"You're the Mare in the Moon! Nightmare Moon!"
Everypony gasped at Twilight's outburst.
"Well, well, well." Nightmare looked amused. "Somepony who remembers me." She then narrowed her eyes. "Then you also know why I'm here."
Twilight gulped, and put on a nervous face. "Y-you're here to bring forth... eternal n-night."
Nightmare chuckled evilly. "Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!" She gave way to a full-on laugh, her mane and tail spiraling crazily above her, letting out bolts of lightning. Twilight kept her nervous face, but was calm inside.
Don't be too sure of that, Nightmare Moon, she thought to herself.
The mayor finally got hold of her shock. "Seize her!" she yelled at the guards present. "Only she knows where the Princess is!"
Three guards stupidly flew forward, attempting to attack Nightmare.
"Stand back, you FOALS!!!" Nightmare's eyes glowed, and she shot lightning at them while laughing mercilessly. The guards fell back onto the floor, unconscious.
Idiots...
Nightmare suddenly enveloped herself in her starry blue mist, and flew out the doors of the building.
Applejack, who had somehow been able to keep hold of Rainbow's tail without pulling out any hairs, finally lost her grip on it. Rainbow dashed off after Nightmare angrily.
"Come back here!" Rainbow panted to herself, and hovered in place. "Night time... forever?" She then got a glance at Twilight, Spike replaced on her back, running out of Town Hall. "Where's she going?"
Twilight deposited Spike into his basket as soon as they got home. He fitfully slept in it for a few seconds, before he suddenly woke up. "We gotta stop Nightmare!!" However, he was still exhausted from the party, and fell back on the pillow. Twilight hastily tucked him in with a blanket, reminding herself to buy him a proper bed. She looked at him worriedly.
"You should sleep, Spike. You've been up all night. You're only a baby dragon, after all." Twilight went downstairs into the library, and began to look for the book about the Elements. Part of her wondered whether or not Pinkie would still find it. She probably would. Suddenly remember what had happened this fateful night, she began to speak to herself. "Rggh, how am I supposed to beat her without the Elements of Harmony??"
"And just WHAT are the Elements of Harmony?!?!" Rainbow had burst through the door, and now had her face aggressively close to Twilight's. "And how did you know about Nightmare Moon, huh??" Twilight backed away, but soon had her back against a wall. "Are you a spy?? WOAH!" She was suddenly yanked back by Applejack, who had followed after Twilight.
"Simmer down, Sally. She ain't no spy." She looked at Rainbow with annoyance. "We jist became friends with her, and we shouldn't jist accuse ponies blindly. But she sure knows what's going on. Don't you, Twilight?" The rest of the girls had followed after Twilight as well, and came into the library, looking at her expectantly.
"I read about the prediction of Nightmare Moon in a book about old predictions. She was banished by Princess Celestia, who used the Elements of Harmony. But... I don't even know where those are, or what they really do, anyways."
"The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide!"
Twilight ran over to where Pinkie was, and soon found the book she was looking at.
"W-what??" Twilight acted confused. "But I looked all over for something like this!"
"It was under E!" she sang happily.
Twilight pulled out the book, cleared her throat, and began to read. "'There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery.'" As she read, nopony noticed a tendril of blue mist lurking outside the window, listening in on Twilight's reading. "'It is said, the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now-'"
"-THE EVERFREE FOREST?!?!"
The group, except Twilight and Pinkie, looked at the entrance to the dark and forbidding forest with fear.
"WHEEE!" Pinkie squeed, quite unperturbed. "Let's go!" She began to hop forward, but Twilight put a gentle, restraining hoof on her back.
"Wait a minute, Pinkie." She turned to the group. "Are you all sure you want to come with me? It could be dangerous."
"No can do, sugarcube," AJ said. "We sure ain't lettin' any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone. We're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple." The rest of the group nodded, and began to trot forward.
"Especially if there's candy apples in there!" When nopony responded, Pinkie followed up with, "What? Those things are good!"