"Yes your majesty. Anything else we can do for you King Zorath?" the dragon servants asked.
"No i think it will be quite all right. Thank you." The Dragon stated. The servants nodded and left the throne room. The dragon Zorath looked around his throne room. He had been given the throne after his recent victories in the battle against the Hydra nation. He smiled to himself, he had finally become a ruler like his father, and he was his fufilling his father's last wishes. It was at that point in thought, that he smelt something off. His nose felt like it was on fire. I didnt want to burn anything down, so he opened a window, and sneezed hard, his nose feeling like another dragon has burned it with thier breath.
****
His eyes fluttered open, to notice a black armored creature holding a vial of smelling salts by his nose. He quickly glanced at his trasure hoarde. Nothing had been touched, nothing had been moved. He came to the conclusion, that if this creature wanted his trasure, he would have taken some already. He put his hand on his head, it aching like a beating drum.
"Steady now Zorath, you need your rest. Those ponies took a lot out of you with those elements. Namely one thing in particular." Shadow Moon said.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Zorath asked, sitting up. This creature had ruined his dream, and he was not at all happy.
"I am a knight, sent by the almighty one herself.you may call me Shadow Moon. I have been witnessing a lot of strange events, out of place events in particular, and you seem to be the latest one." Shadow calmly stated, as Zorath sat on his hind legs, towering over Shadow Moon by a good 50 some feet.
"What are you talking about?" Zorath asked curiously. Shadow stuck his hand in the dirt, and sifted through it, making sure Zorath could see the shreds of black energy trying to hide, and escape being seen.
"This energy, this force, It is the same force that has turned many a good being into a tyrant. It seems to have taken control of you as well, well at least before the mane 6 rid you of its curse. We still have yet to figure out its origins, but we are learning as much as we can." Shadow explained.
"So why are you telling me this, Moon?" Zorath growled
"I am telling you this, because I am hoping to find the origin when you first obtained this essence. Where were you before you came here?" Shadow asked.
"I was in my homeland of The Fringe, accross Eternity's Crossing." Zorath said, stretching his limbs as he explains.
"Why if I may ask, were you there?" Shadow asked, even more intrigued.
"I was going for my father's funeral... He had recently come down with a sickness.... After a couple months, he finally passed on. Now is that all? I would like to go back to my slumber." Zorath impatiently explained
"One more thing, when you said your goodbyes to your father, did you feel any sort of surge from him to you?" Shadow asked
"No, why?" Zorath again interested in the subject.
"I have explained it already, we must find the origins of this force. So thank you for your time, i must consult the elders." Shadow said, as he left the Dragons cave. He simply walked off the edge of the cliff, and fell, as the dragon watched. That Knight, however annoying at waking him, had just jumped off a 300 foot cliff. Thats when he saw a Giant Pheonix in the sky, with a black dot on Its back. The Dragon smiled a bit, shook his head, then laid back down, to return to dreamland.
****
Shadow Moon leaped off of the bird, and landed in front of the castle walls. The guards jumped and pointed thier spears at him in reflex. He simply waved.
"Halt, who are you?" The guard on the right of him asked.
"I am Shadow Moon, and i seek audience with Celestia. I can wait while you alert her." Shadow said, smiling.
"I dont trust you.... If you are lying i will..."
"You will what Gleaming Sword?" A Royal Voice asked. The guard looked back to see Luna, walking down the castle path.
"Princess Luna! I didnt mean anything!" Gleaming Sword pleaded.
"It is fine Gleaming, back to your duties, i will bring Shadow Moon to Celestia personally." Luna says.
"Yes Princess." Gleaming said, as he went back to being a statue.
Luna escorted Shadow Moon up the path to the castle.
"So, how have you been Shadow?" Luna asked simply.
"Quite well princess, i have some important information for Celestia."
"About what Shadow?" Luna asked
"The Nightmare Force." He stated. Luna looked at him with actual fear, and Shadow only nodding.
****
Back at the Crystal Empire Cadence was sitting in her room in front the mirror brushing her mane till suddenly she hears crying coming from Sombra's nursery. Rushing over to the nursery Cadence looks down into the crib to see Sombra bawling and wailing his head off, she picks him up and cradles him rocking Sombra back and forth while cooing.
"Aww what's wrong sweetie calm down. Tell Mama what's wrong?" she said.
Sombra's crying stops to a whimper and he looks up at Cadence, "Bad dweam."
"Aw you had a nightmare. Don't worry Mama wont let anything hurt you I promise." Cadence said then went over to the rocking chair and sat down, "Do you want me to stay with you till you go back to sleep?"
Sombra nodded and Cadence started rocking in the chair humming a lullaby till the little baby in her arms fell asleep and she laid him back in his crib. What Sombra saw in his dreams will not come back to haunt him but the nightmare has just begun.
****
"How's Rainbow Doing?" Rarity asked, looking over at Fluttershy. Rainbow was laying on Fluttershy's Back. Flutter looked back at Rainbow. She smiled.
"She's fine, just exausted after a long day." Fluttershy whispered. It had taken Twilight and Rarity to calm Rainbow down, and after that she had just collapsed.
"It must have hit her hard, although I would love to know how it happened in the first place. I mean, we knew the Elements were powerful enough to take down just about anything, but we never knew it could reverse an unreversable curse." Twilight said.
"Yeah but it was only temporary.. I mean look at her... She's little and cute again!" Pinkie exclaimed.
Everyone looked at Pinkie pie, who was somehow walking upside down above them in air. They all shook thier heads, and kept walking. Pinkie Pie was simply Pinkie Pie, there was no other explanation.
Although Pinkie Pie was crazy, she was still right. Rainbow had been through a lot in the past day. Rainbow had been a foal this morning, turned into a mare, and then turned back into a foal when she wasnt needed again. Its like the Elements had a sense of humor or something. Twilight shook her head. One of her best friends was a foal. And with how random everything else was, who knew who would be next?
It had taken them almost an entire day to get to the train that would take them back to Ponyville, thier home, and to thier foals. Twilight could only imagine what trouble Sunset and Trixie had gotten into.
****
The ride home was a long one, due to the snow delaying the train. Snow had come up out of nowhere and hit Canterlot, sinking it in almost a foot of snow in a matter of an hour. Everypony was waiting on the train, waiting for the snow to subcede. Fluttershy and Rainbow had taken a car on the train all to themselves again. Surprisingly enough, Rainbow had stayed asleep the entire walk, and the time they spent on the train. Fluttershy was almost debating on waking Dashie up by force, but was thrown out of that idea when she felt Rainbow moving on her back.
"Hey sleepyhoof." Fluttershy said quietly to Rainbow.
"Hey Flutters, how awe you?" She asked, stopping when she realized she was talking like a foal again. "It wasn't a dream? I'm not a mare anymore?" Rainbow said, tears welling up in her eyes.
"No Sweetie, you aren't a mare anymore, you are still my little Dashie. And it's ok to cry, we all cry sometimes." Fluttershy said
"Rainbow Dash doesnt, but obviously i am. I'm just a big baby." Rainbow Dash started to cry even harder.
"You are not a baby, just because you are physically Dashie!" Fluttershy said. This was the most confident Rainbow had ever seen Fluttershy, except when she was protecting her friends from danger.
"How am I not? I cant walk well, i use diapies, i drink from bottles, and I'm no bigger than your head. How am i not a foaw?" Rainbow dash complained
"Because at heart your still Rainbow Dash, the fastest most amazing mare I've ever known even if you are a baby your still you. Your funny and smart alec but always loyal to your friends. Your sometimes a trouble maker but you always apologize for your actions. You maybe a baby Rainbow but your still you and I'm proud to say that I'm your Mommy." Fluttershy then started nuzzling her cheek witch Rainbow gladly returned the affection.
"She's right, even if I'm a baby I'm still me and I'm awesome no matter what age I am." Rainbow thought to herself.
Then she realized something. If she was a mare again she would miss out on having what she always wanted for a long time when she was a little filly the first time...a Mommy. And Fluttershy was the best Mommy in the world so even if she's a baby that wont matter cause she's still herself and she has Fluttershy and that's more awesome then anything and maybe it would be okay to stay a baby a little while longer.
****
Meanwhile... In ponyville
"Lightning please stay away from that! Sunset Dont fight with Trixie! Onyx.... Keep sitting there and playing, youre being good!" Zecora yelled, trying to keep all of the Foals in line. It was harder than she had originally thought. Zecora hoped that the girls would be back soon. She didnt know how much longer she could keep the peace.