Canterlot, 1000 Years After Nightmare Moon
Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon. She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, 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 on responsibility for both...
In a flash book burned to ash in Twilight's hooves.
"What a load of rubbish," Twilight sighed moving away from the burnt ashes that was once a book titled 'The Mare of The Moon'. Twilight would normally consider it a tragedy for a book to be destroyed in such a fashion, but in this case she would make an exception.
"Spike? Spiiiike?" Twilight called out entering her apartment at the top of one of the spires of the School of Gifted unicorns.
Hearing a groan Twilight looked behind the door to find Spike in a heap on the floor having been hit by the door.
"Oops, sorry Spike..."
"It's okay..." Spike said slowly getting up. "You called?"
"Yes, I'm expecting a letter from the princess any moment and I wanted to be here to read it immediately"
"You're expecting a letter?"
"Yep, a new assignment from her."
"If she already told you why aren't you doing it already?"
"Oh, she hasn't told me, I just know."
"How?"
"Call it a hunch..."
After a few minutes of waiting sure enough Spike clutched his stomach as green flames erupted from his mouth and a scroll appeared from them. Twilight quickly grabbed the letter with her magic and began to read with haste.
"Yes! Today is the day!" she shouted out in excitement quickly grabbing Spike into a deep hug.
"Twilight... can't... breath..." Spike choked out.
"Sorry!" Twilight let go of him quickly and used her magic to steady him back onto the ground. "Or at least the day after tomorrow is!"
Brushing himself off Spike asked. "Today's what day, Twilight?"
"Oh, Princess Celestia is sending me to Ponyville to oversee the, urgh, Summer Sun Celebration."
"But Twilight, you've never liked the Summer Sun Celebration!"
"I know, she's also asked me to make some friends."
"You're not exactly good at that either you know..."
"Hey! I've got you!"
"Yeah, but you practically raised me! Not to mention it was YOU who hatched me!"
"Well neither of those is why I'm excited anyway."
"Then... what are you excited for?"
"Oh, you'll see! It's a bit of a surprise..." Twilight said with a smirk.
"Um, OK... shall we get packing then?
Twilight nodded in confirmation and the pair spent the next half an our packing everything they would need, once they were done they grabbed their things and began to head out of the door. Just before they stepped outside however Twilight turned to Spike, her confident attitude seemed to morph into once of... sadness?
"Spike... you know I will always care for you and would never, ever hurt you, right?"
"Of course Twilight, is everything OK?"
"Yes, everything's fine..."
Before Spike could pry further Twilight turned and continued to walk down away from the apartment, leaving Spike more than a little confused.
The sun was shining brightly in the sky as the chariot containing Twilight and Spike flew through the skies down towards the small town of Ponyville. Finally arriving Twilight thanked the guards and brought up her checklist with her duties for the day written down in an organized fashion.
"So it's off to Sweet Apple Acres first to check up on the food," Twilight informed Spike.
"Twilight the Princess also said to make some friends remember? Maybe the Pony's in Ponyville have something interesting to talk about. Come on Twilight, just try!"
Spike pointed out a pink mare, sighing Twilight slowly approached the mare and attempted to make conversation.
"Um... hello?"
The pink mare jumped into the air and gave a prolonged gasp before speeding off into town.
"Well... that was interesting..." Twilight deadpanned
As the pair walked towards sweet apple acres the silence was disturbed by a loud...
"Yeehaw!"
An orange mare ran up to a tree and bucked it with her hind legs, causing all the apples to fall out and hit the ground with several tiny thuds.
With a sigh Twilight approached the mare. "Let's get this over with... Good afternoon. My name is Twilight Twinkle--"
The mare suddenly bounded up to her and caught her in a manic hoofshake. "Well, howdy-doo, Miss Twilight, a pleasure makin' your acquaintance. I'm Applejack. We here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like making new friends! "
Twilight struggled out of the hoofshake. "Yes well, good to meet you too I guess..."
"So, what can I do you for?"
Twilight ignored Spikes snickering. "Well, I am in fact here to supervise preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. And you're in charge of the food?"
"We sure as sugar are! Would you care to sample some?"
"I don't see why not..."
Applejack reared up and shouted at the barn. "Soup's on, everypony!"
All of a sudden Twilight and Spike were surrounded by dozens of Pony's all with apple related Cutie Marks who quickly began shoving plate after plate in front of Twilight.
"This here's Apple Fritter. Apple Bumpkin. Red Gala. Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apples, Apple Brioche, Apple Cinnamon Crisp... [deep breath] Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith. Up'n'attem, Granny Smith, we got guests!"
An older mare in a rocking chair drowsily woke up. "Wha..? Soup's on? I'm up, here I come, ahm comin'... "
Applejack turned back to Twilight. "Why, I'd say you're already part of the family!"
Twilight laughed with a tinge of nervousness. "Okay, well, I can see the food situation is handled, so we'll be on our way"
Before anypony could protest Twilight teleported herself and Spike away, far, far away.
The rest of the day went just as well, she had met a mare called Rainbow Dash who demonstrated her ability to clear the skies in ten seconds flat, another called Rarity who had tried to force Twilight into a makeover (and Spike fell in love with), and finally there was a rather shy mare named Fluttershy. That's not even mentioning the party that the pink mare from earlier, who Twilight found out was named Pinkamina Diane Pie or 'Pinkie Pie' for short, had thrown. The party had been enjoyable enough and Twilight had participated fully, this was after all a night to celebrate, and now as they walked towards the town hall the real festivities could finally begin.
Twilight walked into the town hall and found it packed with excited pony's all awaiting the start of the summer sun celebration. Twilight slowly made her way through the crowd until she found a seat nearby to a window which in turn had a good view of the moon.
Twilight sat with Spike and Pinkie Pie (who had decided to tag along with Twilight for some reason) in the town hall as Mayor Mare gave her speech, Twilight was ignoring both this and Pinkie Pie's ramblings and was instead staring intently at the moon, specifically the silhouette that was imprinted on it.
And then that silhouette vanished.
Twilight eyes lit up in joy, it was finally happening! After thirteen years of waiting for her and a thousand years of waiting for Luna they were finally going to be reunited!
The Mayor concluded her speech, "In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year! And now, it is my great honour to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria... Princess Celestia!"
The curtains opened, and the whole crowd aside from one gasped to see it was empty. Twilight had in fact known Celestia wouldn't attend, no the coward was expecting Twilight and these 'element bearers' to act as her little militia, the element bearers who were the same pony's Twilight had encountered earlier that very day.
Twilight's joy only heightened as a swirly mass of shadow swirled around the stage and formed into the recognisable form of Nightmare Moon.
Nightmare Moon observed the crowd, spotting Twilight among them but making no recognition of such aside from a sly wink.
In her head Twilight began to here her mothers voice. "Twilight, Go to the castle we once called home and we shall be reunited at last!"
Nightmare Moon finally addressed the pony's before her. "Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun-loving faces. "
Twilight used the distraction to slowly slink out of the hall and began to make a run for the Everfree forest.
As Twilight approached the Everfree forest she didn't hear the frantic flapping of wings until a blue mare slammed into the side of her sending her tumbling to the ground.
"Where do you think you are going? Are you a spy?!" Rainbow Dash accused.
Applejack came up behind Rainbow and dragged her off of Twilight. "Now simmer down there sugarcube"
Rarity pulled up alongside Applejack and was followed by Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. "Yes darling she is Princess Celestia's own student, I highly doubt she has such malicious intent."
Thinking quickly Twilight decided these element bearers may yet be of use, so she might as well keep up the façade until they arrived at the castle where they could be imprisoned until such a time where they were possibly needed. Besides, they didn't deserve death, aside from their eccentricities they had been quite accommodating to her.
"The elements of harmony," Twilight said simply
"The elements of what now?" Applejack asked in confusion
"Within the Everfree forest lies a castle, in this castle lays six magical artifacts that could be used to defeat Nightmare Moon!"
"Well then we're coming with ya, all of us!" Applejack proclaimed
Fluttershy seemed unsure. "Well I could come, maybe... if you wanted me too, but the forest is just so scary..."
"Don't worry darling we'll make sure nothing bad happens to you!" Rarity comforted her friend.
"And then we can have a 'we saved the world' party!" Pinkie Pie butted in with excitement.
"Well, okay... try not to fall behind!" Twilight agreed turning back towards the forest.
The journey through the forest didn't exactly go smoothly, but it did give them all a chance to showcase their individual elements. Applejack was honest the whole way, Fluttershy showed kindness to an injured Manticore, Rarity was generous to a rather fabulous sea serpent named Steven Magnet, Pinkie Pie had hilariously sung her way through a scary situation and Rainbow Dash had chosen them over the 'Shadow Bolts'. All of these were challenges instigated by Nightmare Moon, Twilight noted she was having perhaps a little too much fun messing with the five.
Finally the journey came to an end, the group entered the Castle of the Two Sisters and Twilight led them down the dark decaying hallways towards the elements chamber.
"Is everypony OK?" Asked Applejack out of compassionate concern.
"Oh don't worry about us darling, we've come this far and we aren't backing off now." Rarity assured Applejack.
Rarity's reassurances did help alleviate some of Applejacks concern, but an air of nervousness overcame all of them, except maybe Twilight who was feeling more apprehensive than nervous. Finally they came to two large wooden doors that were largely broken down over the last thousand years. However they opened easily enough with a little push from Twilight's magic, and there right in front of the pedestals that held five of the elements of harmony sat Nightmare Moon, who was waiting for them
Nightmare Moon saw Twilight and for the first time in a long time, she smiled. "I have been waiting for you for a very long time".
Rainbow Dash quickly took to the air. "Well, you won't have to wait any longer!".
Dash swooped down aiming to brashly attack Nightmare Moon directly despite the objections of the other four. She never made it to her target for she was stopped, held tightly in a lavender aura.
Nightmare Moon continued to smile. "I wasn't talking to you..."
Suddenly Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were all also gripped in this magical aura before being slammed into and pinned on a far wall.
"What in tarnation!" Shouted Applejack
The response was from a voice that didn't belong to Nightmare Moon, but to Twilight!
"Sorry girls, truly, but you will not lay hoof on her!"
The five mares looked at Twilight in confusion.
"So you were a spy! I knew it!" Shouted Rainbow Dash accusingly.
"A spy? No Rainbow Dash, I am so much more than that"
Rainbow Dash was getting angry, and her eyes shot daggers at the lavender unicorn. "Then who are you, Twinkle?!"
"Sparkle"
"What?"
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, but only my mother can call me that, you may call me by another name!"
The five ponies could only stare in horror as shadow formed around the unicorn they had come to know as a friend. Once more Twilight Sparkle disappeared and in her place a dark alicorn arose, the group gasped in fright as history repeated itself.
"You and the whole world may call me... Nightmare Nova!"
Fluttershy began to cry. "What... what are you going to do with us..."
"You are the element bearers, Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Laughter and Kindness. You may yet be of use to us, to the dungeons with you!"
The element bearers couldn't even protest before they were teleported away into the dark and dingy dungeons deep below the castle.
Nightmare Moon laughed out in sadistic glee, but Nightmare Nova did not, for she felt something that she had not expected.
Shame.
From within the pocket dimension known as the starfields Princess Celestia had been observing everything. Though she had left the element bearers to combat her corrupted sister she had wanted to keep an eye on them in case they failed and would perish if she didn't involve herself.
But now she had made a wonderful, and terrible discovery.
Twilight Twinkle, the very pony whom she had taught and practically raised for the last eleven years... was Twilight Sparkle... her niece long thought dead. Celestia felt a fool for not having realised the truth, blinded by the grief she had felt for the last thousand years. But now she felt two conflicting emotions.
Joy
Horror
Joy on the revelation Twilight Sparkle was alive and reunited with her mother at long last.
Horror for the fact she had once again taken the mantle of Nightmare Nova, and they would undoubtedly make another attempt at conquest. And now the element bearers were imprisoned only herself and Cadance stood in their way.
Closing the visual feed she turned to leave the starfield, her destination... Canterlot.
The end would be coming soon, only time would tell how...