//------------------------------// // The Final Hours // Story: Moon Fall // by 007Delta //------------------------------// The morning rays washed Dash's face as she flew over the rooftops of Ponyville. Celestia's gloomy words to her replayed in her mind over and over. These hours may possibly be our last, so I advise you to spend them on your own terms.' Nightmare Moon is capable of bringing about the extinction of pony kind, her power and hatred eradicating Pegasi, Unicorns and Earth Ponies alike, leaving no one left to survive in her wake. As Rainbow Dash thought about it, she realized that no one but the few ponies present at Twilight's house were aware of the impending massacre, and that it might be best if she didn't notify anyone of the oncoming hell. Should the danger become publicly known, it could throw the cities into a state of panic. Ponies would betray each other to ensure their own survival, there would be suicides, and the resulting chaos would do nothing but make everyone's last days unbearable. She continued flying until the rooftops stopped and the city turned to a meadow. In the centre of this meadow, stood a red schoolhouse, where a class of young colts and fillies were surely starting a lesson, and among these fillies was a young orange Pegasus. Rainbow Dash landed on the step of the wooden schoolhouse and hastily opened the door. Immediately, a dozen pairs of eyes fell on her as the purple earth pony that Dash assumed to be the teacher approached her. "Rainbow Dash!" Exclaimed a gleeful voice from the back. Dash turned to see Scootaloo jump from behind her desk. She galloped around the side of the class and jumped at Rainbow Dash. She caught her and held her in a tight hug, forcing herself not to tear up. "I missed you so much! Where were you yesterday? I didn't see you at all after school!" Scolded Scootaloo "I was a bit hung up with the weather team Scoots, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see you,". She said, holding the small orange Pegasus close. "Eh-hem,". Said the school teacher politely, "Hello miss Dash, how can I help you?" "I want to take Scootaloo out of school today,". Said Rainbow Dash, with the tiniest quaver in her voice. "Do you have permission from either of her parents?" "No, but it's important that she comes with me." "I'm sorry Miss Dash, but I'm afraid I cannot let you take her out of school without their permission." She put a hoof in front of Scootaloo. "May I ask why she needs to come with you?" Dash thought about Nightmare Moon setting fire to the schoolhouse. Images of Ponyville being burned like a large bonfire flashed across Dash's mind as Cheerilee questioned Dash. She looked down and shook her head slowly and sadly as she spoke slowly and carefully, "I can't tell you why, but believe me when I say that she is best off with me." Cheerilee stepped in front of Scootaloo and took a defensive posture. "If you cannot even give a good reason for her departure, then I cannot allow my student to leave. It is my duty to protect her." Dash was silent as she looked at the schoolhouse's wooden floor. Why couldn't she just lie? Something inside her just wouldn't let her. She merely gazed sadly into the grain of each long plank making up the schoolhouse floor. "Miss Cheerilee," said Scootaloo from behind her teacher. "May I talk with Rainbow Dash outside?" She asked as she walked around the purple mare Cheerilee looked at Scootaloo with a hint of suspicion, before she slowly nodded. Scootaloo trotted over to Rainbow Dash who smiled at her gently as they walked outside. Rainbow Dash waited for Cheerilee to begin teaching again before she spoke. "Hey Scoots, how are things at home?" The orange filly looked away sadly. "Not so good sis, Mom's been having trouble at work, and she might not be able to make rent this month." Scootaloo looked at Dash with a frown. "She hasn't been real nice about it,". "Has she hurt you?" Said Dash quickly, examining Scootaloo for bruises. "Not seriously,". She replied. "She's been yelling at me a whole lot, but that'll stop once we get enough money to pay the landlord." Dash could only feel sorrow for Scootaloo's situation at home. Her father had long since abandoned her family, and her mother had been left torn and hateful. As a result, Scootaloo was verbally and physically abused. She never told anyone about her problems at home except for Dash, who had become the only true pony she could confide in. Her friends simply weren't mature enough to understand Scootaloo's issues, and she didn't dare say anything at school for fear of giving Diamond Tiara something so personal to make fun of her for. Dash had come to give the last few hours she had to Scootaloo, to try and give her a happy home for what might be the last day she had to live. "Hey Scootaloo," said Dash with a sudden smile. "Yeah sis?" "If you could spend the rest of your life with somepony, who would it be?" Scootaloo didn't even blink. "You sis! Wait, can the Crusaders tag along? Because I don't want to live the rest of my life without them,". Dash laughed and bent down. "Climb on, Scoots,". Said dash, motioning to her back. "Wait, you want me to skip school?" She said, gradually working down into a whisper. "Shh!" Said Dash through a sly smile, Scootaloo beamed from ear to ear as she jumped on Dash's back, who prepared to lift off. When suddenly, the door to the schoolhouse opened, as Cheerilee caught sight of the two about to play hooky. "Hey! Where do you think you're go-!" Dash took off quickly, leaving a rainbow colored trail of light behind her as Cheerilee yelled for them to come back. Dash and Scootaloo giggled all the way up into the cloudless sky. "So sis, where do you want to go?" Dash began, "Can we go practice flying at the treehouse? There's plenty of places around Sweet Apple Acres to fly." "Sure thing Scoots,". Said Dash, saluting as she flew. Dash turned a bit sharply and listened as Scootaloo laughed in the wind. The little filly's wings were underdeveloped for her age, and she yearned for nothing more than flight. She always enjoyed riding on Dash's back as she twisted and turned in the air. Dash smiled to herself, whenever Scootaloo laughed, she couldn't help but feel warm and happy inside. Scootaloo saw Dash as a sister, but Dash couldn't help but think of herself as a mother. For these next few hours, Rainbow Dash would adopt Scootaloo, regardless of what her real mother thought. Scootaloo deserved better, and Dash was going to make sure she received the family she truly warranted. As Rainbow Dash sped in the wind, her house began to appear along the horizon. "Hey sis, why do you have a big bald spot on the back of your head?" Scootaloo looked closer. "Whoa, it's a scar! How'd you get that?" Rainbow Dash thought for a moment before she answered. "Just a little cut I got when I was racing with the princess." "You've raced with the princess?" She said in awe. "I'll tell you all about it when we touch down." o.0.O== Meanwhile ==O.0.o Fluttershy looked over Twilight's shoulder as her friend read a dreary note sent from the sun princess herself. "Dearest Twilight... With a great pain in my heart, I must bid you farewell. My reign in Equestria will soon draw to a close, and I have finally come to terms with that. I will confront Nightmare Moon in battle, and do my best to rid her evil from the world, but the only way to do so requires me to merge with Nightmare Moon and battle her mind. From the inside, I will be able to kill Her and assure that Luna lives, but it comes at the cost of my own life. While in her mind, Luna and I will exist as memories. By eradicating Luna's Dark Side, I will be lost, along with all of Nightmare's other recollections. I will use what remaining power I have to make sure Luna is the only thing not forgotten, allowing her to retake control of her body. This is where my journey ends, and yours continues alone. You are the new co-ruler of Equestria Twilight, keep my ponies safe. - Celestia." Twilight stared blankly at the parchment in front if her, eyes unblinking. Celestia planned to sacrifice herself for the good of Equestria. A noble, honorable, and respectable death, her life lost to set everything right. Twilight didn't believe a word of it. Celestia was brilliant thinker and masterful tactician. She overthrew the Crystal Empire alongside her sister and rid the world of King Sombra. She defeated Discord with Luna and banished him underneath a thick layer of stone. Celestia knew how to win battles, especially ones where her opponents had stupendous advantages. Gambling her own life to kill Nightmare Moon was a fools mistake, especially if Luna's Dark Half somehow managed to survive the endeavor. Twilight wouldn't put it past her either, as the Elements already proved useless. Whatever it is Celestia planned to accomplish, it didn't involve sacrificing herself. Twilight looked around her house. On the floor, six pieces of beautiful jewelry lay scattered about. Twilight stared thoughtfully at the six magical relics that suddenly failed to work, wondering what could have caused them to stop functioning. They couldn't have run out of magic, Twilight knew that gems imbued with even a weak power retained their enchantments for hundreds of years. The incredible amount of energy stored within the Elements weren't likely to fade for thousands of millennia. They couldn't have been sabotaged, as that would have been easily detected with any scanning spell, many of which were performed by herself and Celestia before their friends came knocking on her door. As far as Twilight could tell, there was nothing out of the ordinary with the elements. The only proof of their incompetence was the failure to remove Nightmare Moon. Twilight scooped the six jewels in a telekinetic field and placed them on the meeting table in the center of the library. Trixie noticed Twilight's actions and began to study her movements. "May Trixie ask what it is your doing?" "Nightmare Moon could awaken at any moment, and we don't have any way of stopping her, so I plan on finding one." "How do you suppose you'll accomplish this? We may possibly have little more than a day left." "I don't know Trixie, but we aren't going to figure anything out by moping around for our last few hours," Trixie smirked at her newfound friend. "Perhaps that potion may have cleared your head after all." The royal blue unicorn began to trot her way down the stairs. "I suppose you want to try and fix the elements?" Twilight nodded slowly as she magically grasped several books from around the library. "The Elements of Harmony may very well be our last hope, because Celestia has already admitted that she isn't strong enough alone to take on Nightmare Moon." Fluttershy nervously dodged a few tomes as they flew by and landed in a neat stack beside the Elements. "I plan on repairing the six stones and intercepting Nightmare before Celestia faces off with her, as I am not completely sure she will win this fight." "Have you any clue what might ail the six stones Twilight?" "I can't say I do, though with some careful examination, I'm sure we could work it out." She flipped open the top book and began to scan through the pages. There seems to be no physical damage to the elements. Perhaps the failure was a product of circumstance?. Trixie looked away in thought. "What differences are there between now and previous usages of the Elements?" She asked. "Good question Trixie..." Twilight looked up from her book. "The Elements stopped Discord by turning him to stone..." Trixie walked towards Twilight. "The Elements stopped Nightmare by banishing her to the moon," added Trixie. "They overturned Sombra by banishing him to the Frozen North,". Said Twilight "And most recently, they cleansed Luna and gave her control over Nightmare Moon." Answered Trixie resolutely. "Why will they not rid Nightmare Moon from Luna entirely?" Trixie and Twilight both had their heads down in thought. When suddenly, it all made sense. Not to Twilight or Trixie, but a quiet yellow Pegasus understood. "The Elements of Harmony cannot kill,". She spoke quietly Both ponies looked over at Fluttershy, their mouths open in surprise. "The only difference now, is that in order for Nightmare Moon to be defeated, she must be killed. She has proven she can escape from any imprisonment, therefore banishing is not a solution. The Elements of Harmony didn't work on Luna, because they didn't have a solution that was harmonious." Twilight looked at Fluttershy for a few moments, before speaking. "You're a genius," Fluttershy smiled meekly and tried to hide behind her hair. "So that means the Elements were never broken... They just won't work against a target like Nightmare Moon." Said Trixie, contemplating the new information. "I can't believe I didn't think of that!" Exclaimed Twilight, putting her hooves to her head. "Gaah! That potion Trixie gave me made my mind all fuzzy. I can't remember anything after hitting the ground. Speaking of which, how long was I out of it?" "10 minutes.". Said Trixie. "That drink was quite strong though, I can't believe I've never heard of it before." "It was a mixture invented in my family. They brewed in an attempt to improve their magic, but due to the rather... Numbing after effects of the drink, it became rather popular during our house parties. Everyone called it something different, but I never really acknowledged the drink until I was older." "It needs an official name, because it has a pretty significant effect. I cast my vote for the Mind-Smear Mixture." Trixie shrugged and thought. "I suppose it's a decent enough name," Twilight began to think once again. "If the elements won't kill Nightmare... What will?" Trixie perked her ears up. She had an idea. Twilight looked over at the unicorn. "Trixie, you have that face again," Trixie didn't even pay attention to Twilight's words. She galloped over to where Twilight had set down her note from Celestia. If she remembered right, Celestia said that Luna and herself would exist as memories while Nightmare was in control. That must surely mean that while Luna commanded her body, her Dark Half existed in her mind as a memory as well. Trixie had just made a memory damaging potion not thirty minutes earlier. She ran her hoof through the text, and smiled. "Trixie? What are you doing?" The unicorn turned around with a satisfied grin. "Trixie has a great and powerful plan." o.0.O== 3 hours later ==O.0.o Luna had finally arrived at the foot of the Crystal Mountain range. Hundreds of colossal peaks rose into the sky, piercing the very heavens and stabbing the clouds above. Snow covered nearly every inch of the icy apexes, save for a few cliffs too steep for snow to gather upon. Luna's plan was to get lost in these mountains to disorient Nightmare Moon, but first, she would have to rest yet again. As the last hours elapsed, Luna began to feel an immense power growing inside of her. Nightmare Moon had harvested impossible amounts of Luna's magic, and it was all being stockpiled to overthrow the one body that housed it all. Luna spotted a large cave that had eaten it's way into the mountainside. She trotted wearily toward the mouth. Her mind lingered on Windsong and Cold Point Cabin. She couldn't believe the cruelty Nightmare Moon exhibited. So many innocent lives slaughtered without care. She knew that if Nightmare Moon was ever removed from her mind, the images of the massacre at the lodge would be a picture unable to be forgotten. As she walked into the cave, her legs began to shake with exhaustion. She hadn't eaten since yesterday, and her body was already in bad shape. She could eat the snow for water, but the temperature outside was frigid, and it was a risky gamble on her health, as she knew that if she got too cold internally, she could fall gravely ill in the snowy wastelands of the north. She collapsed to the stone floor and drifted into a black sleep, and as always, Nightmare Moon was the only thing visible in her mental vision. "It's almost time, Luna". Whistled Nightmare Moon. "You have until sunset princess, then I will make my grand entry into the world and take my rightful position as leader." Luna was crestfallen. Time had run out so quickly. "tick tock goes the clock, while the moon is still in lock,". Recited Nightmare. Luna had been absolutely useless during this whole endeavor. She couldn't even raise the moon. Now her body was going to be hijacked, and her Dark Self would slaughter millions. "I suggest you get some rest Luna, I don't want my body deprived of sleep during my big moment,". Nightmare Moon cackled loudly before disappearing into the darkness of Luna's mind. Luna hoped for the sake of Equestria that her sister had a plan... Because Luna could help no further.