The Spark in the Night

by heavens-champion

Rating: teen
Tags: Princess Celestia, Alternate Universe, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Nightmare Moon, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Rainbow Dash, Adventure
Length: 13698

In an Equestria where night is eternal, a spark of hope is about to ignite.

In one of the alternate realities created by Star Swirl the Bearded's time travel spell, Nightmare Moon rules Equestria, Celestia is banished to the moon, the Night Guard and Nox Legion enforce their Princess's reign, the Elements of Harmony have been scattered and the ponies of Equestria live dependent on Nightmare Moon's magic to survive. However, all is not lost, for Twilight Sparkle, an orphaned unicorn, is the key to restoring Equestria to its former glory. With unlikely allies, she must find the Elements of Harmony, as well as brave all kinds of dangers, including Nightmare Moon herself, and her greatest warrior:

Rainbow Dash.

Published 2016-09-29 18:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2017-10-19 15:47:14 UTC

Prologue

PROLOGUE

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!”

The agonizing screams of Rainbow Dash, captain of the Night Guard, echoed throughout the torture chamber. It had only been a few hours ago since she allowed the mysterious alicorn and her dragon to escape back to their timeline before Nightmare Moon could use the map, and now her princess was personally submitting her to a grueling punishment.

She could feel the dark magic coursing through her veins, burning her from within. It felt like she was being torn apart from the inside. The blue pegasus could feel painful spasms throughout her body, causing her to writhe, as the dark blue aura enveloped her like mist, azure bolts of dark magic arcing across her body.

She gazed upon Nightmare Moon. The black alicorn’s face was contorted into an expression of rage, her eyes burning with anger.

Rainbow Dash learned to fear her princess’s wrath a long time ago. She saw her submit many of those who failed her to all kinds of punishments, all of them horrifying and cruel in their own way.

She herself had feared that she would one night be on the receiving end of Nightmare Moon’s punishments.

But she never thought that it would happen now, at this very moment.

She let out another screech of agony as pain shot through her body once more.

“Princess,” begged the pegasus, tears forming in her eyes, “Please! Stop! I-I’m sorry! We tried to catch her, but…”

“But you failed!” Shouted Nightmare Moon, her eyes blazing with a white light.

The pain in Rainbow Dash’s body intensified, causing her to scream again. Soon, tears of pain ran down her cheeks. She gritted her teeth, trying to fight back the urge to scream once more.

“Please, Princess.” She pleaded. She wasn’t normally one to beg, but this was different. She had seen what happened when Nightmare Moon was angry, and the results were unpleasant. It frightened her. Terrified her, even.

“That alicorn knew about the spell,” Nightmare Moon snarled, baring her fangs. “With it and her map, I would have found the Elements of Harmony and destroyed them. But you let her and her dragon slip away, and now the map is gone!”

Another surge of pain shot through Rainbow Dash’s body. She tried to resist the urge to scream, but failed. She felt like her lungs would burst at any moment.

“It happened so fast,” She cried. “By the time we came to our senses, they were already gone! Princess, please! I beg of you! Give me another chance! I won’t fail again! I promise! Please!”

There was a tense silence, until Nightmare Moon relaxed her expression. The aura surrounding Rainbow Dash disappeared, and the young pegasus fell to the floor in a heap, convulsing slightly as dark magic jolted through her body for a few seconds. She looked up to see Nightmare Moon giving her a glare that could terrify even a dragon.

“Normally, I would sentence you to a more severe punishment, Captain, as I did to your subordinate,” She said, her voice low and full of danger. Rainbow Dash swallowed hard, fear in her eyes.

But then, the dark alicorn smirked. “But then, I would have to find another pegasus of your caliber to lead the Night Guard,” She continued, “And such ponies are hard to find. After all, that’s why I made you my greatest warrior. Your speed, willpower, and strength are second to none but myself. And that’s the kind of pony I would want on my side, rather than as an enemy.”

Rainbow Dash struggled to stand back up, groaning as every part of her body ached. She forced herself to look up at Nightmare Moon.

“Thank you, Princess,” She managed to say. “You have no idea how honored I am to hear that.”

Nightmare Moon chuckled softly, her sinister expression unchanged. Rainbow Dash swallowed nervously. Ever since she had come to serve Nightmare Moon, she was unnerved by her princess’s laughter. It sounded so… unhinged; As if a thousand years of imprisonment had driven her to madness. Of course, she did her best to hide her anxiety whenever her laugh echoed throughout the castle. After all, what would ponies think of the notorious Captain Rainbow Dash if she showed a hint of fear? It would certainly damage her pride.

“And because of your attributes,” Nightmare Moon continued, “It would be a waste to condemn you to a fate worse than death, like I had done to your subordinate.”

Rainbow swallowed, her eyes betraying a glint of fear. She remembered the other guard, who also attempted to capture the mysterious travelers before they made their escape, begging for mercy before Nightmare Moon cast her most terrible spell upon him: The Slumber of Fear, a spell that placed the victim in a comatose state, in which they experienced horrific nightmares. The last victims of the spell long before tonight’s events were a unicorn couple who attempted to rise up against Nightmare Moon. They had been kept in the dungeon ever since, kept alive by Nightmare Moon’s magic. She would not let starvation claim them. She wanted their suffering to be a long one.

Deep down, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but pity them. Yes, they had risen up against the Princess, a fact that angered her greatly. And yet, she felt sorry for them. Ever since she became the Captain of the Night Guard, and Nightmare Moon’s greatest warrior, she served Nightmare Moon with pride, and anypony that stood up against her was an enemy in her eyes.

But, ultimately, her heart would not allow her to be cold to their suffering. Although, she did well hiding it. She was an excellent actress. Nightmare Moon, however, could tell she was troubled.

The dark alicorn approached the young pegasus, placed the tip of her ethereal mane under her chin, and lifted her face up until she gazed into her draconic eyes.

“Something wrong, Captain?” She asked, her smirk replaced with a frown. Rainbow Dash stared into her eyes. She could see the anger in those eyes. Anger… and sadness.

There was a tense silence, until it was finally broken by the pegasus mare.

“No, princess,” She lied. “Nothing at all.”

Nightmare raised her brow, unconvinced. Rainbow’s ears flattened against her skull, fear building up inside her once more. She was worried that Nightmare would subject her to another painful dose of her magic. She already suffered tonight once. She couldn’t bear to suffer another wave of unimaginable pain running through her body.

She heaved a heavy sigh in defeat, closing her eyes.

“It’s about the Slumber of Fear,” she muttered, her voice full of sadness. “It just doesn’t seem right, using it on other ponies, like those two unicorns in the dungeon.”

“Are you defending my enemies?” The question carried a hint of anger.

“N-n-no, Princess! I’d never do that!” Rainbow Dash stumbled upon her words. “It’s just, what if they go insane? All of those nightmares plaguing their dreams? Sooner or later, once they wake up, they might not be themselves anymore.”

Nightmare Moon was silent as she pondered the words of her most faithful soldier. True, there was a chance the victims would lose their minds. She couldn’t be adored by her subjects if they were too busy giggling like mad ponies. After a few seconds of contemplation, she glanced down at Rainbow Dash.

“Let me worry about that for now, Captain,” She said, nonchalantly, “In the meantime, you should focus on redeeming yourself for tonight’s mistake. Perhaps you could supervise the operations in Canterlot, make sure all the sun spells in the archives were destroyed. We can’t leave anything for any dissidents to use.”

Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up. It sounded strange that Nightmare Moon would be worried about a rebellion. Ever since she returned and banished Princess Celestia to the moon and the unicorns from five nights ago, Rainbow Dash couldn’t fathom the idea that there would be ponies who would rise up against her.

“Dissidents, Princess?” She asked. “But after those two Unicorns—”

“Do you really think that only two ponies would remain loyal to my sister?!” Nightmare Moon interrupted, causing the pegasus to shrink back in fear. She was like an abused foal being yelled at by her parents.

Rainbow Dash mentally hit herself for annoying the Princess. This just isn’t my night, she thought. The young pegasus slowly shook her head. “N-n-no, Princess.” She whimpered.

“Of course not,” Huffed Nightmare Moon. “If two ponies stood up to me, then there’s no doubt there are other ponies who stand against me.” She narrowed her eyes. “Ponies who love her more than me.” She snarled. Rainbow Dash could hear the anger and resentment in her voice.

“I have waited a thousand years to finish what I started, and I won’t allow rebels to ruin it for me. That is why you must go to the Royal Canterlot Archives, and destroy every sun spell within. Without such spells, any potential rebels will have no means to undo my night. Only I will be able to raise the sun.” She then smirked, a smug expression creeping across her visage. “And I’m not going to.”

Rainbow Dash nodded as she processed her Princess’s speech. Ever since becoming the Captain of the Guard, she made sure that she heard every order Nightmare Moon gave her.

“Now then,” Nightmare Moon continued. “While you’re out gathering your squadron, I will retire to my quarters.”

“Yes, Princess.” Said Rainbow Dash.

With that, the dark alicorn turned and walked out the door, leaving the pegasus. Rainbow Dash looked down to see her discarded helmet and picked it up, the helmet concealing her face, save for her mouth, as she put it back on. The young pegasus sighed as she left the torture chamber, her body still aching from the dark magic she was subjected to.

As she walked down the hall, she looked out the window to see the moon. The image of a mare’s face was imbedded upon its surface, the moon itself in bright colors.

It was on the moon where Equestria’s original ruler was now imprisoned. Nightmare Moon had banished her there as revenge for the same sentence she had been given a millennium ago.

How ironic, Rainbow Dash thought, that the Princess of the Sun would receive the same punishment that Nightmare Moon did.

The pegasus scoffed, eyeing the pastel-colored moon, or rather the Mare in the Moon, with contempt. Ever since she became the Captain of the Guard, Nightmare Moon told her that the Princess of the Sun was nothing more than a vain and egotistical despot, who left her subjects unprotected while she enjoyed her life of luxury. All that changed when Nightmare Moon returned to liberate Equestria from her reign. Since then, Equestria was subject to an era of perpetual darkness. For a long time, unicorn scholars had said that without the sun, Equestria would freeze. Thanks to Nightmare Moon’s magic, such a problem was avoided. Of course, her subjects had to pay tribute to her to make sure the light crystals remained lit, so their crops would continue to grow. Those ponies who did not would face the consequences.

Still, such a rule was preferable to the apathy that plagued the rule of Celestia.

Rainbow Dash mentally kicked herself for even thinking that name. Ever since the beginning of Nightmare Moon’s reign, it was forbidden to mention the Sun Princess’s name. The last pony to mention her name was banished to the Everfree Forest. When that alicorn’s dragon mentioned her, Rainbow was worried that Nightmare Moon would sentence them to a similar fate. She was surprised she took it very well.

Then, Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. That alicorn. She did this to her. Because of her, Nightmare Moon was beginning to doubt her abilities. She made a fool out of her. She humiliated her. And nopony humiliated the Princess’s greatest warrior. Next to defying Nightmare Moon, it was the greatest mistake anypony could make. The prismatic pegasus bared her teeth in anger, a quiet snarl escaping her lips.

“I’ll make her pay,” She hissed. “She’ll regret she ever came here!”

“Who will regret what, now?” Asked a sophisticated voice.

Rainbow Dash snapped out of her state of anger and turned to face the source of the voice. Standing in front of her was a unicorn mare. She had a light gray coat and cerulean blue eyes, as well as light blue eye shadow. Her violet mane was curled into a bun, as was her tail. She wore the black and light blue suit and purple shoes of the Castle’s Royal Servants.

Rainbow Dash recognized her as Rarity, one of Nightmare Moon’s maids. She looked at her with a concerned expression, as opposed to her usual tense expression.

Rainbow’s stunned expression eventually changed into one of indifference.

“It’s nothing, Rarity,” She muttered, turning away from her. “Don’t worry about it.”

Rarity, however, was unconvinced. She quirked an inquisitive eyebrow.

“You and I both know that isn’t true.” She said.

The young pegasus heaved an annoyed sigh. She hated it when Rarity pried, and after tonight’s fiasco, she wanted none of it.

“I said, it doesn’t concern you,” She snarled. Most ponies would be intimidated by Dash when she was this angry, but Rarity would not. To the unicorn, it made her look incredibly immature.

“It’s about that alicorn, isn’t it?” She asked.

Rainbow’s eyes widened beneath her helmet. She sighed again, though out of resignation rather than annoyance.

“Yes.” She said, her voice dripping with irritation.

Rarity smirked, pleased that she managed to get the Captain of the Guard to tell her what was troubling her. The pegasus faced her, a frown on her face.

“Another guard and I were the closest to the map,” She said. “We tried to catch her, but she and her dragon used the map to escape, and after the light faded, the map was gone before Nightmare Moon could use it to find the Elements. After that, we were brought back to the castle. The other guard was sentenced to the Slumber of Fear, while I faced Nightmare Moon’s Aura of Agony. If she didn’t favor me so much, I would have suffered much worse.”

“Yes,” Said Rarity, barely a hint of pity in her voice. “I heard her ranting about that earlier. I suppose Her Majesty will have to find the Elements some other way, now.”

Rainbow nodded her head in acknowledgement.

“Still,” Continued Rarity, “It was rather strange that an alicorn other than the Princess would be wandering around the castle. Especially an alicorn with a… dragon.” She spoke the last word as if it was the worst thing anypony could say.

Indeed, ever since the beginning of Nightmare Moon’s reign, dragons were considered as loathsome as they were dangerous. When Nightmare Moon had driven all the dragons back to their land, the ponies of Equestria were relieved. After what many came to call The Grand Eviction, Nightmare Moon had used her magic to create a barrier that prevented any dragon outside of Equestria from entering.

Of course, there were still those dragons within Equestria’s borders who managed to escape the Eviction. But they were too weak to pose a threat.

Rainbow gave a slight chuckle as she remembered the dragon. “Yeah,” She said. “A pony and her baby dragon. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Although, deep down, she felt a pinch of guilt for saying that. After all, Nightmare Moon threatened to harm the dragon if the alicorn didn’t take them to the map. Dragon or not, to face Nightmare Moon’s fury was a fate worse than death.

“So,” She heard Rarity say. “What mission of redemption has the Princess sent you on, after your failed attempt to capture our mysterious guest?”

Rainbow Dash turned to face her completely.

“The Princess believes that there’s a chance of a rebellion against her since those two unicorns five nights ago,” She said. “She’s asked me to oversee the destruction of every sun-related spell in the archives in Canterlot. She believes that will hinder any attempts to topple the regime. Personally, after last night, I don’t think anypony would be crazy enough to start a rebellion. But I’m in enough hot water as it is, especially after that alicorn humiliated me. I’ll take any chance to prove that I’m the greatest warrior in Nightmare Moon’s inner circle. I will prove my loyalty!”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Are you sure you’re doing this for the sake of Equestria and not for the sake of your wounded pride?” She asked. Her eyes widened when she realized her mistake.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash got up in the unicorn’s face, her eyes burning with anger beneath her helmet, which made her look much more menacing than without it. A small, frightened squeak escaped Rarity’s lips, her pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks.

“Do you doubt me?” She asked in a deceptively calm voice. Rarity didn’t answer. She was too frightened to.

“Do. You. Doubt me?!” Rainbow repeated, her voice rising in volume, removing her helmet and showing her angry visage.

“No! Of course not, Captain,” Yelped Rarity “It’s just that I’m worried that after tonight, you might not be in any condition to---”

“I’m not doing this for me,” Rainbow interjected. “I’m doing this for Equestria! If there is another rebellion waiting to strike, I won’t stand by and let them bring back Ce--” -She caught herself before she could say the name- “The other princess! Did it ever bother you when the dragons infested Equestria, and the Princess of the Sun did nothing about them? Do you want to live under her rule again?! Do you?!”

Rarity was silent, frightened by her friend's outburst, but she shook her head in reply. This was the first time Rainbow’s anger had ever intimidated her. Then again, she had never seen her this angry since the day her foalhood friend was believed to have died in the first rebellion when Nightmare Moon returned. The young pegasus calmed down, heaving a deep sigh, her steely gaze softening as guilt began to rise.

“I’m sorry, Rarity,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just that so much has happened. First, two unicorns tried to start another rebellion, then an alicorn comes out of nowhere talking about somepony named Starlight Glimmer changing history, then she talks about her and her friends defeating Nightmare Moon with the Elements back in her world, and now the Princess doubts my abilities after I let her and her dragon escape.”

Rarity remained silent for a moment, and then she nodded. “I understand,” She said. “And I’m sorry. I was being cold. Of course, that’s what happens when you try your best to keep Nightmare Castle nice and organized and go completely unappreciated for your attempts.”

Resentment could be heard in her voice. It was true. Ever since Rarity was made a servant in Nightmare Moon’s castle, she made it her duty to make sure the castle was in the most presentable shape possible, especially when ponies came for a tour, from arranging tapestries, to cleaning the carpets. Of course, her deeds went unnoticed. The Night Guard, in particular, except for Rainbow Dash, treated her as nothing more than a slave. They would even intentionally drop food on the floor, making her have to wash it again despite finishing five seconds earlier. To say it frustrated her would barely scratch the surface. Infuriated her would have been much more accurate.

Rainbow managed a small smile. “If it helps,” She reassured. “I appreciate what you do. Besides, somepony has to clean up after Night Watch and Vigilance. Seriously, sometimes I think those guys are pigs disguised as bat ponies.”

The two shared a chuckle at Rainbow Dash’s little joke. It made Rarity feel better that at least Rainbow Dash appreciated her work.

Rainbow Dash then placed her helmet back on, her smile turning into a determined frown. “Now if you’ll excuse me,” she said, “I have a job to do.”

“Of course,” Said Rarity. “In the meantime, I’ll be performing the ever-so tedious task of rearranging tapestries. Sometimes, I wish they could rearrange themselves.”

Rainbow nodded, and continued down the hall, leaving the unicorn to her own devices.

The cyan pegasus continued to think about recent events, particularly the alicorn from before. Who was she? What did she mean when she said that she and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon? The pegasus snorted. What did it matter? Because of her, she was walking on thin ice with the Princess, the very pony she looked to for guidance, like a filly looked to her mother for guidance. It angered her, knowing that she had disappointed Nightmare Moon like that. But with this new mission she was given, a task to prevent any potential rebels from gaining any means to oppose Nightmare Moon’s reign, she saw an opportunity to prove herself to the princess; an opportunity to restore her honor.

True, she was doing this for Equestria, but deep down, she wanted to prove her worth. After all, she wasn’t made Captain of the Guard for nothing, and she would prove that she had earned that title.

I’ll show them, she thought, her magenta eyes narrowing, I’ll show them all.

However, unknown to her, an earth pony mare wearing her own night maid uniform had listened in on the two’s conversation. She narrowed her eyes as she entered a separate room, pulling out a light blue crystal from her uniform collar. She held it close to her lips and spoke into it.

“Sweetie Drops to Princess Cadance. I have some vital information.”

***************************************************************

Meanwhile, in an abandoned library in Canterlot, a young unicorn had made her hiding spot, after the Night Guard had taken her parents five nights ago.

Here, she had lived, with only rats and mice to keep her company, using magic to create food from thin air. Since that night, she hid herself, occasionally sneaking into Canterlot Castle to find new books for her to read and new food to eat, careful to avoid the Nox Legion regiment stationed to serve as Canterlot’s city guard.

Alas, it wasn’t enough to fill the hole in her heart. Ever since she had failed the entrance exam, her life had taken a downward slump. She had isolated herself from the rest of the world, with only her family to comfort her. And now, her parents were prisoners, and her brother was missing. She had nopony left.

She was alone.

Her blood boiled when she remembered that night. A squadron of pegasi barged into their home, accusing her parents of treason. There was a tussle, Twilight and her brother were told to run, and then one of the guards knocked over a lamp, causing a fire to break out. She and her brother were separated by the flames, and their parents were eventually taken. She had last seen them being taken by the Night Guard into the direction of the Everfree Forest, where Nightmare Moon’s castle resided, where a fate worse than death awaited them.

A quiet snarl escaped Twilight’s lips, her hooves trembling with anger.

“Nightmare Moon…” She muttered quietly, anger rising in her voicing, “Night Guard… Nox Legion…”

She then let out an enraged growl as she slammed her hooves against the floor, startling a few rats. Her lavender eyes were filled with rage.

“I hate them!” She bellowed. “I HATE THEM ALL!”

Author's Note

This is a new story I've started. Technically, I had this idea before Shadows of War.
I'll get back to work on Shadows of War eventually. Until then, feast your eyes on the first entry of The Spark in the Night. If you see any errors, let me know.
I have made a few edits.

Chapter 1: Operation Overdue

CHAPTER 1: OPERATION OVERDUE

For many years, the city of Canterlot stood as a bastion of culture and sophistication. Here, the elite of Equestrian society made their domain, discussing the latest topics, and attending social gatherings such as the Grand Galloping Gala. Canterlot was also famous for its libraries, universities, schools, colleges, academies, and other places of knowledge. Some ponies called it the Knowledge Hub. The streets were filled with many ponies, from the aristocracy to the common citizens, going about their business, from constructing new innovations to teaching future generations the ways of Equestrian culture, playing their part in society. All in all, the citizens were happy.

After the return of Nightmare Moon, however, things took a turn for the worst. While still home to the upper-class, the city of Canterlot became all but a police state, its citizens forced to live under the rule of the Princess of the Night. Certain knowledge was suppressed, particularly knowledge of the Sun Princess, by order of Nightmare Moon. Like the rest of Equestria, its inhabitants were entirely dependent on the magic of Nightmare Moon to survive, paying tribute to her so that she would keep the city’s light crystals lit so the plants would continue to grow. Ever since Nightmare Moon declared the reign of eternal night, she had her servants construct the light crystals in every major city in Equestria, forcing the smaller villages to rely on less conventional means to create light. It was also thanks to Nightmare Moon’s magic that the cold temperatures of night did not freeze Equestria over. Regardless, citizens were demanded to pay tribute to Nightmare Moon. Ponies who did not would see their plants doomed to a cold death… Or would be arrested for treason.

Despite this, the ponies went about their business like they normally did before Nightmare Moon’s return. However, beneath the façade of a happy city, fear hung heavily in the air. After the first rebellion, Nightmare Moon placed the Nox Legion, a military force of pegasi and bat ponies, in control of the city and many others, serving as a police force. Since then, crimes were punished swiftly and ruthlessly. In addition to the usual crimes, the Nox Legion Canterlot Detachment would punish those crimes Nightmare Moon considered the most treasonous: missing the sun, saying that life before Nightmare Moon was much better, and the most heinous of all, mentioning the Princess of the Sun by name. The punishment for such a crime varied, but they were all equally horrific and made the culprits beg for death.

Despite these conditions, Canterlot was more or less peaceful, still serving as the capital of Equestria, even though Nightmare Moon made her political seat at the reconstructed Castle of the Two Sisters, or Nightmare Castle, as it was called. Ponies continued their lives, living under the rule of Nightmare Moon. Even with the Nox Legion and the Canterlot Hoof Police enforcing a harsh regime where criminals faced a harsh brand of justice, there were still those who did what they could to survive.

And none were more determined to survive than a certain lavender unicorn.

***********************

The Canterlot market square was as busy as ever, full of merchants selling their wares to curious ponies, as the ponies bought the basic essentials in addition to whatever exotic goods were for sale. The entire square was packed with ponies, too crowded for anypony to notice one thief going about stealing from the stands. Of course, it wasn’t the market square where the young unicorn wanted to steal. It was simply what stood between her and her true destination: Canterlot Castle.

Using her magic to pull her hood up, Twilight Sparkle made her way through the crowd of ponies, focusing her eyes on the towering spires of Canterlot Castle. It was from Canterlot Castle where Twilight usually received her meal, when street food created by her magic wasn’t enough to satiate her appetite. The vegetable soups and apple fritters from the castle kitchens were much more preferable to the plants from the park, and the artificial food she conjured that she often filled her belly with. Of course, being the central political hub of the city, sneaking into it was no easy task.

The Castle was crawling with Nox Legionnaires, in addition to the Castle Watch, a unicorn military unit assigned to guarding the Castle and the surrounding area. Traps of all kinds were installed in the castle as well, by order of High Life, the appointed regent of Canterlot. There were also highly trained Orthros hounds as well, serving as guard dogs. Nopony intruding upon the castle grounds had ever gotten past them.

Twilight smirked under her hood. Nopony, she thought, Except for me. It was true, of course. Twilight studied everything she needed to know about Equestria’s flora and fauna, and Orthros were no exception. All she had to do was toss a few bones in their general direction, and they would be too busy gnawing on them to see her slip into the castle. And thanks to her photographic memory, she was able to memorize where High Life’s traps were located, allowing her to avoid them all. As for the guards, she would use an invisibility spell, along with an assortment of voice spells for when she needed to lure any guards away from their position, and a shapeshifting spell she had learned from a scroll she acquired from her last visit to the castle. Ever since the night she was orphaned, she made sure to hone her skills in magic and evasion. It helped her throughout these past nights when she needed to sneak into the castle for her latest meal.

Only tonight, she was not going to the castle to steal from the kitchens. Instead, she was going to the castle for its most well-guarded secret: the Royal Canterlot Archives. Out of all the libraries in the city, the Royal Canterlot Archives was the most famous, and most mysterious. The Archives was home to a vast treasure trove of knowledge, from spells to historical records. Many of this information could not be found anywhere else. The secrets held within the archives were what drove Twilight to break in and acquire what knowledge she could. The books in the library she called home could only satiate her thirst for knowledge for so long.

Finally, the young unicorn made her way out of the crowd and to the archway leading into the Castle District. A grin crept across her face.

“Alright, Twilight,” She whispered to herself. “Let’s get started.”

However, she gasped when she saw a squad of Nox Legionnaires marching her way. Thinking quickly, she jumped into a corner, hiding in the shadow. The black-clad pegasi marched by, not even taking notice of her.

She heaved a sigh of relief as she stepped out of her hiding spot. She cast a dirty look in the direction of the soldiers. Anger burnt in her lavender eyes. Ever since her parents were taken from her, she harbored a hatred for the Nox Legion, along with anything else related to Nightmare Moon. Just seeing them left an awful taste in her mouth.

However, as ruthless as the Nox Legion was, they were practically harmless compared to Nightmare Moon’s deadliest warriors, the Night Guard.

The Night Guard were a force spoken of with fear throughout Equestria, made infamous for their viciousness and sheer ruthlessness. It was a unit made entirely of bat ponies, those ponies who bore bat wings and dwelled in the darkest caves of Equestria’s mountains. They were fiercely loyal to Nightmare Moon, and devoted themselves to vanquishing her foes wherever they lurked.

Twilight had seen them before; on the night they came to take away her parents. Their cat-like eyes, tufted ears, leathery wings, and dark purple, light blue and grayish-purple armor were forever etched into her memory.

She hated them, as well. But she didn’t just hate them. She feared them. And rightfully so. Frightful stories were told of how the Night Guard would show no remorse in their task, and how they would relentlessly hound their prey. Even the Canterlot Hoof Police trembled in fear whenever the Night Guard made their presence. But no story was more terrifying than those of their captain. She was said to be the fastest flyer in Equestria, her devotion to the Princess of the Night greater than anypony else’s, and her determination matched only by her temper. It was said that once she set her sights on her prey, nothing save for Nightmare Moon herself could sway her from the hunt.

“Better not stick around.” Twilight said to herself as she looked away from the soldiers and made her way into the Castle District. She was getting closer, now. She would soon make her most daring trek into the archives.

She took a deep breath and trotted toward the castle gates, already thinking of a plan to get past security.

Little did she know that this was the night when her life would change, and where her destiny would begin.

********************

Meanwhile, another group of ponies had already made their way into the Castle District, blending in with the crowd. The Castle District was packed, making it easy for them to go unnoticed by patrols. Of course, they needed to remain discrete, lest they attracted unwanted attention. They could not afford to jeopardize their mission.

One of the ponies, an orange earth pony mare in a brown Stetson, red scarf, and brown vest, scanned her surroundings, keeping an eye out for any Hoof Police or Nox Legionnaires. So far, there were none. Excellent. The last thing their group needed was a run in with Nightmare Moon’s servants.

“Looks like the coast is clear.” She whispered, her voice carrying a Southern accent.

“Don’t be too sure,” Said her companion, a light blue pegasus stallion with green eyes, “We’re in the Castle District. It’s gonna be crawling with security. And the Castle itself is gonna have even more. So we gotta keep our eyes peeled.”

“Ha. You worry too much, Soarin’,” Scoffed a taller, lankier pegasus stallion with a lime green coat and yellow mane. “Nopony’s gonna notice a bunch of ponies like us in this part of the city.”

“Except when we make our way to the Castle, Zephyr,” said a pale blue pegasus mare. “Which is when we need to stick to the shadows.”

“Cloudchaser’s got a point, Zeph,” replied the orange earth pony. “Security will be tight when we get there. High Life’s not gonna leave our objective unguarded.”

“Yeah, whatever, AJ,” Zephyr muttered. “What is the objective, anyway?”

Another one of the ponies, a mint colored unicorn, glared at her tall companion.

“You mean you weren’t paying attention to the briefing?” She whispered. Zephyr was silent, and shrugged. His companions sighed in exasperation. Of all the things that could be said about Zephyr Breeze, paying attention to their mission briefings wasn’t one of them.

“Basically,” Began Applejack, “One of Princess Cadance’s spies reported that the Captain of the Night Guard herself is headin’ over to Canterlot to destroy everything in the Royal Canterlot Archives, so nopony can use the spells in there against Nightmare Moon. That way, it’ll be even harder for us to find a way to beat ‘er.”

Zephyr nodded, only half paying attention.

“So,” Continued the earth pony. “Our mission is to infiltrate the archives and grab as many books and scrolls about powerful spells as we can and bring ‘em back to the base.”

“Right,” Said Zephyr. “I think I got it.”

“Yeah,” Whispered the unicorn sarcastically, “Sure you do.”

Zephyr uttered an offended sound at his comrade’s remark.

“Of course I remember,” He whispered, “Nightmare Moon wants to destroy magic spells, so we have to get magic spells before its too late. There.”

The unicorn stared, dumbfounded by her lanky companion’s sudden ability to memorize the objective. Her shocked expression turned into an unreadable one.

“Beginner’s luck.” She muttered.

“Quiet, you two,” Whispered the blue pegasus stallion named Soarin. “We don’t want anypony to hear us. Especially not the Nox Legion.”

Applejack’s ears perked up as she heard the sound of faint hoofsteps coming from the left. Her eyes widened as she recognized the metallic tapping of armored hooves.

“Castle Watch,” She whispered. “Quick. Find cover.”

The others didn’t need to be told twice. They immediately leapt behind a hedgerow large enough to conceal them. A pair of blue-armored unicorn ponies turned around the corner, shining beams of light from their horns across the castle grounds in search of unwanted visitors. When they passed, Applejack peaked from behind the bush she hid behind, watching them leave. The earth pony heaved a sigh of relief. For a moment, she thought they would be caught.

The group stepped out of their hiding spot, sighing with relief. “That was too close for comfort.” Whispered Zephyr. “So, how do we get inside? Use the gate?”

“If you want to get caught, sure, let’s do that.” The unicorn mare replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

However, they saw a cloaked unicorn mare approaching the gates. Said mare’s horn began to glow purple, and she faded out of view. Their eyes widened at what they saw. They could hear the sound of hooves against stone as they heard somepony climb over the wall. It must have been the mysterious unicorn.

“Who in tarnation was that?” Asked Applejack.

“We’ll worry about that later,” Soarin shrugged. “Right now we gotta find a way inside.”

Applejack nodded, although her mind was still on the mysterious unicorn. Cloudchaser scanned her surroundings and then saw a ponyhole cover next to her hoof. She smirked.

“Well, what a coincidence.” She said to herself, before turning to her companions.

“Guys,” She whispered. “I think I found a way inside.”

Gaining their attention, she pointed at the ponyhole. Soarin, Applejack, and the green unicorn smirked, pleased with their teammate’s discovery. Zephyr Breeze, on the other hand, cringed and made a noise that sounded like he just stepped in something foul.

He looked at his cohorts, grimacing in disgust. “You’re kidding, right?” He asked.

“We’re kidding, wrong.” Answered the unicorn mare.

Zephyr made another disgusted noise.

“But it stinks in the sewer.” He whined.

“Fine,” Said Cloudchaser as she removed the cover. “You can stay here and wait for the Nox Legion to come pick you up.”

Zephyr’s face turned pale at the mention of ‘Nox Legion’. Suddenly, the sewer didn’t sound like such a bad idea after all. Before Cloudchaser could climb down the ladder and into the sewer, the tall pegasus stallion swan dived down the hole. A thud was heard, followed by Zephyr’s pained groans, signifying that he was still alive.

“Sure stinks down here.” He moaned.

Lyra rolled her eyes.

“Idiot.” She muttered.

“Well, since we’re here,” Said Soarin’. “It’s time to commence Operation: Overdue.”

Applejack nodded as she climbed down the ladder. However, her mind stilled wandered on that mysterious unicorn.

“Who was that, anyway?” She asked herself.

One by one, the squad climbed down into the sewers. Unbeknownst to them, a squadron of Night Guards was making their way to the Castle, led by the Captain of the Guard herself.

*************************************

High Life, Regent of Canterlot, sat in his chair watching the moon, a glass of apple cider held in a light blue aura. The unicorn stallion smiled at the bright, rainbow-colored moon, the image of a mare emblazoned upon its surface. He had always enjoyed gazing upon the moon. It was something he did to relax after dealing with the tedious task of running the city. Between keeping the citizens satisfied, dealing with the crime rate, and pleasing Princess Nightmare Moon, his job wasn’t an easy one.

High Life was a tall unicorn stallion with light gray fur, a mahogany brown mane and tail, and amber eyes. His cutie mark was a scroll with a seal of approval, indicating his status as a high-ranking official. He was clad in a blue coat and black cape held by a golden clasp around his neck.

Out of all the vassals under Nightmare Moon’s command, High Life was the most willing to serve the Princess of the Night after her return. Since Equestria would experience a new change in management, he figured he would be part of the new order, rather than be done away with alongside the old administration. Because of his devotion, he was given governance over Canterlot, with a detachment of Nox Legionnaires serving as his primary muscle. It was his job to make sure everything in Canterlot went smoothly, that everypony in the city paid tribute to Nightmare Moon, and that any and all criminals were brought to justice.

But still, it was good to sit back and relax, gaze at the night sky, and have a glass of apple cider and a plate of alfalfa bites. All in all, he had it good. True to his name, he was living the high life.

Just then, a Castle Watchpony entered the courtyard, approaching the unicorn regent. High Life noticed and rolled his eyes. He hated being interrupted from his moment of relaxation.

“What now,” He sighed, “Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“My apologies, sir,” Said the guard, saluting. “But we have just received word that Captain Rainbow Dash and a squadron of Night Guard have arrived from Everfree. They will be in the throne room, soon.”

High Life’s eyes widened. He did not expect the Captain of the Night Guard and Nightmare Moon’s greatest warrior to arrive in Canterlot. He set down his glass and hopped out of his chair.

“The Princess could have told me she was sending her guards here,” He said. “What business do they have in Canterlot, anyway?”

“Captain Dash said she would tell you once you were in the throne room.” Answered the guard.

High Life nodded as he made his way back into the castle, making his way through the corridors to the throne room, flanked by two Castle Watchponies. It was just his luck really. He already suffered another break-in from that mystery thief, and now the Captain of the Night Guard herself was coming, seeking his presence. He wondered why Nightmare would send her faithful soldier here. The only time Nightmare Moon sent her anywhere was during an insurrection or to deal with any potential traitors. The unicorn gulped. He, like everypony else, was fully aware of what happened to those who betrayed the ruler of Equestria. Nothing but horrifying fates awaited traitors to the crown, from banishment or lifelong imprisonment in the dungeon, but there were fates even worse than that. Nightmare Moon had many spells, terrible spells. These spells could do things that could drive even the strongest ponies mad with fright. So it was little wonder why High Life would be afraid of Captain Rainbow Dash coming to Canterlot for a visit.

Her Majesty couldn’t possibly think that I’m plotting against her, could she? He thought.

Soon, he arrived in the throne room. It was a massive chamber, the walls a polished marble, stain glass windows of Nightmare Moon on the right and left sides. Hanging from the ceiling were tapestries displaying Nightmare Moon, along with her sigil, a blue cat-like eye with bat wings on its sides, a crescent moon below. High Life hurried to the throne and sat on it, flanked by two Nox Legionnaires. He took deep calm breaths, trying to calm himself.

“Relax, High Life,” he muttered to himself, “There is no need to panic… even though that prismatic terror is coming with an entire squadron of the princess’s most feared shock troops at her command. Hmm. When I put it that way, it does sound like a perfectly good reason to panic. But I can’t panic, otherwise she’ll suspect something. Oh, who am I kidding?! That freak of nature is coming here! What kind of treachery does Her Majesty think I committed that would make her send her of all ponies here--?”

“Um, sir? Is everything alright?”

High Life snapped out of his state of pandemonium as he turned to the guard who queried. He cleared his throat and regained his composure.

“I’m fine,” He said casually. “I’m simply excited. It’s not like I’m worried the Princess doubts my loyalty. After all, for all we know, Captain Dash is probably just here to inspect the city’s crime rate. That’s under the Night Guard’s jurisdiction, right?” He chuckled nervously.

The throne room doors swung open, and High Life expected one of the guards to enter to announce the arrival of Captain Dash. Instead, the Captain herself and her squadron entered.

High Life’s heart skipped a beat as six bat ponies stepped inside, silent save for their clanking armor. They were clad in dark purple armor, with a bit of light blue on the upper back of their helmets, and grayish purple flank armor and armored horseshoes. On their breastplates were the insignia of Nightmare Moon’s guard, an icy-blue draconic eye with bat wings. Their faces were concealed by helmets with beaks concealing their upper-jaws, frilled crests on the top and blue crescent moons on their foreheads.

The Castle Watchponies in the room wore frightened looks on their faces as they eyed their visitors.

The Night Guard had cat-like eyes, tufted ears, and bat wings, their tails cut short and dyed the same primary color as their armor. However, the one in the middle had no tufted ears, and her magenta eyes were that of a regular pony, same as the pony next to her, who had orange eyes and turquoise fur.

The magenta-eyed pony in question stepped forward, and removed her helmet, revealing a light blue-furred pegasus pony with a short rainbow mane styled into a buzz cut. This was Rainbow Dash, Captain of the Night Guard, and Nightmare Moon’s greatest warrior.

She had the wings of a bat pony, but she had the eyes and ears of a normal pony. High Life knew why, of course. When she joined the Night Guard, Princess Nightmare Moon changed her wings to become bat-like, an initiation ritual for those few pegasus ponies who actually joined the Guard’s ranks, a symbol of their new-found devotion. He assumed the same thing happened to the orange-eyed pegasus mare next to Rainbow Dash.

High Life gulped, cleared his throat, and put on the best welcoming smile that he could. “Captain Rainbow Dash,” He greeted, trying to sound as friendly as possible without betraying a hint of fear. “I am honored to be graced by your presence.”

“The honor’s all yours.” Replied Rainbow Dash, her voice low and stoic.

High Life fought back the urge to shudder as he stepped down from his throne—or, rather, the throne that belonged to the Princess of the Sun, and approached Rainbow Dash. He extended a hoof toward the young pegasus, offering to shake her own. Rainbow Dash, however, scoffed, showing disinterest in making any form of physical contact with the regent. Scowling, High Life lowered his hoof.

“Must you really barge into my throne room unannounced?” He asked, irritated.

“You should already know by now, High Life,” retorted the pegasus/bat pony hybrid. “When it comes to the Princess’s vassals, we announce ourselves. Besides, I think your guards already told you we were coming.”

“True,” Said High Life. “But with that aside, to what do I owe this visit? If you’re here to know about our city’s current status, you’ll be pleased to know that everything is running smoothly. The nightly tributes are well underway, theft is down to a very manageable level, and there is absolutely no dissent among the administration here.”

Rainbow’s stone cold expression remained, her eyes glaring a hole into the unicorn stallion. There was an uncomfortable silence, High Life’s shoulders tensing.

“We’re not here to inspect your local crime rates, or to find out whether you’re loyal or not,” She said, breaking the silence. “The Princess has sent us on a special assignment here.”

“And what might that be?” Asked the stallion, ignoring the predatory stare the pegasus was giving him. Rainbow rested her helmet on the ground under her right hoof. Her stare relaxed, as she put on a more professional posture.

“You remember the Canterlot Archives?” She asked.

High Life nodded. Some nights ago, he ordered the archives to be locked and banned anyone from getting inside, declaring all information inside off limits.

“Yes,” he answered, “It was my duty as one of Nightmare Moon’s vassals to keep it off limits from anypony.”

“Her majesty believes the knowledge in the Archives could be dangerous in the hooves of anypony who plans to overthrow her,” Rainbow Dash stated. “So she sent us to destroy all spells related to the sun inside.”

At the sound of that, High Life’s ears perked up. He looked at the pegasus like she just grew another head. He could not believe what he just heard. Did she seriously say what he thought she said?

“Destroy the archives?” He asked.

“Just the part about the sun.” Rainbow continued to wear that stone cold expression.

After a while, High Life finally found his voice.

“You can’t be serious!” He exclaimed. “Wouldn’t it be more sensible to just leave it as is? Such a waste of knowledge. Don’t you realize how much valuable information is inside? You’re practically destroying our history. No offence to the Princess, but just because Her Majesty’s worried that some rebels are plotting against her, doesn’t mean she has to send her pet mutant to destroy every single spellbook and scroll in sight.”

His eyes widened in shock and he clamped his forehooves over his mouth, while everypony in the room except for Rainbow Dash cringed. Rainbow Dash walked closer to High Life, glaring up at him. Her expression was the same, but High Life could see anger burning in her magenta eyes. Despite the fact she was a few inches shorter than him, she still managed to look intimidating.

“So, I’m a mutant, am I?” She asked softly, although there was a bit of anger in her voice. High Life mentally cursed himself for insulting the Captain in her presence. A large lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed in fear. Rainbow Dash took a few steps back, and then spread her leathery wings for all to see. Her brows furrowed in anger, her eyes narrowed into slits.

“These are not a mutation,” She hissed. “They’re a symbol of devotion. A sign of my allegiance. A badge of honor. Remember that, regent.”

High Life nodded slowly, removing his hooves from his mouth as the young mare walked up to him once again.

“But that’s beside the point,” She said. “This assignment is to ensure the safety of Equestria. If you want to stay in charge of Canterlot, then you’ll grant us access into the archives.”

The unicorn said nothing. Rainbow Dash quirked an eyebrow, and a sly smirk crossed her muzzle.

“But if you’re willing to defy the will of the Princess for the sake of your collection,” She said in a sinister tone, “I’m sure she’d love to discuss loyalty with you.”

That was all it took to convince High Life.

“Very well,” He said after a tense pause. “I’ll be sure to tell the guards that you have been granted access to the archives.”

A slight chuckle escaped Rainbow’s throat.

“Good.” She said. Her smirk then dropped, replaced with the frown she often wore on duty, and she placed her helmet back on. “Now, send word to the guards at the archives. We’re to have full access to them.”

High Life nodded as he used his magic to pull a light blue crystal from out of his uniform.

“This is Regent High Life to the archive guards,” He said, speaking into the crystal. “Captain Rainbow Dash of the Night Guard has arrived by order of Princess Nightmare Moon to purge the archives of any sun-related spells. You are to give her full access to the archives immediately.”

With that, he stored the crystal back into his pocket, and glared at Rainbow Dash.

“There,” He said bluntly, “You have your authorization. Just don’t destroy everything in there in the process. I don’t want to wind up with a giant pile of ash and rubble.”

“Careful, High Life,” Said the orange-eyed mare next to Rainbow Dash, smirking, “It’s not a good idea to tell the Princess’s elite how to do their job.”

High Life said nothing. He didn’t want to get into anymore trouble. Rainbow Dash turned to her squadron.

“We head for the archives,” she ordered. “Any spell related to the sun found inside will be destroyed. Be sure to keep collateral damage to a minimum.”

“Yes, sir!” The Night Guards replied, slamming their hooves against their breastplates in salute.

With that, they took their leave, leaving High Life alone with his guards. The unicorn stallion’s left eye twitched with annoyance.

What does the Princess see in that filly, He mentally asked himself.

The orange-eyed mare trotted beside Rainbow Dash as they made their way to the archives. Rainbow Dash noticed her, but kept her eyes on the hallway.

“Yes, Lieutenant Lightning Dust?” She asked.

“I’m surprised you let High Life off so easily, Captain,” Said Lightning Dust. “After he insulted you like that, I thought you were gonna knock his head clean off.”

“Oh, believe me, I was tempted to do that,” Rainbow Dash said darkly. “But then Equestria’s capital would be without somepony to keep the city in check. High Life might be a coward, but he’s the only one keeping everything here from falling apart.”

Lightning Dust smirked and let out a slight chuckle.

“I’m surprised it hasn’t fallen apart already with all the bits he’s wasted on building statues of himself.”

Behind them, the other Night Guards chuckled. Even though High Life joined Nightmare Moon willingly, he was still one of her least respected vassals. Rainbow Dash especially held nothing but contempt for him. His cowardice and underhandedness always rubbed her the wrong way, giving her the impression that he was only serving the Princess for his own greed and ambition. With his general egotism and need to give himself attention, it was indeed a miracle that he was able to keep the Canterlot administration running at all. An amused smirk crept across Rainbow Dash’s muzzle at her subordinate’s joke.

As they turned to the left hallway, they continued their conversation.

“Is the Princess really worried about another rebellion breaking out?” Asked Lightning Dust.

“Believe me, I didn’t think she had anything to worry about, either, since there hasn’t been a rebellion since the first one,” Rainbow Dash said, her tone serious, “But after tonight, I’m not willing to question her orders. Besides, if those two unicorns from before were any evidence, there must be some kind of rebel group in Equestria.”

Her eyebrows then furrowed, as her eyes burned with determination.

“And if there is,” She said in a low voice, “I’ll make sure they’re brought to justice. Then Her Majesty will have nothing to worry about, and I’ll restore my honor.”

“Sounds to me like you’re a little angry about letting that mysterious alicorn get away.”

Rainbow Dash stopped dead in her tracks. The hallway was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Lightning Dust’s eyes widened as she took a few steps back. The cyan pegasus shook with anger, her teeth bared in an angry snarl. However, a few seconds later, she recomposed herself, letting out a calm sigh.

“I’m aware of that,” She said darkly, “That was the first time a pony has ever gotten away from me. But don’t worry, it won’t happen again.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Nopony escapes the Captain of the Night Guard. Not even an alicorn.”

*************

The doors to the archives creaked loudly as they opened, two Castle Watchponies stepping out. Unbeknownst to them, Twilight, shrouding herself with an invisibility spell, quickly stepped inside, as the doors closed behind her. The young unicorn smirked triumphantly as she made her way down the corridor, sticking to the shadows. Her violet eyes darted around, keeping an eye out for any guards, but also on the lookout for tonight’s target.

In the four nights since she lost her family, Twilight had pillaged practically every section of the Archives, from the Great Sage Orichalcum Wing to the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing, the latter being her personal favorite.

But tonight she would enter the one section of the Archives that had until now remained untouched: the Two Sisters Wing.

The Two Sisters Wing was the most carefully guarded section of the archives, containing everything everypony wanted to know about the Two Sisters, as well as all things related to them, from historical records of their exploits to spells related to the sun and moon. Ever since Nightmare Moon took over, the Two Sisters Wing was ordered to be locked down, forbidding all non-guard personnel access to it unless she said otherwise. Now, Twilight would be the first in years to enter it.

Soon, her gaze fell upon her target: A large pair of doors, with a half-sun-half-moon insignia hanging over them. A wide grin stretched across her muzzle, only to become a frown when she noticed the two guards standing in front of the entrance. But then, she smirked as an idea formed in her mind.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated until her horn began to glow. A pair of small orbs of magic shot out of her horn and sank into her neck, while her entire body changed into that of a unicorn stallion in the uniform of a Castle Watchpony. She had been learning shapeshifting magic from the spells replicating the abilities of the Changelings during their failed invasion of Equestria, and this was the perfect time to put it to good use.

She phased back into existence as the invisibility spell wore off, and stepped out of the corner, approaching the two guards. The Watchponies took notice, standing firm.

“State your business.” Barked one of them.

Twilight cleared her throat, her voice now that of a stallion thanks to the voice spell, as she answered them.

“I have been sent to search the Two Sisters Wing for any intruders,” She answered, “By order of Regent High Life.”

One of the unicorns raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

“May we see your authorization?” He asked.

Twilight mentally sighed. Evidently, the Castle Watch wasn’t full of complete idiots. This plan worked much better in her head. She then narrowed her eyes.

“Here’s my authorization.” She said.

Suddenly, her horn glowed and she fired a bolt of magic at the two guards. Instantly, the guards froze, standing stock still, their eyes wide and glowing a light purple color. Twilight changed back into her normal form, a devious smirk on her face.

“You’re gonna let me inside that room,” She commanded calmly, her voice back to normal, “And once I get in and the doors close, you’re gonna forget everything about this little encounter.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Replied the guards in unison. The one to the right used his magic to open the doors, and Twilight stepped inside, the doors closing behind her. What greeted her was the most glorious sight she ever laid her eyes on. She stood in a massive chamber with tall shelves carrying books and scrolls, busts of the Sun Princess and her sister decorating it. She looked up to see the ceiling hanging high above her, as well as stairs leading up to more levels where even more shelves rested. And in the very center of the chamber was a big statue of the Two Sisters.

Twilight’s eyes widened and an ecstatic grin spread across her muzzle. So many books. So many scrolls. So much knowledge. It was a reader’s paradise. She wished that she could take every last book and haul them back with her. But, her saddlebags could only carry so much, so she decided to take whatever she could carry. Soon, she began pillaging the shelves for whatever book or scroll caught her interest. Her raid took her up to the third level of the chamber, and she continued her search for whatever piece of knowledge would fascinate her. Then, she saw one particular book from the corner of her eye. Using her magic, she pulled it from the shelf. It was brown in color, the golden image of a unicorn’s head on the front of the cover.

Strange, thought Twilight, I feel like I’ve seen this book before.

She opened the book and began skimming through its pages. From what she could see, it was a collection of old legends, myths, and tales. One particular story caught her interest: A tale about the Two Sisters. She raised her eyebrows in curiosity. And then, she began to read.

“Once upon a time,” She read, “In the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together, and created harmony through all the land. To do this, the eldest used her alicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies.”

She stopped for a moment to wipe away a tear. The image of an Equestria with sunlight brought back memories of how things were before the coming of Nightmare Moon. She smiled sadly as she remembered those times. The smiled vanished when she read the next part of the story.

“But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The other ponies relished and played in the day her sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger alicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister had tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one’s heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon.”

The lavender unicorn’s eyes widened at the last sentence. The younger sister was really starting to sound familiar, now. She continued reading.

“She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the power of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister, and banished her permanently into the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon, and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.”

She looked up from the book, realization in her eyes. This was no mere fairy tale. This was a historical record of Nightmare Moon’s first defeat. She then glanced at the final sentence in the tale. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon, and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since. She frowned, a cynical look in her eyes.

“So much for harmony,” She grumbled under her breath. “With Celestia gone, Equestria’s doomed to an eternity of darkness. Thanks a lot, Nightmare Moon.”

If she were out in public, she would have been arrested for mentioning the Sun Princess’s name. But she didn’t care. It was a law passed by the monster who took her parents away. Besides, she was a thief. It’s not like she had respect for Nightmare Moon’s laws, anyway. If she could, she would be more than eager to shout ‘Celestia’ right in Nightmare Moon’s face.

Before she could continue, she remembered something else from the tale. The Elements of Harmony. She heard that name from somewhere. But where?

She closed the book and placed it in her saddle bag, and was about to continue her raid, when she heard a voice.

“The Elements… find the Elements… key… to restoring… harmony…”

The unicorn gasped and scanned the room, looking for the source of the voice. It didn’t sound like it was coming from anywhere in the chamber. Maybe she imagined it. Or maybe…

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Come on, Twilight,” She told herself. “Everypony knows there’s no such thing as ghosts.”

She then heard the sound of something metal clattering against the floor. She gasped, clamping her forehooves against her mouth afterwards. She then heard voices.

“Could you please keep it down?!” A female voice whispered harshly. “Somepony could’ve heard you.”

“Hey, I didn’t know it was gonna fall like that!” A male voice shot back in a hushed tone.

“Save the arguing for later, you two,” whispered another male voice. “We got a job to do. Now, let’s make this quick, and keep an eye out for trouble.”

“Got it, Soarin,” Whispered another female voice, this one with a Southern accent.

Twilight’s eyes widened. If she was alone before, she wasn’t alone anymore. Someone else was now in the Two Sisters Wing with her. But they couldn’t have been the Castle Watch. Judging by that noise, they came in through the ventilation system. Were they here to steal the books in the room, as well?

The lavender unicorn dived under a table, as she heard the sound of approaching hoofsteps. She saw the hooves of the mysterious new arrivals. They weren’t wearing any armor. It made sense, thought Twilight, after all, no one would wear armored horseshoes while sneaking around. From what she could tell, there were five ponies, two of them different shades of blue, the other two different shades of lime green, and the other orange.

“Wow,” Gasped a third female voice in awe, probably from the pale blue mare, “This place is gigantic. There’s no way we can take everything in here with us.”

“We’ll take as many as we can,” Said the second male voice, “Spread out. Be on the lookout for guards.”

“I wish Spitfire was here to help us out.” Said the first female voice.

“Me too, Lyra,” Said the second male voice. “But her team’s needed in Manehattan. We just need to focus on our mission here.”

“Then let’s get goin’,” Said the southern voice, “Remember, guys. Take everythin’ sun related, then we need to get the heck outta dodge.”

“Got it,” Said the first male voice. “Commencing Operation Overdue. I still think this mission needs a better name.”

Twilight wore a curious look on her face. They were after knowledge of the Sun. But why? She then shrugged it off. It was their business, and nothing more. She saw no reason to get involved.

The mysterious ponies left in different directions. Twilight could hear them taking books and scrolls off of their shelves and putting them in their saddle bags. She had to be quick now. She crawled out from under her hiding place and made her way to the nearest bookshelf. She sprinted towards the shelf and flattened herself against it, careful not to be seen. She wiped the sweat from her brow, her breathing steady.

Calm down, Twilight, she thought to herself, Now’s not the time to panic, I just gotta make my way to the nearest exit, and I’ll be home free.

After a tense five seconds, she sprinted again, heading for the stairs to the next level, until…

BONK!

“OOF!”

She crashed into somepony, falling back and landing on her rump. She groaned, rubbing her head. She looked up to see whoever bumped into her so she could whisper harshly at them, but the words were caught in her throat when she saw who was in front of her. It was an earth pony mare with orange fur, freckles, a blond mane and tail, and emerald green eyes. She wore a brown vest and red neckerchief, and a brown Stetson rested on her head. The two ponies looked at each other, eyes wide with shock.

“Whoa, Nelly.” Said the earth pony mare softly. Twilight immediately recognized her voice as one of the mysterious ponies. She immediately jumped back onto her hooves, her horn blazing with magic as she pointed it at the mare. The stranger stepped back two paces.

“Whoa, take it easy there, girl,” She said nervously. “Ah ain’t lookin’ fer a fight.”

“Who are you?” Asked Twilight in an intimidating tone. “And what are you doing here?”

“First, ya might wanna tone down yer magic,” Said the earth pony. “There ain’t no need for violence.”

Twilight hesitated.

“Ah won’t hurt ya.” Said the earth pony.

Twilight paused, and looked into her eyes. She didn’t see a hint of deception within them. She sighed, and the aura surrounding her horn faded.

“Thanks,” the earth pony grinned. “My name’s Applejack. What’s yours?”

“My name is Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight answered, her gaze unwavering. Something in Applejack’s mind clicked at the mention of the name ‘Twilight’.

Twilight, she thought, Could it be?

Twilight noticed the earth pony’s change in demeanor. She raised a curious eyebrow.

“Applejack?”

The earth pony was snapped out of her thoughtful state at the mention of her name. She looked back at Twilight, who wore an inquisitive look.

“Sorry about that,” she apologized. “Just rememberin’ somethin’.”

“You okay up there, AJ?” Called a voice.

Twilight gasped and was about to run, when another pony landed next to them. She was a pegasus mare with pale blue fur, and cerulean and white mane. She had light rose eyes. She bore a shooting star as a cutie mark on her flank. The mare set her gaze on Twilight, and her eyes widened.

“Oh boy.” She muttered.

Twilight’s horn blazed with a violet light once again, but Applejack stepped right in front of her.

“Hold on. It’s okay,” She said, “She’s a friend.”

Twilight’s gaze softened and the light around her horn faded once again. This was becoming a strange night. Here she was in the Archives’ most guarded section face-to-face with two strange ponies. The Pegasus faced Applejack.

“Applejack, who’s this?” She asked.

Applejack cleared her throat as she explained everything to the pegasus, who nodded as she processed everything she heard. She then shifted her gaze back to Twilight.

“Pleasure to meet you, Twilight,” She said. “My name’s Cloudchaser. So, what’s a pony like you doing in the archives?”

“I can ask the same thing about you two.” Replied Twilight. Applejack and Cloudchaser exchanged uncertain glances with each other. They had just met Twilight. Could they really tell her about their mission? Just then, two more pegasi and a unicorn arrived. One of the pegasi, a light blue stallion with a dark blue mane and green eyes, noticed Twilight, and his eyes widened.

“Who are you?” he asked, taking a defensive stance. “What are you doing here?”

“Easy there, Soarin,” Said Applejack, trotting over to the stallion. “She’s not the enemy. Although she’s here for some reason.”

Twilight felt strangely grateful for this pony. They just met, and yet she was willing to speak for her. Twilight cleared her throat as she answered.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she began. “As for what I’m doing here, well, let’s just say I’ve heard interesting things about the Two Sister Wing of the Canterlot Archives, and decided to pay a visit.”

“You mean steal some spells, like we are?” Asked the lankier green pegasus stallion. The other ponies stared at him wide eyed, Applejack motioning him to be quiet.

“What?” He asked. “What did I say?”

The mint unicorn let out an exasperated sigh as she rubbed her hoof against her forehead.

Suddenly, they heard the doors open from below, and the sound of armored hoofsteps. The six gathered ponies gasped in unison as they heard voices from the ground floor.

“Alright. Everypony get to work,” commanded a raspy, female voice. “Destroy everything that has to do with the sun. If there are any rebels, we can’t leave anything for them to use against Princess Nightmare Moon. And if you find any intruders, show them why the Night Guard are the most feared warriors in Equestria.”

“Yes, sir!” Rang a chorus of voices.

The collective group of ponies exchanged frightened glances with one another. The Night Guard had arrived.

*************************************************

Rainbow Dash watched as her squad mates searched through every shelf, searching for and destroying every spell related to the sun. Tables and shelves were knocked over, and scrolls, books, and tomes were torn to shreds or burnt to ashes. Censorship was hardly her favorite kind of task. She preferred fighting Equestria’s foes and catching criminals. But if it meant she would redeem herself in her Princess’s eyes, she would gladly perform this task. True, records of Equestria’s history were being destroyed, but it was a necessary loss to the pegasus. It’s not like she was into reading, anyway. “Reading’s for eggheads,” she once said.

The prismatic mare smirked beneath her helmet, watching her squad fulfilling their task with precision. It made her proud to command such disciplined warriors, completely obedient, taking order without question. Or almost completely. There was one particular Night Guard who went rogue: Flash Sentry. He said that Nightmare Moon was the very thing they fought against, and then fled. To where, Rainbow Dash didn’t know. And frankly, she didn’t care. He was a traitor to Nightmare Moon. She despised traitors. Even if they did meet again, she would make sure it would be their last encounter.

A Night Guard approached her, saluting. Rainbow Dash returned the salute. “Status report.” She ordered.

“We’re just about finished with this level, sir,” The bat pony replied. “And are about to make our way to the second level.”

“Good,” Said Rainbow Dash. “I’ll be there shortly.”

“Yes, sir,” Said the bat pony, taking his leave. As he did, Rainbow Dash’s ears twitched. She heard something. It was faint, but it sounded like it was coming from the second floor. It sounded like… voices.

“We’re dead. So very, very dead.” Said a meek, male voice.

“We will be dead if you don’t shut up!” Hissed a harsh, female voice.

“Calm down, Zephyr. We can handle this.” Said a female voice with a Southern accent.

“Calm down?" Repeated the male voice, "Calm down? We’re standing in one of the most heavily guarded sections of the Royal Canterlot Archives, stealing spells and stuff, with the Celestia-forsaken Night Guard downstairs, led by the Prismatic Horror herself, and you want me to calm down? No offense, Applejack, BUT HOW CAN I BE CALM WHEN NIGHTMARE MOON’S ATTACK DOGS ARE IN HERE WITH US?!!”

“Zephyr Breeze, you idiot!” Shouted the first female voice.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. There were others in the Two Sisters Wing with them, and judging by the fact they mentioned Celestia and stealing spells, not to mention called her and her squadron attack dogs, they were not loyal citizens of the regime. Shock gave way to cold fury as she narrowed her eyes and turned to the other Night Guards.

“Squadron,” She barked, “To me!”

Immediately, they snapped to attention and approached, standing in a row.

“Yes, Captain?” Asked Lightning Dust.

Rainbow Dash looked at them with steely eyes.

“We’re not alone in here,” She said. “We have unauthorized personnel on the second floor… And they’re loyal to the Sun Princess.” She then smirked.

“Let’s go say hello… Night Guard style.”

It was an opportunity to prove herself, and Rainbow Dash was going to take it.

*******************************************

It was taking all of Applejack and Cloudchaser’s strength to hold back Lyra, the unicorn wearing a murderous look on her face and her horn blazing yellow, with every intention of doing unspeakable things to Zephyr, whose lime green fur was now whiter than a sheet. Soarin, the leader of the bunch, Twilight guessed, had his eyes closed and was mumbling something that sounded like “this kind of stuff never happens when Spitfire’s in charge,” although it was hard to tell over Lyra’s threats of turning Zephyr into the ugliest frog in Equestria and Applejack telling her to calm down.

Twilight, meanwhile, was too busy standing stock still, horror etched on her face, to do anything about her fellow unicorn’s tantrum.

She was in the Two Sisters Wing with not only a group of strange ponies, but also with a squadron of Night Guard downstairs, led by none other than the notorious Captain Rainbow Dash if her ears weren’t deceiving her…

… And Zephyr Breeze just announced their presence for them all to hear.

This was definitely not her night.

“If you’re done threatening Zephyr, Lyra,” Soarin finally managed to say calmly, “We have bigger things to worry about.”

“Yeah, no thanks to Zephyr.” Growled Lyra.

“Why did I ever agree to this?” Whimpered Zephyr. “Oh, wait. That’s right. I didn’t agree to this! Why did the boss-mare put me on this team?”

“I was just asking myself the same thing, Zephyr Bozo!” Snapped Lyra.

“I’m detecting some disrespect here.” Replied Zephyr.

“And I’m detecting a lazy pegasus with the brain of a dodo bird and a ridiculous manecut.” Lyra retorted.

“Say what?!” Zephyr shouted.

Twilight watched the two bicker in disbelief. It was like watching a couple of foals arguing. After standing in a mixture of disbelief and fear, Twilight finally found her voice.

“Excuse me.”

The five other ponies turned to her direction, Confusion on their faces.

“I know you ponies are really stressed,” She began, “But like Soarin said…. I think we have bigger things to worry about.”

Suddenly, the sound of heavily armored hooves landing against the floor filled their ears. With fear washing over them, the six ponies turned to their left, to be greeted by the terrifying sight of six bat ponies clad in the infamous armor of the Night Guard.

There was a tense silence. Twilight swallowed a huge lump in her throat, her eyes shrinking to the size of pinpricks, her ears drooping. They were here. The same ponies who took away her parents five nights ago. Already, the memories were coming back. Anger and fear were in her eyes, but fear proved to be the dominant emotion. She felt like a rabbit caught in the gaze of a wolf. Six wolves, in fact.

The one in front, their leader, Twilight guessed, seemed to change in her posture when she set her eyes on Twilight. She stood straight, her eyes widening behind her helmet, only to narrow into slits as she took a wolf-like stance.

“You…” She hissed in a voice that could make even the most horrific prisoner in Tartarus quake in fear.

Twilight felt like ice was flowing through her veins as the leader glared at her with a gaze that could pierce through solid rock. She had no idea why the bat pony was singling her out like that. Surely Applejack and the others had done something to earn her ire, but for some reason, she harbored hatred for her.

And she had absolutely no idea why.

“Take the others,” Ordered the magenta-eyed bat pony, before pointing her hoof at Twilight. “She’s mine.”

“Yes, Captain Rainbow Dash!” The other bat ponies bellowed.

Sheer terror washed over Twilight. She was afraid she heard right. This squadron was being led by the Captain of the Night Guard and Nightmare Moon’s greatest warrior.

And she wanted to go after her personally.

“RUN!”

Twilight heard Soarin cry. But as the other ponies ran (or flew, in the pegasi’s case), Twilight stood still, frozen with fear. The other bat ponies flew after them, while Rainbow Dash slowly and ominously trotted towards her.

She was afraid. Rainbow Dash could smell it. And she wanted her to feel every second of it.

“I have a score to settle with you, alicorn.” The pegasus said in a low, sinister voice.

“I… I… have no idea what you’re talking about.” Twilight squeaked.

“Don’t lie to me!” Rainbow Dash snarled, anger burning in her eyes.

Twilight flinched. If she was scared before, then she was flat-out terrified.

Rainbow Dash continued. “Don’t toy with me! I saw you and your pet dragon at the castle, babbling something about time travel, a map, and Starlight Glimmer. I had no clue what you were talking about, but if the Princess thought it could help her find the Elements of Harmony, it was good enough for me. Then you took us to the Everfree Forest where the map was, and just when Her Majesty was about to use it, you decided to give her the slip. One of my guards and I tried to catch you, but by the time we could see again, you, your pet and the map were gone! And because we let you get away, I was sentenced to the Aura of Agony.”

Twilight slowly backed away as the irate (and seemingly insane) pegasus got closer and closer, struggling to speak. But no words ever came. She was too scared. Although, there was one thing in the pegasus’s rant that Twilight heard. Elements of Harmony.

Nightmare Moon knows about them, Twilight mentally asked herself. Her train of thought was broken once Rainbow Dash was closer to her.

“I let you escape the last time we met,” She said. And she smirked beneath her helmet. “But not this time. This time… you’re mine.”

“Ah don’t think so!”

Suddenly, an orange blur zoomed past Twilight and collided with Rainbow Dash, knocking the pegasus mare off her hooves and into a book case. The blur faded, and Twilight’s eyes widened to see Applejack standing in front of her.

"Come on," She exclaimed. "Let's go before she gets back up."

Twilight nodded and the two ran off. Rainbow Dash emerged from a pile of books that fell on top of her, ready to crush whoever it was that attacked her. But then she noticed something. The alicorn was gone. Her face became one of shock, and shock gave way to anger.

"Not this time." She hissed.

She leaped back to her hooves and flew after them. She let the alicorn escape once. She did not intend to let her escape again.

Author's Note

Sorry it took so long. I was kind of neglecting the story. Any way, here is the first chapter of The Spark In the Night. Feel free to give some constructive criticism