//------------------------------// // Part 2 // Story: Sun, Moon and Stars // by FifthAlicorn //------------------------------// Sun, Moon and Stars Part 2 Written by: Fifth Alicorn This was it.The 1000th Summer Sun Celebration was the day after tomorrow. In two nights, both Luna and her Nightmare would be free, and would return with a vengeance that Celestia could only imagine. And the worst part was, despite her long studies into the Elements of Harmony, she was all but completely unprepared. Her research had revealed that the only way she would be able to call upon the Elements was if she found six ponies with traits that strongly resembled the attributes of the Elements of Harmony: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty and Magic. Magic seemed to be the one around which the rest circled. Which was fortunate, because she had all her bits in her guess that Twilight was the pony who resembled that Element. The only downside was that none of her plans were working. Try as she might, she simply could not get that lavender unicorn out of the castle library. The student was simply too studious for her own good and much preferred to stay inside her fortress of knowledge than to go outside and socialize for once. The Solar Goddess was afraid to expressly order Twilight to make bonds with other ponies, for fear that a friendship forged out of respect for her teacher’s wishes would somehow tarnish the link between those friends and compromise the Elements of Harmony. She was beginning to feel desperate, though. Celestia had put all her eggs in this one basket and it looked like it was going to be dropped. The Keeper of the Sun paced quickly in her study, thinking through every possible solution when she was interrupted by a scroll appearing before her by way of green dragonfire. Not many knew her dragonfire line, only important diplomats and her faithful student, so she always made a point to read these messages right away. As it turned out, it was from Twilight Sparkle. My dearest teacher. My continuing studies of pony magic have led me to discover, that we are on the prec- (There were a number of quill scratches here, effectively eliminating the last five words. Celestia chuckled despite herself. Many times, Twilight’s vocabulary exceeded her assistant’s spelling) -that something really bad is about to happen. For you see, the mythical Mare in the Moon is in fact Night Mare Moon and she's about to return to Equestria and bring with her eternal night. Something must be done to make sure this terrible prophecy does not come true. I await your quick response. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle. Celestia’s heart was a cold pit in her stomach. She had figured it out. Twilight knew that her sister was going to come back and destroy Equestria for good this time, because Celestia didn’t have a plan. Or do I? The Princess was struck with sudden, desperate inspiration. Quickly, she summoned the itinerary for this year’s Summer Sun Festival, as well as the contributors. It was in Ponyville, an establishment within eyesight of Canterlot itself: Miss Applejack: Sweet Apple Acres, in charge of providing nourishment for the Summer Sun Festival. Miss Rainbow Dash: Head of the Ponyville Weather Patrol. In charge of maintaining clear skies so that it may please Princess Celestia. Miss Rarity: Prominent dress-maker, owner and founder of Carousel Boutique. In charge of creating decorations for the ceremony. Miss Fluttershy: Ponyville’s animal caretaker. In charge of leading bird-sung chorus for festivities. Four ponies were involved in creating the atmosphere for the Ponyville celebration. Thinking rapidly, Celestia summoned her own parchment and quill and quickly sent her reply. My dearest, most faithful student, Twilight, You know that I value your diligence and that I trust you completely, but you simply must stop reading those dusty old books. My dear Twilight, there is more to a young pony's life than studying, so I'm sending you to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location, Ponyville, and I have an even more essential task for you to complete: make some friends. Your loving teacher, Princess Celestia. Celestia knew her faithful student better than anypony else in this castle, and she knew that Twilight was not going to like this. However, this was one instance where she had to put the needs of Equestria above the needs of Twilight Sparkle. The Goddess only hoped that she wouldn’t break her promise to Twilight’s father in the process. Her underlying plan was simple. There were a total of four ponies that Twilight would have to meet in order to ensure that the celebration would go smoothly. Celestia snorted. “Smooth” is the last thing this is going to be. The hope was that her faithful student would somehow make a strong enough bond with these ponies to represent the Elements of Harmony. Celestia was also aware that they would still be one pony short. Faced with a lack of choices, however, she could only wish that one of the organizers had a friend who was a viable candidate or, barring that, Twilight would somehow bump into a random pony on the street who, coincidentally, exactly matched one of the qualities of the Elements of Harmony. The odds of that happening, however, were astronomical. So improbable that to do so would break all known laws of math and science, including physics. This was by no means a foalproof plan. So many things could go wrong, but with only two days left before the end of the world, there was not much left she could do. All she could really prepare for was what she would do when she was confronted by Luna and Nightmare Moon. She only hoped that she could talk them down... ****************************************************************************** It’s time. “How can you tell?” Sometimes, Luna, you just know. Something inside me can just... tell that the moment has arrived. Tonight, we are freed. Tonight, Equestria shall be ours, as it always should have been. Luna understood the feeling. She could sense it too. It was a sort of pent-up anxiety, and yet, it differed from the same emotions she had felt during these past ten years that she had been forced to stay awake. She looked up, and saw that the four stars she had been keeping an eye on for all these years were so close that she thought she would be able to touch them without even flying up to greet them. Yes. Nightmare Moon was correct. The time of reckoning was upon them. Do you remember the plan? “Nightmare, we share the same mind. If you remember it, I remember it.” During the past decade, the Nightmare Pair had had ample time to prepare. For what she had done to them, Celestia deserved nothing less than death, and that’s what she was going to get. The stars were noticeably getting closer and closer. Soon, very soon. Luna sighed, and looked to Equestria below. The lunar alicorn had been paying attention, and it seemed to be ten years exactly since they had forcibly been woken up. It was always easy to tell when another year had passed, because the landscape always seemed to be more lit up on this day than the others. Luna could only fathom why that could be. Luna? Is something wrong? She forced a smile in response. “No, everything’s fine. It’s just weird that this is all going to be over soon. It’s been such a long time, but we’re finally going home.” No, we’re not. Your sister took our home from us when she banished us here. When we get back, when we take our revenge on Celestia, we will reshape Equestria in our image. Then, Luna, we shall truly be home. Luna smiled wickedly. “Yes, you’re right. Finally, after all these years, we’re finally going to do what we should have done at the beginning.” She glanced up. It was time. “Time to leave, Nightmare. It’s such a shame we carved so many chunks in my moon.” Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to pick up our mess when we leave. Then it happened. In a blinding flash, the magically charged stars smashed through the nearly insubstantial barrier that the Elements had put into place a thousand years ago. Filled with very much missed magical energy, Luna’s eyes flared white with power. Within seconds, she had switched places with Nightmare Moon, who in turn cast a simple spell which restored the moon to its former glory, and teleported towards where she sensed was the biggest concentrated source of magic in Equestria. It could only be one pony: Princess Celestia of Equestria. ****************************************************************************** Nightmare Moon reappeared an instant later and immediately spotted her target; A tall, alabaster alicorn. She faced a curtain, looking away from them, and appeared to be waiting for something. The ebon mare smirked. The Solar Mule clearly hadn’t sensed her presence yet. Horn glowing subtly, inky tendrils of dark energy whipped out and ensnared Celestia’s wings and horn, effectively rendering them useless. Now the traitor was in her clutches and she would neither be able to escape nor fight back. As an extra precaution, she charged up her horn and loosed another powerful spell; a precaution to prevent any possible intrusions. Turning around to meet her, Celestia seemed utterly unsurprised to see her standing there. In fact, her face perfectly betrayed no emotion at all. She simply stared her in the eye and stated, “Nightmare Moon.” Frustrated by Celestia’s seemingly utter lack of fear in her glorious presence, the shade replied hotly, “That’s all you have to say to us? You stuck us up on that wretched moon for one thousand years, Celestia. One thousand years! We always knew you were cruel, but this was wrong, even for you.” Celestia’s poker face remained intact. “I was a foal back then. I was wrong not to see Luna’s torment and to loose the Elements of Harmony upon my own sister. I paid for that mistake every day of my life in the aftermath. But do not make me out to the villain here, Nightmare. It was you who corrupted my sister, and you were responsible for making Luna think those things when you possessed her.” “You think I entered Luna’s body without her permission? Celestia, have you done no research since you betrayed us? I am a being made of very dark magic millennia ago, but it is impossible, even for me, to directly enter, much less influence, the body of another pony without my gracious host explicitly wishing for it. No, your sister wanted my help in destroying you, out of her hatred for you and your hideous sun-loving ponies. In fact, I think somepony would like to have a word with you.” Nightmare Moon blinked a single time. The irises of her eyes, previously narrow and cat-like, expanded until they looked like those of a normal pony. When her mouth opened, instead of speaking like Nightmare Moon, Luna’s voice replaced it, sounding exactly like Celestia remembered it a thousand years ago, yet still dripping with venom and malice. “Hello, Celly.” Celestia’s poker face shattered instantly, replaced by a mixture of fear and sadness. Visibly rocked by the harsh inflection that Luna applied to the formerly loving term, she could only whisper in reply, “L-Luna?” “Oh, looks like somepony remembers me after all. I never thought I would see this day come! Barely anypony remembered the other Princess a millennium ago. They were all too busy loving their beautiful Princess who gave them their precious sun every day.” She began circling Celestia, taking in all the new features since she saw her last. “Love the new hairdo, sis. I can only assume it changed when you started moving my moon after our final battle. What, did you decide you still weren’t getting enough attention, so you had to get rid of me so you could move the moon too? You’re pathetic.” “Luna, please forgive me,” Celestia pleaded, “I’m so sorry. I had no idea any of this would happen, and I never forgot what I did. I still love you, little sister.” The younger alicorn snorted. “Save your lies, sister. I know you’re just trying to save your own flank, but it won’t work.” “I meant every word. I organized this Summer Sun Celebration each year so that I would never forget when you would come back to me. And I made it at night so that everypony would be awake to see how beautiful it was. You were always the better artist, Luna. I could never match what you did with your night sky. Ever since I created the Summer Sun Celebration, so many branches in science began developing, all studying your night sky. I remember the royal astronomer being up for nights at a time studying those wretched craters Nightmare Moon made to grab my attention. It worked, Luna. But it also inspired other ponies to fall in love with it.” “Really?” She shook her head. “Fine, so other ponies like my night. That’s great. But they’ll all be dead before long. Mortal ponies never pass the test of time. The pony who really matters still doesn’t care at all!” “Sister, believe me, I care. I care more than you could ever know. After that night, I went up to my quarters and cried until the tears ran out. Ever since that night, I’ve worn this.” She lifted her breastplate with her magic, revealing a small, sapphire amulet beneath. “Remember when you made this for me? It was when we both raised the moon you created into the sky for the first time. You were so grateful for my help, you hugged me and gave me this necklace the next day. You told me you loved me and that I was the best sister ever. Do you remember?” A single tear came to Luna’s eye as she recognized the necklace. A simple magical test was enough to verify her words, and she could easily detect the intricate magical weaves Celestia had placed around it, ensuring it never degraded over the centuries. She was telling the truth. Sensing Luna’s weakness, Nightmare Moon quickly resumed control of her body. Her eyes contracting to the regular cats-eye, she sneered at Celestia. “Well, it appears you’ve bored Luna, because she was practically begging me to come talk to you again. Here I am, Celestia, and it’s time for our revenge. After all these years, Princess, it’s time for you to die.” Having fully expected a fight, the Fallen Princess was shocked when Celestia bowed before her. “Then do what you came to do. I realize now that you somehow managed to slow time to a crawl. None of the ponies outside will come to my aide, and I wouldn’t want them to, anyways. For everything I did to Luna, I deserve to die.” Nightmare Moon let out a hearty laugh. “Very good, Celestia! You figured it out. Spending so much time on the moon left us with so very little to do. In all that time, I was able to study the time-slowing spell that the Elements had used on us when they passed their ridiculous ‘judgment.’ And with somepony of my infinite talents, I was able to improve upon it until I could make us be together in this time dilation. We have more time than we will ever need, not that it is necessary anymore. Goodbye, Celestia. It was such a pleasure knowing you.” With that, Nightmare Moon began strengthening her horn with an ichor black, readying herself for the final strike. Nightmare, wait. “What?! I’m a little busy here.” I had an idea. What if... what if we banished her to the sun instead of killing her? “And why, pray tell, would we want to do that? In case you forgot, this is our time to get revenge on that miserable old cow for landing us on the moon in the first place!” Exactly. Killing her would end it too quickly. We should make her suffer like we suffered. It seems only right. Nightmare Moon smirked. “I like the way you think, Luna. Alright, we’ll play it your way. I spent enough time on that wretched moon to learn how that barrier worked too. All it’ll take is a little transportation spell on Celestia and I’ll erect the barrier. It’ll sap most of our power, but with her out of the way, we won’t need it anymore.” Addressing Celestia again, the spectre reported the new situation. “You’re in luck, Your Highness. It seems your sister has a better fate lined up for you. In order to truly experience what it was like to be banished upon your own celestial body, she wants to banish you to the sun instead of granting you the quick release of death. Personally, I think that’s a marvelous idea. Any last words?” She was greeted with only a cold glare from the Sun Goddess. “I guess not! Well, it’s been fun Celly, but I have a new country to run. See you in a thousand years.” Nightmare Moon’s horn resumed glowing its sickly black. She noticed Celestia visibly flinch as she was ensconced by the dark grips of magic. Once the Princess had vanished, the Mare of Darkness imagined the sun, and erected a powerful barrier around it that she was certain Celestia would never be able to break. It was done. ****************************************************************************** Princess Celestia found herself on the surface of her own creation. However, due to her close magical connection to the sun, she only felt slightly warmer, instead of being burned to a crisp. Looking up, she could see the subtle crackles that indicated the presence of a barrier. I’ve done all I can. Twilight, my faithful student, Equestria is now in your hooves. I only hope I got through to Luna enough to make a difference. I’m sorry. Then Celestia laid down, fire harmlessly licking her sides, and did the most difficult thing she could do for somepony in her position. She waited. ****************************************************************************** Nightmare Moon was beyond elation. The War of the Night had finally, truly ended, and she had emerged victorious. The Sun Princess was out of the picture, and now nopony would ever be able to stop her. Her horn glowing, she stopped the solar cycle. With the alabaster alicorn severed from her connection with it, all it took was a thought. Luna’s moon froze in place, thus securing her long-awaited goal: nighttime eternal. With that, she had won. Now, all there was left to do was subjugate an entire nation. Easy. And once she was finished with that, she would expand her empire, ensuring world domination all under the glorious banner of night. But first, she would start with those pitiful ponies on the other side of the curtain, stuck in the lapse of time while anxiously awaiting their beloved Princess. They would not see a princess, but a Queen. She broke the spell slowing the world around her, and listened. “Fillies and gentlecolts!” a mare just outside the veil declared. “As Mayor of Ponyville (Nightmare Moon remembered Ponyville. It was around even during the War), it is my great honor to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration.” The crowd outside cheered in response to her words. It was strange; the Nightmare could sense another source of vast magical power just beyond the curtain. Not as potent as Celestia, certainly, but definitely something worth noting. “In just a few moments,” the mayor continued, “our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year. And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria, Princess Celestia!” Seized with sudden inspiration, Nightmare Moon turned herself invisible as the curtain opened, amidst a fanfare of horns and birds chirping. The pony who pulled the curtain, an alabaster, purple-maned unicorn gasped in surprise, with the rest of the crowd following suit. With concern evident in her voice, the mayor attempted to soothe the ponies. “Remain calm, everypony. There must be a reasonable explanation.” The same white unicorn inspected the area where Celestia should have been, before exclaiming, “She’s gone!” The Ponyvillians grew audibly more restless. Sensing her cue, Nightmare Moon slowly began rematerializing where she stood, amidst a shroud of magic similar to what made up her mane of stars. Her growing form elicited a shriek from a pony in the audience, while the rest slowly looked on in awe. As she finally allowed herself to reform before the ponies, a baby dragon fainted off the back of a lavender unicorn in the audience. Curiously, this was the same pony from which she sensed the source of magical power. “Oh, my beloved subjects,” Nightmare Moon began. “It's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces.” It was simply delicious seeing how scared these Ponyvillians were of her. And rightfully so. “What did you do with our Princess?!,” demanded a rather brash sky-blue pegasus with a technicolor mane. The foal actually attempted to rush her, apparently unafraid, or simply just too stupid to understand the emotion. She would have succeeded, had an orange earth pony not grabbed the pegasus by her rainbow-hued tail, muttering something at the same time. Is something wrong with your sight, or is that Earth Pony wearing a Stetson? Luna wondered inside Nightmare’s head. The shade ignored her, cackling evilly at the pathetic attempt at aggression. “Why, am I not royal enough for you?” Nightmare Moon demanded. Do you not know who I am?” A pink earth pony standing next to the cowpony and pegasus, with impossibly bouncy hair, actually looked excited by the question. “Ooh! Ooh! More guessing games! Um... Hokey Smokes! How about Queen Meanie? No! Black Snooty, Black Snooty!” The same cowpony who had been restraining the pegasus somehow managed to stuff a cupcake into the mouth of the annoying pink one without looking, and still managed to pull off a slight grin while doing so. Luna lamented her lack of physical hooves, wishing to applaud such an impressive act. You see, Luna? Nopony remembers us after all. Your sister lied, as she always has. Becoming infuriated by the lack of recognition, Nightmare Moon rounded on the frail-looking, cream colored pegasus to her left who had been directing the music. “Does my crown no longer count, now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?” The birds flew away in fright while the mare simply cowered in sheer terror. She then whipped around to face the white unicorn from before. Slapping the unicorn’s face upwards with her magical mane, she continued. “Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?” “I did!” The lavender unicorn, the source of great magical energy, had finally spoken up, and she was staring up at the Midnight Mare with defiant eyes. “And I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon. Nightmare Moon!” The crowd around the unicorn gasped in surprise at this revelation. Mare in the Moon, eh? What a fitting nickname. “Well well well,” she commented, genuinely impressed. “Somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here!” The defiance quickly shrank from the lavender mare’s eyes. “You’re here to... to...” She trailed off. The Mare in the Moon, as she was now called, laughed darkly. “Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last!” She charged up a magical maelstrom of energy and lightning. Flowing out of her mane and tail, she declared, “From this moment forth, the night shall last FOREVER!!” She continued laughing, magical lightning crackling all around her. In her mind, she could hear Luna sigh and mutter something about being “dramatic.” This continued for several seconds before the mayor finally came to her senses. “Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!!” At her command, three pegasi guards, wearing the emblem of the sun and whom Nightmare Moon assumed were Celestia’s personal escort, charged her. “Stand back, you foals!” With ease, she shot them out of the sky with her lightning and, sensing she had overstayed her welcome, she reverted back to what she called “smoke form” and whisked herself out the front door. She could hear the cyan pegasus from before shouting after her, but she paid her no heed and continued on her way, quickly flying out of range. She soon hovered high above the city proper, back in her alicorn body, wishing to watch as the chaos unfolded below. Nightmare, wait, Luna started. “What is it?” I...don’t want to do this anymore. I want my sister back. “What are you talking about, Luna? This is it! We’ve won! Why would you want that mule back? Do you want to be sent back to the moon?” You’re right, we did win. Didn’t you hear Celestia? Ponies appreciate my night now. Everypony in that hall earlier is evidence of that. Really, that’s what I wanted all along. I just got so angry that I let you in to help me. I never seriously thought about wanting eternal night. It’s just something I entertained in my anger, and when I let you in, your influence made me want it more and more. I’m not ready to rule a nation without Celestia! “She banished you to the one thing you loved above all else! Did you really believe that sappy story about how she never forgot about you?” Yes, yes I did. And it’s still my body, Nightmare. I’m taking it back, and I’m releasing my sister. From within, Nightmare Moon could sense her body beginning to change back into Luna’s form. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Luna. I’ve waited too long to achieve my destiny of world domination, and I will not let it be thwarted by a weak foal like you!” Her horn glowing, she unleashed the secret weapon which she’d prepared just in case Luna got cold hooves. Releasing the spell, she could immediately feel it take effect inside her head. Luna was suddenly surrounded by the magical equivalent of steel bars, effectively locking her into a prison within her own mind. Luna was trapped. While she could still see out of Nightmare Moon’s eyes and could speak, the spell prevented her from directly influencing any of her counterpart’s actions. What... what is this? “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Luna, but my destiny is finally within my grasp. There isn’t any room in my new kingdom for the weak. Now you get to watch, helpless, as I bring about an era of darkness and pain.” Below, she spotted a group of ponies galloping as fast as they could towards what appeared to be- (Is that a library in a tree? Luna asked. I can’t even comprehend any sort of practicality for that.) Upon closer inspection, Nightmare found it was the same group of ponies with whom she had interacted at the celebration, minus the intriguing lavender unicorn. Curious, she transformed back into her smoke form and stealthily followed. Flitting near an upper window of the tree library, she looked inside to find the ponies gathered around the lavender one. She was reading aloud to them out of a book, although Nightmare Moon could only pick up the last bits. “-mystery. It is said, the last known location of the five Elements was in the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.” Everfree, both Luna and Nightmare thought simultaneously. Hearing all she needed to hear, the spectral form of the Mare of Darkness slinked away, heading towards the chaotic expanse of the Everfree Forest. Nightmare Moon thought furiously as to what those six mares could be up to. Were they really trying to reunite the Elements of Harmony? Was such a thing even possible? Is...is that it? Luna sounded awestruck as she gazed upon the forest, remembering when it used to be a sprawling metropolis, and the capital of Equestria. Now, it was just a flora-filled wasteland. Nightmare...look what we did. Everfree used to be filled with life, it was the capitol of Equestria! And now..this. Is this really want you want? “Why, of course it is, Luna. You can’t make an omelet without viciously murdering a few eggs now, can you? Just wait, this is just the beginning. Once everypony recognizes my power, they will either surrender to me, or meet the same fate as the ones who stood here with Celestia, one thousand years ago. Now, care to enlighten me on what those ponies are planning? You should know, what with all the research you’ve done on the Elements.” Luna remained silent in her head, but it was all for naught. With a little bit of concentration, Nightmare was able to gain access to Luna’s thoughts, one of the benefits of sharing a mind. “Interesting. Celestia may be cut off from the Elements, but that doesn’t matter because she’s on the sun anyways. But according to your brain, if six ponies perfectly represent the attributes of the Elements of Harmony, they can actually manage to harness it’s power by themselves? Well, I can’t let that happen. When they get here, I’ll be ready for them.” She heard a rustle below. The six ponies from the library had reached the forest with surprising speed, and they were slowly making their way into the maw of the Everfree. Nightmare could overhear them trying to make conversation. The lavender mare was asking the party something, and the white one made a slightly hysterical reply. As they reached the edge of a cliff, a plan began brewing in the dark mare’s head, and she seeped her being into the cracks of the rocks upon which they were now standing. She could hear them clearly now. “-ain’t natural,” the orange earth pony commented, likely about the Everfree Forest. “Folk say it don’t work the same as Equestria.” The purple unicorn seemed confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Noooopony knooowssss,” interjected the sky-blue pegasus in a spooky voice, clearly attempting to scare the rest of the ponies. “You know why?” “Rainbow, quit it!” ordered the cowpony. Rainbow is her name? How fitting, thought Nightmare Moon. “‘Cause every pony who’s ever come in, has never..come..OUT,” Rainbow finished. Deciding that she would get no better line than that to spring her trap, she effortlessly crumbled the cliff edge, sending all but the pegasi into a rough tumble that would eventually lead to a fatal plunge to the forest flow below. No!!! Luna was scared to watch as her last hope began their descent into death. Rainbow barked an order to her pegasus friend, apparently named Fluttershy, and they made a desperate attempt to save as many as they could. They were going to be too late, though. The pegasi duo managed to save the pink earth pony and the white unicorn, but by the time they managed to get those two to safety, the lavender unicorn was already hanging on for dear life to the orange earth pony. It didn’t matter who died, as long as only one of them did. Confident that she had already won before this foalish plan had begun, Nightmare hovered high above in her smoke form, watching. “Applejack!,” the lavender mare exclaimed. “What do I do?” The orange earth pony, Applejack, paused for a second before she finally seemed to realize that the unicorn was a lost cause, much to the displeasure of the mage. “Let go.” “Are you crazy?” “No I ain’t. I promise you’ll be safe.” “That’s not true!” Nightmare Moon could barely contain her glee as she heard the panicked desperation in the mare’s voice. “Now listen here,” Applejack explained. “What I'm sayin' to you is the honest truth. Let go, and you'll be safe.” The lavender unicorn stared back at her for a couple seconds, before finally releasing her grasp. As the unicorn screamed, Nightmare was delighted until she saw two blurs, one blue and one cream-colored, dart around and catch the mare only a few yards before hitting the ground. Fluttershy quietly offered an apology as the pegasus pair faltered under the weight of the unicorn. Applejack gracefully jumped down to ground level from multiple ledges in the rock face. Slightly disgruntled at her temporary setback, her irritation was quickly forgotten as she spotted a much better way to destroy the six ponies. Darting past the party, the smoke form of Nightmare Moon beelined straight for a manticore lounging nearby. Attempting to possess the body, the beast roared angrily as it refused entry to the Mare of Darkness. Right, Nightmare Moon rebuked herself. I still need permission to take direct control of a body, even a stupid creature like this. An idea sparked. But that doesn’t mean I can’t influence it’s decisions. One of the advantages to her smoke form was that she could shape-shift while in that mode. This was why she preferred to travel as such, instead of merely teleporting everywhere. For this occasion, she twisted her body into a rather large thorn, and she promptly stuck herself into the manticore’s paw. She could hear the six ponies approaching. From what she could make out, Rainbow was rather arrogantly re-explaining to the lavender unicorn precisely how she and Fluttershy had saved her. “And once Pinkie and Rarity were saved, Whoosh! Me and Fluttershy loop-de-loop around and WHAM! Caught you right in the nick of time!” So Pinkie Pie is that white pony, right? Nightmare ignored Luna’s quip, and began to feed dark thoughts into the manticore: “These ponies are your enemies. They are here to hurt you. Do not let them.” The creature quickly accepted these thoughts as its own, and obliged them by taking a menacing step towards the party. The purple mage broke her reply to Rainbow and exclaimed, “A manticore!” The creature took this time to let loose a mighty roar. Instead of cowering in fear, as Nightmare expected, the unicorn was suddenly emboldened and ordered, “We’ve got to get past him!” “Attack!” The mindless beast leapt at the unicorn called Rarity, taking a swipe at her with its claw. Rarity swiftly ducked under it, turned around and answered with a hard buck to the chin. “Take that, you ruffian!” Unimpressed, the manticore screamed its defiance in her face, boggling Rarity’s eyes and ruining her mane to disastrous proportions. Rarity shrieked, “My hair!” She then stared back at the manticore, entirely unimpressed with her offensive attack. With a slight “eep,” she began to ran away. The manticore pursued, until it felt somepony, inexplicably, riding it rodeo-style. “Yee-haw,” crowed Applejack. “Get along little doggie!” As the manticore furiously tried to remove the earth pony, Nightmare Moon was dimly aware that the timid pegasus was standing at the sidelines, trying to say something, but the ebon mare was too caught up in the battle to hear what. Finally extricating the cowpony from it’s head, Applejack soared past her multi-colored friend. “All yours, pardner.” “I’m on it!” The cyan pegasus then began a barrage of color and motion, rapidly spinning around the manticore until all it could see was rainbow. Disoriented, the manticore staggered around until a lucky smack of the tail grounded the multi-hued mare. “Rainbow Dash!” The lavender mare exclaimed before taking an aggressive stance. Pawing at the ground and snorting violently, the unicorn began to rally a charge with Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity. The manticore readied itself to meet the charge, until their path was blocked by a sudden scream. “WAAAAIIIIIIITTTTTTT!” It was Fluttershy, and it seemed she had finally found the ability to speak up. The entire battle stopped for a moment, astounded that the quiet mare was even capable of such volume. The pink-maned pegasus turned on the manticore with large, teal and caring eyes. As she approached it, the manticore snarled and raised a claw to attack, but Fluttershy shushed it gently. Despite Nightmare Moon’s frenzied instructions to viciously maim the foolish pegasus, the manticore refused to attack as the pegasus gently nuzzled the same paw which contained her thorn. The Mare in the Moon could rapidly feel her control over the beast slipping, which should have been impossible. There had to have been other powers at work. Nightmare could only watch as the manticore presented the cursed thorn to Fluttershy. “Oh, you poor, poor little baby.” Little? Luna thought incredulously. Rainbow Dash reciprocated her thoughts nearby. “Now, this might hurt for juuuuust a second,” Fluttershy warned, as she picked up Nightmare Moon in her mouth. The Mare of Darkness was suddenly overcome with a wave of complete calm and tranquility as she came into contact with the tranquil pegasus, a feeling she wasn’t even aware she had. She was quickly dropped, however, when the manticore quickly grabbed the pegasus and roared in pain at the removal of such a dark, not to mention pointy, object. “Fluttershy!!” her friends yelled in concern. But the pony was fine, being affectionately thanked by the manticore. “Aw you're just a little ol' baby kitty, aren't you?” Fluttershy giggled as the manticore repeatedly licked her mane. “Yes you are, yes you are.” As the party passed the strange couple, the purple mage waited behind. “How did you know about the thorn?” she asked. “I didn’t,” Fluttershy replied, her mane freshly styled in a manner that somehow resembled a cowlick. Luna was suddenly very much in the mood for some delicious alfalfa. “Sometimes, we all just need to be shown a little kindness.” Slowly growing more irritated at how easily her brilliant plans were being thwarted, Nightmare Moon materialized back into her smoke form and whipped away. Arriving in a part of the forest as dark as she was, she suddenly came up with a new plan. “I’ve got it,” she smirked. “Those foals clearly aren’t afraid to put up a fight when they’re scared, but what if I gave them an enemy which they can’t fight? They’ll run back to Ponyville like little filles, and then nopony will be able to stop me!” She looked around. As she expected, the forest was populated by trees. Perfect. “What I’ll do is enter these trees myself, and make really scary faces at them, until they get so frightened that they won’t go any further. It’s genius!” Inside her mind, Luna burst out laughing. Wait, really? THAT’S your master plan? “What are you talking about?” the shade retorted. Oh, no, nothing. Nothing at all. You’re right, it’s foolproof. Go ahead, Nightmare, show me up. “Silence! This plan is simply so brilliant, you can’t wrap your feeble little mind around it. And wipe that grin off your face!” I can’t have a grin on my face, Nightmare, Luna replied innocently. You took my body away from me remember. I’m trapped up here, alone and woefully bodiless. “I can feel that goofy smile plastered all over face, even if it isn’t real!” She could hear the six ponies approaching. “Watch and learn, Luna. This is how a true Master of Darkness operates.” Nightmare Moon split her form and allowed her essence to enter the surrounding trees, reshaping the wood until they formed sinister faces with sharp, pointy teeth. She heard Applejack mutter something about stepping in mud when Fluttershy let loose a shrill scream. “It’s just mud!” protested Appejack, before she noticed the possessed tree in front of her. Applejack yelled in fright and jumped away to rejoin the group. They began noticing more and more of the terrifying trees, and huddled close together in an attempt to protect themselves. Told you, Nightmare gloated to Luna. Luna was silent. The ponies screamed in continued terror until they noticed Pinkie Pie standing away from the group, laughing and making silly faces at one of the trees. “Pinkie!” the lavender unicorn exclaimed. “What are you doing? Run!” Giggling, Pinkie Pie looked to the party and cheerfully said, “Oh girls, don’t you see?” Inexplicably, music began playing out of nowhere and Pinkie started singing. The clearing itself somehow brightened, as if in response to her overwhelming cheerfulness. When I was a little filly and the sun was going down “Tell me she’s not...” thought Nightmare Moon, dumbfounded. The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown She is, Luna replied, astonished. I'd hide under my pillow from what I thought I saw But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at all “Then what is?” Rainbow Dash asked, only for Pinkie to continue in song. She said: Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall, learn to face your fears You'll see that they can't hurt you, just laugh to make them disappear! Pinkie Pie stared at a tree and simply went, “Ha, ha, ha!” Immediately, Nightmare felt her essence get ripped from that same tree. She recognized the sensation. She was being forcibly expelled from the tree, a feat only possible by a force of higher magic. But that should have been impossible, Pinkie Pie wasn’t a unicorn. There was definitely another power in play here, Nightmare Moon was now certain of this. And she was also, for the very first time, feeling slightly nervous about what that could be. The rest of the ponies gasped in astonishment in response to the de-spookified tree. Galvanized by the victory over the evil being of wood and dirt, and Pinkie’s continued singing, the party joined in the laughter. So, giggle at the ghostly Guffaw at the grossly Crack up at the creepy Whoop it up with the weepy Chortle at the kooky Snortle at the spooky With every phrase of the song, a pony laughed, and with every laugh, more and more of Nightmare’s essence was violently extricated from the trees. For the Midnight Mare, it was absolute chaos. For the Lunar Princess inside, it was awesome. Soon, there was only one tree left, which Pinkie had perched herself in. And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna...(She began laughing hysterically) LAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHHH! All around, the six ponies fell to the ground, laughing, as the random, yet somehow completely necessary, song ended. Nightmare quickly flew away from the scene in her smoke form, desperate to get away from the source of mirth and merriment. Nearing a river, she spotted a purple sea serpent with, somehow, what appeared to be an expertly maintained mane and mustache. You leave home for a few centuries, look what happens, Luna joked. And by the way? Told you so. Infuriated, the spectral form of Nightmare Moon lashed out towards the serpent, determined to cause some pain tonight. The serpent turned seconds too early, however, and the magical cloud only managed to clip him as she passed by. However, the Nightmare heard a shriek of the utmost agony behind her as a result of her actions. “He...it sounds infuriated enough to be able to present some sort of obstacle to those foals. How convenient,” she thought with some satisfaction, and continued forwards. She saw it soon after: the ruins of the Castle of the Ancient Pony Sisters. Luna said nothing, shock into silence as she comprehended the sorry state of her ancestral home. Nightmare couldn’t sense any sign of the Elements of Harmony, so she began her search in the largest structure still standing. As she attempted to cross the threshold, however, she was met with a very familiar barrier. “I found you”, she thought triumphantly. Inside, she could see five stone spheres, all on their own pedestal. She materialized back into her alicorn form, and attempted to blast her way through the barrier with a strong jolt of lightning. As with what happened a thousand years ago, though, it was to no avail. What’s more, Nightmare Moon found herself strangely weakened by the blast. What is going on? It’s about time you realized it, Luna replied smugly. “What are you talking about?” Nightmare Moon demanded out loud. I’ve been blocking your magic regeneration ever since you locked me in here. I’m not as foolish as you want me to believe, Nightmare. I spent a lot of time in here during the War. I know my way around. Your silly spell may have prevented me from directly influencing your actions, but not indirectly. And after you banished my sister to the sun, I can’t imagine you have very much magic left. “You FOAL! Believe me, once I deal with those ponies, I’m going to deal with you!” The ebon mare spat pure venom, almost literally, as she realized the truth of her counterpart’s words. Suddenly, she heard another shriek from the sea serpent and a thunderous crash. “They must have defeated that petty excuse for a dragon. I need more time. There was a bridge leading to the castle, wasn’t there?. I can cut that down, and that should slow them down.” Luna’s reply sounded almost mocking. You do know they have a pegasus, right? Two, even. The Nightmare swore. She didn’t have enough magic anymore for a surefire killing blow, and she wanted enough magic just in case her opponent wasn’t knocked out. She shifted forms again, returning to ethereal mist, and darted towards the rickety old bridge, severing the ropes and watching as the structure fell into the gorge below. She then conjured a heavy fog and waited within, waiting to see which Pegasus would come across to re-tie the ropes. All she needed was to capture or sway one of the party’s number. Five ponies were not enough to represent the Elements of Harmony. She didn’t have to wait long. She heard Rainbow Dash say something across the gorge, and then she took off. Nightmare Moon smirked. Too perfect. That brash pegasus was almost as arrogant as she was, but without cause. All she had were a few flashy moves and a whole lot of talk. Inspiration flashed through her mind. Such characters were easily swayed by promises of power and glory. She knew of the perfect group that could offer Rainbow Dash both. A millennium ago, the Shadowbolts were Nightmare Moon’s elite aerial fighters. Whatever Celestia’s pitiful Wonderbolts could do, her Shadowbolts could perform with better speed and precision. Keeping this memory fresh in her mind, Nightmare Moon split her smoke form into three, each taking on the form of one of her spectacular Shadowbolts. Rainbow had retrieved the ropes from the chasm and had brought them up to their proper place on Nightmare’s side of the gorge. Just before she began to tie them, Nightmare Moon began whispering “Rainbow...Rainbow...” Rainbow Dash immediately assumed an aggressive, boxing stance. “Who’s there?” she demanded. “I ain’t scared of you. Show yourself!” From the mist, Nightmare replied, “We’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the best flier in Equestria.” Rainbow appeared confused. “Who?” Nightmare Moon’s eye twitched slightly. “Why, you, of course.” Rainbow Dash’s face quickly switched to a look of joy. “Really?! I mean... Oh yeah, me. Hey, uh, you wouldn't mind telling the Wonderbolts that, would ya? 'cause I've been trying to get into that group for, like, ever.” “No, Rainbow Dash. We want you to join us, the Shadowbolts!” Nightmare Moon the Shadowbolt came skidding out of the mist, flanked by two of her doppelgangers.  “We're the greatest aerial team in the Everfree Forest, and soon we will be the greatest in all Equestria! But first, we need a captain.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up at the prospect, as an utterly dopey grin graced her face. “The most magnificent--” “Yep.” “Swiftest--” “Yes.” “Bravest flier in all the land.” “Yes, it’s all true,” Rainbow Dash complimented herself. Her plan was working excellently. She could see that Rainbow was getting slowly drawn in with each word she spoke, stroking the cyan pegasus’ already enormous ego. “We need...you” Rainbow Dash sprang up into the air. “Woo-hoo!” she cheered. “Sign me up! Just let me tie this bridge real quick, and then we have a deal.” “NO!” Nightmare Moon shouted, stopping Rainbow mid-motion. “It’s them or us!” It was then that she heard a voice call from across the chasm. “Rainbow! What’s taking so long?” The Shadowbolt’s eyes flashed with power, and her magically conjured fog quickly obscured all view and sound from the opposite side of the gap. Meanwhile, Rainbow was still deciding. “Well?” she pressed. Rainbow looked her doppelganger dead in the eye and said, “You.” Nightmare Moon reared up, a look of triumph on her face. She had won! But then Rainbow continued, “Thank you, for the offer I mean,” the pegasus secured the rope bridge before she finished, “but I’m afraid I’m going to have to say no.” With that, she flew away to rejoin her friends. Defeated once again, Nightmare Moon forcibly restrained all desire to lash out in rage before she finally dispelled the shapeshift and departed the area. Low on magic thanks to Luna’s foul play, the Mare in the Moon only had one last shot to prevail before the party of six could unite the Elements of Harmony against her. However, she knew precisely what she must do. Nightmare Moon watched from above as the ponies entered the ruined antechamber containing the Elements of Harmony. Gently testing the threshold, she found that it had vanished, probably a result of the six entering before her. Finally, something had gone right in her plans. She listened patiently as the party below examined the stone orbs on their pedestal, the pegasi bringing them down to ground level. She overheard Applejack call the purple unicorn “Twilight,” (“So that’s what her name is”) and Twilight seemed to be the only pony amongst the six who actually knew what the Elements of Harmony were. From what the shade could hear, the lavender mage seemed to believe that, although there were only five Element Spheres present, a “spark” would arrange for the Sixth Element to be revealed.  Luna was silent through this entire ordeal. Twilight knelt down to attempt something, and requested space from the other five. As her horn began to glow, Applejack led the others outside, so that Twilight could concentrate. Now is my chance!! Nightmare thought frantically. Snaking around the architecture of the antechamber, Nightmare Moon closed on the Element Spheres. Twilight didn’t even notice, as her eyes were closed in concentration. Beginning to spring her final trap, the ebon mare began to whip them the Spheres up into a magical hurricane, preparing to teleport them away with her. With a gasp of fright, Twilight realized too late what was happening, and attempted to stop the teleportation spell by leaping into it. With a flush of triumph, Nightmare Moon managed to complete the spell, taking with her both the Element Spheres and Twilight. When Nightmare Moon reappeared, she knew it was over. She had finally won  With the Element Spheres dancing around her, captured in her magical mane, and Twilight coughing before her as a result of the sudden teleportation, it was a scene of dark perfection. Unable to contain her mirth, she cackled darkly, summoning lightning to flash around her. Twilight gasped in fear. Then she managed to garner the last of her willpower and took on an aggressive stance, similar to that of what she used against the manticore. Backed into a corner, the lavender unicorn was going to charge Nightmare Moon. “You’re kidding,” she asked in disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?” Twilight’s horn glowing, she let her actions speak for herself. The lavender mare running forward, Nightmare Moon was taken aback at such a bold move, before matching Twilight’s charge with her own. Her eyes narrowing in concentration, she thought. This is it. I don’t even need magic to kill this foal like this. All that stupid pony needs to do is skewer herself on my horn. Here she comes. Victory is mine! Just before she reached Twilight, however, the lavender mare’s horn glowed brightly, and she disappeared from sight mere milliseconds before collision. Infuriated, she skidded to a halt. She can TELEPORT?!? Whipping around, she saw a dazed Twilight shake off the effects of the teleportation. The mare lowered her head and her horn began to glow. Shortly after, the Element Spheres began to glow with her. The unicorn had managed to activate the Elements. No! Nightmare Moon exclaimed mentally. Transforming into smoke mode, and expending the last of her magic, Nightmare slipped like quicksilver towards the mage. But she was too late. As the shade reappeared in front of Twilight, magical electricity coursed between the Elements, resulting in a shock that blasted the mare back twenty feet, and safely away from Nightmare Moon’s clutches. “No! No!” the ebon mare shouted as the Spheres crackled with potent energy. But all of a sudden, the current of magic stopped, and the purple glow around them simply vanished. Twilight gasped in disbelief. “But... where’s the Sixth Element?!” Nightmare Moon laughed triumphantly. Twilight’s feeble attempted had failed! Rising up on her hind legs, she brought her forehooves down with a mighty quake, shattering the Element Spheres in their place. Twilight looked on in shock, the shards of the Spheres landing all around the Queen of the Night. “You little foal! Thinking you could defeat me?” Twilight cowered before her, terror evident in her eyes. “Now you will never see your princess, or your sun! The night will last FOREVER!” Nightmare’s mane and tail flowed out behind and above her, further emphasizing her superiority over the lavender unicorn who dared to dream. Lost in the throes of victory, Nightmare Moon laughed victoriously. She gloated so loudly, however, that she did not notice Twilight turn around, her attention caught at something the Mare of Darkness could not hear. “You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that?” Somehow, Twilight Sparkle had regained her confidence, and was speaking with the air of somepony who knew exactly what she was talking about. “Well you’re wrong, because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!” Twilight’s friends had managed to catch up with them, and with their appearance, the shards of the Element Spheres began to glow with an energy the likes of which Nightmare Moon had only felt once before. “What?” she asked, simultaneously mystified and terrified. She knows, Luna stated. What are you talking about? What does she know? Something you were always too arrogant to figure out, Nightmare. The Elements are more than just some relics of power that once bested us. They’re actual, sentient beings, or at least as close to that as they possibly can. They can’t be stopped simply by destroying their carriers, because the spirits and essences of Harmony are everywhere around us. Power will always be more than just skin-deep, and with all your self-proclaimed wisdom, you were never able to learn that. Now, I believe somepony is talking to you. “-a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the Spirit of...Generosity!” As Twilight spoke the virtues of the Elements, the shards of the respective Sphere encircled the new bearer. Nightmare noticed that Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had already received theirs. “And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire represents the Spirit of... Loyalty!” The last of the shards rose to encompass the multi-hued pegasus as the lavender unicorn continued her speech. “The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us!” One last chance. “But you still don’t have the Sixth Element!” Nightmare Moon bluffed. “The Spark didn’t work!” “But it did! A different kind of spark,” Twilight turned her back on Nightmare to face her friends. “I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all,” she turned back to confidently face the Midnight Mare, “are my friends!” “Gag me with a toaster, Twilight,” Nightmare Moon thought sardonically. At Twilight’s declaration, however, a brilliant flash of light erupted over the head of the lavender mage. The source of it was what appeared to be a sixth Element Sphere. Finally, the Sixth Element had revealed itself. The light was so strong, the magic so pure, that Nightmare Moon was forced to recoil. “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.” With those words, the entire room was flooded with a light that made the appearance of the sixth Sphere look like a dying candle in comparison. The Element Shards became imbibed within their ponies, and took on the forms of necklaces representing their respective cutie marks. Twilight, however, received a large golden tiara, topped with the same six-pointed star as when Celestia once bore it, except that the gemstone was now purple to match Twilight’s coat. It’s over, Nightmare Moon, Luna thought. You’ve lost. We both have. But this time, I’m going to make sure we stay wherever the Elements send us. I’m not letting you hurt my sister ever again. A rainbow erupted from the six ponies. It rose in a majestic arc, before it came crashing back down upon Nightmare Moon. “Nooo!” she shrieked. “Nooooo!” As with before, the Rainbow of Light completely encompassed the Mare in the Moon. As with before, she was filled with the feeling of warmth, yet still sensing the displeasure of the Elements of Harmony. And as with before, Nightmare Moon’s head was filled with the voice of the Elements, and time slowed to a crawl. “Nightmare Moon. You have been accused of usurping the Throne of Equestria, and attempting to bring about an era of eternal night. You have been judged guilty, and we shall once again bestow upon you the harshest punishment allowed us.” Elements of Harmony, Luna replied. On behalf of us both, we acknowledge your punishment and we accept. “Luna of Equestria, you shall be judged in a different light. You were once accused of consorting with a being made of darkness, allowing it to enter and manipulate your body, and attempting to overthrow your sister. We ask you this question once again: do you feel regret for your actions?” Yes! she exclaimed immediately. Yes I do. All I ever wanted was for somepony to appreciate my night, and now ponies do! I don’t want to hurt my sister anymore or force eternal night. I just want to go home! “We have scanned your heart, and we find your words to be true. Luna of Equestria, you are hereby restored to your title of Princess of Equestria. As such, your celestial tie with your moon has been restored. Welcome home, Princess Luna.” “As for you, Nightmare Moon. You were brought to this planet through dark rituals and black magic. As such, you are not considered to be a full-fledged citizen of this planet. Therefore, we shall use our power to dispel you, and finally release this world from your influence. Our judgment has been passed. Let it be so.” Time sped up to normal as the Rainbow of Light sped faster and faster, purging Nightmare Moon from Luna, and dividing their essence. Twilight’s eyes opened, and the brightest flare yet shot forth from them, purifying everything in the room as Nightmare Moon’s form peeled away from Luna. And from the brightness, black followed. The newly restored Night Princess of Equestria was dimly aware that other ponies were talking around her. Luna could only assume that Twilight and the rest of her friends were alright. Meanwhile, she lay there, slowly regaining consciousness. She was cold, hungry, completely devoid of magic, and above all, tired. She soon realized that natural light had begun flooding the room, and with it, a very regal, very familiar voice. Luna managed a small smile to herself. Good, Celestia’s free. Everything’s...back to normal. She began to drift back to sleep. “Now if only another will as well. Princess Luna.” Luna’s eyes snapped open in shock. Will what? Was Celestia still angry at her? She had every right to be. She glanced up to look at her approaching sister. But Celestia spoke gently, not with rage or malice. “It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this.” Suddenly, her elder sister had laid down next to her, meeting Luna’s turquoise eyes with her own periwinkle ones. “We were meant to rule together, little sister. Will you accept my friendship?” Luna closed her eyes bracingly. She half-expected Nightmare Moon to return. Was she even worthy of her sister’s forgiveness? Could she ever fully trust herself again? She could barely meet Celestia’s eyes. Her sister had no reason to ask that question, it was all her fault. Finally springing up, she leapt to where her sister was once again standing. “I’m so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister.” She felt tears welling up, but she didn’t care. She detected warm moisture on top of her head, and knew that Celestia was crying too. Just standing there, in her sister’s embrace, Luna knew that after a thousand years, she had finally come home. There was a loud blubbering as the pony she recognized as Pinkie Pie loudly burst into tears, and somehow managed to produce a handkerchief. But as quickly as she had started wailing, she had stopped, and was acting like she had never even been crying. “Hey!” she exclaimed. “You know what this calls for? A party!” And she quickly dashed off to prepare, Luna assumed. Twilight chuckled to herself and glanced back at the reunited sisters, before rallying her friends to follow and allowing the pair alone. “Celly, I’m so sorry,” Luna sobbed. “I never meant for any of this to happen!” Her big sister shushed her soothingly. “I know Lulu, I know, and I’m sorry too. I should have realized your pain instead of brushing you aside like it wasn’t important. It was, Luna, but I never knew how to show it.” “It’s okay.” Celestia drew herself up, smiling slightly. “Now, we should probably make an appearance at this Ponyville party. It can’t be too big, considering how little notice that pink one has, but we need to let everypony know that everything is okay.” Luna smiled up at her big sister. “Okay. And Celly? I-I love you.” The Solar Princess looked like she was about to start crying again. “And I love you too, Lulu. I never stopped, and I never will stop. I promise.” ****************************************************************************** As it turned out, the Ponyville celebration almost rivaled that of the Summer Sun Celebration, not only in terms of sheer attendance, but also in regards to freshly made and prepared food. A string quartet was even playing a tune entitled “The Sisters’ Requiem.” Apparently, Pinkie Pie could throw together massive parties at the bat of an eyelid. Nopony could quite understand how she had managed all of this. Luna arrived at Canterlot Castle several hours later, trotting tiredly alongside her sister. The castle servants stared in awe at the appearance of a second alicorn, but the Lunar Princess was too exhausted to acknowledge them with more than a small smile. She was even too tired to announce her presence using the traditional Royal Voice. Celestia showed her to where she would be sleeping until the carpenter ponies would be able to build one more suited for Luna’s wishes. As she headed straight for the comfy-looking bed that wasn’t a crater, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Backtracking, she gave herself several look-overs in the mirror before turning to her sister. “I look different than how I used to look before I... left, don’t I?” Celestia smiled. “You look exactly like you did before you made the moon and the night sky, when your mane and tail transformed into that beautiful starry field.” “But I’m confused. Why do I look like this?” “I can only guess, but when the Elements of Harmony stripped Nightmare Moon from you, they were forced to take away all your residual magical power in order to ensure a complete purge. After all, you two were joined for over one thousand years. All that time on the moon together may have intertwined your spirits rather tightly, and I’m sure they didn’t want to take any risks with that...thing. But don’t worry, I’m sure that once your power begins to return and you’re able to move the moon again, you’ll begin to fill out back into your old self.” Luna seemed pleased with this answer. At the very least, she was too tired to question it further. Everything would work itself out in time. Now thoroughly exhausted, she collapsed on the plush bed. So much better than that miserable crater. “Good night, Luna. I love you.” “I lovvvve youuu tooo, Celly,” the younger Princess mumbled as her sister turned off the light. Before lapsing into blissful unconsciousness, Luna gave a contented sigh. Finally, after everything, after the War and Nightmare Moon and the banishment, it was over. She was home. END A/N    Wow, I’m finally done. As I mentioned in Part One, this was my first crack at actual writing, and this was seriously looking to not make it into the light of day. Shyness and all that. I have to admit something here. When I first drew this story up, I submitted Part One to Equestria Daily, and it was denied. Disgruntled, I didn’t look at it for around a month, and focused more on my edits, until I remembered FiMFic. I thought I would try my luck here and see how it went. So you guys were kind of my guinea pigs, sorry about that! But still, I really want to thank all the people on FiMFic who read this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome, and really inspired me to take another crack on EqD. Just remember, you saw it here first! My plans are as this. After this is submitted, I’ll get caught up on my edits and other stuff. Please, rate and comment! I have an inkling of another idea for a fanfic, but it all really depends on how this is received. Peer pressure and all that. Also, I’m going to start running a blog on FiMFic, mostly about all my other fic-related projects, although most of them are just my jobs as editor, but it’ll be useful if you’re looking for something good to read! Right, I’ve officially begun rambling. Don’t judge me, it’s 2AM here! Seriously, though, thanks so much for taking the time to read this, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. Please, rate and comment! My very best, ~Fifth Alicorn