> Mother Nightmare
>  by SnowCrystal802
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Unaccepted (edited)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bright, amber light flooded the throne room, illuminating the bright purple eyes that were scanning the room. A small, lavender filly sat perched on one of the dark, oaken beams, her wings twitching with energy. Her eyes scanned the room like a hawk's, searching for her prey. Soon, she spotted it, a tall, dark blue mare made obvious by the setting sun. Grinning, the young filly jumped and glided down, casting a spell to muffle her steps. Crouching low, she stalked towards the oblivious mare, preparing her attack. Her target would not survive.
Spreading her wings wide, she pounced on her mother and landed on her back, startling her. Princess Luna turned and smiled deviously before shaking her body to rid herself of her pint-sized attacker. With a cute squeak, Twilight landed on her side as her mother faced her. Shaking the dust off, the tiny foal hopped to her hooves and charged a small stun spell, just enough to cause a little tingling. It popped out of her horn, only to bounce off a glittering, blue shield
"What do I have here? How will I ever escape such a valiant opponent?" Twilight giggled and crouched, wiggling her haunches as her tail flicked about in excitement. With a downward flap, she lunged at her mother, who quickly dodged before turning and flying away, laughing playfully. Letting out a very adorable evil laugh, Twilight gave chase, firing off more stun spells. Luna turned and grinned at her 'mighty' attacker. The two chased each other around the throne room before heading into the halls, Luna making sure nothing was damaged. One of the transfers from the Solar guard caught her eye and, unbeknownst to herself, she slowed. He was standing at attention, as was expected, though his eyes were following her and her daughter. There was cold look of hatred in them that made Luna's blood run cold.
For years, she'd dealt with ponies associating her with the more frightening aspects of the night, like bats and wolves. Things that harmed and could kill not only a pony but their livelihood. When Twilight had been born, Luna had thought that the tiny filly could be a bridge between the night and her subjects. But they hated her just as much as Luna herself, if not more. A small, innocent foal ostracized and mistreated for no reason other than her blood. Only a few truly respected her and cared about her. One of them having been her late husband, Toren. He had been one of the few thestrals in Equestria, almost all of whom were in her night guard. But Toren was no longer there for her. He'd been killed after a skirmish with the griffons, merely weeks after Twilight's birth. Her sister hadn't even let her say goodbye.
Luna sighed, her ears going back at the thought of her husband. A feeling of bitterness and betrayal started to fill her chest. Celestia. She could put an end to Luna's suffering, as well as Twilight's. Her precious daughter was at the tender age of ten, still too young to understand why nopony liked her or her mother. To young to have to deal with everything she did. But did Celestia care about this? Of course not. Her dear sister was too drunk off everypony's praise that she never noticed Luna or her daughter. When she did notice Twilight, it was usually to berate her for something that was not the filly's fault.
"Mom?" Luna jumped, her head whipping around to see Twilight walking along behind her, her ears lowered as she stared at her mother in upset confusion. The moon princess hadn't even noticed she'd touched down. Looking around, she found herself a short ways away from her door. Had they really flown this far? Sighing, she gave Twilight a small, weak smile before entering their room. Small, hesitant hoofsteps followed her. Suddenly, a lavender blur shot past her and landed on their bed, giggling madly and making Luna smile. Even if all life in the world had abandoned her, she would always have her little star. Twilight looked up at her and smiled, ears pricked in hope.
Smiling, the dark mare walked over to her bed, her horn glowing brightly as her bright moon rose swiftly into the sky. Laying in bed, she sighed and laid her head on her forlegs. Frowning, Twilight nuzzled her mother and curled up, sighing as Luna draped a wing over her back. Looking up, she spotted a familiar look on her mother's face. It was that same sad yet angry look she wore whenever she was thinking about Twilight's auntie. Wanting to understand what she never could, she asked her usual question.
"Mother, when will Auntie Celestia like you again?" Luna turned and smiled at her, though her heart broke a little at that confused, innocent tone she used. Pulling the small filly close, she nuzzled her and began to sing her special song. As Twilight drifted off, Luna stopped singing and sighed.
"Don't worry, my little star. Things will be alright again, one day. I promise." With that, Luna curled into a tight ball around Twilight, falling soundly asleep.


As the moon reached it's zenith, down in the Crystal Caves, a group of ponies stood waiting, a mix of Solar and transferred Lunar guards. Soon, their patience was rewarded as a snow-white unicorn trotted into the cavern. Her dark, blood red eyes and mane made her fur seem all the more pure and bright. Ironically, though, her currant goal and intentions were anything but. Snowberry carried behind her a boars and several scrolls, all of varying sizes. When she stopped, she turned to face the group, her icy blue magic setting everything up behind her.
"Greetings, everypony and thank you for joining me. I have gone over our plans to end the Moon princess's tyranny, as well as her spawn. However, a thought occurred to me. If we fail, to eliminate the spawn first, as we planned, Luna will merely guard her even more fiercely and our plan will be over." One of the Solar guards raised a hoof and Snowberry turned to him.
"Um, then how are we going to end her rule?" Grinning, the white mare turned to her papers and fetched a checklist, passing copies around to all of them.
"We don't have to. If we eliminate any shreds of trust and good feelings the ponies of Equestria might hold for her, she'll leave of her own violation. Allowing her superior sister, Princess Celestia to take full control. All will be as it should and the night will be cleansed. I have a list of lies and half-truths that we shall spread among the citizens. Soon, Luna shall find no support anywhere. Not that she finds much now." With that, Snowberry gave them all lists of different rumors to spread about the moon tyrant and grinned as they left. Her work to end Luna's reign had begun.


Slowly, Snowberry's poison spread, infecting the minds and hearts of all who heard. Though, her two favorite rumors were the ones most commonly heard. The first one was that the night princess practiced dark magic and that she did it on live, unwilling prisoners. The other said that Princess Twilight, her precious daughter, wasn't really the progeny of her late husband Toren. That one was common among the nobles. Slowly, the effect of the rumors began to show. However, the most affected wasn't Luna but Twilight herself.
Clutching a small doll version of her mother, Twilight trotted into class, her head and ears down. Why everypony was suddenly so cruel was lost on her. All she knew was that suddenly, even the victims of bullying bullied her. Sitting at her desk, she clung tightly to her doll, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. As class started, she focused on the board, ignoring the glares of her classmates. Class was half over when Twilight felt something hit her head, landing on the floor beside her. Confused, she picked up the item, her confusion turning to icy fear as she found a paper ball. Steeling her nerves, she opened the ball and froze, the world fading away around her.

You should just leave, spawn. This is Celestia's school, meaning you aren't welcome.
~C

Shivering, Twilight's thoughts turned to the worst bully of all. A silver filly by the name of Crystalline. According to Twilight's mother, Crystalline was the foal of a nasty mare by the name of Snowberry. Another chill went down the lavender filly's spine as she reread the note. She still didn't know why ponies were calling her that. 'Spawn' was a very mean name and, even if she wasn't a princess, surly she deserved better. Shaking her head, Twilight put the note in her bag before clinging to her Luna doll as tears began to roll down her cheeks. All she wanted was a friend that wasn't a doll or her mother. Was that too much to ask?
When the teacher released them for lunch, Twilight tried to avoid Crystalline. Granted, the treatment from everypony else wasn't pleasant but no need to make it worse. Luna-doll held close, she trotted into the lunchroom and got in line, her whole body tense. Crystalline could be anywhere. After receiving her food and some glares from the staff, Twilight sat at the furthest table from the door. If she was lucky, maybe she could avoid Crystalline all...
"Hey, Spawn." CURSE YOU, GODS OF LUCK! Twilight slowly turned to face her tormenter, every muscle in her body tense and ready to flee. Crystalline was a silver filly with bright red eyes and a curly, red and pink striped mane. Behind her stood her two, mindless lackeys, Bluebell and Glitterfly. Ironic that the three fillies with the most precious names were the most cruel. Crystalline was grinning at her, eyes narrowed. Twilight shivered, her ears lowering as she shrank.
"Y... yes?" A loud crack echoed out as Crystalline smacked Twilight hard across the cheek. Her tray clattered to the floor, food spilling everywhere. As usual, nopony batted an eye, all of them used to Twilight's near daily beatings by now. Whimpering, the lavender filly curled up, her eyes being drawn to a very familiar figure. Hope flared in her chest as her aunt's eyes locked on the quartet. Hope that soon burned out when she saw the pearly alicorn turn towards the foals giggling around her. Soon after Celestia looked away, the beating began, Twilight trying not to cry through the whole thing. After it was over, Glitterfly cast a spell to prevent bruising. While they were willing to beat up Twilight, none of them wanted to face Luna's wrath.
"Come on, girls. there's nothing left for us he..." Twilight watched in horror as Crystalline's eyes locked on her precious doll. An evil grin appeared on her face as she retrieved Twilight's dear toy. Turning towards her prey, the silver filly walked over and knelt in front of Twilight.
"Is this yours? You need a stuffed version of your mommy to get through the day? You really are a baby." Struggling to her hooves, Twilight stared at the doll in desperation. That doll was the closest thing to having her mother at school with her. Evil grin still plastered on her face, Crystalline began to pull on the doll's head and tail, listening as Twilight pleaded for the return of her doll. Grin turning savage, Crystalline gave the tail to Bluebell, who took it in her magic. Staring at Twilight, they began to pull harder, harder, until the toy tore in half. Stuffing fell to the ground, followed by the remains of the doll. Something in Twilight shattered as she stared at what was left of the dark blue Luna-doll.
"There, it's much better now, baby. Bye!" Twilight watched as the three walked away and suddenly, her vision turned red. Growling, she launched at Crystalline, much like with her mother. This time, though, with intent to harm and maim. Twilight felt something crack as she tackled her bully with all the force she had. Crystalline let out a shriek as pain blossomed through her chest. Soon, Twilight began to rain blows on the silver filly, tears still flowing down hr cheeks. She could feel Bluebell and Glitterfly trying to pull her off, could hear students yelling. She could even hear Crystalline sobbing beneath her. But none of it registered.
A white flash was all the warning she got before a golden shoe knocked her off, one of her wings crunching beneath her. The red haze dissipating, she looked up to see Celestia standing over a bruised and bloodied Crystalline. Celestia wore a look of cold fury and Twilight could see her aunt's wings half spread while her white fur was bristling. Her horn glowed gold and Crystalline vanished with a pop and a shower of sparkles.
"Twilight, how dare you attack the filly in such a way with no cause." At that, her jaw dropped. Surely she hadn't imagined her aunt seeing what had happened to her. Celestia knew how much that doll meant to her, having been made by her father. Twilight's horn glowed as she collected the remains of her doll and placed them in her bag as tears once again started rolling down her cheeks.
"Auntie, she was..." The tall Alicorn stamped a hoof on the marble floor, making everypony jump.
"NO! Don't you DARE blame Crystalline. This was not her fault and you know it." At that, it was like the faucet broke. Twilight bolted, sobs following her as she ran out of the school and towards the castle. The truth was finally clear to her. Her mother had been sparing her from it for as long as she could but now Twilight knew. Things weren't going to be okay cause her Auntie was never going to like them. She didn't care about them, only her subjects. The young princess's sobs increased as she barreled into the palace and through the halls. How could Celestia care more about the adoration of Equestria more than her own family!? At this moment, Twilight didn't care. She only cared about one thing and that was how much she needed her mother.


Luna groaned as she started to slam her head against her desk. Why had she agreed to take on her sister's extra paperwork? Granted she didn't have much of her own but her sister's was so COMPLICATED! A low growl made Luna jump, her hoof going to her belly. Maybe it was time for lunch. It was past noon, which was when she normally ate. Stacking the papers neatly, she set them aside and stood, stretching to work out some of her tension. Reaching for the dinner cord with her magic, Luna was about to ring it when her door slammed open. Anger bloomed in her chest. Wasn't she not to be disturbed during the day? Intending to give the offender a stern lecture, she turned and felt her words die on her tongue. Twilight stood in the doorway, shivering as tears streamed down her cheeks. Alarm flooded Luna's mind and all thoughts of food were obliterated.
"Twilight, honey, what's wrong? Twilight looked up and, with a heart-chattering sob, she launched at her mother and wrapped her hooves around Luna's middle tightly. Her body shook violently as she sobbed into her mother's fur. Quickly removing her saddlebags, Luna shut the door before leaning back, wrapping her hooves and wings tightly around her daughter. Twilight's hooves moved up to rest on Luna's chest, shaking with each sob. Gently, the midnight blue mare began to stroke Twilight's mane and tried to calm her down.
"Honey, what happened? When you left today you were so happy." Slowly, Twilight calmed and got off her mother, though she pressed close when Luna sat up. Pulling her bags close, she let out a whimper.
"Mama, you remember Crystalline?" Luna's mom alarms began blaring. Twilight never called her 'mama'. Never. Swallowing her fear, she nodded and listened as Twilight described the beating. Though, she did make plans to talk to Snowberry about this. However, when her daughter's horn glowed again and she took something out of her bag, Luna's heart shattered then shattered again. The toy of her that Toren had made right before the skirmish that killed him. Twilight whimpered and nuzzled into her side, tears flowing freely. Gingerly, Luna took the remains of the stuffy in her magic and suddenly a spell popped into her head. Grinning, she cast it. After a few seconds, the plushie was restored. Smiling, Luna lowered it and booped her daughter's nose with the stuffie's leg. A loud squeal ripped out of her daughter and she tackled the plush Luna, giggling madly. Sighing, Luna cast a simple sleep spell on her before lowering her onto the bed before storming out of the room.


Celestia was doing paperwork with her assistant, Inkspot, when the door to the throne room burst open, revealing a very irate Luna. Her sister was glaring daggers at her, a look of pure rage in her eyes. Inkspot made the wise decision to flee, papers flying after him. Sighing, the Solar princess leapt off her throne and approached her sister, guessing what this was about.
"Sister, I'm not going to apologize for yelling at Twilight. She attacked another student without cause. I had to react." Luna growled and stalked into the room, her wings twitching.
"Sister, that filly beat my daughter, YOUR niece. She was wrong in her reaction, I know, but she was not unprovoked. Also, according to her, you were there the whole time. YOU saw what those three were doing yet didn't do anything." Celestia snorted and turned away, her waving tail flicking and speeding up in irritation.
"Sister, all I saw was some foals having harmless fun. They do rough-house on occasion, even the noble foals." Enraged, Luna slammed a hoof on the floor, cracking the stone beneath it.
"Sister you have made your hatred for myself and my daughter perfectly clear. But know that I mean it when I say this. If you don't end our torment..." Luna whipped around and walked out, stopping just outside the door. Celestia sighed as her eyes rolled and she shook her head. Her sister would make mountains out of molehills. She faced her sister again right as Luna turned her head to look at her sister through one eye. "... I will." With that, the doors slammed shut.
> Awakened (edited)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beat
Beat
Beat
Heartbeat echoing in her ears, Twilight's eyes fluttered open glancing around the landscape in confusion. The only thing she could see was a dark blue sky, speckled with stars. Suddenly, she felt stone beneath her hooves and the smell of ginger tea and biscuits reached her nose. Everything was familiar, everything was in the proper place for her usual lunch tea. But something wasn't quite right. Her aunt was waiting for her, a gentle smile on her face. Shaking off the sense of wrongness, she trotted over and sat down, sending Celestia a hesitant smile. The white Alicorn placed a cup of tea in front of her, perfect with a couple cubes of sugar and a faint taste of cream. The sense of wrongness hit her again when she grabbed a biscuit. Weren't they usually in the shape of crescents, for the moon?
A pulse went through her head and the thought was dissolved, but that single moment made Twilight jump and a sense of rage fill her. She wouldn't be the most powerful mage of her generation if she didn't recognize a stasis spell. Her mother had put her in one before, to teach her how to identify them. Her horn glowed and she sent a pulse through herself. While she couldn't break the stasis, she could break the underlying memory spell she sensed tied into it. Soon, she was hovering in a black void, probing the memory spell for weakness. A shock went through her and she growled. This particular spell was all but forbidden, being considered a mind control spell as it allowed the caster to control the victim's memories, or change them. Curiosity overrode her anger and she went back through her memories of her mother and settled on the last one, allowing it to play in her mind.
The memory was fuzzy, marking it as the changed one. Twilight smiled, glad to have a base to work with. Memory spells were notorious for being tricky to break. She worked her magic into the spell array, trying to find the baseline for it. Suddenly, the spell snapped apart and her true memory hit her, making tears fill her eyes. Hatred for her auntie pulsed through her and she growled, heat filling her chest.
Twilight blinked, the black void fading away into a blurry mess of white, gold and green. She moaned, feeling very disconnected as she couldn't feel a thing. Slowly, the blurriness began to lessen, her ear twitching. A faint warmth spiraled up her horn, ending as a spark jumped off the tip. Relief warmed her chest as she once again felt her magic thrumming in her body, sending tendrils of warmth and feeling through her body. She could tell she was resting on a smooth, stone floor and she struggled to lift her head. Her vision cleared a little more, the white splitting into two different shades, the brighter one being right in front of her. There was a glimmer of gold on the bottom of the blotch. Blinking and shaking her head, she looked up as her vision cleared completely as her strength returned. Her auntie was standing in front of her, a concerned look on her face. Twilight stared at her for a few seconds before a snarl twisted her features, the young Alicorn leaping back and crouching.
"Twilight, honey, why are you mad at me? It's me, your Auntie Celestia." Twilight gaped at her in shock. Did she seriously not remember what she'd done, how she'd hurt her own family?
"Why!? Are you serious? Why do you think I'm mad at you, Auntie? You banished my mother, your own sister, and you expect me to LIKE YOU!?" Celestia sat down, both from the shout and from shock. At the moment, the shout seemed easier to deal with. She shook her head and rubbed her ringing ears. A thousand years of not using the Royal Canterlot Voice had made her ears sensitive. Shaking herself, she turned back to her niece and sighed, ears drooping as she extended a hoof towards the young mare.
"Twilight, sweetheart..." A bolt of magic hit her in the chest, making her yelp as she was knocked over. At that, the guards posted around the room rushed Twilight, pinning her to the marble floor. Celestia, stood and brushed the scorch mark off her fur before calling them off as the Captain came up to her.
"It's fine. I'm not hurt and she has every right to attack me. Shining Armour, this is my niece Twilight Carina Sparkle. She's my sister's daughter." The large stallion turned towards the small Alicorn and gave a confused frown. Shaking his head, he turned towards the guards and nodded. Reluctantly, they retreated, allowing Twilight to stand. Twilight stood, her whole body rigid as she stared at Celestia. Sighing, the larger mare turned towards Shining and nodded.
"What is it you wanted, Captain?"
"Oh, right. Princess, the Royal Astronomer said that the four key-stars are almost upon the moon. He estimated that Nightmare moon should return with in a few months, which meshes with your theory that she'll return on the Summer Sun Celebration." Celestia was about to respond when Twilight let out a growl. Shining turned towards her, Celestia glancing at him before doing the same. Her eyes were blazing with fury as she stared at the Captain.
"Luna. My mother's name is Luna." Shining stared at her in confusion before shaking his head and turning towards Celestia as her horn light up. A ball of golden light form, the centre showing an image of her sister on the moon. She was wrapped in heavy, stardust chains, her head thrown back in an angry wail. Celestia sighed as she stared at her sister. Maybe, when she came back, Luna would be more reasonable and apologize for attacking her. She heard her niece whimper behind her but ignored the sound as Shining cleared his throat.
"As you can see, Princess, the chains are starting to disintegrate. I believe that your estimation of her return is correct." True to his word, small particles of stardust were drifting off the chains. As they watched, one of them snapped before completely dissolving. Shining lifted a clear, glass box about the size of a sugar cube. Touching it to the ball of light, there was a flash as the ball flowed into the cube. The white stallion stood and put the block into a compartment in his armour before bowing and leaving. Celestia watched him leave and sighed, turning towards her niece. Twilight was sitting with her head down, a sad scowl on her face.
"Twilight, I'd like for you to go to the Summer Sun Festival with me. It's obligation for all royalty to..." The door opened making Celestia let out a small growl of annoyance. A pink mare stuck her head in, her eyes scanning the room before entering. Twilight turned around and her eyes locked on the pair of purple tipped wings on her back, along with the long horn on her head. The mare trotted towards Celestia, not noticing Twilight as she passed. Celestia's heart dropped as her hope of gaining Twilight's trust decided to say goodbye.
"Auntie, I wanted to talk to you about funding for the Canterlot orphanage. They could do with more money or they might not be able to keep all of the foals there. Plus, Blueblood was... oh, hello. Who are you?" Twilight was still, her eyes wide as she stared at the pink Alicorn. Auntie. She'd called Celestia Auntie.
"Auntie? She called you Auntie!"
"Yeah. Why does it matter and why do you care? Everypony knows she's my auntie." A white hoof, clad in gold, landed on her shoulder, drawing the mare's attention away from Twilight.
"Cadence, we can discuss this at a later date. I'll explain later but can you please leave?" Cadence shook her head and turned towards her aunt, a confused and demanding look on her face. Celestia sighed and glanced at Twilight, the purple mare growling before turning and bolting. Cadence turned towards her aunt, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. When she spoke, Celestia's fur and feathers prickled at her cold, clipped tone.
"Explain. Now."


Twilight lay in a random bedroom, curled into a tight ball on the plush bed. Her tail flicked over her nose, as she whimpered in pain. She knew that her aunt didn't like her much but to replace her... was unthinkable. A few tears rolled down her cheeks as the thought of her mother. Normally, when she was upset she could go to her and her mother would make her feel better. Her last memory of her mother came back to her and her tears increased. Closing her eyes, the memory appeared to play in front of her.
I wailed as I was dragged through the castle halls, tears streaming down my cheeks as I struggled to break free of Auntie's telekinesis. Dust and dirt clung to the fur on my back and legs from being dragged over the stones outside. The guards we passed merely stared at me in hatred as I screamed for someone to help her. I hadn't done anything wrong. Auntie growled and shook me, making pain blossom from the scratches on my back. Soon, the doors to the throne room opened and Auntie walked in, still holding me in her golden magic. After a few minutes, Mom appeared in a flash of dark blue. With a cold glare, Auntie heaved me forward, sending me rolling to a stop in front of my mother.
"Twilight! What happened to you!?" I whimpered and curled into my mother, shivering as my tears started to slow. Mom wrapped a wing around me and gave me a reassuring smile before turning her eyes towards her sister. "Celestia, what happened to her?"
"I've had it with her, Luna. She's dangerous and if you don't start disciplining her, I will punish her myself." Mom's jaw dropped, her mind going blank as she tried to process this. She shook her head and unconsciously pulled me under her belly in a protective way.
"It's not your right to punish her. I'll talk to her, I promise you but you don't get to..."
"YOU don't get to talk to me that way. I am in charge of the day and I have the most responsibility. You haven't managed to keep her from endangering others and so I will treat your daughter as she deserves." Mom stilled, her eyes glazing as she stared at her older sister. I may not have siblings but I knew that it wasn't right for Auntie to imply that she was more important. Older siblings were supposed to care for and love their younger siblings, not consider them inferior. Tears began to flow down my mother's cheeks as she started to tremble. Hurt turned to anger, anger turned to rage, rage turned to fury then fury turned to blind, unbridled hatred. Her horn let out a pulse of magic, a line of black going down her horn and up her hooves. After everything else, this was the final straw.
"You don't get to decide how my daughter is punished. She is MY child and I will decide how she is to be disciplined. When you have a daughter come talk to me. You already managed to stop us from leaving, saying that it 'wasn't safe' and that you'd 'take care of us'. Well, tell me, sister, how have you taken care of us?"
Celestia scoffed and glared at her sister, neither one noticing as I teleported behind my mother's throne. Mom's mane turned into a floating mass of sparkling, purple mist. Her pupils slitted and her teeth sharpened, a growl rumbling in her throat as her anger and hatred grew. Enough was enough. Shivering in my hiding place, I watched as the sisters stared to circle each other, two feet from each other but as distant as the opposite sides of the world. Sighing, Celestia suddenly relaxed and stopped, her eyes cold and calculating.
"Come on, Luna. Stop overreacting about everything and stand down. She's my blood and that means you have no right to keep her from me." Celestia's cold, demanding voice sent Mom over the edge and she let out a roar of pure fury, sending an azure bolt towards her sister. A quaking tremor ran down my spine as I watched my mother's eyes flash. There were very few times where my mother unnerved me. Now was one of those times.
"How am I overreacting!? You never seemed to care about her being your niece before! I don't care if it's dangerous out there, we're LEAVING. You let her be beaten, abused and ignored her for years!!" Mom sent another bolt towards her sister, a golden shield coming up to block it before she returned fire. I cowered behind the dark blue throne, tears streaming down my cheeks as my mother and aunt fought. Even now, I could feel a sparkle of hope that Celestia would love me and my mother again. Suddenly, Celestia threw her sister towards the wall, Mom's head going through the window. As she collapsed, her head hit the bottom of the window, leaving a red stain from a piece of glass. Celestia growled and pinned her sister to the floor, wrapping her magic around my mother's neck and legs. My aunt's eyes were narrowed as she glared down at her sister. Whenever Mom and I would make to leave, she would stop us then turn around and turn on us.
"Fine, sister. If you want to get away, then I will give you your wish. Hopefully some time alone will cool that temper." Her horn began to glow, blazing a brilliant gold. Mom struggled and her eyes widened as the spell took shape. She lit her own horn right as Celestia released the spell. A golden glow formed over my mother's body and began to brighten. Tears started to roll down my cheeks as the spell gained power. Then with a flash and a blast of power, she was gone. My mom was... gone. An anguished cry ripped out of my throat and Celestia turned towards me.
"Hush, Twilight, you will be fine. After some time, you can help me get your mother to see sense." Her horn glowed again and blackness began to mist over my vision. Slowly, I slipped off into unconsciousness.
Twilight's eyes opened as the door handle jiggled before turning, the door creaking open to reveal her aunt. Her eyes were dark as she stared at her niece, taking in the young mare's suddenly hostile glare and angry snarl. Her wings were half-spread and puffed, the tops of the feathered limbs facing her in a defensive move. Sighing, Celestia walked into the room, her ears flicked back as she closed the door behind her.
"I knew you hated me but that's going a little far. I mean seriously, you replaced me!?"
"No, I would never do that to you, honey. I love..."
"NO! You don't get to say that. You don't love me and you never did. If you loved me, you wouldn't have treated me the way you did. If you really loved me, you wouldn't have banished my MOTHER" Celestia glared at her niece and gave an exasperated sigh. She walked over to the bed and sat down on the marble floor, her eyes soft. Twilight was key to her plan to win her sister back over and if she was going to get Twilight on her side, she needed to gain her niece's trust. However, if that was going to happen, she needed to appear apologetic for her actions.
"Twilight, honey, I'm sorry. I've had a lot of time to think about my actions as well and I can see how they must have seemed from your point of view. But you have to trust me when I say..."
"TRUST you!? How, in the name of the moon, do you expect me to trust you? After everything you've done to me. No. Me trusting you is never gonna happen. Not in this year, not in a million years and I swear, if you try to turn me on my mother, I will run so far from here you will never see me again. I promise you that..."
"Enough! I'm trying to mend bridges"
"No, you're trying to get me on your side of things. Well let me tell you, that is NEVER gonna happen. You've dissolved any chance of earning my forgiveness so stop trying." Suddenly, Celestia found herself outside Twilight's room with the lavender mare glaring at her.
"Now stay out." With that, the door slammed shut in Celestia's face. Sighing, she teleported to her room, shaking her head in annoyance.
"Trust me, Twilight. You'll agree with me eventually, I know it."
> Night time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Four months had passed since Twilight awoke and Celestia was trying constantly too get the purple mare too talk with her. However, the younger princess refused to even acknowledge her aunt, turning away from her whenever Celestia spoke to her niece. Every night, Twilight would look up at the moon and cry, missing her mother more and more with each passing day. Cadence and Shining were the only two who Twilight had let in and accepted as friends.
Shining Armour was keeping a close eye on Nightmare Moon. The chains holding her, made of star-iron, were starting to disintegrate as the rainbow stars grew closer to the moon, all four picking up speed. The black mare thrashed, loosening some of the chains and breaking others. Concerned, Shining closed the small cube, the image flickering away.
"Captain, what's the news of my sister?" The white stallion turned and sighed, his ears drooping.
"She's breaking free. I'd expect her too be free by daybreak at the latest."
"My mom's coming back?" Both ponies froze and turned towards a hopeful looking Twilight. The lavender mare's deep purple eyes were wide and a small smile donned her face. Celestia sighed and turned towards her captain, knowing her niece wouldn't listen to her.
"Yes, princess, she's coming back. Sometime today, I'd expect." Twilight squealed and began to bounce around, giggling and yelling in excitement. Celestia sighed as her niece turned and bounced down the hall. After a little while, she followed and discovered Twilight staring at the window depicting her defeat of Luna.
"Twilight, you're coming with me. You know, down to Ponyville for the celebration." Twilight growled and pinned her ears back. Celestia sighed and levitated Twilight over, teleporting them both to the carriage.


Twilight whimpered as she lay in the bottom of the carriage, curled into a ball. If her mother saw her with Celestia, she might get the wrong message. Soon, their ride jolted as they touched down. As soon as they were still, Twilight leapt out of the carriage and bolted, her aunt calling after her.
"Twilight!" Her run was stopped by slamming face first into her aunt's solid legs and chest. A cute squeak came from the young mare as she landed on her back.
"Well, you said to come with you but you didn't say to stay with you." With that, she teleported away, leaving behind a shocked Celestia.
Twilight grinned and headed into town, using a spell to hide her wings. All around her, ponies sent her cheerful "hello's" and "hi's". As she walked, small puffs of dirt clung to her fur and dulled her vibrant colouring slightly. She looked around taking in her pleasant, colourful surroundings. All around her flew birds, insects and there was even the occasional cricket. Across her path darted rabbits and squirrels. Sweet smelling flowers dotted the grass along the paths and around the houses.
"Hi!" Twilight jumped, her horn sparking in alarm as a loud, shrill voice sounded behind her. She whipped around to see a bright pink mare with the wildest magenta mane she'd ever seen. The mare's bright blue eyes were wide with excitement as she stared deep into Twilight's. The pink mare giggled and began to bounce in place. Twilight stared at her, not sure what to say. What... is this normal Twilight thought as the strange mare bounced. Then, after a few more bounces, the mare started talking a mile a minute.
"So, what's your name? I'm Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's resident party pony. Why are you here? Are you moving here or are you just here for the Celebration? So, what is your name? Huh? Huh! HUH!" Twilight stumbled back as the mare, apparently named Pinkie Pie, pushed her nose up to hers. With each word, Twilight was forced backwards until she fell onto her back. Fearful, the disguised Alicorn teleported a couple feet away. Pinkie jumped, blinking rapidly from the bright flash. Both mares looked at each other and burst into laughter, collapsing and rolling on the ground. However, the mood was soon ruined.
"Well, what do we have here?" Both mares froze and looked up, staring at the orange unicorn. Her turquoise eyes were narrowed with a smug smile on her face. Twilight growled and stood up, backing away from the other mare. Beside the mare stood a small purple and green drake, his green eyes staring at Twilight coldly. Ignoring Spike, Twilight glared at her aunt's student.
"Wow, this place surely is a dump if they're letting you stay here, Sunset. What's my auntie's precious little pet doing here?" Sunset growled, her horn sparking. Pinkie glanced between the two of them, her eyes unsure. Spike hopped onto Sunset's back and leaned over to her ear. Placing a claw in front of his mouth, he began to whisper into his friend's ear. Sunset nodded and turned, levitating a scroll out of her saddlebags.
"If you must know, we're here to organize the Summer Sun Celebration." With that, the two trotted away. Twilight turned towards Pinkie, a sheepish look on her face.
"I'm guessing you two don't get along. What I'm wondering is why?"
"Well, I'll just say it's personal. She insulted me and hates me because of my mother." Pinkie tilted her head before smiling, a look of mischief on her face. A second after, she vanished, a dust outline of her remaining. Twilight shook her head and smiled, continuing on her way. Not long after that, however, she began to smell a heavenly scent. Following the scent of cinnamon, she came upon a building that made her mouth water. The  whole building looked like ginger bread, icing and candy. The disguised princess levitated her bit-bag to her mouth and trotted inside.
"Hello, dear. What can I get you?" Twilight stared at the various treats, her mouth watering like crazy. Last time she'd been to a bakery, things had got south fast. Mrs. Cake cleared her throat, making the purple mare jump. Twilight looked at her, fear in her eyes as she sat down.
"Sorry. Do you want me to go?"
"Why would I want that, dearie?" Twilight pinned her ears back and looked down, pawing at the floor. Her eyes were pained and, feeling sorry for the young mare, Mrs. Cake walked up to her and gently wrapped her hooves around her.
"Last time I was in a bakery, something happened and I got blamed." After a few minutes, Twilight calmed down and bought a few razzleberry muffins and a carrot crepe. After another hour of walking, Twilight came across the marketplace. Everywhere, ponies were buying items and selling even more. At one stand were bright orange mare and a tall red stallion, both with blond hair. The stallion was ignoring the mare while he talked to a fancy, white unicorn. The mare, however, was caught in a screaming match with a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail. Twilight giggled and trotted over, curious as to the situation.
"Ya dirty birdbrain, Ah've already said to leave mah apples alone! Pay for 'em!" The pegasus growled and shook her head, her tail flicking. Her maroon eyes were narrowed in anger as the country pony glared right back. However, Twilight's timely interruption prevented a bad fight between the two.
"Hey. What's going on?" Both mares stopped and turned towards Twilight, their eyes wide. The pegasus huffed and landed, ruffling her feathers.
"Well, this missy here tried to take some of mah apples." The pegasus glared at her and growled.
"I did not! I already said that!" Twilight raised an eyebrow and sat down.
"Why do you say she tried to steal from you?" The orange mare turned towards her.
"Well, Rainbow here swooped over mah stand. Ah ducked and when Ah looked up three apples were gone and she was going through ‘er bags. It's so obvious she robbed me." Twilight nodded and turned towards Rainbow, her eyes neutral.
"Like she said, I swooped over and Applejack ducked. But when I landed, I felt something fall into my bags. I looked to see what it was when she tackled me and three apples fell out." Applejack growled at the pegasus, her ears still pinned. Twilight's jaw dropped as the two mares began to argue again. She turned towards the large, red stallion, matching his wide-eyed stare. Shaking her head, Twilight lit her horn and teleported in between the two mares, making them jump back, startled.
"Alright, I think this is a misunderstanding. Someone probably put the apples in her bag." She pulled the three apples over and stared at them. After a few seconds she grinned and showed the apples to Applejack. "See? They're bruised." Applejack's jaw dropped while Rainbow let out a victorious shout. The orange mare turned sheepish eyes towards Rainbow, who was sending her a smug grin.
"Sorry, RD. Say, what's yer name, anyway?"
"Twilight Sparkle." Applejack nodded and turned towards the red stallion. He turned and looked at Twilight, his face neutral.
"Darlings, why are you staring at the poor dear?" Rainbow and Applejack both groaned as the white unicorn made her presence known. Twilight turned towards her, tilting her head while Applejack turned towards the white mare.
"Twilight, this is Rarity. She owns a house and shop here in town where she designs, and makes ‘er own dresses. Rarity, this is Twilight." Twilight smiled at the dressmaker, her expression polite. Rarity was clearly very refined, judging from her poise along with the slightly uppity way she held her head. Her deep purple mane was curled and held by a small amount of gel while her fur was smooth and well brushed. The mare's sapphire eyes were shining with kindness and a bit of curiosity.
"Hi, it's Twilight Sparkle. Actually, I'm from Canterlot myself." Rarity brightened and began to rant about the joys of Canterlot. Twilight watched, her ears pinned flat against her head. Applejack sighed as the white unicorn suddenly turned and bolted, her curled tail waving behind her. The orange earth-pony walked up to Twilight and grinned.
"Ignore her. She's obsessed with living in Canterlot and meeting royalty." Twilight grinned sheepishly at Applejack.
"So, I shouldn't mention to her that Celestia's my aunt?" Applejack looked at her, eyes wide with shock.


Twilight smiled at the peaceful meadow around her. Birds flew around her ears and chirped, making her smile. Insects, like bees and butterflies flew around and one even landed on her horn, making the disguised princess giggle. Soon, however, rhythmic chirping reached her ears and she turned, interested in the odd sounds. Her ears pricked, she followed the sounds through a bush to see a young, butter yellow pegasus mare hovering in front of a tree branch, her hoof waving to direct a choir of birds. Soon, however, a blue jay began to sing out of sync with the others. The mare stopped and flew up to the branch, quickly correcting the bird before continuing. Twilight sat down and watched, enjoying the sweet music. After a few minutes, the birds chirping ended in a high note. The pegasus smiled and touched down. Her wings fluttered as she did,
"That was beautiful." The mare yelped and spun around, her ears flat against her head. Her turquoise eyes were wide with fear as she stared at Twilight.
"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you. My name is Twilight Sparkle. What's yours?" The yellow mare shrunk back behind her long, pink mane and whispered something so quiet, all Twilight heard was the sound of wind. She rolled her eyes and sat down next to the mare. She nudged her with her foreleg before standing back up.
"It's okay. You don't need to be scared." The yellow mare looked up at Twilight's kind eyes and nodded.
"I... I'm Fluttershy. Are you new to Ponyville?" Twilight nodded before turning.
"Come on. My auntie arranged for me to stay at the library. Let's walk and talk." By the time the two got too the library, they were laughing like old friends. Twilight stopped and turned, her eyes sparkling. She lit her horn and the door swung open, held in her magenta aura. As they entered, Twilight's ears pricked at the faint rustling inside. Suddenly the lights popped on, revealing a crowded library and a very familiar pink mare at the front of the crowd. Pinkie's ears pricked and she gave a bright grin. She took a deep breath and led the group in a loud cheer.
"SURPRISE!" The two mares were blown onto their rumps by the sheer force of the noise. A couple seconds passed before they looked at each other and giggled. The party lasted long into the night and early morning. However, near the middle of the party, Sunset showed up. The whole party stopped, everypony turning towards the orange mare and her drake, a scroll held in his claws. Twilight's eyes narrowed and she walked towards her enemy.
"Why are YOU here, Sunset? I believe the losers belong on the other side of town."
"Oh, haha, Twilight. I'm better that you in every way, princess" Ignoring everyone's gasps, Twilight was quick to fire back and deny Sunset's barb.
"I'm not a princess, Sunset."
"No, your not. You just like to think that. Come on Spike, these losers are cramping my style." Behind her back, Spike sent Twilight a soft look before following. She sighed and sat down, the party resuming behind her. A gentle hoof between her shoulders made her jump. She turned, smiling at her five new friends before letting out a heavy sigh. Fluttershy wrapped a wing around her back, sending her a gentle smile.
"Come on, let's go upstairs. Then the six of us can talk." Twilight nodded and her horn blazed for a second before the six of them popped upstairs.
"W... woah. Cool." Twilight smiled at Rainbow, before settling onto the bed. She curled up, her whole body quaking. The girls looked at each other, concerned.
"Darling, whatever is the matter?" Twilight sighed, her ears drooping as she stared at the ground. Taking a deep breath, she turned towards her friends.
"Well, my mother is going to be coming back into my life soon. I haven't seen her in a long time." Soon, the sound of bonging echoed through town. Six heads whipped around in the direction of the clock tower before the girls turned and darted back down. The six raced with the rest of the crowd towards Town Hall. Twilight could feel her heart racing with fear and excitement. She was going to see her mother again.


Luna screamed in fury as she pulled at her chains, feeling them give slightly. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as pain tore at her heart. How her sister thought that being trapped on the moon was a just punishment for defending her daughter, she'd never know.
"Celesta!! I will get you!!" Suddenly, a quartet of stars came rushing towards her, flowing into the lock against her chest. The four star-shaped keyholes began to glow and the lock gave. The chains dissolved and Luna spread her wings, standing. She narrowed her eyes and growled as a dark purple glow enveloped her.


Twilight looked around as everypony screamed. Rarity walked out onto the balcony and said one thing.
"She's GONE!!" Suddenly a deep purple mist began to cover the balcony and coalesce into a large, tall blob. The mist swirled before splitting, forming the mane and tail of a jet black mare. Her reptilian eyes were narrowed as she stood there. Then, as everypony went silent, she spoke in a silky voice.
"Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun-loving faces." Twilight turned as Rainbow demanded to know what had happened to the princess. Her mother grinned before asking if anyone still knew her. Before Twilight could speak up, however, Sunset did just that.
"I do. I know who you are, Nightmare Moon." Everypony gasped, shock all over their faces.
"Well, well, well. Somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here."
"You're here to destroy Equestria." Nightmare Moon laughed, throwing her head back. Her bright blue eyes were spilt down the centre by black slits while her deep indigo mane swirled around her. Sunset turned towards Twilight and lit her horn, making the purple mare's eyes widen. Just as her mother looked at her, Sunset's spell took effect, making Twilight disappear in a bright turquoise flash.
> Mother
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight landed on her rump, a few blocks away from Town Hall. Her eyes were wide as she tried to process what had just happened. Tears began to form in her eyes as she went over it. Her mother had looked right at her just before Sunset teleported her away. Why that horrid mare didn't want her to be with her mother, she didn't know. More tears appeared and began to roll down her cheeks. She lit her horn and dispelled the disguise spell, wrapping her wings around herself. She let out a heavy sob as she started to shake.
After a few minutes, a dark purple mist shot out of the hall, away from her and towards the Everfree forest. She whimpered and continued to cry silently, still shaking. Her grief was interrupted by a loud gasp. Twilight turned around, her eyes wide as she saw her five friends. Rarity was out cold, sprawled on the ground while the other four were staring at her, wide-eyed. She sighed and stood up, folding her wings against her sides. Twilight pawed at the ground, her eyes downcast.
"Y... you... YOU"RE AN ALICORN?!" Twilight was forced to sit from Rainbow's shout. Her ears flicked back and she winced at the volume. In fact, the volume jolted Rarity awake, her eyes wide with shock. Her eyes locked on Twilight and she wobbled slightly. Twilight sighed, her gaze going down. The girls looked at each other, confused. Fluttershy sighed and stood, her hooves quietly thumping on the dirt as she approached the purple mare. Twilight's wings were slightly stuck out and trembling as she began to whimper. Concerned, the young pegasus sat down and opened her mouth.
"Well, Princess Twilight, how are you doing, my friend ?" The six mares turned and glared at the light orange mare, her turquoise eyes narrowed in a smug smirk. Twilight narrowed her eyes and began to growl, her horn sparking from agitation. She pinned her ears back and stood, puffing out her wings. Sunset grinned, trotting towards them as Twilight's agitation grew. Her assistant, Spike was running after her, his eyes wide. Fluttershy smiled and walked over, her eyes guarded but friendly. Twilight turned towards Rainbow, both locking eyes with the same worried expression.  Sunset turned towards Fluttershy and her smug look turned icy.
"Hi. I'm Fluttershy. What's your name?" Fluttershy's ears pricked, waiting for Sunset's answer. The orange mare growled and sniffed, a look of superiority in her eyes. Twilight sighed and stepped forward, her ears pinned back.
"Fluttershy, this is Sunset Shimmer, my auntie's prized pupil, along with her assistant Spike. Sunset, this is Fluttershy." Sunset huffed and lit her horn, the light flaring. In a split second, she vanished in a flash of light, taking Spike with her. Twilight sighed and dropped her head again, her eyes downcast.
"Listen, girls, I just need some time to myself. I... I'll see you later, okay?" The girls let out murmurs of agreement and turned, taking off. Twilight watched them leave before teleporting to the fields outside the town. now that she was alone, she broke. Twilight dropped, wrapping her hooves around her muzzle and sobbing for a whole ten minutes. As she calmed down, her mother's old lullaby popped into her head. Her mother always called it Daughter of the Moon.
Twilight turned her eyes towards the stars and started to sing, her voice rolling out over the hill. More tears began to roll down her  cheeks as she sang, her sad voice soon reaching the ears of a certain black mare.


Luna stood behind Town Hall, looking at the stars. Her ears were pressed down and her mane was flicking in annoyance. Celestia had had the nerve to blame her for what happened and to call her Nightmare Moon, therefore making her like some sort of villain. Luna snarled and conjured a ghost of her sister before shooting point-blank at it. The jet black mare got to her hooves and started walking, looking around at the quaint little town. As she walked, a gentle voice reached her ears. A calming melody was coming from the fields, peaking Luna's interest. As she approached, the mare added words, making her stop dead in her tracks.
As she listened to the familiar words, a feeling of shock and pure joy filled her. She took off in the direction of the voice, barely daring to hope. When she crested the hill, she stared at the source of the beautiful singing. It was a small lavender mare with a dark blue mane and large wings. As she lifted her head, the silver light illuminated her long, slender horn. Along with the purple stripes in her mane and tail. As the song ended, she curled up and began shaking, her wings going limp and spreading out over the grass. Luna sighed and trotted down the hill towards the crying mare. As she got a lot closer, she finally saw her cutie mark. A purple starburst with five white ones. Just like her daughter.
She trotted around in front of her daughter and lied down, concern shining in her eyes. Luna reached out a hoof and placed it on Twilight's shoulders, making her jump and look up. Her eyes widened and she went rigid, her mouth opening slightly. Luna smiled and placed her hoof on Twilight's cheek. A single second passed before the lavender mare launched into her mother, wrapping her hooves around her neck. Twilight let out loud, heavy sobs as she held onto her mother in a death grip. Luna fell onto her back, wrapping her wings around the purple mare. After a short while, the duo released each other and sat up.
"Mom. I missed you so much." Luna gently placed a hoof on her cheek before leaning forwards and placing a kiss on her daughter's forehead.
"I missed you to, my little star. Did your aunt care for you well?" Twilight looked down and sighed, her ears drooping. She squeezed her eyes shut, shivering. Red flags went off in Luna's head and she nuzzled her daughter, providing comfort. Twilight whimpered and pressed into her mother's chest, still shaking.
"She kept me in stasis for the whole time. I don't remember any of it." Luna's eyes widened and she snarled, making Twilight jump.
"No, it's okay, my little star. I'm not angry with you." Twilight smiled and pressed into her mother's belly, letting out purrs of joy. Luna smiled and held her baby close. She was never going to lose her foal again.
> Reveal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight nuzzled into her mother's chest, sighing in content. Her legs were curled underneath her and her wings tucked loosely against her sides. For the first time since her mother was taken from her, she was content. However, her content state was about to end.
"TWILIGHT!?" She whipped around to see her new, and most likely former, friends standing there staring at her. Rainbow's eyes locked on her mother and narrowed while her face twisted into a snarl.
"You! You turned her against us, DIDN'T YOU!?" She shot forward before Twilight could stop her and tackled Luna. Her mother grunted as she hit the ground and stared up, shocked, at the irate mare. Twilight grumbled and pulled the pegasus off her mother, glaring at her. Groaning, the black mare got to her hooves and dusted herself off. The rest ran over, with annoyed looks. Applejack sighed and stepped forward.
"Great job, RD. Now she's mad at us. Forgive ‘er, Nightmare Moon, she's a bit hot-headed. Also, will ya undo whatever magic, ya used on Twilight here?" Luna glanced at her daughter in confusion before looking back at the five mares.
"I have cast no such spell. Twilight is my daughter." Rarity promptly fainted again, followed quickly by Pinkie while Applejack and Fluttershy merely stared dumbly. Rainbow was the only one to actually react.
"Yeah right. She's Princess Celestia's adopted niece. Last time I checked, the princess doesn't have a sister."
"I am her sister and my name is Luna, not Nightmare Moon." Rainbow snorted and turned away from them, landing a few metres away. Twilight looked at her mother before turning back to Rainbow. Rarity and Pinkie were stirring while AJ and Fluttershy were trying to form words. Twilight walked over to Rainbow and gently prodded her in the back. Rainbow whipped around and head-butted her in the chest. Twilight yelped as she fell, rolling onto her back. Before Luna could react, however, a pale, silvery blue aura surrounded Rainbow and pulled her away.
"Now, now Rainbow, there's no need for violence. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for why she didn't tell us about her mother. Isn't there, Darling?" Twilight nodded and took a deep breath. It took her a while but when she finished explaining, the first thing she noticed was the sniffling. She looked up to see Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie in tears while the other two were merely misted. Luna gently wrapped a wing around her daughter's shoulders. She turned towards Rainbow and gave her a gentle smile. The cyan mare looked down, her whole body radiating guilt.
"It's not my fault that this happened. I knew that if my sister remained free here with us, she'd send me back and try to take my daughter." Rainbow nodded, though she still had a glazed look in her eyes. Twilight walked over to her friend and wrapped her hooves and wings around the trembling mare's shoulders. Rainbow wrapped her hooves around Twilight's shoulders and whimpered.
"I... I'm sorry, Twilight. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, Rainbow, it's okay." After she calmed down, Rainbow released her friends and took off, hovering in the air. She looked up at the silver moon and sighed.
"Princess Luna, I'm willing to be your subject but if the moonlight isn't enchanted or the sun risen, all the plants will die, and us along with them." Luna nodded and her horn began to blaze with a golden light as she tapped her sisters sun. A beam of pure solar power shot from her horn towards her own celestial light. The moon let out a pulse of deep amber light before going back to silver. Twilight shivered as the silver light began to emit a sense of warmth.
"There, now my moon's light holds the same life giving power as my sister's sun." The girls nodded and they started talking with Twilight. Luna moved a short ways away, smiling as her daughter talked with her new friends. It made her happy to see Twilight talking and being accepted. Before her banishment, ponies would run from Twilight or bully her as soon as they found out about her bloodlines. She sighed and set her head down, her ears flicking back.
"Mom, you and Auntie were severed from the Elements when she betrayed you, right? So, that would mean that Discord will be released, right?" Luna's head shot up at her daughters words. Twilight was right and that fact sent her heart racing.
"Elements?"
"Mhm. The Elements of Harmony. They're what my Auntie used to banish mom."
"We need to find them. If we can find the new bearers then we can defend our home from Discord and other dangers." Twilight stood and smiled before rubbing her head against her mother's chest.
"Now Twilight, I need to stay here to engage diplomacy with the Mayor. You and your friends with be going after them. I went there earlier and there's a spirit that will test anyone that approaches. Be careful." Twilight nodded and Luna stood up, turning towards the massive forest in the west. As they walked, the girls were all chattering in excitement. Twilight, however, was sticking close to her mother. Soon the forest loomed in front of them. Twilight looked at her mother and watched as her long, sleek wings open and came down, sending her mother into the sky. She turned back around and took a deep breath and started forwards.


They'd been walking for almost an hour before they reached a large cliff. Twilight had been asking if any of them had been inside the forest. When Rarity said no, Applejack made a comment about it not being natural.
"Folks say it don't work the same as Equestria." A shiver ran down her spine as Applejack said that. She was quick to ask what the farmpony meant. Of course, Rainbow chose that moment to be spooky.
"Nopony knows! You know why? Cause everypony whose ever come in-"
"Rainbow, quit it!"
"-has ever. Come. OUT!" A loud crack echoed through the air as half the cliff broke. Twilight spread her wings only to have a boulder hit her wing. A low snap rang out as she toppled over, sliding past Applejack. The orange mare had grabbed a root in her mouth as she waited for rescue. Twilight felt her hind legs slide over the edge and she screamed, her broken wing hanging from her shoulder. Applejack came sliding down the cliff, clouds of dust clinging to her fur.
"Hold on! Imma comin'!" She slide down, and turned onto her belly, grasping Twilight's hooves, glancing at her limp wing. Twilight scrabbled at the cliff face with her back hooves. Fear was pumping through her heart as she struggled.
"Applejack, what do I do!?" Applejack squinted before seeming like she had an idea. Taking a deep breath, she uttered two words that, for the now grounded Alicorn, seemed like a death sentence.
"Let go."
"Are you CRAZY!?"
"No Ah ain't. Ah PROMISE you'll be safe." Before she could continue, Twilight panicked.
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!!!" An irritated look came over Applejack's face and she spoke in a firm, commanding tone.
"Now listen here. What Ah'm sayin' to you is the honest truth. Let go and you'll be safe." Twilight's eyes widened before she closed them, placing her trust in Applejack unwavering voice. She let go and, naturally, screamed all the way. Suddenly, two sets of hooves wrapped around her shoulders and upper legs. As the two pegasi lowered her, Fluttershy's hooves slipped slightly. As she apologized, Twilight smiled as Applejack lumped down some ledges. A purple flash in her peripheral made her turn her head. Shaking her head, she smiled and they turned, not noticing the low roar nearby.
> Elemental
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight fluttered her good wing as Fluttershy  set the broken one. Rainbow was still going on about her rescue. Twilight glared at her as they started to walk again. Rainbow continued to boast and Twilight had had enough.
"YES, Rainbow, I was there. And I'm very grateful but..." A massive creature landed in front of them, it's scorpion tail flicking back and forth in irritation. The manticore snarled as the girls stopped.
"A manticore!" As the large animal stood on it's hind legs and roared, it's paws spreading wide. Fluttershy gave him a gentle look as she noticed his left paw pad. The largest pad was red and looked slightly swollen. Twilight instantly declared that they had to get past him. Rarity kicked him in the face but was quick to run when the large beast roared at her and messed her hair. Fluttershy watched as Applejack ran past her. She whispered a quiet 'wait' as her friend jumped on the manticore's neck. She was quickly thrown off and flew right past Rainbow.
"All yours, partner." Rainbow saluted and began to spin around their foe. Only to have the massive creature's stinger slam into her.
"RAINBOW!" She slid to a stop and moaned, placing her hooves under her chest and slowly standing up. Twilight pawed at the ground and snorted. They charged the manticore only for Fluttershy to plant herself between them.
"WAAAIT!!!" The girls slid to a stop as to avoid hitting Fluttershy. The yellow mare smiled and turned towards the manticore. He pulled his good paw back to strike Fluttershy, growling. However, oblivious to her friends flinching, she stuck to her nature.
"It's okay." She gently nuzzled the manticore's sore paw and, with a pained, upset look, he presented the sore pad. With a long thorn sticking out of it.
"Oh, you poor, poor little baby. Now this might hurt for just a second." Ignoring Rainbow's comment, she leaned forward and bit down on the thorn. With a light poink, it came free. The manticore roared and picked her up. The girls panicked cries were cut short when the large animal started licking her and purring. Twilight smiled and led the girls past him. When Fluttershy rejoined them, her hair was slicked back.
"How did you know about the thorn?"
"I didn't. Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness."


A few hours had passed and they had reached the old castle. It had been an interesting journey, with evil trees and a melodramatic river-dragon. But they got through and were now faced with another conundrum. The bridge was out and while Fluttershy and Rainbow could fly, the other four could not, with Twilight's wing being broken. The lavender princess was talking with Rarity when the ground below her forelegs vanished. She vaulted forewords, scrambling at the broken bridge. Her tail jerked as Rainbow pulled her backwards.
"What's with you and falling off cliffs, today?" Twilight stood up, sending her a playful glare. Pinkie sighed, her voice sad.
"Now what!?" Rainbow spread and wiggled her wings, giving the pink Earth pony a smug smile. She shot down and grabbed the bridge ropes before flying over the canyon. Twilight sat down and smiled as her and her new friends started talking. however, after nearly ten minutes, Twilight turned around and called for her friend. Her ears flattened and she whimpered, alerting her friends, at the sight of three dark Wonderbolts. Their outfits were all shades of black and dark purple while they themselves were dark gray with purple manes. The mare was flying around Rainbow and obviously making her feel excited. Rainbow flipped and gave a shout before flying towards the rope. The mare shot over and snarled at Rainbow.
"Oh, no. Rainbow!" The mare turned towards them and her yellow lenses blazed, summoning a dense, enchanted fog between the girls and their friend. Another minute passed with them trying to call their friend. Suddenly, Rainbow came shooting through the fog, dispelling it with the fixed bridge behind her. She touched down and stood on her hind legs with her forelegs held in the air in  front of her and her wings spread behind her. She placed her hooves on the ground and grinned. The girls started foreword with Rainbow promising to never leave them hanging.
"Come on. Mom and Celestia kept the Elements in near the throne room."
"Good thing you used to live here." Twilight nodded and turned down a hallway. Her tail swished as they walked looking around in sadness at her old home.
"There used to be a small village around the castle and it was enchanted to not be ravaged by the weather. What happened to them?"
"There was a massive quake around here a while back. It nearly toppled half of Ponyville and the old village, since the wood was practically nothing but rot, was destroyed." Twilight pinned her ears back and looked down at Rainbow's words. Soon, they reached the throne room and Rarity squealed in delight upon seeing the old tapestries. The girls had to drag her away to continue searching. When they found the room, however, Twilight was horrified.
"There's only five and they're STONES!!" On each of the five stones was a picture of a gemstone. Fluttershy and Rainbow flew up and grabbed one each while Twilight levitated the others down. As she inspected each one, the girls looked around. Rainbow glanced out the window, a feeling of unease settling in the pit of her stomach. A movement on the far wall caught her eye and she turned. The brick wall was pulsing and rippling, a faint glow and pulsating warble coming from the wall. Her ears pinned back, she flew down to the wall. The bright, silvery glow turned an inky blue. She started to tremble as the inside started to swirl and the outer ring started to pulsate faster.
"Uh... Twilight?" The lavender Alicorn looked up and her eyes widened. She grabbed the stones and pulled Rainbow over, wrapping a shield around them. A shiver ran through the stones and there was an outpouring in heat. Suddenly there was a loud boom and a dark blue, purple and black bird flew out of the rift. An ear-shattering shriek ripped out of the bird's throat. It had a long, flowing crest of vibrant silver, ice blue and pale green feathers on it's head and thick feathers. The birds plumage was mainly dark blue with purple, silver and black speckling. However, while bird wings were normally feathered, this bird's wings only had feathers over the top of the wings, along the leading edge. The bird's wings were actually akin to dragon wings. It's eyes were dark green with glowing, dark blue pupils. The beak was a shimmering silver with an iridescent stripe down the beak and when it wasn't shrieking like a banshee but singing, it made the most beautiful warbling sound.
"A Crested Opal-Beak!" They all turned to Fluttershy in surprise.
"What, I know all about ancient, extinct species. It's not supposed to exist. They used to be night birds, basically the nighttime version of a phoenix." Twilight wasn't hearing the yellow mare as she stared at the beautiful bird. Or, more importantly, the white, heart-shaped mark on it's breast, rimmed with violet feathers.
"These birds were kept as pets by nobles and royalty. However, around the same time that Luna went bad, a bunch of them started to attack ponies on sight. Supposedly, they were commanded by that same bird and her owner." They all turned towards Twilight who was staring at the large bird. The bird was easily as tall as Twilight, with tail feathers about half her height. Twilight's eyes were locked on the beautiful animal, who was whirling around. Suddenly, the Element stones began to glow and crack, each a different colour while a deep magenta glow began form over Twilight. The bird touched down and turned towards them, it's glowing eyes dimming. Twilight stood up and walked towards the still bird. The girls stared at her in panic as she did so.
"Twilight, that bird was the ringleader of the attacks, according to legend! They only listen to their owners!" Fluttershy's desperate cries went unheeded as Twilight finally stood in front of the bird. She lifted a trembling hoof towards the magnificent plumage. Her best friend clacked her beak and ruffled her wings. The heart on her chest was ringed by tiny specks that formed patterns. The very patterns from which the bird had earned her name.
"Hello, Constellation. It's good to see you, old friend" The room went silent as they tried to process what they were hearing. Suddenly, the silence was broken by Rainbow's accusing shout.
"I KNEW YOU WEREN'T TRUSTWORHTY AFTER ALL!!!!" Twilight pinned her ears back in shock and hurt, with one thought running through her head. Uh oh. Applejack wacked Rainbow over the head and glared at her. Fluttershy had her hooves over her mouth while Pinkie and Rarity's mouths were both open in shock. Fluttershy shook her head and glared at her friend.
"How can you say such a thing?" As the girls stared to argue, Twilight noticed in shock and horror that Rainbow's energy ball was fading fast. That's not good.
> Trust
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight pinned her ears back as Constellation clacked her beak, her soft, mosaic wings spreading slightly at Rainbow's shout. Rainbow was crouched, growling and pawing at the ground, while her wings were spread and tilted forword. The other four were staring at her in horror. The red light hovering over her head flickered and nearly went out as her loyalty wavered.
"Rainbow! How could you SAY such a thing!?" Rainbow growled, her ears pinned down as the red, glowing sphere above her head continued to flicker and dim. Twilight stared at the ball of light, her ears pinned down. She'd heard her mother and aunt talk about the Elements many times. One thing they'd talked about was that each element tested the pony it gravitated to. Now, this made sense. The Elements were alive In a sense and could sense a potential bearer's ability to stay true to the Element that chose them.
"Rainbow, I didn't do anything wrong. Haven't you heard the phrase 'the victors tell the story'? My aunt hated my mother and me because she listened to the rumors the nobles started about us." Rainbow snarled and the light nearly went out again. Applejack sighed and stepped between them.
"Rainbow, calm down. Let's hear her out." The blue mare pinned her ears back and sat down. The dim, red ball stopped flickering as she did so, though it didn't get brighter. Twilight sighed and lowered her head, Constellation rubbing her head against Twilight's neck. Twilight turned to the bird and stood up.
"Constellation, did you lead the other Opal-beaks against the ponies of Equestria?" The bird shook her head and began to purr, her eyes closed. Twilight stroked her feathers and smiled, satisfied. The bird spread her wings and opened her beak, a warbling call flowing out of her throat. Her thin wings came down and she jumped into the air. Rainbow looked away and, to Twilight's delight, the red ball started to brighten slightly. However, there was still a long way to go.
"Rainbow, I don't want to hurt anyone. I was in a stasis spell and Celestia clearly sealed Constellation into an array so she could protect the Elements. How could we have done those things?" The energy ball continued to brighten, though Rainbow was still looking away. The other five balls started to coalesce and focus on their necks, or head in Twilight's case. As the swirling energy condensed, two patches of golden dust formed on each side, snaking their way around the ponies necks. The energy continued to condense and began to solidify. Soon Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie were each wearing a glimmering necklace while Twilight was wearing a small crown with a star-shaped amethyst set inside. Each of the necklaces held a gem that matched the wearer's Cutie Mark. The only one lacking a necklace was Rainbow Dash.
"Hey, how come they all get one and I don't?"
"The Elements judge a potential bearer and, if they're deemed worthy, the Elements form into jewels. However, if that Element senses the bearer's shared trait wavering then it will start flickering and dimming. If they're deemed unworthy then the Element will vanish till the next one comes along. However, Loyalty is the hardest to keep because loyalty can change quite fast. Also, each bearer must be unwavering in their Element towards all of the other bearers." Rainbow tilted her head in confusion. She looked at the other ponies then up at her still dim ball of energy.
"Which is which?" Twilight nodded to Rarity and pointed to her tiara.
"Light purple is Magic, dark purple is Generosity, orange is Honesty, blue is Laughter, pink is Kindness and red is Loyalty." At the last one, she looked directly at Rainbow, who looked back up at the swirling ball of energy above her head and notice the deep red colour of the ball. She looked around at the others and her ears drooped as the implication hit her. Her loyalty to Twilight had left and the Element had almost left her. She turned towards Twilight and jumped when she saw Constellation standing right on front of her. The large bird clacked her beak, cooing. Rainbow flicked her ears back and looked away, small tears gathering in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Twilight. I was wrong, rash, and I jumped to conclusions. if you forgive me, I won't swerve again. I promise." With that, the red ball of energy began to blaze, bathing all of them in bright red light. It migrated to her neck and, after a few seconds, she was wearing a golden necklace with a bright ruby set inside, shaped like a lightning bolt. She looked up as Twilight wrapped her hooves around her neck.
"See? All you needed to do was prove yourself." Rainbow smiled and looked down at the necklace around her neck. There was a gentle light held within each of their gems that made them shimmer. Rainbow sighed and smiled at Twilight who was examining her crown.  The prismatic mare looked around at her friends and smiled. Things were going well.

TWO HOURS LATER

Luna stared at the  spears pointed at her muzzle. The gold-clad guards were glaring at her while a snow white stallion with a streaked blue mane walked towards her with cold blue eyes. Beside him was a light pink Alicorn mare with a pink, purple and yellow mane. Twilight and her new friends were standing behind the jet black mare, watching the exchange nervously. Rainbow had sworn allegiance to Luna after Twilight explained what had happened. The prismatic mare stood beside the lavender princess, her chest puffed and her eyes challenging.
"Captain, if you would let me speak, you would understand. Tell me what my sister told you." Shining Armour flattened his ears and growled. The light pink Alicorn looked between them, nervous. Her purple eyes locked with Twilight's own and they nodded.
"Mom, Shining, please calm down. Shining, will you please just give us a chance? I'll explain what happened to make my mother like this. If I don't change your mind, then the two of us will bring my aunt back and surrender. Deal?" Shining nodded and Twilight started to tell their story. But when she got to the incident at the bakery, she faltered, starting to shiver. Shaking her head, she continued.
"The last straw happened the day mom got banished. I was out in the city and I went into a bakery."


Twilight sighed, her ears drooping. She looked around at the jeering ponies. The lavender princess had long since stopped trying to make friends and had gotten used to the treatment. Her bag of bits jingled as it hovered beside her, bouncing along with her trotting. A group of foals raced past her, knocking her over. She grunted, her ears flicking back.
"Oh look, it's the moon's spawn." Twilight growled and looked up to see Crystalline walking towards her, her bright, blue eyes glittering in malice. Twilight pushed past her, eyes narrowed. She growled as she entered the bakery, trying to calm down.
"May I help you, princess?" She looked up to see the baker's stony face. Her eyes were narrowed in hatred as Twilight levitated a small cinnamon roll up, placing a few bits on the counter.
"I'm sorry, that's for someone else. The only thing we have available for purchase is this." A tiny, dark scone floated up, making Twilight wince. She shook her head and lifted her bits into the air, only to have the baker take them back.
"I'm sorry but you've already given me these. Now take the scone and get out." Twilight flicked her ears back, her wings twitching. Wrapping her magic around the scone, she started to walk away. Only to feel something soft hit her head. Her magic wrapped around the object and pulled it off her head as her aunt came in. It was the same roll she'd tried to buy. Rage spread across her face and she whipped around to glare at the baker.
"You said this was for somepony else!" The baker grinned and soon more cakes and rolls flew at Twilight, making her shout and dart around, to avoid being hit. Her horn began to glow and a loud boom echoed through the bakery. Everypony was thrown off their hooves and into the walls. Twilight shook herself off and stood there, panting. Suddenly a golden aura wrapped around her, making her spin and face her aunt.
"How dare you attack these ponies!?"
"B... but auntie, they were..." Celestia dragged her out of the bakery and towards the castle, ignoring her shrieks and protests. Tears ran down her cheeks as the stones on the road scrapped her fur. Eventually, Celestia lifted her up an they kept going, more tears soaking her fur.
When Twilight was finished, she was shivering and had tears flowing down her cheeks. Her wings were wrapped around herself as she sat there. Even Rainbow had tears in her eyes as they stared at Twilight. Luna gently wrapped her hooves around her daughter, pressing Twilight's muzzle into her chest as the smaller mare started to sob. Shining Armour gently placed a hoof on Twilight's back, watching her as she turned her tear-filled eyes towards him. His eyes were gentle and, slowly, Luna released her. Shining Armour gently pulled her into a hug, Twilight nuzzling into his neck.
"I'm sorry, Twilight. If I'd known..." Twilight sighed as he passed her over to Cadence and turned towards Luna.
"Princess, I apologize for how I acted. You must understand, she told me that you turned on her without cause and I never had any reason not to believe her." Luna nodded, though her eyes still betrayed her distrust. She looked up at the castle and her horn started to glow, a blue glow flowing over the surface of the castle. Soon, the white marble began to ripple into dark ebony with silver spirals all over the surface that glittered in the moonlight. The guards armour started to pale, turning into white-gold with copper clasps. Shining Armour's own outfit became rose-gold with silver details and a gold clasp. Shining nodded and saluted to the dark mare. Twilight ruffled her wings in apprehension. After what she'd been through, trust didn't come easy.