Canterlot Castle, Nightmare Moon's Throne Room
Nightmare looked nervous on her balcony even as she began her mighty task of lowering the sun for the day. She was still in preparation for her sister's long awaited return just as the books foretold. The Royal Guard had been placed on high alert, but somehow she knew this wouldn't be enough. The long lost Elements Of Harmony, if the legend was right and it had been so far they would be the only thing that would save her sister and bring Solar Flare back instead of that abomination that currently now existed right now trapped in the sun.
"You alright milady?" A voice laced with a Trottingham accent said from behind Nightmare who turned to face it's owner. The stallion who spoke was a blue earth pony decked head to hoof in golden armor with purple accents making him recognizable as a Captain of the Royal Guard.
"No, I'm not... She's coming back, and you know it. It can be felt." Nightmare said. "I... I don't want to admit it but I'm scared Boltstrike." She admitted fearfully and with a voice tinged with shame.
"A fretful Princess, a burning sun of sin. The Guard stands, and yet they recoil in the light." Boltstrike said in the form of a poem. "We're all scared bloody well scared as we should be, just some of us... We've learned to hide it." He said, his rare use of a curse word letting Nightmare know how frightened he was.
Boltstrike was the Captain of the Guard and he'd been that for 16 years on the dot so to speak bringing with him his love of poetry, puppet shows, opera and fencing. He considered himself the most cultured guard in Nightmare's employ and nopony disagreed.
"Yes, and if the guards aren't at there best we will lose." Nightmare said sadly while shaking her head. "Sadly, I don't think even our best would be good enough."
"Only the Elements can save us now." Boltstrike agreed. "But if we're going to go down, we're going to go down fighting. I for one, intend to show this Celestia mare what for!" He yelled, taking out his rapier sword.
It was then Boltstrike noticed something about the moon, or rather the lack thereof.
"Uh milady, I hate to mention this but... The sun's not going down."
Nightmare's eyes widened when she noticed. She knew what this meant.
"It's starting."
Deep inside the Everfree Forest
"Okay, anyone else creeped out by all of this? Raise your hooves, if it's not just me." Discord said, before raising his paw while Iron Will and Lovely raised their hand/hoof. It was then Lovely Locks thought of something.
"Hey, any of you ever think this is odd or is it just me? Celestia's good half has a name like Solar Flare, and so does Luna's and yet their evil halves have such non-threatning names. Seriously, anypony?" Lovely asked in confusion, and everypony present seemed to have the expression of somepony who hadn't had this occur to them yet.
"...Huh, now that you mention it, that is odd..." Chrysalis trailed off. But as she said this, the whole forest was filled with a thick fog and Starlight and Sombra both thought fast and lit up their horns but to no avail as the fog was still thick as pea soup you might say.
"I don't... I don't understand! It should be working!" Starlight panicked while Sombra muttered "Oh dear, oh dear me." over and over. Starlight quickly took a few calming breathes and thought about her problem. This fog was not normal, by the way it came out of nowhere and how thick it was. A solution was quickly thought up.
"So, magical in nature then..." Starlight muttered. "Everyone, grab your somepony's hooves or hands or whatever! Follow me, we're moving forwards this. No fear!" She called, and soon everypony had formed a chain with each other. Starlight had been grabbed, but it wasn't somewhere she liked.
"Discord! Not my flank!" She yelled, and only got laughter in response. Starlight groaned and muttered "What did I do to deserve this...?"
Meanwhile, Sombra was still terrified out of his mind.
"I don't... I can't see... I don't know where I am!" He panicked before a calming voice came from somewhere behind him. "Do not worry, none of this can hurt you. Nothing can do so as long as you've got friends." Chrysalis reassured, as unknown to her, her Cutie Mark of a sowing machine glowed briefly before the fog suddenly cleared. But the danger was not over as then several Timberwolves jumped out of the gloom. Like the ones before, these were under Celestia's powerful control.
"Run!" Starlight yelled, as she and her newfound friends ran through the forest only to come to a rushing river. The Timberwolves had them cornered.
"Well, if this is it... Nice knowing you all." Starlight said sadly, as agreements joined her. Discord then had a confession to make.
"I... I love you Starlight!" He yelled, and got multiple blank stares even from the Timberwolves. Suddenly, he burst out laughing.
"Sorry, I just wanted one last joke before I go. I'm good." Discord admitted, as his eyes glowed golden briefly.
The Timberwolves closed in snapping and snarling viciously, but as Sombra suddenly saw Chrysalis tremble as the wooden beast's mouths dripped drool and their orbs glow a powerful orange he felt something he hadn't before. Confidence.
"No... I'm not running away. I have friends now, and I don't want to see them die." Sombra growled as his cutie mark of a red cross glowed along with his horn which soon released a powerful blast of magic reducing the wolves to cinders and splinters. This time he was what everyone stared at in shock. Soon, Iron Will found his voice again.
"...So, what kind of vet are you again?"
The group continued on through the forest, eventually finding a bridge over the river. But alas, it was blocked by a figure. The first thing you would notice about him, besides his size was that from the waist down he was a horse but from the waist up he had a heavily muscled torso along with two huge and very deadly looking horns on his head. A giant axe that was Omega shaped was slung across his back. This was Tirek the Bridgemaster.
"None shall pass." Tirek said gruffly, as he crossed his arms. "This is the law of the Bridgemaster and it shall be obeyed."
"Oh great... The big guy. There's always one." Discord complained as he threw his arms up in the air in frustration and I mean them literally being thrown.
"Maybe we should just go around." Sombra wondered aloud, while Chrysalis shook her head.
"We don't have the time to look for another route. Let me handle this." She said and walked up to the centaur and threw on the charm as hard as she could.
"Y'know, I bet you're very... talented with all of those muscles." She said in a flirty manner and for whatever reason Sombra felt angry but pushed his feelings down as he nervously watched. Unsurprisingly, Tirek was not moved by the Changeling's feminine wiles.
"Your flirtations cannot move me from my post."
Chrysalis huffed and walked back to the group. "That always works..." She grumbled and Sombra didn't know why but he felt very relieved. This time Lovely took up the challenge.
"I wonder, is there anything we can give you that would make you look the other way?" She asked curiously. "I'm quite good with haircuts, don't you know?" Lovely added in a arrogant manner while Starlight once again facehoofed and muttered "Oh, give me a break."
Tirek seemed lost in thought for a moment before he finally came to a conclusion.
"Well there is something..." He asked, and Lovely quirked her head in confusion before her eyes widened in horror as Tirek held up a big toothbrush...
Soon, Lovely returned her coat all covered in some sort of horrific gunge.
"So...?" Starlight asked.
Lovely shuddered in horror, and that was all they got out of her for several moments after that even as the bridge was crossed...
The Castle of the Two Sisters, Throne Room
Meanwhile, Celestia was smirking as she looked over her chosen elements. Each had a character flaw or problem in their lives that would make them perfect generals for her army and the perfect ones to finally free her from her thousand year imprisonment. Her elements were in order: Envy, Greed, Depression, Sloth, Pride, and Dishonesty.
"Well well, so you're all ready to receive my power?" Celestia asked her chosen. Half of them looked eager as beavers so to speak but the other half not so much. They looked rather unsure, or just outright didn't want them if getting them meant the catch involved.
"Ah don't know about this. This seems fishier then a rooster that won't crow." Applejack admitted while Pinkie jumped around just happy to be off her farm and Rarity still looked unsure as ever.
"I don't know about this darling. What would you have us do with our powers? They can't just be given to us out of the goodness of your black heart. Oh yes, I know who you are... Celestia." Rarity snarled and everypony's eyes widened as their benefactor's identity was revealed to be THE Celestia.
Celestia cursed to herself, she should have expected this. It was hard to find good and stupid henchmen anymore.
"You want us plain folk to take over your sister's throne? Well, Ah am not doing it. Nightmare's been good to us, and she stays right where she is don't y'all think?" Applejack asked, although not everypony seemed inclined to agree with her. Celestia sighed to herself.
"Well, guess we'll have to do things the old fashioned way. Plain and simple... Brainwashing." She mused before everypony's eyes glazed over and their smiles became evil.
Pinkie in particular changed the most as her hair deflated and she seemed to become depressed and murmured "Laughter? What's good about laughter and joy?"
Entrance Hall
Meanwhile, our heroes had just arrived at last. The entrance hall, like the rest of the place was in ruins from Nightmare and Celestia's battle long ago.
"Geez, what a dump. Iron Will says this place is in need of a fixer-upper." You-Know-Who stated as he shoved some rubble out of the way.
"Oh, I've had places in nasty need of repair but not like this. Mind you, there was this one spot. Black mold up the walls..." Chrysalis trailed off, leaving a rather awkward silence until Starlight coughed to break it up and said "Anyway, let's continue on. Be on your guard everypony."
Suddenly, the doors at the far end of the hall were blown open wood splinters going everywhere. Starlight protected her companions from them with a violet colored bubble shield.
"It's a trap!" Starlight shouted.
"Got that right." Twilight smirked as she and the rest of the Dark Mane Six stepped out of the darkened doorway. Applejack said it best.
"Ya'll are in a heap of trouble."
Starlight and the rest swallowed hard...