Chapters Sunlight was shining through the window of Twilight's room. The new Princess slowly opened her eyes and got out of her bed. Twilight brushed her mane and tail and did her usual other morning activities. Suddenly, she realized she had only 10 minutes to get ready for the test her mentor, Princess Celestia, had assigned her. She began to panic.
"Spike! Spike!" Twilight yelled.
The purple dragon jumped in surprise and fell out of his bed.
"W-What is it!?" he asked, getting up and breathing heavily.
"The Princess wants to see me!" Twilight explained.
Spike relaxed and sighed.
"So? Go see her, then. Her room is just down the hall," Spike pointed out.
"Oh, no no no! This is a test she wants me to take!" the nervous mare shouted.
"But you're really smart and strong! Remember last time you freaked out when Princess Celestia gave you a test?" Spike tried to reassure her.
"Yes, but-" Twilight began, being cut off by her assistant.
"You did well on the test! You passed! There's no need to panic again," Spike interrupted her.
Twilight looked down at him. "Well...you never know," Twilight said, trying to figure out an excuse for why she was so nervous.
"C'mon, Twilight. What's the big deal?" Spike asked calmly.
"It's just that...I'm a Princess now. Princess Celestia will expect more of me," the librarian answered Spike quietly. Spike paused for a moment.
"That doesn't mean it'll be the end of Equestria if you fail! By the way, you're still really new to all of this royal stuff, so Princess Celestia will understand if you're distracted by your royal duties," the purple dragon reassured Twilight. Twilight looked at him gratefully.
"You're right, Spike. Thanks," she said.
Twilight left the room and trotted down the hall. "Just relax, Twilight..." she said to herself. She looked up at the large door that lead to Princess Celestia's room and hesitated. "No, I'm not ready!" she whispered. "Or maybe I am..." Twilight argued. She slowly opened the majestic door and saw Princess Celestia at the window, gazing down at Canterlot. She cleared her throat. "P-Princess Celestia?" Twilight said nervously. The Princess turned around.
"Ah, my faithful student. You're here," Princess Celestia greeted her. Twilight walked up to her mentor.
"You...called me here for a test?" Twilight asked politely. Her mentor nodded.
"This is a simple test, but not on paper," Princess Celestia explained.
"N-Not on paper?" Twilight echoed in disbelief. "Does this mean you'll test me on my...r-royal duties?" Twilight asked, beginning to panic. Princess Celestia put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder, making the worried Princess calm down.
"This test will be easy. I am certain that you will pass," the majestic alicorn told Twilight. Twilight remembered the technique Princess Cadence taught her. She stepped away from the Princess. Princess Celestia put her hoof down, slightly confused. Twilight put her hoof across her chest and outstretched it, then put it down as she sighed in relief.
"Right, I'm ready," Twilight informed her mentor.
Princess Celestia stared at her for a moment in silence. Twilight couldn't help letting out a gasp of shock and confusion as Princess Celestia's eyes flashed with fear and bitterness.
"P-Princess Celestia? Are you okay?" Twilight asked worriedly. Princess Celestia walked past her student.
"I am fine," she replied. Her horn glowed a soft orange color, then the large doors glowed orange as well. She opened the doors for her student. "First, I want you to get used to this castle. Try to locate every room of the castle and name them correctly," Princess Celestia instructed. Twilight nodded. They both left Princess Celestia's room, then the Princess closed the doors. The orange aura surrounding her horn and the doors disappeared quickly.
"I guess this test will be easy," Twilight murmured to herself. She followed her mentor down the hall and down the long path of stairs. "So..." Twilight began, her voice echoing in the stairway. "Is it only locating rooms in the castle, or are there other assessments?" she continued. Princess Celestia nodded.
"You do not need to know right now, but you must know later," the white alicorn answered Twilight. The purple alicorn looked away from Equestria's ruler and gazed forward. Why won't she tell me? , Twilight wondered.
Eventually, the two Princesses got down to the last few steps and trotted out of the stairway. Princess Celestia stopped, and so did Twilight. "Do you see that guard?" the Princess asked Twilight. Twilight's gaze swept over the hall, and she spotted a white stallion guard.
"Him?" Twilight asked, staring directly at the white pegasus.
"Yes," Princess Celestia replied.
"Then what do I do?" the librarian asked.
"Give him a command," Equestria's ruler explained.
"Oh...alright," Twilight responded, then she walked up to the royal guard.
"Greetings, your majesty," the royal guard greeted her politely. Twilight tried to think of a command for a moment.
"Uhh...check the castle for any intruders," the purple mare ordered.
"Yes, your highness," the guard replied, running off and disappearing around the corner of the hall. Twilight turned and looked at Princess Celestia, waiting for her reaction.
"You've done well. I am sure you will become a wonderful princess," Princess Celestia praised her student. A small smile spread across Twilight's face. "Now you must locate every room in the castle and name them," the Princess explained. Twilight nodded, feeling confident now.
For the rest of the morning, Princess Celestia tested Twilight on various royal tasks. When they finished, Princess Celestia informed Twilight that she had passed the test. The purple alicorn let out a delightful gasp, and her mentor dismissed her. As Twilight entered her room and closed the doors, Spike ran up to her.
"Twilight, look! Princess Celestia sent this to me just now, after you finished your test," Spike told her. He held up a book that looked like it had been kept by Princess Celestia for several moons. Twilight stared at the title of the book.
"Myths of Equestria," she read out loud. Twilight walked past Spike. "I don't get it. What's so important about it? It's just myths," she said.
"But it has the myth of Nightmare Moon in it!" Twilight's assistant pointed out.
"Spike, I've already read that myth plenty of times, and we've already defeated Nightmare Moon too. Princess Luna was reformed after that as well, remember?" the librarian explained.
"Yeah, but..." Spike said, trailing off as he tried to find the right words to argue with Twilight's statement.
"Spike, just put it on the shelf," Twilight ordered him, her eyes clouded with annoyance.
"Okay..." Spike muttered, running up to the large shelf of books Twilight had and put the book under the M section. Just then, Princess Celestia came in. "Huh?" Spike said, dazed. He looked at the Princess.
"Princess Celestia? What is it?" Twilight asked. Spike ran over to Twilight's side.
"Nightmare Moon is back," Princess Celestia informed Twilight. Her voice was full of bitterness, and just like before, her eyes were blazing with fear. Spike stared at the Princess in disbelief, while Twilight's heart had nearly stopped.
"T-This can't be possible! We defeated her several moons ago!" Twilight protested.
"She still had some of her greed and desire in her, and it has grown over time to the point where it has formed a manifestation of Princess Luna's own bitterness and jealousy, which was Nightmare Moon," Princess Celestia explained.
"So Princess Luna's still herself, but now there's another pony that's made of her cruelty, instead of Princess Luna just being corrupted by her own greed and jealousy?" Spike asked.
"Yes," Princess Celestia answered Spike.
"But can't we just defeat her with the Elements of Harmony again?" Twilight pointed out.
"Unfortunately, she has gotten even stronger and more clever than before, and she has corrupted the Elements of Harmony, so they are now unusable and we must find another way to defeat her," the white alicorn explained darkly.
"This is terrible! Now we're definitely doomed!" Spike yelled, panicking.
"Do not worry, Spike. I am certain Twilight and her friends will find out how to defeat Nightmare Moon soon," Princess Celestia reassured the purple dragon.
"Does this mean we have to return to Ponyville?" Twilight asked. Princess Celestia nodded.
"Hurry," she said, then she left the room, closing the doors.
Twilight immediately started packing up and put her saddlebags on.
"Come on, Spike!" Twilight said hastily. Spike quickly grabbed the "Myths of Equestria" book before Twilight put him on her back. The purple dragon slid the book into Twilight's saddlebags and closed them. Twilight raced out of the castle and instantly took flight. She flew as fast as she could to Ponyville. Eventually, she landed in front of Town Hall. "My...friends..." she panted, looking around.
"Maybe they're at the library," Spike guessed.
"Right," Twilight agreed, taking off again. She reached the library quickly and landed, then she ran inside. Spike was right; her friends were in the library.
"Twi! Yer okay!" Applejack cried happily.
"Of course I am! ...Why wouldn't I be?" Twilight asked.
"Well...we heard about...N-Nightmare Moon," Fluttershy whispered.
"Nightmare Moon? We were just gonna tell you about that!" Spike stated.
"We're looking for a way to defeat Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony, darling," Rarity explained, pushing a book away. "That book doesn't have any ways..." she added quietly.
The librarian walked to the back of the room. The princess turned and looked at her friends with a questioning look on her face.
"Who told you all of this?" Twilight asked, surprised.
"Princess Celestia sent us a letter! It told us all about it!" Pinkie Pie answered Twilight as she jumped up to the highest shelf, pulled a book out of it, then fell.
"Twilight, I brought this!" Spike pointed out as he pulled the "Myths of Equestria" book out of Twilight's saddlebags. Twilight took off her saddlebags and dropped them onto the floor.
"Spike! That book probably doesn't have any ways," the purple pony doubted.
"Twilight, didn't you already learn not to judge a book by its cover?" Pinkie Pie asked, giggling afterwards.
"Yeah, that's the lesson Zecora gave you," Rainbow Dash stated, laughing with Pinkie Pie.
"Don't act like that towards the Princess!" Rarity lectured them. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, while Pinkie Pie just proceeded to laugh even more. Rarity sighed in annoyance, and looked at Applejack.
"Rarity's right. Everypony fergets things," Applejack agreed. "Fine, fine," Rainbow Dash replied.
"Nevermind that! We have to figure out how to defeat Nightmare Moon," Twilight reminded her friends.
"W-Well...umm...t-there's a way in this book..." Fluttershy whispered. Twilight and her friends raced up to Fluttershy.
"Really? Where?" Rarity demanded eagerly.
"I-It's...on the...bottom of the page...eek!" Fluttershy explained softly.
"Let me see," Twilight said. Fluttershy gave the book to Twilight, then Fluttershy and the rest of Twilight's friends stepped back to give the Princess some room. "The key to victory against this evil presence lies farther than the treacherous forest and the dangerous mountains," Twilight read out loud to her friends.
"That barely helps us!" Rainbow Dash groaned.
"Actually, it d-does..." Fluttershy argued.
"Fluttershy's right, Rainbow. That just told us where the thing we can use to defeat Nightmare Moon is...ah guess," Applejack said. The blue pegasus glared at Applejack.
"Yeah, but that doesn't tell us where the "key to victory" is specifically , AJ !" the angry pegasus shouted. Pinkie Pie pushed the two furious mares away from each other.
"This is a time for happiness, not fighting! ...Or is it?" Pinkie Pie said.
"Whatever!" Rainbow Dash yelled, leaving the library.
"R-Rainbow Dash! Wait, darling!" Rarity called, then ran out of the library.
"Oh no ya don't!" Applejack shouted. The orange mare left the library, then it grew silent.
"I guess it's only us, then!" Pinkie Pie said, breaking the short silence. She bounced around Twilight. "So, what are we gonna do? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Pinkie Pie asked Twilight excitedly.
"We don't have time to stop those three. We'll find victory ourselves," Twilight declared.
"Y-Yay..." Fluttershy cheered quietly.
"Spike, you stay here and make sure nothing bad happens to Ponyville," Twilight commanded her assistant.
"Right!" Spike said, jumping off of Twilight's back.
"Come on, girls," the alicorn said, then the three mares charged out of the library.
"T-Twilight, what do you think the "treacherous forest and the dangerous mountains" meant in the book?" Fluttershy asked.
"I think the treacherous forest is the Everfree Forest, and the dangerous mountains could be the same mountain that we went to when you convinced that sleeping dragon to go sleep somewhere else," Twilight replied confidently. Pinkie Pie, who was running backwards, suddenly appeared beside Twilight.
"Do you think it's a long way away? Maybe it's a short way away! Did it take us a long time to get to those two places before, or a short time? I think it was pretty long time!" Pinkie Pie rambled.
"Pinkie...I bet it's a long way," Twilight sighed in annoyance.
"Oh, okie dokie lokie! That makes sense! You know, alot of things you say makes sense! That's probably because you're so smart!" Pinkie Pie complimented her friend. Twilight felt more confident when Pinkie Pie praised her intelligence.
Eventually, they reached the entrance of the Everfree Forest.
"It looks...scary..." Fluttershy murmured. Pinkie Pie bounced past Fluttershy.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy! You can just laugh at the scary things!" the party pony reassured the shy pegasus.
"I...guess I c-can..." Fluttershy agreed nervously, following Pinkie Pie into the forest. Twilight was alone at the entrance of the large forest now. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled.
"You've still got the other two, Twilight," she said to herself. The princess trotted into the Everfree Forest. She quickly broke into a run after a few steps, and caught up to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.
"Wowie! This adventure's gonna be funny! Or fun! Maybe both! I hope it's funny and fun!" the pink pony said cheerfully. She let out a laugh. Fluttershy was extremely intimidated by the shadows of the tall trees looming over the three ponies. Twilight noticed her friend shivering in fear.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy. Trees can't hurt us," Twilight reassured Fluttershy.
"O-Okay..." the yellow pegasus replied softly. Twilight sighed. It was going to be a long journey without Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity.
The sun was beginning to set as Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy trotted through the Everfree Forest.
"Boooring..." Pinkie Pie commented.
"Well, Pinkie, it's going to be like this until we get out of the forest," Twilight sighed.
"Aww!" Pinkie Pie groaned.
"Uh oh...it's...getting really d-dark now!" Fluttershy pointed out.
"Yes, it is, Fluttershy. The sun is setting," Twilight responded in annoyance.
"I know..." the shy mare whispered.
"Are we there yeeeet?" Pinkie Pie asked, her eyes blazing with boredom.
"No, Pinkie. We've only been traveling for an hour, and this forest takes 5 hours to get through," Twilight answered the pink pony.
Just then, a rumbling sound nearby struck them. Twilight looked over to the side, then back at the other two ponies. Fluttershy was trembling, while Pinkie Pie just stood there, confused. "Come on, girls," Twilight said. After she spoke, a timberwolf burst out of the bushes and blocked their path. Fluttershy gasped in fear.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed, shaking.
"Run !" Twilight commanded, then the three mares broke into a run. The timberwolf was already right behind them after a few seconds. "Faster !" Twilight yelled over the barking of the timberwolf. The wooden animal kept snapping its jaws. Twilight ran as fast as she could. Many sweat drops ran down her face as she panted and struggled to run faster. Twilight looked behind her and stared in horror as the timberwolf locked its jaws onto her left hind leg. A scream of pain was released from her, causing her two friends to stop and look back at her. Fluttershy's eyes suddenly filled with anger as she galloped up to the timberwolf.
"Stop hurting my friend !" she ordered the timberwolf. The wolf let go of Twilight's leg, blood dripping from its teeth. It whimpered as Fluttershy's glare pierced into its own eyes. "Leave! Now !" Fluttershy commanded.
The wolf crept back in fear, still whimpering, then ran off into the shadows of the tall trees.
"Twilight! Are you okay?!" Pinkie Pie asked her friend. This time, Twilight noticed seriousness and concern in the party pony's voice.
"I'm...fine..." Twilight muttered. She felt dizzy as more and more blood poured out of the gash in her hind leg. The princess looked back at her hind leg and nearly vomited at the sight of her own flesh.
"Let me see your wound..." Fluttershy said with a soothing voice, which slightly calmed the injured librarian. Fluttershy gently pressed her hoof onto Twilight's uncovered flesh, causing the princess to let out a yelp of pain.
"O-Ow! What are you doing?!" Twilight demanded.
"I-I'm so sorry! I was just checking your wound!" Fluttershy apologized frantically.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy. She'll be okay soon," Pinkie Pie comforted the worried pegasus, sounding serious and concerned again.
"Wait...l-let me try to get...u-up...and w-walk..." Twilight stammered, slowly pushing herself up into a standing position.
"Don't put any weight on your left hind leg!" Fluttershy warned.
Twilight let out a gasp of pain and collapsed again. She clenched her teeth in frustration.
"I can't even stand! How are we going to make the journey now?" Twilight wheezed.
"We're not. We're resting for the night," Fluttershy decided firmly.
"No, we can't! Equestria is in great danger!" Twilight protested.
"Yeah! We have to keep going!" Pinkie Pie agreed. Fluttershy delivered a stern gaze to them.
"No, it's midnight, and Twilight is badly hurt. We need our sleep," Fluttershy pointed out.
"Fine..." Pinkie Pie said, while Twilight just nodded.
They all slept peacefully throughout the night, although Twilight slightly struggled with her wound. They started to stir as sunlight shined through the trees. "Wakey wakey!" Pinkie Pie said, her voice full of silliness again. Fluttershy yawned as she sat up. Twilight opened her eyes, then slowly sat up as well. "C'mon! Let's keep going!" Pinkie Pie urged.
"W-Wait, I have to check Twilight's wound," Fluttershy said, examining the uncovered flesh on Twilight's leg. "It looks like it's healing already...but how?" the confused pegasus asked.
"I used some of my magic to heal it overnight while you two were asleep," Twilight explained weakly.
"I...guess it's fine. Let's keep going," Fluttershy whispered. Twilight stood up, not putting any weight on her leg. Pinkie Pie jumped away. Fluttershy flew after her slowly, then Twilight limped after the yellow pegasus.
"I wonder when we're gonna find the other three!" Pinkie Pie pondered out loud cheerfully.
"Probably by the time we get to the mountains," Twilight joked, limping beside the pink pony.
"Maybe they're ahead of us already..." Fluttershy sighed from behind the librarian and the party pony.
"I guess so!" Pinkie Pie agreed.
Just then, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity leaped out of the bushes.
"You're all back!" Twilight said delightfully.
"We sure are..." Applejack panted.
"Sorry for running off like that," Rainbow Dash apologized.
"Yes, we are all dearly sorry," Rarity apologized as well.
"I-It's okay..." Fluttershy murmured.
"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! It's okay!" Pinkie Pie said.
"Come on, let's continue our adventure," Twilight said.
She gazed forward, then paused when she realized they were at the end of the forest.
"Yeah, past the mountains !" Rainbow Dash pointed out confidently.
"Come on, then, ya'll," Applejack said, running off to the mountains. The rest of them followed the orange pony to the mountains immediately.
Twilight and her friends climbed up the steep side of the mountain. "I don't understand why we couldn't jus' go ta' the rocky side o' the mountain. It's easier ta' climb!" Applejack ranted.
"B-But...it's dangerous there," Fluttershy pointed out.
"So is this steep cliff!" Applejack added.
"I'll check ahead," Rainbow Dash said after a few moments of silence.
"Wait, Rain-" Twilight began, trailing off. The fast pegasus already flew up the side of the mountain.
"I hope we get through this mountain soon!" Pinkie Pie said as she bounced over a boulder. The rest of the ponies trotted around the boulder.
"All of us do..." Twilight said.
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash landed in front of the group.
"Nothin' dangerous up ahead," the blue pegasus declared.
"Good," Rarity sighed in relief.
"Hey, a c-cave..." Fluttershy whispered, looking at a small cave.
"Let's look inside. It looks like only one pony can fit in it," Twilight guessed.
"Allow me, dears," Rarity said as she flipped her mane gorgeously and trotted towards the cave. Applejack rolled her eyes.
"Sometimes that pony never gets it," Applejack muttered to Rainbow Dash. Applejack and Rainbow Dash snickered at Applejack's statement, then stopped when Rarity's scream echoed from the cave.
"Bats !" Rarity yelled. The fashionista abruptly burst out of the cave, continuously screaming as a group of bats chased her.
"Haha! She's scared of bats!" Rainbow Dash chuckled.
"That ain't funny! We gotta save her!" Applejack scolded. Rainbow Dash stopped laughing.
"Fine," she said. Rainbow Dash looked at the bats, determined. "Get away from her!" she shouted confidently.
The blue mare flew after the bats, then blocked their path. Rarity stared at Rainbow Dash and galloped off to Applejack fearfully. "Get back in your cave, and nopony gets hurt!" Rainbow Dash threatened the bats. The bats squeaked in fear, then raced back into the cave. "There," Rainbow Dash said. She walked back to her friends.
"Thank you so much, Rainbow Dash," Rarity said gratefully.
"No problem, Rare," the brave mare said.
"Come on, we have to keep going," Twilight reminded her friends, then she limped away slowly.
"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie chimed, leaping away. The rest of Twilight's friends followed Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy slowed down and let Twilight catch up to her.
"I-Is your wound okay?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.
"It's fine. It just stings occasionally," the alicorn explained.
"Oh...okay...Did you use your magic to heal it overnight again?" Fluttershy queried. Her eyes were full of worry and curiosity.
"Yes," Twilight replied quietly.
"O-Okay..." Fluttershy responded.
There was silence for a moment.
"Thanks for being a great friend, Fluttershy," Twilight thanked the yellow pegasus.
"Oh...you're welcome," Fluttershy replied, smiling.
"Stop!" Applejack suddenly shouted, causing Twilight and Fluttershy to both jump in surprise.
"What is it?!" Twilight demanded.
"It's a gap, ya'll. We gotta jump," Applejack explained.
"Oh...right..." Twilight responded.
"A...g-gap?!" Fluttershy said, scared. The scared pegasus remembered when she had to cross the gap during their journey to find the sleeping dragon.
"Eeyup," Applejack replied. The farmer pony bravely leaped over the gap. "C'mon, ya'll! Jump!" she encouraged the others.
"Aww, yeah!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. The blue pony easily flew over the gap and landed on the other side.
"Eek...!" Fluttershy squealed.
"Oh, it's not that bad, darling," Rarity reassured the frightened mare. Rarity gracefully jumped over the gap.
"Woohoo!" Pinkie Pie cheered as she bounced over to the other side. Fluttershy reluctantly spread her wings and slowly flew over the gap. "You did it, Fluttershy! Yay!" Pinkie Pie cheered again.
"I did...thanks, Pinkie..." Fluttershy murmured.
"You're welcome, Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie responded, bouncing in place.
"C'mon, Twi. Ya'll can do it," Applejack encouraged the princess.
"Okay..." Twilight replied nervously as she spread her wings. The purple pony glided over to the other side and closed her wings. "Whew..." Twilight sighed in relief.
"Let's go!" Rainbow Dash said eagerly, flying away.
The others followed her. By now, they were all at the peak of the mountain. Rainbow Dash flew down the other side, then Applejack slid down after the rainbow-maned mare. Pinkie Pie jumped down the rocky side of the mountain.
"So...filthy!" Rarity stated in disgust.
Fluttershy simply trotted past Rarity and flew down the rocky surface. "Oh well..." Rarity murmured, running down the rocky side. The last pony to go down the rocky side of the mountain was Twiight. The purple mare glided down past the rocks jutting out of the side of the mountain, then landed.
"Oh, we were gonna go back up and h-help you..." Fluttershy said, landing.
Rainbow Dash landed as well. "Yeah!" the blue mare exclaimed.
"Well, I managed," Twilight pointed out.
"Hey! I can see the tower from here!" Pinkie Pie stated. Twilight could see it too. It was the same tower Twilight and her friends went to when they were going to defeat Nightmare Moon several moons ago.
"Memories..." she sighed.
The group approached the tower. They entered the tower cautiously, then raced up the stairs to the top room, right where they had defeated Nightmare Moon in the past.
Just then, the room grew dark as it abruptly turned to night time. "What?! It's not supposed to be night time yet!" Twilight pointed out in confusion. Her friends were completely dazed as well. Laughter suddenly rang around the room. Twilight looked around rapidly. None of her friends were laughing, not even Pinkie Pie. "Who's there?" she demanded, raising her voice over the menacing laughter.
"How could you not know?" the voice scoffed.
Twilight froze as she realized the voice was extremely familiar, and so did her friends. Blue smoke suddenly appeared in front of her, and a shadow formed in it. It was a tall figure. Twilight let out a gasp as the smoke dissipated, revealing Nightmare Moon. Twilight paused as silence broke across the room. "It's too late..." Nightmare Moon laughed, stopping the silence. Twilight simply stood there silently, scared, as her friends yelled in disbelief. She felt the voice of her friends quieting down, and her vision getting blurry.
"No..." she whispered to herself.
Twilight's friends became completely silent as Nightmare Moon delivered a stern, yet mocking, gaze to them.
"I cannot believe you ponies fell for such a trick!" Nightmare Moon scoffed.
"What trick?!" Rainbow Dash demanded furiously.
"The one in your book," the mare in the moon explained. Twilight's friends gasped, and this time, Twilight listened to and watched her friends and Nightmare Moon closely.
"Stop!" a voice echoed from the stairs.
Princess Luna emerged from the stairway and trotted up to Nightmare Moon. "Do not hurt them!" she warned.
"And what will you do if I do hurt them?" Nightmare Moon asked mockingly. Princess Luna stepped back, fury burning in her eyes. She remained silent. "Is somepony mad ?" Nightmare Moon mocked the princess of the night again.
"No, I will defeat you," Princess Luna said defiantly. Nightmare Moon frowned, unimpressed.
"Hmm, how dangerous," the corrupted pony said sarcastically.
Nightmare Moon bared her sharp teeth at Princess Celestia's younger sister. The dark alicorn spread her large wings and slammed her left wing into Princess Luna's body.
"Ah !" the Princess gasped. She was flung across the room, then she crashed into the hard and cold floor.
"Princess Luna!" Twilight called, alarmed. The purple pony galloped over to the princess of the night, then examined her wound. "It's just a bruise..." Twilight muttered. She looked at Nightmare Moon, her eyes filled with anger.
"Oh, how adorable. You're saving your precious princess of the night," Nightmare Moon said, rolling her menacing eyes.
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?!" Rainbow Dash yelled across the room.
"Oh, nothing..." Nightmare Moon said in an innocent tone
.
Rainbow Dash dashed up to the evil mare.
"You want a fight?! Then I'll give you a fight!" Rainbow Dash said. The rainbow-maned pony slammed herself into Nightmare Moon's side.
"Gah !" Nightmare Moon yelled as she fell to the floor.
"Rainbow! Stop!" Applejack begged the quick pegasus.
"No!" Rainbow Dash said firmly.
"You've gone too far..." Nightmare Moon muttered grimly. The dark mare rose and glared at Rainbow Dash. She bared her sharp, glistening teeth at the pegasus.
"Uh oh..." Rainbow Dash murmured to herself. Nightmare Moon's horn glowed a dark blue color.
"Rainbow Dash, r-run!" Fluttershy ordered her friend. The blue pegasus ignored her friend's command, and simply stood there, scared. Nightmare Moon fired a blue beam of magic at the rainbow-maned mare.
"No !" Princess Luna protested, getting up. She jumped in front of Rainbow Dash and halted. The princess of the night's horn glowed blue, then she set up a forcefield, just a second before the beam of magic hit Rainbow Dash.
"What?!" Nightmare Moon said in confusion and anger. The forcefield dissipated, then everything became silent.
"Nightmare Moon, do not do anything. You will never make the night last forever," Princess Luna pointed out.
"Silence!" Nightmare Moon commanded.
"You cannot tell me what to do! I am the Princess of the night, not you!" Princess Luna said firmly.
The two broke out into a fight.
"Ohh, this is really entertaining!" Pinkie Pie commented.
"Oh my..." Rarity said in shock.
"Do something, T-Twilight!" Fluttershy pleaded.
Twilight turned and stared at Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna.
"You cannot defeat me! You do not have the elements, or the key to victory! There never was one here, and it was never here in the first place!" Nightmare Moon screamed.
Princess Luna stopped fighting Nightmare Moon and jumped back.
"What ?" Twilight echoed in disbelief.
"I only did that to waste your time, and in only a few hours, the night will last forever..." Nightmare Moon explained grimly.
"A few hours? That is just enough time to make sure you perish!" Princess Luna yelled, charging into Nightmare Moon.
A blue aura appeared around Princess Luna's horn again. She shot a beam of magic at the corrupted pony. Nightmare Moon easily dodged it, and Princess Luna stopped in surprise. The aura disappeared from Princess Luna's horn.
"What...?" she questioned.
"A puny attack from my former self won't hurt me at all!" Nightmare Moon pointed out. "What a weak Princess..." Nightmare Moon added, insulting her former self.
Twilight glared at Nightmare Moon.
"We can still defeat you!" Twilight called.
"Hmm?" Nightmare Moon groaned, looking at Twilight.
"We may not have the elements, but we can still represent them with our personalities!" Twilight said.
Her friends began to look defiant and brave. Twilight's friends trotted forward to stand beside her and glare at Nightmare moon. "We have what you don't have, Nightmare Moon...the magic of friendship!" the purple alicorn shouted at the dark mare. A rainbow spun around the group of friends, then turned and charged at Nightmare Moon.
"What? No! No !" the mare in the moon protested. The rainbow surrounded her and rose, then a white flash blinded every pony in the room.
The white flash disappeared, then Twilight slowly opened her eyes. Nightmare Moon was gone, but she noticed that every pony in the room was unconscious. She got up and looked at her hind leg. The timberwolf bite was gone.
"Hey...it healed..." Twilight said to herself in relief.
She noticed her friends starting to stir, then Princess Luna, who was on the other side of the room, woke up. The Princess slowly trotted over to the group of friends. "Are you okay?" Twilight asked the dark blue mare.
"Yes..." Princess Luna replied, tired.
Twilight and her friends were tired too. "Come, we must return to Canterlot," the Princess of the night reminded the others. Twilight nodded.
"Right," she said hastily.
They all left the room silently and made their way back to Canterlot, proud that they had defeated Nightmare Moon once and for all.