Two moons.
Trixie didn't know whether the fact that there were two moons hanging in the sky or the fact that she hadn't even seen them until now was more shocking.
She settled on the two moons.
The original moon was in its place, minus the unicorn head that had been on it until the Summer Sun Celebrations two years ago. The second moon was hanging just behind it, and looked very much similar.
"You've just noticed Her moon, haven't you?" Twilight said, pulling Trixie's attention off the freakish event.
"I guess." Trixie stood up, hooves shaking. "How did you know?"
"I have accidental telepathy. I think its somepony called Minder who does it. He's antisocial, so I don't have to deal with him much, but in a bizarre twist of fate I have his power."
That was almost as unnerving as the two moons. Almost. "I suddenly feel very unsafe around you."
"I get that a lot." Twilight pondered. "Actually, I don't get that at all, seeing as how I lived in some mockery of seclusion, but I can imagine why."
Pinkie waved her hoof fast enough to be heard, and her voice made up for what it was missing. "Hey guys, come and have a look at this!"
They all looked over the dusty book with well-deserved expectation. The book named five of the Elements of Harmony, and the rumoured location of them.
"Now all we have to do is find Rarity, Applejack and Dashie again." Pinkie said to the group.
Twilight jerked suddenly, and looked at the group with... well, what could only be described as different eyes. "They are no longer linked." Twilight spoke with a mixture of her own voice and a wholly powerful one, one that would be owned by a god or something like that. "But we do not need them."
"Twilight? Are you ok?" Fluttershy looked at her with concern.
Twilight shook her head and looked at her feathered companion. "Huh? I'm fine. I just... I don't know, actually."
"I'll ask on the way." The azure mare said, and started heading to the door. "Come on, we have Her to stop."
"I have this... unique voice in my head," Twilight said. "Insanely powerful and doesn't speak often. But when she communicates to me, my brain can't handle the raw magic capacity of it and I temporarily shut down. In addition," She picked up a random stone and tossed it somewhere. "She's the only mind in my head that can communicate through me. I'm too strong for the rest of them to control me, but she's too strong for me to stop her."
"That's pretty harsh." Pinkie said, kicking a stone. "I wonder who she was."
"As do I." An adorably raspy voice from above added. "Maybe the head magic user?"
"The term is Arch-Mage, Fluttershy." Twilight replied matter-of-factly. "I should know, we were good friends. But it's not him."
Trixie shivered. "It's quite cold."
Pinkie sighed. "It's because you're used to a sun. I'm not."
Fluttershy landed. "Actually, it does seem to be abnormally cold." She flicked her wings. "I wonder why?"
"It's the Everfree." Twilight added. "It's insanely cold."
"But," Trixie pointed out. "We're not actually at the Everfree- oh, wait, we are."
The four of them stood at the entrance to a huge, dark, scary forest. Only Trixie seemed to be undaunted, but in truth she was just as terrified at the others.
"We've got a world to save, girls, let's not dawdle."
"By the way, what's with the second moon?"
"Her moon," Pinkie started. "Is rumoured to be Her way of looking over all of Ponyville all the way from where She lives."
"In scientific terms," Twilight started. "It's approximated to be the casting point of a continuous scanning spell. I theorise it's that because I've occasionally seen an arcane circle drawn on the moon's surface for a few moments."
Silence reigned for several minutes as they avoided loose stones and sticks. A low growling could be heard.
"What's that?" Fluttershy squeaked, hiding behind the limping Pinkie.
Her question was answered when a giant winged lion with a scorpion tail landed in front of them.
"A Manticore, apparently." Twilight lifted her rifle up, and primed it. "Any suggestions before we blow its head off- Fluttershy?!"
Fluttershy had just walked up to the Manticore and had calmed it down. It revealed a thorn on its paw, and she yanked it out. The scene mirrored what Twilight had told Trixie about the night of the Elements.
Twilight groaned. "Well, at least we can pass."
Much later, in a field of twisted trees, Pinkie had taken the lead.
"If anything seems too scary," She chimed, seeming unnaturally cheery considering her depressed appearance. "Just laugh at it. It'll go away."
"That is the most absurd logi-" Twilight started.
"It worked for my world's Pinkie." Trixie butted in. In truth, she was surprised how blunt this was becoming. Maybe it had something to do with the changes to their personalities kicking in.
The area suddenly grew into shadows. The atmosphere grew colder and more sinister. Trixie almost bumped into a tree, only to notice the horrific visage on it. Trixie unwittingly screamed like a little filly, as did Twilight. Fluttershy's scream sounded similar to the hunting cry used by Rainbow Dash back on Canterlot Mountain. Pinkie simply broke out into song.
After a short musical number, the entire group was laughing their heads off, though Twilight was having a bit of trouble with the many voices in her head joining in. Pinkie even seemed to have a little bounce back in her mane. They continued until they reached a rope suspension bridge.
"We've skipped quite a bit." Trixie said as she noted the suddenness of their quest's end approaching. "We missed the serpent and the cliff as well."
"You know an awful lot, don't you?" Twilight said.
"I could claim that if I knew more about this world," She rebutted, fully aware of the complementary nature of that statement. "Then I'd know a lot."
"How did they get past this bit?" Pinkie asked.
"Rainbow Dash flew over the bridge and secured it, but her challenge was something involving joining this 'Shadowbolt' team or helping her friends cross."
"Element of Loyalty. I know her choice." Twilight said. "Well, someone else knows, but she's in my head."
"Luckily, I have magic to solve this."
A few minutes later, she gave up. "There's an impenetrable wall of magic I can't get past. Someone needs to go over and secure it."
"I'll go." The lavender mare said. "I can teleport."
"No, you have to stay back. You send me over." Trixie said. "And I'm not taking no for an answer."
"How about-" Pinkie started
"Or any form of disagreement, thank you very much."
"Are you really sure you want to go?" Twilight asked with genuine concern.
"No, but I'm... probably expendable anyway." Trixie, after her surprisingly self-deprecating statement braced herself.
"Alright. Here goes."
A sickening jerk later and Trixie was on the other side. She rapidly tied the rope before anything could move up to her and tempt her. Well, that was the plan. A voice rang out of the mist.
"Trixie Lulamoon, why are you doing this? You should be ruling over these ponies with your superior magic, not bringing a group of mutants on a pointless journey that will result in your death."
"Death would be preferable to living in this hellscape." Trixie rebutted. "And I'm not falling for the same tricks that Nightmare Moon presented to my world." She turned to wherever the voice was coming from, a smug grin on her face. "After all, the Great and Powerful Trixie is far less suseptible to your mind-games than you'd think."
The voice chuckled. "Very well, you win this round. But the next round, you'll soon wish you had accepted my offer."
The mist parted, and Trixie secured the bridge. "It's ok now, go on across!"
The rest crossed the bridge, except Fluttershy who flew across. Slowly. She was looking left, right and centre in fear. Eventually, she landed.
As the bloodwing and the pink pony moved further inland, Twilight remained behind, next to Trixie.
"Hey, Trixie..." The lavender pony said, blushing and avoiding eye contact.
"Hm?"
"When this is all over, and I have my mind back..." She faltered. "Never mind."
Before anypony could say anything, a low-key rumble emanated from everything. It grew in intensity alarmingly fast.
Twilight pointed at the old castle in front of them. "The Elements are there! Let's get them!"
The four ponies raced in, and saw the pillar slap-bang in the centre of the room. It had no orbs on it whatsoever.
"Where are they?" Twilight asked, over the rumble.
"They're supposed to be here!" Trixie shouted. "And what the hay's causing that?!"
Trixie looked up. Something was happening. Something incredibly big was forming out of the aether right behind the two moons. It was a celestial body that was at least ten times the size of a moon, and was positioned behind the two identical ones. This one had a darker shade, its shadows reflecting differently to the others, and tinted with an ungodly blue. Small stones startes rising up as the rumbling reached a crescendo.
Fluttershy roared like an animal, and curled up. Twilight covered her ears, screaming at the voices to shut up. Pinkie and Trixie were unaffected, except for fear.
"The Nevermoon?!" Pinkie yelled. "What the hay is it doing here now?!"
"Nevermoon?" Trixie called out.
"It's a third, ungodly moon that increases the torment of the Curses."
Fluttershy was struggling to keep herself together.
"More ponies become Lost, bloodwings go into a rage!"
"And it seems that Twilight's voices are completely audible now!" Trixie added.
Trixie felt something heavy impact on her side. Hard. She hit the pillar and saw a blood-frenzied Fluttershy about to bite her. Trixie held the bloodwing's head back with magic, but strained with the effort.
"My magic's weaker!" She cried, almost slipping her arcane grasp. "Is that normal?!"
Pinkie grabbed Fluttershy, only to be swiped at by a hoof and knocked to the ground. Trixie lost her grasp, and the monster bit into her flesh. Under the searing pain, Trixie felt the sharp daggers of teeth stab easily through her body, and then felt it being pulled. Trixie, instead of attempting to pull the pegasus's head back, pushed it in to hold her tearing.
All of a sudden, a bright gold light burst from the lavender unicorn, shielding the group. Fluttershy's blood-rage slipped, and she noticed her fangs embedded in her friend's shoulder. She immediately pulled back, unaware that her jaw was still clenched, pulling out a huge chunk of meat from her chest. Twilight immediately calmed down, and ran up to Trixie.
"Trixie!" She screamed, louder than the rumbling of the Nevermoon. "Hold on!"
Pinkie looked up at the dome of gold energy in utter shock. "What the hay is that?"
A small sphere of black energy popped up next to her. It suddenly expanded out to cover a larger range than the dome of gold, and with a sickening jerk it, the gold dome, and the castle fell away into a barren blue-grey landscape.
Trixie, having her horrific wound patched up by Twilight, looked towards the sky. This sight really took the cake this time. More than two moons, more than a giant third moon that sowed terror and cost her some of her coat and quite a bit of blood.
The two moons were now even closer, and the second one in front of the first this time. A short distance behind, a celestial object with blue, decaying green and browns lay behind. The object had ice on either end of the sphere, and a whole mass of white strands that looked like clouds.
"Is that Equestria?!" Trixie nearly tore her wound open, as it wasn't yet finished healing.
This time, Pinkie, Twilight and Fluttershy were also speechless. They may have seen the two moons and the Nevermoon from Equestria's viewpoint, but they've never seen Equestria from the Nevermoon.
Unusually, this absurdly flat (not truly flat, but there was no hills or valleys whatsoever) moon of utter evil wasn't affecting them at all up here. Except for their breathing, there was absolutely no sound.
"Enjoying the view?"
The group turned to see a huge mare. A pitch-black alicorn that stood at least double their height, with blue armour plates and a mane of pure magic.
"It's Her!" Pinkie exclaimed.
Trixie had enough. "You! The one in the armour! Who the hay are you?"
"I am Nightmare Moon."
Trixie thought. Eternal night, dying crops, utter horror, three moons... Why didn't I get that message?
"I know your mission. But it was doomed from the start."
Twilight glared at the alicorn. "How was it doomed?"
"I destroyed the Elements so that nopony could ever use them again." She said, smugly. "At least you get to see a wonderful view of the planet before you die."
"Why did you do this? You knew eternal night would kill Equestria!"
"Because these ponies didn't respect my night, and it'll be the last thing they ever see before they all eventually go."
Trixie felt faint, but kept herself up. "Where's the sun?"
Nightmare laughed again. "Why, you're standing on it."
Silence.
"What?!"
"I couldn't get rid of the sun. It's impossible. So, after killing my sister Celestia in order to establish rule of the sun and Equestria, I cooled that bloody fireball into this wonderful rock." She grinned, slitted pupils shrunken in insane glee. "I knew that rendering the source of warmth to ponykind would lead to their eventual doom. Magic is a strange thing that only the Gods understand completely."
"You won't get away with this!" Pinkie yelled.
Nightmare moon broke out into hysterical laughter. "I already have! And you've heard more than anypony ever has." Her horn glowed, and her hair was tipped with magic blades. "Time to die, my little ponies."
One of the tendrils of energy lashed out to Trixie, and she prepared for her certain death.
Silence again.
She dared to open her eyes, and saw that her entire world except her had turned grey. She spotted a small pony, bigger than her but tiny compared to the goddess they were fighting, standing elegantly in front of the frozen Nightmare. She was bathed in a silvery light.
"I'm very sorry, Beatrix." The blue alicorn said, looking so upset that Trixie couldn't help but shed a tear. "I didn't want it to go this far."
A very warm glow hit Trixie's back, and she turned to see a huge, graceful, white alicorn standing majestically in a field of sunlight.
"But we can prevent it. The Elements were not destroyed, merely separated."
Trixie instinctively bowed. The smaller alicorn walked up, her short blue mane flowing in a non-existent breeze. "What are you talking about, Celestia?"
Celestia grinned. "Trixie, you can rise." She continued to her sister. "The Elements are prepared to be used to save ponykind. Afterwards, everything will be restored to normal. Luna?"
"Yes, sister?"
Celestia said something in a language completely unknown to Trixie. She then turned to the azure unicorn. "You will die in this battle, but we are prepared to grant you one wish."
"The rules are simple: No wishing for the Elements not to work, no wishing for infinite wishes, and we have the ability to deny a wish request." Luna sat next to Trixie. "I know I'm about to kill you, but I just want you to know..."
Luna pecked a kiss on Trixie's cheek, a tear streaming from her eye. "I'm very sorry."
Trixie, broken from her depressed stupor, rose to a dramatic position. "I only have one simple wish." She whispered it into Luna's ear, who then said something in that strange language to Celestia.
Celestia smiled. "A very humble request."
"One last thing," Trixie added. "How much do you know about my world?"
Luna smiled cheekily, and with a sudden flash of silver and gold light Trixie was lurched back into reality.
The blade of magic stopped in the dead-centre of a stone shield, constantly scraping against it.
"What?!" Nightmare Moon exclaimed.
The stone shield turned into a crystal shield with silver edges. The crystal was a brilliant blue, and shone brightly. The other Elements materialised around them, taking the forms that Trixie knew were the ones from her universe. A golden avatar of the Sun Princess Celestia burst in a blaze of sunlight, armed with the Elements of Generosity and Loyalty. A silver avatar of the Moon Princess Luna slipped in in a bath of moonlight, holding Honesty.
Nightmare tried to equal the power. All of her starmane was bladed and grinding against Trixie's shield. The sheer pressure of the onslaught tore her wound open, but the blood that seeped out was glowing gold and silver, and Trixie felt no pain.
Trixie's element didn't have a name. It had no defining characteristic that made it a true element. It wasn't even the right shape. However, it was just as important as any of the Elements of Harmony. The shield started to glow from the pressure.
The Elements of Harmony burst into a spectral beam which shot into the sky. It arced down onto Nightmare, and Trixie could see her body being torn apart to reveal the Luna she had seen. Finally, her shield broke, and bathed her in a pure white energy.
All she could hear after that was silence. She couldn't feel anything, not even her wound. She could taste blood, but that was about it. She decided to simply lie there, and see what happened next.