The Mare in the Moon

Sunset found Twilight upstairs, in what was their shared room. "You okay?" she asked.

"If you're asking about the hot sauce, then yes," Twilight said. "I should have been paying more attention."

"And about everything else?" Sunny prodded.

"I... I don't know. Yes, the princess told us to make friends, but I cannot help but worry. And we both know I'm not good with others. I was hoping to get some more research on the Elements of Harmony, but everypony else has kept me distracted from doing so," Twilight admitted.

"Both the princess and I know that you worry. Perhaps the reason she wanted you, she wanted us, to make friends so we wouldn't worry as much. Twi, I understand that in the hardest of times we need other people, I mean ponies, to help lift us up. You, Shiny, mom, and dad all did that for me. Now, Princess Celestia is encouraging us to make friends, friends who will do the same for us. I don't understand friendship, but, before I met you, I didn't really understand family," Sunset said, before grinning. "Besides, why not also make this party a celebration of when we met?"

Twilight smiled back at her sister. "You're right," she said. "Yes, legend may say that on the longest day of the thousandth year that the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring eternal night, but, you're right about the princess too, that she is quite capable."

"Besides," Sunset said, looking up. "The Mare in the Moon is still in the moon."

Twilight looked up. "But, she may not stay that way."

"Let's just enjoy ourselves some, okay Twi?"

"Okay."

And so the two sisters headed downstairs.

"We have come to party!" Sunset announced.

"Yippee!" Pinkie exclaimed, pulling them into a hug.

"Plus, we have another reason to celebrate today," Sunset said.

"Ooohhh, what is it?" Pinkie asked.

"Can't... breathe..." Twilight squeezed out.

"Oopsie," Pinkie said, before letting go.

"Today is the five year anniversary of when Twi and I met," Sunset said.

"Really?" Pinkie said. "But how?"

"I'm adopted," Sunset explained.

"Ohhhhh. Well then, happy five year meetiversary!" Pinkie said, before somehow making a banner that said, "Happy Five Year Meetiversary Sunset and Twilight!"

"How?" Sunset said with jaw on the floor.

"Well, from what I've heard people say, 'don't question it, it's Pinkie Pie,'" Pinkie said.

"Huh," Sunset said.

After a night of celebration, which was mostly calm, due to the ponies not wanting to tire themselves out, it was almost time for the Summer Sun Celebration.

Once they were all there, Pinkie could not contain herself. "Isn't this exciting? Are you excited, 'cause I'm excited, I've never been so excited-- well, except for the time that I saw you walking into town and I went," Pinkie paused and gasped. "But I mean really, who can top that?"

"I'm sure you'll find out one day," Sunset said.

The guards then fanfare, introducing Mayor Mare. "Fillies and gentlecolts, as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!" she announced.

At this, everypony cheered with excitement.

"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year!" she continued.

Twilight, despite Sunset's reassurances, was still nervous. She looked up at the moon, worried. She then saw the stars coming together, seemingly on top of the moon, and she nudged Sunset, silently urging her to look up. Sunset obliged, as they both saw the Mare in the Moon disappear. They glanced at each other nervously, knowing what just had happened.

Despite this, as nopony else had noticed, the mayor continued, "and now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria, Princess Celestia!"

Right before the princess was announced, the birds sung out in glorious song. However, when the curtain opened, there was nopony there.

"This can't be good," Sunset said, as ponies started muttering among themselves.

"Remain calm, everypony, there must be a reasonable explanation," Mayor Mare assured.

Pinkie jumped up and down excitedly, "ooh, ooh, I love guessing games! Is she hiding?"

Rarity looked around the area, and saw no sign of the princess. "She's gone," she said.

Ponies began panicking even more so than they already had.

"Ooh, she's good," Pinkie said, still thinking this was a game. Or perhaps she was trying to lighten the mood.

Then, a trail of blue smoke came together in the form of a black alicorn with light blue armor on. The crowd stilled at this, worried.

"Oh no, Nightmare Moon," Twilight whispered, as Spike proceeded to faint and fall off of her back.

"Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces," the new alicorn said.

"What did you do with our Princess?!" Rainbow Dash demanded, not caring whether or not she was an alicorn, just that Princess Celestia was gone, and she was the main suspect.

"Whoa there, Nelly," AJ said, grabbing Rainbow's tail with her teeth to prevent her from doing anything rash.

"Why, am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?" the alicorn asked.

"I don't care if you are an alicorn," Rainbow shouted.

"Ooh, ooh, more guessing games! Um, Hokey Smokes! How about Queen Meanie! No! Black Snooty, Black Snooty," Pinkie said, knowing that names and personalities quite often matched, before having a cupcake shoved in her mouth by Applejack.

The black alicorn continued, "does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not see the signs of my return?"

We did. And we know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon, Nightmare Moon," Twilight and Sunset said in unison.

Everypony gasped in shock at that. They thought Nightmare Moon was just a tale for scares on Nightmare Night, not an actual pony.

"Well well well, somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here," Nightmare Moon said.

Twilight nervously replied, "you're here to, to." She gulped, not able to truly say it.

"Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!" Nightmare Moon exclaimed, before laughing maniacally.

"Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is," Mayor Mare said.

"Stand back, you fools," Nightmare said, before exiting the same way she came.

Rainbow finally got loose of Applejack's grip. "Come back here," she said, but she was too late. "Nighttime? Forever? Where are they going?" she asked, seeing Twilight and Sunset run off.

When Sunset and Twilight arrived at the library, Spike woke up and mumbled, "we gotta stop Nightmare."

"You've been up all night, Spike. You are a baby dragon after all," Twilight said, laying him down, and then proceeding to search the library on for a book on the Elements of Harmony. She knew she brought the book from the princess with her, but she sat it down, and assumed somepony had put it in with the library books, not thinking. "Elements, elements, elements. How can we stop Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony?"

Sunset was about to speak up, when Rainbow burst in, followed by Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. "And just what are the Elements of Harmony? And how did you two know about Nightmare Moon, huh? Are you spies?" Rainbow questioned, before AJ cut in.

"Simmer down, sugarcube. They ain't spies. But they sure know what's going on. Don't y'all?"

"We read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon. Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her, but we don't know what they are, where to find them; we don't even know what they do," Sunset explained, keeping her composure more than Twilight.

"The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide," Pinkie said, pulling said book out.

How did you find that?" Twilight asked.

"It was under 'E,' Pinkie sang out.

"I thought it was supposed to be organized by author's last name," Twilight said in frustration.

Sunset picked up the book, and read, "there are seven Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. And the seventh has never been used before, so it is even more mysterious than even the sixth. It is said, the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now the Everfree Forest."

"Well then, I guess we better be going. Come on, Sunset," Twilight said.

"Hang on there. We ain't letting you two go alone," Applejack said.

"Thanks, but we're not alone, we have each other," Twilight responded.

"Darling, do you really think that we would let you go without anypony but the two of you?" Rarity pointed out.

Twilight was about to speak up, when Sunset asked, "do all of you insist with coming with us?"

All five of them confirmed that they did.

"Then I guess we best be off, all of us," Sunset said, before they all left to go to the Everfree Forest.

Author's Note

Ah yes. Finally, another chapter of this. It's been a couple weeks. Well, last week was spring break, so I didn't really have as much internet access as I'm used to, and I prefer writing on desktop. But, I still plan on updating regularly.

Before anyone points out that Nightmare Moon says foals in the show, first, my fic, my rules. Second, the fools vs foals argument. Fools is indeed used in the show, foal is not some witty horse pun. Most the time when I see foolish in the show, it can mean childish. Fools know better, children/foals do not.

Remember, since this is my fic, any number of things could happen, we don't truly know the outcome.

Anyways, I hoped you all enjoyed it, and will see you in the comments section probably.