Chapters Prologue~All in a night's eye
Blaze Storm raced down the halls of Canterlot Castle. His hoof guards got stuck in the vine carpet that engulfed the whole city as he dashed to the Royal Chamber. He was out of breath when he reached the two guards at the door. They gave him strange look but lifted their spears and watched him with deep glares from their glowing red eyes as he walked into the hall.
The grand chamber of the castle was a steeple of vines and twisted plants that festered and grew into the walls in the eternal darkness. They coated everything but the windows in their wrath letting only the moonlight through the blue-tinted black glass windows. Pale and pulsing blue lights floated in orbs above Blaze's head, shining down from the top of the room where the ravenous vines met the black marble that coated everything else.
At the far end of the room, a deep blue velvet carpet led up the throne of Princess Night. That whole half of the room was shrouded in shadow and seemed to be more engulfed in darkness than the whole land's darkness combined. Outside, the black bells tolled 12 times. Signifying the night's curfew. Blaze could see frightened ponies turning off all of their lights and scampering into the safety that their homes provided them. Safety from the Guard of Red Eyes. The Lunar Guard.
Suddenly, the black haze parted, and blue mist enclosed the chamber in secrecy. Then, Nightmare Moon was visible. Sitting proudly on her throne and governing her land of fear and darkness with a dazzlingly haunting smile. Her sharp teeth were bared in her pitch black muzzle. The coat could have been soft and silky, but instead, the black was full of fear and dread. Her wickedly strong wings were folded by her long black legs. Her armor was the most shimmering silver, though it and her helmet seemed to radiate terror. Her mane ebbed and flowed around her constantly and it cast dark shadows of stars upon her dark deep eyes.
Blaze bowed before her. "Your majesty."
"What is it you want of me Mr.Storm?" The princesses voice cut at him like knives. "I have been anxiously awaiting a status report." Her eyes shot daggers to two ponies standing by the windows looking for the report pony to fly in. They quaked in fear.
"It is a progress report of sorts," Blaze responded, suddenly feeling uncomfortable
"Well," Nightmare raised a purple eyebrow. Blaze started to quake a bit.
"I, uh, received a report earlier today from a concerned civilian in Ponyville. They, um, were in line to receive rations over at the Loaf and they, uh, told me some, uh, well they told Private Eggwash who referred it to me when he returned from distributions. He, uh, said that the civilian was concerned about seeing someponies on the Southern borders of the town doing, uh-"
"They were not receiving rations?" Nightmare inquired. Blaze nodded.
"He said that he didn't recognize any of them and, uh,"
"If they do not come to pick up rations, that is their own fault. Why is this so concerning?"
"Well, your majesty. There was a possibly a weakened changeling with them." Nightmare seemed to mull this over for a moment.
"Strange." She muttered to herself. "Is this all?"
"No, your eminence. You see, uh, I'm not quite sure but, um, your sister-" Nightmare Moon's eyes dilated and she snapped to attention in an instant. Her mane flared.
"What about my sister?" She growled.
"Your sister was with them." Blaze finished so quietly it was a squeak. But it was enough for Nightmare.
Her temper rose with her mane. She leaped to her feet and growled commands to guards standing around the room and kept grumbling to herself, keeping the blue flames dancing in her eyes.
In all of the chaos, the two ponies by the window slipped out of the room unnoticed. They raced through the vine-torn city and skidded to the outskirts of it. Their bodies started to change as the vines jolted them around corners and onto dingy sidestreets. When they reached an abandoned alley, they dropped their armor and let their forms take them over. Then, they lifted up a Ponyhole cover and slipped down into a pipe.
In the quiet desolation of the war-torn city, two changelings celebrated the return of the Princess of the Sun.
"Tia, I'm scared." "It's okay Lu. Just take my hoof. I promise it's okay. "Your promise?" "I promise Lu."
Everyone held their breath. I most of all. If my cloaking spell wavered for anything more than one second, the approaching Lunar Guards would spot us.
"Did you hear anything?" A menacing and gravely voice asked the darkness.
"I think so." A similar yet more quavering voice responded.
"It's in the castle quadrant, so we should probably alert the Big Boss" The Guard sneered.
"Yeah, it's not like she's already fired up about that sister spotting or anything. Besides, how do we even know this is the Castle Quadrant? We don't even know where the castle is!"
"Yeah yeah, whatever. I still say we tell her.
"Fine."
I gulped. My sister already had a word of my return? How was that even possible. When the steps faded, I took a breath and let us all come back to reality.
"Was that a cloaking spell? It must have been a really advanced one. I've only ever studied ones that cloak me or one other!" Twilight exclaimed, in awe.
"Did they really say they didn't even know where the castle is?" Alder asked, shaking a bit. We nodded in the dim horn light.
"But who said that was stoppin' us?" Rainbow Dash asked, adding a flip for emphasis.
'If we're really doin' this, we gotta get to it. Ya heard what them guards said 'bout Princess here already bein' known 'bout." Applejack was still crouching as if defending us.
"I only remember the castle being somewhere in the central East of the forest," I said. Twilight consulted the map.
"Great. That's actually not that far from where we are."
So, with the first real hope, since Alder and I returned, the six ponies led us off into the rabid black yonder.
"And you're sure they were in the Castle quadrant?" Barrel Bolt pleaded, his eyes welling up with terror.
'Sure as my soul." Old Raspy said.
Barrel Bolt raked his dyed hoof over the plume of his polished helmet. Unlike the patrol threstals, he was just a pony. And frankly, their red eyes and bat wings scared him to death. But nothing scared him more than the Queen herself.
"Now, get on and tell her that." Old Raspy spat. Barrel shut my eyes tight and nodded, closing the palace gate behind him.
When he turned around, the rasper was gone and he was left with only one way to go on the obsidian path lined with guards whose eyes stared nowhere but everywhere. He gulped and pushed open the doors to the hulking menace of a castle.
"God I hate my job," he muttered as the guard ponies at the approaching throne room door began to move to their positions.
he closed his eyes. he knew this trail to terror by heart. As a messenger to the Queen, he had to know it. Closing his eyes hardly made the shadow of her presence any more bearable.
"What is it you fool?" Beneath his dark lids, he could imagine the dark Queen leaning in, her fangs glistening.
"Your Queenship, Lunar Guards spotted movement in the Castle Quadrant of the Everfree. They wanted to know if you thought it had any correlation with your, um, sister." He could feel her purple lashes narrow and her milky way mane fan out around her.
"You are dismissed." She growled.
With a small puff of relief, Barrel Bolt stayed true to his name and bolted from the throne room into the pitch of the hall.
Sighing, Nightmare Moon sat brooding on her throne. She cast a small light from her horn and looked at her royal shadow on the ground. Her mane pulsated with her thoughts. With a brisk finality, she turned her magic elsewhere. Sticking the tip of her horn to the tip of her Cutie Mark, she extracted a pulsating piece of galaxy, similar to her mane, and picked it up with her hoof.
"Ah. My dear little inner magic." She chuckled. "I'll just send you to check on things. Or-" Her devil gaze drifted from her bit of self.
"Guards! I shall return shortly." She shouted to the guards by the windows.
Then, with one last sweep of her horn, she transformed herself into the very night that she brought eternally, and leaped onto a wind that carried her over a strange band of travelers in the Everfree Forest.
"Alder, are you alright?" I asked.
"I suppose so. I just wish I could return to the hive." He murmured.
"It's okay. But we're going to put a stop to this night. All eight of us."
"But there are only six elements." he retorted.
"Well don't you worry a bit, I know there will be many ways for everyone to help. After all, back in the day, Equestria ran on friendship. Not just moonlight." I smiled at him as best I could in the fog of darkness. I couldn't be sure of it, but I swore he smiled back.
"Guys! Take yourselves a gander at this!" Applejack whispered from a nearby bush.
Through the bushes, I could see rolling clouds that hung over a gorge. A broken bridge dangled across it in a misshaped manner. But, on the other side, my heart caught in my throat. There it was. My old home may have looked absolutely ancient and crumbling but I still knew every brick by heart just after glancing at it for a minute. In a rush, I spread my wings and bounded across the gorge to the front path where the now lumpy and overgrown grass covered the beautiful cobblestones that my sister and I had laid down.
I heard a small woosh and then a larger one as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash landed beside me and began to retie the ropes of the bridge. But then, A large "CRACK. SNAP. OH, MY HEAVENS!" was heard from across the bridge. In a bolt, Rainbow dash zipped across the canyon and began to kick the mist clouds into oblivion. How loyal of her.
When the clouds were cleared, Fluttershy joined the rest of them on the other side. The bridge was split right in the middle and the ropes were down fraying beyond repair. Before I could offer to fly anpony across, I saw the most amazing thing. Actually, it was many amazing feats of friendship.
First, Twilight Sparkle started to bend over. Her horn glowed bright magenta and her magic began to carry her high into the air. She seemed to be using a self-levitation spell. She was wise beyond her years. Then, Pinkie Pie jumped into the air and started to spin her poofy tail in circles to form some kind of helicopter that bounced her up to Twilight with a giggly sort of whimsy.
"Why did you do that?" Twilight inquired.
"Cuz it makes me laugh, silly!" Pinkie exclaimed.
Then, Rarity shrieked a bit and I heard Applejack chortle.
"How dare you make such fun of me?" Rarity asked her pearly coat flushing pink.
"Cuz I just don't see how ya can't see the truth here. The cavern ain't even that deep! The mist can't shroud the honest truth that easily." Applejack said with a wink.
"Well, in that case," soon, Rarity's pale blue magic was conjuring up stacks and stacks of large boulder-sized rocks from the dark edges of the forest. The shimmering aura around them brought a temporary glow to whatever might be lurking in the shadows. Soon, the boulders were tall enough to make a crude stepping stone structure. "Come now Applejack," Rarity said kindly, "the 'path' will not be able to stay stable for two ponies go-around. I'll have to carry you with my magic."
How generous. At this point, Fluttershy was hovering above the ground on the castle side cheering them on delicately. How kind. Rarity had just landed on our side, and I was about to congratulate them on their friendship when the whole world seemed to end. Again.
Home Can't Be Where My Heart Was
"I said, where are the elements?" The bubblegum pink pony asked me.
"Pinkie, lay off." The proud looking lilac unicorn stuck her little hoof out to me and I took it with a sort of reluctant trust.
"Where- where did we end up?" I asked. Everything was muddled from the jump into the portal and the sudden blackness.
"The border between Ponyville and the Everfree Forest. Quite an unlucky place to end up, really." A dignified voice that belonged to the pearly unicorn with the diva mane uttered from behind me.
"If it's so unlucky then why are you all here?" I was suddenly aware that being back in Equestria meant I had a duty to watch out for my subjects. If they were in danger, I had to protect them.
"Cuz we knew this would be a good place to look." A brash voice cut past me as the rainbow-maned blue bolt pegasus dashed past.
"Look for what?"
"The ELEMENTS of course!" The bubblegum pony jumped a bit this time.
"The elements of- harmony?" Relief filled me as I looked beside me to find Alder standing up straight and alert. The pink pony nodded happily. "But, why?" He asked.
"Once we get ya'll outta here, we'll tell ya." The muscular peachy earth pony stepped forward and the others began to follow grimly.
As my eyes began to adjust slightly to the night, I began to wish they wouldn't. On our left was Ponyville. But, around its sweet little cottages, a black wrought-iron gate stretched up past the steeple of the town hall, from which a black flag emblazed with a dark blue moon flew. Inside, the town was shrouded in dark mist. Windows and doors were shut tight and no light could be seen except a dim red glow. Upon further inspection, the red glow was everywhere and was eminating from the beady eyes of strange and warped black stallions who roamed the streets with glinting spears in their black-armored hooves.
The right wasn't much better. The Everfree forest had never been a very pleasant place, but now, it was worse than ever. The branches of the twisted trees were so laden with slimy mosses and effervescent blossoms that they hung close to the ground as if they were reaching out to take us. The trees that stood tall reached up into the pulsing mist and blotted out every beam of moonlight or twinkle of stardust. Bushes and shrubbery grew so quickly it seemed as though I could see them seeping into the damp earth. Haunted blooms sprouted from menacing leaves that seemed to want to suck every ounce of hope out of you.
Alder's hoof brushed mine and for a split second, I remembered the gossiping stars and wished so greatly to see their twinkling eyes one more time. There was nowhere safe to look, so I closed my eyes and let the sounds of hoof steps guide me. Then, they stopped. I heard a slight creak and then I was falling.
When I realized it wasn't a trap and I heard Alder muttering, I opened my eyes.
We were all sitting in a dim cave and, judging by the bits of root dangling from the ceiling, we were under a tree. There were no hangings on the wall, and no shelves either. Instead, there was a single bright red rug on the swept floor and the perimeter was coated with stacks of books and such. When I took a closer look, I realized that there were only a few books, there were mainly maps. Maps crumpled, maps marked, lists and charts laying willy-nilly.
"My apologies, your highness." I whirled around a recoiled a bit at the title, but smiled at the little unicorn who led me to a seat next to Alder on the rug. She then pulled out an already marked map and lay it in the center.
"As for introductions," Alder began. "I'm Alder. I'm, clearly a changeling and I was sent to the sun for being caught in an assassination mission for Chrysalis." The pearly unicorn nodded.
"I'm Rarity."
Rainbow Dash was the brash bolting one, Applejack was the peachy one with the hat, Pinkie Pie was the extrovert with a one-track mind for the elements, Fluttershy was the meek pastel one who hung close to Rainbow Dash and didn't talk much. Finally,
"I'm Twilight Sparkle," the proud little unicorn said. "Together, the six of us are on a bit of an unofficial quest."
"For Queen Chrysalis?" Alder exclaimed.
"No. For ourselves, but, ultimately, for Equestria in the end." Alder cocked his head in confusion. "I first met these ponies when I came to Ponyville to take a poll on rations for one of the Lunar Guards. But, the town fell into a panic when Nightmare Moon herself showed up for some reason. The six of us came together when we were trying to run to a shelter but ended up outside of the gate due to a teleportation mishap. Knowing there was no way to get back into the town, we made a little living for ourselves outside of the Everfree. I had heard about the elements a long time ago and had as I got to know these five ponies, I began to see a way for us to save Equestria. This was about two years ago, we haven't found the elements yet." Twilight hung her head and then turned back to the map.
"So, you have no relation to Queen Chrysalis?" Alder asked, hopefully. "No connection to an official rebellion?"
"Sadly, no. We have been so consumed in our quest for the elements we-"
"Do you all even know how to harness the elements of harmony? Do you know what you'll do once you find them? Know any of their history, their legend, their purpose?" I inquired, feeling quite interrogative.
"I'm afraid, not darling." Rarity said with a puckered lip. "No is the answer to all your royal questions."
"Well then," I said, as regally as I could, "Let me tell you."
"The elements were grown from the Tree of Harmony. No one knows quite where this is, other than a general assumption that it lies somewhere deep in the Everfree. The tree of harmony was grown by six seeds, not literal seeds but some sort of object of significance of sorts. Each seed was planted by a pillar. There were six pillars, ancient legends, who were powerful and magical in their own ways. Somnambula was hope, Mage Meadowbrook was healing, Rockhoof was strength, Flash Magnus was bravery, Mistmane was beauty, and Starswirl the Bearded was sorcery. Each one of these characteristics transformed into the elements. Laughter, kindness, honesty, loyalty, generosity, and magic. Long ago, my sister and I found the elements in the tree of harmony which is, indeed, in the Everfree, and harnessed them to keep Equestria safe. The only reason Luna and I could wield them was because of our strong alicorn magic." I flapped my wings for emphasis. "But, the elements can only be wielded by six ponies, each of whom embodies an element."
"So you're saying-" Twilight began.
"The power of the elements can only be harnessed by those who are destined to harness them. Sadly, they can also be wielded by one pony who is strong enough to corrupt and control them for their own good."
"Like-like Nightmare Moon?" Fluttershy barely squeaked out. I nodded gravely.
"That is how I was banished to the sun. In my very own home no less." The ponies cocked their heads.
"But the royal city is Canterlot. That ol' hoity-toity mess 'a plants and snooty someponies." Applejack retorted.
"Oh. When I ruled alongside my sister, we lived in our castle in the Everfree. Canterlot was our chosen spot for meetings and dealing with rulers and dignified pony-folk, but we never actually lived there. Ponies called our home the Castle of the Two Sisters. But, I suppose since there's only been one sister for the past few hundred years, she moved her home."
"Wait, you were banished with the elements, right?" Fluttershy was slowly untucking herself as her mind seemed to be clicking things together. I nodded. "In your castle in the Everfree?" Again, I nodded. "So maybe the elements are still around there! Maybe they went back to the tree! Maybe they're in the castle somewhere!" Fluttershy exclaimed, much to the delight of her friends. But Twilight wasn't convinced.
"But Nightmare Moon wouldn't have just left the elements in some abandoned castle. If she knew that they could somehow defeat her- Pinkie stop bouncing!" The pony smiled brightly and deflated her full-scale leaps to little bounces. Twilight sighed. "Then she would've never just left them there." I smiled at the solving skills of the two ponies who had spoken.
"But, there are a few things that my sister was relying on. As she banished me, the sixth element, magic, was lost. Let me explain. It simply shattered as I was drifting away. All of the other elements cased themselves into stone spheres and disappeared, but the sixth just vanished entirely. My sister, knowing only true friendship could bring the elements back together, has ruled the land in harsh fear and has most likely made sure that bonds do not get too strong."
"So, hypothetically, the elements are all there, but how do we find the sixth." Twilight was pacing now and she seemed on the verge of something.
"I have thought long and hard about this and came to the conclusion that, if all five of the elements are present, some sort of spark, persay, will ignite the sixth one back into existence. It's all a theory-"
"But it sure is the best lead we've had in two years!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "I say we go to the Everfree and find that old castle!"
"The Everfree is the favorite place of practically every disgusting plant and the Lunar Guardsmen. How are we supposed to venture deep into it if we can hardly even get passed its borders?" Rarity asked.
"There has to be-" Pinkie began, but then, her head flicked up the roof and her tail started bouncing.
"What is it Pinks?" Applejack whispered, crouching.
"Lunar Guardsmen. They're going to pass right over us if we don't get out of here fast."
"How did you-" I asked.
"Pinkie Sense." She said simply. Then she bounced up and whisper-shouted, "escape plan B3-SAVE YOUR FLANK NOW, is in action.
In a whir of pastel colors, the dim light coming from a single lamp was blown out, every scrap of paper from every corner of the oddly-shaped cave was whisked into someone's bag. Twilight snatched their current map and mapping tools and shoved them into a knapsack I had seen in the corner. Rarity pulled a little purple barrett out of her hair and used it as a clasp to fashion their rug into a cloak.
Then, Alder was grabbing my hoof as Rainbow Dash pushed us towards where a long map had been tacked up to the wall and into a tunnel hidden behind it. Twilight and Rarity lit their horns and raced ahead while Pinkie, tail still vibrating bounced behind them. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew over mine and Alder's heads, and Applejack brought up the rear.
The tunnel was short and we soon found ourselves in a dense tangle of vines.
"Honestly girls, this rug isn't even-" Rarity began.
"Shhh." Fluttershy almost screeched.
Then, it was pitch black, and we heard hoof steps.
