. You said it was just an old pony's tale."
The sun princess continued to smile as she explained. "I never said I didn't believe you, Twilight. But if I had told you the truth, told you that it was you who was destined to defeat Nightmare Moon this time, would you have believed me?"
Glumly, Twilight looked down at the ground. "No, I probably wouldn't have. And I'm sorry I didn't take your request seriously yesterday."
The majestic alicorn only chuckled as she continued to speak in that warm and friendly tone of hers. "But in the end it all worked out. You made friends just as I hoped you would. For it was not until you made friends and forged a genuine connection with them that you could unleash the magic needed to activate The Elements of Harmony. You opened your heart," Then her eyes turned to another part of the room. "As I hope another pony will be able to do."
At the far end of the room rested an alicorn considerably smaller than Princess Celestia. She had a dark, grayish blue coat and a very light blue mane and tail that did not flow. But she had the same cyan eyes as Nightmare Moon and the same cutie mark depicting a crescent moon (complete with the dark patch surrounding it). This alicorn looked up, and gasped upon seeing Princess Celestia approach her!
"Princess Luna," Princess Celestia spoke, revealing the other alicorn's true identity to all. "It has been over a thousand years since I have seen you in such a weakened state. I can only hope you can one day forgive me for failing to notice the dark path you were heading down. But all of that is in the past," She bent down and shed a single tear before declaring. "It's time we put our differences aside, and rule Equestria together as we were always meant to do. Will you accept my friendship again? Will you give me another chance?"
If Princess Luna was at all resentful to the bigger alicorn, she didn't show it outwardly. Instead, with tears in her own eyes she leaped up and buried her face in Celestia's neck as she profusely apologized. "We art so sorry! Of course we forgive thou, big sister! We hast missed thou so much while we were on the moon. We did not mean for things to get this out of control," Then she blushed. "Will we... remain like this forever, dear sister?"
Princess Celestia smiled, shedding tears of her own before replying. "I don't think so. With time, you will regain all the power you lost to Nightmare Moon and The Elements of Harmony."
The heartwarming display between the two sisters was enough to make everypony present cry. Even Pinkie Pie was no exception as she blew her nose and began to cry so much that her tears became almost like a waterfall. Eventually, however, her joyus crying ceased as she spoke up. "Hey, you know what this calls for, right?" And without waiting for a reply she declared. "A party!"
So it was that The Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville became something of a hero party for Twilight Sparkle and her new friends. But Princess Luna received a big welcome too. Even as she rode by in a chariot with her elder sister, two fillies presented her with a flower necklace that she proudly wore.
Of course, all good things must come to an end eventually. Sooner than anypony would've liked, it was time for Princess Celestia to return to Canterlot. And Twilight Sparkle knew at once what that would mean. Her happy mood faded right then and there.
Princess Celestia was quick to take note of the pronounced frown and sorrowful expression on the studious unicorn's face. "Why so glum, my faithful student?" She questioned, her tone of voice making it sound as if she already knew what the problem was. "Are you not happy that your quest is complete, and you can now return to your studies in Canterlot? Get back to your life as it was?"
Twilight shook her head with tears in her eyes. "That's just it, princess," She confessed. "Just as I've finally realized how great it is to have friends, I must leave them all behind. This was part of the reason why I didn't wanna make friends here yesterday. But," Her lips quivered as she looked across to the five mares she had come to get to know over the course of her journey through the Everfree Forest. "Despite my best efforts, these five worked their way into my heart. Now, I can't imagine my life without them. It isn't fair that I have to say goodbye to them when we were just getting to know each other."
The sun princess smiled and gave a wink. "I believe that can be rectified. Perhaps it is time we adjusted your studies. For there is still much about friendship that you have yet to learn," She then gave a whistle, and Spike appeared with a scroll and a quill. She then instructed. "Spike, take a note, please. Make sure this is recorded so that all may know about it," She cleared her throat and dictated the following message: "I, Princess Celestia, do hereby decree that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. And she must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville. This is effective immediately and until further notice."
Twilight's new friends all cheered in delight! And Twilight herself smiled brighter than she had ever smiled before! "Oh thank you, Princess Celestia! I'll study harder than ever before. I promise!"
Princess Celestia smiled. "I know you will, Twilight Sparkle. You've never disappointed me before, and I look forward to hearing about your studies."
And thus would begin a new chapter in the life story of Twilight Sparkle. She was to go on to have many more adventures with her friends over the years, and all of them would learn valuable life lessons as they grew closer to each other.