//------------------------------// // The Return of Princess Luna // Story: The Hidden Story 2.0 // by Cryogenii //------------------------------// Finally she approached the ruins that had been her home many, many years before. The last time she'd seen it was the night of her battle with her sister. In that terrible fight the ornate windows had been smashed, rugs and tapestries shredded and even columns and walls smashed. The destruction of the home they'd shared barely seen in the fury and blinding magical energy that had torn through the night  Princess Luna stood before the ancient castle, her eyes widening in astonishment. The once-majestic spires that had touched the night sky now loomed like skeletal fingers, grasping at the shadows. The courtyard, once vibrant with the lives of two sister’s loyal subjects, was now overgrown with vines, reclaiming the land they had lost. The castle, a silent witness to empty centuries gone by, seemed to sigh in melancholy as Luna stepped through the dilapidated entrance. The grand halls, once filled with echoes of laughter and camaraderie, now whispered hauntingly in the stillness. The tapestries that adorned the walls hung tattered and faded, telling tales of times long forgotten. Luna's hooves echoed through the emptiness as she explored the desolate corridors. Dust danced in the pale moonlight that filtered through shattered windows. The throne room, where once she and her sister had ruled side by side, stood as a solemn testament to the passage of time. The thrones, cracked and worn, seemed to mourn the absence of their former occupants. As Luna ascended the staircase, memories flooded her mind. The clash of magic, the bitter taste of betrayal, and the heart-wrenching decision that had led to her banishment. She reached the chamber where the Elements of Harmony had once been stored, only to find it empty, the magical artefacts gone. Luna had always assumed that the damage would be repaired and the castle would still serve as the seat of government for Equestria. Now she could see that it had been abandoned long, long ago. Was the sight of their ruined home too painful for Celestia to bear? Perhaps she didn't wish to be reminded of that night, and the events that had led to it. In the silence of the abandoned castle, Luna felt a deep sense of loss and regret. The once-mighty fortress, now reduced to ruins, mirrored the fractured bond between the royal sisters. With a heavy heart, Luna realised that the journey ahead held not only the weight of her own redemption but also the hope of restoring what had been lost to time. There was too little time to dwell on those long passed events though. Luna had to prepare herself to fool the ponies that pursued her to this very spot one last time. She had to make each of the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony act in accordance with their true nature. Celestia had manoeuvred each of the ponies into their starting position, as skillfully as a grandmaster might move the chess pieces upon a board. None of these ponies knew they were pawns to her sister's schemes, but in truth Luna realised that she too was another piece upon the board being guided by that steady hoof. Luna continued her ascent through the ancient castle, the echoes of her past struggles flooding her mind and making her gasp for breath.  As she reached the top of the staircase, Luna's gaze fell upon the chamber where the Elements of Harmony resided.  The elements themselves seemed to be little but an abstract sculpture of mute grey stone,choked in weeds.  The power that had once blasted Luna to submission was dormant and cold within the stones. The memories of the bitter clash with her sister, the desperate rebellion, and the fateful battle that led to her banishment threatened to consume her. Yet, Luna knew she had little time for introspection. This night’s events seemed to  have taken no time at all, and now they were all here. They each starred in their own little vignette, all to prime the young purple unicorn with what she needed to make that final leap of understanding. A final nudge to make her realise that she couldn't do this on her own was all that was required. The ancient ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters lay opened to the night air, the roofs and rafters long gone. Moss-covered walls whispered tales of long-forgotten friendships and ancient conflicts. Twilight Sparkle led her friends to the entrance, their hooves echoing against the stone courtyard. As they entered the central chamber, a soft gasp escaped Twilight's lips. “Woah,” she breathed. The room was bathed in cool moonlight, the remnants of any colour in the decoration long gone in the dim light. In the centre of the chamber some weird orrery stood, round grey stones standing as satellites. “Come on, Twilight. Isn't this what you've been waitin' for?” called out Applejack in encouragement. “The Elements of Harmony, we've found them,” said Twilight, seemingly entranced by the ancient artefacts. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy carefully gathered them, the stones feeling cool to the touch. “Careful, careful!” gasped Twilight as they placed them on the dusty floor. “One, two, three, four…” counted Pinkie, “There's only five!” Twilight stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she examined the inert stones. “The book said: when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed,” she quoted from memory. “What in the hay is that supposed to mean?” spat Applejack, seemingly frustrated by the esoteric lore. “I'm not sure, but I have an idea,” replied Twilight, a determined look on her face, “Stand back. I don't know what will happen.” Her horn glowed with a soft magenta light as she levitated them into a circular formation. The others watched with bated breath as Twilight closed her eyes, delving into the magic that lingered within the stones. As Twilight settled into a focused trance, Applejack took charge, gently ushering her friends away from the magical circle. Rarity and Pinkie Pie exchanged worried glances but complied, realising the gravity of the situation. The ancient magic of the Elements held untold power, and Twilight's attempted connection to it was an unknown risk. Twilight's horn shimmered with growing intensity as she probed into the mysteries of the Elements.  They seemed to mock her efforts, as dumb as the cobblestones in Ponyville’s main square. She redoubled her efforts, screwing up her eyes in an attempt to focus more power through her horn. No,no, no, thought Luna, you can't do this alone. Returning to ethereal form, she snaked around the unicorn and circled the stones on the floor.  The air crackled with an ethereal energy, and the ruins seemed to respond with a faint, otherworldly hum.  Luna levitated the husks of the Elements into the air in a swirling maelstrom. Twilight's eyes snapped open and she gave a startled cry at the dancing, whirling stones before her.  The purple glowing tornado started spinning in smaller and smaller orbits. Fearing that the Elements may disappear altogether Twilight made a leap to grab them, and felt her body lurch as both she and the elements were snatched from reality. Hearing Twilight's cries, the other ponies galloped back to the chamber that had held the Elements.  They gasped as the fading magical whirlwind dissipated, seemingly taking their friend with it.  The chamber now echoing with their desperate calls, as they searched for the missing unicorn. “Twilight, where are you?,” called Applejack forlornly. Beams of light from a distant tower caught Rarity's eye. “Look,” she called out, gesturing to the far spire. “Come on!” Shouted Applejack, as she led the desperate charge to reach their friend. Twilight Sparkle's vision slowly returned, her eyes clearing from the residual magical smoke that enveloped her. A cough escaped her lungs, and as her surroundings came into focus, she found herself in a terrible trap. Above her Nightmare Moon stood regally on a raised dais, surrounded by the lifeless, grey Elements of Harmony. A sinister laugh echoed through the chamber as lightning bolts crackled around Nightmare Moon, the dark aura pulsating with her triumph. Twilight's heart fluttered with fear, but she quickly steeled herself. The fate of Equestria revolved around this moment, and she had to be brave. Twilight knew she had to act swiftly, before the situation could get more dire. The Elements circled around Nightmare Moon like vultures drawn to carrion, and Twilight knew she needed to draw them away from her. With a determined glare, Twilight lowered her head and focused her energy. Gathering her strength, Twilight prepared to charge at the monstrous alicorn. Twilight's hooves pawed the ground with purpose as she readied herself to gallop towards the raised dais. Lightning crackled around her as Nightmare Moon noticed the oncoming threat, her eyes narrowing with disdain. The air filled with tension as the clash between light and darkness became inevitable. “You're kidding,” sneered the alicorn, “You're kidding, right?” Wordlessly Twilight sprinted towards the dais.  She started to charge her horn, a determined look on her face. Oh Sister, thought Luna, are We to be run through by Thy student’s horn, just to maintain Thy ruse? Preparing to meet the purple unicorn’s fully charged horn in her breast, Luna took up the dual.  The jousting contest looked to be drawing to a bloody conclusion when Twilight summoned her most recently learnt spell and teleported away from the incoming alicorn to where the elements lay on the ground.  She collapsed among them, groaning with waves of dizziness from the powerful magic she'd spent. Luna skidded to a halt, turning to face her wiley opponent.  She caught a glimpse of the other ponies charging across a lower courtyard, and knew they would be here soon.  Just a little longer, she thought, We need to play this part carefully to make this filly see what she's missing. “Just one spark,” pleaded Twilight, desperation etched across her features, as she strained to conjure a magical spark from her horn to reignite the dormant Elements of Harmony, “come on, come on!” Luna sighed inwardly, this charade was getting harder to maintain. The air crackled with the intensity of her efforts, but the defiled artefacts resisted every attempt to energise them. It seemed as though the Elements would remain stubbornly lifeless.  Princess Luna, still disguised as Nightmare Moon, observed Twilight's futile struggle with a mix of fatigue and determination. She understood the importance of breaking Twilight's illusion of self-sufficiency. With a decisive shift, Luna shed her physical form, flowing through the air like smoke before materialising beneath Twilight's legs. A burst of energy surged, throwing the unicorn back from the dais. As Twilight was thrown to the floor, Princess Luna assumed her Nightmare form, her sharply pointed wings unfurling. She stood in the middle of the Elements, which were still glowing with the residual magica of Twilight's spell.  They levitated briefly, and Luna feigned a note of fear in her voice, “No, no!” The glow faded and the stones dropped lifeless to the floor.  Twilight gasped in horror, “But... where's the sixth Element?!” Luna put on her best villainous laugh, reared up and slammed her armoured hoofs' down on the dais.  The grey stone shells of the Elements splintered and burst. Shards of dull crystal rained down onto the chamber floor, each fracture echoing the shattering of hope. Twilight gasped in horror, her eyes wide with disbelief. The once-hopeful endeavour had crumbled before her, leaving only remnants of shattered dreams. Luna stood resolute, her gaze locking with Twilight's as if to convey a profound lesson, “You little foal! Thinking you could defeat Us? Now you will never see your princess, or your sun! The night will last forever!” Twilight, still cowering on the cold stone floor, felt a numb mix of despair and powerlessness. The shards of the Elements glittered around her, a poignant reminder of the shattered illusion of her self-sufficiency. As Twilight sat on the chamber floor, the weight of defeat pressing upon her, a thunderous clamour erupted as her friends charged towards the room. The sound of their determined voices sparked a resurgence of confidence within her.  With a gasp, her eyes opened wide as she realised just what she'd been missing.  With a newfound posture and a hint of swagger, Twilight turned to face the Nightmare. “You think you can destroy The Elements of Harmony just like that?” she smiled, smugly, “Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of The Elements of Harmony are right here.” At last, thought Luna, this filly has found enlightenment.  She acted surprised and blurred out, “What?” The dull crystal shards, now resonating with the spirits of Twilight's companions, began to rise once more from the chamber. A fully confident unicorn now looked directly at the dark alicorn and spoke. “Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of... honesty!   “Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of... kindness!  “Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of... laughter!  “Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents the spirit of... generosity!  “And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire represents the spirit of... loyalty!  “The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us,” Twilight finished, after each of her friends received their own spinning halo of crystals. “You still don't have the sixth Element!” Luna argued, “The spark didn't work!” She was almost holding her breath, willing the young unicorn onwards. “But it did!,” protested Twilight Sparkle as she turned towards her companions, “A different kind of spark. I felt it the very moment I realised how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realised that you all... are my friends!” At this, a previously unseen stone descended from the vaulted chamber’s ceiling towards Twilight, “You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic!” A vibrant blend of magic enveloped each of the ponies as the Elements merged seamlessly with their beings. The chamber quivered with the intensity of their shared power.  A powerful light began to shine from them like a beacon.  Princess Luna shield her eyes from the bright, piercing light and gritted her teeth.  This was it, the moment that she had been working for since her return. The moment she was dreading. The crystal shards began to take on colour, fusing together to form magical amulets around the necks of each of Twilight's friends as they levitated into the air surrounded by colourful magic flames.  The sixth element transformed into a golden tiara, topped by a jewelled star, and settled on Twilight's head. A surge of pure magical energy, guided by the collective will of the six ponies, tore through the air, hurtling towards Princess Luna. The Elements, now wielded by their new bearers, were not merely symbols of friendship; they were instruments of profound change. Twilight, standing proudly with her friends at her side, felt the surge of power coursing through her. She could sense the unity of their bonds, a strength far greater than any individual could muster. The Elements of Harmony, now purified, exercised the wishes of their new bearers.  Unaware of the masquerade that had deceived them, the ponies controlling the magical forces sought to strip Luna of any means by which she could threaten Equestria. Luna was gripped in intense pain, as abilities which had been core to her very being were torn away. The heart of her existence was being unravelled, and she felt the irreversible consequence of the magical onslaught. The sun, once as obedient to her commands as the moon, would no longer heed her will. The balance of power had shifted, leaving Luna with no authority over the day. The realisation struck her with a profound sense of helplessness. Once a ruler on a level with her sister Celestia, Luna now found herself crippled to a diminished role. The choice to challenge for supremacy, an option that would forever have loomed in the shadows, was now an impossibility without dooming their civilization to a dark, lingering death. Luna could no longer wield the dual power over both celestial bodies, and the consequences of this limitation were a stark injury. “No!,” the chamber echoed with Luna's anguished screams, transforming from cries of agony to anguished weeping, “No-” As the magical display subsided, Luna’s fearsome Nightmare Moon disguise dissipated. Sobs wracked her body, the weight of her sister's manipulations crashing down upon her. She had been unwittingly manoeuvred into a vulnerable position, her abilities torn away by the very ponies she had carefully guided to this moment. Was this the price of Celestia's insatiable jealousy, a plan that involved Luna's vivisection by this unwitting group of puppets? The six ponies that had wrought this destruction on the princess slowly regained consciousness, overwhelmed from the raw energy that had flowed through them.  The cyan pegasus was the first to recover, “Ugh, my head.” “Everypony okay?” called the brown earth pony in the oversized hat, looking around the chamber to her friends. The white unicorn was looking back over her haunches and smiling in obvious relief, “Oh, thank goodness!” The yellow pegasus watched her and said, “Why Rarity, it's so lovely.” The unicorn, Rarity, gazed enraptured at her tail and unceremoniously shook her flank in the air, “I know! I'll never part with it again.” “No. Your necklace,” the pegasus gestured towards the unicorn's throat, “It looks just like your cutie mark.” Rarity looked down at herself, and then at the pegasus, “What? Ooh. So does yours.” Now the entire group was looking at the new insignia around their necks. “Look at mine! Look at mine!” shouted the bright pink earth pony bouncing around in excitement. “Aw yeah,” crowed the cyan pegasus. “Gee, Twilight!” exclaimed the brown earth pony, surprise sounding brightly in her voice  “I thought you were just spoutin' a lot of hooey, but I reckon we really do represent the elements of friendship.” As the other ponies revelled in the apparent victory over the living nightmare, none of them noticed the stricken alicorn foal in the chamber. The echoes of their triumph drowned out the quiet sobs of Luna, who wept uncontrollably. Great shudders rocked her body as she grappled with the weight of her new situation. In the midst of their elation, the ponies were oblivious to Luna's turmoil. Rainbow Dash exchanged triumphant hoof-bumps with Pinkie Pie, and Rarity and Applejack shared a relieved smile. Fluttershy, normally attuned to the emotions of others, was caught up in the collective joy of their success.  Luna's tears blurred her vision as she grappled with the realisation of her own blindness. How could she have been so naive, so eager for freedom, that she failed to see the trap that had been carefully laid for her? The true nature of the devil's bargain she'd made with her sister now unfolded before her, a cruel revelation that cut deeper than any physical wound. The once-mighty ruler of the night felt the weight of her vulnerability, the stark contrast between her current state and the fearsome Nightmare Moon. The Elements of Harmony, wielded unknowingly by her supposed saviours, had become both the instrument of her liberation and the cause of her undoing. Even Celestia's student was gazing up at the new tiara that sat upon her head, an unmistakable look of pride on her face.  The chamber was suddenly illuminated by the first rays of the morning sun, as an ethereal voice rang out, stating, “Indeed you do.” The light poured through the ruined windows and solidified into the form of a tall alicorn mare.  With the unconscious grace that only a living goddess can possess, Princess Celestia immediately drew all other fuss and motion out of the room.  The assembled ponies prostrated themselves before their princess, as Twilight Sparkle ran to embrace her mentor. “Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student,” smiled the princess, “I knew you could do it.” “But... you told me it was all an old pony tale,” Twilight stammered. “I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more,” replied the tall, white alicorn, “I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her, but you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart.” Princess Celestia cast a glance towards Luna, a silent communication that carried the weight of unspoken threats. Luna, recognizing the dire consequences that loomed if she deviated from the act, reluctantly played along with the show of contrition. As Celestia approached, her words carried the semblance of reconciliation and familial concern, “Now if only another will as well. Princess Luna!” Luna, however, could barely hear the words over the deafening roar of her own internal turmoil. The realisation of her manipulation, the crippling loss of her powers, and the transformation into a servant left her overwhelmed.  She cried out in terror as this fully grown alicorn mare towered over her, so much larger and more powerful than she had been a millennia before.  The smaller alicorn cowered and hid her face in her pasterns. “It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this,” Princess Celestia called out, “Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister.” Several of the other ponies gasped and echoed the princesses words in shock.  It appeared that these modern ponies had no idea that their ruling monarch had once had a sibling. Genuine tears flooded down Luna's cheeks, a raw display of the pain and betrayal she felt. Celestia's well-crafted words and assurances were but echoes in the background, drowned out by Luna's internal symphony of anguish. The chamber, once filled with the triumphant energy of the Elements, now bore witness to a heartbreaking performance, a tragedy in the wake of a supposed victory. Princess Celestia reiterated her request, kneeling closely so as to intimidate with her physical size, “Will you accept my friendship?” Luna found the words to fulfil her side of the narrative. “I'm so sorry!” she choked out, “I missed you so much, big sister!” “I've missed you, too,” whispered Celestia, her triumphant tears matching her sister's despairing ones. As the curtain fell on that terrible day's performance, Luna felt the weight of her sister's machinations press upon her like a leaden cloak. The chamber, once a battlefield of magic and power, became a stage for a darker drama—one where the bonds of sisterhood were strained to their limits by the corrupting influence of absolute power and dark deceit. The other ponies, unaware of the true depths of the emotional turmoil playing out before them, exchanged relieved glances, believing they had successfully averted a great disaster. Little did they know that the consequences of their actions were permanent scars of the alicorn they believed they had saved, and the harmony they sought to restore had been bought at for a terrible price by one pony who couldn't tell her story.