The Element of Darkness

After looking through the window, walls emerged from the floor, separating every pony in the hall. Moonlight decided to have a talk with Applejack first. He appeared in front of Applejack.

"Don't you dare hurt mah friends! Or I'll...I'll kill you!" Applejack yelled.

"Oh Applejack, that's why your one of my favorites...you'd fight for your friends until the end” Moonlight said, “ I was once like that...I did have friends once you know. I would like to consider you a friend Applejack. I could really use a truthful noble pony like you on our team"

"I'll never join you"

"I'll cut you a deal...I'll spare your whole family and your beautiful farm if you join me"

"No"

"What would your parents say...you have a chance to save the Apple family line and you say no?"

"Don't you dare mention mah parents"

"Oh I know all about your parents Applejack. I know they died when you too young to even remember. You know...I bet they would be very disappointed in you rate now"

"Please stop talking about them" Applejack said, looking down.

"I know their rolling over in their graves at the fact that you will be responsible for the death of every single member in the Apple family"

Applejack began to tear up  "Shut up"

"You failed them Applejack"

"Shut up!"

"Your nothing but a failure...the biggest failure in the Apple family history. Just picture it now...your sister Applebloom slowly being killed...I'll make you watch"

"SHUT UP!"

"What are going to Applejack!? Will you stand by and let your family die a slow painful death...or will you be a hero and save your bloodline"

"A hero would never join the likes of you...the answer is no...ah will always stick with mah friends and I’ll always be there to help them face off enemies like you"

"Enemies like me? You mean enemies like Discord or Queen Chrysalis? Please...you keep enemies at your doorstep, do you not remember Princess Luna was Nightmare Moon?"

"Ah won't join you"

"Ok fine, maybe this will persuade you"

A window appeared in front of Applejack. The window showed Sweet Apple Acers on fire. Applejack watched in complete horror as granny Smith was being burned alive and Applebloom held down by Dark Race soldiers. Granny Smith was screaming in such pain that Applejack covered her ears and closed her eyes.

"I think you might want to see this" Moonlight said, trying to hold back his laughter and be serious.

Applejack looked up and burst into tears when a Dark Race soldier stabbed Applebloom in the head with a spear.

"NO, APPLEBLOOM!"

Applejack continued to cry until she noticed that her tears where red. She checked some of the it on her hoof and saw that it was blood.

"That is the blood of your family Applejack” said Moonlight, “none of this will ever happen unless you join me"

  Applejack stopped crying and put her hoof down. She looked at Moonlight with a look of honor and loyalty on her face.

"Mah family will be just fine, you know why? Cuz where gonna stop you and put an end to your reign of darkness!"

"Just because you ponies seem to beat every enemy you in encounter thorough you 'friendship is magic', doesn't mean you’re gonna stop me. I'm not going to rule over Equestria...I'm going to make Equestria burn...and when it's all over; Equestria will be nothing but ashes”, Moonlight smiled.

"Moonlight, please stop this...you where probably like Twilight once weren't you? You where probably smart in magic like Twilight too, cuz ah know you where Princess Celestia’s student once as well"

"That was a long time ago..."

"What happened to your friends Moonlight? You could really use them rate now"

"There...I....I don't need friends anymore! I could care less about where they are now"

"Who where they?"

"You want me to tell you there names? So you can go find them in hopes they can reform me? You’re not leaving Canterlot Applejack...none of you are...your all going to die here"

Before Applejack could say anything else, Moonlight disappeared.

***

It was night...Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike where sleeping next to a fire. Fluttershy awoke from a horrifying nightmare, she screamed in terror as she opened her eyes and sat up.

"Um...Rarity" she asked.

Rarity moaned and opened her eyes.

"What is it Fluttershy?"

"I...I can't sleep"

"Well that's your problem, why did you have to wake me up?"

"Because, um...I want to talk"

"Your fine, we don't need to talk"

"Um...please?"

"Rarity sighed, "ok fine, what do you wanna talk about?"

Rarity sat up.

"Well...do....do you remember every bit of pain when Rainbow Dash killed you?" Fluttershy asked.

"That's wasn't Rainbow Dash"

"I know...but do you?"

"Of course I do...I had never felt that much pain in my life"

"I think I was the one who suffered the most at the hooves of Rainbow"

"Please...my horn was ripped off and I was impaled by diamonds which fell from the ceiling” Rarity shivered when she thought of the pain, “There's no way you went through worse them that"

"...My hoof was trapped in a bear trap as I watched Angle be crushed by Rainbows hoof. I was them slowly eaten alive by wolves"

Rarity stared at Fluttershy with sadness and pity

"I can't believe you had to go through that...I can't believe we all had to go through being murdered"

"You know things will never be the same right?"

"Yea...I know"

"I know you won't want to agree with me...but you know none of us will ever be able to look at Rainbow Dash the same"

"I know...but we can't ignore Rainbow...she's been through too much, she needs us...you will stick with her right?"

"Of course I will, Rainbow is my best friend and I will never abandoned her"

"That's good to hear...now common, let’s get some sleep"

"I'm really going to miss Pinkie"

"So will I...so will I"

"Her and Big Mac where just brought back to life...only for their lives to be taken by a pony they thought they could trust"

Rarity's thoughts went mad when Fluttershy mentioned the colt that killed her best friend.

"Where not going to let him kill us, you hear me Fluttershy?" Rarity said sternly.

"We have to get back to Canterlot" said Fluttershy.

"Yes we do, but if Shining finds the three of us...we will fight back...and..."

"...and what?"

"...and....and kill if we have to"

Fluttershy gasped, "But Rarity, that's Twilight's brother"

"We'll do what we have to... Equestria needs the Elements of Harmony...we must not fail. Twilight couldn't blame us for doing what's right"

"I guess"

"Ok, we've been up way to long, let’s go back to bed, I'll see you in the morning"

“ok”

“I can’t believe I’m sleeping the dirt” Rarity thought as she lied back down.

***

Moonlight decided to test Rainbow Dash next...with all she's been through, Moonlight was sure he'll make her crack. He appeared in front of Rainbow and smiled, Rainbows frowned at him.

"What do you want?” she said with anger in her voice.

"You know you’re a lot stronger than I thought you where Rainbow...but do you really think any pony will see you as a hero after all this is over. They’re going to look at you like they did when you killed Pinkie, Applejack, and Big Mac. They’re going to see you as the Pegasus who murdered all her friends"

"I know what you’re doing Moonlight, and it won't work!"

“Ok fine, go back to your so called 'friends' and attempt to defeat me. Let’s just say for fun that you do defeat me...what then. I want you to really think about that...imagine that you all defeated me and are now going back to Ponyville. You all take a well deserved nap and then....you tell me. What will happen them...you know as well as I that your friends are going to have nightmares about what you did to them. Seeing you will bring back the memories so they will avoid you. And what about Scootaloo? I bet you every time she closes her eyes; she sees your smiling face with Applejack's dead body in the background. Things will never be the same and your friends will abandoned you"

Rainbow Dash stared at Moonlight in sadness...he knew it was working.

"You think the Wonderbolts will ever accept you...no pony will ever accept you...you will die alone"

Rainbow’s heart sank, she began to cry as she took in what Moonlight had said.

"You’re not worth anything anymore Rainbow"

An inner anger started to build up inside her, “This...this is all your fault!!!"

Rainbow lunged towards Moonlight, he dodged her by disappearing. Rainbow went thorough the smoke and hit her head on the wall. She got up and looked around her to see where Moonlight was.

"Common you coward!” she yelled, "I bet your nothing without your magic powers! I could beat the snot out of you if you fought me without any powers"

This offended Moonlight, so he appeared in front of Rainbow again, "OK Rainbow, you think you’re so good at fighting? Let’s put that to the test, I'll take away my powers and you can't fly...the winner gets to kill the other...agreed?"

Rainbow smiled, "agreed"

The wall went down; Rainbow saw the other walls in the hall that has her friends imprisoned in. She and Moonlight stared down each other before Rainbow lunged at him...the fight began. Rainbow jumped and used her front hooves to smash Moonlights's head on the floor. Moonlight used his back hooves to kick Rainbow forward off of him. She quickly got back up and tackled him to the ground. She then began to punch him in the face again, and again, and again. When she stopped, Moonlight looked up at Rainbow  who standing over him with a sadistic grin on her face. Moonlight began to be afraid when Rainbow's grin got bigger

"What's a matter Moonlight? I thought you enjoyed seeing me infected"

"Bu...but you’re not infected anymore"

"Do you think my mind can just cool down after being tormented by the voice of the infection. I remember how to act exactly like I did when I was killing my friends. You are a sick and evil pony and you deserve to die” Rainbow began to sing the song she sung when she killed her friends, “Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed"

Rainbow put Moonlight in a sitting position and leaned him against a wall. She then began buck Moonlight in the head over and over again until he bled out. Moonlight was able to get enough strength to leap frog over Rainbow and grab a knife from a table. When Rainbow came at him in full force, he moved out of the way and slashed her in the side. She fell on the ground in pain. He was now standing over her smiling, "I never said you couldn't use weapons"

He was about to make the final blow with the blade, when all of a sudden Princess Celestia broke out of the walls. Moonlight quickly used his magic to trap Celestia in stronger walls. He then surrounded Rainbow in walls, deciding to spare her and went to talk with his next test subject...Luna

Moonlight appeared in front of Luna, "Luna, it’s been a long time, who've you been?"

"I know what you’re going to try Moonlight and it won't work. I've changed...I am the good princess of Equestria now, not the evil princess trying to rain in everlasting night"

"So you where trapped on the moon for a thousand years with an evil heart and nothing but hatred in your mind...and now you’re telling me that you turned good just like that? How does that happen? You could banish your sister on the moon and rule over Equestria"

"I told you I changed; the ponies showed me the power of friendship"

"They didn't show you anything, they defeated and embarrassed you"

"They helped me"

"I liked you better when you where Nightmare Moon. When I talked with you on the moon, you where so content on taking over Equestria. Don't you want to be in control anymore? Every pony thinks of you as the second best. Celestia will always be the better sister and the true ruler of Equestria"

"You can try all you want Moonlight...I will never turn on my sister again. She let me back in to her family and let me be the princess again. She is the kindest sister ever and I will not betray her"

"Luna I'm going to be straight with you...three princesses is Canterlot isn't going to be good when the Dark Race come to Equestria. Candice isn't as powerful as you two and I have special plans for Celestia. So you either join me...or die"

"I will fight and die for Equestria"

"Your choice"

Moonlight hit Luna with magic from his horn that sent her through the wall. As she slowly got up, Moonlight hit her again, sending her flying out the door. He hit her again, and again, and again. Luna jumped up and hit Moonlight with a beam of magic from her horn. He retaliated by hitting back with his magic, both beams collided and the two tried their hardest to overpower the other. Moonlight has become too strong and overpowered Luna, the beam hit her on the head, sending her flying towards the city limits. She landed hard on the ground.

Moonlight stood over Luna, "I don't know if a knife can kill an Alicorn as powerful as you, but it's worth a try...I want you to feel the blood rush out if your body. I want you to know that this was all your choice and you could have prevented it if you where smart"

Moonlight jumped at Luna with the knife but Luna hit him forward with her back hooves, sending him past the Canterlot gates. He landed on the ground and quickly tried to run back into Canterlot but Luna grabbed him and flew as fast as she could away from Canterlot.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Moonlight screamed as his power was draining.

As he was taken feather and feather away from Canterlot, he began to lose his powers, Luna threw him to the ground. She then landed in front of her fallen enemy. Moonlight painfully looked up at her as she stared down at him.

"You...are...beaten" she said, out of breath.

Moonlight dropped his head on the ground and went unconscious.

The walls went down and the ponies met up

"Where's Luna?” asked Celestia.

The ponies walked out of the castle.

"I see her!” Ace yelled

The ponies ran over to the border and saw Luna walking with a beaten and bloody Moonlight on her back. She lowered her head, causing Moonlight to fall to the ground at Celestia hooves.  Luna walked away as the ponies stared down at Moonlight.