Equestrian Darkness

by Arreis Of Avalon

Panic

The mare glared at Celestia, her eyes full of hatred. “You never planned for me, did you? Never thought your ‘loyal sister’ would betray you. How do you feel, knowing it took the god of chaos to show me the real you, the one who always pushed me towards the side, always took command?” Tia shook her head, speechless. This horrible, nightmarish alicorn was – no – had been her sister? Looking at what had been her sister, Celestia saw her worst nightmare had come true. Her sister, the one she had always loved and cherished, had turned into a wicked mare of darkness.

The darkest form of Luna laughed a cold and merciless sound. “Speechless, dear sister? I never thought of you as the SILENT TYPE.” As she said these last few words, her eyes flashed with hatred, and her horn flared with dark magic. Tia, powerless in her shock, was thrown to the wall by one of the same shadowy bolts she had seen in her dream. Her chest burned where the spear of darkness has impacted with her, and she struggled to stand.

“L-luna…”

The alicorn laughed again, that sound making Tia wince. She could still recall the old Luna, the way she used to laugh, the way her voice sounded; all this and more was what made this hurt the most. “I’m not that sniveling foal anymore, sister. I am ever so much more, now. I am the night. I am the mysteries that invade your deepest dreams, leaving my menacing touch on your mind. I am…The mare, destined to live like the moon. I will rise forever more, always coming forth in the night. I am… Nightmare Moon.”

As she said this, Tia felt that last lingering flame of the Luna she had known go out, leaving this hideous monster in her steed. This… Nightmare Moon laughed as Tia stood. “Nightmare Moon, by the order of the royal pony sisters, I banish you from Equestria.”

Moons eyes glinted with loathing for Celestia. “You BANISH me? You really think you are that powerful?”

Celestia stood strong against this mare who had been her sister, her broken heart stone cold against her adversary. “I have more power than you will ever know, Nightmare. I can and will use the Elements of Harmony against you.”

The sinister mare’s eyes widened. “The Elements? Did you truly think you could use such weak toys against me?” To prove her point, her horn sparked with magic, teleporting both of them to the room where the elements were held on their pedestal. Celestia gasped as Nightmare walked to the Lunar side, the three Elements Luna had wielded. With a calm certainty, Nightmare picked up the Element of magic. Celestia gasped as in a flash the 6th Element disappeared.

“What have you done to the 6th Element?!”

Nightmare laughed. “I’ve hidden it where you cannot use it against me. Not that you would have been able to anyways. The Lunar Elements have been bound to Luna, yet little Luna no longer dwells in this body. Therefore, the Lunar Elements are now bound to me. The last Element, Magic, is now bound so deeply to me… I AM the Element.”

Celestia gasped, taking a step back. She knew she needed to defeat this pony… but there had to be some way to bring back her sister. Everything about this was so chaotic…

Suddenly an idea came to her mind, a horrible, terrifying idea. If Discord had made her like this… then only he could change her back.

Celestia levitated her Elemental stones, each glowing with arcane magic. “I do not know how defeat you, Nightmare Moon, but I do know my sister is in there, somewhere in the darkness of your heart. I will get Luna back… no matter what the cost.”

Nightmares eyes narrowed and her horn sparked with magic again. Slowly, the castle began to rumble and shake. Celestia gasped as the ceiling above them began to crack as a strange darkness swirled around Nightmare. Celestias own horn sparked with magic, the only light in this darkness. She gasped as Nightmare Moon turned to a wisp of shadow and the ceiling began to cave in around her. Quickly, the Solar Elements close to her, she teleported outside of the castle to the town.

Ponies were in a state of panic outside the Everfree. The castle of the two pony sisters was deep inside the Everfree forest, seeing as they had claimed the castle from Discord. A small town had been built outside of the Everfree, and they had named the town Everfall after the forest. Celestia looked up at the night sky, and realized what had everypony in fear. The stars were going out.

Darkness was covering Equestria like a sheet. All of Equestria was being shaded with eternal night, just as Nightmare had said. Celestia looked around at the chaos… It was Discords era all over again. Ponies around her were running to their families and loved ones, some screaming much the same thing as she thought.

She flared open her wings and took to the sky, flying beyond the Everfree to a nearby mountain. Beneath the mountain were large caves and caverns, and in the deepest ones lied Discord, encased in stone. She flew fast and made good time, landing beside the entrance to the caverns. It was now or never.

She walked deep into the caves, the beautifully glittering walls doing nothing to sate the sense of foreboding inside of her. As she went further, the dim light of the moon began to fade. She lit her horn with light, thinking to herself it looked a bit dim in the shadows. She went deeper still, down into the seemingly bottomless gloom.

Finally, she came to a small, crystallized door. In the center was a small hole. Putting her horn inside, she concentrated and her horn light with a light aura, making the door glow with magic. She heard the door begin to unlock, and with a brilliant light, it opened.

She walked in, and for the second time that night, she went face to face with her old foe… the God of Chaos, Discord the Draconequus.

Author's Note:

Hey... As a few of you may have noticed, things have been a little crazy on my end. Sorry for the lack of story posts all day. Been feeling really sick, and... just a general icky day. Still, that doesn't mean you all have to suffer from it. Thank you all for continuing to read this story, even though i had little hope for it in the start. Please, enjoy the general 'Panic'.