My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’ve trained for several years to hone my physical and magical abilities under Starswirl the Bearded. I am the leader of the rebel force trying to overthrow Nightmare Moon and bring the sun back to The New Lunar Empire. I'm sure you're wondering how I came to lead such a ragtag and highly bizarre group of ponies could've possibly come together. Well, let me take you back a thousand years ago, back when The New Lunar Empire was still Equestria…
...
The Castle of The Royal Pony Sisters-1,000 Years Earlier
A white anthro alicorn cried out in pain as searing bolts of lightning struck her. She had a beautiful mane and tail of green and pink, and wore an elegant suit of golden battle armor that was starting to take some damage and on her head was a golden tiara with a purple jewel laid into the center. This was Celestia, ruler of Equestria and Princess of The Day.
Hovering above Celestia was a black anthro alicorn with a smoke-like dark blue mane and tail wearing a black suit of armor with a bit of midnight blue and the image of a cresent moon on the breastplate. Additionally, she wore midnight blue gauntlets and high-heeled boots, along with a midnight blue war helmet. This was Princess Luna, now known as Nightmare Moon.
Nightmare Moon cackled as she saw her sister slowly get to her hooves. "Had enough?" she hissed.
Celestia wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. "Please, Luna, you have to stop this! I don't want to hurt you," she said.
Nightmare Moon let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Don't tell me you won't fight back! Where's the honor in striking down a ruler who won't fight back against me?" said Nightmare Moon, before a wicked gleam came into her eyes. "Perhaps another little dose of pain will get you to fight back... and how many times must I say it? My name is Nightmare Moon!"
With that, Nightmare Moon sent more lightning at her sister, who ducked behind some fallen masonry.
"Don't you dare turn and run from me, Celestia! I want to see the light leave your pretty little eyes!" screeched Nightmare Moon.
Her heart aching, Celestia realized she had no choice but to face her corrupted sister in combat.
If I can hold her off long enough to get to the Elements of Harmony, I might just have a chance, thought Celestia before finally emerging from her hiding place.
"If this is the way you want it, then you leave me no other choice. I'm sorry, Luna," said Celestia, before she fired a blast of golden magic at Nightmare Moon.
Nightmare Moon dodged the blast and smirked at her sister. "Ooh. Now you're getting into the spirit of things! Let's dance!" said Nightmare Moon.
The two sisters flew through the castle, trading magical blasts, lightning, and sometimes physical blows before Celestia and Nightmare Moon crashed into the ground in the throne room.
Celestia was the first to get up. Blood covering her mouth, she activated her magic to trigger a secret opening in the floor.
Through the secret opening came a pedestal. On it were six different colored gems, one of which resembled a star.
Nightmare Moon looked up to see what Celestia was up to.
The Elements of Harmony! I have to finish her! Now! thought Nightmare Moon. She charged up her horn for a desperate attack as the Elements made their way to Celestia.
The resulting blast left a huge wound in Celestia's chest.
The Elements of Harmony fell to the ground as Celestia fell to her knees.
"Re... remember this: you've only killed a mare, not what she believed in... I... hope some day you'll find the Luna inside you again... I... love..." gasped Celestia, before she fell onto her side, her eyes vacant and glassy.
Nightmare Moon knew she should feel overjoyed that she had won, or at least relief that the battle was over. But, what she felt was pity. She walked over to Celestia's body and closed her eyes.
"I am truly sorry that you had to die for my reign to begin. Some part of me will always miss you... but, now... the night... will last... forever! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" cackled Nightmare Moon.
...
Nightmare Moon, a black cape with a protrusion added to her armor, stood before a heartbroken and anguished crowd of ponies, which was only held back by the newly re-named Shadow Guard, which wore midnight blue and gray versions of the Royal Guards' uniforms, and the re-named Shadowbolts, which wore purple and black versions of the Wonderbolts' uniforms. Additionally, their goggles had more of an angry look to them and had yellow lenses.
"Citizens of Equestria. I truly hope you remember yesterday, because it is the last time you will see your sun. To that extent, as your new ruler, I hereby decree that the land known as Equestria, will be re-organized into The New Lunar Empire! For a society that will worship the night. A society that will love the night. And a society that will obey me, or else be destroyed, along with all who associated with them!" declared Nightmare Moon.
All around the castle, the old Royal Seal of Equestria was being replaced with the image of a black winged diamond with a bit of dark blue and a crescent moon in the center and a black crown over the top.
For a thousand years, ponies lived and worked in the everlasting moonlight of Nightmare Moon's regime. For a thousand years, anypony who stood up against Nightmare Moon's forces ended up dead, along with everypony they cared about. For a thousand years, the sun hadn't risen, and some even regarded it as a myth. For a thousand years, the captains of the Shadowbolts and Shadow Guard lived in infamy, the current ones, Rainbow Dash of the Shadowbolts and Nightshade of the Lunar Guard respectively, were among the most ruthless and deadly. For a thousand years, The Elements of Harmony had been destroyed. For a thousand years, nopony dared to hope...
…
Tempest City-Now
In a small apartment in Tempest City, the capital of the New Lunar Empire, a young unicorn with a navy blue mane and tail, both of which had a hot pink stripe in them wearing only her black bra and panties, grunted and groaned as she tossed and turned in her sleep, apparently having a very intense dream…
…
"Twilight... Twilight..." whispered a soft, kind voice as Twilight, clad in some kind of battle armor that exposed her midriff and had a sword at her side, made her way down a long, dark hallway. At the far end, a door stood ajar. Twilight, mesmerized by the voice, approached and knocked on the door.
"Come in," said a different voice, although it was still kind and gentle. As soon as Twilight entered the room, her jaw dropped like a bad habit. She was in a large parlor or living room of some sort. Books of unknown texts and origins lined the walls, and above a massive fireplace was a portrait of what looked like a Yin-Yang symbol with two ponies of the same breed as Nightmare Moon, one white and one a deep blue, circling it.
In the center of the parlor were three chairs. One was unoccupied, while in one sat a beautiful white alicorn with a mane of blue, green, and pink wearing a ghostly white dress sat in the second, and the third was apparently supposed to be an alicorn mare with a coat of the deepest blue and a midnight blue mane with what looked like stars in it. Only thing was, parts of her were missing, such as the left side of her head from the neck down. She wore a black dress and seemed to resemble...
"Nightmare Moon?" asked Twilight.
The blue mare looked at Twilight. "Ah, Miss Sparkle, you've made it. To answer your question, yes and no. Although my corporeal body is the one who has trapped Equestria in the eternal night of The New Lunar Empire, it is under the control of dark forces that nearly destroyed me. Only a piece of me remains inside Nightmare Moon, causing her to develop... what was it called... skates something..." said the mare.
"Schizophrenia," said the white mare.
"Yes, thank you, sister. Nightmare frequently has visions of me in mirrors and also has full conversations," said the blue mare.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. She'd heard rumors that Nightmare Moon was secretly insane... but, then who were these ponies?
Seemingly reading Twilight's mind, the white mare said, "Oh! Where are our manners? My name is Celestia, Princess of the Day. This is my sister, Luna, the true Princess of the Night. Why don't you take a seat?"
Twilight sat down in the vacant chair, which was a large black leather recliner.
"All right, onto business. Twilight, what do you know about the land before Nightmare Moon rose to power?" asked Celestia.
Twilight thought for a moment. "Well, just some myths, really. Like there was a big ball of gas that was like a gazillion miles away that supposedly brought warmth and light to the land, controlled by a really powerful pony who ruled the land," she said.
Luna looked thoughtful for a moment. "I see... well, those myths aren't myths. They are bits of ancient history. The sun is really there, lurking behind the moon. And the pony who controlled it is in fact my elder sister," she said, pointing at Celestia.
Celestia smiled. "You see, Twilight, a millennium ago, The New Lunar Empire was known as Equestria. Everything was perfect, ponies played and worked in the bright warm sun, and slept through Luna's night," she said.
Luna nodded. "As time passed, I became more and more resentful towards the subjects who slept through the beautiful night I slaved to make. Then, one day, I gave in to the Nightmare Force," she said.
"The Nightmare Force?" asked Twilight, now thoroughly interested in what these ponies had to say.
"Yes. It is an energy force created by the darkness in ponies' hearts. Once I gave in, I became Nightmare Moon... and... I... killed..." said Luna as she started to cry.
Both Twilight and Celestia placed a comforting hand on Luna's shoulders as tears flowed down her intact eye.
"Once I was killed, Nightmare Moon rose to power and created The New Lunar Empire, a land trapped in everlasting darkness. As you know, anypony who fought back against Nightmare was destroyed. However, it is your destiny to rise up against Nightmare Moon and lead Equestria back into the light.”
"But… there’s nothing special about me! I’m not some savior! I’m just a scientist!” said Twilight.
“You are capable of far more than you realize, Twilight. Inside you slumbers the power of a goddess with unimaginable power. I’m sure of it, and when I’m sure of something, I’m never wrong,” said Celestia.
“Weren’t you sure that you could save me from myself?” asked Luna with a wry smile.
“That time doesn’t count, and besides that, now’s not the time to discuss this in a committee,” said Celestia, turning her attention to Twilight. "Twilight, you must have Starswirl the Bearded train you in the magical arts and swordplay if you hope to stand a chance against Nightmare Moon," she told the unicorn as everything began to fade away.
"Wait, I'm not saying I believe you, but if I did, how do I find this Starswirl the Bearded?" asked Twilight as the parlor vanished.
"He will find you..."
Twilight awoke from the bizarre and highly realistic dream in a cold sweat. She pulled herself up from her soaked sheets to look at her reflection in a bedside mirror.
"It was just a dream, Twilight. Nothing to be worried about," Twilight told herself, despite the growing unease that it was more than just a dream... that it was really going to happen...
…
Crystal Caverns
An ancient-looking anthro unicorn stallion wearing ancient-looking blue robes sat in a meditative state, his eyes moving underneath his lids as though he were in REM sleep. Suddenly, his eyes flew open, having apparently felt some sort of disturbance.
“At last! I’ve found you, Magic Incarnate! Hang on, I’m on my way!” cried Starswirl the Bearded as he scrambled to his feet and made his way out of the caverns.
Or at least, tried to.
“Hmm… this may take awhile…” Starswirl muttered to himself as he faced the same dead end for the fifth time in a row.
