It has just happened, Nightmare Moon had returned as she said she would 1000 years prior, although something was different with Nightmare Moon, she looked different; she looked slightly different from the Nightmare Moon you would know....yes she was black as night, tall and fierce, piercing turquoise cat-like eyes, and translucent mane & tail....but one thing was off about the dark Alicorn mare...something very noticeable....a large rounded belly....why is this? No way she could have a reason to look this way, but she had a reason...a reason perhaps out of character for her....by means of a spell...out of some part of Luna's goodness...she did something...became something....Nightmare Moon to deal with the loneliness of being on the moon to keep her sane and accompanied...cast a spell to end that loneliness...what did she do?....she made herself....pregnant!!! This was a shock to Princess Celestia, Luna's older sister, she even made it clear she was aware of her transformed sibling's expectancy.
"Luna....what-....what happened to you?" Celestia asked looking startled at the sight before her.
"What do you mean? Also I am not Luna...but Nightmare Moon!!" Nightmare Moon snapped.
"But you're pregnant?....How??...." Celestia asked.
"We were lonely on the moon...we wanted company better than the creatures that live there....somepony more....like me...or this case...of me!" Nightmare snarled, "So I caste a spell on myself to do so...since there are no stallions let alone ponies on the moon is there?" she added bluntly.
"Yes but...but..." Celestia stammered.
"But nothing!!" Nightmare roared, "I have returned and I intend to destroy you and have Equestria all to myself!" she added.
"While I'm at it...I shall then have my heir...and together we shall rule with an iron hoof, so that nopony, will be able to challenge me ever again!!" Nightmare declared.
"Not if I stop you...or my little ponies do!" Celestia said stamping her hoof to emphasize her point.
"You and your "precious" ponies can try Celestia!!" Nightmare exclaimed, she soon turned into her cloud form and attacked, but Celestia evaded...one to not hurt her sister, two to not harm Luna's unborn child; she was in a bind....and unsure what to do next! She evaded every attack but because Celestia was holding back, she at the same time was hoping to defeat her and save the child at the same time, but Luna's fury was too great for this and she made her retreat.
"You can run! But you can't hide Celestia!!" Nightmare roared.
"I am not just hiding Luna...." Celestia said as she was galloping away often flying as well, Nightmare was furious, she wanted to capture Celestia and take over Equestria, but this will have to wait...she had other pests to squash, she had a purple unicorn who knew her to stop...and take out anypony else that stands in her way...she knew that if The Elements of Harmony were found, all her plans will be ruined! So she took off in seeking the purple unicorn to see if she knew about the Elements and stop her from finding them.
*Ponyville Library*
Twilight had returned to her library and had a mission and only one mission in mind, to find the Elements of Harmony to stop Nightmare Moon, in her crazed panic she then encountered the mares she met during the day that had their own tasks for the Summer Sun Celebration and she had to oversee their progress, with Rainbow Dash asking if she was a spy because of how she knew something in regards to Nightmare Moon after she appeared back at Ponyville Town Hall, she then....filled them in. As she explained Nightmare Moon was outside, watching from a window and listened in shortly after Twilight says the following.
"There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known, 'Kindness', 'Laughter', 'Generosity', 'Honesty', and 'Loyalty'" Twilight rattled off. Nightmare comes here and listens while Twilight reads where the last location of the Elements were.
"The sixth, is a complete mystery, it is said that 'The last known location of the five Elements, was in the ancient castle of 'the Royal Pony Sisters'" Twilight said; as she said those words, Nightmare knew where she needed to be, to stop the ponies from finding the power that could destroy her and ruin her plans!
Nightmare went ahead, but for some reason felt, that she had to wait until the six ponies arrived, so to perhaps make the journey to the ruins one that would make the fillies to take to their hooves and run away, rather than continue.
*Everfree Forest*
Twilight and the others soon arrive and once in the forest, Nightmare commenced in her plan to foil the six mares progress at any opportunity, her first attempt failed as it did not frighten the mares into turning back, despite nearly falling to their deaths, her second plan was to turn a resident creature on them to deter them, but failed again and the six passed unharmed while the butter pegasus tames the beast by soothing and then was thanked by it after Nightmare upset the creature by turning into a thorn in its paw in which the pegasus removed it(her).
The six march on...this is getting ridiculous! Nightmare thought...she had to stop them...but she failed twice! She tried something else now...if real dangers would not send the mares away in fear, then she shall use the concept of fear itself to frighten them, by changing some trees into horrifying creatures! But it failed again!! The six, thanks to the pink earth pony saw through the illusion and now where even further along!! Then the mares reach a river, but the river was fierce, reason?: A serpent that lived there was in distress over have half his mustache sliced from his face, caused again by Nightmare Moon...but once again problem was solved and now the ponies were practically at the castle's doorstep!
***Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters (Old Equestrian National Capital)***
Twilight and the others were here at last! This was a disaster! On top of this....Nightmare's patience had run out and she had an additional problem....she was feeling in advance due to her Alicorn powers...LABOR!!! She knew this was planned, she planned to have a foal of her own for her own purposes...but now the time to give birth was fast approaching!!
"NO! Not now!!" Nightmare said in a panic and wincing from the warning pre-labor pain....if her timing was correct, she would be in labor's full effect in less than 7 minutes!! She needed to act and act...fast, then...she had an idea! She realized that she was using the wrong approach to the situation, seeing as the others have inadvertently found their Elements she could perhaps tempt them with their desires, she had to make that bet, since she failed to stop the others...she knew that if she failed to stop them they would eventually find the sixth element and it was all over...seeing that each have overcome each of her obstacles, there was two that had yet to overcome an obstacle, the sky-blue pegasus and the lavender unicorn, she knew that because of her dream walking capabilities she either had before or after her transformation into Nightmare Moon could see she knew their desires are, she just had to eliminate at least one of them, for if she eliminates one of them the Elements will be powerless, she needed to remove Rainbow Dash, she needed to take one of the five known remaining.....Loyalty. Twilight will be easy, for without one of the five known Elements the sixth one cannot be found and the ponies' journey would be all for naught.
Since the bridge was out that would mean one of the two pegasi would have to cross, Rainbow volunteered which was the pony she needed! Nightmare then began her plan to cripple the Elements once and for all.
"Rainbow~" Nighmare siren-ed.
"Who's there!?" Rainbow called out in surprise.
"Rainbow~" Nighmare siren-ed again.
"I ain't scared of you! Show yourself!" Rainbow barked in reply as she made a fighting stance; as she looked around, a fog appeared and then Nightmare spoke to Rainbow while hidden in the cloud of fog.
"We've been eagerly waiting the arrival of the best flyer in Equestria" Nightmare cooed to lure Rainbow.
"Who?" Rainbow asked perplexed into the fog.
"Why...you of course!" Nightmare said flatteringly.
"Really? I mean...oh yeah! Me..." Rainbow said pridefully, "Hey! Uh...You wouldn't mind telling the Wonderbolts that would Ya?" she asked in addition.
"'Cause, I've been tryin' to get into that group for like ever!" Rainbow rambled.
"No Rainbow Dash...we want you to join us! The Shadowbolts!" Nightmare said appearing from the fog as three pegasi, a white mare with blue mane & tail with two stallions of very-light gray but same color mane & tail.
They were in tight body-hugging black & purple jumpsuits with gold lightning-bolts on the collar and edges of the purple sleeve on the front and hind leggings with black forelegs on all four leg and covering most their head from the collars, on their rumps were a Cutie Mark of a white pony skull with white wings on the back of the skull.
Rainbow recoiled in confusion yet listened and watched with interest, as she looked at the trio sitting before her.
"We're the greatest aerial team in the Everfree Forest, and soon we will be the greatest in all Equestria" Nightmare boasted.
"But first...we need a Captain" Nightmare in pegasus mare form said flying up to and passed Rainbow causing her to show excitement at the statement with her eyes wide and a large grin, "The most magnificent...." Nightmare mare pegasus complimented making passes by and around Rainbow.
"Yep" Rainbow said in agreement with the compliment.
"Bravest flyer in all the land" Nightmare continued.
"Yes, it's all true" Rainbow said giggling slightly, her ego boosted by the words Nightmare uttered.
"We need...." Nightmare said pausing for effect, "you" Nightmare whispered in Rainbow's right ear after hovering around Rainbow to then float beside her, Rainbow shot straight up then cheered out in excitement then said.
"Sign me up!" she requested happily.
"Just let me tie this bridge real quick and then we have a deal" Rainbow said back at the rope for the bridge; she was about to take the rope in her teeth when Nightmare shot down from the air into her face and said.
"NO! It's them or us!" she stated.
Rainbow recoiled in surprise at the harshness and the strict nature of the demands of the Shadowbolt mare, her attention on the three pegasi was cut short by Twilight's voice from the other side of the semi-secured bridge.
"Rainbow! What's taking so long?" Twilight asked shouting across, she then saw why and was then afraid as she saw three pegasi sitting in front of the prismatic mane and tailed mare, "Oh no" she said to herself, "Rainbow!!" she called out.
Seeing the possibility of her ploy failing Nightmare then controlled the fog and blocked the other five mares out including the sound of their voices, but before the fog blocked them out Twilight managed to shout audibly "Don't listen to them!".
"Well?" Nightmare pegasus mare asked.
"You" Rainbow said, Nightmare pegasus mare smiled jubilantly with wings flared in celebration! But this was not to last and she found out the truth to the reply from Rainbow, "Thank you, for the offer I mean" Rainbow said shooting off to secure the bridge's rope that fell loose while the three pegasi stared in shock.
"But" Rainbow said taking to the air and now airborne said "I'm afraid I have to say 'no'" Rainbow said flying off to her friends waiting on the other side of fog and bridge, Nightmare had failed...in her fury she transformed into her cloud form and headed to the castle.
Rainbow returned to her friends with a cheering welcome as Rainbow posed at the entrance of the repaired bridge. The six mares were now inside the Keep, and standing before a statue of five stone orbs on platforms branching out from a column which in turn had a large orb on it as well, soon the ponies took the orbs off their platforms and placed them before Twilight, but only five of the orbs looked like the Elements...one was missing...
"Where's the sixth?" Rainbow asked.
"The book said, 'When the five are present, a 'spark' will cause the sixth Element to be revealed'" Twilight said.
"What in the hay is that supposed to mean?" Applejack asked.
"I'm not sure, but I have an idea..." Twilight said now focusing on the stone orbs, "Stand back, I don't know what will happen" Twilight ordered now using her magic to see if there will be a response.
The five mares left to give Twilight space to focus, while the six where approaching the ruins earlier...the stress of trying to stop the ponies had an unfortunate effect on Nightmare Moon...coupled with her other efforts of physical work had done something she was not too happy about....it sped up her labor! Now Nightmare was in trouble....she now was ready to give birth! In pain she tried to move...she succeeded! As soon as she took cloud form she went off to make one last try to stop the ponies from finding the Elements. Twilight was in the middle of using magic to affect the stones, when Nightmare stepped in and began to swirl them around in her painful attempt to take them, she soon managed to teleport away...but took Twilight with her! Now Nightmare will be giving birth and trying to take the Elements of Harmony in the presence of Twilight herself, the mare that could destroy her and ruin her plans!
Twilight groaned as she became stable after the teleportation, she then saw Nightmare Moon! But something was off...she was not as fierce as before...though she tried to keep the Elements away she was in great pain, Nightmare tried to look fierce but her labor pain was too great....and yet Nightmare tried her best to keep herself intimidating, Twilight was now perplexed, but suspicious of the in pain dark mare, Twilight then asked what was going on, she got her answer.
"YOU, have failed!" Nightmare said wincing at the same time.
"How so?" Twilight asked.
"I have the Elements....on top of this I will now bare my child!" Nightmare proclaimed now hurting from labor, "You're too late! I have won!" Nightmare shouted, only to scream in pain as labor finally hit in all its fury.
Twilight watched in horrified fascination as Nightmare started to give birth, Nightmare's face twisted and warped in agony as she muscled to push the foal inside her out, Twilight then decided that despite the heart tugging sight she had to make a move, so she galloped over to nab the Elements from the preoccupied Nightmare Moon; as she made her way Nightmare saw Twilight coming and lowered her horn to deter her...but Twilight teleported around her and then took the Elements in her magic grasp and tried to cause a reaction from them....only to be sent flying back from a magic jolt back to where she stood before.
Nightmare began to panic even in her labor pains, she watched as the Elements began to react from the magic caste on them by Twilight.
"No! No!" Nightmare shrieked as she winced again to continue giving birth, but as soon as the charged they ceased and soon where back to being "lifeless" stone orbs again.
Twilight then gasped and asked "But, where's the sixth Element?" her reply was a cackling Nightmare Moon using her magic to smash the stone balls and saying.
"You little foal! Thinking you could defeat me?!" Nightmare gloated.
"Now you'll never see your princess, or your sun! The Night will last forever!!!" Nightmare declared as she let out a short laugh then a last cry of pain and in her dark magic finally gave birth! As she regained her energy she lightly cackled as the dark magic surround her and the crying foal she had birthed, as she worked to calm and care for her foal she said to it.
"My dear sweet heir, now you and I are safe, safe to conquer Equestria; with you by my side, you and I will make Equestria into a land of our liking..." But as she gloated and nurtured her new foal, Twilight's new friends were heard coming but Twilight heard them and Nightmare did not, and as they approached Twilight suddenly had a realization!
"You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that?" Twilight asked with a triumphant smile, "Well you're wrong!" Twilight added, "Because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!" Twilight finished victoriously.
Twilight then revealed one by one each mare and the Element each where assigned, as she did the shards of the stone orbs floated over and then around the waists of each respective mare.
"What?" Nightmare said as the shards floated up and over to Applejack first.
One by one each mare had their Element, all but one..."You still don't have the sixth Element! The spark didn't work!" Nightmare said in confusion.
Twilight then revealed how the sixth can be found and how it was found, then instantly the shards formed into necklaces around Twilight's friends, after that a crown appeared! Soon the magic from the Elements charged and then....whoosh! The power from them shot up then down...on NIGHTMARE!! She cried out in her defeat, as her foal then cried from the intense action going on around it, soon the magic died and all was still except for a squealing foal now lying where it was....upon gaining consciousness Twilight then heard the crying foal and galloped to comfort it...
"Twilight wait!" Applejack shouted.
"Why?" Twilight asked stopping midway.
"You don't know if that foal is evil or not! Or if Nightmare Moon is beaten" Applejack protested.
"But we cannot let it suffer..." Fluttershy said.
"Yeah! It is just a foal..." Pinkie stated to agree.
"Just be careful!" Applejack said.
Twilight then approached the little foal...but when she saw it she gasped....it was a filly! A white filly...and...an alicorn?....An alicorn with light blue mane and tail, next to her was Nightmare Moon...only...she was different, she was lighter purplish blue and her mane and tail were a baby-boy blue, Twilight then approached the little newborn and cooed at her to comfort it, it calmed down when Twilight lifted and held the baby alicorn, the others saw it from a distance and could not help but fawn over it...
"Well I'll be...." Applejack said now smiling.
"It is beautiful!" Rarity said.
"It's...so...freaking...cute!!" Pinkie squeaked.
"It looks incredible..." Fluttershy said walking over to Twilight.
"I know...she seems to look like a diamond" Twilight said looking down at the foal in her grasp.
"She is a jewel alright" Rarity said moving in to look.
"Hey! That sounds like a name!" Pinkie said excitedly.
"That's what we'll call her...'Diamond Jewel'" Twilight said looking at the now curious filly with a tender expression.
End of Part One.