THE INVASION
Twilight Sparkle was so excited about her coronation-ball that she could hardly contain herself. Her faithful assistant, Spike the baby dragon, had even bought a new tuxedo to wear to the ball. “How do I look?” he asked.
“…Just dashing.” Twilight answered while smiling at him. “I bet I won’t look as you will… your highness.”
Twilight felt very embarrassed when she was addressed that way. “Spike, I haven’t even been officially crowned yet. To be honest, I’m really nervous. I keep wondering, will I be a good princess?”
“You’ll be a great princess. I know it.” Spike said “Look at all you’ve done, and just think of what you’re going to do for others. I’ll bet you anything that right now things will be--” he stopped when a savage earthquake began to shake everything so violently, as if something had hit the ground super hard.
The tremor was felt all across Ponyville, and all the ponies panicked and stumbled about in the chaos, but before long it went away and all quiet again.
“What was that all about?” cried Spike.
“I don’t know…” Twilight said while panting. She checked a small slip of paper on her desk where she had been tallying the number of earthquakes, for that was not the first one, but actually the fifth one that had hit ever since she changed into Alicorn two days ago.
Spike thought maybe it was Discord “He’s only been reformed a few weeks, or maybe it’s all just an act.”
Before Twilight could say anything, Discord appeared right there in the library with them. “Oh, sure… blame it on me. That’s what everyone does. “Old Discord must’ve gone back to his wicked ways.”
“You really didn’t do it?” asked Twilight.
“No, honest and for true, cross my heart and hope to die.”
Spike was still unconvinced, and Discord sighed “Look, I was here to give you this letter from the Crystal Empire, but maybe I just wasted my time.”
“No! No, no…” Twilight said “Look, I believe you okay, and thank you for the letter.”
“What? No “I’m sorry, Discord. You’re really nice, and we misjudged you baldly?”
Twilight and Spike each gave him a sour stare.
“Right, I’ll see you at the ball then…”
Then he turned to leave, but not before taking a banana and three apples from the fruit bowl on the table.
“Um, those are wax?” said Spike.
Discord just used his power to make them real, and he ate one of the apples whole and spit the seeds and core out. “Doesn’t taste like wax to me.”
Then he was gone.
“Do you actually trust him?” asked Spike.
“I have to give him a chance.” said Twilight. Then she opened her letter, which read…
Dear Twily…
How’s my fav little sis?
By the time you read this, we’re sure that you will have already felt that earthquake. It first struck here in the Crystal Empire, and then it was reported to have hit Canterlot. We don’t know where this is coming from, but we got word from Princess Celestia not to panic and that you have to ensure the citizens of Ponyville that everything is under control.
We may have to even postpone the coronation ball, but hopefully we won’t. If we don’t, see you there.
Love from Shining Armor and Cadance.
Now Twilight and Spike weren’t sure what to think. They just hoped the earthquakes would cease and nothing worse would come out of it.
The creatures of the planet Equestria, pony and friends alike, were busy preparing for the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Thankfully the earthquakes hadn’t caused too much damage.
Suddenly, there was another tremor, and it felt even more violent than the last one, even the Pegasus ponies whom were flying in midair could mysteriously feel the shaking.
Rainbow Dash crashed down onto the ground after losing her balance and control, and that’s when the shaking stopped.
“What the heck is going on?” she asked.
“Wish I knew…” Applejack said. She was busy picking up all the apples that fell out from her cart, which had tipped over in the stress.
Rainbow came over to help her, and the two pondered over what was causing the tremors.
The geologist ponies had been hard at work trying to deduce the source of the stress, but they could find nothing. Just a few shifts in the layers of rock, but even still the tremors would not be so violent, and not only that, but the tremors were felt all over Equestria and seemed to be spreading softly.
Still, nothing seemed to be all that serious, and they figured the earthquakes would stop.
“I don’t know…” Applejack said “I got that sick feelin’ in my gut and it only does that when it means trouble’s a’comin’.”
Suddenly, they heard a soft sound of munching.
They both peeked over the other side of the cart and caught Pinkie Pie munching on the apples, as many as she could eat at once.
She smiled bashfully and said “Good apples.”
Applejack and Rainbow shook their heads playfully grinning at her.
Soon, the cart was all loaded, and Pinkie Pie couldn’t stop bouncing with glee. “I can’t believe it, it’s so close I can just taste it; Twilight’s coronation ceremony. AH, IT’S GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN!!”
Rarity and Fluttershy came along. Rarity was equally as giddy, having spent the last two days working on Twilight’s new princess gown, requested by both Princess Celestia and Twilight herself.
“I think I can safely say it will be my crowning achievement. Ponies will flock all over to gaze at the beauty that Twilight shall be and say “Oh, that Rarity, she be crowned Princess of Fashion.”
The others stared at her grimly.
“What? You don’t think I have the potential?”
“Well, I think you do…” said Fluttershy “I like all your dresses, especially the new ones you made for us to wear tonight.”
Rarity smiled proudly “This is a once in a blue moon event, I felt we were all overdue for a new wardrobe.”
Twilight and Spike came along, and Twilight said “Well, beautiful dresses or not, I’m just glad you’ll all be there. If it wasn’t for you, I’d never be Princess of Friendship.”
After a long extension of comments, and expressive of feelings, the girls and Spike all sang their song “True Friend”
…but by the end of the song, another earthquake had struck.
Fluttershy panicked and ducked under a bench.
Applejack fell onto her cart tipping it over and spilling the apples again, causing Pinkie and Rainbow to slip on them.
Spike fell off of Twilight’s back, and on top of Rarity. His lips almost came into direct contact with hers, just as the quake stopped.
Both their faces turned bright pink, and Spike quickly rolled off her feeling ever so embarrassed. “Gosh… I’m so sorry, Rarity, I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s… alright, Spike.” Rarity said nervously “…You didn’t mean to.”
“Um… is it safe to come out now…?” Fluttershy peeped as she nervously peeked out from under the bench.
Twilight was just relieved her friends were okay, but all these earthquakes were really starting to worry her. “Maybe I should ask Princess Celestia to put the ceremony and ball on hold until we sort this out.” she suggested, but her friends wouldn’t hear of it.
“You can’t be serious?!” cried Rarity “This is the most important event in your life, Twilight.”
“Yeah, we’ve been through a lot worse than this.” said Rainbow.
“Think of the party… THE PARTY!!” shouted Pinkie. The others all felt the full effect of her shout shaking the ground softly.
“We won’t forget that.” said Applejack.
Twilight decided not to cancel anything, but she still wished she knew what was causing the quakes.
That night…
The coronation was a wonderful event, and Twilight was announced to all of Equestria as Princess Twilight Sparkle.
One-by-one her friends congratulated her, and her brother, Shining Armor, seemed to be crying. Only he called it “Liquid pride” totally different thing.” Everyone chuckled at him. Nevertheless, everyone gave Twilight their best wishes and love and reflected on how far she had come. Celestia could have been more proud of her student.
The ball began and Twilight spent most of her time greeting and addressing her new subjects, which she promised to not treat any differently. “I am still your friend, and always will be.” She would repeatedly say, but she was most relieved to get a while to sit at the royal feast table with the other three princesses, her brother and friends for a much needed break.
Princess Celestia levitated her glass of punch with her magic and proposed a toast “To the new Princess of Friendship; Twilight Sparkle. May our friendships always be at your side.”
The others raised their glasses and saluted to her.
Suddenly, Princess Luna looked tensed.
“Is everything okay, Princess?” asked Twilight.
Luna still looked tensed.
“Sister, what is it?” Celestia asked, and after a bit of hesitation Luna answered “I feel… something… something dreadful is coming.”
Before anyone could ask her, another tremor hit, possibly the most violent and longest one of them all. Every pony and every other creature in the entire gala panicked as they stumbled all over the place in the stress.
“What’s going on?!” cried Rarity.
Many of the guests cast their gaze at Discord who could only sneer, “Don’t look at me, I’m not doing it!”
That’s when the large doors at the entrance to the gala were blown to smithereens, and the shaking stopped.
Celestia angrily stood up and demanded to know “Who dares to enter unannounced?”
That’s when three dark and mysterious pony-like creatures, two males and one female, entered. Unlike the Equestrians, their bodies were humanoid-- arms, legs, hands and fingers, feet and toes.
They were defiantly demoncorns, as was hinted by their horns and demons wings.
They were Mysterious: a black shiny pony that was practically a living shadow, but had the force and might of a solid being.
The second was called Rep-Stallion; a tough and rather pompous but strong pony holding a double-bladed scythe.
The third was a female, named Dementia. She seemed rather attractive, but she was dangerous nonetheless, and her name Dementia was implied because she had the power to warp dimensional energies and waves around her.
The Royal Canterlot guards came rushing in but didn’t attack without an order. Mysterious gazed around at all the ponies grinning wickedly as he said “Greetings Equestrians... You will now surrender this entire world over to us, and take your places as our obedient slaves.”
Celestia quickly shouted for the guards to attack, and even Shining Armor joined them, being their former captain.
They all tried their best, but despite the overwhelming numbers they were all beaten so easily and badly. Shining Armor tried to blast the evil ones with his magic, but Rep-Stallion used his scythe to bat the force and sent it right back at him.
POW!! Shining Armor was hit hard and skidded across the floor. “Shining Armor!” cried Cadance as she raced over to her fallen husband. Twilight ran up to her brother “Are you okay?” she cried. “Twily… Cadance…” Shining Armor groaned “They’re… not ordinary! Be… careful!”
Cadance and Twilight glared angrily at the intruders. “How dare you hurt my brother!” snarled Twilight. Dementia gazed at her. “So, you’re the famous, Twilight Sparkle we’ve heard of. Heh! You don’t look like much to me. I could beat you easily with one little finger.”
Twilight’s anger was rising. “No! Twilight, don’t!” Cadance said. “I want to try something.”
She approached the demons. They glared and snarled at her. “What do you think you’re doing?” growled Rep-Stallion.
“Please! I don’t want to have to fight you.” replied Cadance.
“What, You don’t want to have to fight us?!” Dementia asked in disbelief, and then broke out laughing, but Cadance didn’t feel too discouraged. “I want to know-- who are you, and why have you come here?”
“As we have said, we have come to take over this world.” hissed Mysterious “It is what we demons exist for. We destroy, enslave, conquer, and nothing more!”
Cadance shook her head in denial “No! I won’t believe that. Every creature that lives has a heart, and within that heart resides the motivation of actions. If I can connect to it, maybe I can help.”
Her horn let off a glow of light and she cast her magic on the three demons. “What is this?” asked Rep-Stallion “Are we supposed to be scared?”
Cadance continued to pour her magic on the minions hoping it would reach their hearts, but suddenly the magic faded and nothing happened at all. Cadance went into near shock as she backed away in fear and disbelief.
“What? What’s wrong?” asked Twilight.
“I… I can’t feel anything. There’s nothing there. You have no hearts!”
“And you don’t have a brain!” growled Rep.
“We are not like you, and we don’t wish to be.” added Dementia.
“We were created from corpses and graveyard soils, and our loyalties rest with the darkness.” said Mysterious. “This is now our world, and what we say goes. Does anyone wish to defy us?”
“I do!” snarled Celestia. She stood tall and proud, her sister stood beside her and Twilight and her friends, with the Elements of Harmony on them, joined them with Cadance, but the minions were far from impressed, and Celestia narrowed her eyes “I will not let you invade our home world like this.”
The three princesses’ horns glowed brightly, and Twilight and her friends charged up the Elements of Harmony.
Discord sighed “As much I find this totally amusing, I guess I’ll join in too.”
“NOW!!” shouted Celestia, and everyone gave off all the magic they could muster. The powerful forces collided into the minions resulting in a big bright flash. Yet, when the lights faded and smoke cleared, the demons were still standing.
“There’s not even a scratch on them!” cried Spike.
“But… this is impossible!” cried Discord, and he tried to bend the reality around the demons; nothing worked.
“Even Discord’s reality bending doesn’t work?!” cried Twilight.
“I… I don’t believe it!” cried Celestia.
“You had better believe it!” called a sinister and familiar voice that made Princess Luna’s blood churn. “That voice! It can’t be…!”
The room went dark, and all the remained was a single dark glow of light high above the center of the hall illuminating the ringleader behind all this. “N-N-N-Nightmare Moon?!” peeped Fluttershy “Impossible!” added Celestia.
Nightmare sniggered and announced loudly “I have returned, stronger than ever before, and I claim this magical world of Equestria as my own. From this point forth, you are my obedient slaves, the slaves of Super Nightmare Moon and friends!”
To make her point clear, she zapped Twilight with a powerful magic blast, actually destroying her alicorn wings, changing her back to an ordinary unicorn, much to everyone’s horror.
Super Nightmare laughed loudly as she created a vast armada of shadowbolts to aid her and her friends in their new empire. “This world is mine!”
Then she unleashed her forces on those below in the gala and knocking Celestia, Luna, and Twilight unconscious, and when the three of them awoke, they found themselves imprisoned within caves under Canterlot where Twilight found the real Princess Cadance when she unmasked Queen Chrysalis’ charade before the Royal Canterlot Wedding.
All three of them were trapped inside magical bubble-like force-fields with Super Nightmare gazing at her from outside. Twilight and Celestia were astonished yet confused to see both Super Nightmare and Luna in the same room at the same time.
“If you are confused, here me out.” said Super Nightmare.
She explained that when Twilight and her friends used the Elements of Harmony on her, what really happened was the evil was actually separated from the good of Princess Luna. The two of them were split into two. The evil half part headed off into dimensional space with the intention of getting stronger, and then returning to Equestria for revenge!
Along the way, she met the three demoncorns and convinced them to swear allegiance to her in a partnership, promising them more power than they had ever dreamed.
“So you were causing those earthquakes.” said Luna.
Super Nightmare nodded “A small testing of my new power. I have been reborn stronger and greater than ever before.”
She no longer required being part of Princess Luna and she no longer had plans to make an eternal night, but to turn Equestria into her own world of nightmares and chaos, and already the inhabitants of Equestria were conscripted into her army of slaves and prisoners. “I wish for the three of you to remain here to ensure you cannot interfere, as well as to witness what I am about to show you.”
With her magic she showed them all images of the outside world and how it appeared now...
The skies were outlandishly red with dark clouds swirling. The royal palace was now Super Nightmare’s home base of operations, and worst of all, every pony, every creature in all of Equestria were bound by chains, and cursed with magical manacles that disabled any magic, flying, or super special abilities anyone had so they couldn’t even try to fight back. Every single one of them was forced into hard labour; digging trenches, carrying huge loads of heavy stones, water barrels, and other things. They were brutally forced to keep working by the minions and the shadowbolt armada.
Cadance and Shining Armor were forced into a march with Rep-Stallion pestering them. “Hup-two-three-four-- Come on, everybody. I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”
Cadance felt so exhausted that she collapsed. Shining Armor bent down to help his wife. “Well, well, a couple of slackers, huh?” hissed Dementia and she kicked them both hard and shouted “GET BACK TO WORK!”
As for Discord, Mysterious had him in chains and demonstrated what would happen to those who dared stand up to or defy orders “Observe if you will…” he said as he slowly approached the prisoner.
“What are you going to do?” he asked nervously.
He got his answer as Mysterious simply touched him on the face with his finger. At first, nothing happened, but suddenly a small speck of red light appeared on Discord’s face, and it spread across his entire body as Discord began to scream in pain and his body was incinerated into complete and total nothingness… much to the prisoners’ horrors.
Mysterious then turned to face them and proclaimed “Now that you can see just how powerful we truly are, and that your tactics cannot amount us, what will you do?”
The prisoners, fraught with fear and not wanting to be next swiftly got back to their labors.
“Yes, that’s more like it.” Mysterious said, and he laughed wickedly.
Super Nightmare snickered sinisterly.
Twilight felt a mixture of tears and fury. “You monster!” she growled and charged straight at the barrier only to be forced back by its powerful waves. “Twilight!” cried Celestia.
Twilight wasn’t hurt, and Super Nightmare laughed “You are far more pathetic as I remember. My magic is far stronger now than it was. You can never overpower me. Especially seeing as I have these…!” She revealed she had confiscated the Elements of Harmony in a small chest and planned to hide them within her fortress so that they couldn’t be used against her.
Even if they could, it wouldn’t be enough as was demonstrated earlier.
All three princesses felt their angers broiling, but the force-fields kept them all in. Even Celestia’s magic couldn’t break it and merely bounced off the shield and hit her back.
“Weren’t you listening to what I just said…” sneered Super Nightmare. Her eyes glowed brightly and Celestia felt herself being lifted off the floor, and she was slammed down hard. “Sister!” cried Luna. “Princess!” cried Twilight.
“A small sample of what is in store for all of you if I am further infuriated.” said Super Nightmare.
Celestia struggled to get back onto her feet. She glared angrily at Nightmare, “You won’t get away with this!” she scorned, but super Nightmare merely sniggered and scoffed “I wish someone would write you a new line. That one is getting so tired.” Then she left the caves under tight guard so no one would try and sneak in to try and free the prisoners.
Twilight continuously struggled to try and break free. “I will not… let… this… happen!” she growled, but it was just no use. All three of them could only imagine the bad shape Equestria was in now, and what of all their friends?
Two days felt like a-hundred years to all the poor helpless ponies.
The evil Super Nightmare Moon, her three demoncorns and their vast armada of Shadowbolts minions continued to drive them all with an iron fist. They enjoyed pushing the ponies and creatures around and forcing them into more work, building towers, and monuments, and anything Super Nightmare and the demons demanded.
Those who slacked off were very harshly disciplined by brutal beatings and whippings. Sometimes, the demons tortured someone just for fun, preferably Cadance…
“This is for attempting to reason with us.” hissed Mysterious, and he punched her hard across the face.
“This is for slacking!” said Dementia, and she kicked her in the side. Then Rep-Stallion zapped her with several blasts, “And that was just for fun.” he laughed.
Cadance was badly hurt and had wounds all over her. Shining Armor begged and pleaded for them to stop hurting his wife. He couldn’t bear to watch, as well as see her lying on the ground practically near death.
“Sure…” said Rep-Stalion as he tossed the weak princess to the ground.
“We’ll just torture you instead.” hissed Dementia, and she and her comrades unleashed their wrath upon him, roughing him up just as badly as Cadance.
“Perhaps now you will keep in mind who are the masters and whom are the slaves!” hissed Mysterious.
As for Twilight’s friends; they were forced into palace slavery in Super Nightmare’s new fortress where they were forced to do chores, serve her and the minions meals, fan them, just about every slave thing possible.
Rep-Stallion, when he came by, loved to tease her. “Hey little pony…
…Boo.”
As expected, Fluttershy screamed in a cry of horror and she ran to hide behind all her friends, trembling like a frightened mouse.
Super Nightmare and the others laughed at the way Fluttershy and the others were cowering. “It feels so wonderful to be queen.” Super Nightmare said “Slaves, fetch us more dark-leaf tea, and hurry!”
Spike and Rarity bowed and walked off to fetch the tea, but Spike grumbled insults under his little breath, which Super Nightmare could hear, and she levitated him off the ground right before her “What exactly where you saying?” she asked with a deep sneer.
“Who, me…? Oh, nothing, nothing at all… your grace…!”
“That’s what I thought. Don’t let it happen again. You know what fate lies in store for those who displease me…” and she angrily flung him into Rarity knocking her down and shouted “…UNDERSTAND?!”
Spike got up and bowed nervously along with the other ponies, and they all got back to their chores.
Suddenly, the ground began to quake again, all over the planet. The slaves all felt it too, and some of the constructed monuments they made crumpled under the stress.
The quaking stopped, and Dementia asked “What was that for? I thought you were finished.” but Super Nightmare admitted that she didn’t cause that quake. “I… I don’t understand.” said Nightmare, she was however more outraged in the destruction of her monuments outside, and angrily order her slaves to reconstruct them, at the cost of three rest periods.
While they slaved away, others who were too young or too small for work or be of much use, were locked into prison, even the cutie mark crusaders, and the cake twins Pumpkin and Pound. The little babies were crying their heads off in fear, but at least their parents were with them, only because the guards couldn’t stand the babies crying.
“Silence those foals!” Mysterious demanded. Carrot Cake scowled, but Cupcake warned him not to try anything and help her calm the babies down.
Sweetie Bell and Apple-Bloom were trying to be brave, but were very worried about their sisters, Applejack and Rarity, and all their other friends as well. Scootaloo couldn’t believe this was happening to the planet. All three of them felt like crying, but tried hard to hold it in so as not to disturb the guards and receive more lashes.
As the day slowly went by, a few more earthquakes had hit, and shook the lands even more, growing more and more violent with each one, making it harder and harder to maintain work.
Super Nightmare and the demons had no idea what the cause was.
…While down below in the prison caves, the tremors were cracking the rock in the walls, the ceiling, even in the floors within the barriers around the Princesses.
Princess Luna realized she could use this to her advantage and try to escape, were it not for all the Shadowbolt guards in the way.
Not wishing to speak out loud to be overheard, she waved to her sister and to Twilight and began to flash her horn in morose code telling them her plan.
“I am still able to use my magic; I will use my shadowy darkness to slip through the cracks and bring the two of you with me. Then we shall be able to sneak deep into the fortress, locate the Elements of Harmony, and hopefully be able to take the battle to my evil self.”
Celestia and Twilight were both more non-enthusiastic about such an idea.
Celestia messaged her own thoughts.
“I fear it will not work. With the Shadowbolts constantly watching us, if we make any movement, they will alert Super Nightmare Moon. I really could not bear to see more of our friends and subjects suffer.”
Luna explained that she already had an idea of how to trick the Shadowbolts. Though it was risky, she felt she really had to try and could not bear the kingdom be in such oppression anymore.
Twilight and Celestia watched as Luna cleared her throat and then, speaking in Super Nightmare’s voice she called to the Shadowbolts “You are hereby relieved of your duties.”
The Shadowbolts reacted confused, believing it was really their mistress speaking to them.
Luna continued to speak to them, “Off with you now, this is an order! DARE YOU DEFY ME…?!”
The Shadowbolts complied and scuttled off leaving the cave completely unguarded.
“Princess, that was incredible!” cried Twilight.
“I second that.” added Celestia.
Luna had figured since the Shadowbolts only answered to her evil self, and still be able to mimic that old voice, she’d be able to trick, which now gave her the chance to use her powers, casting herself as a stream of shadows she slipped through the cracks in the floor, tunneling her way through and grabbing both her sister and Twilight, and transporting them out of their barrier prisons.
“Well done, Luna…” said Celestia.
“Do not thank me yet.” Luna said “We must hurry and find the Elements of Harmony, and if I know my evil half, I will know exactly where she has hidden them.”
“But wait…” said Twilight “Even if we get the Elements of Harmony, what good will they do? they won’t work on Super Nightmare or the demoncorns; they’re too powerful.”
“We must at least try, Twilight.” Celestia said “I will not allow this kingdom to fall without a fight, even if it means we may have to resort to drastic actions.”
Her younger sister agreed, and Twilight had no other choice but to go along with it.
Twilight’s friends were still doing their menial, grueling chores around the fortress.
Rarity was constantly whining about how ugly she looked dressed in rags, covered with soot and dust, and chained to an iron ball. “Eww, there’s dust in mane.” she cried for the umpteenth time.
Applejack was very annoyed as she passed by with another heavy crate of apples “You got the easy bit!” she growled “I like cookin’ as much as the next, but this is worse than bittin’ an apple and findin’ half a worm in it.”
“SILENCE!” shouted Super Nightmare. Her eyes glowed and Applejack and Rarity were being shocked by their chains and manacles with powerful magic.
Super Nightmare glared furiously at the two ponies and reminded them, “When working their duties, slaves are to be seen AND NOT HEARD! Now get back to work!”
Then she summoned Pinkie Pie to sing for her, and Rainbow Dash to perform tricks for her as entertainment. Poor Pinkie was on the verge of tears and Rainbow felt her anger spiking, but there was nothing either of them could do while bound by the enchanted manacles, even if they weren’t they still had not a chance.
Spike and Fluttershy were busy washing the windows and whispered to one another how much they hated this. “I wish I knew if Twilight was okay.” Spike said. Fluttershy said nothing for fear of being disciplined or worse… killed like Discord was.
To be honest, neither Fluttershy nor any of the others had ever known anybody to be so incredibly evil and tyrannical; the ponies and other creatures were suffering so badly, and poor Discord; just when he was leaning how to be better.
Fluttershy didn’t even want to begin to think how much worse things could get…
…and that’s when another earthquake happened. It was so violent, the very ground outside seemed as if it were growing weaker.
The slaves began to fear maybe the planet itself could take much more of this.
Even the three demoncorns began to fear that something was wrong, and decided to investigate.
Meanwhile, Twilight and the Princesses, now having made it deep into the fortress, had also felt the tremor and didn’t like the feel of it one bit.
“What’s going to happen if these quakes keep going?” Twilight wondered.
“We’ll worry about that, later…” Celestia said “Which way to the Elements, Luna?”
“I believe my evil side will be keeping them in the next room up ahead.” replied Luna “I just hope I am not mistaken.”
The trio continued to make their way through the creep fortress, ducking out of sight whenever the Shadowbolts came marching by.
It was a good thing Super Nightmare and Luna practically shared thought patterns and idealisms, or the trio would have gotten lost very easily.
Soon, there was large dark door ahead, being guarded by two Shadowbolts.
Luna tricked them as well with her Super Nightmare voice and ordered them away, and two guards fell for the trick and left the door completely unguarded.
Again, Twilight and Celestia found her ability astonishing.
“Hopefully, I should be able to break the seal on the door.” Luna said as she stuck her horn through the key lock, and the door slid right open… only for the three ponies to gasp…!
There stood Super Nightmare Moon, having been well aware of their escape all the time, she gazed at them frightfully, and held up the box with the Elements of Harmony saying “Looking for these?”
Princess Luna had quite forgotten that she and Super Nightmare both thought alike, it was no secret they would try to escape to her.
A swarm of Shadowbolts appeared and apprehended the trio.
“This cannot go unpunished.” said Super Nightmare.
“What are you going to do?” asked Celestia.
Luna was the only one who had a good idea of what was coming for them.
Before long, they were outside, chained with magical manacles to the wall to prevent their use of magic, and all of Twilight’s friends, even Shining Armor and Cadance were brought before them, also in chains.
Cadance and Shining Armor were still wounded from their lashings and beatings.
Super Nightmare glared at everyone and said “You are all about to witness what happens when I am defied.”
No one said a thing, to fraught with fear, Shining Armor and Cadance the most.
Super Nightmare instructed the Shadowbolts to take them aside. “They shall be the first to go!”
“What? No!” cried Twilight.
The others all felt their bloods running cold, but none were as feared as Shining Armor and Cadance.
“Twily…!” cried Shining Armor
Super Nightmare softly approached Twilight and sneered softly at her “As a newly crowned Princess, one of the many burdens you must endure is that you feel pain when others suffer for your mistakes.” She glared at the other two Princesses “Watching those two die is a most befitting punishment.”
She then turned to face the other two again, and she decided to kill Shining Armor first.
Twilight’s friends struggled, but couldn’t break free. Even if they could there was nothing they could do.
“No! No, please, don’t!” cried Cadance.
Shining Armor could see this was it for him, but he couldn’t help but lash at Super Nightmare “You’ll regret this! Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someone will make you suffer for what you’ve done and what you’re going to do.”
Super Nightmare only snickered sinisterly “Such high hopes, it brings the true foolishness you are. I will be able to dominate any other race as easily as I have dominated yours-- the fate of any inferior in any world.”
Her eyes began to glow brightly.
“NO!!!” Cadance and Twilight shrieked as they watched him get zapped hard. The last thing they heard was the mournful screams as his body was consumed by the energy, and when the light had faded, he was gone… reduced to a pile of smoldering ash.
Tears were streaming down Cadance’s face, and she could barely find the strength to even let out a sob. Twilight and the other Princesses felt the same, as did the other friends.
“He… he’s gone!” cried Fluttershy.
“No way…” said Rainbow.
The others all hung their heads low as their tears fell, while Super Nightmare grinned triumphantly.
Then, just as she was about to destroy Cadance, there was another tremor that really shook things up, and even when the shaking stopped, the loud rumbling was still going and the ground was vibrating softly.
“Hey!” Rep-Stallion called as he and his friends flew in from above.
“Who dares to interrupt me now?!” snarled Super Nightmare.
“Forgive us, but we have investigated and found the source of all these tremors.” said Mysterious.
“Speak up…”
Mysterious whispered into her ear what he and the others had found out, which shocked Super Nightmare so that her eyes widened. “How long do we have?”
“Any moment now, it will happen.” said Dementia “We must flee now while we can.”
Super Nightmare was outraged, but as he rumbling and vibrations began to worsen, she was forced to agree with her friends.
She quickly cast a spell to send all the Shadowbolts away, but still left the slaves all bound and imprisoned. Then with the Elements of Harmony in hand, she and her friends huddled together and Super Nightmare gazed at the prisons one last time, hissing cheekily “I suppose it was too good to last.”
The others had no idea what she was talking about, which watched as she and her friends vanished through a powerful portal they had created and headed off into space.
“Hey, where the heck are they goin’?” asked Applejack.
“And why ever would they just leave us here like this?” Rarity wondered.
That’s the mother of all quakes hit, and the very grounds began to break up as small explosions erupted.
“My guess is… that’s why!” cried Spike.
“The planet, it’s breaking up!” cried Celestia.
It turned out, and was the only possible explanation, that Super Nightmare had gotten a little carried away with her earthquakes earlier. She had shaken so much rock that the tremors had damaged the planet’s core, causing more and more tremors until now.
The quaking got worse as building collapsed and trees fell over, and more and more flames burst from the ground, and many of the slaves were getting hurt while others were killed instantly.
“The planet, it will explode!” cried Luna.
Everyone felt their hearts skip many beats as the tremors got worse and worse.
“We’ve got to do something!” cried Cadance, but no one could think of anything, and Twilight gazed at Celestia, who was hanging her head low “I’m afraid there is nothing we can do.” she hated to say.
She was right…
-They could not reverse the damage, even with magic.
-They also could not escape the planet, for unlike Super Nightmare and her friends, they did not possess the power and resources to actually make it into space, and even then, where would they go?
-There was also no time to evacuate everyone anyway.
“…This is it then.” said Rainbow.
“We’re… going to die!” cried Pinkie “WE’RE GONNA DIE!!!”
More tremors, more explosions and more of the ground collapsed, releasing the molten core which was about to blow.
Spike looked over at Twilight with tears of defeat in his eyes, and she looked back at him just as tearfully, and Twilight, smiling sadly motioned over to Rarity who was next to him.
Spike looked up at her and said “Rarity… before we go...” he paused when he noticed Rarity gazing deeply at him “I… I’ve always…”
She placed her hoof to his mouth, stopped him from saying another word, and just gazed at him ever so tearfully… as she had always known herself.
Spike smiled ever so lovingly at her, and she bent down and held him tightly, much to everyone else’s delight as the white light began to flash before them.
That’s when it happened; the once beautiful world of Equestria exploded in a colossal ball of fire… blown into a cloud of comic dust! The ponies, the other creatures, the hopes, the dreams… all of it, gone!
Super Nightmare Moon had ultimately won, and now as she and her friends stood on a nearby Moon, far, far away. They had seen everything.
“Take a look at that, what an escape.” cried Dementia.
Mysterious nodded, and though they’re home was destroyed as well he couldn’t help but feel “It sure feels satisfying knowing we have finally triumphed for once.”
“Yeah, but… what are we going to do now?” asked Rep-Stallion “We don’t have a planet to go back to.”
Super Nightmare assured her friends “We shall simply find a new world which we can conquer and rule, and hopefully many more after which.”
The others all agreed, and then the four ventured off into the unknown for worlds to invade and rule, and along the way, Super Nightmare, having no need for the Elements of Harmony, tossed them in their chest blasted them towards a flaming star, effectively destroying them and the last bits of the Equestrian Legacy with them.
She and her friends laughed most maniacally as they continued on their way.
Would the universe ever be the same again with them at large? Would other races suffer just as severely as the Equestrians did? Most importantly, would there or would there not ever be some force out there strong enough to effectively stand up the evil demons and punish them for all that they had done.
…Only Time would tell!
Author's Note
Author's Gloat
Oh, oh, yeah, that felt good. Real steam blown. Whew!