How I Became An Alicorn...

by ShadowBolt94

Chapter 15.2

HIBAA 15.2: Over the River and Through the Woods to Nightmare Moon’s Castle We Go

Six nervous girls stood in front of the entrance to the forbidden forest going over the plan once again. After realizing that her destination was the infamous forest Twilight’s friends absolutely refused to let her go in alone. So they packed backpacks of supplies and met up at the entrance an hour later. Twilight had left Spike back at the library putting him under a deep sleeping spell not wanting to risk him trying to follow her into the forest’s dangerous depths. She’d never forgive herself if he was hurt after she let him come along on such a dangerous mission.

“Okay, so we’re clear. We follow the map the book gave us through the forest, retrieve the elements and get out of there as quickly as possible so we can activate them in a more secure environment?” Twilight asked looking around at her friends as they were huddled together in a circle on this most unnatural of nights.

There were nods and voiced agreements all around so they broke apart and faced the entrance once more this time all taking their first steps into it as one. They walked down the path that apparently been forged by the few brave souls that dare enter the cursed forest. Once they’d been walking for a little while Twilight decided to break the silence.

“S-so none of you have ever been in here…? Why is that?” she asked knowing the obvious answer.

“No-one but the crazy, stupid, or desperate go in here Twilight. Everything about this place is just, well to put it bluntly, creepy.” Rarity exclaimed looking around at the shady trees that surrounded them.

“And it just ain’t natural in here ‘neither. Folks say it don’t work the same as Equestria in here.” Applejack added with a small shudder at the foreign feeling of the atmosphere around her.

“W-why is that?” Twilight asked getting more nervous by the second.

“Noooobody knows.” Rainbow explained in her best creepy voice, it apparently worked as Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie all froze in place as she approached them slowly hovering closer to them slowly and then stalking towards them like a cat. “You know why…?”

“Rainbow, quit it!” Applejack snapped knowing the three were probably the most easily startled.

Rainbow ignored her continuing stalking towards the three that were huddled together staring at her with scared eyes. “Because anyone who goes in these woods has never, come, OUT!” She shouted suddenly making all three jump but before they could scream the earth around the cliff they were standing on started to shake and crumble. The cliff gave way and the two fliers of the group were quick to lift off but their wingless friends were not so lucky and were quickly sent tumbling down the cliff side with the falling earth. “Fluttershy, quick!” Rainbow ordered zooming down to scoop up Pinkie while Fluttershy followed grabbing Rarity by the back of her dress.

Applejack managed to save herself from falling further down the slope by grabbing onto a nearby root by Twilight slid all the way to where the slope ended and dropped off into a deep chasm. She slid to a halt with her feet dangling dangerously over the edge as she gripped the edge helplessly. Applejack let go of her root carefully edging her way down to Twilight. “Hang on a second sugarcube!” she called as she positioned herself carefully in front of Twilight making sure she had stable footing before she grabbed onto Twilight’s hands and held her in place. A sharp pain in her arms told her she had pulled something in them when she had stopped herself earlier and the pain was too much to hoist Twilight to safety. Biting her lip she thought fast and a movement in the corner of her eye made up her mind just as Twilight called out to her.

“Applejack, I’m too scared, what do I do?!” she asked her voice shaken at the prospect of falling into the dark void.

Applejack looked her straight in the eyes and gave her the most earnest stare Twilight had ever seen. “Let go.”

“WHAT?!” Apparently Twilight’s fear brushed off the look of honest truth in the emerald orbs that met hers.

“Trust me sugarcube, I promise you’ll be just fine.” Applejack pledged with a smile cast at the terrified mage.

“You’re crazy!” Twilight yelled back her fear still over whelming her.

“No I ain’t, listen here Twilight. What I’m telling you is the honest truth, let go and I promise you you’ll be just fine.” She stated with a sense of finality that finally allowed a small spark of reason into Twilight’s fast beating heart. She bit her lip still nervous but let go of her friend’s hands and let herself fall. She let out a scream as she descended wondering why she had listened to her friend but the feeling of two pairs of arms catching her answered her question. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew her down further to where the cliff’s overhang had hidden a flat path where Rarity and Pinkie Pie were already waiting safely. Twilight watched Applejack make her way down a set of outcropping rocks on the cliff side until she too was safely on the ground. Fluttershy’s grip on her faltered for a second before Twilight was set gently on the ground.

“Sorry Twilight, I’m not used to carrying anything heavier than a bunny or two.” The timid girl explained as she and Rainbow both landed as well. Twilight felt her heart calming back down to normal speeds as she cast a thankful smile at her friends.

“It’s okay, let’s just move along so we can get to more stable grounds.” Twilight stated moving her still wobbly legs forward on their path. The others all silently agreed with her and followed alongside her. They traveled in silence for a little while longer but Rainbow Dash’s inner adventurer caught up with her and she started to brag about the maneuver her and Fluttershy had pulled.

“And then when we found that path and put Rarity and Pinkie down safely we saw Applejack holding you in place and did a big ol’ loopty loop right around and then swooped in and caught you right as you were falling!” She narrated while she re-enacted the scene herself. Twilight sighed pinching the bridge of her nose as they walked.

“Yes Rainbow, I was there. And I’m very grateful, but we gotta-“ a large footstep in front of them interrupted her and they all looked up to see a horrifyingly familiar beast blocking their path. “A manticore!” Twilight exclaimed backpedaling a few steps as she did so. She found her resolve quickly though when her friends stood beside her. “We have to get past it!”

The beast lunged at them and tried to swipe at Rarity but she ducked and quickly round housed kicked it in the snout. “Take that you ruffian!” she declared proudly. The beast however was not so easily deterred and roared in her face sending her normally well groomed hair into an afro not unlike the one Twilight had previously dawned. She gasped seeing it. “My Haaaaaair!!!” she wailed in sorrow. She quickly saw the beast staring her in the eye threateningly and swallowed hard before bolting for it.

“Um… wait!” Fluttershy quietly interrupted, though none of her friends could hear her.

The beast gave chase but only seconds into the pursuit of the frilly white dressed girl it felt a weight on its back and a rope made its way around its muzzle as Applejack rode it like a bucking bronco. “Yeeeehaa! Get along little doggy!” she called cheerfully as she rode the beast with one hand around the rope and the other waving her hat in the air. The beast was not pleased and hopped around trying to propel the girl off it.

“Wait!” Fluttershy yelled again much too quietly for anyone to hear.

While Applejack was in mid-flight she tipped her hat at Rainbow dash as she passed the pegasus. “All yer’s partner!” she called before descending back to the ground.

Rainbow saluted her friend as the farmer landed squarely on her feet like a cat and she dived down for the beast. “On it!”

“Waaait!” Fluttershy tried to call after her oldest friend but it was too late, Rainbow was already zooming around the beast creating a prismatic colored whirlwind. The beast would have none of that as it smacked her right out of the air and skidding along the ground towards her friends.

“Rainbow!” Twilight called to her friend before giving the manticore a deadly glare.

Dash quickly got up on her feet and they all faced the beast together glaring it down just like Twilight before they all charged it together, fists and magic at the ready. Fluttershy, seeing this was going south fast quickly dove in front of her friends between them in the beast screaming at the top of her lungs.

“WAAAAAAAAAIT!!!!!” The other five halted in their charge and gave the yellow winged girl an incredulous look. Fluttershy didn’t answer them instead turning to face the manticore and walked towards it slowly. It roared at her and reared up on its hind legs drawing back its paw to swipe at her. “Shh, it’s okay…” Fluttershy cooed to the beast gently stroking it’s other paw with her hand. At the contact the once angry beast whimpered a little and lowered back down to the ground still keeping the paw Fluttershy had touched in the air. It carefully turned its paw over to reveal a large thorn that had been embedded in its paw. It was clearly very painful. “Aww, did this mean ol’ thorn hurt you little guy?” she cooed stroking his paw gently. “This might hurt for juuuuust a second.” She warned gripping the thorn and pulling it out. The manticore quickly roared in pain and picked Fluttershy up in its paws.

“FLUTTERSHY!” all her friends cried out in fear before they halted when they saw the once fearsome creature playfully licking Fluttershy like an oversized kitten and purring like one too as Fluttershy giggled and scratched him under his chin as she let him lick her.

“You’re just a little itty bitty kitty aren’t you, huh?” she cooed as she pet him. The other’s, seeing that the beast had been reduced to a common house pet at their friend’s natural care, smiled and walked over to her making their way past the manticore and only pausing where the clearing ended and the path began again. Fluttershy calmly walked over to them after the large house cat with a killer scorpion’s tail set her down with a new well styled hairdo that stuck up defying every law of physics ever made. Twilight Sparkle walked with her just behind everyone else.

“How did you know about the thorn…?” Twilight asked her animal loving friend.

Fluttershy smiled and replied with a gentle smile that fit her nature. “I didn’t, sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness.” She stated as she walked down the path following in the steps of her friends. Twilight paused for a moment pondering the statement before just smiling and accepting the heartwarming motion and quickly catching up to the rest of her friends.

After walking for a little while longer Rarity’s natural complain-o-meter must have alerted her to a distinct lack of whining in the last hour or so. “Ugh, my eyes need a break from all this icky.” She sighed staring at the ghastly forest around them. No sooner had she finished that sentence did they all walk into a part of the forest that was almost completely black thanks to the thick branches that covered the sky. “Well I didn’t mean that literally.” She muttered.

Twilight groaned in the scarce lighting as she squinted her eyes trying to see through the blackness. “Ugh, this is terrible. Those ancient ruins could be right in front of us and we’d never even know it!” she complained. The others all started to mutter their agreement before there was a loud squishing sound.

Applejack’s sigh was heard as she lifted her boot up from the substance. “Oh great, I think I stepped in something.” She huffed dragging herself out of the puddle and towards a tree that was close by leaning her hand on it to inspect her boot. Fluttershy’s scream startled her slightly as she looked over at her friend. “It’s just mud-“ she followed her friends stare up to the tree she was leaning on and then let out a scream for herself when she saw the father terrifying glowing face that was carved into the tree. The other’s quickly checked around them to realize that every tree that surrounded them had an equally terrifying expression that glared them down. Even the brave Rainbow Dash felt herself shaking from the creepiness of it. The girls all screamed as one as the came back to back at the now growling and moaning tree’s but their screams of terror were interrupted by a snorting giggle off to their side. They looked over to see Pinkie making funny faces at one of the trees. Twilight was flabbergasted by the outrageousness of it. (If you don't know where this is going by now, click THIS)

“Pinkie, what are you doing?! Run!” Twilight exclaimed as if it should have been the obvious answer.

Pinkie snorted a little again and smiled. “Oh girls, don’t you see?

“When I was a little kiddie and the sun was going dooooown~”

Twilight’s face deadpanned. “Tell me she’s not.”

“The darkness and the shadows they would always make me frooooown~”

“She is.” Rarity pointed out.

“I would hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw! But Granny Pie said that isn’t the way to deal with fears at allllll!”

“Then what is?” Rainbow asked curiously.

“She said Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall, learn to face your fears! You’ll see that they can’t hurt you, just laugh and make them disappeaaaaaaar!” She sang happily as she bounced over to a tree. “Ha, ha, ha.” She laughed emphasizing each ha with a nod and then smiling at her friends when the spooky face disappeared right off the tree. They all gasped at the sight.

“Sooooooo, 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

“And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh...

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuugh!”

Pinkie and her friends all collapsed in a laughing pile as the last of the spooky faces vanished into nothing. They all got up and continued their trek through the forest still laughing and having a great time now despite their surroundings. Soon they emerged from the creepy dark path only to be halted in there merry way by a raging out of control rapid infested river.

“How are we going to cross THIS?” Pinkie asked in surprise. No one could respond before they heard the sound of sorrowful cries over the roar of the rapids. They followed them up stream and traced them, to their great surprise, to a giant royal purple sea serpent with the most well groomed bright orange hair on top of his head and… half a mustache?

“Excuse me sir, why are you crying?” Twilight asked up to the tantrum throwing serpent that she assumed could speak from his cries of ‘what a world’ that he was shouting.

“Well I don’t know!” he declared throwing his hands up in the air dramatically. “Here I was just sitting here minding my own business and then this tacky little cloud of smoke just WHIPS past my face and whisked half of my beloved mustache clean off!” he cried leaning down to their level to point at the cleaved mustache. “And now, I LOOK SIMPLY HORIIIIIIID…!” He cried falling back into the water and throwing another tantrum as he continued crying. His falling created a torrent of water that soaked all of them resulting in a unified glare against the creature.

“Oh gimmie a break…” Dash grumbled.

“THAT'S what all the fuss is about…?” Applejack asked her dripping hair still somehow covered by her hat.

“Why of course it is!” Rarity declared stepping between the two of them. “How CAN the two of you be so insensitive?” she asked as she marched towards the serpent her long wet purple hair now well past her waist. She used her magic to dry it and style it back in its normal curl before gently stoking the serpents muzzle soothing him. “Oh just look at him, such lovely luminescent scales!” she declared admiring just how well shaped and polished they were.

The serpent sniffled a little before responding. “I know!”

“And the expertly quaffed mane!” she added pointing up at his sleek hairdo.

“Oh I do, I know!” he declared running his hand to gel it back after noticing a single strand had gotten loose.

“And your FABULOUS manicure!” Rarity added her eyes sparkling in admiration.

He examined his well filed and perfectly shaped claws. “It’s so truuue!” he declared.

“All ruined without your beautiful mustache!” Rarity finished.

The serpent through his hands up in agony and then hid his face. “It’s true I’m hideous!”

Rarity’s eyes sharpened. “I simply cannot allow such a crime against fabulosity go un-corrected!” she roared before reaching forward and ripping off one of the serpents shimmering but sharp scales.

“Ow! What’d you do that for?!” he whined.

Rarity didn’t answer instead raising the sharp scale high in the air while her friends looked on in horror. “Rarity what are you doing?!” Twilight yelled before they all watched as Rarity brought the scale down. The serpent gasped and fainted dramatically and Rarity’s friends all gasped in horror as well. Rarity stood still holding the scale in one hand, but now in the other she held a long piece of her beautifully curled hair in the other. Her hair now only went just below her ears as she smiled up at the serpent and tossed the scale aside. She didn’t miss a beat and levitated the hair straight over to the missing side of the mustache and weaved into what little bit remained now. It fit perfectly.

“Oh hohoho~!” the serpent declared in joy as he felt the new edition with his finger tips. “How absolutely wonderful!”

“You look smashing!” Rarity complimented with a dazzling smile of her own.

“Oh Rarity, your beautiful hair! I thought you loved it!” Twilight exclaimed feeling the newly chopped ends of her friend’s hair.

“Oh, it’s fine my dear!” Rarity offered with a slightly unsure smile. "Short hair is IN this summer, didn’t you hear?” she asked with a small giggle. “Besides, it’ll grow back.” She added flipping the ends of it a little.

Twilight gave her a gentle smile but beside her Rainbow Dash scoffed a little crossing her arms. “So would the mustache…” she pointed out. Twilight rolled her eyes and eyed the river once more she quickly saw how calm it had become and gasped pointing at the calm shallow water.

“We can cross now!” she declared hopping into it only to have the ground rise up under her. She found that it was not actually the ground but the sea serpent returning the generosity he had been shown earlier.

“Allow me!” he offered turning himself into a bridge for them all to hop across. When they were all across they waved goodbye to him before he swam off up the river and they continued down their own path.

It was a while longer before they were all stopped once more by the sight of stony castle ruins before them. Twilight beamed and pointed at it. “There it is! The ruins of the Castle of the Royal Sisters! We made it!” she declared charging forward.

“Whoa Twilight! Wait for us!” Applejack yelled holding her hat flat against her head as they all ran after her.

“No time Apple-Whoaaaa!” she yelled as she stopped on a dime almost falling straight into a foggy chasm with the remnants of an old and tattered bridge between one side and the other where the castle sat.

A hand quickly pulled her back so that she fell on her rump on the flat earth. She looked up to see an amused Rainbow Dash standing over her. “What’s with you and falling off cliffs today Sparkle?” she joked. The rest of the group caught up and they all saw what Twilight had. Pinkie groaned.

“Now what?!” she asked the air. Rainbow gaufed and rolled her eyes shaking her wings in Pinkie’s face.

“Uh, duh.” She laughed taking to the air and flying over to the bridge to pick up the end that was supposed to connect to the other side.

“Oh yeah.” Pinkie giggled.

Dash soared over to the other side connecting one of the ties to the stake before she heard someone calling her name in the wind. She looked around confused. “Huh? Who’s there?!” she asked whipping her head around adopting a fighting stance and making fisticuffs at the air. “I ain’t afraid of you! Show yourself cowards!” she declared.

“We’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the best flier in Equestria…” came a voice from a shady figure just within the sights of the dense fog that covered the area.

“Who?” Dash asked not following.

“Why, you of course!”

“Really?! I mean, yeah of course, ME! Hey, you wouldn’t mind telling the Wonderbolts that would you? Cause I’ve been trying to get into that group for like EVER!” she explained waving her hand a little with a cocky smile.

“No, Rainbow Dash. We want you to join US,” came the female voice once again. Three figures stepped forward in the fog so they could be seen clearly. There were to men and a woman in the center, all of them with deep blue hair and wearing black, blue, and yellow flight suits with yellow flight goggles on that obscured their eyes. “The Shadowbolts! We’re the greatest flight team in the Everfree forest, which stretches well beyond Equestrian borders. But soon we shall be the greatest in all of Equestria as well!” the female declared before zipping right over to rainbow Dash grinning. “But first, we need a captain.” Dash got a wild grin across her face and emitted a small squee at what the Shadowbolt was insinuating. “The most magnificent,”

“Yup.”

“Swiftest.”

“Yup!”

“Bravest flier in ALL the land!”

“Yes, it’s all true!” Rainbow boasted grinning as she pumped a fist against her chest.

“We need…” the Shadow bolt flew right up next to her whispering in her ear. “You.”

Rainbow quickly leapt into the air grinning. “WooHoo~! Sign me up baby!” She cheered. She flew back to land next to where she had left the bridge rope. “Just let me tie this bridge up and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

“NO!” The Shadowbolt demanded standing right in between her and the rope. “It’s them, or US.” She demanded.

From the other side Rainbow hear Twilight call out to her. “Rainbow! What’s taking so long?” she asked from the other foggy side. Twilight was no slouch when it came to her vision and could see the figures standing in front of Rainbow in a clear moment through the fog. The female in the group gave her a glare and her eyes glowed for an instant the fog thickening quickly. “Rainbow! Don’t listen to them they’re-“ Twilight’s voice never reached Rainbow though.

“So, what’s it going to be Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow looked to the ground her eyes darkening for a second as she bit her lip and then sighed. “You…” The Shadowbolt grinned and looked ready to say something before Rainbow continued. “Thank you, for the offer I mean.” Rainbow replied with a soft smile as she reached down and tied the rope to the post before flying up into the air. “But I’m afraid I’m going to have to say no.” she replied before grinning and flying back across the bridge to her friends. The Shadowbolt hissed and all three disappeared in a cloud of smoke once Rainbow was out of sight.

Rainbow flew up the center parting the fog as she went and dissipating it as she landed. Her friends all whooped and hollered as they surrounded her before walking across the newly repaired bridge.

“Way to go Rainbow!” Twilight cheered as she stepped across first. Rainbow flew beside her smiling.

“See? I’d never leave my friends hanging!” she boasted before taking the lead towards the castle. Twilight hung back for a bit as the others walked onto the castle walk way. She felt a strange calmness inside her at seeing them all there waiting for her.

‘Yeah… our friends.’ Twilight thought before she ran towards them to catch up as they entered the towering and crumbling structure.

Once inside it was pretty easy to navigate up to the throne room where the map had said the elements were kept. The entered into the spacious room and Applejack was the first to speak looking around in astonishment.

“Whoa nelly, come on Twilight, isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for?” she asked as the mage stepped forward to the large statue in the center of the room. Sitting on the stone pedestals were five stone orbs with the symbols the book referenced carved into them.

“This it girls! The Elements of Harmony!” Twilight announced with a triumphant smile as Fluttershy and Rainbow worked on bringing them down from the statue. When they were all down Fluttershy was panting pretty hard and Rainbow was moving her wrist around like she had pulled something. “Okay… so this is a problem.” Twilight thought aloud noticing how much larger and heavier they were than she had expected. “We can’t very well take these with us all the way through that forest… Rarity, are any of your teleportation gems powerful enough for this?” Twilight asked her fellow mage. Rarity ran her fingers along the gems she had equipped to the belt she wore across her dress. She looked back up at Twilight shaking her head and sending her short hair shaking around her face. “Damn… okay… let me think.” She paused looking down at the stones before sighing. “Well, I guess I don’t have a choice then. I’ll just have to figure out how to activate them here.” She said before pulling out a piece of glowing chalk from her bag and starting to draw a diagram on the floor around the Elements. Rarity’s eyes widened as she stepped forward to her fellow mage.

“Twilight, you can’t be serious! Complex magic like this leaves you-“

“Very vulnerable, and susceptible to mistakes, so I’d appreciate it if I could concentrate on this so I don’t blow us all to the moon.” Twilight calmly responded not breaking her concentration on making the magical symbols inside the once simple circle. Rarity opened her mouth to further protest but felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Applejack shaking her head and nodding towards where they had come in. Rarity bit her lip and cast one last glance at Twilight before giving in and letting Applejack guide her back out into the hall.

“Come on now ya’ll, she needs to concentrate.” AJ stated as she ushered them out of the room leaving the door open just a crack. Once outside Rarity promptly glared at Applejack.

“What do you think you’re doing Applejack?! If we leave her in there like that when Nightmare’s been following us this entire time…!” Rarity exclaimed pushing her blonde friend in the shoulder. Applejack didn’t respond at first, not aloud. She simply pulled her bag off her shoulder and drew something out from it.

“Rare, ya’ll ever heard of baiting with a big fish ta catch a shark…?” Applejack asked never taking her eyes away from the crack in the door.

“No I-“ she stopped when she heard the familiar click and whir of an automated revolver. She looked to AJ’s hand to see her gripping the handle of her gun. “You’re luring her out…! But darling do you really think shooting an immortal like her is going to do any damage?” Rarity whispered her eyes never leaving Applejack.

“Ah don’t need ta damage her, all Ah need ta do is buy Twi a few seconds…” she reasoned. Rarity gave her a smile and had to fight a thousand inner battles to not kiss the cheek that was so close to her own. Rarity’s inner demons however were silenced when they both saw a mist come floating in through the window and start to surround Twilight in a vortex.

“Shoot Jack!” Rarity ordered quickly.

“Ah can’t! Ah might hit Twilight!” AJ replied as the other three heard the commotion and shoved past them and into the room just in time to see Twilight jump into the vortex that had surrounded the Elements. Both winked out of existence and the girls all ran to where their friend once stood. “Well that’s just fantastic! That blasted bitch knew I was batin’ her and she took it all fer herself!” Applejack hissed before smashing her hands into the sides of her head. “Stupid, stupid, STUPID!” she yelled to herself.

“Applejack, you can wallow in self-pity later! For now look!” Rarity ordered from where she stood at one of the many shattered windows in the room. Across the way there was a once tall tower and in one of the windows they all saw a flash of light.

“Come on ya’ll, we gotta go save Twilight!” Applejack called already running towards the other exit that lead out to the rest of the castle. The others all followed at their top speeds.

In the room she had been teleported to after Nightmare Moon had tried to take the elements Twilight was just pulling herself off the ground feeling around for the stone orbs she had tried so hard to protect. Her eyes shot open when she heard laughter from elsewhere in the room. She looked up to see Nightmare Moon standing over her all five elements orbiting around her. She smirked down at the girl showing just a little of her sharp canine like teeth. Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she glared down the dark Alicorn and raised her fists in a fighting stance.

“You’re kidding… you ARE kidding right?” Nightmare taunted laughing at the little nerd’s cute little brave face. Twilight charged at her hands charging magic as she went. Nightmare sighed and took flight straight at Twilight like a dark hawk swooping in on its prey. Just when the distance was no more than a foot Twilight was surrounded by the glow and disappeared reappearing where Nightmare had once been, in the center of the Elements. She rubbed her dizzy head for a second but cleared it quickly as she knelt down beside them and surrounded each of them in her magic as she furred her brow in concentration.

“Come on… come on, just one little spark…!” she pleaded. The elements began to buzz a little with her magic and for a second she felt hope, but that hope was crushed by a blinding flash in her eyes and then a booted foot slamming down in the center of the elements and causing the burst of magic to throw her back. Twilight looked up to see the elements still buzzing with her magic and she smirked.

“No, NO!!!” Nightmare shouted her reptilian eyes widening in panic at the prospect of her plan failing her so easily. But just as quickly as the panic sunk in it disappeared when the elements lost their hold on the magic and dropped to the floor like useless, well rocks.

Twilight gasped at her plan’s last ditch effort failing. “But… where’s the sixth element?!” She asked not believing what she was seeing. Nightmare moon burst into maniacal laughter and brought her other foot down in the circle causing a shock wave of magic. In slow motion Twilight literally watched the only hope earth had shatter before her into tiny pieces.

“You insolent CHILD! Did you really believe such dingy old relics could beat me TWICE?! You’re so naive. You never even saw the signs that were right in front of your face! Luna’s haunted looks when she was around all of you, the way she hadn’t been ‘quite the same’ since the trip. You and your friends could have never seen her for what she really was, what she always HAS been, gaze upon me Twilight Sparkle! For I AM your Luna! I am every ounce of hatred she has for this world, I am ever dark intent she wished upon you day loving monsters! I am every scrap of jealousy that she told herself she still didn’t have after she was ‘freed’. I never went away Twilight, I was always there.” Nightmare explained. Images of Luna’s expressions for the last few months filled Twilight’s vision. Every pained look she’d never noticed, every dejected turn of her eyes, every hidden tear she shed in the middle of the night. She felt every ounce of Luna’s loneliness eating away at her heart. “And even knowing that today I’d take her back she STILL tried to help you… what was in that stupid book anyways? Legends of Equestria was it? I suppose THAT was her way of telling you about me, not that it helped you at all.” She laughed.

Mentioning the book made Twilight think back to the bookmark she had never put back in it. She reached into her skirt pocket and found the thin piece of paper still there. She pulled it out and stared down at it while Nightmare continued monolouging. It looked like it had been torn out of a notebook of sorts; drawn on it was the symbol of the elements she had seen previously on the book but surprisingly enough there were some notes scrawled under it in a familiar handwriting, Celestia’s. There were dates and two sets of initials next to each one.

F.G- 6/30 KND

R.D- 8/1 LTY

A.A- 8/30 HTY

R.B- 12/15 GTY

T.S- 3/6 LGHT MGK

P.P- 6/1 MGK LGHT

Twilight studied the little piece of paper, it looked old, crumpled, and faded. And that drawing of the elements that was above them, it was different in two ways, the first being that it looked new while the text looked quite faded with age; the second being it differed from the one in the book. Unlike the previous pentagram with the stone circles with different symbols in the middle, these elements were in the shapes of cut gems. But what was odd was that the elements in the drawing were… see through? Or were they not even there at all? It was hard to tell with the aging paper and all. But those dates, and those initials, why did they scream out to her? At just that moment Twilight heard her answer in the distant sound of her friends approaching. The sound of maniacal laughter sounded from Nightmare again as rambled about something involving eternal night. Just then the door to the room slammed open and Twilight heard the clicking of a gun.

“Eat lead ya cocky varmit.” Applejack snarled before she fired a shot right into Nightmare’s open laughing mouth causing her to go down her wind pipe and choke her, perfect for buying time. The girls quickly rushed over to the fallen Twilight and upon seeing their faces gears started to turn in her head and memories started to wash to the surface of her mind.
‘And then he went on this weird monologue about how all of us were born right before Luna was returned, he looked really confused when I told him Pinkie was the youngest though. Like he couldn’t believe this nut job was the baby in the group.’ Dash laughed giving the curly haired girl beside her a noogie. They were all recounting their near-arrest stories for everyone to hear.

‘Heeeey! Dashie that’s mean! I’m not THAT crazy!’ Pinkie pouted.

‘You guy’s want to know something interesting?’ Twilight had asked as she took a sip of the soda she was drinking. Her friends gave her their attention signaling she should continue. I was actually supposed to be born the same day as Pinkie. But I was born three months early so they had to put me in intensive care until I got better.’ She explained with a gentle smile.

‘Darling that’s terrible! How ever did you get better?!’ Rarity asked astonished that their, yes nerdy and not as well toned as some of the other’s in the group, but well sized and developed friend could have ever been at such extreme odds and still have turned out the way she had.

‘Mom and Dad said it was Luna, the day she came back I went through a huge magical surge. That magical surge was the first one I’d ever had, and right afterwards I started to cry which I had also never done. The doctors said that the magical surge is what saved me. It jumped my system and restarted everything good as new, even going so far as to accelerate my development up to normal standards. Within another month I was able to leave the hospital. I was of course monitored closely when I was younger, but the only thing different the doctors ever saw was that I was very bright for my age and my magic reserves were much deeper than normal.’

‘That’s super cool Twilight! So if you hadn’t been born so early me and you could have been birthday buddies!’ Pinkie giggled hugging her friend close.

‘Yeah… I guess we would have.’ Twilight laughed.

***

‘Sister, are you so sure it is really her…?’ Luna whispered to her sister further down the library where they thought little Twilight, who was dutifully studying the material Celestia had given her.

‘Yes, I’m absolutely sure Luna. The magical signature is exactly the same.’ Celestia assured her sister in an equally as quiet tone.

‘But her birth date it doesn’t-‘

‘She was born early ,and gravely ill until the birth of the other one. On that day her parents say that YOUR return is what triggered her first magical surge that cured her. But you and I both know that’s not how it happened. Look, I wrote down the times from the records. The last one was born at 5:58 at night, at 5:59 doctors recorded Twilight’s first magical surge, and as you know you appeared in my bedroom at-‘

‘6 PM… it is her! Her power simply couldn’t activate without the-!’

‘Shh, Luna, keep your voice down. She’s a very clever girl, if she hears you she may very well start asking questions that she’s not ready to ask.’

***

‘I-I’m sorry, Princess… come again…?’ Twilight requested thinking she had simply heard her mentor wrong. That those dreaded words were just a terrible nightmare.

‘You heard me quite well Twilight, in the fall you, Spike, and my sister Luna will be attending Ponyville Academy and University in order to break you and her, for I know Spike is out going enough that I don’t have to worry over his social issues, of your terrible anti-social behavior.’ Celestia’s smiling face only mortified her more. ‘I repeat, you need some friends, real ones this time.’

***

‘Hi! My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie~ But that's a mouthful so you can just call me Pinkie Pie for short! Or Pinkie! I’m really not all that picky~!’

‘Okay, let’s try that again, this time one at a time, you first Miss uh…’ Twilight trailed off not knowing the farm girl’s name.

‘Applejack, Applejack Apple, and thank ya ma’am..’

‘For the last time hay seed my name isn’t ‘Miss Dash’ it’s Rainbow Dash! Miss Dash is my mother!’

‘Fluttershy…! How long have you been standing there…?’

‘Oh where are my manners, here I am ranting about being a lady and I’ve been so rude as to not introduce myself! I am Rarity Belle, I bring out the beauty in everyone and everything to the best of my ability. It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance darling.’

Twilight had just finished her DDR show down and was surrounded on all sides by her newest friends. On her sides Rarity and Fluttershy complimented her constantly on her dance moves. In front of her Pinkie and Rainbow were both energetically recounting all of the moves and trying to pull off a couple with mixed results. Behind her Applejack and Spike were talking idly about more impressive songs to dance to. Twilight’s heart felt odd all of a sudden, kind of tight… but not in a bad way. Her body felt, warm. Like it was alive with a thousand happy honey bees. This feeling… was this what it was like to have friends?

***

‘With the banishment of her sister the six elements also vanished promising that with their return, so too should her sister be returned to her once more. But on the thousandth year of her banishment so too would the Nightmare return. It would then be in the elements hands to forever rid the world of her existence.’

‘There are five known elements, Kindness, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, and Laughter. Little is known about the name of the sixth element, the only thing said about it is that it can only be revealed when the other five are present and ignite it with a spark.’

‘When the other five are present’

‘Other five are present’

‘Five are present’

***

Twilight’s pupils grew in size and within them a tiny spark could be seen as she looked down at the paper she still held clutched in her hand. Quickly she stood up dismissing her friend’s worried stares with a smile. She looked up at Nightmare Moon who was just digging the bullet out of her throat and spitting it on the ground with a glare directed at AJ. But her gaze was instead pulled to the now standing Twilight Sparkle.

“Decided to stop moping like a sad little puppy and fight? I can’t say I’m surprised, Celestia has always instilled a gaggingly high persistence level in her students. What’s your plan now that your precious Elements of Harmony are destroyed Twilight Sparkle?” Nightmare jeered at the mage her wicked grin that would normally strike fear in the hearts of mortals not even making Twilight cringe.

“You’re not Luna, Nightmare.” Twilight stated firmly her lavender eyes narrowed at the demon before her.

“Oh really now? Care to elaborate? Be quick with it, I have an entire playground of shadows out there waiting for me.” Nightmare yawned.

“I know Princess Luna, she loves to play pranks but would never harm anyone with them, she’s very kind and was always gentle with me when I was younger, she’s honest to a fault, generous beyond measure, and has a burning sense of loyalty not just to her nation, but every nation out there and every person that occupies it. And she would never do what you’ve done here today. I know, because she is my friend.”

Nightmare scoffed. “Friends, what a ridiculous sentiment.”

“They’re not actually, and if you were really Luna you’d know that. You’d also know that the elements of harmony broke out of those stone shells a very long time ago.” Twilight added with a gleam in her eye. Nightmare’s sharp eyes focused on her once again this time with surprise. “That’s right Nightmare, you haven’t destroyed the Elements, actually I’d say they’re more alive than ever.” Twilight added with a satisfied smirk at the dumbfounded look on her enemies face. Twilight held up the slip of paper she’d been holding in her hand. “Before you took over her body Luna left me this in that ‘useless’ book she put in the library. Where she KNEW I would go she knows ME. These dates, and those abbreviations and initials on the paper. I wondered where I had seen them before. It wasn’t until just now that I realized what they all mean, what they have meant our entire lives. I have to thank you Nightmare.” Twilight added with a small laugh. All her friends and her enemy gave her an incredulous look. “It was you that pulled all those stunts back in the forest to stop us from getting here right? If it weren’t for those I would have never been able to see each of my friend’s true inner spirits, and I would have never seen what amazing friends they’ve always been to me.” She added as her hands started to glow with magic, but not magic of her usual aura, this magic was pure white.

The magic surrounded all the shards of the broken sphere’s that nightmare had smashed and sent them levitating into the air. Nightmare’s eyes widened as she saw a faint glow surround each one of the girls in front of her, the point of the cutiemarks being the brightest.

“N-No…!” Nightmare shouted backpedaling a little as she tried to move away from the light.

“Yes! You couldn’t destroy the Elements of Harmony because they’ve already been reborn, inside each of us you see standing before you!” Twilight declared the magic starting to travel up her arms and across her body as the rock shards started to form rings around her friends.

“Applejack, who reassured me in the face of doubt represents the spirit of, Honesty!”

“Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of, Kindness!”

“Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of, Laughter!”

“Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of, Generosity!”

“And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her heart’s own desire, represents the spirit of Loyalty!”

“The spirits of these five girls got us through every challenge you threw at us!” Twilight declared each of her friends now possessing an orbiting orb that had been broken into shards.

“But you still don’t have the sixth element! The spark didn’t work!” Nightmare pointed out seeing some hope left.

“But it did, a different kind of spark! I felt it the moment I realized how happy I was just to have you all by my side, that you all opened your hearts and accepted me, for who I was. I felt the spark when I realized just how happy I was that all of you, were my very best friends!” With her words the magic reached her eyes and now her entire body was glowing with the white energy. High above her head a single white stone orb materialized and floated down to just above her head. “You see Nightmare Moon, when those elements are ignited by… by the spark,” Twilight added after a moment of thought “that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element. The element of, Magic!”

The orbiting shards around each of her friends grew closer until the merged around each of their necks forming golden necklaces with gems in the shape of their cutiemarks in their center. Floating in the air now with all of her friends a golden tiara with Twilight’s star burst in the center of it now rested on the crown of her head as she smiled down at Nightmare Moon.

“Come back to us Luna, we promise, you won’t be lonely anymore.” Twilight whispered a single tear escaping her eye as the six girls all came together and with each of their Elements glowing and a look of fear in Nightmare’s eyes the magic that surrounded their bodies spiraled into the form of a huge wave of a rainbow light that washed over Nightmare Moon as she screamed in agony.

When everything went white it all seemed to, fade away. Twilight woke up groggily not even bothering to open her eyes as she rubbed her aching head. She felt something odd perched on top of it and removed it for inspection as she opened her eyes. Twilight looked at the tiara in her hand for a few seconds before she remembered where it had come from, and why she had used it. She looked around quickly to see her friends in similar states of mind rubbing their heads as they sat up and then examining the new weight around their necks. Twilight’s attention was grabbed when Rarity was the first to speak.

“Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed bouncing her newly regrown hair in her hands with sheer joy written across her face.

“Why Rarity, it’s so lovely!” Fluttershy complimented with a soft smile.

“I know! I’ll never part with it again!” she declared hugging the curls close to her cheek.

“No, your necklace!” Fluttershy amended pointing at the golden article around her neck that have a diamond cut deep purple gem in its center. “It looks just like your cutiemark!”

“Huh, Oh! So does yours!” Rarity stated pointing at the necklace around Fluttershy’s neck.

“Look at mine, look at mine!” Pinkie squealed as she bounced over to Applejack.

Rainbow Dash brought hers up to where she could see it. “Awwwww yeah!”

“Wooee Twilight, Ah thought you were just spouting a bunch of hooie, but Ah reckon, we really DO represent the Elements!” Applejack observed admiring her own necklace.

“Indeed you do.”

The disembodied voice was surprising, but welcome to everyone present who recognized it right away. The sun rose proudly into the sky once more and from it came a golden ball of energy that phased inside the castle and took the tall regal form of the white robed Princess that had been sorely missed. The girls all bowed in respect and she smiled at them all with pride before Twilight rushed up to her and hugged her tightly, Celestia was quick to return the embrace.

“I knew you could do it.” Celestia mused once they broke apart.

“But, you told me it was just an old fairytale! That I shouldn’t waste my time studying when I have friends!” Twilight recalled.

“And I stand by what I said, you shouldn’t let yourself get over whelmed with your studying, knowledge is important, but your friends are just as important. You must learn to split your time between them equally. To do so, I’m going to be letting you stay in Ponyville, so that you may further your studies in the magic, of friendship.” Celestia declared with a happy smile that only grew when she saw the excitement on her student’s face grow to bursting levels. However, one other girl in the room was already bursting at her seams. Pinkie Pie was shaking like a leaf her need-a-party-o-meter almost breaking from the stress it was undergoing. Just as she opened her mouth she was halted by the Princess who calmly shook her head and then looked over at where the simmering remnants of the blast left black armor scattered everywhere around it and in the center just barely waking up was a very frail, very young looking Luna. She now looked no older than ten years old and looked up at her older sister her eyes very heavy and hard to keep open.

“Did… Did Twilight get my note…?” she asked her voice quiet, and sounding just as frail as she looked. Twilight knelt beside Luna smiling.

“Yes, Luna, I did… you know Starshine would have you in detention if he caught you passing notes.” Twilight laughed. Luna laughed as well but not for long.

“That loser can *yawn* go to hell for all I care… Hey sis, I’m gonna take a nap, okay?” Luna asked her eyes having already long since drifted shut.

Celestia carefully lifted her sister in her arms so as not to disturb her. “Sleep as long as you want Lulu, you’ve earned it. And you six, I’m going to teleport you all back to Ponyville, and I’m going to take Luna home. I’m sure the nobles have all killed each other by now but at least it’ll be quiet. Sunny will visit tomorrow at the library at noon, you should expect her, she has the answers to the question’s you want to ask.” Celestia explained before they all disappeared in a flash of white.

Comments

[ShadowBolt94]

3173902 I was going more just going along with the first episode, and Spike was left behind. So in my version, where Spike is as loyal as a dog (no pun intended) and has the power to back it up Twilight knew he'd try and follow; so she she put him under to stop him for putting himself in danger. She's already bringing her five best friends, I think she'd have a heart attack if her baby brother was mixed in too.

[Moak]

Ehhh.. Nicely written. I just rewatched the first few episodes the other day though, so reading this was a bit of a pain to me as there wasnt much deviation (not saying there should have been)

Still, wonderful job, looking forward to way more of your story, keep up the sexy work.

[Icarus Crimsonhoof]

Hooray.

[trooper7051]

oddly enough i expected there to be an issue doing this after them already knowing each other, but that did not happen. bravo shadow. bravo

[ShadowBolt94]

It wasn't as difficult as one would think. It wasn't easy, but this is what's called pre-meditated writing. Meaning this chapter has plagued my mind for months now and I've been plotting out exactly how to write it since.