Life in Equestria comes to a grinding halt upon the surprise return of an ancient foe.
Life in Equestria comes to a grinding halt upon the surprise return of an ancient foe. A princess finds herself brought to the forefront of the conflict, as she must help guide the chosen heroes on an uncertain journey to save their land and friends.
Story currently on hiatus as I work on other projects. It is also pending a slight rewrite.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Now I've done it, haven't I? Yeah I went and caught the MLP bug, and now I'm writing about it. I thought up a lot of cool things for this story and I simply must get them down in words. The show is great and its characters lend itself well to a stories like this, so hopefully it works! It'll also be my first multi-chapter effort in quite a while. I hope you all enjoy it, but I guess we'll see. I eventually intend to write more MLP stuff in the future, so if you are interested, keep track of me!
INEVITABLE DISCLAIMER: While most chapters of this story will be harmless, this story will feature violence and minor depictions of suffering. It won't be TOO intense, but if it all bothers you, then turn back. In addition, if you are not interested in MLP, you shouldn't bother reading the story either. Lastly, I don't read many MLP fics, but I'm sure the basic plot of this story has been done before. If you find this similar to any other MLP fic, I assure you it's a coincidence.
"So I guess this is the place."
"No, this is the OTHER big castle ruin of Everfree Forest."
"Very funny..."
The two ponies, shrouded in cloaks of fake leaves, climb their way to the top of a stone staircase, emerging in the ruins of a very large room. The floor sports many outlines of the large stone tile that make up its area. Huge stone pillars line the sides of the room, still holding up the ancient roof above. Many large windows allow the evening air to drift into the huge space, their glass having worn out long, long ago. The hoofsteps of the two visitors echo through the wide open area. "Wow... This must have been the ballroom," the female pony notes.
"Think of all the galas that must have been held here by the princesses so long ago," states the male companion.
"I don't think we're going to find anything here, though," the female notes.
"This trip wasn't about treasure hunting, just sightseeing," the male replies, glancing out what were formerly glass windows as he walks.
The two gradually make their way to the end of the giant room, where a raised platform awaits near the back wall. A small set of steps leads to an old, dilapidated throne sitting upon the platform. "Well I suppose this is where one of them sat during the galas. Definitely hasn't been taken care of, that's for sure," the male notes.
"Well, that's not a shocker, but... what's all this on the floor?" the female asks.
The two ponies look at the area of the floor in front of the throne, seeing shattered remains of unknown purple material. "I have no clue. This doesn't look very old. Did somepony break something here?" the male wonders.
"It doesn't really look like glass or anything. It almost feels like metal," the female notes, tapping one of the pieces a few times with her hoof.
Suddenly, a jolt of energy sparks from the piece, startling the pony into leaping backwards. The male gasps, and backs away quickly as more jolts of energy start to spark from the many pieces scattered on the floor. The two explorers stare in shock as the energy begins to resemble electricity, arcing between the broken objects, which slowly begin to melt into a deep purple, almost black mist. "W-What's going on?!" the female yells.
"Let's get out of here!" the male yells in answer.
The two turn tail and run full speed back toward the ballroom entrance, just as a shockwave of energy sends the dilapidated throne flying back against the nearby wall. Each piece of shattered metal becomes a cloud of mist, the many clouds swirling together in the air. The now singular cloud takes on a vague equine shape, the two fleeing ponies reaching the staircase as a terrifying yell bounces in a menacing echo across the walls of the giant room. The panicked trots of the fleeing ponies get faster, before gradually disappearing in the lower area of the ruins & the forest beyond. The equine of purple mist floats in place silently for a few moments, before eyes open wide upon its face, shining bright teal, irises shrinking to a slender, catlike appearance. The eyes glance around, taking in the sight of the ancient room and the orange-colored sky outside the windows. The venomous voice returns once more, this time in a sinister whisper.
"Good evening, Equestria..."
"This one might be the best I've tasted yet! I just don't know how you do it."
Twilight Sparkle takes another sip from the teacup magically floating in front of her, her face beaming with a smile of delight. A deep chuckle sounds out from the zebra Zecora, as he removes a large mixing stick from her cauldron. "Your joyful words toward my work make me smile. This was my first new tea in quite a while," Zecora replies to the joyous pony.
"A brand new recipe? Gee, you need to tell me the next time you do some experimenting, then. We'd love to be your taste testers again, right Spike?" Twilight says, looking at the baby dragon sitting at her side.
Spike grumbles a little as he stares at his mostly-full cup. "It's okay, I guess," he says.
He jerks to the side from a slight shove given by Twilight. "Spike!" she says, somewhat whispered.
"Oh, uh, I mean, it's great! I love it!" Spike suddenly shouts.
Spike abruptly dumps his entire cup of tea into his mouth, smiling widely with full cheeks. He glances up briefly at the glaring Twilight, and then manages to swallow the brew down, forcing an awkward grin for the zebra. Zecora lets out another deep chuckle. "Do not worry yourself, little dragon boy. It is okay if it is not what you enjoy," she says to him.
"Well I'm glad to hear that," Spike replies, giving his own glare back at Twilight.
Twilight laughs awkwardly and looks back up to Zecora. "A-Anyway, you really need to teach me some of these some time. I'd love to expand my recipes at home."
The zebra shakes her head as she walks a few feet from her cauldron. "As I have said before, my dear pony, my greatest secrets shall stay with me," she retorts.
"Yeah, I remember... but it was worth a shot, right?" Twilight asks.
"Nope, not really," Spike adds.
The pony flashes her dragon companion another glare, before noticing Zecora slipping into her brown cloak. "Oh! You're running out of ingredients, aren't you? I almost forgot about that," Twilight notes.
Zecora nods, slinging a sack over her back as Twilight & Spike stand up, the three of them leaving the hut. "More herbs I must get to fill my store. You two are welcome to help me find more," Zecora states, as she lowers her head, allowing her hood to slip down while her tail closes the hut door.
Twilight smiles, her eyes drifting upward to the orange sky above. "Thanks for the offer, Zecora, but it's getting late, and we still have things to do back at home. We'll go on a plant-gathering adventure with you another day," she says, cheerily.
"'We?' Speak for yourself, Twi, I'm not going any deeper into this creepy place," Spike says.
"Fine, fine. Then you can stay at home doing chores," Twilight replies, slipping her head underneath the baby dragon, lifting him up so he slides down her neck and lands on her back.
"Sounds good to me! Now, giddyup!" Spike says cheerily, as he grasps gently onto her mane and tugs.
Twilight can't help but sigh a little with a smile at her companion's antics. "So long, Zecora, and thanks again!" she says as she begins walking back toward the forest's exit.
"Good night and good tidings, my friend. Be safe in your journey to the forest's end," Zecora replies, as she takes off walking in the opposite direction.
Twilight smiles cheerily to herself, hearing Spike suddenly speak up after a moment. "Hey, Twilight?"
"Yes, my number one assistant?"
"Why DOES she talk like that?"
Twilight gives the dragon a weird look, before giggling. "I think some things are best left a mystery, Spike," she answers.
"So basically what you're saying is.... that you have no clue?"
"Yes, that is one way of putting it, Spike."
The dragon tugs on the pony's mane some more. "Come on, aren't you curious? You're curious about everything!"
Twilight grunts in annoyance from the tugging, as well as the general topic of discussion. "I really don't see why it's so import- Ahh!"
The pony cuts herself off with a sharp gasp as a cold breeze wafts from the woods behind her, sending a chill up her spine, leaving a confused Spike resonating with her shudder. Twilight turns her head and looks back at the dark woods behind her, Spike leaning over and eye-raising. "Uh, Twi? Is something wrong?"
"Did you feel that, Spike?"
"Huh? Feel what?" Spike asks, whipping his head around and looking around the immediate area.
Twilight stares intently back at the woods, a feeling of dread coming over her, though she's not sure why. Is something happening out there? She feels like she's had a feeling like this before, a good while ago. But when? She begins to consider going back to check on Zecora, before another sharp tug from Spike snaps her out of her trance. "Hey, Twilight! What is it?" he asks, worriedly.
Twilight shakes her head a bit and looks back forward, seeing the end of the forest and Ponyville beyond it. Perhaps it's best that she ignores this feeling for now. Zecora is resourceful, she can handle herself in the very forest she lives in. "N-Nothing, Spike. Just a weird feeling," she answers, beginning to walk again.
"A weird feeling? You were spaced out just now, and you're not even looking at a book," Spike notes.
"I'm sorry, Spike. Really, it's nothing," Twilight states, officially stepping out of the forest.
"Nothing? Come on, you're starting to weird me out."
"I think I'm just sleepy like you, that's all."
"Huh? I'm not slee-" Spike says, suddenly cutting himself off with a yawn, and then groaning. "Aw, now look what you made me do!"
Twilight can't help but laugh a little, slightly forcing it out as she looks forward, seeing Ponyville in the distance. She sighs softly and focuses on her journey home.
Zecora drops her slightly-full sack in front of a bush, her eyes drifting over its twigs, all sporting small off-white flowers. "Ah, one of my favorites in bloom. For this, I shall surely make room," she says to herself.
She nips her teeth down on one of the twigs, plucking it off of the bush easily and dropping it into her open bag. She begins to gently hum the tune of a nursery rhyme from her homeland, as twig after flowered twig drops into the sack. Suddenly, a cold breeze comes flowing through the area, causing the zebra to gasp and drop one twig onto the grass. Her eyes scan around the immediate area, which goes still again. Too still. She begins to notice the lack of wildlife in the area for the first time. Not a bird or furry creature in the trees. It's not late enough for the creatures to sleep yet, and the nocturnal ones should at least be showing their faces. Zecora takes a few steps away from her flowering bush and continues to intently scan the wilderness. Something is very wrong here. She takes a deep breath, and then closes her eyes with a sharp exhale. "The forest lies still preceding the night. Spirits of nature, grant me your sight," she speaks aloud.
The zebra's eyes remain closed as her mind's eye reaches out, scanning the surrounding forest with a mystic sight. Her normal vision was not deceiving her; the animals of the forest are missing. Her sight stretches farther, and she begins to see why. The animals in the forest are sleeping far too early, and most appear to have slept right where they fell, instead of getting back to their burrows or nests. The nocturnal animals should also be waking now, but instead they remain quiet. Zecora is starting to get quite worried at this unknown phenomenon. Then, as if responding to her growing emotion, her spirit sight begins to darken. A heavy fog begins to roll across the ground, some of it beginning to lighten and mist its way upward into the air. Zecora gets a sinking feeling, and turns her sight toward one direction, the pathway leading deeper into the forest. The fog is coming from there. In silence the zebra stares at the foggy pathway, considering whether or not she should go further. Suddenly, the fog parts, revealing a figure of a pony shrouded in shadow. Zecora considers saying something, but her voice shakes, and no words come out. The figure stands perfectly still and silent, before suddenly rushing forward, a bright teal eye completely filling the zebra's spiritual sight. "YOU!"
Zecora screams and opens her eyes, now viewing the normal forest again, her body turned and facing the pathway she just viewed in spirit sight. There's nothing there. No fog, no figure. Zecora knows better, however. Something malevolent lurks here, and it spoke to her just now, after doing something terrible to the wildlife. Her mind then centers on her friends who just left the forest, and the village they were heading back toward. If this thing is dangerous enough, then... The zebra makes up her mind, turning around and running full speed, leaving her bag of herbs & plants behind. "Darkness, evil, shadow, doom... I must warn the ponies soon!"
The zebra doesn't take very long to reach her hut again going at full speed, intent on passing right by it, but instead she skids to a stop when something catches the corner of her eye. The door of her hut is open. She most certainly closed it when she parted with her friends. Did they come back? Zecora worriedly rushes back into her hut, stopping and glancing around. There's no one inside. She immediately turns around to go back, but the hut door slams shut, causing her to gasp and stumble backward into her cauldron. An evil laugh is then heard, starting out quietly, then quickly growing in volume and practically echoing across the walls of the zebra's hut. "Zecoorrrrraaaa..." The voice says, the same as the one in the figure from moments ago.
Zecora gets back to a stable stance, her head whipping around, looking at all corners of her hut. There's nothing to be seen, nothing even out of the ordinary from how she left everything. "What is the meaning of this attack? Show yourself and I'll drive you back!" she yells.
The voice laughs loudly again, and begins to speak in a much clearer, feminine tone. "You're very skilled and resourceful, shaman. I'm afraid I can't let you spoil things for me. I have many plans."
Zecora paces around her cauldron, continuing to look all around her hut for wherever this entity could be, mentally considering what she could possibly do to get out of this situation. "I will not concede defeat to you. What is it you intend to do?" the zebra asks.
"I shall make you my first major test subject," the voice solemnly states.
Zecora's eyes perk as she feels a presence behind her, turning around swiftly, just in time for a blast of dark magic to strike her. The zebra yells out in pain, eyes clenched, an immense fatigue immediately coming over her as the pain fades. She opens her eyes, her vision incredibly blurred, making out the form of a very dark-colored pony in front of her. Her legs begin to give out as her vision is clouded with darkness. "I... will... not..." Zecora mumbles before her voice gives out.
The white's of the zebra's eyes go completely black as she collapses to the floor, her consciousness fading immediately. The dark pony standing before her laughs, turning into a cloud of purple mist and swirling through the air of the hut. "My first major subject was a success, it seems... Sleep well, Zecora. You won't be waking any time soon."
A loud, cackling laugh bounces off the walls of the hut again, before the hut door opens, the mist flying back outside and slamming the door shut behind it. The orange color of the sky is finally fading completely away, a deathly silence falling over the Everfree Forest with the coming of night, and its new lack of creatures. The black mist rises high to the air above the trees to view the immediate surroundings, its attention focusing on one location.
"And now... to Ponyville."
TO BE CONTINUED...
MLP:FiM and all Characters/Locations Copyright Hasbro & Lauren Faust Characters/Locations used without permission
"Hmm, maybe if I do it this way... No no, that won't work..."
Twilight grumbles as she scratches something out on her scroll paper, her magic-controlled quill moving farther down the parchment and beginning to write again. It stops after a moment, Twilight's eyes narrowing in thought, contemplating how best to go about this spell. After a few seconds, something clicks, the unicorn's quill scribbling upon the scroll once more. She observes her writing closely, and a wide smile stretches across her face. "Yeah, I bet that's it!"
She finishes writing, magically lifting the parchment in the air and giving it a good once over with her eyes. Then, she winces. "A lot of crossed out stuff though... I'm gonna have to rewrite it! Ugh!"
She sets the scroll back on the table, next to a fresh one, magically picking up her quill and sighing, dipping it in the inkwell before writing again. "Curse my neat streak..."
The unicorn stares almost unblinkingly at the scroll as she repeats the complex spell language, making sure every last detail is exact on the lettering. After gradually working her way three-quarters of the way down the page, she stops. Holding the page in the air again, she gives it a read, and grins. "Perfect! Now if only I could test it. Spike is asleep, though."
She stares silently at the parchment for a few moments. "I should probably draw up alternate versions just in case, though. Ugh!"
Twilight drops the scroll on the desk and sighs again, thinking for a moment before walking away from her work. She trots her way through her house and toward the front door. A sudden noise makes her stop in her tracks. "Hoo!"
Twilight turns and looks at her nocturnal owl pet, perched near the door and watching her. "Oh, hey Owlowiscious. I'm just going out for a bit to clear my head. You be a good watchowl, okay?"
"Hoo!" the owl replies.
Twilight smiles, stepping out of her home and into the night air, closing the door behind her. She stares upward into the deep night sky as she trots forward, scanning her eyes over the beautiful stars that adorn it, working her sight toward the gorgeous full moon. Twilight takes in a sharp breath, breathing in the cool air, then exhaling with a smile. "Blessings be to Princess Luna for bringing this beautiful night to Equestria," she speaks aloud.
She turns her eyes to her surroundings now as she walks deeper into Ponyville. The many houses of the residents lay quiet, dark, and still. What few lights may remain disappear quickly, and not a pony is seen roaming the streets. Unlike most ponies, Twilight is a fan of the night. Sure, she sleeps eventually, but sometimes the best thing for clearing her muddled head is a stroll under the pretty stars and a preferrably full moon like tonight. Something about viewing Ponyville at night keeps her fascinated, as well. A town normally so bustling, reduced to serene quiet under the light of only the moon. Twilight sighs pleasantly to herself, eyes going forward and scanning the main road in front of her as she walks. Soon enough, she begins to notice another pony in the distance, also walking the main road, though in a slower fashion. Twilight doesn't remember ever running into another pony during one of her infrequent walks under the moon. The unicorn quickens her trot a little bit to catch up with the pony a little faster. "Greetings!" she says once she's close enough.
The other pony gasps in surprise, stopping and turning, making Twilight stop and stare in shock. Grayish purple coat, blue mane, white moon cutie mark shining like her eyes of teal... It takes a moment of disbelief to pass before Twilight realizes it's really her. "P-Princess Luna?!"
Luna gets over her shock at her sudden visitor quickly when she sees who it is, the alicorn loosening her posture and smiling. "Twilight Sparkle, correct?" she asks.
Twilight nods a little as she stares in amazement, quickly gasping and then lowering her front half in a bow. "I-It's an honor to see you here!" she says.
The alicorn blushes a little and tucks her muzzle meekly. "O-Oh... That's not necessary, Twilight. Really," she stammers.
Twilight stands up straight again, smiling brightly. "I haven't seen you since... since... Well, when I first met you," the unicorn says after a little thought.
"Yes, that's true. I've been very busy, I'm afraid," Luna says.
"That's to be expected. A thousand years is a lot of time to catch up on, I would think," Twilight remarks.
Luna blinks once and lets out a soft laugh. "I suppose that's one way of putting it."
"So I take it you're enjoying the night like me. Want to walk together?" Twilight asks, smiling cheerily at the meek princess.
Luna gasps just softly, then shakes it off, the alicorn still not very used to much pony interaction beyond her sister. She works past it easily enough though, a smile curling across her face once more. "S-Sure. I'd love to," she replies.
Twilight does her best to contain her excitement at meeting Celestia's sister again, the two starting to walk down the main road once more. She can tell Luna is still getting used to all of this, even though she's been free for quite some time now. The unicorn can't fathom being locked in one place for a millennia, so perhaps that's hampering things a bit. "So what are you doing out here in Ponyville, anyway?" Twilight asks, breaking a momentary silence.
Luna looks in her direction briefly. "I've been undergoing a journey across Equestria, seeing how everything has changed in all the time I've been gone. It's something pleasant to do with my time while my sister sleeps," she explains.
Twilight nods a bit, pondering briefly. "Why walk around all lonely at nighttime, though?" she asks.
"Why not? I'm enjoying my own nighttime for the first time in... well, you know. Plus I think I'd just cause a scene if I went everywhere during daytime..." Luna responds.
"Oh. Yeah, that's a good point," Twilight says, looking up to the moon afterward, "and the night is definitely something to enjoy."
"I'm happy to hear that, Twilight," Luna says, smiling warmly.
Twilight smiles back at her. Something about seeing Luna smile like that warms her heart. She can't imagine being stuck in the position that Luna was for so long, and then coming out of it seemingly no worse for the wear. "Were you able to get back into the swing of things quickly?" the unicorn asks.
Luna tilts her head at Twilight's choice of words. "You mean my ability to summon the night? It didn't take as long as I thought it would. It's been a lot harder trying to regain the rest of my power. I still have a long way to go before I reach the level I was at a millennia ago," Luna explains.
"I guess that's why you're... uh..." Twlight says, cutting herself off, not sure how to ask what she wants to ask.
Luna glances at Twilight's awkward demeanor, pondering briefly before softly chuckling. "Small?" she asks.
Twilight can feel herself blush a little as she forces an awkward smile. She was afraid she was going to offend the princess. "Y-Yeah. I thought you'd be the same size as Celestia, being as... long-lived as she is. You were about her size as Nightmare Moon, right?" Twilight asks, recalling the day mentally.
Luna's reassuring smile melts away Twilight's worries of offending her. "I was as majestic as my sister once, yes. I do not know why I'm not anymore. How you see me now is how I looked when I was younger. My only theory is that it's related to my imprisonment," the alicorn explains.
"Your imprisonment?" Twilight asks.
Luna nods softly, her expression turning serious, perhaps a little... solemn. "I was trapped there for a thousand years, inert and unable to use my powers, before the prophecy freed me. As Nightmare Moon, I was not nearly as powerful as I should have been. Then, you freed me, and I appeared like this."
Twilight nods slowly, a little unnerved by the princess' expression. "So you're just rusty then," she surmises.
Luna looks toward Twilight, her expression lightening again. "Your vocabulary is... refreshing. But yes, that is my theory. Perhaps it will take me another thousand years to get it all back, but if that is how it must be, then so be it," she says.
Twilight just nods quietly, her eyes showing a glint of sadness for the princess and her situation. If anything, Luna appears to be in good spirits, and happy. This thought keeps Twilight from feeling too much sorrow. The unicorn goes quiet for a spell, unsure on how to follow up this branch of conversation. Her thoughts are then disrupted by an unknown voice. "A thousand years is a long time to wait," the voice says.
Twilight blinks in surprise, she and Luna stopping in their tracks, the unicorn glancing around briefly. Eventually she notices the figure of another pony sitting a few yards away, looking up toward the moon. The pony has a dark pelt, and in the shadow of night, Twilight can't make out her features from this far away. "Y-Yes it is..." Twilight stammers, not sure how to respond, a weird feeling coming over her.
"It is a surprise your companion appears to be so sound of mind after so long," the voice continues.
Twilight looks over at Luna, and gasps. Luna is staring at the figure sitting yards away, a look of intense fright on the her face. The princess' body shakes, taking a few steps backward. "It can't... No...!" she mumbles, almost in a whisper.
Twilight becomes incredibly worried, starting to feel something come over her. That same feeling of dread she felt earlier in the day, when she was leaving Everfree with Spike. She turns an intense stare back toward the dark pony before them. "W..Who are you?" she asks, her voice shaky, trying to mask her growing fright.
A low, long venomous chuckle sounds out of the pony stranger, her features beginning to become more defined as she stands up to all fours. Her coat turns from a near black to just a very dark blue, her mane a steady violet color. She extends pegasus wings outward, revealing what appears to be a moon on her flank. As her laugh ends, she quickly turns around to face the frightened ponies, cat-like eyes gleaming menacingly beneath a unicorn horn, belaying their otherwise pretty teal color. A wide, sick girn extends across her muzzle. "Has it really been that long, Twilight Sparkle?" she asks, speaking with a tone of pure malice.
It takes everything Twilight has to keep from outright screaming. The unicorn's body shakes, swallowing down her almost-scream and stuttering out a reply. "It c-can't be! You're... You're..."
"... dead? Is that what you wish to say? Did you not learn anything from your history books, little mage? You cannot kill Nightmare Moon!"
Twilight clenches her jaws shut in disbelief. This can't be happening! She was right there, in what might have been the most important moment of her life, connecting with her destined friends and vanquishing an ancient evil. Nightmare Moon was dead! The unicorn shakes her head around briefly, taking a few steps backward, before turning to look to her side. Luna is still there, her eyes never having left Nightmare, still with a look of intense fright. Now Twilight is even more in disbelief. Luna was Nightmare Moon! How could they both be standing right here? Another venomous laugh comes from the mare of the moon, getting Twilight's attention again, the unicorn now noticing that Nightmare is strolling calmly closer to them. She notes some changes in the villain now that she's closer and easier to see. Her mane is now a solid violet color, not the always-wavy starry night violet look it had before. She also lacks the armor she wore on her head & chest, and her physical size is comparable to Twilight & Luna. There's no doubting who she is, however, despite these differences. "How quaint it is that I run into you so soon after my rebirth, Luna. This chance meeting will save me a lot of trouble, I wager," Nightmare states calmly.
Luna sharply gasps, taking a few more shaky steps backward. "G-Get away from me," she says, her voice shaky.
Twilight turns her attention to Luna again, then back to Nightmare, seeing the dark mare's attention is focused solely on the princess. Something comes over Twilight then, her eyes beginning to shine with anger. She suddenly steps to the side, standing in front of Luna and staring down their villain. This move actually surprises both alicorns. "You stay away from her!" Twilight tells, with only a hint of fright left in her voice.
Nightmare throws her head back in hearty laugh, grinning widely afterward and staring back at the unicorn. "What are you going to do, little foal? Blast me with a giant rainbow? You see how well that turned out," she taunts.
Twilight gasps softly, her hardened stance softening. "I'm... I'm going to..." she stammers out.
"What you and your friends did was a fluke. A bunch of foals, possessed by the Spirits of Harmony? Foolish. The Elements did not stop me a millennia ago, and they certainly didn't stop me the second time around with a bunch of fillies at the helm. You are nothing to me, mage!" Nightmare rants, her horn glowing with dark energy.
A quick, invisible pulse of energy goes through the area, sending Twilight flying backward clear over Luna's head. The unicorn yells out in panic, landing on the ground a few yards away and tumbling briefly. Luna spins around and cries out, "T-Twilight!"
A deep laugh from the dark mare is heard directly in Luna's ear, the princess crying out and turning back to see Nightmare directly in her face, Luna nearly falling backward in shock. "Come now, Luna. This night above is quite beautiful. Let us achieve our goal and make sure it never ends," Nightmare says to her, eyes gleaming with malicious intent.
Luna steps back away from the dark mare, shaking her head and trying to summon up any courage she can. "Th-That is my goal no longer, Moon. Not for hundreds of years. I'll never go along with you!" she manages to say with resolve.
"Oh, dear Luna, you are mistaken. I'm not giving you a choice in the matter," Nightmare states, coldly.
The dark mare's body below her neck suddenly warps into a familiar dark mist, her face ever-grinning. Luna gasps loudly, but before she can do anything, the mist extends forward and latches onto her like some sort of ooze. The princess screams and reacts violently, trying to pull herself away. A few yards behind her, Twilight is standing to her feet, raising up in response to the alicorn's scream. "L-Luna!!" she yells.
Nightmare laughs incessantly as her mist spreads over Luna's body, the princess struggling mightily even as she becomes nearly engulfed. Just as the mist starts to spread up to her neck, a flash of magic blasts out of the alicorn's body, breaking up the mist immediately and causing her to tumble backward, thanks to how she was pulling herself that direction. Nightmare's laughing ceases immediately, her mist body retracting back into her normal form. "What is this?!" she yells.
Luna's head raises up from her laying position, the princess blinking, overcome with utter confusion as well. Nightmare practically snarls, her horn glowing with darkness. "Come to me NOW, Luna!" she yells out.
A blast of dark magic hits the princess as she's standing up, Luna wincing at first, before her expression goes right back to confusion. She feels absolutely nothing. Nightmare's spell is doing nothing to her. The dark mare snarls again, ending her spell. "What game are you playing here, Luna? Why are you... HOW are you resisting me?!" she practically screams out.
The princess shakes off her confusion, hardening her stance and concentrating briefly, a blast of her own magic coming from her horn and striking the dark mare. Nightmare stands still, not even reacting to the spell, just like Luna's non-reaction to her own. She feels nothing. Luna gasps, her spell breaking off immediately. "Not me either?" she speaks quietly.
Nightmare is beside herself in anger and confusion. This is not how it's supposed to be going! This encounter should be over and done with! Before she can say anything, a laser-like blast of magical energy strikes her in the face, causing her to recoil her head back and let out a grunt of pain. Both alicorns look to see Twilight Sparkle standing a few feet behind Luna, her face angry and her horn glowing. Nightmare stands quiet for a moment, before forcing out a laugh. "Good one, child. I actually felt that a little," she taunts.
Twilight practically whines, her horn losing its glow as she drops her concentration, the dark mare's taunt getting to her. Nightmare stares silently at the two in contemplation, before taking a few steps back. "It appears we are at a stalemate, my dear Luna. It looks like I'm going to have to rethink things," she says, with an odd, forced calmness about her.
Luna just stares at her in silence, many thoughts running through her head. Twilight trots up past Luna. "R-Rethink things?" she asks.
Nightmare's wings flap as she hovers into the air, staring down at the two ponies. "Looks like I may have to do something... drastic. You'll be seeing me again soon enough," she answers.
"You're not going anywhere!" Twilight yells, summoning what bravery she has left.
The unicorn goes to step forward, but stops and lets out a slight yell as a sudden burst of dark energy hits the ground right in front of her, from the dark mare's horn. Nightmare then grins widely as her body begins to turn into dark mist again. "Sleep well, foals. This situation merely delays the inevitable. Soon enough, the world as you know it will end!"
With a booming laugh, the dark mare turns into a swirling cloud of dark mist, shooting off into the night sky, her laugh quickly fading away as she disappears into the distance. Twilight watches her go, stomping one of her hooves into the ground. Many thoughts start to swirl through her head. How is Nightmare Moon back again? Why isn't she staying? What is she planning? Twilight breaks off her thoughts and turns to Luna. The princess is staring blankly down at the ground, breathing hard, her mind obviously quite crowded, body overcome with panic at what just nearly happened to her. Twilight turns and walks closer to her. "P-Princess Luna? Are you alright?" she asks.
Luna takes a few seconds to turn her vision upward to Twilight's worried face. Luna swallows hard and tries to steady her breathing. "I... I think I'm okay. I don't know what to think about all this, Twilight!" she replies.
"N-Neither do I, princess. This is bad, really bad. We... We need to do something! We need to tell Celestia!"
Twilight turns the opposite direction to where they were walking, Luna watching her and turning with her. "Come on, let's go to my home first!" she says, immediately taking off in a run.
The panting princess gasps a little, swallowing again and extending her wings, flying just above the ground and speeding after the determined unicorn. It only takes a few moments of flying before her vision blurs, her wings starting to feel much heavier than they should. She flies herself next to the running unicorn and speaks, "T-Twilight, I feel faint..."
Twilight perks up, looking and seeing Luna stop in mid-flight and land. Twilight skids to a stop and turns toward her. "Princess? What's wrong?" she asks.
Luna tries to answer, but instead she just exhales a sharp breath, falling unconscious to the ground. Twilight runs up to her. "L-Luna!"
Luna breathes quietly. Nothing appears to be wrong with her. Twilight surmises that all the emotion and panic was too much for the princess. So much for going straight to Celestia. Twilight turns and sees that her home only a few yards away. She takes a sharp breath and concentrates, her horn glowing. Her magic surrounds the fallen princess, lifting her up off the ground, Twilight walking the rest of the way to her home with the floating alicorn behind her. Once inside, she floats Luna over to her couch, gently laying her down upon it and breaking her spell. Owlowiscious observes the proceedings with a few concerned hoots. Twilight nods to her pet in reassurance, proceeding immediately to her desk and magically moving her spell scrolls out of the way. "I shouldn't wake Spike from his sleep. I'll have to send this to Celestia myself."
An empty scroll spreads out before her, her quill floating and dipping itself into ink. Twilight faulters just before she writes, her eyes fighting back tears as the emotions of what's just happened are starting to weigh down on her. She takes a deep breath, and begins writing her letter, as quick as she can get it out without ruining its readability. After barely a minute or two, the letter is written, the unicorn dropping her quill immediately. Magically the scroll lifts into the air, rolling up and tying itself, before glowing bright green for a few seconds and popping out of existance. Twilight lets out a heavy sigh. "There... That's all I can do for now..."
Twilight can feel incredible fatigue on her shoulders now, a combination of how long she's been awake and all the sudden exercise she just got. "I can't bear the thought of sleeping in a situation like this, but I'll be useless if I have no energy for what I need to do tomorrow."
She makes her way toward her bed, hearing the flapping wings of her concerned owl as he lands nearby, hooting at her. She looks up at him and forces a reassuring smile. "I'm okay, Owlowiscious. You observe Luna for me. Wake me up if anything happens, okay?"
"Hoo!" the owl hoots out in understanding.
Owlowiscious flies away from her to return to his perch. Twilight resumes her walk to her bed, almost passing out before she reaches it. She drops down onto it and lets out a heavy sigh, her eyes practically pulling themselves closed. "Please help soon, princess..."
AUTHOR'S NOTES: No, I don't feel like loading Applejack's dialogue with "Ah"s for all her "I" and "Y" noises. It gets REALLY tiring reading her dialogue in some fics I've gone through. I've made her accent obvious enough, otherwise, you guys know how she talks, use your imagination! :P
The sounds of doors opening. The soft clatter of hooves across marble floors. The halls of the royal palace of Canterlot echo with the noise of ponies coming to life for the beginning of the new day, set to come any moment. Two lines of royal guardsmen, freshly suited up in armor, make their way down a specific hallway, stopping a few yards away from the ornate doors that lie at the end of it. They line up against opposite walls, looking at each other silently and waiting. In the dark room that lies beyond the doors, there comes a stirring, and with a delicate yawn the room becomes awash in magic light sources that lie amongst the wall decor. A royal pony steps out of her bed, her white pelt adorned with the soft pink color of her mane & tail. With a sharp inhale and a stretch of her muscles, her mane & tail expand into an ever-waving sea of four bright colors. She exhales, and smiles brightly, her eyes opening. "Good morning, Equestria."
Celestia turns and looks out the window, seeing her sister's beautiful night still adorning the sky. The moon still lies roughly in the middle of the sky, complimented by a sea of stars. The ivory princess chuckles softly. "Oh Luna, did you forget again?"
Normally the moon should be setting right about now, as Luna brings an end to nighttime, just in time for her sister to raise the sun. Luna's personal journey around Equestria has caused her to be a little forgetful, however, or a little too tired to pull it off on some nights. Thankfully Celestia still has the ability to rectify her occasional hiccups. She closes her eyes and concentrates, her multicolored mane appearing to shimmer with the glowing of her horn. The moon in the sky above shifts, sinking away toward the horizon, the stars blinking out of view with it. The alicorn's horn glows even brighter then, the night sky shifting colors gradually to a bright blue, giving way for the bright sun to rise from the other side of the sky, gradually bathing Equestria in its light. Celestia opens her eyes slowly, the glow disappearing from her horn, her eyes viewing the new daytime fondly. "Perfect."
She turns away from the window then and makes her way across her chambers to her work desk. She doesn't expect her usual letter from Luna to be there, but it doesn't hurt to check. She's surprised, however, when she does indeed see a letter there. It floats in place above her desk, covered in a very specific green glow. It's been quite a while since this occurence has happened. This came directly from Twilight...
With a quick flash of her horn, the letter opens, Celestia's eyes scanning over its words carefully. Her eyes slowly widen in horror, her mouth opening slightly before her lower jaw starts to quiver. What? This can't be happening again!
She barely manages to finish the letter before gasping loudly from the sound of her window opening violently behind her, a cold gust of wind flowing through her room, carrying on it what sounds like sick laughter. The princess turns and stares silently at the now open window, a black mist beginning to flow into the room with the appearance of an ooze, sliding across the wall and floor. Celestia watches in horror as it all flows to one spot on the floor, lingering for just a moment before rising up into the form of a dark pony, her face forming into a sick grin & catlike eyes. "Celestia..." she mumbles in an almost hissing tone of voice.
Celestia clenches her teeth briefly, trying to keep from visibly shaking in the dark one's presence. "Impossible!" she exclaims.
Nightmare laughs into the air, her grin seeming to go even wider. "I see the little foal has already told you about me," she says, noting the open letter still floating behind the princess.
The letter stops floating and simply drops onto the desk as Celestia takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "What are you doing here, Moon?"
The dark mare begins to slowly walk forward, eyes glaring, as if trying to pierce Celestia's very soul. "You likely already know about my encounter with your sister. I've been pondering my next move all night. Now, I have it..." she says, venomously.
Celestia gasps softly, trying to back up away from the approaching mare, but her desk is right behind her. She glares back defiantly at the dark mare, her horn beginning to glow brightly. Nightmare stops walking and laughs again, staring right into Celestia's eyes. "Come now. You needed the Elements to stop me so long ago. You don't want to hurt me. You can't bring yourself to do it, can you?" she taunts.
Celestia's body shakes as her will begins to falter, the glow leaving her horn, her hoof stomping once on the floor below. "Why?!" she yells out in frustration.
"Hahaha... You still haven't figured it out, have you? No matter. The Elements didn't stop me, and neither shall you," Nightmare taunts again, her body beginning to shift into mist once more.
Celestia shakes her head briefly, taking another breath to try and calm herself, her horn beginning to glow again, this time in a much softer light. The glow soon spreads to her magenta eyes. Nightmare stares at her curiously for a moment, trying to process what she's doing. Soon, she growls. "A Vision spell? Oh no you don't!" the dark mare yells.
The princess blinks once, the glow leaving her eyes and her horn, making Nightmare gasp. Celestia flashes her a serious gaze. "Too late," she exclaims.
Nightmare's teeth clench briefly, the dark mare soon practically roaring in anger, her entire body turning into mist and jetting right at the alicorn. Celestia gasps, the dark mist attaching onto her body like an ooze. The princess stumbles forward, looking down as the dark matter slides downward and covers her legs, then beginning to work its way upward. The princess begins to breathe hard, desperately trying to think of what to do, before her thoughts are interrupted by a searing pain shooting through her body. She cries out into the air of her room, the mist quickly spreading up her neck and over her mane, turning its wavy, colored surface into something different. The alicorn continues to scream, her voice starting to change as a loud banging comes from her locked chamber doors. "Princess! Princess, are you alright?!" yell the royal guardsmen that have been waiting in the hallway.
After getting no answer, two of the guards take several steps back in the hallway, before charging forward and slamming their way through the doors to break the lock. The small platoon looks inside, and they all gasp in shock, seeing what they think is their princess standing in the middle of the room, her head bowed low and breathing hard. Her entire coat has turned a deep violet, her mane & tail now more resembling a dark, starry night, making a violent whipping motion instead of a gentle wind-blown one. The guardsmen stare in horror as the corrupted alicorn raises her head, her piercing teal gaze directed at the visitors as her horn begins to glow with malevolent energy...
"No way, Nightmare Moon? It can't be!"
Spike paces across a short area of floor as he processes this new information. Twilight stands at her work desk, magically working her quill across one of her scrolls. "It's true, Spike. I don't know how, but it's true," she says.
"But... Luna was Nightmare Moon, right? Luna is here with us!" Spike notes.
"Yes, Spike. I don't know the details, but Moon is somehow separate from Luna now. Equestria is in danger unless I do something," Twilight remarks.
She finishes up her scroll and rolls it up, setting it down next to another rolled-up one. "Well, what are you doing to do, Twilight?" Spike asks.
Before Twilight can answer, the two of them hear a groaning noise coming from the main foyer. Both of them gasp and rush to the noise, seeing Luna is finally waking up. She rubs one of her hooves on her aching head, her eyes adjusting, seeing the two standing before her. "Oh! Twilight..." she mumbles.
"Princess! I'm so glad you're alright," Twilight exclaims.
"I'm... glad you're alright, too. What is happening now?" Luna asks, looking around the immediate room.
"I'm not sure. I sent a letter to Celestia last night, but she hasn't answered it yet. The sun is shining bright though, so I know she's awake. I guess she just didn't notice it," Twilight explains.
Luna gasps a little bit, her eyes looking frightened. Twilight fails to notice the reaction, her's horn glowing a bit as the two scrolls she wrote a moment ago make their way through her house and over to her. "I can't wait around for Celestia to answer me. I need to get my friends together. We beat Moon before, so we can beat her again... Right?"
"You bet you can, Twilight! But what are the letters for?" Spike asks.
Twilight floats one of the scrolls over to the dragon. "Because I need your help, Spike. I need you to find Rarity & Pinkie here in Ponyville and tell them what's happened. If they don't believe you, they can read the letter. It's in my writing. Then you all can fetch Fluttershy," Twilight explains.
Spike grabs the scroll and looks at it confusedly. Twilight walks over to her sleeping owl pet, a quick burst of magic going over him, causing him to become awake & alert. "I know you sleep during the day, Owlowiscious, but I need your help too. This spell should keep you awake long enough to fetch Rainbow Dash for me in the clouds. Take this letter to her, okay?"
The scroll floats over to the owl, who hoots in understanding, flapping off of his perch and grasping the scroll with his feet. Spike clutches his own scroll worriedly. "What about you, Twilight? What are you doing?" he asks.
"I'm going to Sweet Apple Acres to get Applejack. She's the farthest away from us and I can cover more ground on foot than you can," Twilight says.
"A-Alright. Got it! I won't let you down!" Spike says, determined.
Twilight smiles a little, and then turns her glance over to the quiet Luna, who appears to be lost in her thoughts, a worried look on her face. "Luna?"
Luna gasps softly and looks toward the unicorn, who now has her own worried look. "No one besides us and Celestia knows you're here, so I think it's best you lay low until all my friends are together. We'll be back soon, okay?" Twilight says.
The alicorn nods and straightens her posture, trying to hide her fear. She knows it's important that Twilight reach her friends, so she doesn't want to worry the mage. "I.. I understand. I'll stay here. Don't waste any more time," Luna answers.
Twilight keeps a worried glance on the princess for another moment, before nodding, magically opening her front door. "Got it. Let's go!" she says.
Luna watches the three rush out the door, which closes behind them, leaving everything quiet in the library. The alicorn steps off of the couch and stretches her body briefly, returning to her thoughts. Celestia... You always check for letters every morning, because I write to you. There's no way you missed Twilight's letter...
She walks a short distance away to one of the windows, looking out to the sunny sky. The sun that her sister put there this morning. Sister... What's happening out there?
Twilight gallops at her full speed down the road leading southwest out of Ponyville, starting to see the Sweet Apple Acres coming into view. From a distance, nothing appears to be out of the ordinary. This is a good sign. Twilight begins to slow down a little as she gallops into the farm's main area, passing through the main gate and ending her gallop just past the well. She begins panting, catching her breath and looking around the area. She doesn't see any of the Apple siblings. Shouldn't they be up and checking the crops by now? she thinks to herself.
She takes a few more glances around before her breathing is finally steady. "Applejack! Applejack, where are you?!" she yells loudly.
There's no initial response. Twilight starts to get worried, before she hears her friend yell out. "Twilight? That you makin' a racket out here?"
Twilight looks toward the source of the voice, seeing Applejack's head leaning out of one of the windows of her home. "Oh, thank Celestia! Applejack, I need your help, we have a big problem on our hands!" she yells back.
Applejack appears to be both annoyed and worried. "Well that's swell and all, but I got enough goin' on here!" she responds.
Twilight trots closer to AJ's house. "W-What? What's going on?" she asks.
"Just come inside and see for yerself," Applejack replies, before slipping her head back into the room.
Twilight wastes no time, magically opening the front door to AJ's home, running inside and heading up the stairs. She sees one room's door open, and walks inside of it to see Applejack and her brother standing at Granny Smith's bedside. Twilight gets a sinking feeling in her stomach as she slowly approaches the bed. "What's wrong, AJ?" she asks.
"I ain't got a clue, Twi. It's gettin' me right sick to my stomach," Applejack responds.
"We can't get her to wake up," Big Macintosh says.
Twilight glances at him briefly before looking at the elder pony laying in bed. She stirs around under her covers, occasionally letting out a grunt or a soft whine. Her sleep is obviously quite restless, as if she's having a bad dream. "We tried everythin', ya hear? Not even a splash'a water is workin'," Applejack notes.
Twilight stares on in confusion, her horn glowing just slightly, manipulating Granny's eyelids. "Did you ever try opening her ey- EEP!" she suddenly exclaims.
The Apple siblings gasp as well, as all three of them see Granny Smith's eyes are a swirling black color, as if darkness itself is swirling in her eyes. Twilight quickly shuts off her spell, allowing Granny's eyes to close again. "W-What the hay is goin' on here?!" Applejack yells out, exasperated.
"It... It must be her..." Twilight mutters.
The two siblings glance over at the unicorn, who is looking steadily more frightened. "Her? Who are ya talkin' about, girl?" Applejack asks.
Twilight looks back into AJ's eyes with a serious stare. "Nightmare Moon."
Applejack practically turns white. "... You best be eatin' bad apples, sugarcube..."
"I'm very serious, AJ. She attacked me and Luna last night. I have no idea what she's doing now," Twilight explains.
Applejack shakes her head around. "Wait an apple-pickin' minute, you and Luna? Ain't Luna supposed to be Nightmare Moon?"
Twilight sighs. "Look, it's a long story, I'll tell you when we're all together as a group, alright?"
Applejack stares at Twilight briefly, before taking a worried look at her grandmother. "I'll watch over her, sis. What your friend is talkin' about sounds important, eeyup," Big Mac suddenly interjects.
AJ sighs, and nods, walking her way toward Twilight. "Let's go then," she says, sadly.
Twilight looks at her friend worriedly, but stays determined. She needs to get all her friends together so they can figure out the next step. The two of them step out of the room and hurry their way out of the house, starting to gallop down the pathway toward the main gate. "Where's Apple Bloom?" Twilight asks.
"She should be at Rarity's with her little fri- Aah!"
The two nearly trip over their own hooves as the loud sound of striking lightning booms through the area. It's followed quickly by loud, cackling laughter. Twilight begins to shake in fear. The two watch as a swirling mass of dark energy forms in front of the gateway, eventually exploding with a blast of electricity, revealing the dark mare herself. "Where do you think you're going, foals?!" she yells.
The two stare in shock. "No... No! Not now!" Twilight exclaims.
"Ohhh horse apples, you weren't kiddin'..." Applejack says, her voice quivering.
Nightmare Moon laughs again and starts to slowly walk toward the duo, forcing them to start backing up toward the direction of AJ's home again. Twilight starts to notice how much bigger the dark mare is compared to the previous night. She doesn't really look like her larger self from their very first meeting in Everfree, though. The unicorn shows a look of confusion, mingled with her fright. "You work fast, little mage. I was going to take care of your little apple friend first. I suppose I'll have to take you both out here instead..." Nightmare says.
Applejack snorts in anger, trying to show some moxie even as her body quivers in fright. "You ain't takin' no one out, ya hear?" she proclaims.
Nightmare laughs, a bolt of dark lightning striking on the ground in front of the two ponies, making them cry out and stumble backward several steps. A loud yapping is heard soon after, as Applejack's pet collie comes running out from the barn, scampering in front of the two scared ponies and barking angrily at the intruder. "W-Winona! Get outta here, girl!" Applejack yells.
The dark mare snarls, her horn glowing as she unleashes a quick blast of dark energy at the dog. Winona yelps and falls unconscious, Applejack screaming in response. "Your little idiot dog is brave. Just as worthless as you, however," the alicorn remarks.
Applejack practically whimpers, as Twilight clenches her teeth, her horn glowing. Nightmare notices it and lets out a hearty laugh. "What are you going to do, foal? You got a decent little hit on me last night, but as you can see, I've gotten stronger," she notes.
Twilight quivers, trying to think of what she actually intends to do here. "I... I'm going to..." she mumbles.
Applejack glances at the unicorn. "We gotta do somethin', Twilight! Anythin'!"
Nightmare Moon continues to cackle as her horn begins to glow with malevolent energy once more. "Here's what you can do... Embrace eternal darkness!"
Before the alicorn can get her spell off, she's slammed into by the sudden presence of Big Macintosh. Twilight and Applejack gasp in surprise as the dark mare is sent rolling to the side, off the pathway, Macintosh planting his hooves to stop his movement. The girls realize he used the distraction Winona caused to sneak around and flank Nightmare from her side. The stallion turns his gaze toward the shocked mares. "Run! Get outta here, now!" he yells.
Applejack stares at him pleadingly, as if telling him not to do this. "B-But, Macintosh..." she mutters.
"No arguin', sis! GO!!"
Applejack erks, and nods quickly, looking at Twilight. Twilight suddenly gets an idea, concentrating with the spell energy she's been charging. Her hooves begin to glow brightly, along with Applejack's. "Run for it, AJ!" she says.
The two start running, Applejack surprised to find that they're going a whole lot faster thanks to the spell, passing through the gate within seconds. She takes once glance back at her brother, who is now staring down Nightmare Moon as the dark alicorn stands up. She whimpers softly and looks forward again, unable to look at what's going to happen next. Unseen to the two girls, Nightmare Moon rises to her feet, a glare of pure evil focused on the red stallion before her. "Foolish bravery runs in this family. Trying to be a hero, are you? Do you even know who I am?!" she asks.
Big Macintosh ignores her, returning her glare fearlessly, his nostrils huffing as his hoof scrapes a few times on the dirt below. He's preparing another charge. The dark mare just grins widely, and before the stallion can charge again, she yells out and blasts him with her dark magic. Macintosh groans loudly, his eyes going wide, quickly filling with darkness like Granny Smith's. He falls to the ground soon after, unconscious. The dark mare ends her spell and then looks toward the main gate, seeing no sign of the two girls. She narrows her eyes a little and ponders, before chuckling. "Very well... Perhaps it will be more fun to take out the whole group..." she says, before turning into a swirling cloud of mist and jetting into the air.
A fair distance away, Twilight and Applejack continue to run at improved speed, seeing Ponyville approaching quickly. Twilight can hear Applejack sniffle a little bit, the unicorn glancing her way. "We'll get her back for this, AJ. I promise," she says.
Applejack fights off her emotions and nods slightly, focusing on her gallop. "I'll be gettin' her back big time, I promise ya that," she says.
Twilight nods, turning her glance back toward the upcoming town. "I just hope the others are okay..."
