Two dirty ponies toiled away in a gray stone cave. A unicorn stallion with a scroll and a quill, and a pegusus mare with a compass for their cuti-marks. both of their coats to dirty to tell the color. The dirty mare inspected a equally dirty brown vase. The unicorn inspecting a pale blue rune on the back wall of the cave With his magic. “Daring...” The stallion spoke “Daring Do get over here” he continued in an excited voice.
“What is it Scroll? This is a Night Mare Moon era vase.” The mare replied in a raspy voice holding out the vase that depicted the phases of the moon. “yeah OK that's pretty nice and all but I think it's not as nice as you know this Night Mare Moon Era door and all.” He said and pointed to the rune. “It's an activation rune Daring it opens the back of the cave. We're in a tunnel not a cave.”
“Do we open it?” He asked her looking at the rune. “why are you asking me Scroll Keeper?” she replied nervously her magenta eyes wide. “Your the leader of the expedition!” He accused. Green eyes just as wide. “Daring...Daring...Not it.” he continued. Her eyes narrowed and she grabbed his head and smoshed it to the rune. “Not cool Daring Do not cool.” Smugly she walked through the opening that had appeared and gasped.
“Scroll?” She asked awe in her voice. “Yeah Daring.” he answered looking out over the huge cavern. “did we just find the lost city of Night Mare Moon?” He just points to a spot not four hooves away. Welcome to Nocturne. The city of our Queen Night Mare Moon she just blinks at the words and tells him “You know ancient caverns don't usually come with welcome signs”
“Hey look a statue! And it's making what appears to be... bread?” Scroll keeper said in a confused manor looking at the lifelike statue of a baker taking out a tray of bread or cake. “Now why would they make such a statue of a baker? I mean it's a thestral and that's pretty strange and all but still ” He pondered. “Hey look there's more” Daring said Pointing down the road. “There must be hundreds”
“A Guard, a shopkeeper, hell there's a street sweeper. It's like the whole city was just frozen it time. It must have taken decades to carve all of this.” Daring said pointing to various statues. Then she frowned and looked at the street. “Is that obsidian in the ground?” She asked the stallion. He looked at the street with her and did indeed see sparkling obsidian in a two inch wide line heading down the road. “No It couldn't be” he said and followed the line at a trot. “Scroll? Where are you going?” The mare called as she hurried after him a little unnerved with how real the statues looked. “No no no no it's impossible not the entire city.” Scroll Keeper mumbled as he followed the line. “It's true. They aren't just lines. Daring It's a Ritual Circle! The whole City is a Ritual Circle!” He said excitedly.
“A circle? Then what the focus?” Daring Do asked “Scroll?” she continued when he didn't answer. She saw that he was pointing to a large pedestal with a single statue on the raised platform, all the black lines leading up the sides and on to the dais. Once they climbed the stairs up to it they See that It was the statue of a tall armor plated unicorn frozen in a graceful bow as if awaiting someone.
“Look” Daring said and pointed to the circle of words around the statue. Scroll Keeper moved closer and read “May...The...Stone...Find...Those...Loyal...To...Protect...Them...From...Time...Until...Our...Queen...Rises...Again.
May the stone find those loyal to protect them from time until our queen rises again.” He translates. “Daring we need to leave. Now.” Scroll said pushing her in the direction of the stairs. She just nodded and trotted to the entrance.
“That should be impossible right. Not the whole city. Right?” Daring asked as we stepped into sunlight again. Scroll Keeper sighed and replied. “I thought so two but there is you proof Daring a whole city frozen in stone.“ He replied. “I saw foals Scroll, Foals for Celestia's sake!” He let out a frustrated huff and yelled back “Don't you think I saw them too? I saw just the same as you, but i can only hope that because the spell has held this long that it will hold until we tell the princesses.” She nodded and gave him a quick kiss and replied. “Your right we should tell the princesses about this. Sorry for blowing up.” He smiled back and said. “Sorry too.”
A red unicorn stallion and a tan pegasus mare sat nervously in a small meeting room of of the thrown room. “I can't believe we are going to meet both the princesses.” Scroll Keeper said as he fidgeted in place. “I know I know we just have to play it cool is all” Daring said back trying fruitlessly to straighten her monochrome mane. Just as he was about to reply, in strode the two majestic mares that ruled Equestria together. Hastily both the archeologists dropped into a bow.
“Rise my little ponies. I have been told that you have important news for us.” Princess Celestia said as the two sisters settled on a couch together. “Something you found on your journey perhaps? Something So important that it requires the presence of both of us?” The princess of the night asked. “Right” Daring started ”We found Nocturne, the lost city of Night Mare Moon” they both gasp at that then Scroll finishes with “But there is a problem”
“What sort of problem?” Celestia with and elegantly arched eyebrow asks while Luna looks as if she had seen a ghost. “Well princess, we think that maybe, if we translated right anyway, that the whole city might have frozen itself in stone... Including all the ponies.” Daring answered hesitantly looking between the two Alicorns.
“The ponies may yet live?” Luna asked tensely as she heard this. Scroll Keeper answered with “It's possible that is what the ritual circle was meant to do anyway. We say hundreds of statues. Stallions, mares, even foals. We didn't even see half the city, but I think the ritual lines reach all the way across the city.” Luna looked to her sister and said to the two explorers “Meet me in Ponyville in one week to take me and a team into the city.”
As they left Celestia turned to her sister and was about to say something when Luna cut her off by staring her down “Give me one good reason that it should not be me to go to them. That I should not try and atone for my sins. I just need a single reason Tia” The goddess of the sun sighed and gently hugged her sister. “Pick your team well Lulu.” Luna smiled and hugged her back replying. “Do not worry sister I know exactly what six ponies I am going to take.
(Luna's P.O.V)
I stepped out of the carriage lightly and looked around the sleepy little village of Ponyville.
Uhg this hovel again? I heard the familiar voice of Night Mare Moon in my head. Shush Nighty I think back as I walk through the town, sending my guards to collect the elements of harmony. This is a perfectly nice little town. I continue slowly making my way to the ancient tree that housed the towns library.
“P-princess Luna!” The lavender mare said shocked as I opened the door “Hello Twilight Sparkle” I greet as she leads me over to a table. “what do I owe the pleasure to?” She asks slightly nervous. It has been three year and yet they still fear us I think sadly then say “Why don't you set our some tea I need to talk to you and your, who will be here soon.” she smiles and sets out to do so.
Soon enough the six bearers had gathered around the table and sipped at their tea. “So ya got somthin to tell us?” Applejack said with curiosity in her eyes. Perhaps not all of them still fear us, maybe there is yet hope. Night Mare thought hopefully. “Yes,” I eventually say “you see I would like you six to accompany me to a city deep in the Macintosh Mountains. This city has been lost for a thousand years now, and has recently been found. If you agree we will travel to the Lost city of Night Mare Moon.”
They where all silent for a long moment until Twilight yelled out “They found the lost city! And you want us to be the first to explore it! I thought only night mare moon knew where it was.” I never did I was supposed to visit the week after our banishment. Night thought as they all discussed the trip excitedly. “Why us princess? Surly there are more qualified ponies” Rarity asked drawing groans from Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. I smile enigmatically and reply “Why the spell of course.”
“Now come on outside I want you to meet the two ponies who first found the city and will be leading us to the city. As we walked out and Rainbow Dash caught sight of The tan pegusus mare, and Daring Do caught sight of the cyan pegusus mare they Both simultaneously screamed out “Oh My Gosh, It's Rainbow Dash!/ It's Daring Do! ...Oh My Gosh, she knows who I am! Oh my gosh she's having a fan-girl moment over me!” When they had finished they both fainted in a blissful haze. Then both Twilight Sparkle and Scroll Keeper both said at the same time. “Oh Celestia there’s two of them now” They both looked at each other and frowned realizing they both did the same thing.
After a week of trudging through the mountains in the south of Equestria, and near constant whining from Rarity. (until Twilight magically taped her mouth shut?.) And Rainbow Dash And Daring Do both gushing over each other we reached the entrance to the city. “Let us bed down here for tonight. We will venture into the city tomorrow.” I tell them while setting down my saddlebags. They all tiredly agree and do the same. As I lay down and relax I think to the mare that had been my only companion for a thousand years. I am scared of what this means Nighty. What if the spell failed and we walk in to a city of tombs? What should I expect? She replied back in a smug manor If it is who I think it is then you have nothing to worry about. But I warn you Do nothing even vaguely threatening he will not hesitate to kill for his people.
After a quick breakfast of pancakes and muffins, courtesy of Pinkie Pie, we warily headed into the city. Everyone whispering excitedly until we walked into the city itself. Everypony was silent, still, hardly breathing. A foreboding atmosphere filled the quite. That lasted until the party pony of Ponyville saw the statue of the baker. “Gaaaaaassssssspppppp!!!” She let out bouncing up and hanging in the air. (What? How did she do that?) I herd Nightmare ask in my mind. (Ohh Ohh Ohh. He's making a cake, He's making a cake and he has cool wings.) she said appearing next to the statue. “Oh my, a thestral it's been a long time since I saw even a reference to the lost race.” Twilight said looking the statue over.
“Over half of the statues I've seen have been thestrals. I expect most of them will be. Almost all of the race followed Night Mare Moon.” Scroll Keeper said nervously watching around the surrounding city. “All the thestrals? Why in Equestria would they fallow that horrid mare?” Rarity asked (Horrid? Really? Evil I can understand but horrid?) Nightmare huffed. “W-well um back then there was a lot of racism against them. A lot of the thestrals where even k-killed because of it. So when Nightmare Moon offered them not only protection but equality and understanding, she gained there loyalty. Fluttershy stuttered out.
Everyone turned and stared at her. “I-it was in our history class in flight camp Rainbow Dash took it too.” She explained and huddled on the ground trying to look as small as possible. “Shy... you where the only filly I've even herd of that paid attention to Professor Cumulus, he put the principle to sleep when she came to check on the class.” Rainbow replied, with a chuckle. Daring laughed at that and asked “oh Celestia is that blow hard still teaching? I swear I got more sleep there then I did at home.” everypony laughed at that and continued down the road.
(What should I expect Nighty?) I silently ask the mare. (If It is who I think it is then you should be in no danger. But do nor say anything even vaguely threatening to him or his people. He will not hesitate to kill for them. His loyalty to them is only surpassed by his loyalty to me.) she whispered back as we walked between the gray stone buildings and up the gray dais. (Oh, Oh Shadow Step I would never want this.) She lamented when I caught sight of the frozen form of the armored stallion.
“Wait... this ritual it's a poly-sequence subjective ritual.” Twilight said while studying the ritual circle. Then seeing the confused faces around her, including my own, she elaborated with “The ritual wouldn't turn you to stone unless you wanted to, all these people did this willingly.” (They... all of them? All willingly? I did not deserve them.) Nightmare said when she herd this. “That's some badass loyalty right there. Kinda awesome in the original since right there.” Rainbow said soberly
“Stand Back” I command and step forward. They all look to me then hesitantly do as I say. Gently I lay my hoof on the stallions head and take a deep breath and tell the others “be prepared and do not do anything to threaten any of the citizens.” At their nods I turn back to the statue and whisper to myself “Here goes...” then louder to the frozen unicorn “Shadow Step, your queen has returned. Rise and serve once more.” Nothing happened for a few long minutes and I took my hoof away and was about to turn away when a resounding crack ran through the chamber.
The first crack was then followed by another and another until the air was filled with them and we saw the statues regain color and life. The whole city soon came to life and voices sounded out. “It worked.” “We are still alive!” “Hahaha! Woo!” and strangely enough. “My cake!” We look around confused at that then I see Pinkie pie chewing on a piece of cake. I opened my mouth to comment on it, then shook my head and let it go. I herd one last crack from behind me and turned to see.
A tall gray furred unicorn stood in a deep purple suit of armor with a red cloak draped around his shoulders. The barding where his cutie mark would be was branded with a crescent moon with a unicorn diagonally over it. His mane was a dark brown When he raised his head and opened his eyes his piercing brown gaze focused on the city then on the expedition crew. The stallions horn glowed a woody brown and the shadows rushed from the sides of the cave and washed over us.
In the disorienting darkness I herd the citizens of Nocturne all stamped around the pedestal we were on and ask each other what was going on then a booming voice echoed out from the darkness.
“WHO DARES CLAIM TO BE OUR QUEEN?”
