"Celestia! Everypony is supposed to gather at the castle grounds! Hurry up, this is important!" The light blue unicorn said as she was putting on the gold and orange armor of the imperial army.
Celestia hurried away from her book, and started combing her long, purple hair. She then quickly put on her armor as well, remembering to put on her medals. It was required of her to wear the medals at every meeting since she became captain.
"This better be important. This is supposed to be my break," Celestia muttered before placing the helmet on her head.
"Luna, could you put my bookmark on my book before we go?" Celestia asked. Luna nodded, and set the bookmark at the correct page. "Let's go," Luna said as they ran out the door.
***
"Soldiers! Prepare yourself! We are at war!" The yellow alicorn roared.
"A group of ponies calling themselves 'The midnight republic,' have foolishly turned against me. Their leaders told me unless I would step down and rule by democracy, they would attack. Of course, I stood against them.
"However, even though we are superior in numbers, we musn't get overconfident. The midnight republic has magic I have never seen before. This may be on the same level as the 'Crystal empire' incident, possibly even worse. That is why I can't afford any spies in my troops.
"Those who will foolishly fight with the republic, feel free to go now. I don't want anypony who isn't completely loyal to me to show themselves in my ranks. Go fight with them if you so desire, but know that the Solar Empire will strike you down without mercy," Emperor Solaris said.
His amber eyes scanned his army from the balcony he stood at, as if looking for a reaction.
When he put his gaze on somepony, they turned away, as if meeting his eyes would have them executed. Celestia, however, looked straight back at him, her pink eyes meeting his amber hues. Suddenly, many guards started leaving. Celestia scoffed. Fools. Did they really think they had a chance? The republic was too small to stand a chance against the imperial army. They would be effortlessly slaughtered. Then she saw that Luna was one of them.
"Luna, what are you doing? Come back!"
Celestia said as she tried to stand in her sister's way.
"I am going to join the republic. Come with me, sister. We both know that the emperor is corrupt. This is our best chance to overthrow him,"
Luna answered, looking deep into Celestia's eyes.
"I won't. Luna, there is no way the republic will win! Stay with me, sister, stop this madness!"
Celestia begged.
Luna's fair face was grimacing with anger and betrayal.
"You are only saying that because you want to rule Equestria! Don't lie to me, sister. I have seen how you hunger for power.
Ever since you became captain, you have only talked to me about how you plan to become Solaris’ heir. The only reason you are staying is so you may be given the gift of immortality! I will not recognize myself with some hypocrite!" Luna shouted.
When she didn't get a reaction, she turned away from her sister, and joined the other guards who were going to the republic, leaving a shocked and devastated Celesta behind.
"I see some ponies are not loyal to me. Take a close look at them, soldiers. These are the ponies you will be fighting in the future. Do not show them mercy. They may be friends, or even family, but now they are enemies of the empire.
And enemies of the empire is to be destroyed. Stay strong together, you who have proved yourself loyal.
For the Solar empire!" Emperor Solaris roared with pride.
"For the Solar empire!" The imperial army shouted back, excluding a lonely Celestia.
***
The headquarters of The midnight republic was located in a dark cave, barely illuminated by firefly lamps, that gave a cold and eerie light. Luna couldn't see the faces of her comrades, but she could feel that they were scared. She couldn't help feeling afraid as well. Without her armor, she felt exposed. She had gotten rid of it after she had packed her things from her room so that she wouldn't be seen as a threath to the republic.
Then, out from the shadows, a pegasus mare emerged.
"Tell me you names, ranks and intentions, please,"
she requested harshly.
"Luna Moonfall, sergeant, asking permission to join your ranks,"
Luna replied.
"Sword Strike, private, asking permission to join your ranks," a young stallion said.
One after one, they told they wanted to be in the republic's army. The harsh expression of the pegasus mare softened, and turned into a gentle smile.
"Well, that can easily be arranged. Follow me, please."
The ponies followed her quietly, making sure to stay close. Eventually, they reached the end of the hallway. A closed wooden door stood in front of them.
"stay here," the pegasus said as she opened the door and walked in.
The former guards waited in silence. They could have been statues the way they stood, waiting for the pegasus to return.
Eventually, the door opened.
"You can come in now," the pegasus said from behind the door.
They nervously walked in. An earth pony mare sat behind a wooden desk covered in what looked like important paperwork.
Luna couldn’t quite distinguish what color the mare’s coat was, but in the dim light it looked pale yellow.
"So, you want to join our cause?" the earth pony asked. She looked at the ponies in front of her, as if measuring them up. "Well then. Let’s get started, shall we?"
***
"Are you sure this will be neccesary?"
The bearded stallion asked.
"I'm sure, Star Swirl. My sister has grown very powerful since she joined the republic. I am the strongest in the imperial army, and even I'm not sure I can defeat her on my own if she keeps getting stronger like this, and asking the emperor to defeat her is out of the question," Celestia replied.
"How powerful is she, exactly? I won't let you use the elements unless it is absolutely neccesary. Using them on her just because you aren't sure of your own abilities would be a waste of their powers,"
Star Swirl asked.
"She broke through the protective enchantments that were placed to protect Ponyville with only one spell before destroying the village in seconds, nearly wiping out the whole population. The only survivors were fillies, colts, and the Apple family. She didn't even hesitate to kill the mayor.
If worst comes to worst, I want some of the mages here to use the elements on her,"
Celestia answered.
"I see. We will be ready to use them, but only if it seems neccesary," Star Swirl said.
***
"Sister, please! I don't want to fight you," Celestia pleaded.
"You are no longer my sister, Celestia. You made your choice when you decided to stay with the Solar Empire, and I made mine. My loyalty lies with the midnight republic now. Not you. Even if we are related," Luna replied.
Luna's fur had grown darker since last time they had seen each other. Instead of the light blue she used to have, it was black. Her mane and tail had also changed into dark purple. Her appearance was beautiful, stunning even, but you could tell she was dangerous by looking into her eyes. They had become ice blue. Seeing into them made Celestia uneasy, like if Luna was staring into her soul.
"So be it then. But killing me won't change anything. Your republic is on the losing side, Luna." Celestia caught her spear in her magic, ready to fight, similarly as Luna held her sword.
"Shut up!" Luna yelled, charging at Celestia, furiously swinging her sword, while Celestia blocked with her spear before she pushed Luna back with her shield.
Channeling magic into her spear, Celestia sent powerful beams of energy towards Luna, who desperately tried to avoid them. The beams were leaving huge craters in the ground, making the field look like a wasteland. Luna answered the attack by sending magical spears at Celestia. But Celestia conjured a powerful shield, which absorbed the spears' magical power, and sent it right back at Luna.
In the nick of time she conjured a shield, though it barely had any effect. The blast sent big pieces of her light blue armor through the air as she fell to the ground. The only part of her armor left was her helmet, the shoes and her chestplate, with a silver crescent moon in the center. Somehow, Luna still managed to stand up.
"Huh. So you're still alive. I guess you really have become stronger since last time. That was supposed to be the killing blow. Still, you are nothing compared to me.
Give up, dear sister, and perhaps the emperor will spare you. What do you think will happen to the members of The midnight republic once the empire wins? Emperor Solaris has already sceduled the executions of your inner circle and the honored guards, such as you. The rest will be servants of nobility. Do you really want that to happen to you? I want my sister beside me again," Celestia said.
"Your empire is corrupt, only favoring the rich. The Midnight republic will change things for the good of Equestria. A world where one pony reigns supremely over the rest is not a world I want to live in," Luna replied.
"And I won't lose to a blood traitor and a hypocrite like you!" Black smoke started spiraling out of Luna's horn, swiftly covering her body.
She could feel her body changing. Her eyes changed, starting to resemble a predator's, her legs were getting longer, her mane changed until it resembled the night sky. As she ended her spell, she felt something on her sides. She spread her wings, her transformation complete.
Celestia, shocked by her sister's new appearance, stood in awe. The only alicorns she had seen in her life were emperor Solaris and empress Umbra.
"H-how? That's impossible! How were you able to ascend? There's nopony who would ever pass it into you!"
Celestia shouted in surprise.
"The republic has revealed the secret to ascension. Before they tried it out themselves, I volenteered to be a test subject. You see, they modified the enchantment to not only giving alicorn status, but they added a companion spirit to help the new alicorn in every way while giving more magical power. They told me to activate the enchantment only when neccesary. And this is just the right moment," Luna explained.
"Interesting. Perhaps I should look into that after I defeat you," Celestia said. "Keep in mind though, dear sister, that even if you manage to kill me, it won't save your children."
Luna's fair face twisted into a grimace of pure hate as she charged at Celestia. Holding her sister into a magical grip, she roared in fury.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY CHILDREN? WHAT SECRETS HAVE YOU TOLD?"
Celestia made a smug grin.
"Oh, I needn't gossip. After all, it would be a shame to let slip who their father is,"
she replied. Five ponies in wizard robes revealed themselves, each of them holding a glowing gemstone.
As Luna was distracted, Celestia teleported to them, and held up a gem shaped as a star. The six gemstones started glowing brighter, a small rainbow connecting them as they spun in a sircle.
As Luna stood in awe, the star shaped gem floated in front of the five who were still spinning. The five spinning gems seemed to give the star shaped one power.
"Goodbye, sister," Celestia said before a beam of light struck Luna.
Luna felt her body split apart, but it didn't feel like dying. It felt like teleportation. She couldn't move as she felt her particles be sent away from Equestria. As she felt like she was coming back together again, she started to feel sleepy. Unable to fight it, she drifted away into unconciousness.
***
"I should congratulate you, Celestina Moonfall. Thanks to you, we defeated The Midnight republic sooner than expected. You are no doubt the most honorary of my soldiers. That is why I wanted to see you personally. Do you want some tea?" Emperor Solaris asked.
"Tea would be nice," Celestia replied. She knew what she had to do.
Solaris's strongest soldiers always dissapeared when he asked them for tea. Celestia followed, keeping her wings hidden under her armor. She had found the secret of ascension in the cellar of the republic. The emperor would soon be dead.
They sat at a small table with two mugs of tea, cookies and sugarlumps. She put two sugarlumps in her mug, and pretended to wait for the tea to cool down. In reality, she waited for a distraction to switch the mugs. She was sure it was poisoned.
A knock on the door got Solaris' attention for long enough for Celestia to switch the mugs. She smiled to herself. Things were going smoothly. "Not now, I am dealing with important business here," Solaris answered. "Now, you and me have a lot to talk about.»
Soon, both Solaris and Umbra would be dead.
"Now, let's drink this delicious tea. For the Solar empire,"
Solaris exclaimed.
"For the Solar empire," Celestia replied.
Part 1: chapter 1: return of night -part 1
"But queen Celestia, I am positive that Nightmare moon will return. I have checked and rechecked the facts,
read all the predictions and read the star maps. Tomorrow is the day she will return,"
the purple unicorn reasoned.
"Twilight, you are my student, and I respect you, and I appreciate your concerns, but I will worry about Nightmare. Right now, I need you to make sure everything is ready for the summer sun celebration in New Ponyville. Those are things you should worry about for now," the white alicorn replied. "I have arranged one of my chariots to take you and Spike there.
Here is the checklist of what needs to be done and who is responsible for each checkmark.
I have also prepared a library for you to stay. Right now, I have to be in a meeting. I'll see you tomorrow, Twilight."
Celestia said, handing over a list to Twilight.
"But-" Twilight started.
"I said, I will see you tomorrow!"
Celestia said, a bit harsher than she had intended.
"Okay." Celestia looked as her student left the room, her head hanging low. Not that she could blame her.
She wished she hadn't been so strict with her. But it was neccesary.
She will find out somehow. You can't keep the truth from her much longer.
A voice said.
"I know. But you should know that if there is a way to protect her from the truth, I will use it," Celestia answered the spirit calmly.
Oh, really? I wonder how you will screw up this time.
"Shut up," Celestia growled.
~~~~
"Spike, for the last time, I am not being paranoid," Twilight told her dragon friend.
"All I'm saying is that if queen Celestia told you that she will take care of Nightmare Moon if she returns,
you won't have anything to worry about. After all, queen Celestia raises the sun and the moon. I doubt that Nightmare Moon stands a chance," Spike replied.
"Maybe you're right, Spike," Twilight said.
Feeling slightly better, Twilight Looked at the checklist. "Let's start with catering. It says that the apple family is in charge of that," Twilight said.
"Where do they live?" Spike asked.
"It says 'Sweet apple acres,' but I don't know where that is," Twilight answered.
"Then ask somepony. Who knows, you might earn a new friend," Spike suggested. As he said that, a pink mare with a poofy mane and tail merrily trotted in their direction.
"Excuse me, but-" Twilight started, but before she could finish, the mare gasped loudly and zoomed off.
"Okay… that was weird."
Then Twilight saw a familiar face. "Cadence!" She shouted. The pink alicorn turned around.
"Twilight!" Princess Cadence quickly ran towards Twilight.
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake!
Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"
They sang in unison before they fell to the ground laughing, ignoring the townsponies staring at them confused.
"I didn't know you would be here," Twilight said as she stood up.
"I didn't know you would be here! What brings you to New Ponyville?" Cadence asked.
"I'm her to check the preparations for the Summer sun celebration. And you?" Twilight replied.
"What a coincidence. I am supposed to be the hosting the celebration," Cadence answered.
"Really? I thought that was supposed to be prince Blueblood. But I guess it is better for you to be the host," Twilight said cheerfully.
"I guess so. Do you need any help?" Cadence offered.
"Yeah. Do you know where Sweet apple acres is?" Twilight asked.
"Of course. Just go left from the town square, past the memorial, and you should see it. It's impossible to miss," Cadence answered.
"Memorial?" Twilight asked.
"It's a pillar with the names of the ponies that lost their lives when old Ponyville was destroyed. Ponies claim it was Nightmare moon herself who murdered the villagers that fateful day. The interesting part is that whoever destroyed old Ponyville didn't kill any foals, or any member of the Apple family," Cadence explained.
"Wow, that is interesting. Well, I must be off. Bye!"
"Bye! And good luck!"
~~~~
Luna became conscious. She felt like she had slept for a long time. She wished she could see where she was.
How long had she slept? Who had won the war? Was the war still raging? What had Celestia done?
Were her children safe?
She didn't hear her companion, Andromeda, but she felt her precense.
Some other voices she had never heard before were speaking to her, though it felt like they were far away.
"Soon, you will be free," they kept chanting.
Luna wished she knew who they were. Then everything went black again.
~~~~
Twilight looked at the large, white pillar. Like Cadence said, it was full of names.
Appearantly names were different at the time, like Midnight Rose, or Flaming Sun. Almost everypony had names after the day or the night. At the bottom, it stood, written in gold: For the Solar empire.
She had never heard of such an empire. What did it mean?
Not wanting to waste any more time, Twilight made her way towards Sweet apple acres. She stopped at the gate, not knowing how to approach these ponies. Then, an orange mare came running with a vart full of baskets with apples.
"Woo hoo! Nothin' like a good day's work!" The mare claimed loudly.
"Um, excuse me miss, I am Twilight Sparkle and-" Twilight started. But before she could finish her sentence, the orange mare was violently shaking her hoof.
"Well it's mighty nice tah meet yah, Twilight Sparkle. Ahm Applejack. Welcome to Sweet apple acres. How can ah help yah?" Applejack asked.
"Well-"
"Oh, where are mah manners. Come along, sit with us, we are just havin' ourselves brunch, and ah think mah family would love tah know yah," Applejack interrupted, dragging Twilight towards a dining table and finding her a seat. Spike could barely keep up the pace of the farm pony.
"Everypony, this is Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle, meet Apple Bumpkin, Apple Fritter, Braeburn, Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apples, Apple Brioche, Apple Cinnamon Crisp, Apple Cider, Apple Cobbler, Apple Honey, apple Munchies, Gala Appleby, Jonagold, Lavender fritter, Peachy Sweet, Perfect Apple Pie,
*gasp*
"Big Macintosh, Applebloom, and Granny Smith!" Applejack said, pointing at each relative.
Twilight felt overwhelmed. She had never seen such a big family before, though she had never been to a family reunion other than her own, and she had a rather small family.
"Hey, Granny. Wake up! We have guests!" Applejack said, nudging the old mare in the rocking chair.
"Eh? Guests?" Granny Smith woke up with a start. "Oh, hello there, young 'un. Welcome to our humble home," the old mare said, walking towards Twilight to shake her hoof.
"It's nice to meet you, miss Smith," Twilight responded politely, gently shaking her hoof.
"Oh, feel free to call me Granny. No need to be formal here," Smith said. "So, what brings yah here, young 'un?"
"Well, I was sent here from Canterlot to check on the preparations for the Summer sun celebration. I have been told you are responsible for the catering," Twilight explained, relieved that she had had a chance to speak.
"Why didn't yah say so? If you want to sample some treats, feel free," Applejack said.
"Okay," Twilight replied. Truthfully, she was on a non-sugar diet, but she couldn't turn down this friendly offering. Then she saw just how many treats there were.
"Oh well, guess we are staying for a while," Spike said, helping himself to a slice of apple pie.
~~~~
"Uuuuuugh," Twilight groaned. She had never felt so full in her life. She could swear she had gained at least three pounds.
She had tried all the treats, and marked them perfect for the celebration. The apple treats were delicious, the roasted corn cobs were wonderful and the salad was perfect. But she had eaten so much that she felt sick.
"Are you alright, Twilight?" Spike asked.
"Why didn't we go there last? I feel awful," Twilight responded.
"Maybe if you sit down for a bit, you would feel a little better," the dragon suggested.
"No no no. I want to get this all over with," Twilight replied.
"Okay. Next is weather. We need a clear sky for tomorrow. A pony named Rainbow dash is supposed to be in charge of the weather patrol," Spike said.
"Well, she isn't doing a very good job now, is she," Twilight groaned.
Suddenly, something struck her and sent her into the mud. The sudden impact almost made her puke.
"Whoops, sorry there!" Twilight looked up to see a blue pegasus mare with an unique rainbow mane. "I sometimes do mistakes while practising stunts. I'm Rainbow Dash, by the way. Let me clean you up," she said, flying off, coming back with a raincloud and started to make it rain on Twilight, making her soaking wet and cold. Despite that, she felt refreshed.
"Oopsie, let me dry you," Rainbow said, flying in circles around Twilight, making powerful wind. When she stopped, Twilight's mane was a huge mess full of twigs.
"Bahahahahaha!" Rainbow laughed, Spike joining in. Taking a deep breath to avoid losing her temper, Twilight did a fake cough to get the pegasus' attention.
"Excuse me, but you're Rainbow Dash, right? The leader of the weather patrol of New Ponyville?"
"It's true. Have you heard about me?" Rainbow answered.
"I heard you're supposed to keep the sky clear."
"Nah, I can do that later. For now, I wanna practise my tricks to impress the Wonderbolts, since they are coming at the celebration," Rainbow Dash replied from a low-hanging cloud.
"The Wonderbolts?" Twilight asked.
"Yup!" Rainbow answered.
The best and fastest fliers in Equestria?"
"That's them."
"Well, I don't think they would be impressed by a weathermare who can't keep the sky clear for one single day," Twilight said with a smug grin.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I can clear the skies in ten seconds FLAT," the pegasus responded, offended.
"Prove it," Twilight challenged. Just as she had said that, Rainbow flew off the cloud she was sitting on, flying so fast Twilight could only see a rainbow zooming around, busting all the clouds while counting. Then Rainbow stopped in front of Twilight.
"How long did that take?" She asked.
"Ten seconds," Twilight answered, eyes wide in awe.
"See? Told ya. By the way, what is your name?" Rainbow asked.
"Twilight Sparkle," she answered.
"Well, Twilight Sparkle, I hope we can hang out later sometime," Rainbow Dash said before flying off.
"She's amazing," Spike said.
"More like lazy. but at least the skies are clear, and Cloudsdale isn't going to deliver new clouds before the day after tomorrow. So, what's next, Spike?" Twilight asked.
"Decorations," he answered.
"Great. That should be easy," Twilight said, letting her dragon friend sit on her back.
~~~~
Luna woke again. Once again she tried reaching out to Andromeda, but she didn't get a reply. The voices were louder this time.
"You will be free soon, servant of night. Soon, you can avenge the lost," They chanted.
Luna wanted to open her eyes, but she couldn't find the strenght to do so. Still, she kept trying. She wanted to see who were chanting.
Who were lost? Who would she avenge? Were there even anypony left? Those thoughts spiraled in Luna's mind until everything went black again.
~~~~
Twilight and Spike walked inside the city hall, instantly being greeted by colourful ribbons and tapestries. As they kept walking, they found the main room.
"So beautiful," Spike sighed.
"I know. This is excellent," Twilight replied.
"Not the decorations. her," Spike said, pointing at the white unicorn with a purple mane and tail ,which were kept in a stylish curl, at the other side of the room.
Rolling her eyes at her assistant, Twilight approached the mare.
"Excuse me-"
"Not now dear, I'm in the zone," the mare replied. "Blue? No. Green? No. Red? Haha! Perfect! Rarity, you are a genious. Now, how can I help yo-WHAHAHAAAA!" Rarity shrieked. "Darling, what happened to your quaffeur?"
"You mean my mane?" Twilight asked.
"Well of course, dear. You cant go out like that," Rarity said.
"Oh, it's not important. I was just going to check on the decorations, and it's lovely. I'll just get out of your hair," Twilight replied, heading for the door.
"Out of MY hair? What about YOUR hair. Come with me, dear, and we will sort this out," Rarity retorted, dragging Twilight with her.
~~~~
"Too bold. Not bold enough. Too green. Too brash. Not brash enough. Too bland," Rarity said to herself, trying new outfits on Twilight.
She had already done her mane, but the fashion mare seemed to think that wasn't enough. Unable to protest, Twilight just rolled with it, fully knowing there were few outfits that suited her coat.
"Aha! This should do!" Rarity said, pulling out a simple white corset saddle with emeralds.
Rarity started pulling the corset until it became hard to breathe for Twilight.
"So, what brings you here to New Ponyville?" Rarity asked.
"I-was-sent-here-from-Canterlot-" Twilight gasped for air.
When she heard the word 'Canterlot,' Rarity let go of the corset. "Canterlot? How wonderful!" Rarity squealed. "The glamour, the sofistication! I have always dreamed of living there! We are going to be best friend, you and I." She tried to go for a hug, but stopped in her tracks suddenly. "Emeralds? What was I thinking? I'll go find some rubies!" Rarity said, rushing off to the back room.
"Let's go before she decides to dye my coat!" Twilight grabbed her dragon friend, who had been staring at the white unicorn all the time, clearly infantuated. With Spike on her back, she ran out of Carousel Boutique.
~~~~
"So beautiful," Spike sighed as they left Carousel Boutique for the second time.
As they had been rushing out, Twilight had remembered that she hadn't paid for the saddle, and had to go back. Rarity had insisted that Twilight should keep it, after she switched the emeralds with rubies. Twilight reluctantly agreed in the end.
Twilight didn't have a habit of wearing clothes, but the saddle was actually comfortable, unlike the dresses the high society mares in Canterlot were always wearing.
Then she noticed it had become darker outside. It seemed the sun would set very soon.
From what she had seen, it seemed unlikely for New Ponyville to have streetlights. All the more reason to be done as soon as possible. Then she could look up the Elements of harmony, The Solar empire and Nightmare Moon. Perhaps there were some books referencing these topics.
"Hey, Spike. What's next?" Twilight asked him.
"Oh! We're at the last checkmark! Music," Spike answered.
"Wonderful. This should be quick."
They started walking towards the forest, once again going past the memorial. This time, Twilight saw some words at the top.
"Spike, could you go see what it says at the top of the memorial?" Twilight asked.
"No problem," Spike replied, climbing the pillar. "It says: Remember the crimes of the Midnight republic. Twilight, what is the Midnight republic?" Spike asked.
"I don't know, Spike, but perhaps you should come down now," Twilight said nervously, noticing the disapproving looks from the townsponies.
~~~~
In the distance, Twilight heard bird song. Following the song she saw a small tree filled with colourful birds signing beautifully.
Then they stopped. A pegasus mare flew towards them. "Excuse me, sir, but you were just a little bit off," she told one of the birds.
Twilight started approaching quietly so she wouldn't disturb them.
"Now, let's try again. One, two- gyaaaaah!" the mare shrieked. shrieked, causing the birds to fly off. She had spotted Twilight.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to frighten your birds," Twilight apologized.
"It's fine," the pegasus replied, trying to hide her face behind her long, pink mane.
Wanting to break the awkward tension, Twilight decided to speak.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?" Twilight asked.
"M-my name is Fluttershy."
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Twilight asked.
"My name is Fluttershy." she repeated, louder this time.
"Didn't quite catch that." Twilight said. The mare was silent. The awkward tension returned.
"Well, I came here to check on the music, and it sounded wonderful. I'll have to go," Twilight said, defeated.
Once Twilight and Spike were leaving, Fluttershy sprinted, pushing Twilight aside.
"A baby dragon!" She squealed. "I've never seen a baby dragon before!"
"Yes, he is a dragon. Listen, we have to go now," Twilight responded, grabbing Spike in her magic, placing him on her back. the pegasus followed.
"Wait! What's his name?" She asked.
"I'm Spike," Spike replied.
"Hi Spike. I'm Fluttershy. Wow, a talking dragon! Tell me about yourself!" Fluttershy squealed.
"What do you want to know?" Spike asked.
Absolutely everything," Fluttershy answered. Twilight groaned. Ponies in this town sure were clingy. Now she had to adjust her pace so Fluttershy could listen to Spike as he told her his entire life story. Finally reaching the library Celestia had assigned to her, Spike was finished talking.
"And that the story of my entire life! Unless you want to hear about today," Spike said.
"Oh, I'd love to!" Fluttershy responded.
"Excuse me, but Spike is too tired to tell more stories. I think he should go to bed," Twilight said in an attempt to get Fluttershy to leave.
"But-" Spike tried to protest before Twilight tossed him off her back.
"Aww, look at that widdle tired face,"Twilight cooed.
"Oh, you poor thing. You should get to bed at once," Fluttershy said.
"Yes, I will take it from here," Twilight told the pegasus, holding Spike in her magic before slamming the library door shut.
"That wasn't very nice," Spike said.
"I know. But right now, I need to relax. This has been a though day, and I just need some time to be alone," Twilight replied. "Now, where is the light switch?"
Suddenly, the room lit up revealing alot of ponies who were all yelling "SURPRISE!"
Twilight had to struggle not to freak out. This wasn't good for her Xenophobia. The entire library was filled with streamers, balloons and confetti. At the other side of the room, there was a table filled with food. There were pastries, punch, and to Twilight's horror, quesedillas.
"Surprise!" A pink mare said. Twilight recognized her. It was that weird pony who she had tried to ask for directions. Emphasis on tried.
"Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were you? Were you? Huh? Huh? Huh?" She asked. This mare talked really fast.
"Very surprised. Libraries are supposed to be quiet," Twilight groaned.
"Don't be silly. What kind of surprise party would it be if everypony were quiet? Bo-ring." Pinkie Pie replied, ignoring Twilight's facial expression.
"How did you even know I would be here?" Twilight asked.
"Well, when I saw you, I knew you weren't from here, which means you are new, and if you are new, you wouldn't have any friends yet, which makes you lonely, which makes me sad,
so I went to City hall to see if there were any estates that had newly been rented, and I found this library, which was rented by queen Celestia, which I found weird, until I realized she would have rented it from somepony else.
"I looked to see if there were any other newly rented estates, but there weren't any, so I assumed this was your place, so I invited the town, and together we made this super duper party, and now you have lots and lots of friends!" Pinkie answered.
Twilight could barely keep up with her. Pinkie was talking so fast it was hard to even hear a single word. Not bothering to talk anymore, Twilight went to the punch bowl, helping herself to some. Looking around the room, she saw some familiar faces. She saw Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
Twilight groaned. Why were ponies here so clingy? Sure, she appreciated that they were friendly, but making a party to a complete stranger?
Twiligth excused herself upstairs. Nopony had decorated here, thank goodness. But she could still hear the party downstairs.
She threw the saddle against the wall in frustration. What would it take for her to get a few hours alone? There weren't many books upstairs. It was mostly fantasy books. She didn't find any books even referencing what she was looking for, no matter how much she looked. Outside, the sun had set.
She looked up to the moon. The sillouetthe was still there. But did the stars get closer to it? Was the legend true? Were the stars aiding in her escape?
"Twilight?" Twilight turned around. The pink alicorn had a worried expression on her face.
"Cadence! You're here too?" Twilight asked, relieved to have somepony to talk to.
"Twilight, why aren't you downstairs with everypony else? This party is for you," Cadence asked.
"I don't feel comfortable around large group of strangers. Especially the clingy type. You should know that, Cadence," Twilight answered.
"Twilight, they aren't clingy. They are welcoming. Would you rather they were hostile?" Cadence asked.
"No! I am glad they are nice, but it just gets weird. One called Rarity groomed my mane and gave me a stylish saddle decorated with rubies for FREE! That's not normal. In Canterlot, service like that would cost at least 50 bits. Another one named Applejack invited me to brunch and meet her family SECONDS after I met her. I-I just don't know how to respond. I am a complete stranger to them, but they act like I'm their lifelong friend," Twilight answered.
"And to top it all off, Nightmare Moon might return in a few hours, and I haven't been able to find out more about her, or the Solar empire, or The midnight republic!" Twilight shrieked.
"Oh, Twilight," Cadence said, approaching Twilight. "Don't worry. My mom took your concerns seriously. Why do you think the celebration has been postponed?"
"Postponed? But why?" Twilight asked.
"It's just for a few hours. She said that she would take care of Nightmare Moon first. Twilight, I know you don’t like socializing, but I don't want you to sit here all alone. Please come downstairs. You might make some friends," Cadence said.
"But I do have friends. Lyra, Lemon Hearts, Moon Dancer, Minuette and Twinkleshine," Twilight protested.
"I know, and they are wonderful friends. But here is a chance of getting more. You don't even have to be friends, just aquaintances is enough. Please, come downstairs with me. You are on a break. No need to be so uptight. Besides, this party is for you," Cadence reasoned.
"Fine. But if you try to get me to eat a quesedilla, our friendship is over," Twilight joked.
"Agreed," Cadence laughed.
~~~~
Once again, Luna woke. This time, however, she had opened her eyes. Around her was darkness. She tried to move, but couldn't.
"Andromeda?" She called out. But she was alone. The voices outside grew louder.
"Be free, servant of night." They weren't chanting this time. That sentence was only said once. Sudden noises startled Luna. Above her, a hole formed. She noticed that it was made to fit her perfectly. She felt herself be lifted out of the hole. It felt like an invisible force was holding her back, but she continued to rise. Once her head was outside, she finally saw who the voices were. It was the stars.
They had formed a moving spiral together, dragging her out from her hole. Once she was out, the hole sealed under her.
Like a tug of war, the stars fought against the seal that had been placed on the moon. The seal tried to pull Luna back in while the stars tried to pull Luna out. Luna tried to help the stars, but the seal kept her from using magic.
Eventually, the magic of the stars forced her away from the moon, sending her towards Equestria like a slingshot. Four of the stars kept close to protect her from the vaccuum of space, also to make sure she didn't get hurt.
Finally, she landed in a forest.
"Be free, servant of night," the stars said before departing.
"Thank you," Luna shouted after them.
Finally free.
~~~
Queen Celestia gazed at the night sky. This would be the night her sister would return. She knew what she had to do. Luna was a threath to the ponies she had spent a thousand years to protect, and Celestia intended on keeping them safe for a thousand more years at least. So why did it bother her so much?
She suddenly felt a great source of magic. She would recognize that aura anywhere. It was time. She spread her wings and flew off into the night, heading for the Everfree forest.
Author's Note
Gaaaaaaaah! Applejack, why do you have so many relatives? Seriously, just your part took soooooo long to finish!
well ya didn't have to write them all down
Of course I had to, or else the comments would be full of people saying
"You forgot this pony, and this pony, yaddy yaddy yadda!"
Also, I hate writing stories where I have to repeat what happened in an existing episode. Just…
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!
Also, for your information, I will not repeat everything that has happened in every season. From this chapter on, it will be MY story, not the storyline of the show. That means NO Gilda, NO gala, NO over the barrel, NO party of one, NO lesson zero, or any of that.
I HATE repeating things that happened in the show, especially if it's something as old as the first episode. It's hard to be creative, and forces me to write a copy of the episode. That's why I added Cadence, new dialouge and different scenarios. I hated writing this chapter because I couldn't be creative with the story I had in mind. So PLEASE don't ask me to rewrite episodes, because I hate that. I will not include the buffalos, griffons or dragons. To answer any questions about where they are, they are staying out of pony affairs.
So don't worry. No more re-writers of episodes, because who likes those anyway?
For those asking why Cadence is there, I thought it would be a better character introduction than just have her appear out of the blue in later chapters. She has importance to the story, her own character arc and conflicts. So don't say she is unneccesary. In fact, I had a lot of fun writing her scenes. In a way, she helped me through this chapter.
If you want to ask when I will release the sequel of "I don't want this," keep in mind what I said earlier in this note. No more episode rewrites. So there will be no Tirek boss fight. Seriously, Tirek ruins everything.
Want to write an AU of season 4? Too bad, you have to include Tirek.
Want to write a funny story about the villains? Don't forget Tirek, the most unlikeable villain in the show.
So don't expect too much of the sequel. There will be a sequel to it, people. But no Tirek. Because I hate him.
Want to know when the next chapter of "the white bunny" is out?
It will come out soon.
Sorry that this note became a huge rant. But I just need to get out all my frustration before I can go on. It is VERY hard and stressful for me to have to follow the flow of the show to write a story. Any writer should know how boring it is to have to include scenes that happened in the show.
Here is a mochi Italy. You're welcome.
Now excuse me while I look for motivation to continue this story.
10/2/2017
Minor fixes in this chapter.
Part 1: chapter 2: return of night part 2
Luna examined the forest she was in. She had never seen this place before. The trees seemed old, but she didn’t feel the magic that was usually placed to protect nature. How long had she been on the moon?
She looked at her reflection in a nearby pond. Almost all of her armor had been destroyed, except a chestpiece, her helmet and her shoes. The armor was useless now. Using her magic, she removed the cold pieces of metal.
“Andromeda, are you there?” Luna called out.
I am here, Luna.
The spirit answered.
“Andromeda, where are we?” Luna asked.
It seems this is Ponyville
Andromeda said.
“But we destroyed Ponyville. Shouldn’t there be ruins? All I can see are trees,” Luna asked. She looked around. There were no signs that there had ever been a town here. The forest around her seemed to stretch out infinetly. «Andromeda, teleport us to the republic headquarters,» Luna commanded.
I’d love to, but I’m not strong enough yet.
"Well we can’t stay here. Perhaps if we walk in one direction we will find civilization."
Luna walked carefully forward. The forest around her seemed harmless enough, but she constantly felt like she was being watched. The trees around her blocked any view of the sky. She couldn’t tell if it was day or night, and she had no way of knowing how much time she had spent in the woods.
Eventually she reached a clearing. Luna looked upwards. Judging by the position of the stars, it was the middle of winter.
"That can’t be right. From what I can tell, it’s summer."
What had happened to the stars?
She flew over the river. After a bit of walking, she found a path. It was old, and weeds were growing in the cracks. It was clear that it hadn’t been used for a long time. Still, it was better than nothing.
"Well, where there’s a path, there’s civilization! I wonder where it leads."
Luna started running enthusiastically along the path. As she ran, her surroundings started to look familiar.
The path stopped at an old bridge. In the horizon he saw ruins of a way too familiar castle.
"Could it be..." she asked herself before she spread her wings and flew towards the ruins as fast as she could.
She stopped at the front. "It is!" it was King Solaris’ castle. She had never thought she would see it in this state. She started laughing.
"That must mean we won after all! Ha ha ha! That old fool is finally gone! Equestria is finally free!"
Luna couldn’t stop herself. It had always seemed so ridiculous that Solaris could actually be defeated. But here she was. She felt herself crying. The war wasn’t in vain after all.
She charged into the castle and went straight for the throne room. The two thones still stood there, as a ghost of a dark time finally over.
"You thought you could defeat us!" she charged her horn and destroyed the first throne.
"You thought your reign would last forever!"
She destroyed the other throne.
"But look at how that turned out! Your castle is destroyed! Your forces are beaten! We defeated you! Ah ha ha ha ha!"
Her magic spread out across the room, creating a chaotic whirlind of destruction. Tapestries were torn apart, pillars crumbled, once beatiful furniture were crushed.
Luna’s rampage calmed down after the walls caved in and crumbled. The roof was about to crush what was left of the room, but Luna destroyed it with her magic. There would be nothing left of the castle once she was done with it.
***
Once Twilight was downstairs, she was immediately faced with Pinkie.
"There you are, silly! I was starting to get worried about you!" the pink mare said.
"Yeah, sorry about that, I’m not really used to parties this big," Twilight apologized. "Why don’t you tell me about yourself?" Twilight asked. Pinkie may have appeared hyperactive and annoying at firt, but she had been kind enough to throw a party for her, so Twilight felt she owed the mare kindness in return.
"Sure! I am New Ponyville’s party pony." Pinkie said.
"What’s a party pony?" Twilight had heard of party ponies before, but she just assumed it meant ponies who attended parties often. But Pinkie had said it like it was an actual profession.
"Well, I’m not officially a party pony yet, since I haven’t finished my apprenticeship at Sugarcube corner yet, but a party pony is a pony who schedules and arranges parties.
As a party pony, I’m responsible for choosing decorations, snacks, safety and general mood for the party. I’m also responsibe for having the party last as long as possible.
Though I totally flopped this one," Pinkie explained.
"Wait what? How did this party fail? I mean, everypony is having a great time here!" Twilight protested.
"Yeah, but you're not having a great time, are you?" Pinkie asked.
"Not really," Twilight admitted.
"Excactly. If you’re not happy, then this party is a flop. Buuuuut, if you tell me what kind of parties you enjoy, I promise I'll make the next one way better!" Pinkie offered.
"Oh, that's really nice of you, but I won't be staying here in New Ponyville. I'm returning to Canterlot after the celebration. Though I appreciate the offer, I really do."
"Oh," Pinkie said, dejected. "But you'll visit, right?"
"Uuh, sure?" Twilight said.
Pinkie's face immediately lit up. "Yay! You can visit Sugarcube corner, and I'll introduce you to-" Pinkie suddenly stopped.
The entire room was quiet. Nopony said a word, but everypony knew one thing. Something was wrong. It felt as if the night had become ten degrees colder.
Y’all feel that?" Applejack asked after an entire minute of silence. Everypony gave a silent nod. Suddenly, everypony were on the ground, startled by the sudden explosion of magic.
Twilight’s head ached, the powerful magic overpowering her horn. Her sensitivity for magic was her greatest strenght, but also a great weakness. Powerful magic often had this effect on her. With great effort, she cut off her connection with the spell.
«Cadence, do you know what’s going on?» Twilight asked.
«I haven’t felt a magical disturbance on this scale before. The only similar energy I have felt is from my mom, but it’s not her.»
«What if it’s Nightmare moon? Oh no, the prophecy said she would start an era of darkness! Oh, what do I do, what do I do?» Twilight panicked.
«Twilight, calm down, I’m sure it will be alright.
You’re my mom’s number one student, and you know what she’s capable of. She has defeated Nightmare moon before, and she will do it again. I’m sure of it,» Cadence said in an attempt to calm down the purple unicorn.
«But what if she can’t? Queen Celestia needed the elements of harmony last time, and nopony knows where they are, or what they are,» Twilight argued.
«What are you two talking about?» a voice said from above. Twilight looked up. It was Rainbow Dash.
«Oh, um, nothing,» Twilight said. The pegasus was drawing attention. she didn’t want anypony to know about her theory until she was certain.
«You sure? ‘Cause it didn’t sound like nothing. Something about a nightmare or ‘elements’. Elements of what?» Rainbow asked. Ponies were starting to stare.
«Why do you want to know?» Twilight said defensively.
«If you know something, we all have the right to know. Am I right, everypony?» Rainbow shouted the last part for all to hear. The ponies in the library started to loudly agree.
«Tell us!»
«What’s going on?»
«Are you a spy or something?»
«Is the queen involved in this?»
«TWITCHY TAIL!» Pinkie yelled. Everypony froze. Then paniced. Everypony desperately ran for cover, knocking over bookshelves, hiding under tables, squashing pastries.
Twilight and Cadence were in the middle of the chaos, and they would have been trampled if it weren’t for Rarity.
Rarity dragged them to the other end of the room with her magic, where she had made a hiding place behind a desk. Twilight and Cadence gratefully hid under the table with her.
«Thank you so much Rarity. I owe you one,» Twilight said.
«Oh, think nothing of it,» Rarity said.
«Rarity, what’s going on?» Cadence asked, the chaos still going on in the backround.
«Pinkie Pie has an unique ability to predict the near future. Twitchy tail means something will fall from the sky,» Rarity explained as if it was a completely normal thing to say.
«Predict the future? How is that even possi-»
CRASHHHH!
Before Twilight could finish her question, something fell trough the roof and landed in the middle of the room. Nopony moved.
Gathering her confidence, Twilight crawled from under the desk and approached the thing. Getting closer, she realized it wasn’t a something, but a somepony.
Rising from the rubble, a black alicorn stretched her wings.
***
Celestia felt Luna before she saw her. The familiar energy pattern of her sister had almost escaped her memory. It was weaker than when she confronted her a thousand years ago, but was growing stronger. Tracking her sister’s energy, it lead her to the old castle of Solaris.
Suddenly, Luna’s magic exploded. The old castle trembled under Luna’s magic, falling apart piece by piece. Celestia watched as what was left of the east tower crumbled and fell into the depths of the ravine.
Celestia ran as fast as she could, getting closer to the source of the destryctive forces that tore the old castle apart. She saw her sister, cackling madly, clearly relishing in the castle’s destruction.
«Luna, STOP THIS NOW!» Celestia yelled.
«What?» Luna, caught off guard, dropped her spell. She slowly turned around, facing her sister. «Celestia? But how? If the republic defeated Solaris, surely they would have disposed of his army.» Luna had a look of confusion, not sure what to believe.
«You thought me dead? No, dear Luna, I can reassure you, I am very much alive. The Midnight republic didn’t defeat Solaris, I did, and I took his throne,» Celestia said, spreading her wings while moving closer to Luna.
«You, you have ascended? But the only others that know about the spell I used is President Winter Wind, general Stronghoof and the Midnight council.»
«i found your spell after the war. How I found it isn’t important. Needless to say, it worked. That was a thousand years ago. Nopony knows Solaris or the republic even exsisted.» Celestia explained.
«A thousand years? No, you have to be lying! This is just a trick, right? We defeated you, that must be it. I can’t have been gone a thousand years. That would mean, no...» Luna wanted it to be a lie. Her belief that it was a lie was all that was keeping her from falling apart. It was the only thing that allowed her to stand upright.
«It’s true, sister. The Midnight republic fell swiftly without their greatest weapon. Luna, I’m so sorry, I never meant to send you away, you have to believe me.
I thought the elements would purify you. I never thought they would banish you. I had no choice but to use them. You were too powerful. I had to follow orders. Please forgive me, sister.» Celestia pleaded.
«What happened of them?» Luna asked coldly.
«What?» Celestia stepped back.
«WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CHILDREN?» Luna snapped.
«They passed away 80 years later. I made sure they were safe where you had placed them. They had long and fullfilling lives, and many wonderful descendants. I lost track after five generations. Their family had spread all over equestria and beyond,» Celestia answered.
«Did you ever tell them about me? About their father?» Luna asked, tears forming in her eyes.
«No. And I made sure they never found out. It was your last request before we... separated.» Celestia lowered her head in shame.
Luna’s legs gave in. she started sobbing loudly on the floor, her vision blurred by her own tears. She could faintly hear Andromeda’s words of comfort, but was too filled with grief to care.
Celestia tried to move forward, but was stopped by her companion.
She is still your enemy, Celly.
«She’s my sister. She needs me to be with her right now,» Celestia whispered.
And then what? What happens next? She won’t rule alongside you or recognize your authority. No matter what happens, she will cause chaos and panic.
«why are you telling me what I already know?»
It’s my job to protect you, Celly. She’s a threath that needs to be nipped in the bud, no matter how close you used to be. Do you really think she will forgive you after what you did? You separated her from her family, her friends, her time. You have to get rid of her.
«I have to try, Solar.» she whispered as she walked to her sister. She tried to wipe Luna’s tears with her hoof, but Luna screamed «DON’T TOUCH ME!» giving Celestia a look of hate and despair.
«I’m sorry Luna. If I could go back and change everything, I would. But I can’t. After all these years, I just want my sister back. Please, Luna. We can be sisters again.» Celestia pleaded, her eyes forming tears, blurring her vision.
«And how will you explain this to your subjects? Suddenly, their queen has a sister that she has told nopony about, and appearantly she sealed her in the moon for a thousand years!» Luna said.
«Luna..»
«Please, how long have you known me? I joined the Midnight republic because I despised the monarchy, not because I wanted the crown.
The Republic may have been defeated, but I will continue to fight for it’s cause. I have nothing left to lose anymore. You stole away everything I cared about.» Luna stood up, opening her wings and chargin her horn. «and I will fight you to honor those I failed.»
Celestia took a deep breath before standing in the same fighting position as her sister. «Then I have no choice other than to destroy you. My duty is to protect my subjects, no matter the cost.»
***
Luna was falling. She hadn’t expected her sister to be so powerful. A fireball had burned away the feathers on her left wing, and she was getting closer to the ground. Andromeda was making the feathers grow back as fast as she could, but it wasn’t fast enough. She fell straight through a treehouse, making a crater as she landed.
She had broken two ribs and there was a crack in one of her hooves. In hindsight, she probably should have kept her armor. Andromeda started healing her, But Luna didn’t wait for her to finish. She rose, adjusting her eyes to the light. She was surrounded by frightened ponies. She looked at the sky to see her sister preparing another fireball.
Without thinking, Luna made a barrier spell, shielding the library from the fireball of destruction. As the ball hit the shield, ponies were panicking. Luna made an exit in the barrier. «Run! All of you! Quickly!» she yelled at the frightened crowd. Most of them ran outside, hesitating only for a second. There were some ponies who didn’t run. A purple unicorn and a pink alicorn.
«Don’t think you can get away, Nightmare Moon! We will do anything to help queen Celestia defeat you!» the unicorn said.
«Twilight is right. We won’t let you bring eternal night.» the alicorn flared her wings, ready to fight.
«What in the name of Faust are you saying?» Luna asked. What was this nonsense about eternal night?
«Oh, don’t play stupid, Nightmare Moon! You know what we’re talking about!» The unicorn tried to blast her, but Luna dodged the attack.
But dodging the blast was enough to drop the spell as another fireball came for the library. Luna quickly teleported the three of them just as the fireball hit. They appeared right outside of the library.
***
Twilight gasped as she saw the library catch fire. «Spike is in there!» she was about to run inside the burning library when she heard her dragon friend’s voice.
«I’m okay Twilight!» Spike climbed out from the flames. «I have fireproof scales.»
Twilight ran to Spike and gave him a tight hug.
«Twi..can’t.. breathe!»
«Oh, sorry Spike. I’m just so relieved you’re okay,» Twilight said, wiping away a tear.
«Hey Twilight, do you know who hit me with that fireball?» Spike asked.
«It’s... mom!» Cadence said, shocked.
Celestia descended landing between her daughter and her sister.
«Are you CRAZY? There were other ponies in there, Celestia! You could have killed them!» Nightmare Moon yelled.
«I- I didn’t realize. I thought the library would be empty by now.» Celestia stuttered.
«Likely story!» Nightmare Moon yelled as she blasted Celestia with her magic. Before Celestia could recover, Nightmare moon became mist and fled.
«Mom!»
«Celestia!»
Cadence and Twilight ran to Celestia, helping her stand up. «I’m alright. It’s L-Nightmare Moon you should worry about,» Celestia said.
«What do we do now, your majesty?» Twilight asked.
«Nightmare moon has fled, likely to regain her power. I can keep her from making eternal night, but it’s only a matter of time before she attacks. We need to be prepared,» Celestia said. «We need the elements of harmony.»
Author's Note
I’m really sorry for this taking so long, but I have been distracted by Tumblr and Pinterest, not to mentions school and family things. Please forgive me.
I’m also really sorry if my writing is rubbish. English isn’t my first language, but I think I’m improving.
I use celsius instead of fahrenheit, just to be clear.
