//------------------------------// // chapter 3 Day 4 (Reworked and Updated) (Proofread by Skye Mist) // Story: Awakening Evil (Reworked) // by Bronyprophet //------------------------------// The next day arrived, and things were only worse. Luna now had a dark grey pelt, her pupils had nearly formed into slits, and the aura that surrounded her was now visible not to only unicorns and alicorns, but visible to the naked eye. A dark shroud of darkness would follow where she walked, and every time she spoke, her voice had an alternated tone; it seemed that she was stuck in limbo between a nightmare, and a dream. Luna received threatening looks from the guards, as she walked past and the ponies that she passed shuddered and ran away in fear. Luna's sister, Celestia, had been in bed after she raised the sun, because when she did, she had struggled against a mighty force, sapping her of her energy. The force was so familiar, but she couldn’t remember why or what this meant and Celestia began to only worry more so. She could not fathom how she was becoming weaker every day the shroud lingered, and her energy felt like it was being used to feed this dark energy. Celestia had no clue what was doing this; all she knew was that she could no longer raise the sun with the same ease. It scared Celestia; she felt powerless, and she could no longer even hold herself with the same energy afterwards. If she didn't rest after using her magic to raise the sun, her magical energy would be too weakened to sustain her life force, and she would die. The dark lingering thickness had drained her of her alicorn magic, and Celestia didn't know why or how, but she knew whatever was approaching, would test the fate of Equestria. Twilight felt the balance of harmony shift dramatically; it was more towards the evil side of the spectrum now. Alarm bells were ringing in her mind, she had decided to warn her friends about the strange occurrence, and tell them to prepare to fight for Equestria once again. The first of her friends she saw was Rainbow Dash, who had been doing her duties to control the weather. “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight shouted with an urgent tone. “Hey Twi. What's with the urgency? Chill out a bit, and breathe.” Rainbow Dash said as she came to Twilight's level. “No time to breathe Dash, there is a great evil approaching Equestria. And we must prepare for the fight of our lives.” Twilight said, panicked from what she foresaw. She was horrified, paranoid and worried; she knew that one of her friends would die in the coming fight. Twilight could not stop thinking of her dream, where she saw a silhouette lying lifelessly on the floor of the battlegrounds, with an alicorn's silhouette standing over the lifeless corpse, its hoof crushing its skull, and within a spilt second, she saw a sudden flash of electric blue eyes appear and disappear again. Twilight also remembered another part in her dream. She was standing in a graveyard and a storm orchestrated its presence; the storms winds howled, and its rains pelted, as streaks of light shattered the darkness, as thunderous cracks echoed, and its fork lightning skewed. With each flash of lightning, Twilight saw a tombstone with one of her friend’s names marking it, and when she finished reading each name, she howled in a longing anguish. Shortly after her anguishing cry, she heard a maniacal laughter echo in her mind. Soon after that, she woke up in a cold sweat. “An epic evil attacking? Pffft, that’s nothing! I could handle that with my eyes closed. Especially with our totally kick ass new elements of harmony.” Rainbow Dash said with unwavering confidence. Twilight noticed her smile, a smile that Twilight hadn’t seen in many years since Rainbow Dash's injury. This brought Twilight some joy to see her friend smile once again. After she warned Rainbow, she headed to Pinkie's shop, where she knew that she would be baking. Once Twilight arrived, she was greeted by a really excitable earth pony named Cheese Sandwich. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to Pinkie Pie's and Cheese Sandwich's hooooooooome!” Cheese Sandwich greeted in an excitable sing song tone as a party cannon went off, before Cheese Sandwich continued. “Hi Twilight!” Several years ago, Cheese Sandwich had married Pinkie Pie, and they had been in a steady relationship for several years now. They had attempted to have a foal at one stage, but Pinkie had a disorder that would not allow her to conceive young, but despite this, Pinkie Pie had never lost her fun loving, party making, and random personality, and it only intensified by being with Cheese Sandwich. “I need to talk with Pinkie. I have urgent news.” Twilight answered with seriousness, thick in her tone. “Okay, I’ll fetch her for you.” Cheese Sandwich replied as he dashed inside the house, leaving only a dust cloud version of himself in his wake. As Twilight waited, she thought to herself “Celestia's grace I will never get use to how energetic this place has been since Cheese Sandwich moved in with Pinkie.” “Hey Twilight. Doyou wanna try my rock slice, its greaty, great, great, its crunchy, and chocolaty. I already know what you’re going to say Equestria is in danger once again, you need my help, and you believe one of your friends will die, and you had a dream telling you all of this.” Pinkie Pie said her voice sounding like a machine gun. Twilight tilted her head perplexingly. “How did you know all of that?” Twilight stated, dumbfounded. “Because I know everything” Pinkie Pie replied shiftily as she slowly walked inside her home and closed the door before repeating “Everything.” In a whispered tone. After the strange occurrence she witnessed, she travelled to Rarity's house, and when she arrived, she saw Rarity going about her business creating dresses for a large list of celebrities. Rarity had been awarded the title of best designer in Equestria, and every superstar celebrity pony, would go to her for their designs. She had managed to become the single richest unicorn in Equestria, and most of the time, she would give her earned money to charities or to her friends, if they needed it. Rarity had little time for anything else, being the best designer in Equestria. “Rarity, I have something urgent I need to tell you!” Twilight said bursting through the door with panic etched on her face. Rarity's cat got scared by the sudden intrusion and leapt onto the roof of Rarity's shop. Rarity used her magic to lower Opalescence down to the ground. “Oh my Twilight, you scared Opalescence half to death, what’s the matter dear?” Rarity asked, slightly surprised at Twilights intrusion as she tried to calm the aging Opalescence. “I foresaw an epic fight approaching, and I have been feeling a dark energy lingering for the past 3 days, and it still lingers now. I have been forgetting things for a specific day that I cannot remember. I believe that we are on the eve of battle Rarity; be prepared.” Twilight said in a serious tone, so serious that Rarity became spooked. Rarity felt uneasy about what Twilight had told her, and she felt a shiver up her spine at the thought of another war. In the last war, so many ponies died against Sombra’s army, and it nearly claimed Twilight's as well. “You-Your not saying th-that war approaches again, ar-are you d-dear?” Rarity said as she went wide eyed with fear. “Quite possibly, Rarity. Be ready for the time, and when it comes, we will need you.” Twilight said in a dead serious tone. In the silence that followed, you could hear a pin drop. After several seconds, Twilight calmed down Rarity, and made her way to Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack ran the apple family farm. A year earlier, Granny Smith had passed away, and it was up to Apple Bloom, Applejack, and Big Mac to run the farm. Apple Bloom was 18 now, and she and her friends became royal friendship guards for Princess Twilight Sparkle. Apple Bloom had managed to get her Cutie Mark, and her Cutie Mark was an apple in the centre of a kite shield. She got that Cutie Mark from realising her purpose was to help ponies everywhere with their problems, and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders got a similar mark to hers. Each of them had the same kite shield, with something uniquely describing them in the middle of the kite shield. “AJ, I have to tell you something urgently!” Twilight urgently ran towards AJ while yelling her message. “What’s all the ruckus bout, Twi?” Applejack said, fixing up her Stanton hat. “This ‘Ruckus’ is about the fate of Equestria; I had a premonition, and it told me that a great evil is coming, and one of my friends will die. I’m afraid it’s true even though I do not want it to be. I feel it in my heart that it will come to pass. I can feel it also in my surroundings. A dark energy lingers, and it’s growing stronger every day.” Twilight said with a mixture of panic, sorrow, and fear. “Now Twi, quit yer worryin. Aint nopony gonna die, not while we have the Elements of harmony at our side. But sure’nuff, I will prepare fur the varmints arrival.” After Twilight had told every one of her friends in Ponyville about what was approaching, she headed out to the edge of the Everfree Forest, where her friend Fluttershy was living. Fluttershy had overcome a lot of her timidness, but she was still timid. It was just a lot milder than what it was originally. “Fluttershy, are you there? I need to tell you something urgently.” Fluttershy opened the door and greeted Twilight kindly. “Hello Twilight, but, um you know, what’s the emergency?” “Fluttershy, we need your help. We are on the verge of battle, and I fear one of you may die if I do not warn you of what I have foreseen. A war is approaching.” Twilight explained with a tone so serious, that it caused Twilight to think that Celestia had been making a royal decree in front of her. “A war?” Fluttershy squeaked with fear, showing her original timidness as she began to tremble at the thought. “Yes, as unfortunate as it is, it is the truth. I saw it in my dreams and I need your help, no, Equestria needs your help.” Twilight pleaded, feeling more concern for Fluttershy as she continually protested Twilight's plea. “I don’t think I can, you know, help you, Twilight.” Flutershy replied to Twilight with a tiny voice nearly inaudible to the naked ear. Fluttershy’s fear, and worry, were growing, but there was a new emotion mixing within her; It was guilt. She felt guilty that she could not help her friends out in this time of need. “Please think of your animals, and all the animals in Equestria, counting on you to save them and all of the ponies of Equestria, I need your help; We need the element of kindness.” “Ok, Twilight. I will , you know, try to help you and the animals.” Fluttershy reluctantly surrendered as she thought of her precious Angel, and all of her other animal friends. She knew that if an evil tyrant would take over Equestria, all the animal would be scared, and lost, and that didn’t sit right with Fluttershy. Fluttershy was overcome by a motherly nature, as she agreed to Twilight’s plea. As Twilight was running around Ponyville, Celestia had gotten up after recovering her energy. She sought out Luna to ask her, if she would tell her what was happening with her. When she found her, she asked, “Luna, why can't you tell me what's wrong? Let me help you.” Celestia pleaded with tears in her eyes, afraid of what might be happening to Luna, her precious sister, the sister she loved so dearly. She felt like she was losing her again and she could not live with herself if that happened again, for the injury from when she had banished her sister remained after all those years, and although it was clouded, the feeling never changed. “You can’t help me, no one can, I must do this on my own.” Luna answered with determination and sadness in her voice. Luna knew that she might not return to the world of the living the way she was now; it worried her. She feared death but she feared the harm of Equestria even more so, and that’s when Luna made her resolve to stop any enemy to take over Equestria, even if it meant that her life was the price. “That is not true, you have friends now, you can rely on them, and you can rely on me.” Celestia pleaded with her sister, nearly breaking into tears and losing her composure. “I know, but this is a fight you cannot help me with.” Luna replied with a heavy sadness in her voice. Luna felt alone, isolated, and singled out, with no escape except to fight her way out of the situation. “Who are you fighting?” Celestia pushed out of concern for her beloved sister. “I can’t tell you, but once I get rid of this problem, I can, and I will tell you everything, but for now you must trust me Tia.” Luna explained to her sister with a heavy heart. Luna knew that this would hurt her sister, but she knew she had to, to protect her beloved sister from further emotional harm. “But how can I trust you when you look like this, and wherever you walk, a dark shroud follows.” Celestia explained, as she felt her heart breaking and her tears welling. “Did you hear that Luna? Your sister doesn't trust you;does that surprise us? When has she ever trusted you? Even if she knew what I was planning, she would not believe you ha, ha, ha, ha.” Nightmare Moon said to Luna through her mind. Nightmare Moon had been attempting to manipulate Luna's answers. “Go away” Luna said to herself through gritted teeth, feeling her anger boil from the sudden intrusion that cut in to the conversation. “What did you say, Luna?” Celestia asked, perplexed. “I SAID GO AWAY!” Luna shouted in her royal Canterlot voice, confusing Celestia’s voice with Nightmare Moon's. “As you wish,” Celestia said, as she tried to hold her composure as she teleported away, feeling betrayed, hurt, and hated by her sister. The sister she would gladly throw her own life away for. She felt like her heart had shattered into a million pieces, as she entered her chambers and fell on her bed, finally losing her composure and beginning to cry. “Wait…“ But as Luna said this, Celestia had already left. She felt a blazing anger well in her depths, and a hatred so powerful that it cracked the marble floor, scaring a guard pony, causing him to flee from her. “Ahh, my power has nearly taken over you Luna; soon your body will be mine, and Equestria will be cast into shadow. The time of night, is nigh, ha, ha, ha.” Nightmare Moon stated, filled with bolstering confidence and the feeling of being immortal and uncontested by anypony. “I’ll make sure your plan ends here, Nightmare Moon.” Luna said in her mind, filled with an undying rage and desperation to stop the demon inside of her taking over her mind and body. Luna had to; she had to save Equestria before it was too late. As Luna fell asleep this time, she was the one seeking out Nightmare Moon, and when she found her, Luna was greeted by Nightmare Moon. “So you are brazen enough to challenge me, Luna; you will lose. It's time,I take over what is mine” Nightmare Moon announced as she approached Luna filled with unyielding confidence. Nightmare Moon felt god-like and unstoppable. “No, it’s time to rid this world of you for good, Nightmare Moon.” Luna stated with a voice of venom and hatred towards her alternate self. “You will try, ha, ha, ha, ha.” Nightmare Moon concluded smugly as she charged Luna.