Dash jabbed a hoof at Twilight's chest. "You don't fool me. It's probably some kind of illusion spell!" She glanced around, suddenly wary. "Where's your little purple dragon pal, huh? Trying to get the drop on me?"
Twilight's jaw dropped. "How could you even know about Spike? Unless..."
"He was with you both times!" yelled Dash, interrupting her.
Twilight started backing up, shaking her head. "What 'both times?' What are you talking about?"
"Heck, he's even in your wanted poster."
Twilight gave Dash an exasperated look. "Did you even *read* my wanted poster? Cause it sure didn't say 'Wanted: Rogue Alicorn' last time I checked."
Apparently, that struck a nerve... the crazy Shadowbolt captain headbutted her so fast, Twilight didn't even see it coming. "Reading is for eggheads!" bellowed Dash, red-faced and bat wings spread... as she bucked Twilight again, then spun and swept Twilight's hooves out from under her.
Twilight groaned and put a hoof to her aching head. Worse, her saddlebags had gotten knocked loose and spilled pamphlets all over the alleyway.
Dash put a hoof down on one, frowning as she scanned it. "*You're* Smarty-Pants?"
Twilight staggered to her hooves, panting. "At least now you can arrest me for *something I actually did!*" She lit her horn, surrounding her forehooves in crackling dark clouds, then kicked out at Dash, hoping to shock her unconscious...
Only for Dash to dodge all of her kicks, seemingly without effort. "Lightning, seriously? Who do you think you're fighting with here?" She ducked lazily out of the way of a high kick. "Seriously, have you ever tried to hit another pony in your life?"
"How about this, then?" snapped Twilight, firing a brilliant purple blast from her horn... but the Shadowbolt was just... gone.
"Nope," said Dash... directly behind her. "You'll have to be a lot faster than that to beat Rainbow Dash!" She aimed another lightning fast kick at the unicorn's head... but she only hit a violet teleport flash and empty air. "Oh, buck me."
"Language!" called Twilight from a distant rooftop... which was suddenly not distant enough from the charging batpony. "Oops..."
Ardashir (with edits)
"You're not getting away from me THIS time!" Captain Dash yelled as she flew at Twilight. Before the unicorn could escape, Dash slammed into her and forced her down. "Hah! I caught you, troublemaker."
"Urrgh-ugh!" Twilight kicked uselessly as she sought escape. "What do you mean, 'getting away this time'? I've never seen you before in my life! And how do you know about Spike?"
"I know all about you," Rainbow snorted as she examined her captive's back. "Where are you hiding those wings?"
"What wings, you lunatic?"
"The ones you had when you were hassling me in Cloudsdale as a filly!" Dash looked at Twilight, seeing a confusion that mirrored her own. Dash backed off, letting Twilight rise. "When you stopped me from that race... and when you said you came from a world where the traitor, where Celestia, still ruled..."
Thw two ponies stared at each other.
"Okay," Twilight said. "I think we need to talk. NOW."
More of the Night Guard flew overhead. Dash found herself ducking into the shadows beside Twilight without even questioning why.
"Eh, maybe at my place?" Twilight said, and Dash just nodded.
***
Hours passed as the two mares spoke, comparing notes on what they remembered and didn't remember of the day that sent Rainbow Dash out of racing and into the Guard.
"Time travel? I, that other me, said she got to you by time travel magic? But that's impossible!"
"Impossible or not, it's what she really said," Dash answered her. "She wanted me to keep racing, but watching her fight it out with this other crazy unicorn was more fun." She grinned at the memory. Then, serious again, "But what about everything else? How she lived in a world where Celestia still ruled? How did they handle Sombra and Tirek and all the rest of the enemies Nightmare Moon defeated here?"
"I'm not sure," Twilight rubbed her chin before looking at a nearby book. It was one for foals, the 'Tale of the first Hearth's Warming'. "We ponies used to be a lot less, well, grim before Nightmare showed up. Maybe we found other ways that didn't depend on blasting everything?"
"Huh," Dash thought back to her own memories of the days when the sun still shined on Equestria. "But we were just more foolish then, right? We didn't know how nasty the world really was."
"Is it LESS nasty now?" Twilight looked out the window Dash joined her and winced to see yet another harnessed-together chain gang of 'sun-loving traitors' being chivvied along with snorts and blows by the Night Guard. Dash frowned as Twilight said, "It was better back then, Rainbow Dash. Nopony knew what prison camps were."
Dash looked from her to the prisoners to the bloated moon in the sky and made her decision. She removed her armor and tossed it into the corner.
"Okay. How do we bring the sun back?"
***
It took them time and a slow gathering of allies, most of them found on the new 'Most Dangerous Traitors' list edited every month by the crown. Discord came first.
"Discord?!?" Dash snorted in disbelief. "He tried to take the country over!" Nightmare Moon had been sure to educate her ponies on Discord's original reign, ironically she didn't need to exaggerate in the least, but of course, she had minimized her own sister's involvement, and had removed any mention of the Elements of Harmony.
"Like it or not, we do need someone powerful to face down Nightmare Moon, and he's the strongest being in Equestria," Twilight responded as they headed into the Everfree Forest.
They found Discord, weakened as he was, along with the adult blank flank pegasus who tended to him. Dash thought she looked awfully familiar.
"If you want to bring Celly back, count me in," Discord said. He snapped his claws and a miniature sun appeared in his hand, only to spark out. He frowned. "She was a stick in the mud, but she's a million times better than that humorless sister of hers."
"And if he's going, I'm going," Fluttershy said in her soft voice. Dash scowled at her. Fluttershy shivered, but stood her ground. "I'm not letting him run off and get himself hurt again, the poor dear." She fluttered up to give Discord a little kiss on the cheek. He turned crimson, literally.
Discord's magic was enough to get them inside Nightmare Moon's new castle in the Everfree. More specifically, into the dungeons, where they found Zecora and her new Earth pony guard.
"Ow! Pinkie! Knock it off!" Dash dodged wildly as Pinkie took one swing after another at her. She missed by a hairsbreadth with every punch, but the flying stone splinters as her hooves pounded the walls made them almost as dangerous as solid hits. "We're trying to FIX things!"
"No, you're trying to bring Puny Princess Sunbutt back!" Pinkie leaped and snatched Dash out of the air, slamming her into the ground. "Nightmare Moon saved us from Tirek! And Meany-Pants Discord! Have you gone loco in the coco, Dash?"
"WHAT is going on here?" Dash and Pinkie both looked up to see the Seneschal rounding the corner. A tray full of food floated unobtrusively behind her. "I am trying to clean the castle, and her Nightjesty is very particular about... Oh!" She froze at the sight of Dashie and Pinkie rolling on the floor. "Not to be personal, ladies, but maybe you could find a room and --" She looked past them to see Twilight, Fluttershy, Zecora out of her cell, and worst of all? "DISCORD! He's in the palace! Help, Nightjesty, hel -- HLLP!" She began tugging at the muzzle on her mouth.
Fluttershy frowned at Discord.
"What? I had to quiet her down somehow." Meanwhile Zecora and Twilight grabbed Rarity.
"Rarity, who aided me, now listen carefully," Zecora said to the panicked mare. "Discord is here, 'tis true, but no foe is he to you." Behind her Discord snapped his fingers and the furious Pinkie was trapped inside a balloon. Rarity gulped but listened. "Long now have you treated me, would I reward kindness with falsity? We but seek to restore the sun, the Nightmare's endless night is no fun. If you aid us, your family can be saved," Rarity's eyes went wide at those words, "But let us fail, and all by the Nightmare will be enslaved!"
The zebra and Twilight released Rarity.
"Rarity," Twilight said, "Dash told me about you and your doubts. And your fears for your family. If you help us bring Celestia back, ponies will see you as a hero rather than as a traitor. Your family won't suffer. Please! Help us bring this lunacy to an end!"
"And you, Pinkie," Dash said to her en-ballooned friend, "can't ya see how bad everything has got? You used to laugh and tell jokes all the time; remember how Captain Shining Armor liked them?" Pinkie seemed to calm as Dash carefully popped the balloon, setting her free. "Ya gonna help us save Equestria and Luna from Nightmare Moon, or not?"
Mtangalion
Pinkie Pie rubbed her chin with a hoof. "Hmm...."
"Well?" asked Dash impatiently.
"Hmmmm!!"
Everypony leaned a little closer.
Pinkie Pie's flat mane twitched and crinkled, then poofed into bouncy curls! "Okie doki! Let's make Equestria smile again!" The pink earth pony threw her hooves wide, flinging confetti from nowhere.
Discord tossed in a few small fireworks of his own. "Oh, I *like* her..."
And then cold mists started pouring down the stairs to the dungeon, and a haunting laugh echoed through the halls. Nightmare Moon herself slowly came down those stairs, grinning like a maniac. "I believe I've heard enough."
Rarity quivered, trying to turn even paler. "Y-your Nightjesty! Thank goodness you've come! It was all just a joke, you see? I wasn't really..." She sighed, slumping. "Oh, who am I kidding?" She dragged a sleeping cot out of a prison cell, then fainted on it.
Fluttershy didn't faint, but she cowered behind Discord, shaking like a leaf.
"Nightmare Moon!" said Twilight, dramatic and defiant... the moment seemed to demand it.
"Captain Smarty-Pants," echoed Nightmare Moon mockingly. "Also known as Twilight Sparkle, also known as Prince Shining Armor's dear little sister Twily. You've managed to amass quite a collection of troublemakers, only to hoof yourself and them right over to me." The dark Alicorn seemed to take a particular interest in Rainbow Dash, ruffling her half-regrown mane with a tendril of mist. "And to think, you used to be one of my most loyal guards."
Rainbow glared and punched the mist with a hoof, dispersing it. "Loyal to you, maybe... but I was betraying Equestria! I... I messed up. I know that now."
Nightmare Moon chuckled, then laughed out loud, throwing her wings wide. "You know nothing, Rainbow Dash! You may have removed your armor, but my gift to you makes you mine forever... my little thestral! You, and your most secret dreams. I've known all of your schemes from the start."
Rainbow's tall tufted ears drooped. She covered herself with her bat wings, then recoiled from them, self-conscious in a way that she hadn't been since the Nightmare first changed her. Worse, Fluttershy, Discord, and even Pinkie were giving her doubtful looks. "I didn't know... Guys, you have to believe me! I *didn't* betray you on purpose!"
Twilight put a foreleg around her. "I believe you."
Rainbow stared, almost weeping with relief. "You... you do?"
"Of course I do!" said Twilight. "You're my friend, now. Heck, you could have turned me in and been a national hero on the day we met. After all the months we've worked together, I know you. I know you didn't betray any of us willingly."
Zecora coughed. "That is all well and great, but perhaps we should hurry and make our escape?"
"We're as good as gone," said Discord, flicking his fingers. They made a rooster's crow instead of a finger-snapping sound, and nopony went anywhere. "Eh?" He snapped again, and got the sound of a goat bleating. "That's not funny!"
"I'll get us out!" Twilight lit her horn and cast a mass teleport spell. The mana drain would be terrible, but they had no choice... but they vanished and reappeared in exactly the same spot!
Nightmare Moon was laughing again. "This is too much. You poor fools! Did you not wonder why I've been speaking with you alone, instead of having my loyal guards lock you up?"
Pinkie Pie pinched herself... with one hoof... somehow, and gasped! "Oh no!"
"Oh yes!" crowed the Nightmare. "I filled the castle with sleeping mists! You've been dreaming since you got here, and you will NEVER wake again unless I release you!"
The walls of the prison groaned and flew apart, like a foal's castle playset. Suddenly, Nightmare Moon loomed before Twilight, seemingly enormous, as if Twilight really was just a foal's doll. "Now, how to begin breaking you? What do you fear?" Her wicked, fanged grin spread wider. "Oh, that is simply too perfect." She pointed a foreleg accusingly. "I hereby BANISH you from Equestria, and IMPRISON you in the place that I am banishing you to!"
"NO!" wailed Twilight, tumbling through space with her friends old and new... until they slammed into the dusty gray ground of a castle courtyard, with brilliant stars and *Equus* in the sky overhead.
"Enjoy that for a while," said the Nightmare's voice. "You can keep *her* company."
"Her?" asked Twilight, hesitantly. Her eyes widened.
A great tree occupied the center of the castle courtyard. It must have been beautiful once, tall and otherworldly, encrusted with crystals... but it seemed dead. There was a mare chained to the tree, a mare Twilight knew.
"Oh, the poor thing!" said Fluttershy, trotting right over to try and unchain her.
Rarity got up from the ground, flinching at all the moondust getting in her coat. She gave the prisoner a curious look. "My goodness... I do believe I remember that mare. We had her in the dungeon for a while. Isn't that..."
Twilight gulped, nodding. "Moondancer."
Kendell2
Twilight wracked her brain. How could this be happening? They'd come so far only for...for this to happen.
[It don't make since, does it?]
'No, it doesn't! It can't end like this!'
[No, Ah mean it REALLY don't make sense? Somethin' about this just ain't right...]
Twilight blinked, looking around the desolate surface of the moon...the group here...Discord...Discord!
'She sent Discord here with us!'
*And?*
Twilight then realized something and gasped.
'We're traitors...this ISN'T how Nightmare Moon treats traitors! Okay, it is, but not in this order!...I think I know what's going on!...But if that's the case...how do we...'
"Everypony! Ignore her!"
"What?!" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Ignore Nightmare Moon! Don't pay attention to her voice! Or the moon! Trust me!"
"WHAT?!" Nightmare Moon's voice bellowed.
Twilight set down and stared up at the sky, right at Equus, not the stars, not the moon, only the planet itself. The others hesitantly joining her.
"What are you trying to do?!" the Nightmare's voice asked. The ponies ignored her completely, as frightening as that was. "Don't you dare ignore me!"
The entire moon seemed to rumble.
Twilight didn't remove her eyes from the planet.
"STOP IT! PAY ATTENTION WHEN I SPEAK!"
Rainbow Dash fought conditioning and kept doing so.
"Isn't Equus pretty from here?" Twilight asked, not paying the Nightmare any attention.
"...Yeah...it is..." Rainbow Dash admitted.
"Pay attention to my beautiful moon! Not to that rock!" yelled the Nightmare, getting angrier and angrier. The moon shook again.
Discord blinked, listening...Then got a smirk. 'So that's our game? It's TROLLING TIME!'
"Hey, does anypony notice the sun isn't visible?" Discord questioned. "Just black, black, black, and slightly darker black. Oh and the stars, but they're kind of boring when you've stared at them for the last few centuries!"
The group blinked in confusion, realizing they couldn't see the sun any any way, not even as a corona near Equus.
The moon quaked again, sounding like a glass was breaking.
"DON'T YOU DARE MENTIONED THAT WORD!"
"Yeah, I so would have liked to see the sun again!" Twilight called.
"Um...I've missed the sun..." Fluttershy muttered.
"SHUT UP!" Nightmare Moon's voice screamed.
Rarity blinked in confusion, but played along. "I miss the sunlight. Playing in the sun with my sister..."
Rainbow Dash thought they were crazy, but now it was doing something. "I miss feeling the sun on my wings."
"Oh! I miss having parties in it!" Pinkie yelled.
"I will not lie, I miss under the sun being able to lie," Zecora followed up.
"I...I miss Celestia..." Moon Dancer muttered.
"SHUT UP! DON'T TALK ABOUT HER! DON'T TALK ABOUT HER DAY! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"
Equus vanished, leaving them just floating in the darkness of space.
"Close your eyes!" yelled Twilight. The group did so.
"PAY ATTENTION TO ME! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"
The Nightmare kept screaming and seething. The world began to SHATTER as a storm seemed to rip the moon and blow their manes.
"Don't look!" Twilight yelled. The group didn't.
"STOP IGNORING ME!" Nightmare Moon yelled in what sounded like a mix of the psychotic Nightmare...and a frightened, broken pony.
Finally, everything shattered.
---
The group gasped and sprung awake. They were back in the dungeon, barely any time had passed.
"What happened?!" Rainbow Dash asked.
Twilight sprung back to her hooves and began searching. "Think about it! Nightmare Moon finds a group of traitors under her nose, including the captain of her guard! And she just throws them on the moon? What about that sounds off?"
Rainbow Dash blinked...then gasped. "She didn't make a show of us! She would've made an example of us to discourage any other traitors!"
"Exactly!" Twilight replied. "And she'd not have just dropped DISCORD on the moon where he could potentially generate his power! She was telling the truth about putting us to sleep but she never sent us to the moon! Not YET anyway! And she wouldn't have sent Moondancer there yet either! Now let's find her quick and get out of here! Nightmare Moon is going to be coming for REAL!"
Discord simply snapped his claw, turning the stairs into soap. "That should hold off the guards for a bit."
"Okay, darling. How did you free us?" Rarity asked, continuing to look.
"Simple: when she took over the shared dream, it became like a dream to HER! And the one good way to wake somepony up is to SCARE them awake! And anypony who's read a tiny bit about Nightmare Moon knows there's one thing she's scared of more than anything else: being ignored!"
Twilight finally found the cell...finding Moon Dancer chained up inside.
Mtangalion
Meanwhile, in a new fortification on the southern border of the Crystal Empire, ponies were trotting to and fro, preparing for war. Half of them were crystal ponies, sparkling in the torchlight. Unicorns checked their spell components, pegasi stretched their wings, and earth ponies strapped on heavier armor. There were two entire flocks of griffons, too, and even a team of diamond dog sappers.
Prince Shining Armor paced back and forth, his steps muffled by fresh snow. The image of an orange blue-maned pegasus hovered over the drakefire amulet in his hoof. "Nightmare Moon's avatar is in the Crystal Palace right now," said Shining grimly. "She's gloating about having Twilight held prisoner. What's the situation over there, Flash?"
Flash Sentry's image flinched. "I'm sorry, sir. Our mages picked up chaos activity in the palace, and our spy passed out in mid-report. Your sister probably did go there."
Shining groaned. "I knew we should have gotten her out of Canterlot. Even if she did manage to talk a Shadowbolt captain into joining her, and even Discord... Discord!" He shook his head. "Prepare for Citrine Shatter, soldier, but everypony is to stay hidden until I relay the word from Princess Cadence." Flash saluted, and his image faded away.
A winged shadow swept past Shining. Spike flapped his wings hard, and thumped to the ground beside the prince. "We're finally gonna fight, huh?" Spike sat back on his haunches so he could lift his forepaws and smack a fist into a palm. "It's about time!"
Shining Armor smirked and rested a hoof on the purple dragon's flank. "Remember why we're doing this, 'little bro.'"
Back when Spike had been evacuated to the Crystal Empire, Cadence and Shining had cautiously helped Spike start a hoard of precious crystals and gemstones, but in truth, he barely seemed to need it. Spike wanted to protect his adopted family and all of his ponies... he wanted to fight against Nightmare Moon and win! Now the "baby dragon" was big enough to wear a harness and fly Shining into battle, and getting stronger by the day.
Spike grinned back, snorted a lick of green flame. "I remember, 'big bro.' Can't wait to see the look on Twilight's face..."
The drakefire amulet flashed, and an image of Cadence appeared. "Something's happening, Shiny! Nightmare Moon freaked out and abandoned her avatar, right in the middle of demanding our surrender."
Almost, Shining Armor dared to hope. "It could be a trap. Maybe she's baiting us into attacking."
Cadence smiled. "We'll know for sure just how distracted Auntie is in a minute... when I try to raise the sun!"
Alex Warlorn
Of course, everypony recognized Celestia's student. But nopony had expected her to be a prisoner in Nightmare Moon's castle... last anypony had heard, she was still at large.
"Why would Nightmare Moon keep that she'd captured you a secret?"
"She wanted me publicly executed, but was worried I'd become a martyr. And didn't want rescue attempts," Moon Dancer explained. "And you are? Wait a minute! Aren't you that pony who kidnapped that egg from Princess Celestia?!"
"Uh, well..."
A minutes of explanations later (they didn't have time for more).
"Nightmare Moon didn't tell me you were here," Rainbow Said. Rarity and Pinkie nodded in turn.
"... She... found me in Everfree..."
"What darling were you doing right in the lion's den?" Rarity asked.
"I... came to the Everfree Forest... looking for the Elements of Harmony."
"Elements of what?" Twilight Sparkle asked surprised, hadn't she heard of those before? In a fairytale? Oh right, like Nightmare Moon was supposed to be a fairytale.
"What Celestia used to defeat Nightmare Moon before... I figured one pony would get less attention than several. I'm Celestia's student, she trusted -me!- this is my responsibility! My quest! I can't just betray all the hard work she put into me! She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself..."
Mtangalion
"You can tell us all about them back at headquarters," said Twilight. She touched a hoof to her chin, suddenly thoughtful. "We're going to need a lot more organizing now that we have twice as many members." Then she grinned and added "I can't wait!" without a trace of irony.
Moon Dancer was still woozy from her ill treatment in the prison, but at this she jerked awake. "No! We can't leave yet."
Rainbow Dash was hovering by the stairs leading up from the prison cells, peeking around a corner. "Um, we sure can!"
"But the Elements of Harmony are here, in Nightmare Moon's palace!" Moon Dancer insisted.
Discord glided smoothly over. "Elements of what now? Oh, you don't want those old, busted antiques. Not when I've got something so much better!" He whipped out a small treasure chest adorned with his own grinning face. "Behold, the Elements of Chaos!"
Discord popped the lid open... and a couple of moths flew out. "What? Come on..." He turned the box upside-down and shook, then stuck his paw inside and felt around, reaching much further than the depth of the box. "Wretched depleted powers! Not now!" He coughed into a paw. "Anyway, Nightmare Moon has had years to scatter the Elements to the four corners of the earth. Or send them to the moon! Or just plain grind them to dust!"
"She can't do any of those things!" said Moon Dancer stubbornly. "They were sealed in a magical orrery which prevents anypony from touching them, unless they're worthy to be a bearer."
While the others were talking, Pinkie Pie started sniffing around in the box. "Oh my gosh, it's full of cotton candy!" She dug deeper, got stuck, and somehow slipped right through and fell in, but Discord smoothly pulled her back out again.
Dash frowned. "Yeah... I know I'm usually in favor of charging right in, but seriously, we need to go. I'm surprised Nightmare Moon didn't come storming down here, like, five minutes ago!"
"It's probably because of that pesky little army massing on the northern border," said Discord offhoofedly. "Oh dear, I probably shouldn't have said that!" He slid over and nudged Twilight, grinning like Flim and Flam's lost third brother. "Let's go meet up with them right now! Your brothers are *so* worried about you, Twilight." He started to snap his fingers.
Zecora blocked Discord's paw with a hoof. "Why do you hide what you know? With your lies and sly talk, it's only chaos you sow! The key to Nightmare's defeat, you don't wish us to find, for fear the Elements of Harmony will seal you a second time!"
Fluttershy gasped. "How can you say such mean things!? Discord is reformed... he's our friend now!" She looked up at Discord earnestly, eyes wide. "You... you aren't really plotting against us... are you?"
Discord raised a talon, another smart remark on his lips... and then he sighed, face falling. "Fluttershy, I..."
Rarity spoke up quietly. "A magical orrery, you said? I know where that is."
There was a chorus of ponies saying "What?!" and "You do?" Except for Pinkie Pie, who said "Walla walla walla!"
Rarity gripped one of the wall-mounted torches in her magic. She jerked it to the left, then down, then twisted it clockwise. There was a loud click, and a concealed door swung open.
A hush fell over the group. One by one, they filed into the secret passage with Rarity leading the way, lighting the darkness with her horn. "I always wondered why her Nightjesty ordered the original audience hall bricked up and forgotten, instead of restoring it." Rarity led them up a long, narrow flight of badly worn stone steps, then right twice, then left again, where the ancient passage ended. "Fortunately it seems, as is often the case with royalty, Nightmare Moon gave no thought to the servant passages."
Rarity pulled on a lever, and another concealed door swung open...
Alex Warlorn
Moon Dancer said, "Nightmare Moon... she's waiting for one of us to break the seal, so she can dispose of the Elements."
"True that may be, but another option I do not see." Said Zecora. "If we leave this place now, returning I do not see how."
"If we get Discord back up to full magic I'm sure he could-"
Everypony looked at Fluttershy.
"... never mind." Discord patted the mare on the back.
The two royal guards, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash guarded the rear. While Rarity was on edge for any appearance of her mistress.
Mtangalion
Twilight and her friends stepped out of the secret passage...
After Rarity's story, the ruined stone hall with a dais and twin thrones came as no surprise. The orrery was here too, broken down but still holding five stone spheres. What they didn't expect was the three soldiers camped out in front of it, playing cards. There was no sign of Nightmare Moon.
The earth pony noticed them first. He was a brown stallion with an hourglass cutie mark, wearing a formal vest and a black cape with a high collar. "Oh, they've arrived," said the Doctor. "I told you they'd find this place."
"Just when I was winning!" groused a griffon in an extra large Shadowbolt uniform, her faded-violet headfeathers sticking through the goggles on her forehead. Then she turned to look at them, and froze. "Dash."
Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed. "Gilda."
Gilda shook her wings out, slowly clenching her talons...
Dash lowered her head and snorted, ready to charge...
Rarity smirked. "Oh, just kiss already, darlings. The dramatic tension is simply unbearable."
Dash sputtered.
"It's kinda hard to kiss with a beak, you know!"
Rarity grinned a notch more. Fluttershy blushed. Discord chortled and Pinkie Pie whistled innocently.
Dash flinched. "And I know that because... guards talk about weird stuff at night! When they're not doing cool guard stuff!"
Gilda snickered into her talons. "Maybe later, if you want it bad enough."
"What!!?" Dash actually shed a few feathers. "We never...."
The red and yellow unicorn yawned, stretching. She wore a black leather jacket, and a black wizard's cape with a violet inner lining. "Eh, whatever floats your interspecies romance boat. Which is something I've had *way* too much experience with already."
Moon Dancer gasped. "Wait, aren't you... Sunset Shimmer?"
Sunset gave her a condescending look. "Do I know you? Oh, right! My *successor*. No doubt Celestia needed someone else to jerk around after I left. Ready to go back to your cell?"
Twilight looked at the orrery behind them, and sighed. "Well... I guess we have to fight now."
Pinkie cracked her "knuckles." Somehow.
"I suppose," mused the Doctor. "Though I can't help but notice that we're rather outnumbered."
Sunset rolled her eyes. "The fashion model and the maid don't look so tough."
"Hey!" cried Rarity.
Gilda sighed, looking serious now. "Yeah... I'm supposed to fight Discord. And Celestia's apprentice. And the only pony I ever called a friend." She tilted her head. "You know what? Buck this." She pulled her googles off and tossed them at the floor. "I quit."
Twilight stared. "Wha... just like that? Um, not that I'm complaining!"
"Be that way," scoffed Sunset. "I could beat them all with a wave of my hand. Hoof. Ugh, you know I mean!"
"I... don't really know what you mean at all," said Moon Dancer nervously.
Sunset levitated a crystal ball in her magic. "You know what, though? It was fun for a while, seeing how that nag Celestia got everything she deserved... but now? This just sucks." She jabbed a hoof at the flickering images in the crystal ball. "I knew Nightmare Moon wasn't exactly Fall Formal Princess material, but Cadence gets the sun to peek over the horizon somehow, and suddenly the 'glorious' Army of the Night is deserting in droves. Not only that, but Nightmare Moon *promised* she'd make me an Alicorn and put me in my rightful place, but it's been weeks and she hasn't done squat! I quit too!"
The rebels gasped in shock, the SUN? VISIBLE for a moment?
"Well, that's all settled then!" said the Doctor brightly. Most of Twilight's group gave him suspicious looks. "What? Oh, me! I was working against Nightmare Moon from the inside the whole time, of course."
Zecora frowned thoughtfully. "Here is a pony who always lies... and yet, not this time, I surmise."
Rainbow Dash lifted off, hovering impatiently. "Is that all settled? Everypony done talking? Great! Let's get the Elements already!"
Alex Warlorn
"Five Elements..." Moon Dancer remarked. "There's supposed to be six, which is supposed to appear when the other five are together... but they're obviously together right now... even if they don't exactly look like they did in the book, well, that was a thousand years ago... but still."
"I've spent more time studying Elements than you and I can tell you that you have no clue!" Sunset Shimmer said.
"I'm doing the best I can!" Moon Dancer said.
"Geek later! Escape now!" Gilda snapped.
The ponies grabbed the stone spheres and retreated back the way they came... Rainbow Dash taking the rear...
"Girls.... you.... you all go on without me." The bat-pony said. "Look, Nightmare Moon said she can look inside my dreams, as long as I'm with you, I'm her spy."
"She can look in ANYPONY'S dreams!" Discord said.
"If she could that then she'd have figured out SHE was Captain Smarty Pants a long time ago!" Rainbow pointed.
"You're Captain Smarty Pants?" Gilda blinked at Twilight Sparkle.
"The point is! I need to stay!"
"Dashie! You can't! She'll kill you." Pinkie Pie protested.
"Hey, better me, than my friends," Rainbow Dash said loyally.
Ardashir
"Hey, Dash, look," Gilda stepped up behind the pegasus, sighed, rolled her eyes, and hit her over the head with Gilda's own helmet. Dash dropped like a rock.
Her friends gasped and got ready to fight as Gilda... turned back to the table.
"Take her with ya, okay?" Gilda sat down at the table. "She's a dweeb, but she's my friend, and if she can help end all of this," she waved her claw at the room's grim decor, "she needs ta be with you."
Twilight hesitated as Pinkie tossed Dash over her shoulder and headed back down the corridor away from the chamber.
"Are, are you three sure about this? If the Nightmare figures out what you did..."
"She never will," Sunset scoffed. "Besides, she needs everypony she can get right now. Most of the army ran away, and," a faint roar came to them, followed by the distant heavy thudding of spell blasts. Sunset gulped. "We're too smart for Miss Nightmare Night."
"Just hurry now, young lady," the brown-coated stallion said. "You and the others need to figure out how to use those Elements, and soon." Another explosion sounded close by, followed by a familiar shriek of rage. He shuddered but said with obvious forced cheer, "I'd say VERY soon."
Twilight saw that her friends were already racing down the secret passage back the way they'd come. A third explosion sounded, closer than ever.
"Good luck," she called back to the trio, and hurried away after them.
A few moments later...
"SO!" Nightmare Moon snorted at the Earth pony, griffon, and unicorn before her. "I gave you three one simple mission, and you failed me?" They kept playing their cards, not even looking at her. Her eyes blazed. In the distance came the sounds of the Crystal Army, battering down the gates. "I saw my cowardly troops fleeing in droves, but I thought that here at least I still could count upon some loyalty!"
"I'm not sure, but I think 'Loyalty' was just hit over the head and carried off," Doctor Whooves said. He tossed two cards down on the table. "Oh, Sunset, Gilda, by the way, I'll see you two and raise you."
"Cowards!" Nightmare Moon whinnied. "You didn't even fight, did you!"
"Not a bit," Sunset said. She examined her hand, er, hoof of cards. "Actually, more like we out and out betrayed you." She smirked. "Though betrayal should be something you're familiar with."
"Worms! Will everyone fail me?" Nightmare Moon stalked closer. A baleful light began to glow in both her eyes and along her horn. The noises from the streets of Canterlot grew louder, cheers calling for the Nightmare's head. Nightmare Moon flinched and yelled, "I gave you power, authority! A mad fool jabbering of his magic blue box, an outcast ex-student with foalish dreams of alicornhood, and an outcast griffon! Without me you have nothing!"
"With you we're gonna have even less in, oh," Gilda titled her head to listen to the racket outside. "Less than an hour, unless you fly away and hide somewhere. Hey, maybe you can live on stolen Nightmare Night candy."
"What!" Nightmare Moon gasped. "I, I told you to never mention that wretched holiday! I shall be obeyed! I RULE EQUESTRIA!"
All three folded their cards and looked at her. Nightmare Moon saw many things there. Scorn. Exasperation. And worst of all, pity.
The Nightmare shivered as though a chill breath ran down her back.
"Luna," Sunset shook her head. She gathered up her cards. More explosions came, and the heavy thudding of somepony forcing the castle's main gate. Moments later, too soon for it to be forced, came cheers and the sound of hundreds of hooves on the marble and wood flooring of the Castle of the Sisters. Sunset nodded. "By the end of the day, you'll be lucky to be in chains." Sunset smiled. "Hey, guys, this is really funny..."
"PAY ATTENTION TO ME!" Nightmare Moon shrieked as the light of her horn grew blinding. Gilda and Whooves bent over Sunset's hand, ignoring her entirely as Nightmare Moon almost pleaded, "I'M PRINCESS! I AM I AM I AM! YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"
"Now that I call ironic," Whooves said, looking at the cards.
"Does fate have a sense of humor or what?" Sunset said, letting out a little laugh.
"Aces and Eights," Gilda chuckled. The magic from Nightmare Moon lashed out even as she said, "Dead Mare's Hand!"
A moment later, head hanging and gasping from the amount of magic she'd just used, Nightmare Moon followed Twilight and hr disloyal guard captain and that wretched Rarity down the secret passage. Behind her in the room were three statues.
They still paid no attention to her whatever.
And coming ever closer, the neighs of the invaders and the sound of their hooves clopping over the paving stones.
Alex Warlorn
"Well..." Fluttershy said, "From the sound of it... maybe Nightmare Moon will give up? From the sound of so many ponies ready to say no to her?"
".... She's going to slaughter them. Single hoofedly. You have no idea how powerful Lulu actually is." Discord said sadly. "She'll make an example of them, and make as many examples as she has to, until the idea of opposing her never enters ponies' head again and she makes sure every pony alive is more terrified of her than the enemy... being able to release nightmare causing demons into ponies' sleep can be a great argument for keeping your loyalties to her."
Meanwhile, Amicitia was rambling at the unconscious of a statue.
(Did you HAVE TO knock out Rainbow Dash Gilda?! She was seconds away from awakening the Element of Loyalty!)
Mtangalion
Rarity had led them to a hidden exit from the castle, past a crumbling, forgotten guard post and into open air. A glow like dusk burned on the horizon, making it easier to see the Crystal Army marching into Everfree City and the airships hovering over the forest. Pegasi, griffons, and even a dragon swooped through the air, facing off against the thestrals that hadn't fled.
"Then there's no more time to waste," said Moon Dancer, levitating the stone Elements into a small circle. "Stand back, everypony. I'm going to try to activate them!" The glow of her magic spun them round and round in a whirlwind... but they fell to the ground, unchanged. "I don't understand. My spell should have worked!"
Twilight started to offer her advice, and then she noticed Dash and gasped. "Oh, no! This what we were trying to avoid!" The still-unconscious batpony was moaning in her sleep, eyes twitching behind closed eyelids...
Rainbow Dash found herself in the castle on the moon again, but this time, the planet in the starry sky overhead was the moon too... and even the sun was another brightly glowing moon!
Dark mists coalesced into Nightmare Moon, grinning darkly.
Rainbow fought through chattering teeth and stood up to her, somehow. "Let me go!"
"Rainbow Dash, do not defy me!" boomed Nightmare Moon, in a voice that blew Rainbow back and blasted every bit of moondust in the courtyard. "Do you not see, my foolish little thestral? I ask for so little!"
The Nightmare pointed with a wing, and a vision appeared... Dash's friends in some courtroom, with everypony laughing and jeering at them. Twilight, Moon Dancer, and Zecora were reading thick books and wearing huge nerd glasses, and Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and even Discord wore silly frou-frou dresses, sipping tea.
Another Nightmare Moon appeared in the vision, wearing a judge's robes. "I find Rainbow Dash's friends guilty of being lame eggheads, and definitely Not Cool!"
The first Nightmare strode closer to Rainbow. "Bow before me, Rainbow Dash! Call me your goddess, swear your eternal loyalty once more, and I will do whatever you ask!"
A second vision appeared... the biggest stadium Rainbow Dash had ever seen, jam-packed with ponies chanting her name. "It's the most awesome show I've ever seen!" said yet another Nightmare Moon into a microphone. "Her stunts are the coolest ever! Her Sonic Moonboom is out of this world!" The thundering bang and surging silver ripples in the air only made the crowd cheer louder. "Rainbow Dash is the greater flyer... ever!"
The "real" Rainbow Dash stood with her mouth hanging open, torn...
(Why don't you fly a little closer, Rainbow? Make sure you get a good look at what she's offering.)
/What do ya see, and what *don't* ya see?/
Rainbow lifted off, hovering a little closer. Nightmare Moon grinned in wicked anticipation.
And then Dash saw it. That other Rainbow... she had ten thousand screaming fans... and not a single friend by her side, or anywhere in the whole stadium. She turned away, glaring at the Nightmare Moon. "No."
"No," mumbled Rainbow Dash, still dreaming even after Discord's finger snap, and Fluttershy and Twilight trying to shake her awake.
Dash trotted into the first vision, with all her "uncool" and "egghead" friends, and got right in the judge's face, jabbing her with a hoof...
"There's *nothing* you can give me that's more important than sticking up for my friends!"
One of the stone orbs pulsed with crimson light, then exploded! Rainbow Dash gasped and flew awake as the light swirled into her, becoming a golden choker around her neck, set with a ruby lightning bolt matching her cutie mark. "What... who?! Guys! I'm back!"
Moon Dancer gawked. "The Element of Loyalty! I've... I've been such an idiot! It's not about finding the right spell... It's about the virtues that the Elements represent, and the ponies that embody them! I never could have awakened the Elements by myself!"
Kendell2
Rainbow Dash blinked, the red energy surrounding her...then a darkness burning off her and taking the form of Nightmare Moon's face before burning away. Her fur color and wings became lighter in color. They were still darker than normal, but much lighter "What was that?!"
"I think that was Lulu's link to you being burned up," Discord remarked, backing away from RD. "The Elements tend to provide protection against things when you wear them..."
"...That's why you didn't want us to find it, isn't it?" Twilight asked the Draconequus. "It can protect against you."
"...I said nothing."
"Wait, darlings...doesn't this mean that Nightmare Moon knows we have one Element and this is the last place we were?!" Rarity asked. The group gasped.
"You're right, you should be going..."
The group blinked, turning to find an old, pale purple pony with a purple mane, her Cutie Mark a wisp in front of a star very similar to Twilight's.
"Who are YOU?" Twilight asked.
"An old mare that has been waiting a very long time for this moment..."
Twilight's eyes went wide as the mare's face seemed to become one of pure guilt and remorse for a second. "What moment?"
"I knew where the Elements were...but even if I had six friends to use them...I can't use them," the elderly mare explained. 'Because how much more disharmonic can one be than one who only exists due to a time paradox?' she thought.
"...For some reason I think you smell delicious, not sure why," Discord remarked. "Are you wearing some kind of perfume?"
The elderly mare that had lived to see the price of her vengeance, looked over the group. "...Go, unlock the elements and get to know each other as best you can...I'll distract Nightmare Moon."
"What?!" Rainbow Dash asked. "Are you nuts?!"
The old mare gave a sad smile. "No...not any more. Now go."
"She's right, we are not ready for this fight," Zecora warned.
The group hesitantly nodded, then ran, Zecora waiting a moment, giving a knowing look.
"Are you sure this is something you wish to do? You cannot win this fight, you know that's true."
"I don't have to win...I just have to atone."
Zecora nodded slowly, and ran after her friends.
Nightmare Moon finally materialized in a plume of smoke and shadow. "Who are you?" she asked, face becoming more unhinged.
The mare's horn glowed and she floated into the air in the grasp of her own magic. "My name is Pane Glimmer..."
"Where are Rainbow Dash and her rebels?!"
"You'll have to get through me if you want to find them..." she replied. 'Twilight...fix my mess...I'm sorry for all of this...'
nightmare Moon gave an unhinged snarl. "Then any final words?"
"...Forgive your sister. Revenge and envy are pointless and empty...trust me, I know from experience."
----
"Okay...so...how do we go about unlocking these?" Fluttershy questioned.
"Well...I kinda just remembered to be loyal..." Rainbow Dash admitted.
The group looked over the remaining stone Elements.
"...I have no doubts in my mind, which one in my heart you would find," Zecora said, focusing. "Ask Rarity my dear, for me to lie you have no fear. From our friendship's very start, Honesty has lived in my heart."
One of the stone sphere glowed brightly and shattered before transforming into energy and forming around Zecora's neck. A golden necklace with an orange crystal in the shape of a somewhat simplified version of her Cutie Mark.
Ardashir
"One of the Elements?" Rarity blinked. "Me? But that can't be... I've ever done anything noble." She looked down, head hanging in shame. "I became Nightmare Moon's chief servant just to save my family and dear little sister from her. And they'll probably be exiled after I'm dealt with..."
"Rarity, think," Zecora said. As the unicorn looked up Zecora said, "Your words are untrue, your fate is not to become glue. You kept me alive, only by your aid did I thrive." A faint shimmer began to glow deep in Rarity's eyes. "Letting me die would have won you reward, but such a thing you abhorred." As with Dash, a faint image of Nightmare Moon began to fade from the unicorn as Zecora finished with, "Generosity rules your heart, not the Nightmare's sorcerous art!"
"That's right," Rarity said, stamping her hoof as the last shreds of the spell on her vanished. In an unbelieving tone, she said, "I was being generous when I helped you and the other prisoners... I did it even though I knew what would happen if I was caught... I'm not just some broken slave of Nightmare Moon!"
A third stone sphere shattered and transformed into a necklace, adorned with Rarity's cutie mark. It set itself around her neck and began to glow like Zecora and Dash's.
Mtangalion
When Pane Glimmer finished her speech, Nightmare Moon hesitated. For just a moment, Pane saw the haunted face of a lost filly, frightened and alone... and then Nightmare Moon's eyes glowed pure white, and the ground exploded around her, dust and rocks flying. "I won't even dignify that with a response! Die!"
The elderly mare floated higher, carried by her magic. She hadn't been able to run or walk without pain in years, but her mind and spells were still sharp. "Pshaw! I fought an Alicorn to a standstill once before." Then a teal blue bolt slammed her shield and sent her spinning through the air. She barely dodged the second and third bolts... which tore giant chunks out of the castle wall behind her. "Ugh... Then again, *she* wasn't trying to kill me..."
Discord drew further back from the herd, looking nauseous, and not in his usual flippant "Oh, gag me" way either.
Magical blasts started lighting up the darkness behind them in opposing shades of pale blue. The ground beneath their hooves shook, even this far away.
Discord floated in place, watching, then let out a heavy sigh. "I might as well... I'm not going to do much more good around here, even if I wanted to." He chuckled. "How odd... when I ever care about doing good?"
Fluttershy trotted over to his side. "Discord?" Her eyes widened in understanding. "No, you can't! You're not strong enough to fight her!"
The draconequus smiled at her, resting his paw and claw on her shoulders. "My dear Fluttershy, I can't stay *here* in my weakened condition, or anywhere near the Elements. But before I go..."
Rainbow Dash got in their faces. "Come on, Discord, this isn't the time for your tricks."
"No tricks, no jokes," said Discord. "Not this time. Fluttershy, you are the kindest pony I've ever known... and believe me, I've been around long enough to know a lot of them. Mostly when they were insane or begging for mercy, but I digress!" One of the stone orbs pulsed with pink light. Discord gaped in comical alarm, and started talking faster. "The point is, you knew about all of my 'crimes.' I even told you about them myself, smugly certain that you'd hate me, but you never did. You cared about me, when I didn't care if anybody cared... Thank you."
Fluttershy smiled adorably and threw her forelimbs around the surprised Lord of Chaos, hugging him. "Come back safe."
The pink orb exploded, its light rushing towards Fluttershy.
"I won't Pinkie Promise, but I'll try! Toodles!" Discord teleported out of Fluttershy's grasp, just before her Element of Kindness materialized.
Pane Glimmer was on the ground again, panting hard and expecting Nightmare Moon to blast her hiding place away at any moment. Unexpectedly, there was a pop and white flash, and a lion's paw came to rest on her back. "Hello again!" said Discord brightly. "May I have this dance?"
Pane gasped, feeling power flow into her, replacing her spent reserves. "This... this is *chaos* magic?" She found herself giggling, then laughing freely. Her coat and mane brightened, seeming more youthful. "You know, Starswirl the Bearded researched chaos magic once, came up with some theories that he never got to test. It made *fascinating* reading..."
Discord grinned hugely. "Guess what? Those theories were all true! Especially the ones he got completely wrong!"
Markings appeared in Pane's coat, like a mask around her eyes, and phantom dragon wings spread from her back. "Hah. Hahaha! You don't say?"
The boulder in front of them glowed blue, then hurtled away... Nightmare Moon was livid. "You'll regret getting involved, you snake! Do you think this changes anything! You're just wasting my time!"
"Time you don't have," said Pane. Flashing a devil-may-care grin, she stamped her hooves and tossed her mane! "Round two, let's go!!"
Alex Warlorn
~Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, Kindess, and we can guess who Laughter is going to be... but what about Magic?~
(Nyarlathotrot?! I forget. Didn't we destroy you?)
~Amicitia baby, I'm the god of a thousand masks, I've got 999 more avatars where he came from! First rule of being the proper god of grim dark... never let an opportunity for pointless, meaningless, and gratuitous tragedy pass-by. Ahem. Moon Dancer... Princess Celestia will be so disappointed in you. What happens when she comes back? Do you think she may forgive, but do you think she'll FORGET that you've let her be a prisoner in the moon for five years? Who do you think she'll praise? You who repeated what any pony could have read in a book? Or to the ponies who did what you couldn't? Your mentor used all six elements by herself. Certain you can, then, can't you? Otherwise, who know, this purple mare might steal what's given your life happiness, meaning, she might steal Celestia from you. Remember Sunset Shimmer?... She was the model before you. Whose to say Celestia won't dump you to upgrade to the new and improved version?... Do you want this thief to steal that from you?~
/Yer a sick spawn of a horn toad. /
~Thank you Nightmare Mirror. I think parent's domain took the form of a sea of horn toads once, either that or the opera house of his attendants appeared as an orchestra of frogs. But I digress. Now to hedge my bets. Twilight Sparkle? Why are you letting this failure tell every pony everything? All she did was read books, get in a fight with Nightmare Moon, and end up in the hospital, she followed Celestia's plan... and it failed. Why are you letting the toady of a goddess who let all this happen who YOU rescued from Nightmare Moon's dungeon call the shots? Isn't this YOUR revolution? YOUR resistance group? Why are you letting this little thief steal from you?~
!!Twilight Sparkle and Moon Dancer made up and saved the world together!!!
~They haven't started yet you idiot. So what you just inserted makes no sense... thanks, let me twist that around and insert into their heads the idea that the other will be showered with praise while they are left to rot in their shadow. Rather like Luna herself eh?~
Kendell2
-Deus, darling, you really need to watch what you say.-
!!Reconstruction!!!
~What are YOU doing here?!~
-Simple, I'm Deus' friend and sister. And I think I'm better suited to mix words with a silver tongued snake like you are they she is. Let me take this one from here, darings, this is MY forte.-
---
-Twilight, she failed, yes. But the question is: does that make her any worse of a person? Or does a mistake only become a failure when you refuse to correct it?-
Twilight looked to Moon Dancer, seeing the expression on her face. The look of doubt.
~She's the reason the world fell to ruin!~
-Is she really?-
Twilight thought about it. Moon Dancer failed, yes...but so did the guard. So did everypony...It wasn't just her fault...and out of everypony she was one of the ones trying hardest to fix it.
~If no pony could do it, what hope do you have?~
-If everypony else failed, doesn't that mean it's all the more important you don't?-
"...Moon Dancer. What's wrong?"
"...I...I'm afraid Celestia will be upset with me...she trusted me and I failed her...I guess...I'm a little upset I might be replaced even if we win..."
"...I don't think so."
~Don't trust her! She just wants your place!~
-If she wanted to do that, why not leave you to rot in Nightmare Moon's dungeon? She had the option.-
"Why?" Moon Dancer asked.
"You're the one who lead us to the Elements. You've been trying to find them this whole time...you're trying harder than anypony else..." Twilight explained.
Rainbow Dash overheard it and nodded. "She's right. You weren't that high on the most wanted list because you weren't trying to fix things. Trust me, I kept having to read the wanted posters."
Fluttershy nodded, coming over. "...You've tried hard...you're a good pony. Celestia was too nice to turn on you..."
Rarity seemed a bit conflicted...
-How can you hold it against her when you're looking for redemption yourself?-
"...Darling...if I can be forgiven for working for the villain to protect my family, I think you'll be forgiven for falling short."
Pinkie Pie simply hugged her.
"Why are you hugging me?" Moon Dancer asked.
"Because you were sad!" she exclaimed.
Moon Dancer was stunned for a moment...and returned the hug. "Thanks...
"You're welcome! It's kinda what I do!"
Moon Dancer looked around the group. "...You girls...you're what I was missing...friends...My mistake wasn't falling short myself...it was trying to do it all on my own. I was as strong as I needed to be...but no matter how strong I was, I couldn't win alone...I needed friends...And I STILL need it...I needed friends...thanks for showing me that."
The others all nodded.
"Welcome," Rainbow Dash said. "Thanks to all of you for showing me loyalty."
"And showing me I could still be generous, darlings," Rarity continued.
Zecora said nothing, but gave a knowing smile.
The last shard sphere glowed and shattered into blue energy, reforming around Pinkie's neck as the pink pony showed her pure glee at helping somepony cheer up, forming a golden necklace with a blue crystal in the center.
Moon Dancer gave a gasp of realization. "...And...and that's it! True strength...true MAGIC...it comes from friendship. That's the missing piece!"
Energy formed above her head.
~You...you didn't even talk to Moon Dancer!~
-I didn't. Reconstruction is turning something torn down into something positive. I reconstructed Moon Dancer feeling unconfident and sad to build a friendship with her.-
Mtangalion
Moon Dancer turned to Twilight, and was surprised to see the other unicorn smiling. Far from being jealous, Twilight was looking all around in wonder and even jotting down notes. "Twilight, I can't help but think... maybe you should have been the one to bear the last Element. This was your group. You took ponies... beings that should have been enemies and got them all working together to fight against Nightmare Moon, when I was stuck in a dungeon, unable to do anything."
"Me?" Twilight shook her head. "You're the one who knew what had to be done and never gave up." She looked down at her hooves, blushing a bit. "To be honest, I didn't even really have a clear goal when we infiltrated the palace dungeon... I was only hoping to recruit more allies. You, though... even when we'd just freed you from prison, you didn't hesitate to put your freedom at risk to seize this opportunity.
Rainbow Dash smirked. "That's our egghead. Heh, two eggheads now. Nightmare Moon's gonna be quaking in her hoofshoes!" Her Element of Loyalty shimmered, adding another thread to the growing vortex of magic floating over Moon Dancer's head.
Now Moon Dancer blushed. "Truth be told..." She winked at Zecora. "For the longest time, I felt like I was just the runner-up, that you were the Princess's first choice, and I only got the job because you messed up."
"I've never regretted that," said Twilight at once. "I showed the Princess that I darn well could solve her 'impossible' challenge if I took my time and did things my own way. I'd never have met Spike if I hadn't."
Moon Dancer smiled. "Better late that never, huh? All right, girls... even if it's five years late, let's go stop Nightmare Moon... together!"
The spark of magic pulsed and imploded, streams of light rushing towards them. When the ponies and zebra could see again, nearly every one of them gasped. "My word!" cried Rarity. "Did the legend of the Elements say anything about... that?!" Moon Dancer and Twilight *both* wore fancy new magical jewelry, a crown set with a crystal crescent moon for Moon Dancer, and a choker with a six-pointed star for Twilight.
Kendell2
Pane held up her forcefield, Discord helping, but with Discord's weakened state, the blast overwhelmed them both and sent them slamming into the ground. Pane's head hit a rock and everything was black.
---
Pane Glimmer's eyes flittered open, finding herself in a strange domain. Her mind couldn't comprehend a lot of what she was seeing. She saw a mare walking down a path, splitting off in endless ways leading towards a dusk, coming from a dawn.
"Am I dead?" she asked.
"Not quite...Welcome, Pane Glimmer."
Pane turned, seeing a mare with one normal wing and one clockwork wing. "Who are you?"
"Rota Fortuna, the Goddess of Fate."
Pane noticed the mare seemed to be tired, like she'd been running herself ragged.
"Fate...You know, a long time ago I hated you...now I'm not certain..." Pane Glimmer admitted.
"Yes, I'm aware...and I'm not so fond of you either, given how much trouble you've caused me," she said, looking over at her.
"...I can't argue against that..." the old unicorn admitted.
"You broke time six times over like a rank amateur, who do you think had to fix that?"
"...You..."
Rota nodded, walking over. "...Do you know why, despite all odds, Rainbow Dash and her friends have their own Cutie Marks?"
"Fate?"
Pane took a step back as Rota LAUGHED.
"That's ALWAYS you mortal's answer...but it's wrong," Rota replied. "While I DO give Cutie Marks, there has NEVER been such a thing as a set Cutie Mark for anypony. And let me ask you one thing, Starlight Glimmer: if Cutie Marks were the REAL cause of inequality, then why does it exist among creatures that have none?"
The old mare was stunned silent for a moment. "...I admit, when I was insane, I'd have an insane justification for that...but now that I've seen everypony equally oppressed by a tyrant...that's a good point."
"If you want something to blame for inequality, you should be pointing your hoof at is my fallen brother's son, Persecution! I believe you're old friends."
Pane pinned her ears, looking up as images of her browbeating and indoctrinating ponies hovered around...then seeing them overlaid with Discord's actions. Or Earth Ponies being told by Unicorns how inferior they were in the Three Tribes time. The pegasi and Unicorns doing it to each other. Griffins treating ponies as cattle. Changelings treating them much the same. "...I know him all too well..."
"Only once he and his siblings, Want and Ignorance are eliminated by the choices of mortals can there be true equality. ONLY by their choices. Those who seek to remove Free Will for 'the greater good' do Morning Star's work without knowing it! Remember THAT Pane Glimmer next time you desire to fix that problem."
Rota took a deep breath, the normally stoic Spirit of Fate having had a VERY long day and being face to face with the mare who had so recklessly reeked untold destruction on cause and effect wasn't helping. "...To answer your question: they're the same because the timeline you created was never supposed to exist."
"I'm aware of that..."
Rota lead the way over to what looked like an observatory. "You're not aware of the half of it."
Rota's horn glowed, and an image of Moon Dancer, Golden Tiara, Cloudkicker, Bulk Biceps, Minuette, and Coco Pommel, each with a different Element, appeared. Another timeline were Gilda simply replaced Rainbow Dash. And so on and so forth, including one where STARLIGHT was Magic. Some had the same Cutie Marks, other had completely different ones.
"All of these possibilities could have happened, Pane Glimmer," Rota explained. "But all of these possibilities stem from NATURAL choices. Choices with no influence from, say a vengeful time traveling unicorn. Simply put, Pane Glimmer: this timeline isn't just one that shouldn't have happened, it is one that COULDN'T happen. Because the only reason the choice that spawned it ever happened was your meddling. The same Cutie Marks are merely a side effect of that of cause and effect being broken by your meddling and desperately trying to prevent an event you mortals would cause a time crash."
Pane took that in for a moment...then sighed. "I see...I'm sorry. I was a fool...but...if that's the case, why do I still exist?"
Rota turned back to her. "Because myself and others decided this timeline deserves a chance to exist. And for it to exist, so must you..."
"I see...You're not letting me off that easy, are you?"
"No. When you die, you WILL become my Angel and you WILL work off the damage you've done to creation. Only THEN will you be permitted to rest. Understood?"
"Fair enough..."
Rota turned to her and nodded. "...Now go, and sin no more..."
---
Pane groaned, her eyes flickering open. Just in time for her to teleport out of the way of one of Nightmare Moon's beams. "That was too close..."
Nightmare Moon snarled and floated up, summoning the moon behind her. "Any last words?!"
"Yes, Princess Luna, I know you can be better than this," Pane said, once more seeing the hurt child in the Nightmare, before she contorted in rage.
"Silence!"
"Lulu, that's quite the temper you have, you know that?" Discord remarked.
Nightmare Moon snarled. She charged up her horn, drawing magic from the moon into her horn...
"Nightmare Moon!" yelled a voice.
The Tyrant of the Moon turned to see the Bearers, two Magics at the forefront, standing in front of her. "The Elements?! NO!"
Moon Dancer narrowed her eyes. "Come on, girls, let's show her the real power of Friendship!"
The seven ponies charged up the Elements of Harmony, light surrounding them as they floated into the air. Pane Glimmer smiled, even though the chaos magic she was using didn't seem to like the power growing nearby.
"NO! I won't allow it!" Nightmare Moon snarled in rage, directing the spell she was charging towards them and fired a gigantic beam of moonlight at them.
The Rainbow erupted and arced down to meet it, the two forces colliding for a moment...before Nightmare Moon's beam was swiftly overpowered.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the Tyrant of Endless Night yelled, being surrounded by the beam as it formed a cyclone that refused to let her go.
"Uh, sorry, Pane, but I need to be several hundred miles away in this moment," Discord replied, taking back his chaotic power and teleporting away just before a wave of harmonic energy washed over everything.