Eldest

"Are you sure this is safe, AJ? I mean, you dragged me out here in the middle of the night and I don't even know why. What if something happens?" Rainbow Dash flew alongside Applejack, trying to look cool and stay calm. She wasn't actually either cool or calm, mostly due to their current situation. The setting was just enough to start to spook even the daring rainbow-maned pony, and she was doing a bad job of concealing it. The two were moving through the halls of the Castle of the Two Sisters, with only the torch that Dash held in her front hooves to light their way. A cool breeze drafted through the empty halls, stirring up centuries of dust. It was the night of the new moon, as Applejack had carefully planned. The best way to catch the Pony of Shadows would be when the shadows were all around, and in plain sight.

"Like I said, on my honor as the Element of Honesty, nuthin's gonna happen that I ain't prepared for. We'll have time ter figger out our battle plan before she strikes. After all, she didn't try to attack us before, when we were in this here castle freakin' out about Pinkie and that organ, and that woulda' been the perfect time to attack." Applejack was nervous as well, and was doing a much worse job of hiding her anxiety than Rainbow. The darkness and the chill penetrated her to the bone, and the dancing shadows cast by Rainbow's torch weren't helping either, as the pony she was here to catch was the sort that she would expect to come literally out of the shadows themselves.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. 'She'? C'mon, AJ, enough with the mysterious hinting! Who in Eqqus are you talking about?" Rainbow was visibly growing more nervous by the second, and Applejack's vague words were only making it worse. It didn't help that she wasn't at her most aware, either, having been dragged out of bed by the orange mare only a couple of minutes ago. She'd been sleeping soundly, when suddenly AJ had lassoed her and dragged her through her floor, only to whisper a few obscure words at her about their "most daring pony" competition and depending on her because she was the Element of Loyalty or something and drag her out to this creepy castle.

"Fine, I'll tell ya. Ain't no use hidin' it anymore, anyway; we're here. This's where we're gonna plan our attack." They had come to a tower room that looked very familiar to the cyan pegasus. The tall windows, visible only because of the faint starlight showing through them, the raised dais at the other end...

"This is the room where Twi battled Nightmare Moon before we showed up to kick her butt!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Why are we here?"

"'Cos I figger that the last place the Pony o' Shadows expects us ter plot 'er demise is where she was born." Rainbow's pupils shrunk to pinpricks, suddenly reminded of the terror of the last time that name had cropped up.

"The... the Pony of Shadows? I thought that was a myth! Y'know, after it turned out to be Pinkie and all?" Rainbow was looking much more nervous now.  She was still trying to stay calm, but beads of sweat were beginning to form on her forehead and her smile was looking considerably more forced. "C'mon, AJ, you're pulling my leg. Right?"

Applejack shook her head slowly. "No, I ain't. I didn't say anything at the time, but as we were leavin' from that encounter, I saw sumthin'. It was a shadow, looked like a pony in a cloak, 'cept it had these glowin', yeller eyes. I think we missed the Pony of Shadows altogether when we were freakin' out, and that she's still haunting this here castle in hopes of rejoinin' Princess Luna and becomin' Nightmare Moon again. We've got ter stop her before it's too late!" Applejack's eyes were wide and earnest, and she looked both eager and nervous for what was ahead. "I didn't bring our friends because I reckoned that the two of us could beat her on our own, and it'll finally decide who's the most daring pony! Whoever lasts longer in combat or deals the final blow will win the title."

Rainbow looked considerably more nervous by this time, and had propped her torch up against a wall so that she could sit down, shaking almost imperceptibly. "So... all we have to do is find a creepy shadow-pony-thing with the dark magic of Nightmare Moon and... what? Brighten her out of existence or something, all without being killed?"

"Um, now that ya put it that way, it doesn't sound so easy. I reckoned that if we called to her, she'd come to us, and then... well, I hadn't really gotten to the part where she tried to kill us while we tried to kill her. That's why I thought we'd better strategize first." Applejack's brow furrowed, and she took off her Stetson to worry it between her front hooves.

"Not that we actually know what we're up against to begin with."

"Uh, well, we fought her before, right? She could shoot lightnin' from the sky at will, and turn into creepy smoke, and smash heavy stone spheres to tiny splinters just by stomping the ground... So, uh, that's something, I guess."

"Yeah, that's something... so, we start planning now?"

"Yep."

The two mares sat there in silence for a while, now nervous to the point of near panic. They were each trying to think of ideas, but their minds kept returning to the dangers they would face if they went through with this. Neither could focus on coming up with battle strategies when the danger seemed so close, so real. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash couldn't take the suspense anymore. Her panic fueled her brain, which quickly came up with an idea.

"Hey, AJ. I've got an idea."

"What's that, Sugarcube?"

"How about we sorta just... callhernameandsummonherandthenblindlyattackandkindajustwingitforthefight?" Rainbow spat out her plan at top speed, partially from panic and partially from the fear that if she didn't say something now, she'd go crazy.

Fortunately, Applejack was quick to reply. "Eyup, that sounds like a plan to me! On three, we'll summon her. Onetwothree--"

"PONY OF SHADOWS! COME TO US! WE SUMMON THEE!" The ponies shouted in unison, displaying a minimal knowledge of Olde Eqquish in the event of summoning an ancient being of evil.

"You need only call to summon me, although I would prefer it if you used my name." A new voice spoke, although not what either pony was expecting. It was calm, and kind, instead of cruel and conceited. In front of them, a shape walked out of the darkness: a pony, tall as Celestia, who seemed to be walking out of the shadow itself where she stood.

It was an alicorn mare, as pitch black as Nightmare Moon. That, however, was where the similarities to the prior form of Luna ended. Her wings were shaped like Celestia's, and her horn was just as long, albeit pointier. Her hair flowed like that of the Royal Sisters, but was also onyx. It had a paler outline, like Luna's hair, although it did not sparkle, rather sliding through the air like a shadow. She wore no regalia, which neither Applejack nor Rainbow Dash anticipated; they expected her to be decked out in glittering armor, like Nightmare Moon had been. For that matter, they expected her to come charging out at them, cackling maniacally and powering up her magic for an attack.

"Your name? Okay, Nightmare Moon, are you ready to fight? 'Cos we are, and we're gonna kick your butt, just like last time!" Rainbow had completely lost her nervousness, and gone into full "aggressive mode", flying up into the air and pounding her hooves together threateningly. Applejack had done the same, standing ready to fight and glaring at the new pony.

"I think you misunderstand, Rainbow Dash. I am not Nightmare Moon. I'm not even her leftover magic. In fact, all the legends and myths about me are completely wrong. I do not wish to fight, nor cause harm to anypony, ever. Please do not attack me; I am a friend." The Pony of Shadows spoke, with the same gentle tone she had used earlier. Her sapphire blue, almond-shaped eyes stared sadly but kindly at the two ponies, looking down at them with compassion and understanding. Then, unexpectedly, she lowered herself to the floor, laying down in front of AJ and Dash to be at their level.

"Wait... so yer not Nightmare Moon? What are ya, then? Er, who are ya? And, if yer not evil, then why are ya black like that? I mean, ya did say ya were the Pony of Shadows, so ya sure sound evil ta me. How do ya know Rainbow's name? And how do we know we can trust you?" Applejack pointed an accusing hoof at the alicorn before her. She stared at her opponent fiercely, daring her to answer.

"No, I'm not Nightmare Moon, as I said already. My name is Silent Shadows, and my coat is black because I was simply born that way. You didn't choose to be orange, did you, Applejack?" Silent Shadows quirked an eyebrow at the mare standing in front of her.

"Well, no, now that ya mention it. Nopony can choose their color, but I thought only evil ponies were black. And ya didn't answer the question about bein' the Pony of Shadows. Or any other questions o' mine, fer that matter." AJ leveled a stare at Silent Shadows, as Rainbow joined her friend on the ground.

"Yeah, how do we know you weren't just born evil? I mean, you know our names and everything, so you must have been spying on us or something! And why would you be spying on us if you weren't evil?" Dash broke into the conversation, glaring at the onyx pony as well.

"Nopony is born evil, Rainbow Dash. I think you know that already. Besides, who doesn't know of the Elements of Harmony and their individual Bearers? But I will answer Applejack's other questions, in time. Firstly, you will need to be able to trust me. I don't know how I can prove it to you, so if you have any suggestions?" The two brightly colored ponies exchanged a look.

"I don't know, do you, AJ? I mean, you're the Element of Honesty, so you'd be the one to know about trust, right?"

"Well, I guess, but there ain't nothin' that comes to mind right about now. I don't know how anypony can prove they're trustworthy if nopony can verify what they're sayin'."

"'Verify'?"

"Y'know, say from experience that what somepony says is true. Prove it, if ya will." Applejack rolled her eyes at her cyan companion. "Just because I talk with a country accent doesn't mean I don't have a decent vocabulary."

"Oh...kay..." Rainbow stared at the farm pony for a moment before shaking her head and turning back to Silent Shadows. "Not even gonna question where she got that from. Anyway, is there anypony who could, as AJ says, 'verify' what you're saying?"

Silent Shadows sighed. She seemed to ponder the pegasus' words for a moment before finally answering. "Well, you could always ask my sisters."

"Sisters?" Rainbow and Applejack asked, surprise etched on their faces. The last thing they'd expected was for the Pony of Shadows to come out and say that she had relatives of any kind, much less siblings.

"Wait, you have sisters? Who are they?" Rainbow asked, enthusiastic in her confusion.

"You're not going to like this, but if I must, I must. You know them. In fact, all of Eqqus knows them. They are your princesses, Celestia and Luna. My two baby sisters."

It took the two gaping ponies a few minutes to work out an intelligent response. Said response, naturally, was "WHAT?!"

Silent Shadows sighed again. It was going to be a long night.