//------------------------------// // The Elements of Chaos // Story: Luna, Eclipsed // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// At the very top of Sky High Peak was a cave, into which the dark mist that was Nightmare Moon entered. Once inside, she reconstituted herself and her "passengers", Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. "What a lovely place." Nightmare Moon grinned. "All it is needs is... a skylight!" A burst of black light erupted from her horn, obliterating the cave's ceiling. "Much better." She cackled, as the orange light of the eclipsed moon cascaded upon her. "Why did you bring us here?" Groaned Luna, vainly struggling against the freeze spell that had been placed on herself and her sister. "What are you planning?" "It's quite simple, my dear Luna." Nightmare Moon declared. "I want us to be one again. The eclipse has already given me power equalling what we possessed before, and with your power on top of that, we shall be unstopable!" "No!" Luna screeched. "I won't let you do that to me again!" "Of course you won't let me." Agreed Nightmare Moon. "The last time I entered your mind, you were asleep, and your mind was so full of hate and anger, making it a perfect breeding ground. But you're not like that anymore, are you? That means I will have to force my way in. I regret to inform you, such a method will take some time, and be agonisingly painful." "Not if we can help it!" Called Twilight Sparkle, as she and her friends entered the cave. "Oh girls, you didn't have to get all dressed up for little old me." Sneered Nightmare Moon, having noticed the gold amulets and crown the Elements of Harmony resided in. "You might as well give it up now, Moon!" Smiled Rainbow Dash. "Darn tootin'!" Agreed Applejack. "We corralled ya once, and we can do it again!" "I'm afraid I don't have time to deal with you foals right now." Sneered Nightmare Moon, her horn glowing brightly. "So you'll just have to fight amongst yourselves." At that moment, the six ponies shadows seemed to come alive, stretching across the cave, towards Night mare Moon. As they reached her, they rose up out of the ground, forming into dark doppelgangers of the six, complete with jewelled amulets. Each duplicate had gray colored coats, manes and tails, with glowing red eyes. "Behold, my Elements of Chaos!" Boomed Nightmare Moon. "Deceit, cruelty, anger, selfishness, treachery, and dark magic!" The six stared, horrified, at their shadowy copies. "Attack!" Shrieked Nightmare Moon. As one, the copies lunged at their counterparts. "So, you're little miss honesty." Shadowjack sneered, as she wrestled with her counterpart. "And you tell your friends everything? No dirty little secrets?" "Not a one." Declared Applejack proudly, grappling as hard as she could. "What a waste of time!" Snarled the copy, pinning Applejack to the ground. "Says you." Sniffed Applejack as she struggled to break free. "Honesty's always the best policy. Truth is beauty, and lies are ugly!" As Applejack said this, the gem in her amulet started to glow. "And the truth will set y'all free!" Applejack finished, as orange light burst out of the gem, enveloping the copy and destroying her. "Nooooo!" Shadowjack screamed as she faded into nothingness. Meanwhile, Fluttershy was slammed violently against the cave wall. "Is that the best you've got?" Sneered her duplicate. "Get up and fight!" Fluttershy, though unafraid to stand up for what she believed in, was no fighter. Struggling to get up, she couldn't think how she was going to stop this vicious copy of herself. As she tried to steady herself, the copy rammed her, pushing her up against the wall. "Such a pity." Hissed Shadowshy. "Who's going to look after all your little animal friends when you're gone? Actually, I just might pay them a little visit. Maybe even give your coltfriend the pleasure of my company. Would you like that?" Anger rose in Fluttershy like never before. Summoning all her strength, she turned the tables on her copy, and pinned her to the floor. "What are you gonna do to me?" The copy struggled in vain. "Oh, don't worry." Smiled Fluttershy. "I'm not going to hurt you. I do wield the Element of Kindness, after all." As she said this, Fluttershy's gem erupted in pink light, destroying the copy. "You lieeeeed!" The duplicate screamed as it faded out of existence. "I said I was the Element of Kindess, not Honesty." Fluttershy smirked. As Rarity's counterpart tackled her, she quickly pushed her away. "Unhoof me, you ruffian!" She snarled. "All this wrestling around like pigs in muck is ruining my mane!" "Well, excuse me, princess!" Sneered the copy. "I forgot, looking better then everypony else is the only thing that matters to you, isn't it?" "It most certainly is not!" Gasped Rarity, offended. "The whole reason I became a fashionista was so I could share beauty with the world!" "Yeah, right." Grinned the duplicate. "You and I both know the only pony you've only ever cared about is yourself." "Not so!" Rarity shook her head. "If I only cared about myself, I wouldn't used have the priceless gems it took many hours to find as decorations for my dresses. If I were as selfish as you say, I would have kept them for myself. But what's the point in something beautiful, if you can't share it with the world?" As Rarity said this, her gem glowed bright purple, oblitering the copy. As Nightmare Moon watched the battle with evil glee, Luna could only bow her head in despair. "Psst!" Came a voice from out of nowhere. "Princess!" Luna recognised the voice. "Gothic?" She asked, as a shadow on the wall moved towards her. "Is that you?" The shadow became Gothic. His magical talent was to become one with the shadows, and he had used it to sneak up to Luna. "Don't worry." Gothic smiled, horn glowing brightly. "I'll get you out of this." "You can't." Sighed Luna. "Nightmare Moon's magic is too powerful." "We'll just see about that." Gothic gritted his teeth resolutely, focusing all of his strength into his horn. Shadow Pie tried desperately to strike her counterpart, only for Pinkie Pie to dodge every attack, giggling as she did. "WHEEE! This is fun!" Pinkie chuckled. "Shut up!" Roared the copy. "Do you have any idea what you look like to others? Jester, clown, idiot! That's all they think when they see you!" "Nuh-uh, little miss Shadey von Darkpants." Pinkie shook her head. "They think 'Hey, there's Pinkie Pie! Boy, she's a barrel of laughs!'" "No, they don't!" Growled the copy. "Yes they do." Chuckled Pinkie. "There's nothing anypony likes more then a good laugh. Here, lemme prove it to you!" Pinkie Pie started laughing uproariously. As she did, her blue element gem lit up, ridding Equestria of her mean-spirited doppelganger. Up in the caverns' highest point, Rainbow Dash and her copy were having a dog-fight like no other. "Loyalty? Oh, barf!" Gagged Shadow Dash, as she dive-bombed her counterpart. "Friendship just drags ya down. You'd already be in the Wonderbolts by now if you didn't have those morons holding you back." "Not even!" Declared Rainbow, ramming into her copy. "I wouldn't have mastered half the tricks I got if it weren't for them. I count on them, and they know they can always count on me!" With that statement, red light streamed out of Rainbow's amulet, erasing Shadow Dash. Down on the cavern floor, Twilight and her dark duplicate were going magic to magic, streams of purple energy blasting out of their crowns. "Face it, bookworm." Sneered Shadow Sparkle. "You can't beat me." "Oh, but I will." Declared Twilight. "Because I'm fighting for all the right reasons: The fate of the Princesses, and the fate of Equestria. And as long as I have my friends beside me, I'll never give up!" As she said this, Twilight's friends walked up her, linking their forelegs in a pony chain, causing Twilight's gem to glow even brighter. "What is this?" Groaned Shadow Sparkle, as Twilight magic beam started pushing hers back. "How can your magic beat mine?" "Haven't you heard?" Asked Twilight, her eyes glowing bright white. "Friendship is Magic!" The beam from Twilight's crown intensified, enveloping the copy. When the glare faded, the six ponies stood, gems glowing, faces resolute, ready to stand against their true foe. "And now, Nightmare Moon." Twilight smiled. "It's your turn!"