Moonlights Daughter

by Fizzyberries302

Everfree Elements

The seven ponies stood outside the entrance to the Everfree Forest.

"What makes you think the Elements are in the Everfree Forest." asked Rainbow Dash.

"Guys, it wasn't always a forest. Somewhere in this forest is the ruins of my old home. If the Elements are anywhere in Equestria, then they've got to be here." said Songbird, taking a few steps into the trees.

She turned around and saw the others were following her. "You guys don't need to come. This is family business." said Songbird.

"No can do, Princess. We're not letting you go into that forest alone. We're gonna stick to you, like caramel on a candy apple." said Applejack, trotting up to them.

"Caramel, sweet, sweet caramel." said Pinkie, licking her lips (her hair was poofy again).

"Nows not the time to be thinking about food!" cried Rainbow Dash, yanking Pinkie by the tail.
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A little while later, they were on the edge of a ravine. "This place is spooky. And it ain't natural." said Applejack.

"Why wouldn't be natural." asked Rarity.

"No pony knows..." said Rainbow, in a spooky voice.

"Rainbow quit it." said Songbird.

"Cause every pony who has been in here, has never come out!" The cyan pegasus went a little too far and caused, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity to jump.

Every pony shrieked when the rocks broke underneath them. Fluttershy, Songbird and Rainbow Dash got out of the way as they wings. But the others didn't. Rainbow grabbed Pinkie by her tail, Fluttershy grabbed Rarity and carried her to safety. Lastly was Applejack and Twilight. The unicorn was getting closer to the edge. Applejack let go of the root she was holding and grabbed onto Twilights hooves.

"Applejack! What do I do?!" she asked, frantically. The southern mare looked down and saw Songbird. That gave her an idea.

"Let go."

Twilight was stunned. "Are you crazy!"

"Trust me, just let go and you'll be safe."

"Are you sure?!"

"Twilight, what I'm saying is the honest truth, let go and you'll be safe." said Applejack.

Twilight still wasn't sure, but she let go anyway. She fell down the cliff screaming, then she came to a sudden jolt. She opened her eyes and saw that Songbird had caught her mid air. The alicorn got her friend safety to the ground, while Applejack jumped down the rocks.

Songbird dusted herself off and looked back up at the cliff. "That was a little too close for comfort."

"Where to now, Songbird?" asked Twilight.

Songbird looked around the area and tried to make out where they were. Finally she recognised the small trench. "That way!" she said, galloping in that direction.

Rainbow Dash was bragging to Twilight about how she saved them from certain death on the cliff. "Yes Rainbow, I was there."

Suddenly a loud roar came from up the path. Everypony screamed when they saw a manticore blocking the only exit.

"We have to get past it!" cried Twilight, charging to attack. The others followed behind.

Songbird fired up her horn to try and hit the manticore. Rarity hit the manticore with a three branch, but the beast roared in her face. Applejack jumped on its back and rode it like a rodeo bull, but the manticore was too strong and knocked her off. Songbird thought she heard some pony say 'stop'. She looked over and saw Fluttershy's lips move. Then it occurred to her that Fluttershy knew all about the animals of Equestria and that she might know what's wrong.

Songbird set off a firework blast from her horn, silencing the fight. "Fluttershy, do you think you can see what's wrong with him?" she asked, ushering towards the yowling manticore.

Fluttershy nodded and approached the giant manticore. Her friends cringed when the manticore made a swipe at Fluttershy, but the butter coloured pegasus nuzzled the manticores paw. The manticore held up its paw, revealing a large thorn stuck there. "Oh you poor little baby," said Fluttershy.

"Little!" Rainbow questioned.

"Now hold still, this will only hurt for a second." Fluttershy pulled the thorn from the manticores paw, causing it to roar in her face.

Her friends screamed, but they instead saw the manticore licking Fluttershy's mane and purring playfully. Seeing the chance the rest of the ponies trotted past the manticore, Twilight stopped Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, how did you know that the manticore had a thorn in its paw?" she asked.

"I didn't, sometimes we have to show everypony a bit of kindness."

Songbird looked around the area of forest. She examined the bark on the trees, finally she found what she was looking for. A carving of her initials, SB. She had carved it there on the day she moved to Canterlot, 900 years ago.

"Girls, I know where we are. The ruins are this way, follow me." she said.

A minute later they were in a darker part of the forest.

Rarity began to complain. "How did a princess like you manage to live in such an icky place?"

"Like I said before, this place wasn't always a forest. It was a beautiful grassy field when I was a filly." Songbird explained to Rarity. There was a squelching noise.

Applejack held up her hoof. "I think I stepped in something-"

She was cut off by Fluttershy screaming at something. Applejack turned around and saw what the fuss was about. There was a tree with a hollow in it, with jagged pieces of wood that looked like teeth around the edges. The ponies looked around and they realised they were surrounded by them. The ponies screamed and huddled together, then they heard laughter coming from somewhere. Every pony stopped and saw Pinkie Pie laughing and making faces at one of the scary trees. "Pinkie what are you doing! Run!" cried Twilight.

"Oh girls, don't you see...." The pink mare then started singing.

"Tell me she's not." Twilight grumbled.

Pinkie: When I was a little filly and the sun was going down....
The darkness and the shadows they would always make me frown....
I'd hide under my pillow at what I thought I saw,
But Granny Pie said that's not the way, to deal with fears at all.....

Pinkie: She said, "Pinkie, you've gotta stand up tall, learn to face your fears. You'll see that they can't hurt you, just laugh and make them disappear. Ha! Ha! Ha! Sooooooooooo

Songbird couldn't help, but join in.

Songbird and Pinkie: Giggle at the Ghostly, Guffaw at the Grossly, Crack up at the Creepy, Whoop it up with the Weepy, Chortle at the Kooky, Snortle at the Spooky!

The other ponies started laughing at the trees and one by one, the scary faces disappeared with a pop.

Pinkie: And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone then he's got another thing coming, and the very idea just makes you want to, hahahahaha...heh.....LAAUUGGHH!!!!!!!!!

Pinkie finished the song and all the ponies were on the ground laughing like crazy.

When everypony had calmed down they were off again. Songbird listened closely, she knew that a river flowed near the ruins. If they were anywhere near the river, she would be able to hear it. Her ears perked up when she heard a rush of water. "This way!" she cried, leading the charge.

After a short amount of time, they were at the rivers bank, but the waters were wild and rough. Surely they would be crushed if they tried to cross.

"What now?!" asked Twilight. The mares then heard a weeping sound coming from down stream. They trotted over and found what was causing the racket. A giant purple sea serpent was thrashing around in the water. Now they knew what was making the water rough.

"Um, excuse me sir, is there a problem?" Twilight called out to the serpent.

"Well I don't know, I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this cloud of purple smoke came by and sliced half of my beloved moustache, clean off! And now I look simply horrid!" The giant purple reptile started thrashing around again, ending up splashing the ponies.

"That's what all the fuss is about, give me a break!" cried Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

Rarity was stunned. "Of it is a big fuss! How can you be so insensitive. Just look at such lovely, luminous scales."

The serpent sniffed. "I know, but I don't think any pony can help me." Songbird felt the need to speak up.

"That where your wrong, Rarity here is one of the finest fashionistas in Equestria, she even styled the mane of a princess." she said, opening her wings.

The serpent gasped. "Your Highness!" he cried, taking a low bow.

"I really think Rarity can help you. She knows a lot about fashion," said the princess, making Rarity blush.

"Any ideas Rarity?"

The unicorn stroked her chin, thinking. She then perked up. "I'm going to need one of your scales." she said to the serpent.

The serpent ripped off one of his scales and gave it to Rarity. The unicorn then swung the sharp object down. There was a cutting sound and everyponys eyes widened when they saw Rarity had cut the long part of her tail off.

Using her magic she attached the tail onto the remains of serpents moustache. "My moustache, you fixed it! Now I look fabulous!" he cried.

"You certainly do."

"Rarity, your beautiful tail." said Twilight.

"Oh it's fine darling, short tails are in the season, besides it will grow back." said Rarity, holding up what was left of her tail.

"So will the moustache!" Rainbow pointed out.

Songbird looked over at the river. It had calmed down enough for them to cross. "Let's go girls. The ruins aren't far now." she said, taking a few steps into the water.

She then felt the ground underneath her move, and then the serpents body rose out of the water. "Allow me." he said, making a stepping stone motion with his body humps.

The ponies hopped over them onto the other side. Songbird started to recognise the area even more. The ponies trotted down the path, then the princess spotted something up ahead.

It was the bridge leading to the ruins. "Girls we made it!" she exclaimed. The ponies raced over and saw the ruins of an age old castle. It hadn't been completely destroyed by the natural elements, despite it being there for a thousand years.

However when Twilight ran towards the bridge she released that the bridge have been broken. She hadn't seen the broken bridge because of the thick fog emitting the area. "Now what!" asked Pinkie, out loud.

Songbird emitted a silvery mist from her horn into the fog, sure enough her mist was blown around. "The winds are too rough, only a strong flyer can get past this,"

Everypony pony turned to Rainbow Dash. "This ones on you Rainbow."

"Can do, Princess Songbird." said Rainbow Dash, taking to the skies.

The cyan pegasus dove down and grabbed the stray rope. She flew up onto the other side of the ravine. She was about to tie the rope to the post, when she heard a voice. "Rainbow..."

"Who's there! I ain't scared of you!" cried Rainbow Dash.

"We have been waiting for the strongest flyer in Equestria. That's you of course." said the voice.

Rainbow was touched. "Of course I am, you wouldn't be able to tell the Wonderbolts that." she asked.

"No Rainbow, we want you to join us,"

Then three grey pegasi came running out of the fog. They were wearing maroon uniforms, with yellow lightning bolts on the edges and thick, slanted sunglasses.

"We are the Shadowbolts, the greatest flyers in the Everfree Forest, and soon all of Equestria. But we need a captain." They said.

Rainbow Dash squealed. "Count me in, folks. Just let me tie this bridge real quick."

She was about to grab the rope when the Shadowbolts blocked her path. "NO! It's them or us!" said the one in the middle.

Rainbow heard Twilights voice from the other side of the bridge. "Rainbow! What's taking so long!"

Songbird then saw the Shadowbolts. "Rainbow Dash! Don't listen to them!" But the princesses voice was blocked out by the heavy fog.

"Well..." asked the middle Shadowbolt.

Rainbow Dash looked them in the eye. She knew what to do. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I have to say no." she said, tying the bridge and flying back to her friends. When nopony was looking the Shadowbolts disappeared into a purple smoke.

"Good going Rainbow." said Songbird. "See, I never let my friends hanging." said Rainbow Dash. Finally they were at the ruins.

Author's Note:

Since I got a lot of feedback in such a short amount of time, I feel like you guys deserve a reward, so here's the next chapter.

Again, thank you so much. It really means a lot to me.

Comments

[Doctor_Den]

all these stories with the "alternative" nightmare moon return are so identical that I practically skipped this chapter stopping only a few times when I saw unfamiliar words and sentences