//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 - Dethroned // Story: Daughters of Glimmer // by Summer Dancer //------------------------------// “With the combined elements of Kindness, Honesty, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and the mystery element Magic, our six unlikely heroes united together and conquered Nightmare Moon, effectively turning her back into our beloved Princess Luna. Soon after the two Royal sisters reunited and reconciled, Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, moved to Ponyville and became the town’s local librarian. A great celebration was held, and the Summer Sun Celebration finished off with a grand party.” Moonlight’s eyes lifted from the pages to see her sisters crowded around her, deeply enthralled. “Wow,” Pearl said, grinning. “That was a great story!” “We really should be getting back,” Moonlight said, glancing at the clock on the wall. “We’ve been gone far too long.” “The trial’s still going on,” Prism complained. “There’s nothing to d--ahh...ah--ACHOO!” “Bless you,” the girls chorused. “Uhh...Danks.” “Couldn’t we read just one more chapter before we go?” Buttercup asked with a hopeful smile. “It’s just so interesting seeing a bunch of ponies with different talents and interests get along so well. I wonder how they do it.” “I wish we could, Buttercup,” Sapphire sighed. “But we just don’t have the time for another. We lost too much time as it is!” Before before Buttercup could open her mouth, a burst of commotion emanated from down the hall. Ears perked up at the sound of slamming doors and murmuring voices. Sunshine trotted over to the open door of the office and poked her head out. “Uh...girls? I think we’d better get out of here.” One by one, the young girls trotted out of the office. “Be right there,” Moonlight called, walking over to the shelf to put the book back. As she started to close the book, one of the pages slid forward, revealing a corner of a picture with green grass. Cocking her head to the side, she turned to the very last page of the chapter. Her heart skipped a beat when her gaze rested on the entirety of the picture. In it, six bright and colorful mares were sitting and posing for the camera, the sun shining above them. In the middle sat a small purple unicorn wearing a tranquil, yet happy smile. It was like looking in the mirror. Sunshine appeared in the doorway. “Moonlight, what are you doing? Let’s go!” “These ponies look like us,” Moonlight said blankly. Sunshine’s face twisted in confusion. “What?” Groaning, she rushed forward, grabbed the book, and slammed it shut before putting it back on the shelf. “It’s deliberation,” she hissed. “We need to go. Now!” She grabbed hold of Moonlight’s hoof and raced out of the office. Moonlight didn’t resist or object, for her head was too busy spinning to give a proper response. Starlight Glimmer beamed when she saw her daughters standing outside the courtroom. “Starlings!” She opened her hooves and her daughters eagerly ran into them, chattering loudly and bombarding her with questions. Chuckling she waved her hooves. “Goodness gracious, one at a time!” “How did it go?” Prism asked, sniffing. A smile spread across Starlight’s face. “Even better than what I expected.” She shook her head and sighed, her eyes becoming glassy. “In all my years I’ve never seen so many ponies absorb and cherish what I’ve been trying to say all along. When you work so hard for something…” Pursing her lips, she cleared her throat. “But it’s too early to celebrate now. We still have to wait for deliberation.” “How long does that take?” Pearl asked. “Well, it depends on the circumstances,” Starlight explained. “It could take five hours or five days. And since the Princesses themselves are on trial, well...I assume it’ll be a long time before they reach a decision. These things aren’t to be taken lightly, you know.” As her mother and sisters continued to talk, Moonlight’s mind wandered elsewhere. Her gaze shifted from pony to pony as the large crowd lingered in front of the open court doors. Heated conversations rippled across the hall, washing over them. Moonlight knew that her mother had a great affect on these ponies, judging by the look in their eyes and the rapid movements of their lips. She didn’t see any of the two Royal Princesses anywhere, but she did manage to spot the pink alicorn Princess...Cadence, she presumed….standing in the far corner near one of the windows with her family. Her narrow, pinched face looked pale and drawn, and her long beautiful mane hung around her face like a curtain. Her husband, she forgot his name, was whispering into her ear and holding her close. The fiery maned Governess stood with them, her eyes dimmed behind her spectacles. The little white colt, White Charger, looked up at the adults, looking sad and confused. That was when Moonlight made instant eye contact with Flurry heart. Her ice blue eyes bore into her, cold and pale. Her lower lip trembled, and a single tear trickled down her cheek, causing her pink glasses to slide down her nose. “Moonlight?” Her head turned and saw her mother and sisters staring at her, making her cheeks heat up. “Are you alright?” Starlight asked. The corners of her mouth lifted. “Yeah. I’m just really tired.” Starlight nodded. “Yes, I can imagine so.” She turned to address the rest of her daughters. “Why don’t we go back to our room and have a rest? I’ll see if there’s some way to bring some food up here.” Voices rose in agreement as they all started to head back to their room. Moonlight followed behind, watching the golden clouds float outside the window as the sun began to set. “Sunshine...” “Sunshine.” “Mmmm.” “Sunshine, wake up. Please.” Sunshine grunted, her bleary green eyes fluttering open. “Mmm. ‘zit over?” “What?” “Deliberation, is it over?” Moonlight shook her head. “No. I just...I needed to talk to you.” Sunshine’s mouth curved into an annoyed frown as she tossed over onto her side. “It couldn’t have waited ‘till morning?” “Please, Sunshine. It’s important, I swear. I...I have nopony else to talk to about this.” Sunshine shifted her gaze, surprised. She hadn’t seen her sister look so confused and scared since Buttercup’s wing was paralyzed. Nodding once, she sat up and pulled the covers off. Relief flooded in Moonlights eyes as they both slid off the bed. Careful not to wake their mother and sisters, the two of them silently slipped out of the room, gently closing the door behind them. After Moonlight guided Sunshine further down the hall, the blonde earth pony sat on the floor and leaned her back against the wall. “Alright. You got me out here. What is it?” Moonlight swallowed with difficulty, her throat constricted. Pressing a hoof to her mouth, she tried to organize her thoughts. “Okay. Okay, you might think this is crazy...heck I think this is crazy!” She giggled softly, eliciting a wary look from Sunshine. “Uhh...well, look, whatever it is, you can tell me.” Moonlight abruptly plopped down in front of her sister and exhaled. “Hoo. Okay. You remember that book I read today, right?” Sunshine nodded. “Mm-hmm.” “Well, when I started to put it back on the shelf, I saw a glimpse of picture on the next page. I turned to it, and...and I saw a photo of the Bearers of Harmony.” “Well, that’s nice, Moonlight, but what does it have to d--” “Sunshine. Those ponies looked exactly like us. All of us, right down to the colors of our eyes!” Sunshine blinked. “Ooookay, I’m not following. I mean, so what? We probably look like lots of ponies, and...we’re not used to seeing it yet. It’s a big world out here.” “The blonde one even had your freckles, Sunshine!” Moonlight whispered sharply. She grabbed clumps of her mane between her hooves. “The purple unicorn...Twilight...we have the exact same mane color! Indigo with pink streaks? That doesn’t happen often, does it? Even Prism’s rainbow-colored mane matches exactly with the element of Loyalty’s!” “And their cutie marks?” Sunshine asked, crossing her fore hooves. “What did those look like? What about their height? Their age? Not to mention the book said "Tragedy," which means they're probably dead. Last I checked, we're pretty much alive." Moonlight faltered. “O-Okay, maybe they had different cutie marks...I didn’t get a good look at them, but they were all different...and the girls did look bigger…” her voice trailed off. “And older…” Sunshine shook her head slightly, at a loss. “What are you trying to say, Moonlight? Where’s all of this coming from?” Moonlight sighed and leaned back. “I don’t know….I don’t know, I just...I have a feeling, Sunny. Something about this just doesn’t sit right with me. I know something’s up, but...I don’t really have the evidence. I tried to go back and look at it again, but the office was locked.” Sunshine’s eyes widened at this. “You went back to the office? How did you find your way so fast? We’ve only been through that part of the Castle once!” “I…” Moonlight stopped and bit her lip. “You memorized the halls, didn’t you?” Sunshine said. “It..It’s okay. Just don’t go telling the others about it.” Moonlight nodded slowly. “What do you think?” she asked. “About the Trial, I mean.” Sunshine rested her head against the wall. “Whatever the outcome, it’ll either be the best thing that’s ever happened to us...or the worst thing that’s ever happened to us.” “...Yeah. That sounds about right.” “I don’t feel so good,” Pearl moaned. “Oh, you’re just nervous, Pearl,” Buttercup soothed, rubbing her shoulders from behind. It was afternoon, and the court had called everypony back, for they had finally reached a decision. The Glimmers waited outside of the courtroom, just as before. Except this time, Flurry Heart and her little brother were nowhere to be seen. “I’m feeling pretty nervous too,” Sapphire said, looking down at her hooves. “No--I'm anxious! If they don’t rule in our favor, they could...they could arrest us and throw us in the dungeon...or banish us!” “Arrest us?” Prism snorted. “For what? For telling the truth? Please. Even if cutie marked ponies aren’t that blind.” She coughed. “Besides. We’re not even from here. I don’t see how they could banish us.” “They can banish us from Equestria,” Sunshine pointed out. A shadow of fear crossed Buttercup’s face. “W-What could be outside of Equestria?” “No idea.” Pearl wrapped her hooves around her body and shivered. “Geez, who opened the window?” “Enough, everypony.” Moonlight cut in, looking aggravated. “Nopony’s going to get banished. The worst case scenario is being charged with treason against the Princesses.” “And spend all our years in the dungeon,” Sapphire said with the frown. “Or better yet, be sent back to that hole in the mountain we called home. All our lessons and all of our training...for nothing.” “That won’t happen,” Buttercup said softly, shaking her head. “I know it won’t…” The girls fell silent. Faint talking could be heard from behind the court doors, but it proved to be quite difficult to try to make anything out. How Moonlight wished she were old enough to be in there with her mother. To cheer her on if she won, to offer comfort and support if she lost. Taking a deep breath, she sat back on the wooden bench. After a long, agonizing stretch of empty silence, a low rumble came from inside the court, followed by raised voices and the clopping of multiple hooves. Before any of the girls could even move, the court doors burst wide open, and a stream of ponies filed out, shouting and talking all at one. Moonlight shot up from her seat. Cameras flashed as multiple reporters jotted something down in their notebooks with fury. Moonlight’s sisters crowded around her, almost afraid they would be separated by the chaotic mass. “What happened!?” Pearl screamed over the noise. “I don’t know!” Moonlight shouted back. Her eyes swept over the room and she bit the inside of her cheek. “Excuse me, sir? Sir! M-Miss, I was wondering--What’s going--who…” “Get this to the presses, quick!” a stallion with a thick mustache cried, shoving a piece of paper inside of a young pegasus’ mouth. “We wanna be the first newspaper to break this news!” the young pony nodded and swiftly took to the air. Sapphire let out a frustrated groan and threw her head back. “WHAT’S THE NEWS!?!” “Didn’t you hear?” an elderly pony said, walking up to them. Seeing their desperate expressions, the mare cracked a smile. “Your mother won.” “Miss Glimmer,” a thin pony with a long grey beard began, folding his hooves on the table. “It saddens me, the lies of our Princesses. They appeared to be loving and caring rulers for…” His hoof trembled as he paused to scratch at his beard. “Hmm. As long as anypony could remember.” “But the fact that somepony has finally come forward with this information lightens our hearts all the more,” a mare said in a high, nasally voice. Starlight Glimmer smiled and bowed her head. “I appreciate your willingness to stand up for what is right,” she replied, humility evident in her voice. “But now we come at the hardest part,” another pony said, his forehead creasing. “Who will rule Equestria?” “And what will we do with the Royal Sisters? Where will they go?” “And what do we do about this new magic?” “And who’s going to raise the sun and moon?” Starlight held out her hooves, smiling. “Ponies, ponies!” she said. “I know this new change is a bit frightening...but if it pleases the Diarchy...I have some suggestions on how we go about things from now on.” Two Weeks Later… Moonlight walked through Canterlot City as a gust of wind and dust swept through the air. Construction workers surrounded her, taking down the previous shops, homes, and buildings in order to replace them with new ones from the ground up. The sound of hammers, nails and saws occupied the air, accompanied by loud yelling. A lot had happened since the trial. Starlight Glimmer, surprisingly, didn’t take up the job as a Princess, or Leader, or Mayor. Instead, she had suggested that the citizens of Equestria would ultimately make the decision by casting ballots from each city. With the exposition of earth pony and pegasi magic, and the promise of equal pay, opportunity, and way of life, two-thirds of Equestria chose her. It was...the most interesting tactic she’d ever seen her mother use. But effective all the same. Their mother spent countless hours in the Castle conference room to work over the new outlook of Canterlot...and eventually many other places. Subjects often wondered what became of Celestia and Luna, for the sun and moon still rose at the correct times. Their whereabouts were extremely confidential, for the safety of the Princesses. At least, that’s what the council said. Despite what they had done, Moonlight felt glad they were at least alive and well. Ponies who had taken care of a nation for centuries couldn’t be too awfully punished. Through it all, Moonlight still couldn't get that picture out of her head. She hadn't spoken about it since her talk with Sunshine, but it never stopped plaguing her mind. The resemblances were just too uncanny to ignore. But ever since her mother stepped up to help Equestria she never had the time to even try to go back to that office. After all...the chances of going back in there without being seen was a very slim one. Sighing, she continued to walk until she reached a plain but lovely house that wasn’t too far off from the Castle. The Glimmers were built a brand new home, a house that would soon resemble many others after construction finished. Starlight was pleased to have a nice, humble environment to raise her daughters in. She had yet to deal with Canterlot Castle. After her Inauguration, which would be in seven days, the Castle would serve as a workplace instead of a home. The thought made Moonlight smile. Such a grand palace wouldn’t feel like a home at all...floors that are cold to the touch, tall ceilings, long empty hallways...no, that could never be home to such a close-knit family. The sun began to dip behind the distant hills, casting shadows along the brick walls as Moonlight approached the wooden door. She knocked twice and waited patiently. She heard the soft sound of hoof steps before the door creaked open, revealing Buttercup. Her sister’s teal eyes brightened. “Hi, Moonlight!” she said happily, stepping aside to let her in. “You’re just in time for supper!” Moonlight smiled warmly and stepped into the living room. It was a nice, simple little set-up...a long comfy couch with a plain, grey rug and two grey chairs on each side. A cloak had been tossed on top of the coffee table, causing Moonlight to shake her head. Most likely Prism’s, she mused, levitating the cloak into the air. “Whose turn is it tonight?” she asked. “Mine,” Sunshine said, walking in from the kitchen, balancing three bowls of rice on her back, and one on her head. She crossed over to the long dining room table, which was right across from the living room. “Saph, can you go tell Prism and Pearl it’s almost time to eat?” Moonlight jumped at the sound of Sapphire’s voice behind her. “In a bit,” the white unicorn said distractedly. “I’m almost done hanging up these curtains...Moonlight, what do you think? I made them myself!” Moonlight turned around and walked over to one of the slanted windows on either side of the front door. A thin, grey, and shabby curtain hung from the window, the fading rays of sunlight going half uncovered. “It’s lovely,” Moonlight remarked, impressed. “Thank you!” Prism walked in, observing the food on the table. “Is mom coming to eat with us?” she asked. “Not tonight, I’m afraid,” Buttercup said, looking empathetic. “The council set up another meeting with her, and she won’t be able to make it in time.” Prism’s ears drooped. “Oh. Okay,” she said dryly. Moonlight looked at her knowingly and patted her on the shoulder. “It’s only for a little while longer,” she assured. “These things don’t happen overnight, you know. Mom has a big responsibility now. The least we can do is help support her.” “Pearl!” Sunshine called, placing the last two bowls of rice on the table. “Hurry up before your food gets cold!” After a few seconds, a door closed shut and Pearl slowly entered the room. Collective gasps filled the air at the sight of the pale and shaking pink pony. “Pearl!” Sapphire exclaimed in horror. “What the hay happened to you!?” Prism demanded, her voice cracking in panic. Pearl blinked her bloodshot eyes and yawned. “D...Didn’t get..much sleep last night…” She shivered involuntarily as she took another step forward. “M’fine.” Moonlight rushed forward, her voice hard. “Pearl, don’t move.” “But I’m hungryyy,” Pearl groaned stubbornly, closing her eyes and attempting to push Moonlight away. Moonlight didn’t budge, alarmed at how weak her hooves were. “We’ll get you some food,” she said sternly, grabbing Pearl by the shoulders. “But I need you to sit down, okay?” Somepony suddenly shrieked. “Pearl, your nose!” Buttercup cried. “It’s bleeding!” Confused, Pearl wiped at her nose and pulled her hoof back. Instead of pink, it was bright red. “Oh,” she sniffed. “It’s just the...climate...change…” Without warning, Pearl’s blue eyes rolled at the back of her head, and she fell limply against Moonlight’s body. Prism pounded on the door for the umpteenth time, her jaw clenched. “Let me in,” she moaned, pounding even harder. The door flew open, causing the pegasus to stagger back. “Prism, stop that this instant!” Starlight whispered sharply, peeking out at her. “What’s going on?” Prism pleaded, growing more than anxious. “It’s been hours!” Something flickered in Starlight’s eyes when she looked over her shoulder. “The doctors are still working on it,” she murmured. “Don’t worry...they’re top of the line, they can figure out what’s wrong soon.” “I-Is she alright?” Starlight’s brow furrowed. “Moonlight! Did I not tell you to keep an eye on your sisters?” Moonlight rushed up to Prism’s side, panting. “I’m sorry, mom. She just slipped away and--” “Go and find out if you can get some food for all of you,” Starlight cut in firmly. “I don’t want to see either one of you here until I say so! Understood?” Moonlight’s head dropped. “Yes, moth--” The door slammed shut before she could finish the last syllable. She sighed and grabbed Prism by the foreleg. “Come on,” she growled out, yanking her back to their previous guest room in the Castle. “I didn’t mean to get us in trouble,” Prism said quietly. “I-I’m just worried about Pearl--” “Don’t you think I’m worried too!?” Moonlight snapped as she pulled the door open and stormed in, much to the alarm of her siblings. Moonlight pushed Prism on one of the beds, fuming. “We’re all worried about Pearl--not just you!” Sunshine lifted a hoof. “Moonlight--” “I swear, you are the most selfish and inconsiderate pony I’ve ever met! Ever since we brought her here, all you’ve ever done is STRESS ME OUT!” Prism shrank back against the blankets and pillows. “M-Moon, I--” “Ugh! Forget it.” she turned swiftly and went out into the hall. I’m getting food.” She left, ignoring the shock and hurt etched on her sister’s faces. She stomped down the hall, vaguely memorizing where the royal kitchen was located. “...Can’t believe her, I just can’t,” she muttered under breath. “Doesn’t know what…” She paused, stopping short. The office. It was right there. Four doors down. In all the commotion and stress, Moonlight didn’t realize they were in this part of the Castle again. Her mind reverted back to the picture of six mares and swallowed. It was absurd, still thinking about that stupid picture while her little sister was lying sick in bed. But curiosity was one of Moonlight's strengths...and faults. Her hooves moved without her brain telling them to, and her hoof reached out to touch the doorknob. It was unlocked. “....With time quickly running out, and desperation growing with each second, Twilight's own assistant, Spike the Dragon, took the Crystal Heart. With the help of Princess Cadence, he restored light and love in the Crystal Empire. From then on, grateful Crystal subjects referred to him as “Spike the Great and Glorious.” Moonlight sighed and leaned her head back against the base of the wooden desk. She sat on the floor with the book on her lap. “That’s a bit much,” she murmured to herself. “I know he saved their lives, but that would just feed his ego. The Element Bearers were never called anything like that. A simple thank you would suffice.” She shook her head. “Honestly, that was the only time the dragon ever…” The words died on her tongue. Dragon...that Dragon! What did Buttercup say back then...he called me...he called me...TWILIGHT! She gasped and peered down at the pages, the gears in her head spinning furiously. How could she have possibly missed that? That can’t be a coincidence...could it? Half scared and half excited, she skimmed through the pages, hoping to gather some more information. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise when further reading showed that Twilight Sparkle soon became a Princess. “Hmm. That was sudden,” she whispered. “Let’s see here…” “....Shortly after Twilight Sparkle ascended to Princess hood, the Summer Sun Celebration was once again at hoof. However, two nights before the Ceremony, the two Royal Princesses suddenly vanished without a trace. The next morning, the citizens were shocked to see both the sun and moon in the sky. Sensing danger, Princess Twilight and her friends set out into the Everfree Forest once more in hopes of saving our beloved Princesses and Equestria. Twilight Sparkle’s assistant, Spike, also tagged along.” “There’s that Dragon again…” She skimmed further. “Princesses went missing, vines started going haywire, yadda yadda...ah. In order to save the dying Tree of Harmony from Discord’s plunderseeds, Twilight and her friends had to give up the Elements of Harmony and return them to the Tree of Harmony, restoring its powerful magic and giving new life to the forest….” She lifted her head. “Tree of Harmony, huh?” She stood up and circled around the wooden desk. After studying it, she pulled out a few desk drawers until she found a drawer filled with rolled-up maps. A smile crossed her face. “Aha.” Carefully, she rummaged through the maps. Perhaps Twilight Sparkle was a relative of her mother’s. That would explain the resemblance, and that would explain why that Dragon mistook her for Princess Twilight. But if that were the case, wouldn’t the rest of Twilight’s friends be relatives too? And if they somehow were, why would Starlight keep that a secret? Moonlight never knew of her other family; her father abandoned them when they were just babies, leaving their mother to fend for herself. Her grandparents had died long before she and her sisters were born. But what if she had cousins? Uncles? Aunts? Perhaps even nieces and nephews? She paused and laughed at the thought. Now she was getting ahead of herself. She was pretty sure none of her sisters were pregnant. But there were other possibilities to explore. She unrolled another parchment and broke out into a grin. The Map of Equestria. And the Everfree Forest wasn’t that far away. “You want to WHAT!?” Sunshine shouted, her eyes bulging out of her head. “Shh!” Moonlight whispered. She looked back at the guest room where her sisters were still talking and guided Sunshine further away. “I need you to cover for me...just for a few hours.” “A few hours!” Sunshine repeated. “Are you out of your mind? You wanna go to the forest of Never Bean--” “Everfree.” “--Just because a group of ponies put jewelry back inside a tree!?” “These weren’t just any ponies,” Moonlight murmured, fastening her cloak and strapping on a spare saddlebag. “It’s only a little bit far. I have a map and snacks and everything. I just can’t shake this feeling, Sunshine. I don’t know why, and it looks silly, but...I just..need to know about some things.” Sunshine stared at Moonlight for a good long minute before breathing out a tired sigh. “....Fine. But you hurry up and come right back!” Moonlight squealed and threw her hooves around her sister. “I love you.” Sunshine squeezed tightly and gave her sister a gentle nuzzle. “I love you too.” Shortly after breaking apart, Moonlight opened her saddlebag and pulled out an assortment of towels tied together and trotted over to a nearby window with a grin. “Now come help lower me down!” “She really did think of everything,” Sunshine mused to herself, walking forward. Train stations were interesting. No matter what time of day...or night it was, there would always be a large crowd at the station; travelers, family, friends, conductors shouting at their crew...lots of strange animals too. A little brown animal with a big bushy tail scurried in between her hooves. Her tail wagged as she circled around her legs, sniffing at them. Moonlight pulled her hood down further over her head and waved a hoof. “Shoo. Shoo now, go away! Shoo!” “Peanut! Here, girl! Where are ya, Peanut?” The animal made a happy sound and scampered away, and Moonlight breathed a sigh of relief. She redirected her gaze toward the train, and the ponies coming abord. The cunductor was accepting tickets. Moonlight didn’t have a ticket. Looking around, she chewed on her lip, thinking about what to do. That was when her eyes came across something that made her smile mischievously. ***** Moonlight held on tightly to the back of the train, admiring the beautiful scenery that flashed by, the pale moon illuminating the sky with its brilliance. Though her forelegs ached, felt like she was flying through the air, and it made her feel...it was exhilarating. The back of her cloak jerked violently in the wind behind her, and her hood had blown off her head, but it didn’t matter. Nopony could see her, and It wasn’t as cold as most nights. She raised her head a bit higher. The Everfree forest was fast approaching. “Oh...” She cast a wary glance at the tracks below, wishing the train would slow down, even if it was just a little. Gritting her teeth, she nodded to herself. “Okay, Moonlight. You can do this...you can do this…” Inhaling sharply, she let go and jumped as far to the right as possible, onto the tracks. The wind was immediately knocked out of her, and a dull, sharp pain assaulted her side; her cry was drowned out by the piercing train whistle. She lay there, breathing hard as she watched the train grow smaller and smaller in the distance. Moonlight clutched at her shoulder and slowly sat up, wincing at the sharp pricks of pain shooting through he muscles. “Ah..hah...mm.” Grunting, she forced herself to stand up, her hooves wobbling beneath her. After a few hobbles, Moonlight slowly made her way off the tracks and walked toward the forest. “I passed that tree,” Moonlight mumbled, turning around and going down another path. She had been wandering through the forest for some time now. She thanked heaven above that she had thought to bring a loaf of bread with her. Every few steps, she broke off a piece and dropped it, so that she could easily find her way back. She just hoped there weren't any hungry wild animals skulking about. As she ventured deeper into the forest, she looked up and smiled at the millions and billions of stars decorating the sky. To her, stars were the most beautiful things in the world. Similar, united...each and every one of them had a part to play. Silent and sure...keeping watch in the night. Her ears perked up. A low hum broke the silence. Her heartbeat accelerating, Moonlight followed the gentle hum. The louder the hum grew, the faster she trotted. Pulling apart a few bushes, a loud gasp left her mouth. She had come across a beautiful cave with glowing purple diamonds embedded in the cave walls. Smooth green rocks surrounded her, resembling lily pads on a spring day. But that wasn’t what grabbed her attention. At the center of the cave stood a tall and gorgeous tree. It glowed with deep blues and purples with white diamonds showering from each of its branches. ”My goodness,” Moonlight breathed out as she neared the stunning tree. “I’ve never seen anything like you before…” Her eyes traveled down the trunk; a sun and moon had been carved near the base. Her gaze wandered back up to the branches. Each one had a colorful symbol; a blue balloon and a pink butterfly on the left...a purple diamond and an orange apple on the right...a red lightning bolt at the top...and a violet star in the middle. Moonlight came closer, her eyes filled with wonder. “Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty…” Her hoof reached out for the element in the middle. “And you must be Twilight’s...you must be Magic…” Her hoof came in contact with the element. “The fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends!” “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!” “We were home. You told me you didn't need me anymore. You were sending me away…” “A fear that will never come to pass. I'm never gonna send you away. And I'm not gonna fail my test!” “From all of us together, together we are friends, with the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!" "You may be my primary target, Twilight Sparkle, but your friends deserve every bit of punishment you’re going to get, including Applejack.” Twilight stepped back and unconsciously raised a protective wing in front of Applejack. “…Punishment?” The aura from Starlight’s horn grew brighter. “If you had no problem taking everything I’ve worked for away from me,” Starlight said with a dark smile, “Then you shouldn’t have a problem spending your lives helping me restore it.” Twilight cried out as she hit the ground, gasping. Her eyes grew wide as she looked around at her surroundings. Slowly, she lifted a shaky hoof and stared at it. Her chest began to heave, and she began to utter strange sounds as her mouth hung open, as if she were about to scream. “Ah-A-aaah...” Her eyes bright with unshed tears, she collapsed completely onto the ground. A loud, agonized wail carried above the trees, startling the birds into taking flight.