"Nightmare Moon!" exclaimed Twilight Sparkle, her horn glowing and her eyes filled with fear and fortitude "How long have you been up there?"
"Long enough to know you plan to use the Elements of Harmony to stop me and bring my sister back," the former princess replied. "Too bad your mission will fail, as I destroyed them years ago."
All the ponies gasped as they realized their plan was now doomed to fail. Twilight, however, stood firm, knowing that the Elements would still work as long as the spirits of the Elements were near them. In her timeline Nightmare Moon didn't know that would work, so she guessed that the Nightmare Moon in this timeline didn't know either. She thought it more advantageous to keep it a secret for now.
"You can't stop us, Nightmare Moon! We'll find a way, even without the Elements of Harmony!" Twilight responded. Her words seemed to reassure the other ponies, all of whom grew more confident as they returned to defensive positions. The ponies who had hidden came out, cautiously looking out. "Big Mac, take the fillies inside and keep them safe!"
"Not another step!" As Big Mac started leading Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo out of the barn, lengths of Nightmare Moon's mane reached toward them, pulling them up off the ground. The four panicked, squirming against the mane to no avail. "I did say to leave before I changed my mind, did I not?" The Mare's horn glowed as she created cages in the rafters, placing the fillies and Big Mac inside them. "Thy and thy friends' insolence has removed that patience."
"What're ya gonna to do to them?" asked Applejack, turning around and preparing to kick. "If you hurt one hair in their manes, I'm gonna buck you into next week!"
"Fret not, Applejack. They'll only sleep dreamlessly. The six of you, however, will not be so lucky for opposing me." At this, Nightmare Moon's mane stretched out toward them, and to the Mare's surprise, the ponies fought back.
Applejack bucked and dodged the strand coming toward her. Pinkie Pie giggled as she dodged the strand coming toward her, jumping away at the last second every time as if it was a game. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew around, dodging the strands that went for them as well. Rarity swatted at the strands that came toward her with the brushes she'd brought. "Oh my, your mane does not look very good, Nightmare Moon. It looks greasy!" Twilight brought the biggest fight, blocking Nightmare Moon's attacks with shields, and throwing things at Nightmare Moon, which were blocked.
Twilight hoped the other girls would discreetly make their way back to the tunnel, but as she glanced around she realized none of them were doing so. As she fought the strands coming toward her, she remembered an incident where there were multiple clones of Pinkie Pie that came from the Mirror Pond, and had an idea. She teleported into the rafters and fired beams of magic at Nightmare Moon, the first few of which connected. Nightmare Moon stumbled and turned, furious that she'd gotten hit, but Twilight smiled and teleported away.
"Where did you go?" Nightmare Moon called out, annoyed to find that her foe had escaped her sight. The strands of her man slackened momentarily, which Rainbow Dash and Applejack quickly noticed and took advantage of. Rainbow Dash flew quickly into Nightmare Moon, knocking her off balance just slightly, and Applejack bucked Nightmare Moon's front legs, making her fall on her side. The other ponies celebrated at the favorable turn in the battle, but it was a short-lived success. Nightmare Moon dissolved into a mist, which moved around the five ponies' hooves.
"What's going on?" asked Fluttershy.
"I don't know, but I cain't buck mist," replied Applejack.
"Girls, where did Twilight go?"
The five ponies looked around and found their new friend was nowhere to be seen.
"She didn't run away, did she?" asked Rainbow Dash. "I'm gonna have to have a word with her if she did!"
"Foals!" Nightmare Moon shouted as her man materialized from the mist. "I'm not done yet!" Her mane wrapped around each of the ponies' legs, who screamed at the sudden capture. Nightmare Moon completed materializing and lifted them up to the rafters into more cages. "As I have already mentioned, you will not be so lucky. Your nightmares will torment your sleep -- forever!"
It was about this time that Twilight teleported back. Three more Twilights teleported back next to her and spread out.
"Put them down!" all four Twilights said in unison.
Nightmare Moon paused a moment, unimpressed, as her horn started glowing. "Do you think that your clones will be able to save you?"
"I don't think they will," said one Twilight.
"I know they will!" exclaimed another.
"You're kidding." Nightmare Moon looked confused. "You're kidding, right?"
"Nope!" said all Twilights in unison, smiling as they surrounded the Mare and started firing beams of magic at her. Nightmare Moon moved her attention from one clone to another, firing magic beams of her own until there was only one Twilight left, who looked worried. Strands of Nightmare Moon's mane wrapped around Twilight's legs and brought her up to another cage.
Twilight's horn lit up, intending to fire at the bars, but Nightmare Moon interrupted. "If you do that, you'll only hurt yourself." Twilight's horn stopped glowing and she lay down, starting to feel sleepy. "Why didn't you make a big monologue about your plan and what you did to stop our plan like they do in stories?"
"Because this is real life," Nightmare Moon responded. "Nobody actually gives monologues in real life. Even if I had told you that the dust is scattered around my old castle, it wouldn't change the fact that without the Elements the spark will never happen, nor the fact that you're stuck in this cage." Twilight's eyes closed "You put far too much faith in your abilities, young filly, but I admire your tenacity. Your fate shall be the same as the little ones."
Nightmare Moon flew up to the rafters and watched the ten cages before laying down and resting from the battle. She never noticed the hole that lead to the tunnels, nor did she realize that she had only defeated two Twilight clones and had caged a third Twilight.