Chapters As Nightmare Moon gazed at her defeated sister, she thought back to the time before she became who she now was.
* * *
“Wake up Celestia! You have to bring up the sun!” “Yeah, Yeah Luna. I’m up and so is it. Why don’t you look outside before trying to wake me up?” “I was just trying to help…” “I know, I know, and I appreciate it. Just pay more attention next time.”
* * *
The conversation flashed through her mind and she realized what her jealousy had made her. Her petty desire to see ponies enjoy her beautiful night instead of sleeping through it had transformed her into this. Maybe her big sister was right… NO! No, she isn’t right. It’s unfair that Celestia gets all the glory just because her special talent is raising the sun and Luna’s was raising the moon. But Nightmare Moon would have no need of this. She had outgrown her old life. Now, the moon will always be in the sky. Now, the night will last forever!!!
* * *
Celestia looked at her jealous sister with a mixture of pity and fear. She knew that she had been overpowered, and without the sixth Element of Harmony she had no chance of winning this battle, and that element had been lost for a thousand years. She had Laughter, she had Loyalty, she had Generosity, she had Kindness, and she even had Honesty, but the sixth element had eluded her for a millennium. There was no way she would find it in time.
* * *
As Nightmare Moon went to finish her sister, she hesitated for only a second because of a glint in her Celestia’s eye. That second was all she needed. Celestia blasted her sister with a force that Nightmare Moon knew wasn’t possible. But it was happening. How? The only possibility was… No, that couldn’t be it… Had she finally found the sixth element?
* * *
Celestia couldn’t believe it. There it was! The sixth element, there before her the whole time! She blasted her sister over and over with waves of raw power. She felt her concentration waver- She was losing control! No, she hadn’t meant for this to happen… no… No… NO!
* * *
Nightmare Moon watched as Celestia’s power consumed her. Rooted to the spot by her sister’s power, she was forced to see the Alicorn was burned up by her own overwhelming magic, and she could do nothing to help. When Nightmare Moon was released, all that was left of her beautiful sister was a pile of dust and six stones, each with a graphic on it. One depicted a diamond, one showed a butterfly, one had an apple, the fourth had a group of balloons, the fifth had a lightning bolt and cloud, and the last had one six pointed star. These were the elements of Harmony. These had destroyed her sister. And these drove Nightmare Moon to use a forbidden magic that hadn’t been used since before the dark ages that Luna and Celestia had brought Equestria out of, simply because this spell had brought about said dark ages. Nightmare Moon used the power of Discord and plunged the whole world into Chaos.
* * * * * *
Author's note: Sorry about the short chapters, if they weren't short it would take me two weeks to write one because I don't have much writing time. First story, so be gentle. Criticisms welcome though!
Twilight Sparkle shut the history book she was reading. In a different timeline, she would be researching Nightmare Moon’s return; instead, she is researching her rise. Not much is known about Nightmare Moon’s early years, only that she came out of nowhere and destroyed the sisters Combination and Permutation one thousand years ago. And now, the immortal Alicorn rules over the whole of Equestria. The famed Elements of Harmony have been scattered across the land. And Twilight Sparkle leads a resistance bent upon gathering them and defeating Nightmare Moon.
“No, I haven’t gotten any closer to discovering the sixth element, or how to use the first five.”
AppleJack looked out upon the resistance force. “Listen Twilight, we have enough power here. We can handle Fact-‘
“NO! Maybe, just maybe we have the power to defeat her armies. But she has power the likes of which we’ve never seen. She brought down the Princesses of the Sun and Moon, and that was over a thousand years ago. No AppleJack. We won’t have a chance without the Elements of Harmony, which is why I need you to hold onto the element of Honesty. Please AppleJack, just trust me.”
“Alright Twilight. Ah trust you.”
"Good. Now, please go tell Rarity and Rainbow Dash that I need to see them."
"Alright."
* * *
"How are you going to stand up to Nightmare Moon when you can't even stand up to a simple obstacle course?!?!"
Rainbow Dash, the Captain of the Air Guard, had no patience for ponies who couldn’t accomplish what she saw as a simple task.
The private that Rainbow Dash was yelling at tried to protest that "This obstacle course is anything but simple" but Rainbow Dash would have none of it.
"I don't want to hear your excuses Fluttershy, I want to hear results! All the other recruits handled it easily! Run it again!
“Yes ma’am!” The young mare, barely older than a filly, ran off to try the obstacle course again. Rainbow Dash was still watching her when she jumped at the sound of a voice.
“You really shouldn’t be so rough on her Rainbow Dash.” Rarity said as she trotted up next to the Pegasus. “The poor dear has already been through enough in the past few weeks.”
“She needs some tough love if she’s ever going to be able to help against Nightmare Moon. She’s going to go through a lot more in the next few weeks since Twilight has decided she will hold the element of kindness.”
“I still don’t know if that was a smart idea.”
“Me neither, but it’s her decision. We’ve gotten this far because we follow her. Might as well keep on following.”
“It’s obvious why you are holding the Element of Loyalty.” Rarity’s light mention of the Rainbow Dash’s most recent appointment brought a smile to the Pegasus’s face.
“Thanks.”
“Are y’all just gonna talk all day?” AppleJack burst into the conversation in a heavily sarcastic manner. “Twilight needs to see y’all, but I’m sure she can wait.”
“There’s no need for your sarcasm AppleJack.” Rainbow Dash replied. “We’ll head over now.”
* * *
“A new Earth pony has joined our ranks. She’s a bit… physics defying. However, she is connected to us. Everyone, meet Pinkie Pie.”
After the greetings with the admittedly odd pink pony, Rainbow Dash asked the question on everyone’s mind.
“I mean the reason you are the leaders of this force. Everyone remember when I asked how you received your cutie marks?” The response was a chorus of various forms of “Yes.”
“Well let’s run over them to be sure. AppleJack, you are the head agricultural pony. You received your Apple mark because a rare rainbow which released a large burst of energy led you to the orchard where we first started the resistance and you have been trustworthy ever since. As such, you’ve been entrusted with the element of Honesty. Rarity, you are the head of finance and our… tailor, for lack of a better word. You received your Diamond mark because the huge explosion of energy led to a burst of your Unicorn magic which brought you to a rock about a kilometer from my camp. The gems in this rock have fed us for 8 years since, so I’ve entrusted you with the element of Generosity. I received my Star mark because the same energy explosion brought out my magical abilities and helped me hatch the powerful dragon Spike who has helped us for all these years. And Rainbow Dash, you’re the connecting link. You created the Sonic Rainboom, showing your flying prowess and releasing the energy wave. You are the reason we’re here, and that rainbow lightning bolt on your flank is proof of it. The loyalty you’ve shown throughout the years is staggering and more than justifies the entrusting of the element of Loyalty to you.”
“Yeah, yeah. We know.” Rainbow Dash said, getting a little impatient. “But what does Pinkie Pie have to do with it?”
“I was just getting there. Pinkie received her cutie mark in a similar fashion. She lived on a rock farm. Pointless work, no real meaning. She wasn’t happy with her life. Until one day, a huge rainbow lit up the sky, and her world. After that, all she wanted to do was bring happiness to this chaotic planet. And she does so through parties. At first, her method seems a bit… mundane. But we could all use some happiness in these troubled times, and her parties are simply that. Pure happiness. And due to her connection and her personal merits, she’s now the keeper of the element of Laughter. This brings me to my final point. Fluttershy, please enter.”
The canary yellow Pegasus trotted in, looking more than a little bashful.
“Fluttershy received her cutie mark when a certain Pegasus knocked her off of the cloud she was sitting on.” Rainbow Dash blushed a little as she recognized the pony. Twilight didn’t pay her embarrassment any mind. “Unfortunately, our shy Pegasus couldn’t fly yet. But right before she hit the ground a large group of butterflies caught her. She quickly realized that she had a way with animals, and was even capable of coaxing them back out into the open after the energy burst frightened them. She noticed the butterflies on her flank, and the rest is history.”
The ponies who had previously doubted Twilight’s decision quickly dashed any doubts they had in her. Only one thing remained to discuss. And Twilight herself broached the subject.
“Now all we have to work out is the last element. But that’s another discussion. It’s been a long day. Bunk out.”
* * *
Twilight Sparkle was about to fall asleep when Spike returned.
“Spike! You’re back!”
“Of course I’m back. It’s been two weeks.”
“With all the stuff happening at camp recently, I had forgotten! Oh Spike, I’m so glad you’re here again!”
“I’m glad to be back Twi. I’ve missed this place. But let’s face it, my quest was vital. We needed to find the sixth element.”
“Yeah…” Then it clicked. He had said needed ! “Wait, you found it?! What is it?”
Spike pulled a stone with a six point star out of his pack. “This is it. The element of Magic!”
Time is an odd thing. It crumbles nations, tears down empires, and claims more lives than anything else. History is an odd thing as well. Impossible to tell which version is correct, because invariably, there’s more than one side to every story. However, at times you find something with a memory attached, not just any memory, but a powerful memory. A magical memory.
***
She was looking in from a corner. There was a midnight blue Alicorn hovering over a pure white one, both with ethereal manes. She saw the malice in the blue one’s eyes, but she also saw the hesitation. The white one’s eyes were closed, as though she were weak and about to letting go. She jumped when the white one started speaking, though her voice was barely more than a whisper.
“Please Luna. Don’t do this. I know who you are, and this isn’t it.”
“Oh Celestia. How can you know who I am? You’ve ignored me for hundreds of years, just like the rest of the ponies.”
“That’s not true. I loved you. I still do love you. I’ve raised you. I’ve taught you. I’ve helped you. You are my sister. And no one can possibly know you more than me. Luna, I-”
“ DON’T CALL ME LUNA! My name is NIGHTMARE MOON. Luna is dead, and she’s never coming back!”
“I shall always call you Luna, because you will always be Luna to me. The Luna that was my little sister. The Luna that I still love. The Luna that raised the moon and reminded me to raise the sun. That’s who you are to me.”
The midnight blue one’s eyes glazed over for a moment, but she was immediately back. However, she looked different. Almost… doubtful. But once more, she was quickly back to blinding anger.
The midnight blue one’s horn began to glow, but the white one suddenly had a glint in her eye. The blue one hesitated, and then she was blasted back as waves of magic emanated from the white one. The white one blasted her into a corner. She knew that the white one had her beat.
But then, the white one stopped moving. The waves of power, however, only got stronger. They built and built, but the white one had fear etched into her face. A bright flash occurred, and then there was only dust. Dust, and six stones.
***
Twilight awoke to the sounds of a shouting dragon.
“Someone, anyone, help her! We need our medic!”
Twilight said “No Spike. I’m fine.”
“But-“
“I appreciate it Spike, but I’m fine.”
“Okay…”
She knew that she probably should see the doctor, but she didn’t want to bother with it. She had a more pressing issue.
“Spike, call the council. We have business to attend to.”
Author’s note: I must explain why this isn’t accompanied by Chapter 4. I, being confident and arrogant, didn’t save my work. So when my computer blue screened and I couldn’t get the recovery file, I had to type it again. Needless to say, I save three times an hour. Save your work kids. Or you could just go with Google docs, but I couldn’t handle the lag that comes with my connection. I also apologize for the fact that this is mainly just the prelude from a different p.o.v. but it's done like that on purpose.
“Ah don’t know Twilight. Ah just don’t see how this dream changes anything.”
“It wasn’t just a dream. It was too real” Twilight tried to explain. “No, it was more than a dream. It happened, and I somehow saw it when I touched the stone.
“Even if it weren’t a dream, it still don’t change nothin’. We still gotta go in and take her off her throne.”
Rarity saw this as a chance to put her own two bits in. “I don’t see the difference either Twilight. A delay would mean I would have to make more winter clothing. We’ve picked up a lot of new recruits. Autumn will be here soon, and this won’t be a safe place to stay for much longer. I had really hoped we would try to knock her off her high horse in the next couple months.”
“I’m telling you, these things have more power than we can contain. We’re playing with fire here, and if we try to use these without learning every aspect of them, we’re going to get burned. Admittedly, Nightmare Moon and Luna are one and the same probably won’t help us. But these elements burned up the mare who raised the SUN! The light that regulates our camp and gives our plants nutrition is less than one millionth of that power, and it still leaves me tired at night. There’s no way we can handle that without some proper training.”
“And how exactly would we even go about getting that training? We don’t exactly have a teacher.” Even Rainbow Dash had her doubts.
“Well I don’t exactly have that much planned yet…” For the first time in 8 years, Twilight Sparkle didn’t have an answer.
“So we’re just going to wing it with the training instead of winging our way to Nightmare Moon. Well here’s my question. Twilight, what are you going to do to prevent us from just burning up in practice? I think that would be a truly pointless death.”
“Well, I… Um…” For the second time in 2 minutes, Twilight Sparkle didn’t have an answer.
“Ah think that if we’re gonna go down, we might as well go down fightin’. Ah’ll follow you wherever you lead, but Ah’ll be darned if Ah said Ah wouldn’t prefer to head straight to Her Royal Highness’s castle and take it apart brick by brick.
Twilight looked at Spike pleadingly. “Spike? What do you think about the current predicament?
“I for one trust your judgment. If you think we need to wait it out and practice, then I say we wait out and practice. However, I’m always for the Democratic method. If there’s a discrepancy, we should put it to a vote.” There was a chorus of agreement.
“Alright then, a vote it is. Everypony, close your eyes.” Twilight started in the usual fashion. “Spike, count the votes for and against.”
“Yes ma’am. All for waiting and practicing?” Fluttershy, Spike, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight each raised their hoof (or claw). “And those for charging the castle soon, as we had planned?” Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack all raised a hoof this time.
“The aye's have it. We wait it out.”
***
After the meeting, Pinkie had a little surprise for everyone.
"Alright everypony. Now that that's out of the way, it's time to paaaarrrrtaaaaaayyyy !!!!
And with that, she opened the flap to the cafeteria tent.
The group looked around the tent in amazement. Everywhere, there was Pinkie's trademark party items. Confetti, sparkling punch, pink table tops, and cupcakes, cupcakes everywhere. Everywhere, one looked, there were treats, toys, and more. It was an incredible, long awaited break from the hard life in the resistance. And as soon as the rest of the camp knew, there was ponies dancing to the tunes that Vinyl Scratch was playin out. Everyone got into the swing of things, even Twilight had a few sips of punch. That night, everyone slept soundly. And the last thought on anyone's mind was Nightmare Moon. For once, they lived worry free.
So little to do. So much time to do it in. After a thousand years of ruling Equestria, the Queen of the Night had seen it all. After several millenia of living, Nightmare Moon was bored.
"Ma'am! The new artificial lighting in the farms on the Southwest corner is fading!" The Alicorn's Head of Agriculture broke her out of her revery.
"Yes Mrs. Top, I know. The flickering on the horizon is ever so clear. Bring me Morning Star. I'll have him send some of his unicorns to add some power to the ones already there."
"Thank you ma'am!"
"Dismissed."
Carrot Top exited the throne room, allowing Nightmare to relax again. She enjoyed the view that the room gave her over the capitol city. Yes, the streets of Celestial City were beautiful. She thought once again with sadness of the last confrontation with her sister. The sadness she had felt after that last battle had caused her to release something that took her one thousand years to restrain. And in order to do so, she had to be a tyrannical leader, and she didn't have the leadership abilities of her sister. Tyranny was the only way she could think of. Perhaps it was wrong, but what else can she do? The forces of chaos are crafty. She knows she is right. But, and not for the first time, she found herself wishing for a friend. Someone to share the night with. Someone who could understand her musings and help her escape from the crushing guilt and boredom bred from maintaining order. Someone like.... like Celestia. But there is no one left who's like Celestia was. Celestia is gone, and it's her fault. She heard trotting at the front of the hall and quickly composed herself.
"Ma'am. Mrs. Top said you wanted to see me."
"Yes Mr. Star. See that light flickering on the horizon?"
"Yes ma'am. That's a farm on the Southwest corner."
"I know, I know. I need you to send a few more Unicorns over there to give them more power. We can't have them running out. We try to avoid chaos, and losing several farms certaintly wouldn't help matters."
"Yes ma'am. But, if I may be so bold, why are you installing new lighting anyway? I mean, you definitely have the power necessary to continue powering the old stuff."
"Morning Star, you have long been my most trusted advisor, my head general, and, more recently, my head director of magical affairs. So I'm going to confide in you something that would launch the general populace into a panic. So I'm going to request that you don't tell anyone about this."
"Of course ma'am. You can trust me."
"That's good Mr. Star. Now, onto the reason I'm putting things in so I don't have to power them. You are correct, I could continue powering them. In fact, it would be easy. However, I've come to realize I may not always be around to power them."
"But ma'am, you're immortal!"
"Almost Star. Almost. I cannot die of age, that much is true. I also cannot die in battle. However, should I choose to die-"
"No Nightmare! We need you here!"
"Star! We may have known each other for a long time, but you are NOT to interrupt me!"
"Yes ma'am! I apologize for my rudeness."
"Good. Now, as I was saying, should I choose to die, it would be possible, and the power released by the death of an immortal of my calibre would be unimaginable. Enough to do almost anything. I could destroy everything . I could undo any spell. I could, perhaps, bring back the dead."
"Ma'am... What you're talking about, it's... It's insanity. With all due respect ma'am, I must request that you decease these thoughts. You're worrying me. I- I couldn't handle losing you Nightmare Moon. You're our leader."
"I appreciate that more than you know. However, this is something I must try. I have an old debt I have to repay." The truth was that Nightmare Moon was glad to hear that she was needed. And she also heard the unmistakable care in Morning Star's voice. She had been in a relationship once before, but quickly realized that no matter what, no matter how much she cared, no matter how much she did to prevent it, everypony she currently knew would one day die, and if she failed, she would keep living, surpassing every single living pony. Because their lives passed in a blink of an eye. And if she allowed one of them to get close, it would only hurt that much more when they passed into the void. She had been in a relationship once, and it had almost brought about the return of chaos. You cannot avoid fate, yet that's exactly what she is trying to do, isn't it? She's not supposed to be able to die, and yet that's what she's attempting. Perhaps, should she fail, she would let another pony get closer, if only to stave of the hurt for a few decades.
"Ma'am? Are you okay?"
Nightmare quickly wiped the tears from her eye. "Yes Morning Star. Just a bit... nostalgic.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Perhaps later. I've a long journey in front of me, and I must prepare."
"Yes ma'am."
"Don't forget to send those Unicorns."
"Of course ma'am." Morning Star left the throne room.
Once again, Nightmare Moon was left to her musings. "Yes Nightmare. You do have a long journey in front of you indeed."
Author's note: UUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH. I jumped around soooooo much this chapter. I apologize for that. I was trying to get all this information in there, and it made alot more sense in my head.
"Come on everypony! We need to finish packing soon or we'll get off schedule! Watch out Derpy, there's a-" CRASH "-tent pole loose..." Twilight was pacing through the camp, carefully checking along her bulleted list.
"Twilight! The Earth Ponies are finished packing, all the greenhouses are ready to move, and the kitchen staff has almost finished."
"Thank you AppleJack." Check Check. "Let me know when the kitchen staff is done."
"Twilight, the spare clothing and funds are packed, as are the Unicorns."
"Thanks Rarity." Check Check. "Would you please go assist Derpy?"
"Yes ma'am." Rarity trotted off to help Derpy get the tent she had been carrying picked up.
"Thanks Rarity. I just don't know what went wrong..."
"You're welcome Derpy. Just make sure you watch for loose objects!"
Derpy turned back to say "okay", and promptly almost got her wing caught in another loose pole.
"Oh Derpy..." The poor girl had been clumsy since birth. Perhaps Twilight could help her with some magic, but she insists that she wants to remain herself. Maybe she's right. Who's to say that she can't be who she wants to be?
"Twilight, after Derpy, all the Pegasi are done, and the weather patrol has cleared the skies for your artificial lights."
"Thank you Rainbow." Check aaaaannnnd check. "Go look in on the kitchen staff. After they finish up, we should be done."'
"Yes ma'am." Quick as a rainbow lightning bolt, Dash was off and back. "The kitchen staff is good to go Twilight."
"Thank you." Check. Twilight walked to the front of the chain of ponies and carts. Her horn started glowing and some small lights lit the whole line. Check. It got a bit stronger, and then more faint as the lights that had been lighting her camp went out. Check. Finally, she took the sight border that stopped her lights from being seen and morphed it to fit around the three rows that made up the group. Check. Now for the final preperation. Twilight amplified her voice magically and called out for silence.
"Most of the ponies here have been with us during a move, and all the ponies here will make it through this one. You know the drill guys. Nopony outside the barrier can see what's inside, but we can see what's outside. Also, as a special surprise for this move, my fellow Unicorns and I put our heads together and we've come up with a way to keep us protected from people walking into the column. Thanks to a power boost from my brother Shining Armor and Lyra Heartstrings, anypony that walks in from the outside will be teleported to the other side instead of seeing us!" A huge cheer went up, forcing Twilight to stop.
"Well that will certainly stop us from having to perform those memory clean-ups Rarity. I always feel bad afterward."
"As do I Regal. Not to mention, it certainly takes alot out of a Unicorn." Rarity had to be carried for over an hour every time she performed the spell, not that she minded not having to walk.
After the crowd calmed down, Twilight continued. "Alright everypony! We've gotta get moving! There's a long day of walking ahead, and the sooner we start, the sooner we reach the first checkpoint. Move out!" With that, she kicked up, spun around, and started walking. Soon after, she saw the rainbow mane of her head scout and general beside her.
"Rainbow, I need you to take a group of pegasi ahead to scout out the way. We're going closer to Celestial City then we've ever gone before, and I need to be sure that we don't run into a a group of Nightmare's unicorns. Our barrier may fool a magic user of normal skill, but her highly trained unicorns would spot us for sure."
"Yes ma'am. I'll take Pegasquad 3, but I think I'll leave Snowflake. He's not the best at stealth."
"Alright. I could use him to carry some of the the equipment anyway."
"I'll go get them and let him know."
"Thank you. Meet us at the first checkpoint." Rainbow Dash flew back to collect the other pegasi. A strong "Yeah!" could be heard in the background, and then Rainbow and 4 others flew off into the night.
***
"Alright everypony! We've reached the first checkpoint! Set up a temporary campsite, and meet at the dining tent in one and a half hours!" A chorus of okay's went up, and the ponies all went to set up the overnight tents.
"Applejack, I need you to make sure we have enough food for the trip. We've five checkpoints to go, and I won't have anypony starving."
"Yes ma'am! But, five more checkpoints? Won't that put us about 40 kilometers from Celestial City?"
"Yes it will Applejack. We've found the elements, we're as strong as we've ever been, and since we aren't going to wait out Winter and train, we're going to have to take the offensive. We'll topple the throne in less than two weeks."
"Now that's what ah like ta hear Twilight! I'll get those greenhouses going! We don;t want anyone weak from hunger when we get there."
"Thank you Applejack." Twilight walked away from the Earth Pony to go meet Rainbow Dash and squad 3.
"Well General Dash? Any trouble?"
"No, ma'am. We saw a small group of Unicorns heading to what looks like the Southwest Corner, but they won't run into us."
"Good. Pegasquad 3, go and help Snowflake set up your tent." The 4 ponies trotted off for their fifth member.
"Rainbow, I'm going for a walk, but I don't want anyone following. I'm going to see if I can feel any magical presence around. I don't want Nightmare Moon sneaking up on us."
"Yes ma'am. What should I tell the guard?"
"Tell them that I'm going to my quarters to recuperate from the strain of the forcefield. Speaking of which." Twilight once again bent the barrier into a large bubble to accommodate the field of ponies, and set up the lighting system.
"Yes ma'am. Let me know when you get back."
"Of course." Twilight went into her tent and stayed for a few moments to keep up appearances, and then donned a black hoodie to blend into the night. She snuck out of the forcefield as she had said she would, but she wasn't going for the reason she had told Rainbow. It wouldn't do to have Rainbow know the real reason she was going for a walk.
"Well hello there Twilight. Long time no see."
"I didn't come here to exchange pleasantries. What do you know?"
"Twilight, Twilight. You're always so rude. Don't you know it's proper manners to beat around the bush a little? Your mother would be ashamed."
"I don't have a mother, you know that. Nightmare Moon made sure of it."
"Yes and you've made it your goal in life to ensure she pays for it, haven't you? Even if means working with someone like me. Tell me, what would your precious Resistance do if they knew that you had made a deal with the embodiment of Chaos? I'm sure they wouldn't exactly be happy..."
"I have to do what I have to do. The Resistance would understand."
"Of course, of course. Anything for their dear Twilight. The fact that you've set yourself up as ruler of themdoesn't even occur to them. Oh sure, you put things to a vote, but let's face it, when it comes down to it, if you really want something, you'll get it."
"Enough of this! Discord, we had a deal! Fulfill your end of the bargain!"
"If you insist Twilight. Nightmare has been distant lately, and just a few nights ago, she told one of her top advisers that she would be leaving soon. Apparently I'm not the only one with a debt to pay."
"What do you mean leaving?"
"Exiting, removing herself, walking away, leaving. What else would I mean?"
"But why would she leave?"
"I don't know. I just know that she's leaving."
"Alright. Anything else?"
"Nope."
"Then I've another question for you. Do you know anything of the Elements of Harmony?"
` "Can't say I do. I try my best to stick with disharmony.
"Okay."
"I'll see you later Twilight. Maybe next time you won't be quite so hostile."
"And maybe next time you won't be quite so infuriating." The draconequus just smiled and disappeared into the night.
Twilight trotted into the forcefield with a powerful feeling of exhaustion. As soon as she reached her tent, she undressed and passed out.
"... this is what we've been striving for." Twilight's voice still rang in the ears of everypony in the entire Resistance Force. "Years of hiding, years of training, and years of living in fear all comes down to this." She had given the speech only an hour before. "After today, our struggles and those of our families will be over." She knew that her words needed to boost morale for the mission ahead. "After today, Equestria will be free of the tyrannical leadership of Nightmare Moon forever!" The uproarious applause told her that her words would have the desired affect. Twilight Sparkle's Resistance Force was prepared.
* * *
Now Twilight stood at the head of the force, preparing herself for the battle ahead. She ran through a mental checklist. Her magic ensured that all the commanders were connected and could communicate through a whisper in the right direction. "Alpha Squadron, situation report."
"We are rearin' and ready to go," Applejack's voice came through.
"Good." Check. Twilight adjusted her head. "Bravo Squadron, situation."
"We were born ready." Rainbow Dash this time.
"Good." Check. Twilight made another adjustment. "How are the unicorns back at camp?"
"I don't know Twilight. I'm not back at camp." Twilight mentally facehoofed as she realized that she was facing back toward Applejack's squad.
"My apologies Applejack." Twilight corrected herself. "Rarity how is it going back at camp?"
"They're ready to go at your signal Twilight."
"Good." Check. One more check to go. Twilight looked into the air for the final signal and opened up the communications spell so that her next sentence would be broadcast to every officer that was in the spell's connection.
* * *
A lone mare stood on the stage performing for some of the highest of Equestria's elite. Generals, scientists, government officials, and even some of the heads of the various departments that run Equestria and make the decision that are deemed too mundane for the princess. Her bow flew across her cello so fast that pinpointing it's location at any one point in time would be nigh impossible. As the rise and fall of the sonata she was playing reached a fever pitch, she approached the sequence that would activate the flare that would be launched from behind the crowd in front of her. Her job was to play well enough that none of the ponies present would notice, a job she could more than handle.
The sonata was about to hit its apex, and the mare was doing brilliantly, but she was nervous. One missed note, and the flare wouldn't activate. She hit the first note of the sequence, and all earlier doubts were gone. She disappeared into her favorite part of the piece, not even noticing when the flare went up, and the rest of the room was just as captivated as she was. Octavia had succeeded.
* * *
Twilight checked off the last mental box. "Bravo Squadron, go!" 300 pegasi noiselessly rose from the ground on the west side of the city, following the lead of the various officers that were amidst them.
"Rarity, on my mark. 3, 2, 1, mark!" All 300 unicorn horns back at the campsite started glowing at the same time. "Applejack, you're clear. Go!" 500 earth ponies and the remaining 150 unicorns advanced upon the city from the top of the mountain to the east, also noiselessly on account of the cushioning from the spells at the campsite.
Twilight closed off the communication spell so that it would reach only her and the rest of the council, so as to avoid confusion amongst the troops. "Alright everypony. The channel is closed to just us six. Remember your objectives, and keep each other updated. I'm going to go find a nightmare. Sparkle out." With that, Twilight closed herself off from the circuit. She had a job to do.
* * *
