In the centre of a distant star lies a long forgotten darkness known only to two ponies that still exist today. Of all of Equestria’s enemies, it is both the most forgotten and least comparatively impactful but it’s very memory is painful for those who remember it. For just under 1000 years, it has been trapped and unable to get free from its prison. Although many today have forgotten it, and few ponies from so long ago even knew of its existence to begin with, it indeed still exists and has managed to feed off of the darkness and despair that has been emerging in Equestria over the past two years. With each crisis, it’s power has only grown stronger and more formidable.
At around 10PM on one seemingly unremarkable day however, it feels a rush of energy which allows it to finally break free from its prison and rocket away in the direction of Equus. Whereas many other villains would feel evil glee or an intense desire for revenge upon thier release though, this being merely smiles and feels a great sense of accomplishment. “Tick tick, tick tock. I may be a thousand years late but the time is finally at hoof. Within the week, everything will be gone.”
It's a peaceful night with a brightly shining Moon where everything is almost completely silent besides the comings and goings of a few nocturnal animals and the occasional night worker. Given the late hour, very few creatures are still awake as Twilight Sparkle calmly puts a book away but she hears Spike coming downstairs. "Is everything okay, Spike? It's 2AM."
Spike has to stifle a yawn. "Just got a m-m-message." Twilight takes it in her magic and he goes back to bed.
Who would send me a scroll this late? Princess Celestia and the others won't be awake for several more hours and Princess Luna normally contacts me through my dreams or comes in person if it's an emergency. Now slightly worried, she opens the scroll and immediately recognises the hoofwriting.
Hey, Twilight!
If I timed this right, you'll have received in the early hours of the morning and I must have. I'm the coolest pony ever! Twilight rolls her eyes. Anyway, something happened earlier tonight and well... there's somepony you all need to meet. If you can have everypony in the Golden Oaks Library by 10AM this morning, you'll be the second awesomest pony in Equestria. And if you can make sure that the Crusaders are there as well, you're incredible. See you then.
The awesomest pony to ever live,
Rainbow Dash
Twilight examines the incredibly vague letter with a curious eye. This sounds exactly like one of Rainbow's pranks but she's normally dead to the world by now and won't be awake until gone 10 on the best of days. Why would she force herself to stay awake just for a prank? It sounds like something she would do on the one hoof but it would also mess with her training regiment on the other. After all, the only things that can compare in scale to Rainbow Dash’s loyalty are her ego and her speed. Twilight sighs; it's probably a complete waste of time and will only end in frustration but she decides to heed the request just in case it's serious. In the morning. As she heads upstairs for three hours sleep though, something occurs to her. Wait, how did Rainbow send that letter? It can only be sent through magic or Spike. And since when does she even send letters instead of coming herself? She decides to settle it later since she is much too tired to be anything other than delirious.
By the time that 10AM arrives, eight ponies and one dragon wait in the main room of the Golden Oaks Library. Fortunately, it's a Saturday so the Crusaders don't have school and it's a slow day for the others as well. With Rainbow Dash being as fashionably late as usual, Rarity spends time sketching dresses with Spike helping give to pointers, Fluttershy and Applejack sit with Twilight, Pinkie Pie is... being Pinkie Pie as she prepares a party for the new arrival with the aid of her mane manifestation and the Crusaders brainstorm new cutie mark ideas. "So, Twai. You said Spike received a letter this mornin' tellin' you to bring us all here? Did it say anythin' else of value?"
Twilight shakes her head but, before another question can be asked, there is a loud crash as Pinkie falls from her ladder and goes berserk. Her tail is twitching so hard that it looks painful and she is shaking so much that one could mistake it for a seizure. "Uh, Pinkie?"
"BIG! Something BIG is about to happen!" The other eight ponies and dragon share a look. Pinkie's Pinkie Sense always forewarns a danger and this is the worst reaction that they've ever seen her get. Before anypony can speak though, Twilight glances out a window and tries not to freak out.
"Uh, girls?" They turn to see the ominously dark outdoors and they all go pale. "B-but it was nice and sunny a second ago!" The Element Bearers exchange a nervous look. Only one pony has ever desired to turn night to day like this but she was stopped two years ago.
Before they can speak, Spike points outside. "Did anypony else just see something move out there?"
Twilight chuckles nervously. "It's okay Spike, it's just another pony trying to find shelter."
He gulps and starts shaking. "Th-that wasn't a pony." The Crusaders cling to each other as memories of the Summer Sun Celebration play through thier minds.
As strange wooshing noises come from outside, even Twilight begins to get a slight nervous twinge. "Alright everypony, into the basement. It's the most secure place in the Library and we can hide there whilst I get a message to Princess Celestia. If we don't make it out of here, we can't help anypony." After the others nod nervously, they head downstairs single file with the Crusaders safely in the middle of thier group.
Everypony sighs with relief as they reach the basement and firmly bolt the entrance. The only ways in and out are the door and the easily defensible hatch designed to act as a fire exit. Scootaloo suddenly realises something. "Rainbow Dash was the one to set up this meeting and call us all here. You don't think she was..."
Scootaloo trails off but Twilight shoots her what she hopes is a reassuring smile. "I'm sure Dash is fine. She can easily take care of herself."
Scootaloo relaxes for a moment before perking up as she looks behind Twilight and gasps with joy. Twilight spins around to see Rainbow Dash herself walking out of the darkness. "Good morning, guys."
They all relax slightly with a deep sigh of relief as Scootaloo runs to her mentor for comfort. Even so, Twilight can't help but be confused. "Uh, Dash? How did you get down here without us knowing?"
Dash shoots them a sheepish smile and rubs the back of her neck. "When I was on my way over, I was jumped by these... things and barely managed to escape through the doors by kicking them open. Sorry."
"It's okay, we're just glad to see you're okay but what happened to the pony you wanted us to meet? They could be in trouble."
Rainbow Dash suddenly gets very nervous. "Sh-she ran away into the darkness when those... things attacked and I was unable to save her."
Twilight looks at her comfortingly but the door at the top of the basement stairs is suddenly thrown open from the outside. "TO ME!" Everypony huddles and they immediately teleport away.
After a few seconds of disorientation, everypony finds themselves in a clearing in the Everfree. "Wh-what do we do now, Twilight?"
The unicorn looks down with a sigh. "We contact the Princesses and hide out here, hoping that we aren't found until help arrives."
Rainbow Dash looks over determinedly, pounding one hoof into the other with a cocky smile. "Can't we just go and defeat her again like last time?"
Twilight shakes her head. "We defeated Nightmare Moon last time because of the Elements of Harmony but they're still stored in Canterlot Castle. Fighting her without them is much too dangerous and she appears to have help this time."
The rainbow mained pegasus doesn't back down. "But what about our friends? Our families? Nightmare Moon could be doing who knows what to them right this moment."
Twilight looks at her sadly. "As evil as she is, Nightmare Moon never tried to hurt anypony else that didn't directly threaten her last time she was around or even before when Princess Luna first turned into her. Unfortunately, we can't even risk spying to see what they could be doing because Equestria is doomed if something happened to any one of us."
Rainbow finally slinks down with a thud and comforts Scootaloo as she tries to hold in her tears. Having your greatest enemy return in full force, being terrorised and having to escape into the Everfree Forest have taken thier toll. Twilight looks over comfortingly. "It's okay, I've been working on a way to work out disguised evil such as Changelings."
She flashes her horn as Rainbow Dash's eyes widen in horror. "WAIT!" However, the spell is already cast and a wave of magic sends Rainbow Dash flying into a tree trunk.
They look over before gawking in horror. "What the?!!!"
Rainbow Dash is now significantly taller, sprouting a horn, wearing very familiar armour and has eerily familiar serpentine eyes. "Oh goosefeathers." The voice is distinctly Rainbow Dash's own but with an added eerie echo and booming tone underlaying it. "I suppose the time for pretences are over. You can call me Night-time Flare."
Immediately, Twilight throws an energy barrier up though she knows it won't be a match for Nightmare Moon's own magic. If anything, it's just to make herself and the others feel safer as Nighttime Flare just walks over to playfully prod the shield. "Really, Twilight? You know that Alicorns can go straight through your energy shields, right? Especially the coolest one of all." She calmly shatters the shield with her magic only to find herself alone. "Horseapples."
A shadowy mist crawls out from inside a hollowed out tree and appears before his Queen. "Should I send some of the others after them?"
Flare shakes her head. "No, they'll come to us eventually. Going after them now will only make things more complicated."
"You know that they are just going to summon help from the Princesses, right?"
His Queen smiles eerily. "Yes and that is exactly what I'm hoping for." Her looks turns severe. "Make sure the others know that I want no harm to come to any of them, Shadowfright. There will be consequences if any of them get hurt."
The eight remaining heroes find themselves in the abandoned Carousel Boutique which is thankfully still locked up tight. Rarity immediately ushers them into her sewing room whereupon she locks the door tightly. "What? I can't have anypony interrupt my work, darlings."
Noticing that Sweetie Belle hasn't spoken in a long time, they look over to see her on the verge of a breakdown so Apple Bloom gives her a hug despite shaking violently herself. "N-now wh-what?"
Twilight looks at the others nervously. "We contact the Princesses and then we get out of here as quickly as possible. We're no good to anypony if Night-time Flare catches us."
The others nod with agreement but Twilight groans as she knows what must be done. "If we get attacked, we have to split up."
Her friends reply with looks of horror and disgust. "Uh, Twai? Tha's a very bad idea. We should stick tuhgeter. 's safer tha way."
Twilight looks at them sadly. "If we stay together in an attack, we'll be much easier targets and less mobile. In pairs or small groups, there's a higher chance of us making it to safety. I don't like it but it's our best chance." The others slowly nod as Twilight summons a quill and scroll paper from a nearby drawer.
Princess Celestia stretches herself out as she wakes up for her morning ritual. Looking outside, she smiles at Princess Luna's brightly shining Moon before using her magic to lower it. However, it remains stationary and only shines brighter than ever so her smile falters slightly in confusion. What the? She tries harder but the Moon just sits there. Is this one of Luna's pranks? Her smile returning, she rings a bell designed for emergencies and a Guard quickly arrives with a bow. "You called, Princess?"
Celestia nods "Please call Princess Luna to the throne room."
The Guard gets visibly nervous but nods anyway. "At once, your majesty."
After only a few minutes of waiting, Princess Luna storms in with an angry look. "What on Equus required you to wake us so early?! We just went to sleep!"
Celestia shoots her a calm but serious look. "Luna, did you deliberately prevent me from lowering the Moon this morning?"
Her sister's anger turns to befuddlement. "What? No, of course not. We lowered it like we always do and haven't done otherwise for a thousand years." She then tries to lower the Moon herself but even she fails to do so. "There's something stopping us from lowering it but the only beings capable of doing that are you and..."
She trails off as the diarchs exchange a look of dawning realisation before a Royal Guard hurries in with a well trained and maintained calm expression. "Your majesties, we've just received word that an energy shield has formed around Ponyvile. The Guards stationed there have been unable to get in and all contact with the Guards inside has been lost."
Princess Celestia's face turns grim. "Please summon the rest of the Guard and prepare for battle, Commander. Nightmare Moon is back."
Celestia and Luna are drawing up the plans for Canterlot's defence when a Guard knocks and enters. "Presenting their majesties Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shining Armour of the Crystal Empire!" Of course, normally the Princesses would leave their two peers alone and deal with the problem themselves. With the Element Bearers trapped though, and knowing all too well the colossal ecological threat Nightmare Moon poses, they had decided to act as a combined front.
When the other two rulers enter, Shining Armour still slightly woozy from the very long range teleport, they are tense. "Princess Celestia, isn't there anything we can do?" Celestia maintains her calm visage but worry bubbles under the surface. Before responding, she allows a pregnant pause to steel herself for the nightmare to come as she rolls her eyes. As co-ruler of the Crystal Empire and Prince Consort, Shining Armour is royalty so he doesn't need to use our titles. Even now, after being married for over a year, he still insists on some of his old Royal Guard traditions. It's nice to know that some things never change.
After that moment of respite, she shakes her head. "All attempts to contact Twilight have failed because messages refuse to be sent to Ponyvile. Whenever myself or Luna send them, they just reappear almost instantly. We've been organising plans to combat Nightmare Moon so we haven't been able to go to Ponyvile ourselves yet."
Cadance looks at her adopted aunts with a desperate hope. "But can't you just defeat them again?"
Celestia shakes her head. "I only managed to beat Luna once before with the Elements of Harmony but only because I surprised her. I shouldn't have been able to use them by myself and they're now bonded with Twilight and her friends which will only make things harder. There is a way to use them ourselves but only when we can get to Nightmare Moon. Until we can break through that dome, there's nothing that we can do to stop Nightmare Moon."
There is a slight moment of contemplation but then a scroll suddenly materialises before Princess Celestia. After exchanging a look, she scans it for curses before unveiling it and releasing a visible sigh of relief. "It's from Twilight." The sigha of relief from the other's are almost unbelievable. Clearing her throat, Celestia reads it aloud.
Dear Princess Celestia
I hope to everything that this gets through to you. Nightmare Moon is back and she's possessed Rainbow Dash. We're okay for the moment but she has taken over Ponyvile and we aren't safe. We're going to try and make for Canterlot to rendezvous with you. I hope to see you again soon.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
Princess Celestia looks up at the horrified looks on her fellow ruler's faces before standing. "We have to prepare for the worst and guard the barrier at all costs. We can't allow Nightmare Moon to leave Ponyvile so we must be ready for when she tries to force her way out. Until we break the barrier, Twilight and the others are on thier own."
As the others nod and get ready for the battle to come, Princess Celestia looks forlornly out the window at the just barely visible energy shield around Ponyvile. "Please stay safe, Twilight. We’re coming as fast as we can.”