//------------------------------//
// A story told 
// Story: Stained Crown: The Elements of Disharmony 
// by EbonyDanger 
//------------------------------//

Her hooves thundered over the ground. Luna was sprinting through the halls of Canterlot towards the throne room. This is bad, this is really bad! Her heart hammered against her chest and her eyes were wide in fear and recognition. She had done her best to stay calm and focused when the Cutiemark Crusaders had been around, but now the tragedy crushed down on her with all its weight.
She had wished, this terror would never ever strike again over the ponies. It had been over a decade, since Nightterror had been reported. So how had Doctor Horse even known about the symptoms? Maybe one of his ancestors had worked in a clinic during the epidemic and wrote something down. Who knew?
Luna did not even asked the guards to announce her. In fact she rushed passed them and swung the door open. The large wings slammed against the walls. Princess Luna stood there. Sweat fumed in her coat and she was breathing in a fast wheeze. Celestia sat on her throne. Her calm and focused pose changed at once as she laid her dawncoloured eyes on her younger sister.
„Luna?“, called Celestia, „What is the matter?“ The Solar Princess rose from her throne and was about to walk to her younger sibling. Luna's hooves clicked over the red carpet as she walked towards the throne. Her ears twitched and her mane followed her movements in a fast and whispering manner. Her eyes were dark with worry. 
„We have a serious problem, Tia“, responded Luna, „Last night I visited Ponyville and I found out, that nearly all children are inflected by.....“
Before the Princess of the Night could finish her sentence, another guard ran into the room. It was one of Celestia's Solar Guards, an Earth Pony. He was carrying a small package on his back. The white colt stopped in front of the two Princesses and bowed. „A telegram, your Highness“, he said and handed Celestia a folded and printed letter. 
Luna lifted a brow curiously. She looked at her older sister, who began to read the letter. Her face eclipsed. „I suppose this is the reason, why you came her in the first place“, asked Celestia worried and allowed Luna to held the letter in her blue magic. The Princess briefly read over it. It was from the Mayor of Ponyville and said, that the whole town was inflected by Nightterror. Mayor Mare also asked for help.
Luna lowered the letter and looked at her sister. „Yes“, she said simply. Celestia was walking towards the colourful glass windows, which depicted Equestrian History. Her eyes rested on the painted glass, which showed a black mare with a silvery armor, risen to her hindlegs. The artist had added dark red tones around her to symbolize the terror, she had brought among the nation.
Celestia sighted and closed her eyes. „Not again“, she only whispered. 
Luna took an unsure step forwards. She could sense the pain, which rayed like waves around Celestia. „Tia?“, she asked. 
With a determined nod of her head Celestia looked back at her scheduler. „Kibitz“, she ordered, „I need a parchment role and a quill. Now!“
Kibitz bowed and ran off to get the required instruments. As he walked through the door, two guards carefully entered the room. It was a grey stallion with a black mane and tail. His bat-like wings were pressed against his body. He wore a dark violet uniform, which was decorated with a blue saddle. The other guard too was a Bat Pony. They both were moving slowly and carefully, because they carried a bale, which swung back and forth between the two of them.
Luna's eyes widened alarmed. „Dead River, what has happened? Speak!“ She walked towards them. Celestia too looked rather worried, but she waited. 
River, the Bat Pony with the black mane and tail, saluted and bowed. „Princess Luna“, he reported, „During our patrol on Nightmare Night we found her in the forest.“
He and the other guard uncoiled the bale. On the grey blanket laid a purplegrey unicorn filly with a fair yellow mane. Her eyes were rolled backwards in their caves and looked strangely pale and white. There was a simple wound on her throat.
Luna almost stumbled back the moment she saw the corpse. It was not the problem, that she just saw a dead pony. In her immortal life the Princess of the Night had seen many corpses, some horribly deformed, with heads and legs off, their organs thrown out and their bodies lacerated. No, it were several signs of the corpse – the pale skin and this look of horror in the blanc eyes –, which hit her. They were familiar to only one killing style. A trait, she had hoped, she would never find signs of again.
No! Please, this cannot be! Luna lowered her head and directed her horn at the corpse. She needed to be sure, that it really was what she thought.
The ponies stepped away as the Princess rose into the sky, only a few feet over the ground. Her horn glowed white as she create a mind strand, which softly floated through the air, until it connected itself with the dead pony. As the guardian of dreams Luna had the control over the Realm of Dreams, which also was the place, where souls and spirits went after their death. The Princess hoped to find traces of a soul in the filly’s body, who happened to be Ditzy Doo, the missed filly on Nightmare Night.
After five minutes Luna opened her eyes and landed on the floor. She dropped her head. Her long mane hide her tears. Celestia placed a wing on her shoulder. „Luna?“, she asked worried. 
Luna peaked upwards to her sister. She sighted sadly and put her ears back. „She has no soul anymore“, whispered the Princess, „I really tried to find her in the Dream Realm, but there was nothing. I fear, someone had drown out her soul.“
Admit it, Luna. The coincidents are too heavy. She pushed herself away from Celestia. Luna looked away. She did not looked at anypony. „I am sorry“, the Moon Princess whispered. What would Derpy Hooves said, when she found out, what had happened with her beloved daughter? Luna knew, she could never look into the Pegasus' twisted eyes again. 
Celestia finally received the paper and quill. She addressed River: „I know, I cannot give you an order, because you have sworn allegiance to Princess Luna. But could you please bring Dinky to Derpy Hooves and tell her, what has happened? I am sure, the Pegasus would like to bury her.“ 
River saluted once more and responded: „Of course, your Majesty.“ He and the other guard carefully picked up the dead foal and walked out of the room.
Celestia looked at her sister. She still stood there, her head hung down. „Are you alright, Lu?“, asked the white Alicorn. She stepped forwards and placed a wing on her shoulder. Luna looked up. „You have to be strong now“, she whispered, „It is not your fault, what is going on. Do you want to take your leave for today?“
Luna shook her head. She blinked away her tears. „No“, she said firm, „I won't run away now. It is alright, Tia.“ Celestia's dawncoloured eyes burned themselves into her sapphire ones. When the Princess of the Night responded the glance without fear and hesitation, Celestia sighted and levitated the quill and paper.
Her eyes were dark with worry as she wrote: Twilight Sparkle, you and your friends have to come to Canterlot at once. Celestia's magic enwrapped itself around the scroll, which transformed itself into green smoke and flew away. 
Luna looked at Celestia. „Do you think, they can help?“, she asked. 
Her older sister again stepped towards the glass window of the black mare and eyed it. „Yes, if it works as it had done in the last time.“

***

The six ponies did not be a long time coming. The double winged door sprang open and Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie sprinted into the room. They stopped in front of Celestia's throne, panting and sweating. Luna stood next to Celestia. She decided to let her older sister talk for now. After all she had called for the Mane Six.
Twilight immediately brusted out: „Princess, we came here as fast as we could. Is this about the disease in Ponyville? What is it actually? Applejack said, it is called Nightterror. But why does nopony know about it? And what can we do against it?“ 
Celestia simply lifted an hoof. „Easy, Twilight“, she said, „We will answer all your questions. But we have to face something else as well.“ Her eyes closed and opened, before her glance turned firm. Princess Celestia lifted her head and explained: „It seems an old foe of mine has returned. One, we thought, we defeated twice by now.“
The six ponies looked at one another. 
„Who could that be?“, asked Fluttershy worried. 
„I do not know“, thought Rainbow Dash, „Maybe Discord?“ 
The yellow Pegasus gave her an angry look and said: „That is just plain rude.“ 
Applejack responded: „So what? Doctor Horse said, there only had been Nightterror once. And Discord likes chaos and mischief.“
Celestia responded: „The Nightterror is not Discord's work.“ She stood up and walked down her throne. The mare nodded towards another glass window, which showed the Draconequus in all his glory, tormenting ponies with his chaos magic. „He likes causing chaos, that is right, but he would never aim for a killing. Unlike Nightmare Moon.“ Her dawncoloured eyes rested on the image of the wicked mare of darkness.
Rarity lifted a perfect eyebrow. „I beg you pardon, but what does she have to do with this?“, asked the white unicorn. 
Luna stepped forwards. „Because she created the Nightterror.“ The Moon Princess closed her eyes. „Nightterror causes every dream of its victim to become a nightmare. It steals away the sleep, makes you wake up, covered in your own sweat and almost dying out of fright. The waking periods are no better. You suffer high temperatures and cough. Sympthoms of a flu. This makes you go back to sleep, which envolves into another nightmare.“ Luna opened her eyes. „This vicious circle goes on and on, until the victim dies of exhaustion.“
The Mane Six gasped in shock. Rainbow Dash pressed her hooves against her face. “Okay!”, she called with a look of terror on her face, “That sounds bad! Really bad.” 
Twilight Sparkle asked: “Princess, you said Nightmare Moon created the Nightterror. I do not understand. I have seen you and Celestia in the flashback due to the Time Potion Zecora gave me. And there Celestia banished you to the moon as soon as you attempted to overthrow her.”
Celestia looked at her sister. Luna responded the glance. You explain. Her older sister sighted. “Twilight, you must know, that the Tale of the two Sisters is a lie”, she started, only to be interrupted by her student, who said: “But I studied Equestrain History. In my book Tales and Fables and their history stood just what I said. Why should anypony change a history?”
Celestia responded: “Because the full tale of Nightmare Moon is way darker then you can imagine.” Her horn glowed golden and she made a book appear in the middle of the Mane Six. It had a dark leather cover and a golden unicorn head stamped upon it. “This is the Diary of Fate”, explained the Solar Princess, “It was given to me and my sister from Starswirl the Bearded at our coronation. It contains the real story.”
Twilight used her magic to flip through the pages. She panted in shock and surprise. “But here the Tale of the two Sisters is like eight pages long! In my book it contains only four pages.” The unicorn lifted a brow and eyed its mentor. “How is that possible?” 
Celestia responded: “I retold the story and cut off a rather tragic part to make sure, the darkest side of Nightmare Moon is kept to a minimum.”
“But why?”, asked Rarity, “How can you deny something your sister or this dark spirit has done? Wouldn’t it help the people, your Highness?” Celestia looked at Luna, whose ears twitched uncomfortable. “I did not want to ruin my sister’s name. After all she was gone for one thousand years. Who knows, what could have happened with her reputation?” She softly leaned her head against Luna’s neck. “I did not want to make it harder for you then it already would be once you returned.” 
The Moon Princess replied: “You’ve done no harm.”
Rainbow Dash demanded to know impatiently: “Twilight, what does the real story contains? Is there a demon from the Dream World? Or a Dragon of Doom? Or maybe someone from outer space?” 
“Rainbow!”, shouted Twilight, “That is not Daring Do! This is serious.”
She levitated the book closer to her to read the tale out aloud. Just like in her history book an artist had made wonderful and detailed drawings. For the new part of the story, there were three images: One showed Nighmare Moon above Canterlot. The second one had a dark sky and several violet lines, which connected the dark mare with the ponies. She was risen to her hindlegs and dark red lines were drawn around the violet strands. The artist had given Nightmare Moon white eyes as if she was preforming a spell. The ponies looked terrified and scared. The last image showed Princess Celestia, standing on a graveyard with several dead ponies, who seemed to get buried at this moment. 
“The elder sister tried to reason with her” – Twilight’s voice caught everypony’s attention – “but the bitterness in the young ones heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon! She vowed, that she would shroud the land in eternal night and claimed herself the new queen of Equestria. The elder sister begged her to stop her madness, but Nightmare Moon escaped and flew to the port Canterlot. Using her dark powers, she placed a curse upon the members of the town. They all were plagued by the Nightterror, the horrible disease, that killed ponies in their sleeps. Canterlot lost many innocent lives during that epidemic. 
When the older sister realized, how much her subjects suffered, she decided, she had to do something against it. Knowing her younger sister would not listen to her, she decided to force an end to this horror. Luckily the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister and banished her permanently in the moon. The elder sister took responsibility for both sun and moon and harmony was maintained for generation since.”
“Okay”, Rainbow Dash said, after Twilight finished her reading, “Twilight, you really did not need to read the end of the tale, because I guess, everypony knows, how the story ends.” Twilight gave the blue Pegasus an angry look. Luna chuckled. 
Fluttershy whispered: “That was terrible. No wonder, Celestia decided to cut out this part for the audience. What would the ponies think of Luna, if they knew, she or well Nightmare Moon was responsible for the death of their ancestors?” She looked away and added in an high-pitched, shocked sound: “No offense, Princess!” 
Luna sighted and folded her wings in another position. “None taken.”
Applejack found: “This explains, how Doctor Horse knew of the Nightterror. He told me, that his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-greataunt Nurse Ointment worked at a hospital in Canterlot during that epidemic and kept a diary. No wonder his family knew about that, although they probably did not knew the source.”
Twilight closed the Diary of Face and handed it to Celestia. “Princess”, she said, “There is one thing, I do not really understand: What happened with Canterlot after you banished Nightmare Moon? How did you defeated the disease?” 
The Solar Princess opened her maw to explain, but Pinkie Pie was faster. “Isn’t it obvious, Twilight? She used the Elements of Harmony.” 
“To defeat Luna.” 
“No, read the lines: ...and harmony was maintained for generation since. It means, the Nightterror is gone.” Pinkie Pie pointed at the book. “The Elements were like a deos ex machina.”
Twilight grunted and hit her forehead with an hoof. “Pinkie, do you know, what a deos ex machina actually is? It is a rather unfriendly noun, meaning an idea is far-fetched! Besides I do not believe, that the Elements do work that way.”
Celestia interfered softly: “Oh, but Pinkie Pie is right.” 
Twilight’s maw dropped and she looked at the Alicorn. “She is?”, she asked stunned. 
The Solar Princess nodded. “When you had your Time Jump thanks to Zecora’s potion, you do remember the enormous flash of rainbow light like a Sonic Rainbow around the moon, when I banished my sister?” Twilight nodded, still speechless. “Well this flash flew all over Canterlot and cured the town. I think, the Elements have the urge to bring back balance, therefore they did not just removed the threat, but also the damage, Nightmare Moon caused.” Celestia opened her wings and explained: “That’s why I have summoned you and your friends, Twilight. I must ask you to wield the Elements of Harmony to cure Ponyville.”

***

In front of the hospital stood many citizens of Ponyville. They had heard that Princess Celestia had called for Twilight and her friends, and therefore they hoped, that help would soon arrive. They looked into the sky and spotted two chariots, which flew in the direction of the town. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had decided to be present, when the bearers of the elements cured the town. They also used the carriages to bring Twilight and her friends back to town in the fastest way possible.
Celestia’s chariot was elegant and small. It reminded one of a golden, long throne with a purple pillow and an elegant back. Golden suns were painted at the wheels. Four white pegasi in a golden armor pulled the carriage, in which sat the Solar Princess, Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. They had flown in a long and slow line.
Just as Celestia’s chariot represented her sun, Luna’s showed her love towards the night. The carriage was slender and short. Purple wood, which was covered in several spikes at the start and back of it. A turquoise eye with a small slit was drawn onto it. While Celestia’s chariot had the colours golden and purple, hers was violet and darkblue, almost black. The whole carriage looked rather ghostly and gothic like. As if Luna was also the guardian of the dead. Her two Bat Ponies, who pulled the chariot in cold fury and flew far faster and reckless then the pegasi, only completed this look.
Applejack pressed a hoof on her belly as she stumbled out of the spooky chariot. “That is the reason why I hate flying”, she whispered and looked around as if she searched for a bush, behind which she could get rid of a rather uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. 
Rarity’s legs were shaking as she climbed out and levitated herself on a big, luxury looking, crimson red sofa. Moaning and whining, she complained: “The horror! That was dreadful! The horror!” 
Only Rainbow Dash seemed to have taken the situation rather lightly. She flew upwards with a joyful call and after wobbling back on earth in a spiral called: “That. Was. Awesome!”
Pinkie Pie hopped around the golden chariot of Celestia and sung something nopony really understood. Twilight offered the Princess a hoof to help her out of her chariot. The white mare laughed as she climbed out. “Thank you, Twilight”, she said. 
“No”, responded the purple unicorn, “We have to thank you for taking us in your chariot.” 
“Yes”, Fluttershy mumbled, “Now I am really glad I took your carriage. Luna’s is so scary and her Bat Ponies fly so fast, that I was afraid.” She ducked away and added: “No offense, Luna.” 
Luna rolled her eyes and with a low sigh said: “None taken.”
Princess Celestia rose her voice: “Citizens of Ponyville, I have received your letter and I know, that you are in trouble. Fear not, for I have found the cure for your town.” 
Hopeful eyes rested on her and Mr Cake called: “Praise Princess Celestia’s wisdom!” The others cheered and called: “Long live Princess Celestia!” 
Luna looked at her sister and lifted a brow. Let’s hope, you did not promised too much. Their subjects liked to belief, they were perfect, but they weren’t. Luna knew, how important it was for Celestia to keep the mask of the perfect ruler in front of her people. It was like a second skin.
Celestia nodded towards Twilight: “Twilight, you may begin.” She levitated a small, blue box, on which stuck hoof large diamonds, rubies and emeralds. The Solar Princess opened the chest and in it laid the Elements of Harmony. Six gem stones of immense power. Twilight took her crown and placed it on her head. She used her magic to hang every necklace of the five other elements around her friends. Each one represented one of the Elements and had control over it.
Rarity climbed down from her sofa and Pinkie Pie stopped hopping around. They joined Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Twilight. The purple unicorn looked at her friends and smiled. “Okay, girls”, she said, “Let’s show the Nightterror what our friendship can do.” Twilight closed her eyes. Luna and Celestia stepped backwards to allow them the space they needed to connect their elements. Each stone started to glow and a small rainbow floated between two stones. Slowly the five rainbows connected with one another and two rainbows aimed at the Element of Magic stuck in Twilight’s crown.
Twilight opened her eyes as the Elements unleashed their full power. Luna watched the gigantic rainbow wave, which shoot around the Bearers as if a stone had been thrown in water. They floated through the building and touched the sick children. The whole action only took a few seconds, but as it stopped everyone hold its breath. Luna send a pray to the Creator. Please, let it work! Please, please, please!
Then the coughing shook the silence. Every hopeful smile dropped and all eyes turned dull. The Mane Six gasped in shock. “Am I crazy”, asked Rainbow Dash, “or did it now got worse after we used the Elements?” Luna looked at Celestia. Her sister seemed to be out of her mind. Her shocked face became worried as she slowly walked up and down, mane and tail following her movement strictly. Her wings were partly opened. Luna chewed her lips nervously. How couldn’t it work? What has happened?
“I do not understand”, whispered Celestia, “The last time I was confronted with Nightterror and used the Elements, the disease was gone. How couldn’t it work now? That doesn’t make sense.” Her ears twitched and she eyed everypony as if she hoped they could give her the answer she could not find.
“Sense? What is the fun in making sense?” The voice was sneering, mocking and sounded weird. It chuckled amused. 
Celestia’s head shot open and she looked around. Cold fury flashed in her eyes and her wings opened partly. “Discord!”, Celestia shouted, “Show yourself!”
“Oh, how boring!”, Discord said, still invisible for everypony, “I have forgotten how stiff you can be, when it comes to threats. You should laugh a bit more often. Would be healthy for someone so strict and cold.” 
Celestia stamped on the ground. “Enough of this!”, she called furiously and her horn flared bright golden, “What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?”
“So plain rude.” With a flash of light Discord appeared on a tree branch. He laid there, his eagle claws on his lizard knee. A small smile curled his long muzzle. “I haven’t done anything to them. But the first thing you do, is blaming me for it.” Discord placed his lion paw on his forehead, turned his neck backwards and with a low sigh he complained: “Have you forgotten, that I am good now? I am reformed! And you still do not trust me.”
Luna took a step forwards. She shouted: “Stop kidding my sister, Discord! We have a serious problem here. The town is inflected by Nightterror and the only thing, you are doing, is to be a pain in the neck of everypony!” 
The Draconeques slowly hang himself from the tree like an oversized bat and looked into Luna’s eyes. “Oh, I am doing something useful, Princess Luna”, he said and gave her a flip on the nose, “In fact maybe you should blame your own guards, because I know something, which should be rather interesting for you.”
Luna snorted. She never liked the Draconeques. Her temper was far too impatient for a creature like him. “My guards have the duty to check on the forest, so now threat can come upon my subjects during their sleep.” 
Discord busted out laughing. “No threat!” He fell off the tree and made a line appear. “All what those tumbling idiots do is walking along a line and checking that no one goes over it.” With exaggerated moves, he walked alongside his painted line and acted like a guard. “Oh, they are doing so very much for Equestria’s safety.” His head yerked around and he shouted: “NOT!”
Luna’s horn flared and she fired a blue beam after the chimera to teach him a lesson. Discord snapped his finger and the spell puffed away. “Your hot temper hasn’t changed the slightest. Not even with a one thousand year vacation on the moon.” His voice now had a grumpy tone. Luna’s eyes flashed and she bared her teeth. One more word and I swear, I will turn you into glue!
Discord seemed to see the lust to kill in her eyes. “Easy, Luna.” A snap of his fingers and the line vanished. A flash of light and Discord appeared between the two Princesses. He placed an arm on Celestia’s and one arm on Luna’s shoulder, hugging the two Alicorns tightly. “I meant no offense, you two. I am a friend after all now. And being a good friend, I want to help.”
“You want to help?”, repeated Celestia suspiciously. Her long neck was pressed against Discord’s snake-neck. She huffed and blew away a strand of her mane. 
Discord’s smile was too big for his face. “Oh, yes, I want to help!” Another flash and he appeared in front of the two Alicorns, who tumbled against one another.
“You see”, explained Discord, “Unlike your guards, Luna, I walked into the forest and I spotted something, that could be really interesting to you.” 
“What do you know?”, asked Celestia eagerly. 
The Draconeques folded his arms. “Oh, now you want to know”, he said slippery, “Well, say please.” 
“Please”, begged Celestia. 
Luna snorted angrily as Discord busted out laughing and rolled in the air, “Did I say, I will tell you, if you say please?”
While Discord kept laughing, Fluttershy flew up towards him. She softly touched his shoulder. “Discord”, she whispered, “Please tell them what you have seen. It is really important, if we want to cure the town. You do not want to get infected by Nightterror, do you?” Discord looked at Fluttershy. She repeated: “Please, be a good friend and do me the favour.”
The Draconeques appeared in front of Celestia and Luna again. He placed his eagle claw on his chest. “Fine, Celestia”, Discord said with a low sigh, “I will tell you, but I will only tell you in my way and because my dear friend Fluttershy had asked me to do it.” He started to circle around the Princesses and the Mane Six as his hypnotic voice filled their ears with his words:
“An old enemy from the past.
A sin, committed by someone, who seems without any flaws.
Search high and low and through any kind of weather
Then bring back what should belong together.”
As soon as the last syllable filled their ears, Discord vanished with a flash of light. The Mane Six looked at one another. “What in tarnation is that supposed to mean?”, asked Applejack confused and walked to Twilight, “Through any kind of weather, then bring back, what belongs together?”
The purple unicorn shook her head. “I do not know”, she responded, “Princess?”
“Princess!” 
Luna turned around. She had been so caught up in Discord’s riddle, that she had not paid attention to Celestia. Now she saw her sister, flying in a hurry back towards Canterlot. “Tia!”, called Luna and stepped forwards, “Tia, wait! Celestia!” Why are you fleeing from us? And moreover, why have you started to cry?