//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 - Countdown to Twelfth 
// Story: The Adventures of the New Nightmare 
// by hmaf43 
//------------------------------//

Twilight and Spike stepped out of the carriage and onto the dusty roads of Ponyville. The sun had long since set, casting an orange and pink glow over the town. Twilight looked around with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. She had been sent to Ponyville by Princess Celestia, who had tasked her with making friends and taking care of the Summer Sun Celebration.

"I can't believe Princess Celestia sent me here," Twilight grumbled to Spike. "She doesn't believe me about the Mare of the Moon and she thinks I need to make friends."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Maybe you do need to make some friends, Twilight. You spend all your time with your nose buried in books."

"I have friends," Twilight protested. "I have you."

Spike chuckled. "I don't count, Twilight. I'm your assistant."

"The Summer Sun Celebration is only a few hours away, and I need to focus on making sure everything goes smoothly." Twilight said with a sigh. 

As they made their way through the town, Twilight couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Why did the princess suddenly order her to make friends? After all this time, she wasn't even sure where to start. However, as they passed by a bakery, she heard a voice calling out to her, and little part of her felt a glimmer of hope that maybe this could be the start of something new.

"Hello there! You must be new in town!"

Twilight turned to see a pink pony with a curly mane and tail standing in the doorway of the bakery.

"Yes, I am," Twilight said, trying to sound friendly. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is my assistant, Spike."

"I'm Pinkie Pie!" the pink pony said, bouncing up and down. "And I just know we're going to be great friends!"

Twilight was taken aback by Pinkie Pie's enthusiasm, but she couldn't help but feel a small smile tug at the corners of her mouth. Just in case that the worst-case scenario happend, she told to herself

"Actually, I was just on my way to the town hall," Twilight said. "I need to make sure everything is ready for the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Oh, I can help with that!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing over to her. "I know all about throwing a great party!"

Twilight hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "Alright, let's go."

As they walked to the town hall, Pinkie Pie chattered away about all the different kinds of parties she had thrown in Ponyville. Twilight couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that she had found someone to help her with the Summer Sun Celebration. Maybe she will have enough time for her research afterall.



"What?!" Shining Armor exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock. Celestia had just revealed her brilliant plan to confront Nightmare Moon alone, with his sister as the backup plan.

"I can't believe you're doing this,"  Raven Inkwell furrowed her brow, her expression incredulous. "Your Highness, you're putting yourself in danger, let's alone sending Twilight to confront Nightmare Moon as a backup plan, to confront THE Mare of The Moon." 

Celestia let out a deep sigh, her eyes fixed on the ground. She had been expecting this reaction from Raven Inkwell and Shining Armor, but it still stung to hear their accusations.

"You don't understand," she began, her voice laced with frustration. "I have to do this alone. If I bring an army with me, Luna will see it as a threat, and it will only make things worse."

"Please, Your Highness, reconsider this plan," Raven pleaded. "The safety of Equestria and its subjects is of utmost importance. We cannot risk losing you."

Celestia's expression hardened. "I have to try. I can't sit back and watch as my sister suffered and being consumed by darkness."

Shining Armor stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "Your Highness, and what about Twilight? Did you even stop to think about the danger you're putting her in?"

Celestia winced, knowing he was right. She had been reckless, mentioning Twilight's name in passing without considering the consequences. "I'll make sure she's safe," she promised, her tone firm.

Shining Armor furrowed his brow, his expression incredulous. "Your Highness, I cannot believe you would send Twilight to confront Nightmare Moon as a backup plan. Twilight is not a soldier, she is a scholar. You cannot put her life at risk like this."

Raven added. "Your Highness, with all due respect, I cannot trust that you will keep Twilight safe." she said. "Your recent decisions have been concerning, and we deserve an explanation."

The sun princess felt a pang of sadness in her chest. She knew she had made mistakes, but she had always tried to do what was best for Equestria. "I understand," she said quietly. "But I have to do this. I can't let Luna destroy everything we've worked so hard to build."

"I must do everything in my power to save her." she said, her voice filled with determination. "I cannot give up on her."

Shining Armor and Raven exchanged a look, their faces still filled with doubt. Celestia knew she had lost their trust, but she couldn't let that stop her. She had to convince Luna to turn away from the darkness, no matter the cost.



Nightmare Moon went through a meticulous pre-launch check, going over every detail with the same care and precision as the engineers who had sent a self-mutilated titanium coffin to space with controlled explosives.

"Astronomy, go" looking up at the stars. She could feel their power, and she knew that they were aligning in her favor.
"Power, go" inside a structure enact upon the moon by an intelligence, untamed ambiance energy begins to move in harmony, working together for a greater purpose.
"Network, go" she said, after she received first data packet from the system hypervisor.
"Guidance, go" all sensors showed up in telemetry, good enough.
"Control, go" she continued, a dummy relay flipped on, another identical one is hardwired to launch abort system and still inactive, hopefully forever.
"Life support, go" she added, making sure her shield spell is strong enough for re-entry. just in case.
"Capcom, go, and wished me luck" she finished, looking at her moon rock friend, NEET Armstone. who has been her only company for who know how long.

Satisfied that everything was in order, she took a deep breath and prepared to activate the spell that would transport her back to Equestria.
She closed her eyes and focused her energy, feeling the seal on the moon weakening. She could feel herself getting stronger, her magic returning to her in full force.

"All systems are go for launch."



Twilight and Pinkie Pie walked through the bustling streets of Ponyville, heading towards the town center for the summer sun celebration. They had finished all the preparation hours ago and do research, but Twilight hasn't made any progress..

As they walk around, Twilight asked if anypony knew about the mare of the moon, but she had no luck finding any more information.

"The summer sun celebration is going to start soon. We continue later," Pinkie Pie said, trying to lift Twilight's spirits.

But Twilight couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. "I need to keep looking," she said, determined to find answers. But the princess is coming....

"I will keep on searching, you two can go first," Spike offered.

Twilight thanked Spike for his help, and she and Pinkie Pie continued towards the town center. The sounds of music and laughter filled the air as they joined in the festivities.

But even as they celebrated, Twilight couldn't help but keep her eyes peeled for any signs of Nightmare Moon's return. As the stars shone brighter than usual, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. Nonetheless, she put on a brave face and tried to enjoy the celebration with her friend, hoping that together they could face whatever challenges lay ahead.