All is well in Equestria. The Changelings have been subdued for good, Discord has proved his allegiance the the Monarchy time again, and the Crystal ponies have entered their first 'golden age' since the fall of Sombra.
Twilight, and everyone else, knew times were well, and she and the Elements took advantage of this. Not having to gallavant across the lands every week to solve a new dilemma, Twilight and the others used this newfound peace to focus on smaller problems, much like-
''Do I want pumpkin pie, or cherry pie?'' Pinkie Pie looked over the snacks table, spread across the rear ground of Canterlot at the Galloping Gala. She stared down the two treats in front of her, her mouth watering slightly. ''I KNOW!'' she shouted, all too enthusiastic, and trotted right over the the rhubarb pie instead. Taking one of the pieces, she made her way back the the small congregation of friends awaiting her. Upon arriving, Twilight cleared her throat, and spoke.
''Girls, tonight's Gala was held on this date, in remembrance of a very important occasion. One that we, nor the ponies of Equestria shall soon forget. Tonight, marks the ten year anniversary of one of the most powerful friendships of all time. Ours!'' Her voiced slightly raised at the end, her excitedness increasing both vocally, and physically, as she let out a broad smile, levitating a cup of punch the each of the other colorful mares surrounding her. They drank deeply, savoring each fruity drop like it would be their last. In unison, as if the motion was rehearsed, they all brought themselves in for a group hug.
Looking through one of the clearer segments of the ornate stained glass windows in the throne room, Celestia let her face stretch into a smile.'It's nearly time,' she thought. For this years Gala, she and Luna had planned a special event. A complete and total eclipse. She got up from her throne, and cantered across the marble floor, Luna falling into suit.
''Are you ready, sister?'' The pale blue Alicorn spoke quetly.
''Nearly,'' she replied, ''I must first give a very special speech, you have not forgotten what tonight denotes have you, dear sister?'' She turned her head, and looked at Luna, her face contorted in concentration.
''Oh!'' Her face lit up instantly, remembering the importance of the night. ''Yes, I eagerly await for when we can begin!'' she strolled with Celestia across the grounds, rich and poor ponies alike gawking at the regal pair before them. The pools of water reflected the fireworks constantly booming over the fields, the hedges bustling with activity from the local creatures, kept up but not entirely annoyed at the extravaganza about them.
Celestia stepped onto the podium at the head of the festivities, and cleared her throat. She smiled at the eager and awed ponies in the throng and began to speak. ''Greeting, Equestrians everywhere! I welcome you, whether be you from Los Pegasus, Appleloosa, Ponyville, right here in Canterlot, or any other corner of this country!'' The ponies stomped their hooves, electrifying the air. ''Tonight, a celebration, the Gala is a time for happiness, for sharing, and now, on this very special night, of harmony! Tonight, marks ten whole years, since the meeting of the Elements we know, and love today!''
From the back of the crowd, Twilight looked at her friends, an exhilirated expression on her face. . ‘‘That’s us!’’ Rarity exclaimed. Fluttershy looked down at the cobbled ground, clearly embarrassed by all the stairs the group was receiving from the crowd around them. The princess continued-
‘’For ten years, these girls have protected us, stood with us with the smallest, and through it all, they have stood as our friends.’’ The Princess looked at them, making eye-contact with all six in turn. ‘’To you, I offer my gratitude, Equestria’s gratitude, and the highest honor that I can provide. Twilight Sparkle!’’ The lanterns in the garden turned purple. ‘’Rarity!’’ White. ‘’Pinkie Pie!’’ Pink. ‘’Rainbow Dash!’’ Blue. ‘’Fluttershy!’’ Yellow. ‘’Applejack!’’ Orange. ‘’Elements, come here, stand with me!’’ The lanterns exploded into a flurry of the six colors, swirling, casting a rainbow of light over the crowd. The throng cleared a direct path to the Princess, and the girls began to move through it.
Upon arrival, the royal spoke once more. ‘’On this very special occasion, I would like to introduce a new honor. The Mark of Friendship! To demonstrate friendship, one must show kindness, loyalty, honesty, laughter, generosity, and magic. You six have represented the strongest of bonds that a friendship can achieve, and for that, we thank you.’’ An extremely early dawn crept across the horizon behind the podium. The sun climbed high in the air, illuminating the sky and stars, until it was behind the moon, and began an eclipse.
Chapter 2- A Dark Awakening
On the cold expanse of white and grey that forms the moon, a figure crept. The creature resembled no pony you’d have ever seen. When it walked, its legs seemed to stretch for eternity, yet it carried itself naught but a foot. Its eyes, if you had the nerve to look into them, seemed to be portals to a colder, darker place than that of its isolation. Its voice was a jumbled confusion of familiar sounds, and ones that you would never wish to hear again, so long as you live.
‘’Yes… Continue the Eclipse, fools… Witness, witness my RETURN!’’ Its voice, like cold ice, cracked the silence of the lunar landscape, the sun creeping high above it. ‘’Fuel my cause, allow my escape!’’ The creature shifted, a horn protruding from its forehead. It began glow a deep black, jetting a beam to the surface of the moon, opening a hole.
It took one last look at its former home, and stepped through it.
The eclipse was the most beautiful any creature in Equestria had seen, or would ever see again. The swirling of the rainbow-infused lanterns, combined with the twilight from the celestial event, created an eerily peaceful scene, as the party continued. ‘’Princess Celestia really outdid ‘erself this time, eh Twi?’’Applejack spoke to her
Twilight nodded in agreement, but her mind was elsewhere. ‘I used to just be a foal from Canterlot. Lonely, awkward, dedicated to my studies, but now. Now, I am here. With these incredible girls,’ She slowly looked in turn at each of the girls in turn. ‘never in my life, would I have thought that this would be me. ‘’Thank you, thank you all, for being here, with me.’’ Twilight said, sincerely. ‘’You have no idea how much this means to me.’’
‘’Oh I think we do, darling,’’ Rarity said, ‘’because we all feel the same.’’ She looked at her, happily. Everypony was so caught up in having a good time, that nopony noticed the jet of black that shot down to the ground outside of the grounds. Nopony, except for Celestia.
‘’Sister, I must excuse myself. Please, forgive me.’’ Celestia spoke from the podium, and stealthily snuck off of the podium into the bushes. They scratched the royal, but she didn’t care. She had to know what the object was. Upon stepping out of the shrubbery, she saw nothing but finely trimmed grass. No smoke, no object, not even any hoofsteps besides her own. ‘Maybe I just saw a bird…’ She thought to herself.
‘’Oh, well, if it isn’t the Princess herself.’’ A voice spoke from behind her. She snapped her head back, but didn’t see anypony there. ‘’I should’ve thought that you would be here on first response. After all, you DID say yourself that nothing makes it past you…’’ She looked wildly throughout the field, not knowing where it… where he went. ‘’Except of course, for me. I’ve picked up a few, trick, to say the least, during my isolation.’’
‘’Lunar Essence… What do you want here?!’’ The Princess spoke ferociously, spitting out each word as if it tasted foul.
‘’Oh, don’t act like you don’t know. My attempt on Luna didn’t work, as you know. I suppose ‘Nightmare Moon’ wasn’t powerful enough to stand against you. But, if I were to capture you,’’ He materialized in front of her, grinning mockingly. ‘’Not even the Elements could stop me.’’ He swirled around her, wrapping around her legs, tripping her to the ground. ‘’Goodbye, dearest Celestia,’’ He said drawlingly, and shot a bolt from his horn. It connected with hers, and he felt himself being transferred into her.
‘’Where’s Celestia?’’ Twilight Sparkle asked to Luna, over an hour since the Gala had officially come to a close. The Elements had searched the castle, and the nearby grounds for the ruler, but there was no trace of her to be found. Just at that moment, the princess came stumbling through the bushes, crashing to the ground. ‘’CELESTIA!’’ Twilight used a gust of air from her wings to launch her towards Celestia. ‘’Are you all right?’’ Her fur was now a dark grey color, as opposed to her pristine white.
‘’I’m fine… just, let me be’’ She got up, and went to the castle via the rear entrance, leaving a confused looking set of Elements and a Princess behind.
