The Coming Of Stellas Spatiumby Harratot33ChaptersChapter 1 - The Unorthodox SummonChapter 2 - Celestia's ConfessionChapter 3 - The Origins of Nightmare MoonChapter 4 - New RecruitsChapter 5 - Preparations for InvasionChapter 6 - Spatium ArrivesChapter 7 - Equestria's New RulerChapter 1 - The Unorthodox Summon"I'm here!" Scootaloo panted. "I was beginning to think you weren't attending," said Rainbow Dash. "I'm so sorry..." Scootaloo was still short of breath. "There was an emergency CMC meeting. I tried explaining to the other two, but they insisted all of us were required." "Ah, well, better late than never, hey!" Dash said kindly, and winked. "After all, that is the very first time you've been late for a flying lesson, and we've been having them for...err..." "Five months." Scootaloo chimed in. "Exactly!" Dash responded, astonished on the inside at her pupil's matchless memory. What happened next happened without any warning, as it always does: Dash's cutie mark began to glow and flash, signalling her to Twilight's Castle and the Cutie Map for a mission. "I'm sorry, Scootaloo," she said. "Mentoring's gonna have to wait, I'm afraid. There's more...pressing matters right now, apparently." She showed the filly her flank, and Scootaloo instantly understood. No sooner had she done so, then Dash was soaring away into the eerily crystal-clear, blue sky. I wonder who else is being called, Scootaloo thought. Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy or Rarity? "ALL OF US!!" The voice that shouted this simple line was far more blaring and boisterous than any other ponies' in town. Yes - the pony was Pinkie Pie, and all her friends were standing just as dumbfounded as she was. "This is mighty strange, alright!" Applejack agreed. "Very unusual," Fluttershy nodded. "Most eldritch if I may say so," said Rarity. "The only other time this happened was our very first mission, when we first encountered Starlight," Twilight piped up. "If that mission was anything to go on..." "Then this one ain't gonna be no trot in the park, neither," Dash interrupted, flying swiftly in through an open window. "Where has the map called everyone to?" asked Spike. "That's the worst part - it's beckoning us to Canterlot, and I have a nasty feeling the friendship problem involves Celestia and Luna, just like Starlight experienced several months back. The thing is, she was the solitary recruit for that mission...and...if the map has summoned the entirety of my friendship group...!" "You don't suppose Luna has turned back into..." Spike began, but Twilight was already shaking her head before he had gotten every syllable out of his tiny mouth. "Let's not jump to any conclusions," she re-assured both him and her friends. "For all we know, the map might not have even called to us as a result of the princess' relationship with each other." "There's only one way to find out!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, already making her way out (bouncing, of course!). Stepping hoof off the train, Rarity could not help but feel excited at the prospect of being back in such a high-class city. "Oh! The sense of fashion, the sophistication, the overwhelming sense of royalty!" she exclaimed to herself. She often did this, and so the rest of the Mane Six were used to it after all these years. "We are not here to enjoy ourselves, Rarity!" Applejack said sternly. "We've got a potentially deadly friendship problem on our hooves." "I wonder if this mission will convince all the bystanders who think otherwise that friendship is important and worth studying; many ponies don't think it's worth being on the Equestrian education system at all!" "That's crazy talk!" Dash exclaimed. "Without them, society would be chaos!" "Yes, well, we've already got Twilight's library after use if anyone ever wants a taste of chaos." "Rarity!" Twilight snapped. "I do apologize." "Now, if we're all quite finished, girls, I think our first stop should be Canterlot Castle." "Excellent idea." said Fluttershy. "Our minds will at least be put to rest then if your instincts do turn out to be wrong, Twilight." Twilight and her friends were very soon inside the castle itself. A few rooms and many, many stairs later they eventually came to the royal throne room; what they found there was shocking, and certainly not in-keeping with the sense of familiarity Twilight had been accustomed to thus far. Princess Cadance was restraining Celestia and Luna in front of the former's throne. "Stop it! Both of you! Please...I don't know how much longer you can both go on like this before one of you, heaven forbid..." She noticed Twilight and her friends. "Thank goodness!" "Let go of me!" Luna shouted. "You can do as she says, Cadance, we're here now." Twilight assured her. "I guess we know what our little friendship problem involves," Applejack muttered to Fluttershy. "I suppose the Cutie Map sent you all here," said Cadance, flying gently down to the Mane Six. Normally, her and Twilight would perform their special handshake, a ritual going back to the latter's childhood when the pink pony used to babysit her; however, this hardly seemed appropriate at such a time. "If you can't help these two, I'm sorry to say I don't think anyone can," Cadance continued. "I've been attempting to do so myself for the past week, although I have to admit I'm no expert on friendship." "Shining Armour can't look after Flurry Heart himself! She's too powerful!" Twilight exclaimed. "I think you'd better get back to the Crystal Empire."" "Yeah, we've got this covered," said Rainbow Dash in an even more conceited manner than usual. "Six against two!" "I CAN'T WAIT FOR BREAKFAST!" Pinkie Pie yelled the next morning, bouncing merrily to the dining hall with Applejack following much more slowly behind. "I HEAR CELESTIA'S PANCAKES ARE DELICIOUS!" "Pinkie," Applejack yawned. "I wouldn't move so darn quick, if I were y'all. You might break something valuable." Princess Luna was passing on her way to bed in the other direction, and it was at that precise moment that Pinkie inadvertently crashed into a stain-glass window (ironically the one depicting the defeat of , causing a tiny crack. Applejack very quickly caught up with her. "Who...?" Luna asked somewhat crossly, turning her head. "It was me," Pinkie sadly admitted. "I guess I do take my bouncy nature too far on occasion." "Now, now, Pinkie," Applejack said kindly, putting her hoof around her. "I thought I was supposed to be the element of honesty." "Honesty is the best policy, that's what I always say!" Pinkie said a little more loudly. Luna thought things over. And then she came to a decision. On the condition that Celestia agreed with her, it was time to tell Twilight and the others the truth. �p�� Chapter 2 - Celestia's Confession"Twilight?" Princess Celestia was calling her name loudly, naturally prompting the princess of friendship to come briskly into the throne room. "What is your bidding?" Twilight inquired, bowing. "You don't have to be so formal," Celestia laughed. "You're royalty now, too." "I apologise." said Twilight. "It's something no amount of time can aid in one getting used to." "Has Princess Cadance left the city yet?" asked Luna. "Her train is leaving any minute, why?" responded Twilight. "There's no time to explain! You must get her and bring her back here!" "My sister and I have something very important to confess to you and your friends, Twilight." said Celestia. "I'll do my best!" Twilight assured the pair, and scurried off just as rapidly as her entrance had been. Celestia turned back to Luna. "You really think we're right to tell them?" "If our instincts are correct..." said Luna, nervously. She sighed. "Then there's no two ways about it, I'm afraid." "As many of you may have already rightly assumed," said Celestia hesitantly. The listeners - The Mane Six and Princess Cadance - were just as anxious as her and Luna. It certainly sounded like whatever she was about to inform them was extremely shocking and vitally important. "...Luna and myself are not the first ponies to raise the sun and the moon." "WHAATTT?" This shrill shriek came from Pinkie Pie, of course. "Haven't you ever wondered who did it before the pair were born, over a thousand years ago, sugar cube?" Applejack asked her. "I never really thought about it," admitted Fluttershy. "It's true," said Luna. "Before we were born, our mother raised the sun in the morning and our father the moon when night came." "Whatever happened to them?" asked Rarity. "We've never really talked about this to anypony before," Celestia said increasingly slowly. "But...because of their immense and rarely-matched power...allicorns have a maximum lifespan of one-thousand and fifty years." "Well...I didn't expect them to be immortal or anything like that..." said Twilight. "It's just that..." "That's not the shocking part," warned Luna immediately. "The Cutie Map summoned both you and all of your friends here to Canterlot, Twilight, because this particular friendship problem has a cause all of you need to possess the knowledge of...before it's too late." Twilight and Cadance could feel their heart rate beginning to get faster. They were both struggling to prevent their mouths from gaping wide open. Twilight's friends were no better. "Now comes the big confession," said Celestia sternly. Twilight, being the easily-perturbed pony she is, was having a troublesome time not crying out at this point. "We have a brother," finished Luna. "He became an allicorn, like us...and controlled the stars...and was good...but one day...err...let's track this from the beginning." "From when we were tiny little fillies, no bigger than Flurry Heart," continued Celestia. "All three of us knew that when our parents grew old and passed, we would be taking over their duties as governors of the moon and sun." "Who governed the stars at that point?" inquired Cadance. "Nobody," said Luna. "Our parents gave our brother...his name is Stellas Spatium...they gave Spatium the power to do so. Remember, before this point nopony really understood the concept of astrology and space." "Yeah, that explains it, I guess." said Rainbow Dash. "Anyway," continued Luna. "Shortly after the three of us were made either prince or princess of our natural satellites, Spatium grew made with jealously." "Why ever would he feel that way?!" asked Pinkie rather uproariously. "Governing the stars sounds like a STELLAR way to go into nobility...pun intended." "That's just it," said Celestia. "Spatium longed for a means of helping out the ponies in Equestria itself. While aligning the stars was a necessary task at this point, he didn't seem to think so. He wanted to...be proactive I suppose. He thought aligning stars was helping nopony, when in reality he was indirectly helping everypony." "It drove him mad!" said Luna bluntly. "Over a period of a year or so, he became increasingly isolated from both us and our parents." "He became so filled with anger and hate," continued Celestia, anxiety now very prevalent in her vocals. "That one day he resigned from his position and ran away from our castle in the Everfree Forest." "He wandered in that forest for days," said Luna. "Eventually stumbling upon..." "It can't be!" interrupted Twilight suddenly. "What do your instincts say?" asked Cadance. "The Tree of Harmony?!?" "Right first time!" blurted out Luna and her sister simultaneously. "But...I thought the elements were originally contained in the Castle of the Two Sisters." "No," confessed Luna. "That came afterwards. They were always contained in their natural Tree of Harmony until Spatium got involved with them. "You mean..." "Yes," said Celestia. "I remember like it was only yesterday. Returning to our castle, Spatium used the elements to wreck it and drive us both out severely wounded." "I thought the castle was damaged as a result of your battle with Nightmare Moon," said Cadance, bewildered. "We were just getting to my not-so-not-evil form," said Luna. "And Spatium's powers..." Celestia took a heavy sigh. "Forget everything you think know. Luna and I been pretty untruthful during the time you've known us both to hide the existence of our brother. What we're going to tell you will contradict much of what you believe to be true at the moment." Chapter 3 - The Origins of Nightmare MoonThe Mane Six and Cadance listened to the rest of Celestia and Luna's tragic tale with utter fixation. They could hardly believe so much of what they had been told over all these years was false. The two Princesses told them that Spatium eventually gained the power to transfer his evil into the mentality of other ponies. "Y'all mean like mind control?" Applejack queried. "No," Luna told her. "The pony he has affected can still think for themselves." "You mean they could be persuaded otherwise?" asked Fluttershy. "Unlikely." Celestia responded. "I gain no pleasure at all from saying this, but I'm afraid Spatium is far more evil and powerful than those you've all fought in the past." "But you banished him right, just like you did to Luna when she became Nightmare Moon...?" Luna took a deep sigh and, stepping forward ever so slightly, made another confession: "I didn't become Nightmare Moon out of jealousy. I think by now you'll all have worked out that reason is far too similar to what partly made Spatium so evil. So, here goes...I was Spatium's first victim after he became aware of his transferring powers." "I banished Nightmare Moon and Spatium at roughly the same time, but to different locations, of course," explained Celestia. "You went to the moon, Luna," Twilight recalled. "But where did you send Spatium, Princess Celestia?" "To another dimension entirely," she said. "He was just...so...dangerous and evil...I couldn't bear to have it any other way. Now, Spatium was in fact expected to return on the same night as Luna five years ago today." "Every year, my sister and I have grown very nervous around today," said Luna. "Fair enough, perhaps the fact that he's not in our reality at all means...it takes a bit longer for him to..." "Pull through!" Twilight finished. "Exactly," said Celestia. "But this year, the pair of us are more nervous than ever before." "I suppose that does explain our friendship problem," acknowledged Rarity. "But whatever is so significant about five years?" "It's not so much the date," Luna stammered. "As it is the phenomena the whole of Equestria has been experiencing these past few weeks." "Small earthquakes, vicious thunderstorms, sporadic rain spells..." Celestia listed. "All signs we underwent prior to Nightmare Moon's return." "If our instincts are correct, then we will require you all to join the fight," Luna warned. "This is why we had to inform you all." "I'm glad you did," said Twilight. "I'd never forgive myself if I didn't fight and something terrible happened to anypony." "Yeah, if you ever need us to kick some evil-allicorn butt, just leave me one of the ol' voicemails, would ya?" Rainbow Dash said sleazily. "Rainbow!" Cadance snapped. "This is deeply serious!" "I concur," said Celestia. "I don't think you realise just how capable of causing intense havoc Spatium really is." Everypony noticed Twilight was tearing up. Celesita consoled her. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I know how shocking this must be for you...and everyone else." "It's not that," Twilight wept quietly. "It's just...I think this is the first friendship problem...that's unfixable!" �ԘX�* Chapter 4 - New Recruits"And...checkmate!" Trixie cried, lifting up her rook from the chessboard and utilising it to knock over Starlight Glimmer's king. "Drat! You...you get me every time, don't you?" Glimmer said sadly, but she was still smiling. Trixie was unaware of how one really plays chess; she had been swerving her rooks in a diagonal direction and her kings two spaces at a time all the way through! Just then, there was a knock at the door to Trixie's diminutive home. Not a regular, friendly, casual knock, however—this particular knock was as loud as a Timberwolf's roar, and instantly denoted panic, urgency and a significant quantity of anxiety. "I'll get that," Glimmer said thoughtfully. She trotted over to the door of the trailer and opened it. Standing there was Princess Twilight Sparkle, her former mentor. However, what immediately struck Glimmer and Trixie as odd was that she was not smiling, or even standing still. As a matter of fact, she looked no better than she had when she had been unable to pinpoint a lesson of friendship to write to Princess Celestia about in her weekly letter four-and-a-half years ago. She was also wearing her official crown, which was certainly not commonplace. "Starlight!" She was panting, as if she had been running. "I need to speak to you...alone!" "Err..." Starlight could not help but feel awkward. "Anything for you, Twily." The two hurriedly exited Trixie's caravan, closing the door behind them. Trixie, of course, after noticing they were heading to just outside one of her trailer's windows, instantly crept over there (the opposite side of the room!) and decided to eavesdrop. "Why are you...?" "...wearing my crown?" Starlight nodded. "I'm here on official royal business, that's why." Twilight then told Starlight everything Celestia and Luna had told her and her friends. "If he comes," she whispered dramatically. "Would you join the fight? Your magic is incredibly power, Starlight, we can't afford to not use it against him!" "Twilight, you know my answer is a resounding yes," Starlight assured her. "I...I'm sorry...this is just a shock for me...and...and..." Twilight put on hoof very gently to Starlight's lips, signalling her to be quiet. "I know. I'm shocked, too, but I can't begin to imagine how Celestia and Luna are feeling right now..." Scootaloo zoomed down the deserted Ponyville street on her trademark vehicle, her best friends Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom - renowned as the Cutie Mark Crusaders for years - following as closely as they could manage behind her. "Hey!" Sweetie Belle shouted to her friend. "Isn't that Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo ground to a halt. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle trotted rapidly up to their friend. "I'd recognise her even if she were a whole mile away!" Scootaloo responded enthusiastically. "I'm sorry, Spitfire," Rainbow Dash was speaking with the captain of the famed Wonderbolts flying team. "I can't make it." "Can't make a tour, huh? That's...unlike you, to say the very least." "I know, I know," Rainbow Dash was evidently not enjoying the fact. "May I ask why?" "Uh..." Dash hesitated, and then came to the wise decision that it was best not to tell anypony anything about Spatium. "Personal reasons. Okay?" "Well," Spitfire took out a clipboard and pencil and began to scribble. "If you're absolutely sure." And with that, she soared off, literally as quick as a flash. No sooner had the blinding-bright-yellow Pegasus gone, then another, much smaller one had approached Rainbow Dash. "What was that all about?" "It...I..." Rainbow Dash hesitated yet again, and then decided to adopt Applejack's policy of honesty. "I...can't tell you. I'm sorry." And with that, she flew away from the trio of fillies. "We've gotta take up another kind of crusading!" Sweetie Belle cried. "Huh?" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo said together. "Finding out what this is all about! Perhaps our sisters would know, Apple Bloom." "Why are y'all so darn desperate to find out, Sweetie Belle?" "Because it sounds important! What if the princesses are recruiting our sisters and their friends to do battle with foes akin to the likes of King Sombra?" "We've never had the chance to join in on one of the big fights!" Scootaloo sadly admitted. "Exactly." said Sweetie Belle. "And this time...whether they agree or not...our sisters and their friends are gonna need all the help they can get!" Chapter 5 - Preparations for Invasion"What are you making?" Spike asked Rarity, who was as hard-at-work at her sewing machine as anypony would expect. The minute, but noble dragon had come to visit his favourite member of The Mane Six after Twilight said she would not be requiring his assistance in defending the Crystal Empire from invasion. "I am not necessarily making a particular item of clothing, Spikey-poo!" said Rarity. "In order to utterly master any skill, one must simply practise day in, day out. There is simply no use just putting the skill into play when there's a reason." "That's some neat philosophy right there!" Spike was impressed. Actually, he was impressed with anything and everything when it was associated with the most beautiful unicorn he had ever seen in his life. But he did not want to seem passive. You gotta sound smart and do some deep-thinking, too, Spike, if you wanna impress Rarity. "But...err...how can you be sewing at a time like this?" Rarity stopped. "That's just it, Spike!" She sounded sad now. "Dress-making is like...a...form of escapism for me." "Huh?" Rarity sighed. "I mean...it...you know, takes my mind off things." A tear was forming in her eye. "Aw, come on." Spike placed a claw on her flank. "It always works out for the good guys." Rarity enveloped Spike in a tight hug (very uncomfortable given the difference in size, but Spike could not care less!). "That remains to be seen," she said quietly, weeping now. "I promise everything will be okay," Spike assured her. "Don't make promises you can't keep." Princess Luna and her sister knocked on the door to the office of Ponyville's Mayor Mare. "Uh!" she shouted. "I gave strict instructions that I was not to be..." The door flung open, revealing the pair. "...disturbed." There was an awkward pause. "But...of course, as in any job, one must make excep..." "We are here on probably the most official and serious royal business we've ever been on." said Celestia sternly. "There will be no time to argue with what we're about to request of you," said Luna. "Well..." Mayor Mare did not know whether to feel honoured or confused. "What do you w--" "We need every citizen in Ponyville with the exception of Princess Twilight's friends to be evacuated to the surrounding cities." "Trottingham, Manehattan, Maretropolis..." Celestia listed. "Just please do not send any to the Crystal Empire, we may need that spot to defend Equestria from..." "From what?" "There's no time to explain!" Luna cried. "Now, please do as we say, Mayor. That's a royal order!" "THIS OFFICIAL CUTIE MARK CRUSADER MEETING IS NOW IN SESSION!" Apple Bloom yelled unnecessarily shrilly. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo plugged their ears for a fraction of a second, and then relaxed. "What's it about this time?" the former asked. "WELL...well, I figured it was about time we found another pony in a Cutie Mark crisis to help." "I thought that too!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "But how are we...?" Scootaloo started. But she did not finish. For without any warning whatsoever, the trio noticed a number of wagons, full to bursting with ponies of all sizes and shapes, entering Sweet Apple Acres. Seconds later, there was a knock on the door. Apple Bloom, following an exchanged look of confusion with her fellow crusaders, trotted to the other side of the treehouse and opened it. It was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. "Cutie Mark Crusaders!" For an instant, Apple Bloom thought she had reverted her personality back to selfish and spoiled. However, her gut proved wrong when Diamond Tiara, evidently distressed, cried: "You all have to get on a cart! They're evacuating everypony in town to one of the surround cities." "What in tarnation...?" Apple Bloom started. "Heck if I know! Hurry everypony! Big McIntosh and Granny Smith have already left, Apple Bloom." "Well, what about my big sister?" "Haven't seen her. HURRY!" With that, Diamond Tiara and her best friend scampered out and into one of the carts. Sweetie Belle peered out of the window and surveyed the carts. "I can't see my sister...or any of Twilight's friends for that matter in any of the carts. You don't suppose this has anything to do with what Rainbow Dash was chattering with Spitfire about?" "I do!" Scootaloo stood up, attempting to be noble. And it worked. Her two friends instantly knew what to do. "We ain't getting on board one of those there things," said Apple Bloom. "You said it yourself, Scoot, we're never involved with any of the big battles." "I have a feeling these orders have come from the four Princesses themselves, though," said Sweetie Belle. "Usually, when we disobey any sort of rules or instructions, it doesn't end well for anypony." "I have a feeling!" Scootaloo stood nobly yet again. "This time...it's for a worthwhile cause, and things are gonna turn out differently...for everypony!" Twilight Sparkle, Princess Cadance and her husband Shining Armour stood nervously in a line atop the main balcony of the Crystal Castle. "Are you ready?" Cadance asked her significant other. "I'm ready when you and Twily are." "Well then," said Twilight. "Shall we?" The trio bent down slightly, strained as though they were trying in vain to push an unusually heavy object, and generated a strawberry-red bolt of unicorn magic from their horns. It looked gorgeous! Nevertheless, the three were not performing such a task to make the Crystal Empire even more alluring than it already was; their agenda was generating a colossal shield to (hopefully!) prevent interference from Spatium. When they had achieved that agenda, they panted, and eventually relaxed. "That should be enough to protect our citizens, and more importantly my daughter," Cadance said anxiously. "I know the two princesses want me to aid you two in battling Spatium when he comes," said Shining Armour. "But I think it's best I stay here with Flurry Heart. She's nowhere near old enough to take care of herself—even with her power—she's just too..." "We understand," said Twilight. Cadance nodded. "Go to her." Shining Armour hugged his wife, and then Twilight. "I love you both." Chapter 6 - Spatium ArrivesRarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were all gathered uneasily on the ground floor of Twilight's home. Spike was there too. "As soon as her highness comes," he said. "She gave me strict orders that you are all to follow her to the town square." "While you, my darling Spikey, will remain here, correct?" Rarity asked. "Not quite." "Um...no offence intended, Spike, but I'm pretty sure Twilight would agree that you fighting a powerful allicorn made up of pure hatred is more dangerous than consuming a seventeen-month old apple!" "I do too. That's why she's having myself and Trixie venture off into the Everfree Forest to collect the Elements of Harmony." "W...wait! Trixie!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "She was recruited for this fight?!" "Not exactly," Spike laughed. "She overheard Twilight giving all the details to Starlight, and reluctantly persuaded her to be involved in some way. She should be here any..." The door flew open at that very instant. The tall, dreamy-blue unicorn had arrived, curiously enough wearing her wizard hat and cloak. "Behold! Behold!" she bellowed in a voice identical to the one she utilised when doing tours. "The great and powerful Trixie, who, today—and for one day only—will join Equestria's famed Mane Six to help defeat..." "TRIXIE!" Applejack shouted. A hostile silence loomed for a few moments. "Y'all are not taking this seriously enough...at all! Now I don't know if Twilight's quality of communication was a lil' rusty when she was speaking to Starlight, but what Celestia and Luna told all of us went straight to our hearts..." "Um...if you don't mind me saying so," Fluttershy chimed in. "I think what Applejack is trying to say is that if we aren't serious about this, ponies are gonna get hurt..." Her face turned sad. "Maybe even those closest to us." There was a pause—this one highly poignant—and then, Twilight finally clambered in. "Sorry, everypony, it always takes me and Cadance a while to fly back from the Crystal Empire. Have you detailed the plans, Spike?" "Sure have! And now, Trixie and I shall..." "Yes...please! And hurry!" Spike and Trixie scurried out and ran off in an eastern direction. "We must hurry, too, Twilight!" Pinkie exclaimed. "She's right. Come on, everypony!" They all began to run out. "The three princesses are waiting for us!" Equestria's exterior was as dark as night, even though it was early afternoon. Just as Twilight had stated, Cadance, Celestia and Luna were all gathered in the very centre of town square. The Mane Six ran right up to them. "Any sign yet?" Twilight asked. "Aside from the weather phenomena, no," Celestia admitted. "But he is nearby!" "I agree." said Luna. "I just...know." The sky darkened still, and there was a pause longer than any of those that had transpired earlier on. The only sound that occasionally interrupted the total, total stillness was a roar of thunder; most ponies would exchange looks with somepony else from time to time, and a rather strong wind seemed forever present during that tremendously lengthy period. Then...it happened. A sound, very different to that of the wind, presented itself. "Ooh...more thunder?" Pinkie asked. Everypony else shook their head. "Metaphorically...yes." Twilight stuttered. "The bad weather was just the calm before the storm, everypony!" But then there really was another bolt of lightning, and it began to rain heavily. Next, what looked to be a ray of sunlight appeared, as if it had been hiding behind the dark clouds the whole time. Finally...Spatium himself peered out from above it! Chapter 7 - Equestria's New RulerGliding very quickly and ferociously down out of the hole in the clouds, Spatium got his first look at Twilight and her friends, and vice-versa. He was extraordinarily large—far more so than his sisters were—and was coloured...well, his allicorn feathers were all sorts of different colours! His face was a fiery, blood-like red, his legs and hooves were orange, white, blue and a strange sort of green that also bore a hint of gold (reminiscent of grape juice). In spite of him bearing this ravishing range of the colours of all kinds of stars in the night sky, The Mane Six and Princess Cadance still felt a sudden, terrific, sickening feeling of fear being jolted down their spines, as if they were receiving an electric shock. This was as a result of Spatium's menacing look, achieved by his pupiless eyes (as large as miniature tennis balls and coloured half-black and half-orange) and his horn, which was bent rather significantly and nothing but pure blackness. "My..." His voice, to put it bluntly, was utterly demonic. "How Ponyville has changed in the millennia I've been...ROTTING IN AN EMPTY, FESTERING DIMENSION, CELESTIA!" The roar seemed to literally shake the entirety of the surrounding landscape. "Luna...I see you were somehow able to escape my little Nightmare Moon curse, were you?" "Actually...I...I o...owe it all to Twilight Sparkle and her friends." Luna quivered, directing her hooves to the aforementioned ponies. "Can we tell him, Luna?" Twilight asked. Luna and her sister nodded. "When I first came to Ponyville five years ago," said Twilight. "I discovered that me and my five best friends represent the six elements of harmony: laughter, generosity, kindness, honesty, loyalty..." She pointed to each of her friends. "And magic makes all that complete!" She exclaimed, pointing to herself. "Now, I firmly believe that no matter how wicked, cruel or evil a pony may be, each and every one of them who has ever existed or ever will has a part of each of these traits lurking somewhere within their hearts, no matter how tiny or shrivelled. My friends and I have already re-formed several with bad intentions, and we aim to do the same with you!" Spatium clapped two hooves together sarcastically. "Bravo!" he hissed. "Bravo. Neat speech." And then he shrieked: "TOO BAD YOU WON'T LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO PERFORM ANY MORE!" Spatium then raised himself upwards aggressively and generated a solitary blast of jet-black unicorn magic. This small, single speck of sorcery, despite appearing to be indifferent to spells often performed by the four princesses, resulted in the crashing down to Equestria of around a dozen stars. All sizzling hot and overwhelmingly large, Spatium hurled most of the stars towards Ponyville's buildings, instantaneously resulting in their burning down. Simultaneously, two stars were hurled at Twilight's group. With the help of the other princesses, she and Rarity were able to direct them away. "Why the heck are you doing this?!" Rainbow Dash yelled, propelling herself up into the air. "It's not really you and your petty friends that I'm after," Spatium confessed. "It's my sisters I want!" "Please, Stellas, I beg you to listen to myself and Luna..." "NO!" Spatium barked. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH FOR ONE-THOUSAND YEARS, WHILE YOU TWO RULE OVER EQUESTRIA, BEING IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING, WHILE I'M NOT CONTRIBUTING AT ALL! IS THAT WHAT OUR PARENTS WOULD HAVE..." "Our parents!" Luna was angry now, too. "Our parents would not have wanted you to turn me into something so evil or refuse to perform your duties as governor of the stars!" "Duty?!" Spatium's mouth morphed into a malevolent grin. "How's this for duty performing?!?" One motion with his wings and Spatium brought the sun—yes, the very sun itself—crashing down to Equestria! In as quick a time as it takes Pinkie Pie to get through three packs of cupcakes, everywhere as far as everypony's eyes could see was ablaze! Suddenly, Starlight Glimmer came trotting hurriedly up to Twilight. "Sorry, I know, I know, I'm tardy. I just had to say goodbye to everypony in The Town With No Name. What'd I miss?" She immediately caught sight of the destruction. "Holy--" "Don't worry," Spatium giggled. "I'm not going to kill all of your precious, evacuated citizens. I have...other uses for all of those." "This isn't about them!" Celestia insisted. "I can understand why you're upset, Stellas, but if you just listened to me..." "I REFUSE! Why shouldn't I...you and Luna refused to listen to reason when I was causing havoc and becoming more distant from you and our parents. It wasn't my fault. I TELL YOU! I COULDN'T CONTROL MY POWER...I WAS CONFUSED, BUT MOST OF ALL...JEALOUS!" "Jealous?" Cadance asked. "Celestia and Luna were admired by everypony in Equestria," Spatium explained. "AND WHAT DID I HAVE TO SHOW FOR MYSELF?! Nopony was interested in governing stars. And my work didn't do anything for real ponies, just for space, WHERE NOPONY LURKS. NOPONY! TO ANSWER THE INEVITABLE QUESTION, I AM GONNA FINALLY RULE EVERYPONY IN THIS PLACE, WITHOUT MY SISTERS, SO THEY CAN FINALLY SEE WHAT I MIGHT HAVE BEEN HAD THEY NOT SHUT ME OUT!" "Vengeance is consuming you! You must stop before you..." Celestia began, but of course, Spatium would not give her the satisfaction of finishing. "NO!!!" And then he bellowed: "I WILL ENSLAVE EVERY CITIZEN IN EQUESTRIA! THEY WILL HELP ME FULFIL MY ONE AND ONLY DESIRE - TO RULE!" "Not if we can help it!" Applejack exclaimed. "Although most ponies will be kept alive, under the condition that they follow my every command, there are some who simply must be punished for their crimes against Equestria's true leader...crimes such as..." He turned towards his sisters. "...banishment for a thousand years!" "No, no, no!" Twilight wailed. The pair were already running rapidly away from the rest of the group, but that did no good. Spatium swept down and head butted both Celestia and Luna directly in the heart, causing them to fall with a mighty smack onto the floor. "Now!" Spatium grinned. "I must venture to the larger cities to check on my new slaves. Oh...wait..." He jerked his head towards Twilight and her friends. "I gotta make these here obey me first and foremost!" Spatium shot out another jet of unicorn magic, this one a military green; Twilight, Cadance and Rarity were struggling to generate a force field powerful enough to prevent it from affecting them and their friends. "I...can't..." Rarity panted. "I'm...not nearly as strong as you two..." "Focus," Twilight said, in tears. "Think about the two sisters, how much they'd have believed in you and would have wanted you to succeed!" Eventually, the forcefield was generated. "Everypony, hurry and get in!" "NOW!" Apple Bloom. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had been hiding close by, ultimately too afraid to intervene. The trio scurried into the forcefield just as it closed itself. Spatium, meanwhile, recognising he would be unable to deal with The Mane Six, Cadance and Starlight for the time being, zoomed off in the direction of Trottingham. "Apple Bloom? What in tarnation...?" Apple Bloom yelled. "Sweetie Belle..." Rarity said confusingly. Everyone stopped upon hearing the gentle sound of Twilight and Cadance weeping. Usually, such a situation would be a cue for an "I'm sorry" moment, but everypony agreed mentally that that was just not suitable here. The loss was too great. "This is it!" Twilight wept finally. "If Spatium is so powerful he could have killed Celestia and Luna in ten seconds flat, we're beaten! Equestria...EQUESTRIA BELONGS TO SPATIUM!!!"
Chapter 1 - The Unorthodox Summon"I'm here!" Scootaloo panted. "I was beginning to think you weren't attending," said Rainbow Dash. "I'm so sorry..." Scootaloo was still short of breath. "There was an emergency CMC meeting. I tried explaining to the other two, but they insisted all of us were required." "Ah, well, better late than never, hey!" Dash said kindly, and winked. "After all, that is the very first time you've been late for a flying lesson, and we've been having them for...err..." "Five months." Scootaloo chimed in. "Exactly!" Dash responded, astonished on the inside at her pupil's matchless memory. What happened next happened without any warning, as it always does: Dash's cutie mark began to glow and flash, signalling her to Twilight's Castle and the Cutie Map for a mission. "I'm sorry, Scootaloo," she said. "Mentoring's gonna have to wait, I'm afraid. There's more...pressing matters right now, apparently." She showed the filly her flank, and Scootaloo instantly understood. No sooner had she done so, then Dash was soaring away into the eerily crystal-clear, blue sky. I wonder who else is being called, Scootaloo thought. Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy or Rarity? "ALL OF US!!" The voice that shouted this simple line was far more blaring and boisterous than any other ponies' in town. Yes - the pony was Pinkie Pie, and all her friends were standing just as dumbfounded as she was. "This is mighty strange, alright!" Applejack agreed. "Very unusual," Fluttershy nodded. "Most eldritch if I may say so," said Rarity. "The only other time this happened was our very first mission, when we first encountered Starlight," Twilight piped up. "If that mission was anything to go on..." "Then this one ain't gonna be no trot in the park, neither," Dash interrupted, flying swiftly in through an open window. "Where has the map called everyone to?" asked Spike. "That's the worst part - it's beckoning us to Canterlot, and I have a nasty feeling the friendship problem involves Celestia and Luna, just like Starlight experienced several months back. The thing is, she was the solitary recruit for that mission...and...if the map has summoned the entirety of my friendship group...!" "You don't suppose Luna has turned back into..." Spike began, but Twilight was already shaking her head before he had gotten every syllable out of his tiny mouth. "Let's not jump to any conclusions," she re-assured both him and her friends. "For all we know, the map might not have even called to us as a result of the princess' relationship with each other." "There's only one way to find out!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, already making her way out (bouncing, of course!). Stepping hoof off the train, Rarity could not help but feel excited at the prospect of being back in such a high-class city. "Oh! The sense of fashion, the sophistication, the overwhelming sense of royalty!" she exclaimed to herself. She often did this, and so the rest of the Mane Six were used to it after all these years. "We are not here to enjoy ourselves, Rarity!" Applejack said sternly. "We've got a potentially deadly friendship problem on our hooves." "I wonder if this mission will convince all the bystanders who think otherwise that friendship is important and worth studying; many ponies don't think it's worth being on the Equestrian education system at all!" "That's crazy talk!" Dash exclaimed. "Without them, society would be chaos!" "Yes, well, we've already got Twilight's library after use if anyone ever wants a taste of chaos." "Rarity!" Twilight snapped. "I do apologize." "Now, if we're all quite finished, girls, I think our first stop should be Canterlot Castle." "Excellent idea." said Fluttershy. "Our minds will at least be put to rest then if your instincts do turn out to be wrong, Twilight." Twilight and her friends were very soon inside the castle itself. A few rooms and many, many stairs later they eventually came to the royal throne room; what they found there was shocking, and certainly not in-keeping with the sense of familiarity Twilight had been accustomed to thus far. Princess Cadance was restraining Celestia and Luna in front of the former's throne. "Stop it! Both of you! Please...I don't know how much longer you can both go on like this before one of you, heaven forbid..." She noticed Twilight and her friends. "Thank goodness!" "Let go of me!" Luna shouted. "You can do as she says, Cadance, we're here now." Twilight assured her. "I guess we know what our little friendship problem involves," Applejack muttered to Fluttershy. "I suppose the Cutie Map sent you all here," said Cadance, flying gently down to the Mane Six. Normally, her and Twilight would perform their special handshake, a ritual going back to the latter's childhood when the pink pony used to babysit her; however, this hardly seemed appropriate at such a time. "If you can't help these two, I'm sorry to say I don't think anyone can," Cadance continued. "I've been attempting to do so myself for the past week, although I have to admit I'm no expert on friendship." "Shining Armour can't look after Flurry Heart himself! She's too powerful!" Twilight exclaimed. "I think you'd better get back to the Crystal Empire."" "Yeah, we've got this covered," said Rainbow Dash in an even more conceited manner than usual. "Six against two!" "I CAN'T WAIT FOR BREAKFAST!" Pinkie Pie yelled the next morning, bouncing merrily to the dining hall with Applejack following much more slowly behind. "I HEAR CELESTIA'S PANCAKES ARE DELICIOUS!" "Pinkie," Applejack yawned. "I wouldn't move so darn quick, if I were y'all. You might break something valuable." Princess Luna was passing on her way to bed in the other direction, and it was at that precise moment that Pinkie inadvertently crashed into a stain-glass window (ironically the one depicting the defeat of , causing a tiny crack. Applejack very quickly caught up with her. "Who...?" Luna asked somewhat crossly, turning her head. "It was me," Pinkie sadly admitted. "I guess I do take my bouncy nature too far on occasion." "Now, now, Pinkie," Applejack said kindly, putting her hoof around her. "I thought I was supposed to be the element of honesty." "Honesty is the best policy, that's what I always say!" Pinkie said a little more loudly. Luna thought things over. And then she came to a decision. On the condition that Celestia agreed with her, it was time to tell Twilight and the others the truth. �p��
Chapter 2 - Celestia's Confession"Twilight?" Princess Celestia was calling her name loudly, naturally prompting the princess of friendship to come briskly into the throne room. "What is your bidding?" Twilight inquired, bowing. "You don't have to be so formal," Celestia laughed. "You're royalty now, too." "I apologise." said Twilight. "It's something no amount of time can aid in one getting used to." "Has Princess Cadance left the city yet?" asked Luna. "Her train is leaving any minute, why?" responded Twilight. "There's no time to explain! You must get her and bring her back here!" "My sister and I have something very important to confess to you and your friends, Twilight." said Celestia. "I'll do my best!" Twilight assured the pair, and scurried off just as rapidly as her entrance had been. Celestia turned back to Luna. "You really think we're right to tell them?" "If our instincts are correct..." said Luna, nervously. She sighed. "Then there's no two ways about it, I'm afraid." "As many of you may have already rightly assumed," said Celestia hesitantly. The listeners - The Mane Six and Princess Cadance - were just as anxious as her and Luna. It certainly sounded like whatever she was about to inform them was extremely shocking and vitally important. "...Luna and myself are not the first ponies to raise the sun and the moon." "WHAATTT?" This shrill shriek came from Pinkie Pie, of course. "Haven't you ever wondered who did it before the pair were born, over a thousand years ago, sugar cube?" Applejack asked her. "I never really thought about it," admitted Fluttershy. "It's true," said Luna. "Before we were born, our mother raised the sun in the morning and our father the moon when night came." "Whatever happened to them?" asked Rarity. "We've never really talked about this to anypony before," Celestia said increasingly slowly. "But...because of their immense and rarely-matched power...allicorns have a maximum lifespan of one-thousand and fifty years." "Well...I didn't expect them to be immortal or anything like that..." said Twilight. "It's just that..." "That's not the shocking part," warned Luna immediately. "The Cutie Map summoned both you and all of your friends here to Canterlot, Twilight, because this particular friendship problem has a cause all of you need to possess the knowledge of...before it's too late." Twilight and Cadance could feel their heart rate beginning to get faster. They were both struggling to prevent their mouths from gaping wide open. Twilight's friends were no better. "Now comes the big confession," said Celestia sternly. Twilight, being the easily-perturbed pony she is, was having a troublesome time not crying out at this point. "We have a brother," finished Luna. "He became an allicorn, like us...and controlled the stars...and was good...but one day...err...let's track this from the beginning." "From when we were tiny little fillies, no bigger than Flurry Heart," continued Celestia. "All three of us knew that when our parents grew old and passed, we would be taking over their duties as governors of the moon and sun." "Who governed the stars at that point?" inquired Cadance. "Nobody," said Luna. "Our parents gave our brother...his name is Stellas Spatium...they gave Spatium the power to do so. Remember, before this point nopony really understood the concept of astrology and space." "Yeah, that explains it, I guess." said Rainbow Dash. "Anyway," continued Luna. "Shortly after the three of us were made either prince or princess of our natural satellites, Spatium grew made with jealously." "Why ever would he feel that way?!" asked Pinkie rather uproariously. "Governing the stars sounds like a STELLAR way to go into nobility...pun intended." "That's just it," said Celestia. "Spatium longed for a means of helping out the ponies in Equestria itself. While aligning the stars was a necessary task at this point, he didn't seem to think so. He wanted to...be proactive I suppose. He thought aligning stars was helping nopony, when in reality he was indirectly helping everypony." "It drove him mad!" said Luna bluntly. "Over a period of a year or so, he became increasingly isolated from both us and our parents." "He became so filled with anger and hate," continued Celestia, anxiety now very prevalent in her vocals. "That one day he resigned from his position and ran away from our castle in the Everfree Forest." "He wandered in that forest for days," said Luna. "Eventually stumbling upon..." "It can't be!" interrupted Twilight suddenly. "What do your instincts say?" asked Cadance. "The Tree of Harmony?!?" "Right first time!" blurted out Luna and her sister simultaneously. "But...I thought the elements were originally contained in the Castle of the Two Sisters." "No," confessed Luna. "That came afterwards. They were always contained in their natural Tree of Harmony until Spatium got involved with them. "You mean..." "Yes," said Celestia. "I remember like it was only yesterday. Returning to our castle, Spatium used the elements to wreck it and drive us both out severely wounded." "I thought the castle was damaged as a result of your battle with Nightmare Moon," said Cadance, bewildered. "We were just getting to my not-so-not-evil form," said Luna. "And Spatium's powers..." Celestia took a heavy sigh. "Forget everything you think know. Luna and I been pretty untruthful during the time you've known us both to hide the existence of our brother. What we're going to tell you will contradict much of what you believe to be true at the moment."
Chapter 3 - The Origins of Nightmare MoonThe Mane Six and Cadance listened to the rest of Celestia and Luna's tragic tale with utter fixation. They could hardly believe so much of what they had been told over all these years was false. The two Princesses told them that Spatium eventually gained the power to transfer his evil into the mentality of other ponies. "Y'all mean like mind control?" Applejack queried. "No," Luna told her. "The pony he has affected can still think for themselves." "You mean they could be persuaded otherwise?" asked Fluttershy. "Unlikely." Celestia responded. "I gain no pleasure at all from saying this, but I'm afraid Spatium is far more evil and powerful than those you've all fought in the past." "But you banished him right, just like you did to Luna when she became Nightmare Moon...?" Luna took a deep sigh and, stepping forward ever so slightly, made another confession: "I didn't become Nightmare Moon out of jealousy. I think by now you'll all have worked out that reason is far too similar to what partly made Spatium so evil. So, here goes...I was Spatium's first victim after he became aware of his transferring powers." "I banished Nightmare Moon and Spatium at roughly the same time, but to different locations, of course," explained Celestia. "You went to the moon, Luna," Twilight recalled. "But where did you send Spatium, Princess Celestia?" "To another dimension entirely," she said. "He was just...so...dangerous and evil...I couldn't bear to have it any other way. Now, Spatium was in fact expected to return on the same night as Luna five years ago today." "Every year, my sister and I have grown very nervous around today," said Luna. "Fair enough, perhaps the fact that he's not in our reality at all means...it takes a bit longer for him to..." "Pull through!" Twilight finished. "Exactly," said Celestia. "But this year, the pair of us are more nervous than ever before." "I suppose that does explain our friendship problem," acknowledged Rarity. "But whatever is so significant about five years?" "It's not so much the date," Luna stammered. "As it is the phenomena the whole of Equestria has been experiencing these past few weeks." "Small earthquakes, vicious thunderstorms, sporadic rain spells..." Celestia listed. "All signs we underwent prior to Nightmare Moon's return." "If our instincts are correct, then we will require you all to join the fight," Luna warned. "This is why we had to inform you all." "I'm glad you did," said Twilight. "I'd never forgive myself if I didn't fight and something terrible happened to anypony." "Yeah, if you ever need us to kick some evil-allicorn butt, just leave me one of the ol' voicemails, would ya?" Rainbow Dash said sleazily. "Rainbow!" Cadance snapped. "This is deeply serious!" "I concur," said Celestia. "I don't think you realise just how capable of causing intense havoc Spatium really is." Everypony noticed Twilight was tearing up. Celesita consoled her. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I know how shocking this must be for you...and everyone else." "It's not that," Twilight wept quietly. "It's just...I think this is the first friendship problem...that's unfixable!" �ԘX�*
Chapter 4 - New Recruits"And...checkmate!" Trixie cried, lifting up her rook from the chessboard and utilising it to knock over Starlight Glimmer's king. "Drat! You...you get me every time, don't you?" Glimmer said sadly, but she was still smiling. Trixie was unaware of how one really plays chess; she had been swerving her rooks in a diagonal direction and her kings two spaces at a time all the way through! Just then, there was a knock at the door to Trixie's diminutive home. Not a regular, friendly, casual knock, however—this particular knock was as loud as a Timberwolf's roar, and instantly denoted panic, urgency and a significant quantity of anxiety. "I'll get that," Glimmer said thoughtfully. She trotted over to the door of the trailer and opened it. Standing there was Princess Twilight Sparkle, her former mentor. However, what immediately struck Glimmer and Trixie as odd was that she was not smiling, or even standing still. As a matter of fact, she looked no better than she had when she had been unable to pinpoint a lesson of friendship to write to Princess Celestia about in her weekly letter four-and-a-half years ago. She was also wearing her official crown, which was certainly not commonplace. "Starlight!" She was panting, as if she had been running. "I need to speak to you...alone!" "Err..." Starlight could not help but feel awkward. "Anything for you, Twily." The two hurriedly exited Trixie's caravan, closing the door behind them. Trixie, of course, after noticing they were heading to just outside one of her trailer's windows, instantly crept over there (the opposite side of the room!) and decided to eavesdrop. "Why are you...?" "...wearing my crown?" Starlight nodded. "I'm here on official royal business, that's why." Twilight then told Starlight everything Celestia and Luna had told her and her friends. "If he comes," she whispered dramatically. "Would you join the fight? Your magic is incredibly power, Starlight, we can't afford to not use it against him!" "Twilight, you know my answer is a resounding yes," Starlight assured her. "I...I'm sorry...this is just a shock for me...and...and..." Twilight put on hoof very gently to Starlight's lips, signalling her to be quiet. "I know. I'm shocked, too, but I can't begin to imagine how Celestia and Luna are feeling right now..." Scootaloo zoomed down the deserted Ponyville street on her trademark vehicle, her best friends Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom - renowned as the Cutie Mark Crusaders for years - following as closely as they could manage behind her. "Hey!" Sweetie Belle shouted to her friend. "Isn't that Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo ground to a halt. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle trotted rapidly up to their friend. "I'd recognise her even if she were a whole mile away!" Scootaloo responded enthusiastically. "I'm sorry, Spitfire," Rainbow Dash was speaking with the captain of the famed Wonderbolts flying team. "I can't make it." "Can't make a tour, huh? That's...unlike you, to say the very least." "I know, I know," Rainbow Dash was evidently not enjoying the fact. "May I ask why?" "Uh..." Dash hesitated, and then came to the wise decision that it was best not to tell anypony anything about Spatium. "Personal reasons. Okay?" "Well," Spitfire took out a clipboard and pencil and began to scribble. "If you're absolutely sure." And with that, she soared off, literally as quick as a flash. No sooner had the blinding-bright-yellow Pegasus gone, then another, much smaller one had approached Rainbow Dash. "What was that all about?" "It...I..." Rainbow Dash hesitated yet again, and then decided to adopt Applejack's policy of honesty. "I...can't tell you. I'm sorry." And with that, she flew away from the trio of fillies. "We've gotta take up another kind of crusading!" Sweetie Belle cried. "Huh?" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo said together. "Finding out what this is all about! Perhaps our sisters would know, Apple Bloom." "Why are y'all so darn desperate to find out, Sweetie Belle?" "Because it sounds important! What if the princesses are recruiting our sisters and their friends to do battle with foes akin to the likes of King Sombra?" "We've never had the chance to join in on one of the big fights!" Scootaloo sadly admitted. "Exactly." said Sweetie Belle. "And this time...whether they agree or not...our sisters and their friends are gonna need all the help they can get!"
Chapter 5 - Preparations for Invasion"What are you making?" Spike asked Rarity, who was as hard-at-work at her sewing machine as anypony would expect. The minute, but noble dragon had come to visit his favourite member of The Mane Six after Twilight said she would not be requiring his assistance in defending the Crystal Empire from invasion. "I am not necessarily making a particular item of clothing, Spikey-poo!" said Rarity. "In order to utterly master any skill, one must simply practise day in, day out. There is simply no use just putting the skill into play when there's a reason." "That's some neat philosophy right there!" Spike was impressed. Actually, he was impressed with anything and everything when it was associated with the most beautiful unicorn he had ever seen in his life. But he did not want to seem passive. You gotta sound smart and do some deep-thinking, too, Spike, if you wanna impress Rarity. "But...err...how can you be sewing at a time like this?" Rarity stopped. "That's just it, Spike!" She sounded sad now. "Dress-making is like...a...form of escapism for me." "Huh?" Rarity sighed. "I mean...it...you know, takes my mind off things." A tear was forming in her eye. "Aw, come on." Spike placed a claw on her flank. "It always works out for the good guys." Rarity enveloped Spike in a tight hug (very uncomfortable given the difference in size, but Spike could not care less!). "That remains to be seen," she said quietly, weeping now. "I promise everything will be okay," Spike assured her. "Don't make promises you can't keep." Princess Luna and her sister knocked on the door to the office of Ponyville's Mayor Mare. "Uh!" she shouted. "I gave strict instructions that I was not to be..." The door flung open, revealing the pair. "...disturbed." There was an awkward pause. "But...of course, as in any job, one must make excep..." "We are here on probably the most official and serious royal business we've ever been on." said Celestia sternly. "There will be no time to argue with what we're about to request of you," said Luna. "Well..." Mayor Mare did not know whether to feel honoured or confused. "What do you w--" "We need every citizen in Ponyville with the exception of Princess Twilight's friends to be evacuated to the surrounding cities." "Trottingham, Manehattan, Maretropolis..." Celestia listed. "Just please do not send any to the Crystal Empire, we may need that spot to defend Equestria from..." "From what?" "There's no time to explain!" Luna cried. "Now, please do as we say, Mayor. That's a royal order!" "THIS OFFICIAL CUTIE MARK CRUSADER MEETING IS NOW IN SESSION!" Apple Bloom yelled unnecessarily shrilly. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo plugged their ears for a fraction of a second, and then relaxed. "What's it about this time?" the former asked. "WELL...well, I figured it was about time we found another pony in a Cutie Mark crisis to help." "I thought that too!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "But how are we...?" Scootaloo started. But she did not finish. For without any warning whatsoever, the trio noticed a number of wagons, full to bursting with ponies of all sizes and shapes, entering Sweet Apple Acres. Seconds later, there was a knock on the door. Apple Bloom, following an exchanged look of confusion with her fellow crusaders, trotted to the other side of the treehouse and opened it. It was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. "Cutie Mark Crusaders!" For an instant, Apple Bloom thought she had reverted her personality back to selfish and spoiled. However, her gut proved wrong when Diamond Tiara, evidently distressed, cried: "You all have to get on a cart! They're evacuating everypony in town to one of the surround cities." "What in tarnation...?" Apple Bloom started. "Heck if I know! Hurry everypony! Big McIntosh and Granny Smith have already left, Apple Bloom." "Well, what about my big sister?" "Haven't seen her. HURRY!" With that, Diamond Tiara and her best friend scampered out and into one of the carts. Sweetie Belle peered out of the window and surveyed the carts. "I can't see my sister...or any of Twilight's friends for that matter in any of the carts. You don't suppose this has anything to do with what Rainbow Dash was chattering with Spitfire about?" "I do!" Scootaloo stood up, attempting to be noble. And it worked. Her two friends instantly knew what to do. "We ain't getting on board one of those there things," said Apple Bloom. "You said it yourself, Scoot, we're never involved with any of the big battles." "I have a feeling these orders have come from the four Princesses themselves, though," said Sweetie Belle. "Usually, when we disobey any sort of rules or instructions, it doesn't end well for anypony." "I have a feeling!" Scootaloo stood nobly yet again. "This time...it's for a worthwhile cause, and things are gonna turn out differently...for everypony!" Twilight Sparkle, Princess Cadance and her husband Shining Armour stood nervously in a line atop the main balcony of the Crystal Castle. "Are you ready?" Cadance asked her significant other. "I'm ready when you and Twily are." "Well then," said Twilight. "Shall we?" The trio bent down slightly, strained as though they were trying in vain to push an unusually heavy object, and generated a strawberry-red bolt of unicorn magic from their horns. It looked gorgeous! Nevertheless, the three were not performing such a task to make the Crystal Empire even more alluring than it already was; their agenda was generating a colossal shield to (hopefully!) prevent interference from Spatium. When they had achieved that agenda, they panted, and eventually relaxed. "That should be enough to protect our citizens, and more importantly my daughter," Cadance said anxiously. "I know the two princesses want me to aid you two in battling Spatium when he comes," said Shining Armour. "But I think it's best I stay here with Flurry Heart. She's nowhere near old enough to take care of herself—even with her power—she's just too..." "We understand," said Twilight. Cadance nodded. "Go to her." Shining Armour hugged his wife, and then Twilight. "I love you both."
Chapter 6 - Spatium ArrivesRarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were all gathered uneasily on the ground floor of Twilight's home. Spike was there too. "As soon as her highness comes," he said. "She gave me strict orders that you are all to follow her to the town square." "While you, my darling Spikey, will remain here, correct?" Rarity asked. "Not quite." "Um...no offence intended, Spike, but I'm pretty sure Twilight would agree that you fighting a powerful allicorn made up of pure hatred is more dangerous than consuming a seventeen-month old apple!" "I do too. That's why she's having myself and Trixie venture off into the Everfree Forest to collect the Elements of Harmony." "W...wait! Trixie!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "She was recruited for this fight?!" "Not exactly," Spike laughed. "She overheard Twilight giving all the details to Starlight, and reluctantly persuaded her to be involved in some way. She should be here any..." The door flew open at that very instant. The tall, dreamy-blue unicorn had arrived, curiously enough wearing her wizard hat and cloak. "Behold! Behold!" she bellowed in a voice identical to the one she utilised when doing tours. "The great and powerful Trixie, who, today—and for one day only—will join Equestria's famed Mane Six to help defeat..." "TRIXIE!" Applejack shouted. A hostile silence loomed for a few moments. "Y'all are not taking this seriously enough...at all! Now I don't know if Twilight's quality of communication was a lil' rusty when she was speaking to Starlight, but what Celestia and Luna told all of us went straight to our hearts..." "Um...if you don't mind me saying so," Fluttershy chimed in. "I think what Applejack is trying to say is that if we aren't serious about this, ponies are gonna get hurt..." Her face turned sad. "Maybe even those closest to us." There was a pause—this one highly poignant—and then, Twilight finally clambered in. "Sorry, everypony, it always takes me and Cadance a while to fly back from the Crystal Empire. Have you detailed the plans, Spike?" "Sure have! And now, Trixie and I shall..." "Yes...please! And hurry!" Spike and Trixie scurried out and ran off in an eastern direction. "We must hurry, too, Twilight!" Pinkie exclaimed. "She's right. Come on, everypony!" They all began to run out. "The three princesses are waiting for us!" Equestria's exterior was as dark as night, even though it was early afternoon. Just as Twilight had stated, Cadance, Celestia and Luna were all gathered in the very centre of town square. The Mane Six ran right up to them. "Any sign yet?" Twilight asked. "Aside from the weather phenomena, no," Celestia admitted. "But he is nearby!" "I agree." said Luna. "I just...know." The sky darkened still, and there was a pause longer than any of those that had transpired earlier on. The only sound that occasionally interrupted the total, total stillness was a roar of thunder; most ponies would exchange looks with somepony else from time to time, and a rather strong wind seemed forever present during that tremendously lengthy period. Then...it happened. A sound, very different to that of the wind, presented itself. "Ooh...more thunder?" Pinkie asked. Everypony else shook their head. "Metaphorically...yes." Twilight stuttered. "The bad weather was just the calm before the storm, everypony!" But then there really was another bolt of lightning, and it began to rain heavily. Next, what looked to be a ray of sunlight appeared, as if it had been hiding behind the dark clouds the whole time. Finally...Spatium himself peered out from above it!
Chapter 7 - Equestria's New RulerGliding very quickly and ferociously down out of the hole in the clouds, Spatium got his first look at Twilight and her friends, and vice-versa. He was extraordinarily large—far more so than his sisters were—and was coloured...well, his allicorn feathers were all sorts of different colours! His face was a fiery, blood-like red, his legs and hooves were orange, white, blue and a strange sort of green that also bore a hint of gold (reminiscent of grape juice). In spite of him bearing this ravishing range of the colours of all kinds of stars in the night sky, The Mane Six and Princess Cadance still felt a sudden, terrific, sickening feeling of fear being jolted down their spines, as if they were receiving an electric shock. This was as a result of Spatium's menacing look, achieved by his pupiless eyes (as large as miniature tennis balls and coloured half-black and half-orange) and his horn, which was bent rather significantly and nothing but pure blackness. "My..." His voice, to put it bluntly, was utterly demonic. "How Ponyville has changed in the millennia I've been...ROTTING IN AN EMPTY, FESTERING DIMENSION, CELESTIA!" The roar seemed to literally shake the entirety of the surrounding landscape. "Luna...I see you were somehow able to escape my little Nightmare Moon curse, were you?" "Actually...I...I o...owe it all to Twilight Sparkle and her friends." Luna quivered, directing her hooves to the aforementioned ponies. "Can we tell him, Luna?" Twilight asked. Luna and her sister nodded. "When I first came to Ponyville five years ago," said Twilight. "I discovered that me and my five best friends represent the six elements of harmony: laughter, generosity, kindness, honesty, loyalty..." She pointed to each of her friends. "And magic makes all that complete!" She exclaimed, pointing to herself. "Now, I firmly believe that no matter how wicked, cruel or evil a pony may be, each and every one of them who has ever existed or ever will has a part of each of these traits lurking somewhere within their hearts, no matter how tiny or shrivelled. My friends and I have already re-formed several with bad intentions, and we aim to do the same with you!" Spatium clapped two hooves together sarcastically. "Bravo!" he hissed. "Bravo. Neat speech." And then he shrieked: "TOO BAD YOU WON'T LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO PERFORM ANY MORE!" Spatium then raised himself upwards aggressively and generated a solitary blast of jet-black unicorn magic. This small, single speck of sorcery, despite appearing to be indifferent to spells often performed by the four princesses, resulted in the crashing down to Equestria of around a dozen stars. All sizzling hot and overwhelmingly large, Spatium hurled most of the stars towards Ponyville's buildings, instantaneously resulting in their burning down. Simultaneously, two stars were hurled at Twilight's group. With the help of the other princesses, she and Rarity were able to direct them away. "Why the heck are you doing this?!" Rainbow Dash yelled, propelling herself up into the air. "It's not really you and your petty friends that I'm after," Spatium confessed. "It's my sisters I want!" "Please, Stellas, I beg you to listen to myself and Luna..." "NO!" Spatium barked. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH FOR ONE-THOUSAND YEARS, WHILE YOU TWO RULE OVER EQUESTRIA, BEING IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING, WHILE I'M NOT CONTRIBUTING AT ALL! IS THAT WHAT OUR PARENTS WOULD HAVE..." "Our parents!" Luna was angry now, too. "Our parents would not have wanted you to turn me into something so evil or refuse to perform your duties as governor of the stars!" "Duty?!" Spatium's mouth morphed into a malevolent grin. "How's this for duty performing?!?" One motion with his wings and Spatium brought the sun—yes, the very sun itself—crashing down to Equestria! In as quick a time as it takes Pinkie Pie to get through three packs of cupcakes, everywhere as far as everypony's eyes could see was ablaze! Suddenly, Starlight Glimmer came trotting hurriedly up to Twilight. "Sorry, I know, I know, I'm tardy. I just had to say goodbye to everypony in The Town With No Name. What'd I miss?" She immediately caught sight of the destruction. "Holy--" "Don't worry," Spatium giggled. "I'm not going to kill all of your precious, evacuated citizens. I have...other uses for all of those." "This isn't about them!" Celestia insisted. "I can understand why you're upset, Stellas, but if you just listened to me..." "I REFUSE! Why shouldn't I...you and Luna refused to listen to reason when I was causing havoc and becoming more distant from you and our parents. It wasn't my fault. I TELL YOU! I COULDN'T CONTROL MY POWER...I WAS CONFUSED, BUT MOST OF ALL...JEALOUS!" "Jealous?" Cadance asked. "Celestia and Luna were admired by everypony in Equestria," Spatium explained. "AND WHAT DID I HAVE TO SHOW FOR MYSELF?! Nopony was interested in governing stars. And my work didn't do anything for real ponies, just for space, WHERE NOPONY LURKS. NOPONY! TO ANSWER THE INEVITABLE QUESTION, I AM GONNA FINALLY RULE EVERYPONY IN THIS PLACE, WITHOUT MY SISTERS, SO THEY CAN FINALLY SEE WHAT I MIGHT HAVE BEEN HAD THEY NOT SHUT ME OUT!" "Vengeance is consuming you! You must stop before you..." Celestia began, but of course, Spatium would not give her the satisfaction of finishing. "NO!!!" And then he bellowed: "I WILL ENSLAVE EVERY CITIZEN IN EQUESTRIA! THEY WILL HELP ME FULFIL MY ONE AND ONLY DESIRE - TO RULE!" "Not if we can help it!" Applejack exclaimed. "Although most ponies will be kept alive, under the condition that they follow my every command, there are some who simply must be punished for their crimes against Equestria's true leader...crimes such as..." He turned towards his sisters. "...banishment for a thousand years!" "No, no, no!" Twilight wailed. The pair were already running rapidly away from the rest of the group, but that did no good. Spatium swept down and head butted both Celestia and Luna directly in the heart, causing them to fall with a mighty smack onto the floor. "Now!" Spatium grinned. "I must venture to the larger cities to check on my new slaves. Oh...wait..." He jerked his head towards Twilight and her friends. "I gotta make these here obey me first and foremost!" Spatium shot out another jet of unicorn magic, this one a military green; Twilight, Cadance and Rarity were struggling to generate a force field powerful enough to prevent it from affecting them and their friends. "I...can't..." Rarity panted. "I'm...not nearly as strong as you two..." "Focus," Twilight said, in tears. "Think about the two sisters, how much they'd have believed in you and would have wanted you to succeed!" Eventually, the forcefield was generated. "Everypony, hurry and get in!" "NOW!" Apple Bloom. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had been hiding close by, ultimately too afraid to intervene. The trio scurried into the forcefield just as it closed itself. Spatium, meanwhile, recognising he would be unable to deal with The Mane Six, Cadance and Starlight for the time being, zoomed off in the direction of Trottingham. "Apple Bloom? What in tarnation...?" Apple Bloom yelled. "Sweetie Belle..." Rarity said confusingly. Everyone stopped upon hearing the gentle sound of Twilight and Cadance weeping. Usually, such a situation would be a cue for an "I'm sorry" moment, but everypony agreed mentally that that was just not suitable here. The loss was too great. "This is it!" Twilight wept finally. "If Spatium is so powerful he could have killed Celestia and Luna in ten seconds flat, we're beaten! Equestria...EQUESTRIA BELONGS TO SPATIUM!!!"
