Dark World Light
This chapter now has an audio reading by Skijarama
***
"What will it be Rainbow Dash? Save some of your friends and condemn the others to death, or all die together as heroes?" Nightmare Moon mocked, her dark laughter filling the chamber and boring a hole into the ponies hearts.
Before Rainbow Dash could answer Nightmare's cruel choice, Fluttershy's soft voice cut through the air. "Rainbow I... I want you to know something before... before you choose." Everypony watched her, seemingly frozen, as the Pegasus continued on with a shaky breath. "I forgive you. Whatever happens, whatever you already blame yourself for, and whatever you've actually done... I forgive you."
Rainbow couldn't speak, couldn't breathe, as she stared at her lifelong friend. The pony who had been with her since the beginning, who had been hurt so much by Rainbow's actions, who Rainbow considered more as a sister than just a friend... was forgiving her.
Even when she was going to choosing between killing everyone or being a coward, Fluttershy was still willing to forgive her. That was more than Dash had thought possible, it was just so so...
The floor was glowing.
The dust that coated the ancient room was floating gently as the air stirred from the ponies' movements, but a certain cluster of it was flowing with a bit more force and radiating a soft pink light.
Rainbow Dash stared at the dust that no one else seemed to have noticed. "The elements can't be destroyed..." The words came out on their own accord, riding Rainbow's breath on something less than a whisper.
"Now this has been touching." Nightmare Moon spoke again, a cruel smile on her lips, "But I believe Rainbow Dash has a decision to make. What do you say, Dash? Are you ready to swear your loyalty to me once again? Or will you die a pointless hero?"
Rainbow stood up straighter, she looked Nightmare dead in the eye, and, as if the Pegasus had Celestia by her side, she smirked confidently at the demon who had destroyed her life.
"Neither," Rainbow spat, "I'm going to stick to the original plan and kick your flank!"
Nightmare’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "You insolent pest,” she hissed. “You haven't a prayer against me. The Elements are destroyed."
Rainbow laughed, an action which caused everypony in the room, friend and foe, to take a confused step back, and shook her head. "That's where you're wrong, Nightmare Moon. The Elements can't be destroyed. They're an idea, a... a force! You can destroy them just as easily as you could destroy the wind." She spread her wings despite the ache it caused and now had a full on grin brightening her face. "And just like the wind, I can direct it into what I need. Fluttershy," Her gaze softened as she regarded her friend. "You forgave me. Even though you had no reason to, even though I don't deserve it, you still did it. Because you knew that’s what I needed to hear. You wanted to give me peace above all else and that was a shining example of Kindness."
The floor surged. Everypony stared, transfixed, at the pink dust as it rose around Fluttershy. The glow brushed against Nightmare's wing and the Alicorn jerked back with a pained hiss, releasing Fluttershy in the process. But the Pegasus didn't move away, instead, she seemed to float contently in the swirling cloud around her.
"Oh my..." Fluttershy mumbled, absentmindedly brushing her hoof through the air, "It's so... warm."
"Applejack!"
The farmer jumped and wrenched her eyes away from Fluttershy over to Dash. The Pegasus was pointing a hoof at her dramatically and grinning like an idiot.
"On the train, you chose to trust your cousin with the truth, instead of attacking him. You always seemed to follow your heart despite everyone telling you to do otherwise. You represent Honesty."
"Whoa nelly," Applejack cried as an orange cloud rose up and surrounded her.
Rainbow Dash spun to point at the other Earth Pony in the room. "Pinkie Pie."
"Stop this at once!" Nightmare Moon shrieked, sending a beam of raw energy at Pinkie. The Earth Pony flinched back, but it was unneeded as the blue cloud rose up and dispelled the magic before it could reach her.
Rainbow spared only a glance at Nightmare Moon’s shocked expression before picking up her speech. “Pinkie, you made the bucking billion-year-old spirit of chaos laugh. Plus, you almost always have a positive attitude even though you definitely don’t have any reason to. Boom. Laughter.”
Pinkie gasped in excitement as she was gently lifted into the air. “We’re doing it Dashie! You’re doing it!”
Rainbow felt like her face would split if her smile got any wider. “Rarity!”
“Silence!” The Nightmare screamed desperately, changing her tactics and firing a beam straight at Rainbow’s head.
Dash flapped her wings and easily soared above the magic. It was odd, she could have sworn she had strained her wings to their limits tonight, but now she felt lighter and more graceful than when she was a foal. She continued her speech mid air, twisting around the crazed attacks Nightmare Moon threw at her.
“Rarity, you gave up so much. You gave your freedom for your family, your job for my dumb ideas, and your family for us. You, are Generosity.”
Rarity gave her a pained, but sincere smile before she was obscured from view by a purple vortex.
Rainbow faltered slightly as she realized the attacks were no longer coming and her wings were still at her side. A light red haze filled her vision. A dark weight filled her heart.
“I’m Loyalty…” She choked, forcing each word out, “I’ve betrayed my kingdom, betrayed my morals, and failed everyone who ever counted on me. But I am Loyalty because I don’t give up. I will never give up fighting for my loved ones. Even if I mess up, even if I doom the world, I’ll always try. I am Loyalty.”
There was a break in the storm around her, and Rainbow could once again see the room clearly. Five colorful clouds whirled around her and her friends. Nightmare Moon was still screaming, or maybe sobbing. Either way, she seemed to have exhausted all her magic, or at least the will to fight the inevitable. In the eye of the storm, surrounded by little more than violet mist, was Twilight Sparkle.
The Time Traveling Alicorn.
And accompanying her friend’s proud, tear filled smile, Dash could have sworn she saw wings on her back and a backpack wearing dragon by her side.
“Twilight’s Magic,” Rainbow finished, and the illusion was gone. Now it was just Twilight. Her dorky, wicked scary, crazy new friend. “She’s magic because she brought us all together, she kept us bound and she kept us sane. She’s our bond in this adventure.”
Rainbow smirked as Twilight too was engulfed by the dust. “Not to mention she can throw one wicked fireball.”
The light surged out and around, joining the six ponies and converging all of the power on a single dark point.
And Rainbow’s last thought before she drifted into unconsciousness was how funny it was that a messed up group of rebels firing a laser at a demon could bring her such peace and warmth.
It's... it's over... ho boy...
Thank you all so much for reading! I had more fun than I thought writing it and I loooooved to read all of your comments.
This story took one year and seven months to complete and the journey here has been amazing. Thank you everyone who convinced me to expand the original into this novel sized thing.
Five years on this site and this is the longest, most structured thing I've written.
Shout out to Shipmun , as always, for editing and proofreading this thing from early on. It would probably be a complete mess without him.
Mandatory Patreon link so you know you can get early access to new story's I'm writing as well as a bunch of other things.
Love you all 
This has been a ride.
~Tangy
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Hey! Before you leave make sure to tell me what you liked/hated about the story so I can write a better one in the future.
Very satisfiying, it not marked complete yet...so I'm hopeing for a denouement chapter and return of Celestia?
I wonder what her reaction will be as all this came together without her behind the scene ministration as it was in the canon verse.
Wait...that's it? No epilogue? Awww...oh well, it was a fun story.
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Agreed. We definitely need, if nothing else, an epilogue.
As-is, this feels like the Diana Wynn Jones books I've read. For example, Dark Lord of Derkholm and its sequel, Year of the Griffin. Great books, but they're unsatisfying because they just end right after the driving conflict is resolved without showing the reader the implications of having ended it.
Celestia's reaction would be nice, but what it really feels like it needs is to the aftermath of giving Twilight this proof of her significance. It feels as if the whole story was spent with her insisting that she's nobody and there won't be closure until the readers see a sufficiently detailed acknowledgement that she really is somebody after all.
Holy cow, did this end far too suddenly.
Does need an epilogue, Harmony has reasserted it self but there will be repercussions the main cannon never faced. Will Luna return? What about the cutie map, does it vanish or can the girls use it? What about ponies who gained power under Nightmare who refuse to give up their positions? Some might just follow Luna others might refuse to believe she was nightmare and did a heel-face turn.
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Gotta agree with all of them. What now? Nightmare Moon has exerted her influence on the world and is (assumedly) suddenly stripped of her power? That creates a vacuum. If not an epilogue, a sequel as a changed Equestria struggles in aftermath.
All in all, great way to write a "what-if".
This ending... it felt rushed. Beyond that, itvwas an excellent story
..uh.. what?
After establishment, rising action, and climax, you need falling action- denouement. We at least need some recognition that the reign of Nightmare Moon has consequences, that things in this world will not be precisely the same as in main-timeline Equestria.
After climax must come catharsis.
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Don´t forget Discord. He will no be content remaining a ghost anchored to his statue.
At long last, this version of Princess Luna will be cleansed and freed of Nightmare Moon's influence, returning her to normal. Along with that, her sister, Celestia, will also return from magical imprisonment.
Luna will have a long road of recovery and redemption ahead of her after this, but with the help of her sister and new friends the burden will be easier to bear for her.
While the chapter was good (and it was interesting to see this with Rainbow as the speaker), it feels like it ended extremely abruptly, or if there would be at least an epilogue. Even a few short sentences after where you ended it, it should at least provide some closure (even a silly little thing, like Rainbow waking up, Celestia and Luna reuniting, and it all signaling a new dawn for them all)
Endings are the hardest, aren't they?
Thanks very much for getting this story finished. It took a while, but was well worth the wait. Great job, of course, on the emotional content and action throughout. Though, while I agree that, at the very least, this story could use an epilogue/sequel (i.e. a semi-short story that literally picks up IMMEDIATELY after this story ends and shows at least a few of the changes Nightmare Moon's defeat brought on), I DO respect your wish to end this particular story here. It's your call after all. Anyway, as I said before, excellent job on this story.
I really have loved this story, but, since you asked...
Needs an epilogue for the story to feel complete, obviously things after this aren't going to be the same as in the cannon story.
Everyone spent years living in fear under a highly oppressive regime, I am not sure they would take so well to her, and tonnes of people would never forgive her no matter what, lets not forget the international repercussions of what she did. There's too much there that we don't know to just not even offer us a glimpse of life after the nightmare.
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One advantage to immortality, eventually a generation will come that has only known Luna, only experienced her as a guardian of dreams. I doubt she'll be doing much active ruling, ponies would refuse her and she wouldn't want to be in charge.
This was a great story, and I really enjoyed the way you fleshed out this AU, but I agree with the others that it begs an epilogue. There's a lot left unsaid - the obvious deal with Celestia, Luna, and Discord aside, Rainbow and her friends still need to talk about those things Nightmare Moon let slip to all of them. As the author, you can end it wherever you wish... but it did seem abrupt to me.
Either way, though, it was a great story, and I thank you for writing it.
Really interesting story, nice how it took "history" back with how the Nightmare ended, specially how you didn't change things around to make RD Magic or something like it
But it needs an epilogue. Either that or a sequel that begins the next time Rainbow opens her eyes. Because as it is now, it's not a complete story just yet
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Big agree that it really calls out for an epilogue.
I wonder, if Twilight confesses to the newly-returned Princess Celestia that she's not sure she could ever be the confident alicorn Rainbow talks about, will Celestia take a gamble, and send Twilight to learn confidence from an old student of hers who took off through a magic mirror?
I love your story but this story needs one more chapter. A nice denouement is really needed in this. Essentially you ended this story just at the the very end of the climax and you still need to give the release of all the tension.
It is all primed and ready but I would say the story really needs that last chapter to really be complete.
All things considered though I still really enjoyed this story and I think you did a good job. I still feel there was a little something between Pinkie and Dash in this story but that could be just me (and Rarity I think she did try to keep Dash from looking at Pinkie when she showed her cutie mark and did not do anything like that to anybody else).
We needs MOAR...please
I must agree with everyone on the epilogue. We still have a few things to wrap up before the story is truly over. Not just everything Nightmare let slip, but also Celestia returning, forgiving her sister and sending Twilight on a mission of friendship to set her on the path of becoming the alicorn princess of friendship like she was destined to be. Once all that is done the story would be done where a sequel could take place if you so chose.
Well that was really Anti-climactic. All that build up and we end with the same song and dance as usual with no follow up. That's really rather disappointing.
This was an fantastic!
And what everyone else said
Epilogue please.
Was a great fic, but holy crap, we need to have some resolution regarding the aftermath of NMM/Luna's crimes. Not to mention the ponies who followed her, like Charged, or even Rainbow Dash herself(not that I think she's a bad pony, but you can't just pretend she didn't do the things she did).
I'm fine with this ending and I really liked how you wrote it. The pacing was fine and I wouldn't like the idea of you going beyond with this, I think you left us a good opening for us to fill with our minds.
i have a feeling this is setting up for an epilogue
Perhaps an epilogue so we get a satisfying ending. Unless you left it because it becomes the same ending that the show had. Which wouldn't make sense considering you are using an alternate universe.
"Dammit, Luna, what gives?" hissed Celestia out of the corner of her mouth. "You had a freaking thousand years when YOU wanted to bum around Equestria without anyone noticing you, with that silly 'Mare in the Moon' story, but when *I* want to take a vacation, you bail after just two years?"
"I can't pull up the frickin' sun, okay?" hissed Luna back from the ground. "I used up all the Bottled Sunlight and now if the sun doesn't go back up, we all starve, and tea goes extinct!"
"Well, when you put it that way," Celestia grumbled. Then lifted her head and cleared her throat. "My Little Ponies!" she declared loudly. "You have rescued me and nearly purified my sister, Luna!"
"Nearly?" hissed Luna.
Celestia continued as though she hadn't heard a thing. "She is in a delicate state right now, though! One wrong step could return her to being Nightmare Moon!"
"Where are you *going* with this, Celly?"
"Quickly! Seize her, bind her across the arms of the throne, gag her, and call in the guard to spank the wickedness right out of her! When her 'moon' is a bright red, you'll know you're getting close!"
Not a single pony in all of Equestria bought that, but hey, it was definitely cathartic.
Definitely needs an epilogue to tye everything up in a neat package.
But seriously, please make an epilogue.
Yep, needs an epilogue.
Wait. So no epilogue? Nothing to show the aftermath? What about Celestia? she's still stuck in the moon.
How about Discord getting free now Nightmare Moon is beaten? What about Cadance and the Crystal Empire?
There are still so many things we don't know the conclusion of here
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Yeah, this story has been great right up until now... and then we suddenly end with a rehash of Twilight's epiphany speech from episode 2. And that's it.
Epi-Logue
This is not an ending.
This story is great. I love the take on the Nightmare Timeline and all the little hints about each character's lives. The characters themselves were believable and well written, the story was fun with great pacing and a good sense of progression.
But, this is not an ending. It's a good way to end the chapter, but there's no final resolution. There's no closure on what happened. You don't need to go off and answer every question, in fact, it's good to leave many questions unanswered, but this here didn't answer any.
This ending is like if the Lord of the Rings ended with Frodo throwing the One Ring into Mt Doom and then instantly cutting to black. You brought us up to the story's climax, and then just ended without a resolution. Were are left asking: "Did it work?" There's no moment for the characters to reflect on what happened and finalise their story arcs.
It is disappointing to see such an end to such a great story.
I think most of us just agree, this needs an epilogue XD. Other then that, as usual you did great man.
I'm in agreement with just about everyone who has commented so far.
This needs an epilogue.
The story up until now has been good. But it feels wrong to end on an ambiguous note. There are so many unanswered questions. Do the elements actually purge Nightmare Moon? What becomes of Luna? Is Celestia freed from the moon? What becomes of the Mane Six? What becomes of Equestria? The list goes on.
Now, as the author, it is ultimately up to you how this story ends, but I think most of your followers would appreciate one more chapter to officially wrap things up.
Yeah, it could need a bit more "What happenedthen?" as an ending, but otherwise great story, thanks^^
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I've never really written one before I'm so lost.
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Okay, okay, you all win
I would have refused but you all just have to be nice and supporting and caring don't you?8330263
Thanks immensely. :-D
Loved the story, thanks for the epilogue.
That was rather abrupt. The build up was fine but then it basically ended with "And then they won". Even just a few more paragraphs would have been welcome.
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But one of the major changes to the timeline was that Twilight failed her magic entrance exam. Which means that she never hatched Spike's egg.
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Yeah I made the connection to what y'all meant after I made that post.
Though it made sense that eventually the egg would have hatched anyway. The idea that dragons require unicorns to hatch their eggs just makes me think "what did they do before they found unicorns?" They're not even from the same regions.
Oh boyyyy, nice climax!
Wow......a little plot convenience, but still good nonetheless.
Yeaaaaah! They have done it!
I like that you gave Dash the spotlight as the one directing the elements.
AAAAAA!!!
I love this!!! I didnt expect Rainbow to be the one to make the element connections, but its so perfect! This story was focused on her from the start, after all. Finally she can atone for her mistakes, all the way back to blaming herself for not finishing that race as a filly. It is beautiful and poetic! And forcing herself to recognize that despite all those mistakes, SHE is Loyalty, is beautiful and healing. Wonderful job!