//------------------------------// // Return of the Night (trailer/whatever) // Story: Archonix's scraps and bits // by archonix //------------------------------// To the sound of Mind Heist... (TC 00:00:00:00) OPENING FADE EXT. NIGHT SKY PAN LEFT over a starry vista as the moon comes into view.                 TWILIGHT (VO)         What was it like, up there?                  CUT TO EXT. GRASSLAND DAY A pony in a cloak is galloping across a rolling plain. As we pan up we see CANTERLOT on the horizon, glowing in the bright morning light.                 TWILIGHT (VO)         Looking down on the world. CUT TO EXT. CLOUDSDALE EVENING A group of pegasi drift lazily toward the city, a vast sprawling metropolis in the clouds.         TWILIGHT (VO) Isolated for a thousand years. CUT TO EXT. CANTERLOT DAY An airship closes on an enormous tower.                 TWILIGHT (VO)         Never given the chance to explain your acts. (TC 00:00:16:00) Banished by your own sister. CUT TO EXT. PONYVILLE DAY (TC 00:00:18:00) Ponies are going about their everyday business when something causes them to look toward the horizon behind camera.                 TWILIGHT (VO)         Turned into a monster to scare children. CUT TO EXT. CANTERLOT STREET DAY A troop of guards push their way through a yelling crowd.                 TWILIGHT (VO)         Hated by everyone. CUT TO INT. GREAT HALL Various dignitaries are milling around PRINCESS CELESTIA and TWILIGHT SPARKLE. They look toward the windows as darkness begins to fall. CUT TO EXT. SWEET APPLE ACRES APPLEJACK watches a pegasus fly across the sky as the light begins to fade unnaturally fast. She turns to the horizon, wide-eyed, terrified.                 TWILIGHT (VO)         Completely and utterly alone. CUT TO EXT. CANTERLOT Above the city, the moon moves inexorably across the face of the sun. CUT TO EXT. CANTERLOT BALCONY TWILIGHT SPARKLE watches the moon as it hides the sun. The hint of a smile touches her lips.                 TWILIGHT (VO)         What would you do to avoid going back? CUT TO EXT. PALACE GARDENS DAY TWILIGHT SPARKLE and PRINCESS LUNA are seated in a small grassy area. LUNA refuses to meet TWILIGHT'S gaze as she walks away.                 CELESTIA (VO)         I'm worried about Luna. CUT TO INT. THRONE ROOM It is dark. PRINCESS LUNA looks up at the throne with a tear in her eye and turns away.                 CELESTIA (VO)         She's isolating herself again. CUT TO EXT. MOUNTAIN TOP EVENING TWILIGHT SPARKLE and PRINCESS LUNA are staring down at the lights of Canterlot as the wind whips around their faces. Luna's coat is noticeably darker.                 CELESTIA (VO)         You're the only pony she'll even speak to. CUT TO EXT. BALCONY CELESTIA and TWILIGHT SPARKLE are watching a sunrise together.                 CELESTIA         I don't want to lose her again, Twilight. CLOSE IN TWILIGHT SPARKLE                 CELESTIA (VO)         I trust you to do what's right. The young mage nods slowly, showing little emotion. FADE TO BLACK (TC 00:00:50:00) SMASH CUT INT. THRONE ROOM The doors are blown off their hinges and a cloud of blue-black smoke pours through. CUT TO THRONE GUARDS surround CELESTIA. CUT TO EXT. CANTERLOT NIGHT Airships storm through the skies, disgorging thousands of pegasi in black armour. CUT TO INT. THRONE ROOM A hoof crunches on the debris from the door CUT TO EXT. CANTERLOT NIGHT CLOSE UP of pegasi dropping toward the city with their weapons aloft. CUT TO INT. THRONE ROOM CELESTIA watches in shock as a figure emerges from the doorway. It is NIGHTMARE MOON. (TC 00:01:04:00) CUT TO EXT. CANTERLOT WALLS Unicorns release a hail of glowing projectiles up toward the invading pegasi. CUT TO EXT. CANTERLOT STREET SHINING ARMOUR leads a small group of guards against the black-armoured pegasi. CUT TO EXT. PONYVILLE TOWN HALL EVENING Celestia's guard prepare to execute LYRA until NIGHTMARE MOON swoops in and snatches her away. CUT TO EXT. SWEET APPLE ACRES ORCHARD APPLEJACK and TWILIGHT SPARKLE face off against one another. TWILIGHT unleashes a bolt of energy that shatters the tree behind APPLEJACK. (TC 00:01:16:00) EXT. TOWN SQUARE EVENING A troop of guards in black armour march into the town square as the ponies watch. CUT TO EXT. FIELD DAWN (TC 00:01:21:00) FLUTTERSHY looks up at the sky with a determined expression before launching herself skyward. CUT TO EXT. FIELD DAY A cavalry charge smashes head-on into the massed ranks of a much larger army. CUT TO EXT. CANTERLOT DAY Explosions rock the city. A tower begins to collapse. EXT. SKY DAY A great airship battle takes place. One of the airships collides with another, both still firing their canon. CUT TO INT. THRONE ROOM EVENING CELESTIA and NIGHTMARE MOON clash, Celestia's magic blasting a shockwave that flings back furniture and masonry all around her. CUT TO EXT. CANTERLOT DAY TWILIGHT SPARKLE stares up at the bulk of Canterlot Castle as we pan up toward the towers. CUT TO EXT. CLOUDSDALE NIGHT Fire falls from the sky amidst the collapsing towers of the cloud city. Pegasi flee in horror. CUT TO EXT. CLOUDSDALE NIGHT RAINBOW DASH and DERPY fly through the chaos. Both are sporting intricate pegasus armour. CUT TO EXT. CANTERLOT BALCONY NIGHTMARE MOON watches the chaos of the city below. Her face is obviously distressed. CUT TO EXT. FIELD RARITY and APPLEJACK run through tall grass with pegasi in pursuit. CUT TO EXT. CLIFF RAINBOW DASH leaps from the cliff-top moments before a blast of magic destroys the ground she was standing on, her forelegs stretching out to catch APPLE BLOOM as she falls. CUT TO EXT. THRONE ROOM NIGHT (TC 00:01:49:00) PRINCESS CELESTIA stands before NIGHTMARE MOON. The NIGHTMARE is ensconced on her throne, her mane billowing ominously around her like a black cloud that reaches out toward CELESTIA.                 CELESTIA         What have you done to my student, Luna? NIGHTMARE MOON laughs.                 NIGHTMARE MOON         You think I corrupted her? You should know by now, Sister. FADE TO INT. SPOTLIGHT ROOM NIGHT TWILIGHT SPARKLE sits facing away from the camera. She turns her head slowly with her eyes closed.                 NIGHTMARE MOON (VO)         Darkness is born in Twilight. TWILIGHT SPARKLE opens her eyes, revealing a demonic green glow. CUT TO BLACK.