RoseDust paced anxiously outside the chambers, she could feel the fear of her children, the worry was as clear as crystal . This was the first foal born since the fall of the shadow king, that was over 2 decades without a single new life. If there could be no more Flutterponies then all was lost.
She could hear their voices echoing in her head, she was unsure when that had happened really, just one day she woke up surrounded by hundreds of voices. Whatever caused that though was not the priority here, the future of the Flutterponies had to come first. All Rosedust had to do was be the best queen she could be just like always.
Not that that was particularly easy right now, the love in the land was there still in the everfree, but the amount was a mere trickle compared to the blessings the Sunstone had given. That showed through, the dark magic that had lingered from the battle with Sombra took hold more and more with each passing day. Some of her children had already gone mad from pure hunger, Celestia had tried to aid them repeatedly but the Sunstone was beyond saving by any magic she knew.
Without her sister the Elements no longer obeyed Celestias will.
At that moment Rosedusts thoughts were interrupted by the cries of a newborn. Knowing the noise her heart lifted, all was not lost after all. Rosedust trotted in proudly to inspect her newborn granddaughter , only to taste her joy turn to ashes in her mouth. Tears stung her eyes as she looked upon her grandchild.
Blue and empty eyes gazed back at her as her granddaughter raised holed and tainted legs to greet her.
Rosedust put her best plastic smile upon her face so as not to upset anypony , she knew it was useless though , there was no hiding anymore, in that moment another voice joined the legions echoing through her mind, this was it then , there was no going back. Despite the smile upon her face tears dampened her cheeks and dripped to the floor. This was who they were now, no land, no hope, all that mattered was survival. No matter what her children must survive.
Back in the gardens of the castle of the royal pony sisters the guards were tethering the statue of Discord for transport, nopony noticed the faded runes marked into the stone. So when a rope slipped and the statue slid and injured a guard nopony paid any mind to the statue, they were too distracted with checking on their comrades wounds. They did not even notice the miniscule crack in the bindings.
Discord did though, within his stony prison he stirred and examined the weakness. Such a tiny crack would take lifetimes to capitalise on, but no matter , he lazily reached out with his magic, after all he had all the time in the world.
High above Nightmare Moon sat to await her nightly visitors, sure enough before long those Luna called friends arrived. Nightmare spoke to them so softly, cajoling , coaxing, and lightly joking with them. Before long they would consider her a friend as well. Then at last Keid got overconfident, she stepped in too close and nightmare Lunged, seizing the filly before she could even fight.
Kuma seeing her twin captured panicked but could not bolt. The others too would not abandon their friend. This was perfect , soon the Nightmare would be free once more.
Even as she thought it though Luna stirred within her, that meddlesome mare forcing the nightmare to release her prey. Why the Tartarus did Luna do that? Surely she yearned to be free as well. The Nightmare snarled and howled her rage and frustration to the air. Inside her mind Luna spoke again, answering the question. “yes one day I will walk free again, One day I will reclaim my moon, but not today, not at this price. I will be free without harming my friends.
The 5 gathered round Luna once more, each one nudging forward todays gifts to her, then wordlessly they flew off again. Returning to their places in the night sky.