Several years have passed since the members of the mane six earned their cutie marks and now during the thousand year of Celestia reign. The week of the thousand year of the Summer Sun Celebration a celebration that was created to celebrate the defeat and banishment of Nightmare Moon all those years ago. Twilight Sparkle now being Celestia's student for a couple years has spent most of her time studying magic. On the day before the Summer Sun Celebration, while Twilight was studying up on the book called Predictions and Prophecies.
During reading the book she discovered that the Mare on the Moon is actually Nightmare Moon and would return on the celebration with the stars fleeing her from her lunar prison. Twilight sent a letter with the help of her little purple dragon assistant by the name of Spike to her mentor alerting her of this development. Only a few seconds after Spike sent the letter to Celestia she returned her own letter saying.
"My dearest, most faithful student Twilight. You know that I value your diligence and that I trust you completely. But you must stop reading those dusty old books. My dear Twilight, there is more to a young pony's life than studying, so I'm sending you to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location: Ponyville. And, I have an even more essential task for you to complete: make some friends! "Celestia's letter said giving Twilight the task of overviewing the preparations in the small town of Ponyville which was hosting the celebration that year.
Twilight and Spike arrived in Ponyville from help by one of Celestia own chariots. Twilight was not happy about her mission given to her by her mentor, believing that she wasn't taking her seriously by the princess. The two of them landed in the middle of town and the first pony they met was a pink earth pony that she would soon learn that went by the name of Pinkie Pie, not to mention they would become very close friends. The pink pony took one look at Twilight and gasped, so how launching her whole body up in the air and bolted from the scene. This odd display, that Twilight would soon become used to, shocked continued on her mission from Celestia to check the preparations of the celebration.
The first task on Twilight's list was to check on the food preparations for the festival. She and Spike arrived at Sweet Apple Aches an apple tree farm just outside of Ponyville run by the Apple family. The first pony from the Apple family Twilight met was the head of the family and farm an orange earth pony and future friend by the name of Applejack. Applejack cordially greets Twilight, and members of her family showing all of her food samples in the process. Applejack also asks Twilight to for bunch, Twilight wanting to leave and continue on her duty, but she grudgingly accepts the family's invitation to stay for brunch.
After bunch at the farm, Twilight and Spike traveled back into the town. "Foods all taken care of, next is weather." Spike said more to himself checking food off their list of duties for the celebration.
"Oh, I ate too much pie." Twilight said to herself not feeling that well after the brunch at the farm.
"Hmm, there's supposed be a Pegasus pony named Rainbow Dash clearing the clouds." Spike said looking up to the sky.
"Well, she not doing a very good job is she." Twilight said sarcastically noticing a few clouds in the sky. The exact moment Twilight finished her sentence she was tackled in a pile of mud by a light blue Pegasus.
"Excuse me." The Pegasus said trying to laugh off the fact that she just tackled Twilight. Twilight wasn't assumed now covered in mud.
"Let me help you." The Pegasus said grabbing a storm cloud and placing it over the muddy Twilight. The Pegasus then jumped on the cloud making it rain on Twilight now making her all wet.
"Oops, I guess I over did it? Hmm, how about this my own patented rain blow dry." The Pegasus said circling Twilight in a tornado of rainbow colors drying the ground and Twilight in the process.
"No, no don't thank me. You're quite welcome." The Pegasus said landing back on the ground. Twilight was still not assumed with her mane and tail now being all messed up from the tornado. The Pegasus and Spike quickly started laughing at the sight of Twilight's new mane falling on the ground they were laughing so hard.
"Let me guess your Rainbow Dash." Twilight said trying to stay on topic of she was sent to Ponyville to do.
"The one and only." The Pegasus said confirming that she was indeed Rainbow Dash. The two ponies went back and forth with each other with Twilight saying that she thought that Rainbow Dash was supposed to be keeping the sky clear. With Rainbow Dash mentioning that she wanted to become a Wonderbolt, the best flyers in all of Equestria. Twilight doubting Rainbow's skills and her insistence that she would become a Wonderbolt.
"Hey, I could clear this sky in ten seconds flat." Rainbow Dash said slightly boasting about her skills.
"Oh yay prove it." Twilight said challenging Rainbow. Rainbow then rocketed into the sky clearing all the clouds in Rainbow's words.
"What I'd said ten seconds flat, I'd never leave Ponyville hanging." The jaws of both Twilight and Spike dropped to a point that they might have touched the ground from the shock of what they have just seen.
"You should see the look on your face. You're a laugh Twilight Sparkle. I can't wait to hang out some more." Rainbow said to Twilight accepting her as a new friend.
The two of them after Rainbow flew off headed toward the gazebo to check on the decorations for the celebration. "Decorations, beautiful." Spike said looking around at the beautiful banners that riddled the gazebo.
"Ye, the décor is coming along nicely. This should be quick. I'll be at the library in no time, beautiful indeed." Twilight said agreeing with Spike with a beauty of the decorations.
"Not the décor, her." Spike said actually talking about a white unicorn which was working on the decorations.
"Good afternoon." Twilight said introduces herself to the unicorn.
"Just a moment I am in the zone, as it were." The unicorn said back to Twilight not wavering from her task.
"Yes, sparkle always does trick. Why Rarity you are such a talent. Now how can I help you...?" The unicorn by the name of Rarity said to herself jumping when she turned to her Twilight's ruined mane.
"Oh, my mane? I'm just here to check on the decorations then I'll been out of your hair." Twilight said to Rarity trying to have the least amount of interaction while still getting her job done.
"Out of my hair, but what about your hair." Rarity said to Twilight pushing her out of the gazebo and into her house to fix her mane and other things. Rarity then went on to put many outfits on Twilight and asked he want she was doing in Ponyville.
Twilight explained her mission from the princess only for Rarity to stop her in the middle when she mentioned that she was from Canterlot. Rarity then went on to say.
"Canterlot... oh I am so envious. The glamor, the sophistication. I've always dreamed of living there. I can't wait to hear all about it. We're going to be the best of friends, you and me." Rarity said accepting Twilight as her new friend. Twilight not being interested in making friends bolted from Rarity's shop as soon as she could.
"Wasn't she wonderful?" Spike said riding on Twilight's back slightly daydreaming about Rarity.
"Stay focused Casanova, what's next on our list." Twilight said trying to keep Spike focused on the task at hand, or hoof technically. Spike cleared his throat and said.
"Music, it's the last one." And at that exact moment, the two of them heard the sound of birds singing. The two followed the sound to find a yellow Pegasus working with a flock of birds on a small tree.
"Oh, my. Um, stop please everyone. Um... excuse me, sir. I mean no offense, but your rhythm is just a teeny, tiny bit off." The yellow Pegasus said to one of her birds her calm and quiet voice barely audible at a far distance.
"Now follow me, please. A one, a two, and a one two three..." The Pegasus began to say before Twilight interrupted her saying. "Hello!" The sound by Twilight introducing herself startled the birds making them fly away.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to frighten your birds." Twilight said to the Pegasus trying to apologize.
"I'm just here to check up on the music and it's sounding beautiful." Twilight said to the Pegasus and there was an awkward silence as the Pegasus' shy nature stopped her from talking back.
"So I'm Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?" Twilight said trying to end the awkwardness.
"I'm Flutter..." The Pegasus whispered to Twilight her sentence drowning out at the end.
"I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that." Twilight said back and the Pegasus just whimpered to herself trying make herself look smaller.
"Oh... looks like your birds are back. So I guess I'll just be on my way."
"Well, that was easy." Twilight said to Spike.
"Oh... a baby dragon!" The Pegasus said pushing Twilight out of the way to get closer to Spike.
"I've never seen a dragon before. He's so cute." The Pegasus said marveling over Spike.
"Well, well, well!" Spike said loving the attention he was getting. "Oh, my... He talks. I didn't know a dragon could talk. That's just so incredibly wonderful. I... I just don't know what to say?" The Pegasus said taking even more, marvel of Spike.
"Well, in that case, we better get going then." Twilight said putting Spike on her back and trying to get out of the situation as fast as possible.
"Wait, wait. What's his name?" The Pegasus asked as the two were leaving.
"I'm Spike." Spike said answering the Pegasus' question.
"Hi Spike, I'm Fluttershy. Wow, a talking dragon, and what do dragons talk about?" The Pegasus that went by the name of Fluttershy asked Spike.
"Well, what do you want to know?" Spike said back to Fluttershy.
"Absolutely everything!" Fluttershy said a completely different pony than she was only a few minutes earlier. Twilight groaned to herself knowing that she had just lost even more time for studying.
"Well, I started out as a little purple and green egg." Spike said and he went one to tell Fluttershy his entire live story ending with.
"And that's the story of my entire life. Well up until today. Hey, do you want to hear about today?" Spike said to Fluttershy who was adoring the story from Spike. "Oh, yes please!" Fluttershy responded back ecstatic.
"I am so sorry how did we get here so fast?" Twilight said preventing Spike from saying anything more as the three of them arrived at a large tree which had been turned into a library.
"This is where I'm staying while I'm in Ponyville, and my poor baby dragon needs his sleep." Twilight trying to make up an excuse that would end the conversation with Fluttershy.
"No, I don't..." Spike tried protesting only to be thrown off the back of Twilight and onto the ground.
"Aww, wook at that. He's so sleeping he can't even keep willte bawance." Twilight said talking to Spike in baby talk.
"Poor thing, we must surely get him to bed." Fluttershy said picking up Spike and taking him in the library.
"Yes, yes, we'll get right on that. Well, good night." Twilight said taking Spike and closing the door to the library in Fluttershy's face.
"Hmm, rude much." Spike said criticizing Twilight for her rudeness toward Fluttershy.
"Sorry Spike, but I have to convince the princess that Nightmare Moon is coming and we're running out of time. I just need to be alone so I can study without a bunch of crazy ponies trying to make friends the whole time. Now where's the light." Twilight said to Spike said explaining her rudeness to her assistant. And at that exact moment, the lights switched on reliving that the library was completely filled with ponies.
"Surprise!" All the ponies yelled greeting Twilight to a massive surprise party that they threw for her. Twilight groaned to herself knowing that she wouldn't be able to study with a massive party going inside the library.
"Surprise! Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you. Were you surprised, were you? Huh, huh, huh?" The same pink earth pony that Twilight met earlier by the name of Pinkie Pie said to Twilight in a bubbly hyperactive manner.
"Very surprise, libraries are supposed to be quiet." Twilight groaned annoyed that her day of studying has been interrupted again.
"That's silly, what kind of welcome parties are quiet, I mean boring. You see I saw you when you first got here, remember. You were like hello, and I was like gasp. Remember, I never saw you before and that would mean that you were new. Because I know everypony, and I mean everypony in Ponyville. Any if you were new that would mean that you hadn't met anypony, and if you hadn't met anypony, you must not have any friends, and if you don't have any friends then you must be lonely, and that made me so sad, then I had an idea, and that's why I went gasp. I must throw a great big ginormous super-duper spectacular welcome party and invite everyone in Ponyville! See? And now you have lots and lots of friends." Pinkie said to Twilight rumbling on about the party and friends.
Twilight poured a red drink into a bowl on a table in the middle of the library and drank out of it. Unknown to her she was drinking hot sauce. Twilight's face filled red and Applejack asked her.
"Are you alright sugar cube?"
Twilight burst out of the room and up the stairs into her bedroom frustrated and from the heat caused by the hot sauce.
"Aww... She's so happy she's crying." Pinkie said not understanding the true meaning of Twilight leaving.
"Hot sauce." Spike said picking up the red bottle.
An hour or two passed and Twilight was sitting on her bed with a pillow over her head trying to block out the party currently going on. "Twilight, Pinkie Pie is about to start pin the tail on the pony. You want to play." Spike said to Twilight walking into her room wearing some kind of weird party hat on his head.
"No, all the ponies in this town are crazy. Do you know what time it is?" Twilight said sarcastically to Spike, frustrated.
"It's the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration. Everypony has to stay up or they'll miss the princess raise the sun. You really should lighten up Twilight, it's a party." Spike said up to Twilight before returning to the party.
Twilight grumbled to herself before she flopped over on her bed and talk to herself saying. "Ugh! Here I thought I'd have the time to learn about the Elements of Harmony, but no silly me all this ridicules friend making has kept me from it." Twilight said sarcastically ranting to herself and rolled over looking out the window of her bedroom to see the full moon.
"Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousand-year the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about everlasting night. I hope the princess was right. I hope it is just an old pony tale." Twilight said to herself looking out to the full moon now surrounded by four small stars.
"Come on Twilight it's time to watch the princess the sunrise." Spike said to Twilight and the two of them traveled to the gazebo to watch something that would change Equestria forever.
Twilight and Spike traveled to the gazebo which was packed with ponies eager to see Celestia raise the sun. "Isn't this so exciting?! I'm excited, are you excited, cause I'm excited. Except for the time I saw you and I went gasp. But I'm being silly who can top that." Pinkie said with the same energy she had during the party.
"Fillies and Gentlecolts as the mayor of Ponyville it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration." The mayor of Ponyville said followed by a cheer by all the ponies in the gazebo.
"In just a few moments our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this the longest day of the year." The mayor said beginning her speech. Twilight turned her head looking out the opened window to see the full moon.
The four stars around the moon's moved behind it and the image of the Mare in Moon disappeared.
"And now it is my great honor to introduce the ruler of our land. The very pony that gives us the sun and the moon each and every day. The good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria." The mayor said introduces Celestia.
"Ready." Fluttershy whispered to her birds.
"Princess Celestia!" The mayor said followed by the birds singing and Rarity opened the curtain to reveal no princess.
"Huh!?" Rarity exclaimed surprised.
"This can't be good." Twilight said to herself knowing that this had to do something with Nightmare Moon.
"Remane calm everypony, there must be a reasonable explanation." The mayor said trying to keep her citizens calm."
"Oh, I love guessing games, is she hiding." Pinkie said trying to add a little comedy to a tense situation.
"She's gone!" Rarity said and panic set through the building, while except in Pinkie who said. "Oh, she's good." Pinkie said only to be followed by a scream as a blue smoke began to form at the top of the balcony.
"Oh no... Nightmare Moon." Twilight said as the blue smoke transformed into the black alicorn known as Nightmare Moon. Spike fainted shortly afterward falling off of Twilight's back.
"Oh; my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your sun-loving faces." Nightmare Moon said bitterness and sarcasm burning through her words.
"What did you do with our princess?" Rainbow Dash said charging at Nightmare Moon.
"Slow down nelly." Applejack said catching Rainbow by her tail.
"Why, am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?" Nightmare Moon said addressing the ponies with rhetorical questions.
"Oh, more guessing games. Um, Hokey Smokes, how about Queen, Black Snooty, Black Snooty!" Pinkie said adding so unneeded comedy to the situation. Applejack quickly quieted Pinkie by shoving a cupcake in her mouth.
"Does my crown no longer count not that I've been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you recall the legend, did you not see the signs?" Nightmare Moon said using her flowing mane as an extra limb.
"I did, and I know who you are. You're the mare in the moon... Nightmare Moon!" Twilight said speaking up followed by the whole group of ponies gasping learning exactly who they were dealing with.
"Well, well, somepony remembers me. Then you know why I'm here." Nightmare Moon said genuinely impressed that Twilight recognized her.
"You're to...to..." Twilight said trying to find her words.
"Laughs evilly. Remember this day, my little ponies for it was your last. From this day forth the night will last forever." Nightmare Moon said explaining her plan to her subjects and then continued in her evil laughter with lightning following.
All the way across Equestria inside the crystal caves of Canterlot the Alpha of all dragons stirred his sleeping spell weakening, even more, with the return of Nightmare Moon and he lifted his massive tail slamming back onto the ground creating a small earthquake that shook all of Canterlot. This small moment would soon become a full waking as the king of all the dragons began to start his return.