The Lost Kingdom

by Piece Bot

Into the Mist

Twilight trudged through the mist. She flew here with her mum after seeing the stone castles rise out of the mist. She could feel something hard and stony beneath her hooves but there was basically no visibility at all. Luna tried to cast a spell that would lessen the mist but it was no use.

“Doesn’t work. This mist must drain the powers of any Unicorn that walks through here.” Luna commented. Twilight didn’t reply because she was thinking of what Cadence said when they were about to fly off.

‘I’ve sent a few Unicorns into the mist to see the cause of all this but they were never heard from again.’ Cadence told Twilight and Luna.
‘It sounds discouraging, but we’ll look anyway.’ Luna responded.
‘I can see you’ve made up your mind about this. I can’t stop you. I just want to wish you good luck.’

“Twilight look out!” Luna yelled. Twilight was so deep in her thoughts that she didn’t see the cliff she was about to topple over. The mist wasn’t helping anything.

“Thanks.” The mist cleared a bit and they could see a huge city made out of stone. There was something off about this place though. Twilight couldn’t put her hoof on it but there was something different about this place, something unearthly.

“Do you feel something weird about this place?” Twilight asked her mum. She nodded. She had a look of horror on her face.

“Mum?” Twilight waved her hoof in front of Luna’s face. Luna didn’t respond.

“Mum!?” Twilight was starting to panic. She followed Luna’s line of sight and saw nothing. What was Luna seeing then? She left her horrified mum at the cliff top and flew down to the ground. As she walked around she saw skeletons of buildings. She thought she could find some help here but it looked like it wasn’t to be.

Luna stood stock-still, almost as if she had seen a ghost. She couldn’t respond to anything, not even her daughter waving a hoof in front of her face. Just ahead of her she could see something horrid, something evil. It looked like, no it couldn’t be. But it was. She was seeing something that had haunted her very nightmares. She slowly looked over the flowing celestial blue hair that was dotted with tiny sparkles, the midnight blue armor and the crazy eyes. It was Nightmare Moon.

“Why are you here?” Nightmare Moon asked, almost coyly.

“Why am I here? Why are you here?” Luna pointed her hoof accusingly at Nightmare Moon.

“I am here because I don’t want anypony to come and take away my kingdom.” She answered simply.

“Your kingdom!? Don’t you mean Twilight’s?”

“You mean that miserable foal you cast off as soon as you could? BAH!” She spat at Luna’s hooves. At this point Luna tried
to extend a shaking wing to protect Twilight but her wings were locked in place.

“Why can’t I move my wings?”

“I didn’t cast any spell on you, if that’s what you mean. No, your wings are simply locked by your own confusion and fear. Fear that I would take control again!”
Luna tried to cower but her legs wouldn’t obey her. She started to hyperventilate but Twilight unfortunately noticed this and tried to calm her mum down. It didn’t work. Nightmare Moon rushed at her but stopped mere inches from Luna’s muzzle

“Do you want me to hurt your pathetic little foal?” Nightmare Moon asked quietly. The words sounded more menacing under the quiet tone that Nightmare Moon employed. She disappeared, leaving her words to hang over Luna’s head, like a thundercloud waiting to pour down with hail and rain.

“This is bad, this is bad thisisbad thisisbad thisisbad thisisbad thisisbad thisisbad.” Twilight started to hyperventilate as well under all the stress of trying to bring her mum back.

“How do I get her to respond? That won’t work … neither would that …” While Twilight carried on with her incoherent ramblings, she felt a wing brush her flank. She stiffened and looked over.

“Mum?” Luna nodded and at that Twilight hugged her fiercely.

“It’s okay Twilight,” Luna said with a slight giggle.

“What happened?” The lavender mare asked after she pulled away. Luna quickly looked around but didn’t look directly at her.

“What happened?” Twilight asked in a much quieter tone, but no less forceful.

“Uh, I would rather tell you when we’re back with the others.” Luna smiled a plastic smile and held it until Twilight nodded
slightly. Twilight wasn’t okay with it but she supposed it would have to do.

“Want to walk through the town? I know there aren’t any ponies there but it’s worth a look anyway.” Twilight nodded and they walked into the middle of the kingdom.

With the others …

“There hasn’t been any news of Twilight or Luna since we lost contact with them five days ago.” Cadence was telling Celestia.

“Hmm, this most worrisome indeed.” Celestia was worried about her most faithful student and her sister as well. This is exactly what happened after Cadence sent the other Unicorns in there. Apparently it only affects Unicorns but what about the other pony races? Celestia put this question to the young Princess and Cadence’s face lit up.

“Why not?” Cadence called for Twilight’s other friends to follow her while excusing herself from the room. They all met up in the observatory.

“I’ve got a task for Rainbow Dash. I want her to go into the mist and try to find Twilight and Princess Luna. How about it Dash?” Rainbow looked over and saw Pinkie blubbering away like an idiot.

“Uh, would it be okay if Pinkie came with me?” Rainbow gestured over to the blubbering pink mare and waited for Cadence’s answer. Cadence narrowed her eyes and said,

“That will be okay.” She said it loud enough for Pinkie to hear. Her face immediately took on a huge smile and her hair went all poofy again. Before Pinkie came over Cadence told her that she wanted to talk to Rainbow alone. Pinkie’s hair went straight again. Cadence led Dash over to where they wouldn’t be heard by any of the other ponies in the room.

“What did you want to talk to me about Princess?”

“Shh. Not so loud.” Cadence hurriedly shushed the mare and began to talk to her hurriedly.

“I know that you and Pinkie have to get going but I wanted to talk about you and Pinkie.”

“Uh … what about us?” Dash nervously said.

“About your feelings for her.”

“Oh, right. Heheh. That. What about them.”

“I can tell that you love her and that you want to be together and I understand that,” She raised a hoof to stop Dash’s questions, “you and Pinkie mean well to each other. I just want you two to be careful. Can you promise me that?” Cadence sounded like an over-protective mother and less like a Princess. She silently nodded and they walked back to the group. Pinkie saw them coming back and ran over to hug Dash tightly.

“Pinkie … can’t … breathe.” Pinkie hurriedly let go.

“I’m so super-duper sorry. Lets’ go!” Pinkie grabbed Rainbow’s hoof and took off for the mist faster than you can blink an eye.

“Wow.” Cadence was stunned by Pinkie’s over-abundance of energy.