The Bearers of the Elements hung suspended, confined in bonds of azure energy, helpless as newborn fillies. Darkshine paced back and forth beneath, finally coming to a halt in their midst. The Avatar of Darkness looked up, the moonlight gleaming in her sapphire cat's eyes. 'Finally awake, I see. Perfect. Now I can begin...'
Fluttershy stirred. Her wings fluttered uselessly. 'Twilight...'
'Don't call me that.' Darkshine's horn crackled with energy.
Fluttershy gave her a gentle smile. 'Twilight, you're my friend.'
Darkshine took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then she looked up at the yellow pegasus. 'You stupid little filly. Twilight's gone.'
'Twilight... I don't believe you'll hurt me.'
Darkshine's horn flared. Fluttershy screamed long and loud as sapphire lightnings raced up and down her body.'
'Stop it!' Applejack struggled in her bonds. 'You just stop that, right now.'
'If you insist.'
Fluttershy went limp. Weakly she raised her head. Blood trickled from a bitten lip. 'Twilight, you're in such torment... inside. We can help you.'
'I should hurt you again. Maybe that will shut you up.'
'You'd just be hurting yourself.'
There was another crackle of power from the ebon horn.
'Hey! Stop that, you bully.' Rainbow Dash writhed in midair. 'Just let me get out of this, and I'll...'
'You'll scream in agony just like she did. Don't insult me, Dash.'
'Hi, everypony.' Pinkie Pie came bouncing into the clearing. 'What are you all doing out in the middle of the... oh.' Round-eyed, she surveyed the tableau. 'I knew something was up, but this? My expectations are vastly surpassed. Twilight, why do you have eeek...' Pinkie was grabbed, effortlessly subdued and bound with the rest. She shook her head to clear it, glanced round at the others, then gave Darkshine her familiar grin. 'Hey. I just bet this is like one of the stories in the books you read. You know the ones – where the protagonist or whatever gets possessed by an evil mind force.' Darskhine's eyes narrowed. Pinkie Pie didn't appear to notice. 'But her friends stick together and show her the error of her ways and she's sorry and everypony forgives everypony else and they all live happily ever after. Isn't it? Huh? Huh?' All Pinkie's joy melted away. 'Please, Twilight, let this be a story like that. Don't let it be a sad ending. I couldn't bear it.' Tears brimmed in the Party Pony's eyes. 'You know me, Twilight. How often to I get serious about anything? Cos I'm serious right now.'
And now Rarity stirred and tossed her mane out of her eyes. 'Twilight, darling. Please listen to me. You told me it's too late, but it simply isn't. In fact it's never too late. Believe me, I've been there and I know...'
'Enough.' Darkshine's roar was reinforced by a pulse of dark magic. It shut all five of them up. 'I'm angry.' The Avatar of Darkness swept her head back and forth, tearing up the turf with a forehoof. 'I'm so... bucking... angry right now I can hardly speak. I can hardly even think. You... all of you with your stupid little obsessions, living your selfish little lives. Did any of you think to take a good hard look in the mirror? Did you?' Her voice rose to a harsh screech. 'You have no idea what it's like to be me. To be the one on the outside, looking in. To never, ever belong. Of course you don't. You can't feel what I'm feeling, right now. And there's nothing you can say to me.'
Rainbow Dash gave a contemptuous midair shrug. 'Yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah, whatever. You figured out what you're going to do with us, yet?'
'I'm very glad you asked me that.' Darkshine's reply was calm, almost conversational. 'I'm going to cast a spell. It's going to suck the life right out of you. All of you. Slowly.'
'You'll have to watch, Twilight,' said Fluttershy softly. 'Watch us die... slowly.'
Suddenly Rainbow Dash jerked upright. 'Yeah! So just get on with it. What are you – chicken?' Applejack exchanged a look with her. What the hay are you doing? If we keep it up maybe she'll get so mad she slips up... is that wise? Do you have any other ideas?
Applejack filled her lungs. 'Twilight Sparkle, you're borin' us!'
And the others got it! Thick and fast the invective flew. Swot... creep... egghead... nerd... filly fooler.
'Oops.' Pinkie Pie put a hoof over her mouth. 'I didn't mean that as an insult, honest I didn't.'
But Darkshine didn't slip up. Instead she lowered her head and began a casting. As fingers of dread wormed their way into her soul Applejack felt a terrible cold calm. Sweet Celestia, I never thought she'd actually go and do it. This, I suppose, is it. The end. Well now, I guess I get to see what lies beyond...
The aching coldness, the pins and needles, faded. Applejack blinked the nightmare away. Still alive, then – but why? Had Darkshine had a change of heart? She struggled to focus blurred eyes below.
Spike was standing in the clearing. He had placed himself between them and Darkshine.
'Spike, what are you doing here?' Just for a moment, a flicker of the old Twilight appeared.
'At a guess? Saving the day.' He sighed and shook his head. 'Oh, boy. This is bad.'
'Spike, get out of the way.'
He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at her.
Darkshine levelled her horn. 'I'm warning you.'
'Uh-uh. Dragon.' He wagged a didactic foreclaw. 'Resistant to magic, remember?'
Applejack saw the power gather in Darkshine's horn. She yelled a warning but Spike just stood there with eyes screwed shut and an expression like he was about to step into a cold shower. The blast of magic caught him square in the chest, sent him sliding backwards.
'Twilight no,' wailed Applejack. 'Why'd you do that?'
'AJ, he'll be fine.' Rainbow Dash's voice was high and anxious. 'Our little Spikey's tough.'
Tough he was. He stood swaying and gently smoking. 'Oh, buck.'
'Spike,' gasped Rarity. 'Language!'
'Sorry.' Then he fell over.
Darkshine lowered her head, flanks heaving. 'Don't want to have to do that again. Now, as for the rest of you...'
'Darkshine, cease!' The voice boomed through the clearing. 'Release thy companions. Return to thy senses. Thy Princess commands, and so it shall be.'
Darkshine did not respond; merely stood waiting, silent and expectant. Princess Luna strode into the clearing. Her horn was already charged with magic. Azure lightnings sparkled from her hoofprints. On her brow, the ebon points of the Crown of Night gleamed.
The Avatar of Darkness and the Princess of the Moon faced each other. The clearing in the orchard became very still. Wordlessly they studied each other; a silent mutual assessment.
Darkshine spoke first. 'Princess Luna. My former host.'
Luna inclined her head, almost respectfully. 'And the one who knows you best.'
'You were not a worthy vessel, Luna. You were weak and frightened.'
Luna did not answer.
'Do you think to try your powers against mine again? To face me, one against one?'
Luna lifted her head. The silky veil of her mane floated free. 'The moon is bright tonight.'
'So it is. But the darkness is deep, Luna. It is endless. It will swallow you up and take your soul. Is that what you want?' Princess Luna hesitated. The watching Elements saw, just as Darkshine surely did,that for all her millennia of life Luna was still so very young. Her powers, untested and immature, surely could never prevail.
'Princess,' yelled Applejack. 'It's too durned dangerous. Get out of here – go warn Celestia. It's your only chance.'
'Hay, no. Don't listen to her, Luna.' Rainbow Dash struggled to make fighting gestures. 'Go get her. You can take her, I know you can!'
'Hey,' said Pinkie Pie brightly. 'You two are friends, right? So just sit down and have a friendly discussion!'
Applejack tried to plant a hoof on her forehead and failed. 'Will you all please just shut up?'
'I will defeat you, Darkshine.' Luna's reply was soft but very certain.
'And how will you do that, Luna? With your magic? I don't think so. Or maybe with the power of friendship?'
'Yes. With the power of friendship.' Only now did the ponies notice that Luna had brought something with her. It was resting on the ground just beyond the circle of her aura. A travel case of plain and sturdy design.
Luna's horn flared briefly. The lid opened. The light from within lit up the night. Darkshine took a stumbling step backwards. 'You can't do this. The element of magic is mine!'
'It is yours no longer.' The pieces rose from the case; the gems bearing the apple, the bolt, the butterfly, the gem and the balloons. They spun in space then oriented towards their true homes, their bearers. Applejack felt the scarlet diadem settle on her chest. There was a scent like spring blossoms, like a breeze on a hot summer's day, like freshly squeezed apple juice. Peace and a marvellous sense of rightness flooded her being. She looked across at her friends and saw the pure white radiance gathering in their eyes.
And now the final gem emerged; the Element of Magic. The tiara floated towards Luna's forehead. Darkshine's voice rose in panicked fury. 'Luna! What do you know of friendship?'
'I know what you taught me. All of you. Now, Twilight Sparkle, be healed and rise again.' The tiara touched Luna's brow. Its form changed, merging with the Crown of Night to make a new, greater whole. The six Elements joined together in one supreme purpose. The rainbow sprung from their hearts. It bore down on the being which had called herself Darkshine, transfixed her, shone into the black and bitter depths of her.
Darkshine's catlike pupils shrank. Twilight Sparkle's eyes looked back at them all, then fluttered closed. The smallish lilac unicorn collapsed in a senseless heap. The rainbow faded. The pony friends dropped to the earth. They stumbled, then as one galloped towards her. Twilight got shakily to her feet. She shook her head. For a moment she looked puzzled. Then she yelled in sudden fear; 'No! Stay back, all of you!'
Applejack came to a sudden halt. Rarity ran straight into the back of her. That brought down Pinkie and Rainbow Dash for good measure. Fluttershy rose gracefully over the pile. 'Twilight, can you tell us what's wrong?'
Twilight grimaced and swung her head back and forth. 'Darkshine's not gone. She's still here. I can feel her.'
'What? Where?' The pony friends looked in all directions.
'She's in me. Still in me.' Twilight opened her eyes.
'Oh come on now,' Applejack yelled. 'That just ain't fair.'
With a single wing-flap Luna bounded over them and landed facing Darkshine. 'What have you done?'
'Why, I made sure I couldn't be defeated in the same way twice. With Twilight Sparkle's help, of course.' Darkshine gave a cocky smile. 'I'm actually very proud of myself...' then the gloating grin was wiped off her face. 'Curse her. The little filly's still fighting me.'
Her friends yelled fierce encouragement. Fight her, Twilight... come on... we know you can do it...
And then the whole clearing lit up with the light of Day. In dead of night it was too painful to look upon. The ponies covered their faces. The light descended. Four gold shod hooves touched the ground, gently as fallen snow. The great wings folded.
Twilight stumbled forwards to kneel at Celestia's feet. Her small frame was wracked with tremors.
The Princess lowered her head. 'Alas, Twilight Sparkle.'
Twilight looked up and briefly she was as she had been – a young yet strong and resolute unicorn mare. Her eyes, quite normal, expressed an aching sorrow and a terrible resolve. 'Princess, I won't be me for much longer.'
Celestia tilted her head in puzzlement; or maybe not wanting to understand.
'Princess, you have to send me to... to that place. To the moon.'
'I will not do that.'
'Celestia, please.' Tears were pouring down Twilight's cheeks. 'You must. There's no other way.'
Celestia stood like a statue as the others shouted in denial. The hateful, mocking laughter rose in Twilight's throat. 'You fools. She's mine, forever!'
Spells of immense power and complexity coalesced around Celestia's horn. Magical formulae formed and changed lightning-quick. The Sun Power spoke, and Twilight was taken. A column of rainbow magic roared skywards. The trembling and shaking of the earth receded. On the face of the moon, a new pattern mistily formed. It was a weeping unicorn mare.
Silence and peace reigned once more.
Princess Celestia turned to look at her sister. Luna had a wavering frown on her face. Her tiara, now the merged Crown of Night and the Element of Magic, gleamed in the darkness.
Celestia opened her muzzle to speak. But it seemed she could find no words.
'Hey.' Rainbow Dash broke the silence. 'What about Twilight?'
Instantly the others joined in. 'Is that thing still inside her?'
'You sent her to the moon, didn't ya. Well I'm guessin' you can get her back.'
'This is simply awful. We must know what happened to her.'
'Um...'
'Be at peace.' Celestia's command shut them all up. 'All things will be returned to their proper places and the former states. I will make certain of it. Luna.'
The Moon Princess gasped.
'Luna, we must return to Canterlot immediately. Attend me.' Celestia launched herself into the air – oblivious, or so it appeared, to the cries of entreaty from below. Her mighty wings caught the air and she was gone. With a helpless look at the others, Luna followed her sister. The five companions, who should have been six, were left staring at each other, bereft.
'Whut.' Applejack screwed up her face. 'Whut jus' happened?'
'It just came on so quick.' Pinkie blinked in bewilderment. 'One minute it was oh I'm just off to Canterlot to do some studying and the next it was zap pow I'm going to kill you all.'
'It's bucked up.' Rainbow Dash kicked an apple tree, hard. 'The whole thing. Totally bucked up.'
Rarity attempted a consoling smile. 'Rainbow, it wasn't your fault.'
Dash rounded on her with a snarl. 'The hay it wasn't. I could have done something. Any of us could have.'
Rarity backed away, giving Dash a sad look. 'I tried to reach her, Rainbow. But she simply wouldn't listen.'
'Oh, hay.' Rainbow Dash's face crumpled. 'I'm sorry, Rarity. I shouldn't have yelled at you.'
'Hush, darling. Don't even mention it.' The two friends nuzzled each other.
'It's so like Twilight.' Fluttershy hung her head. The silky pink mane fell down to cover her face. 'To get really really worked up about a thing and not tell anyone. I think we can all agree on where we went wrong.'
'Celestia's gonna get her back,' said Applejack in a small voice. 'She said so, and we trust her to keep her word, don't we?'
'She's Celestia.' Rainbow Dash leaped into the air and hovered there with hooves thrust out. 'She can do anything. And she's got Luna helping her. I bet there's nopony alive who knows more about dark magic.'
'You betcha, Rainbow. And we're still together. We're friends.' Pinkie thumped a hoof down on the turf. 'Right, girls?' They came together in a group embrace, to soothe the jagged hole which had been ripped inside them. It was a while before anypony noticed that Spike had vanished.
#
The night sky above Canterlot was rent with two flashes of magic. Celestia folded her wings and dived straight for the balcony. Her hooves clanged as they struck stone.
Luna touched down a moment later.
The Sun Princess thrust the balcony doors wide open. The throng of guards and courtiers, who had gathered in her absence, turned as one. The crowd got a look at her face and, without a word, gave way before her. The Captain of the Guard, a little braver than the rest, hesitated; but even he backed away with the others. Celestia strode into the throne room. She walked through their midst, looking neither left nor right.
Luna had only witnessed this behaviour a very few times but she knew what it meant. It was a sign that the Princess of the Sun could not trust herself to appear in public. That the persona of wise and kindly ruler could not be maintained. Luna gave what she hoped was a reassuring nod and smile to the assembled throng. 'My sister is indisposed. She will be unavailable for a while at least. Please see to it that she is not disturbed.'
Vambrace swallowed. 'Princess Luna, if I could just...'
'Excuse me.' Luna hurried after her sister. Celestia had halted at the doors which led to their private apartments. Her horn flared, the doors opened. In she went. Luna followed, closing the doors behind her with the thrust of a hind-hoof. 'Tia?'
Celestia had gone to the far side of the exquisitely furnished room. She was standing facing the mirror. Her reflected face was an unreadable mask. 'Luna, I'm sorry.'
Well that was unexpected. 'Excuse me?'
Celestia turned. Swiftly she sank down at Luna's feet. 'Luna, I deserve neither your friendship nor your forgiveness for what I said to you today.'
'But, Tia. You must have known I would figure it out.'
Celestia remained prostrate.
Luna bent down to nuzzle her sister's mane. 'You sent me away because my magical presence would have overwhelmed your spells of detection. You could not let me know for fear that Darkshine would guess your suspicions. You unlocked the Elements of Harmony because you knew full well I would put the pieces together.'
'Oh, Luna. Is this what I've become?' Celestia rose. Her hooves slid and scraped on polished granite as she roamed around the room. 'A player of games... a manipulator of ponies' lives...'
'Tia, you had faith in me. It was rewarded.'
Celestia gazed at her, forlorn; then she smiled, and the relief and joy was like lying in the sun on the first really warm day of spring. And yet, Luna found that she could not meet her sister's gaze.
Celestia nudged her. 'Luna, what is it? What's the matter?'
Luna nerved herself to speak. 'It is my fault that Twilight Sparkle was taken. I should have come to you earlier with my suspicions.'
Celestia was silent for a moment. Then she gave a sad smile. 'Then perhaps it is my fault you didn't. Come, sister. Enough of this. Exchange forgiveness with me.' They brushed muzzles and it seemed to Luna that things had returned to the way they had been in the elder days when the world was new, and they had just made up after some childish spat.
'All those years,' murmured Celestia. 'Night and day, I thought of you. I never stopped trying to get you back, little sister.'
'Tia, don't speak of it. It's finished.' After a while Luna drew back. 'What are we going to do about Twilight Sparkle?'
With a problem to focus on, Celestia was all business. 'The chains of hatred and ill-will which bind her are heavy and hard to break, as we know well. You, sister, must find away to overcome her ensorcelment.'
Luna blinked in astonishment. 'Me?'
Celestia nodded. 'You. My powers are greater than yours but I am attuned to the day. The night and the darkness are your realms, Luna. This is a task for you alone. Go down to the black archive. Finish what Twilight Sparkle started.'
Luna placed a hoof on her chest. 'You would trust me with that knowledge?'
Celestia smiled briefly. 'I have always trusted you.'
Overcome, Luna looked away.
The Sun Princess gave a sigh of uncharacteristic heart-heaviness. She went to gaze out of the window. Below the castle, Canterlot drowsed, unaware of the tragedy which had lately played out. And yet, the newly marred Moon was already telling its tale. Ponies would be wondering.
'Luna...' Celestia's voice was soft and hesitant. 'Do you remember when we were young – when one of us needed comfort for whatever reason – we would sleep together?'
Luna felt a quickening of joy. 'I couldn't forget that.'
'Could we do that tonight, please?' Celestia looked round, her eyes full of hope.
'Of course we can, sister. Of course, of course.'
#
Darkshine stood with legs splayed and head down. Clouds of moondust puffed up from her hooves. She opened her mouth to take a furious gasp of air – but there was no air to be had. Her white teeth snapped shut on vacancy. Her pupils shrank in panic, before she realised that air was no longer necessary.
She was of the Moon, now. She didn't need to breathe.
Darkshine raised her head. Wide-eyed, she gazed around her. The first impression she received was one of absence. There was no colour here. There were no living things. There was only the cratered plain and the jagged lunar mountains, peaks which wind and rain had never weathered.
And yet, it was beautiful. The aching clarity of the distant peaks, the black-grey-silver of the curving land was beyond anything she could have imagined. Deep inside, Twilight Sparkle's interest stirred. How fascinating to see the lunar surface with her own eyes – to finally know what it was like...
Then she saw the pale blue-white gem resting on the inky pillow of the night. A snarl gathered in her chest. How dare it hang there in the sky, mocking her. Everything she hated was back there, everything she needed too, the whole mass of want and fear and misery tangled up inside her like a knot drawn ever tighter. Darkshine felt a howl of torment rising in her throat.
'Looks like a sapphire, doesn't it.' The voice close beside her was the single most shocking thing which had ever happened to her. She spun around, kicking up more moondust.
'Kind of tasty, too.' The little purple and green dragon ran a forked tongue over his lips.
'Spike,' she managed at last, her voice no louder than an astonished squeak. 'What are you doing here?'
'I hitched a ride.' He shrugged and kicked at a moon pebble. 'When the Princess cast that spell I dived in too. So here I am, I guess.'
'But why? Why would you do that?'
'You need someone to take care of you.' How serious he looked; old beyond his years. 'You need me, Twilight.'
Darkshine flinched, then lowered her horn. Its tip crackled with dark magic. 'Don't call me that.'
'Ahem.' He put a fingertip on her horn and moved it aside. 'Watch where you're pointing that thing.'
'You're not scared. How come? How is it I don't scare you?'
'Because I know who you are, deep down.' Spike drew himself up to his full (not very tall) height. 'You're Twilight Sparkle.'
She sank down to the ground and buried her muzzle in the moondust. 'Oh, Spike. What have I done?'
Gently he patted her flank. 'Hey, now. It's not too late to go back.'
'It is.' Her voice was a broken whine. 'I can't face any of them. Not after the things I've done.'
'Great Celestia.' The little dragon slapped his forehead. 'Not this again. Twi, you are allowed to make a mistake every once in a while.'
'Not me. I can't go back. It's too painful. In fact... I won't.' She got to her feet. A harsh blue light flared in her eyes. Was it imagination, or had she just grown larger? 'Not until I can make all of them pay.'
'All right!' He raised his hands. 'All right. I won't mention it again.'
'You had better not, Spike. Now if you want to be of use... help me find a way out of this.'
'Whatever you say, Twi... I mean Darkshine.'