//------------------------------//
// Prolouge: For Real This Time 
// Story: Fears 
// by Short Stories 
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When this lavender unicorn first appeared, and I teleported her away from her five travel buddies, I didn't think much of it. She didn't look like the type that could 'defeat me', per-say. When she started running towards me, with her horn charged up, I thought she was ready for battle, and charged towards her, as well.

Then she teleported, over to where the elements lay in stone. I was starting to get nervous as I saw her ignite her horn again, this time not for teleportation. "Just...one...spark..." I heard her murmur, as her magic surrounded all five elements. Enough was enough; I teleported over to where she was, she was so busy concentrating, she didn't even notice my presence.

"Enough!" I yelled as I shot her away with a hard blast of my magic. She went skidding across the floor, looking quite hurt. Good. That's what she gets for trying to overthrow me. I look at her as her expression changes from horrified to smug; she looks like she's looking at the elements surrounding me. I look down, curious to see what she sees, and immediately regret I did.

The elements were shinning in her light-pink aura, and her horn had stopped glowing; only meaning one thing: She ignited the spark.

"No!" I say, stunned; I didn't think it was possible. What, with my 1,000 years trapped on the moon, it gave me plenty of time to come back with a battle strategy--plenty of time to think of every possible thing that could happen and over come it, new dangerous possibilities forming in my head each day. Unfortunately, I hadn't planned for a simple unicorn from Canterlot--I presume-to come into the battle, I had been expecting my sister, so I could fight her--and win, then banish her to the sun for 2,000 years. She would hate that, just as much as I did, and finally see my pain.

The stones stopped glowing. "No!" I heard the unicorn say, almost mimicking me. A delighted smile creeps upon my lips. I start to laugh, at the doubts I just had, what was I thinking? There was no way a pony half my height could ever defeat me! I crush the elements for good measure. "No!!" She says again.

"You little foal!" I say, loving the play-on-words. "Thinking you could defeat me? Now you will never see your princess, or your sun! The night will last forever!" I throw in an evil laugh for good measure. The unicorn looks terrified, once again, and I know I have her in my clutches. Then I hear voices.

And not the voices in my head that made me get revenge, no, outside voices.

"Don't worry Twilight, we're here." A voice says, this voice is high-pitched, energetic, and sweet all the same.

"Don't worry, we'll be there." A more southern accent says, concern mixed into her voice.

The unicorn--Twilight, from what I heard, lets out a happy gasp. Thats not a good sign for me, I find myself with my mouth hanging open, and close it immediately. "You think you can destroy The Elements of Harmony just like that?" Twilight asks, more than a statement than anything. "Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of The Elements of Harmony are right here."

I was speechless for a second, then a word found it's way to my lips. "What?" I felt my expression change from from surprise to disgust without thinking.

"Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of... honesty!" As she spoke, some shards from the elements I broke picked themselves up and whisked around the orange earth pony, the pony looking confused, and a little frightful, of what would happen next. "Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of... kindness!" Twilight continued, more shards picking themselves up and surrounding the frail yellow pegasus, this one seemed terrified, and tried to huddle herself into a ball while hovering in mid-air. "Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of... laughter!" Twilight continued, some more shards surrounding the bubbly, bouncing, earth pony. She didn't seem scared one bit.

"Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents the spirit of... generosity!" The white unicorn stared at the shards, tried to back away as they came near her, then realized it was no use and stood still, letting them revolve around her. "And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire represents the spirit of... loyalty!" The blue pegasus, the one I was keeping my eye on, looked at the shards surrounding her with a smug expression. She must be playing it cool, in front of her companions.

"The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us!" Twilight claimed, pointing an accusing hoof at me, but I found a loophole almost instantly.

"You still don't have the sixth Element! The spark didn't work! " I yell, trying to get that fact through their thick heads.

"But it did!" Twilight argued, "a different kind of spark." She turned her back to me, facing her friends instead. "I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all... are my friends!" Just then, a orb of light so bright I had to shield my face came down and landed--if that was possible--on the unicorns head, after the light left, there was a purple crown that matched her cutie mark sitting just behind her horn. "You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic!"

I saw them about to lift up, probably about to over throw me. Panicking, I decided to tell them what really happened. "Wait!!" I cried. The six ponies, who were starting to rise in the air, (minus the pegasi) stopped and somehow hovered instead. Twilight looked down at me with irritation, something she felt she had a right to hold.

But she didn't know the full story.

The unpublished side of the story.

My side of the story.

"I want to tell you what really happened." Twilight switched her expression to confused. "Before you reform me, of course, and I lose my memory."

Twilight sighed and she, along with her new-found friends, plopped down on the floor in front of me. I cackled, not believing how foolish these ponies were! Twilight jumped to her hooves and pointed her horn at me. "If you try anything, we can use these elements in an instant!" She warned.

Like I needed to be reminded.

"When we were fillies, my sister and I fought a lot. It only got worse in years passing."

"Hey, what's with the unhappy start?" The pink earth pony-Pinkie Pie, I think- asked, pouting.

"Don't interrupt her, darling. Maybe the story will get better as it progresses." The white unicorn said, then faced me with a worried smile on her lips. She was scared. Excellent. That made me feel powerful.

"When Celestia first took on her proper role as the leader of Equestria, she kept telling me the pressure was to strong, too much, too soon. She was telling me she couldn't handle it, and asked me to take over the night, since ponies were coming in well past midnight for help from the princess then, and possibly now."

"This isn't getting any happier." Pinkie loudly whispered, she was starting to get on my nerves.

I ignored her and continued on. "I noticed ponies were shunning my night, and worshiping her beautiful day--"

"Thats exactly whats in the book! How is this different, exactly?" Twilight interrupted, a scowl on her face.

"Just listen." I instructed. "The worst part was--my sister was parting during my lovely night, getting drunk, smoking, she almost stripped if I wasn't there to teleport her to her room!" All the ponies in that small room were looking at me, horrified. Probably not believing a word I was saying. I cast a spell to project my memories upon the closest wall, so they could see it with their own eyes. "That was the night we started fighting; Tia kept saying that she knew what she was doing, that she was handling it responsibly, however, she kept slurring as she spoke, so I highly doubted she was right." I narrated. After that, I stayed silent and let my memories tell the story.



"Tia, everything you just said in that sentence was wrong!" Memory-me cried, you could visibly see the tears of anger in my eyes. "I care for you, Tia! I don't want other ponies taking advantage of you!"

"You don't care fo me one bit!" Celestia argued back, trying to point a hoof at me, but wound up falling on her side instead. "Tat nia* pony waz showin me da way to da garden!"

Memory-me shook my head. "No, Tia. He was leading you downstairs."

"Izn't dat where da garden iz?" Celestia asked. She had her golden dress half-off and her shoes were on her wrong hooves.

Memory-me shook her head again. "No, Tia, it isn't. He was trying to get your dress off of you."

"Poniz r naked 'alf da tim, anyways! Why iz it a big deal noow?" Celestia asked, slowly and clumsily parading around the bed.

MM lowered her voice, along with her head, in anger. "It's a big deal iif it's a social gathering." She whispered.

I seemed like Tia had come to her senses, that's what it felt like, at least, when she suddenly turned to me and started stomping her hoof, just like Twilight did when I first met her not even ten minutes ago. Her eyes narrowed and she pointed her horn at me; I thought she would teleport me to my room, but I was wrong.

"I'm da oldr sizter. I am rezponzable, I can make my own decizions." She told me, horn still down. "I get to punizh thou. You need to dink about how ur acting ta meh."

MM looked at her with shock, fera and anger mixed into my expression, it looked like she was beside herself with these emotions; thats because she--thats because I--was.

"TO DA RMOON!" With that, and a huge flash of light, MM was gone, a huge smoldering spot in the middle of the floor.



My spell ended, and I looked at my small audience. They were all still staring at the wall, slack-jawed. They slowly turned their heads towards me, pity written all over their faces.

"Nightmare Moon...I'm so sor-"

"Don't go there." I instruct Twilight. "Please, don't even go there."

"I think she was trying to say 'room." Pinkie said. "Forgive and forget, right?"

I scowl at that saying; oh, how I HATE that saying so much! "If it's 'forgive and forget', pink pony," I say, slowly walking towards her for intimidation. Pinkie keeps smiling at me, waiting for what I have to say next. "Why didn't Celestia come here herself and apologize, hmm? Why did she send you six pony-drones in her place? Why didn't she write a response to all those letters I sent to her while I was on the moon?"

"Maybes she's just busy?" Pinkie shrugged, holding an innocent grin on her face. I was now where the pink horse sat.

I lowered my face right next to hers, as if I wanted to tell her a secret. "Why did she tell me that she'd never. LOVE ME?!" I scream into her face. That did happen the night before the 'incident', but I doubt they need proof now.

Pinkie stared straight ahead,"Uhh..." All hope was gone from her eyes.

"That's what I thought." I say, a satisfied smirk on my lips. I teleport back to the front of the ponies, and all five switch their heads back to me. Pinkie doesn't do anything, I assume I lost her. "If you want to reform me now, go on ahead." I say, standing as stiff as a soldier. "But you must remember: You won't be doing any pony any good if you aren't reforming a half-brained nitwit that I swear still parties like she used to to this day."

"How do ya know?" Applejack asked me.

"I spied on her with my magic for the last ten days I was on the moon." I said. "It wasn't pretty."

"Eww!" All five ponies chimed, probably imagining what I might have seen. Pinkie was still staring off into space; her hair was deflated, and her fur seemed duller then before.

"We won't reform you." Twilight said, walking forward. She must be the unspoken 'leader' of these five ponies. "We want to work for you, and help Princess Celestia become more.." she cleared her throat. "..modest."

I took a step back in shock; not expecting these ponies to put their trust in me. "You trust me?" I ask.

All six ponies nodded, Pinkie had finally come out of her trance and was back to her regular self.

"How do I know your not lying?" I ask, in a more flatter tone. I need to make sure I trust them as well.

"You could. . .trust us?" Rarity suggested. I shook my head.

"We could throw a trust-party for you!" Pinkie yelled. I shook my head again.

".....Trust...falls....?" Fluttershy asked. I know no why she's called 'Fluttershy', it was a wonder I could hear her. Still, I shook my head at that, too.

I noticed Twilight had stood and was beginning to pace around in front of me. She suddenly stopped, right in my point of veiw, and made another delighted gasp. This time, I knew it was a good thing.

"You could put us through trials!" She exclaimed. Before I could think it over, however, Applejack started to speak.

"Twilight?"

She turned around to face her friend. "Yes?"

"What's a trial?"

"A trial is a formal examination of evidence before a judge, and typically before a jury, in order to decide guilt in a case of criminal or civil proceedings." All five ponies looked at her with wondrous expressions, confused on how that type of 'trial' would help me test their loyalty. Twilight bent back her ears, she probably had a sheepish smile on, but I couldn't tell. She was still facing away from me. "Uhh...It's also a test, for something," she turned to the side so I could see her profile, "or, in this case, somepony to assess its suitability or performance. In this case, trust and loyalty."

A series of "Ooooh!"'s coursed out through the room. Twilight turned to face me head-on, her eyes clearly showing her excitement. "What do you say, Nightmare Moon?" She asked, the hopefulness in her voice easy to her.

I liked that idea, I liked it quite a lot, actually. And I already had an idea for the theme of each trial. "That sounds like an excellent idea." I say, "and I think I have an idea for each of you, already."

"Ooo, what is it?" Pinkie asks, "is it baking,orpiemakingorthrowingpartiesorgivingoutballonsor--"

"NO!" I spread my wings in frustration. Pinkie immediately stops talking, shock stricken across her face, as if I had slapped her. "No." I repeat, a lot more calmer this time. "I'd rather surprise you, then tell you right away." My voice sounds shockingly sweet for me, I decided I don't really like it.

"Okay! Whatever you wish! I can hardly wait to know, though!!" Pinkie cheered. She won't be cheering for long.

"When do we start?" Twilight asks, her eyes full of hope.

I lower my head, my horn pointing straight at her. "There all solo trials," I warned, "so your friends can't come and save you." I see them all nod out of the top of my eye. "Your trials begin..." Pause, for dramatic effect..."now." With six beams of light, there all gone.

I cast a spell six times, to see each ponies progress. I can also speak to them, if I wish. But I doubt they'll need help. There strong, brave ponies. It's only their worst fear, after all.