Grinning with triumph, Twilight announced each of the Elements of Harmony, watching as their shards rose to circle around her friends. Pinkie Pie was the Element of Laughter, ready to cheer up anypony. Fluttershy was the Element of Kindness, helping ponies and creatures in their time of need. Rainbow Dash was the Element of Loyalty, ready to give up her dream if need be. Applejack was the Element of Honesty, never one to tell a lie. Rarity was the Element of Generosity, giving to those in need. Finally, Twilight herself was the Element of Magic. She had amazing magical power, but none of it was possible without her friends.
Nightmare Moon only laughed, a maniac sound that chilled Twilight to the bone and made her hair stand up. Rearing up on her back legs and flapping her wings, Nightmare Moon sent lightning bolts hurtling towards the newly formed crown on Twilight's head and the necklaces on her friends. Twilight and her friends held their ground, sure that the Elements would protect them. How wrong they were. Instead of deflecting or absorbing the bolts of power, the Elements shattered into many fragments as the lightning bolts impacted, leaving gashes as they sliced across her friend's chests.
Twilight slumped to the ground as she watched the elements shatter for the second time. The air was filled with the screams of her and her friends as well as the maniac laughter of Nightmare Moon. Twilight watched in horror as her friends fell, blood pooling on the ancient floor. She could feel something warm and sticky dripping down the side of her own head, but she was too weak to do anything as she slumped to the ground. For a moment, she had thought that it would all work out. That her friends embodied the Elements of Harmony, and that they could defeat Nightmare Moon. But they couldn't. And now the Nightmare ruled.
*****
Twilight woke up, panting heavily. She still remembered what Nightmare Moon had told her. Bending down to Twilight's level, she had whispered, "Fear not, little pony. You may have tried to kill me, but I shall spare you. I will allow you fools one final day of sun. Then, and only then, will you be allowed to go home." Grinning, she had then cast a misty containment field over Twilight and her friends. Twilight didn't remember much after that, but she did remember the throbbing pain in her horn, and then blissful relief as she sank into the fog of unconsciousness.
When her and her friends woke up, the sun had been setting, and the moon was rising. No matter how hard they pounded or loud they yelled, the moon just kept on ascending. That twilight had come to be known as the Final Twilight, which Twilight was sure Nightmare Moon had planned. Once the moon was high in the sky, the misty force field around them had dissipated, allowing Twilight and her friends to go home, blood still oozing from their wounds. Later, she had discovered that the shrapnel from her exploded crown had chipped her horn in many places, rendering her magic shaky and weak. After making her throat sore yelling for him, Twilight realized Spike was gone, and she suspected that Nightmare Moon had taken him as some kind of trophy. Her suspicions had been confirmed when she noticed the letter from him. Written in shaky claw-writing, it was addressed to her and bore a midnight blue seal on it, marking it as the property of Nightmare Moon. Picking it up, she had read:
Dear Twilight,
I'm being taken by Nightmare Moon. I don't know what happened to you, but I guess you didn't defeat her and that Celestia is dead or imprisoned. She said that you aren't dead, but I'm not sure if I believe her. She also said that I will live in her castle, will be able to write to you, and will be treated well. Apparently 1000 years ago, dragons were held in high regard, so that's why she's being nice. Please write back! I don't want you to be dead!
Your faithful assistant,
Spike
Since then, Twilight had read and re-read it many times, and it was now well worn and marked with tearstains. She had immediately written back and assured Spike that she wasn't dead, much to his relief. They had traded letters back and forth, sharing news and gossip, but the library always seemed empty without him. He wasn't there to make her breakfast, or to make sure she didn't stay up all night studying. Instead, he was off in Canterlot where Nightmare Moon could keep a close eye on him.
Groaning, Twilight roused herself from her memories, getting out of bed and dragging herself to her mirror. Her coat was faded and thin, she had dark circles around her eyes, and her mane and tail were thinning because of stress. But none of that was as bad as her horn. Once smooth and conical, it now had many small dents and scrapes, and the tip was missing. Just the very tip, no more. But it hurt as much as if her leg was broken. Some days, Twilight had contemplated removing it, sure that the pain would be more bearable. That, and her magic practically made her sick. Her once strong and bright magenta aura had turned into a wavering and faded shadow of its former self. It took a large amount of energy to levitate anything larger than a small book, and it often made her sick to her stomach. Not that it mattered, because there was nothing to throw up. She barely ate, and when she did, it was nothing large. An apple here, some tea there. She was no longer hungry. Occasionally, her stomach did growl, but even then all she ate was a sandwich. But still, she survived.
She didn't have much energy, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. What was the point of being a unicorn if you could barely use magic? She was just a small town librarian who thought she could take on a legend. Sure, she had been sent by Princess Celestia, but the Princess no longer mattered. All that mattered was Queen Nightmare Moon. To speak the name Celestia with the title of Princess at the beginning was one of the highest forms of treason. There was no Princess Celestia anymore. It was just Celestia, a pony who thought she was a ruler, a pony who had dreams of grandeur. If you were brave or stupid enough to say Princess Celestia, the punishment was severe. The sentence was one of the worst things known to ponykind. You would have your magic stripped from your body, a fate worse than death. Unicorns would have no power, earth ponies would have no strength, and pegasi would have no flight. To have that happen to you was unimaginable.
Twilight had contemplated doing that. Having no magic at all was better than having barely any, right? But every time she brought it up, her friends shoved it back down. They said she mattered, that she was their friend and friends could get through anything, but their statements were hollow and fake, made up to reassure themselves as much as her. Ever since the Elements of Harmony had shattered, they had lost part of themselves. No longer were they heroes or adventurers. They were just hollow ponies, figurines in the land of eternal night. They had jobs, but they didn't care. Their passion for their work was gone. Every now and then, a pony would come by Twilight's library. They would want a book, and she would help them. For a moment, she would feel something. Something hopeful. But it always disappeared. There was no hope for her. She would live out the rest of her days as a mere shadow of her former self, hoping that the end would come soon. But there were no hopes or dreams in the land of night. Only nightmares.
Author's Note
Or is there hope? I shall hopefully be making more of these, depicting the rest of the Main 6. This is the first time I wrote something truly dark, and feedback is much appreciated.
