My little pony: The Dark Secret

Only one pony could cross the darklands, and venture forth, deep into the caves of Pon-Kuron. Hers is a name Equestria will never forget.. She is.. Luna.

Twilight looked around the hall, trying to notice any change since the last time she went there. Same two guards, same huge ivory doors with the moon and the sun carved in, same cristal clear windows. Yet, she had been feeling a sense of unease ever since she crossed the castle gates, one she never felt before. She usually would've been happy to visit the Princess, yet this time the summoning letter had somewhat of a concerned tone that made her worried over than happy. Morever, the guards too looked quite uneasy, or even worried. She turned, looking at her friends, to see if any of the other girls was worried as she was.

"What's wrong, sugarcube?" Asked Applejack, walking by her side and giving her a little affective push on her left shoulder. Fluttershy too, noticing her friend's unease, walked by her.

"Yeah, you've been so quiet since we got off the train.." Her pink-maned friend pointed, resting her head on Twi's neck, trying to ease her down.

In a way or an other, Fluttershy's words had the desired effect, as Twilight couldn't help but chuckle a bit tinking that she had just been told she was too quiet from the most calm pony in Equestria. She pulled out a letter from her saddlebag, and levitated it by her two friend's noses. "Can't you see what the problem is? The calling letter had quite a strange tone.. As if the princess was warried about something. Look at the hoofwriting too, it's.. not her usual precise writing style."

"Yeah!" Pinkie arched an eyebrown and looked at her friends, and continued, with a failed attempt to make a spooky voice. " Like something reeeeally nasty was going to happen within the fanfiction." Twilight arched a questioning eyebrown: "Fanfiction?" Pinkie was making no sense. Routine. Knowing that a discussion with her pink friend could've been really bad for her mental sanity, Twi ignored her, and turned her attention to Rarity and Dash, who were looking at the castle's park throught one of the huge glass windows.

Dash looked back, and made a "Come here" gesture with her hoof.

"Hey Twi.. Don't you think there's something off with the garden? Like.. something that should be there isn't there?" Asked Dash without getting her eyes off the park.

Twilight reached the window and scanned the outside carefully. Yet, before she could take a full look at the whole park, the ivory Door opened with a loud "Tumph" and two guards came out. The first looked at the six ponies and announced the princess was ready to meet them. Twilight left the window and followed the girls, who in turn were following the guards, in the throne hall. Celestia was there, staring out of a big window. Twilight was right: She did indeed look an awful lot worried. And she was sweating, too.

"Y'now sugarcube? Ya were right, she seems a damn lot scared 'bout something." Whispered Applejack to Twilight, who pushed her aside nodding and saluted the Princess.

"Oh, Twilight, my faithful student. Here, come by the window, we don't have much time." Issued Celestia. Twilight sent a questioning look to her friends as she took place on the Princess' side and resumed her scan of the park. She didn't took long to realise what the princess wanted her to see, and what struck Dash as weird earlier. Right on the side of the labyrinth, stood an empty pedestal, which was not supposed to be empty at all.

"Princess! The statue! Discord! Is it.. Gone?!" She asked, walking a few steps backwards in shock. As the rest of her party heard that, dismay struck the five ponies, who rushed to the window aswell.

"What do you mean Discord's gone?! We beated his damn back for good, and turned him into freakin' marble!" Dash shouted, flying to the window and sticking her face to it, looking at the empty pedestal she half-noticed earlier.

The princess backed from the window, walking to the middle of the hall, and began her explanation: "A group of fanatics who calls themselves "The black order" broke in the castle last night. They knocked two guards unconscious and severely injured one other. Before the general allarm started, they were able to flee with the statue. Also, they left a message for us." The princess paused here and sighed. She threw an apphrensive look at her pupyl and continued: "Twilight these people are serious. They were swift, geared and organised. And merciless too. The injured guard.. probably won't to pass the night."

The last line struck the already dismayed ponies even harder: Murder NEVER happened in Equestria. No pony would've ever hurt an other pony seriously.

"Ya mean he could.. Princess, who are this people and what do they want? Why in equestria did they steal discord? And what's on the message they left? And also, what do we fit 'nall this?" Applejack started, breaking the silence.

"This is the reason i summoned you for." The Princess' horn lit with a golden glow, and a piece of paper flew from the throne to Twilight. To her surprise, she could not read what was written in the piece of paper. Weird thing, since she studied every single language book avaiable, even dead tongues. "You can't read it because it's encrypted. I translated the most of it. It's a profecy. It says that before I and Luna could vanquish Discord, over one thousand years ago, somehow knowing his defeat was imminent, he channeled most of his power and a part of himself power inside an "artifact". According to the letter, if the artifact and the statue were to be joined, one the seventh eclipse of the one thousand first Equestrian year Discord would "reborn" whole and at his full power."

"And ya belive a word of this crap?" Applejack interrupted. As Twilight stared AJ as if she wanted to strangle her, the Princess continued.

"I wouldn't.. Normally. But you must know one thing. Before the Elements "came" to us Discord was defeating us. Than, one day, we had the Elements, and Discord gave up, just like that. Now.. i think it was all a part of a greater plan. And honestly, i won't take the chance of ignoring the possibility that what the cultist said is the truth. As Twilight knows, the seventh eclipse will be in 13 days. And i run out of time. I've got an important matter to take care of. Luna is waiting for you at the castle's portcullis. She will explain everything you need to know. Before that, you should go to the Element's chapel. I had your brother arranging a gift for you girls." Celestia forced a smile, and started walking out of the room.

"Princess, wait! I've read every single history or geography book avaiable. Why don't I know anything about this cult, this profecy, an of this war between Discord and you?" Twilight asked, reaching Celestia.

"I'm sorry Twilight.. some things are better remain forgotten." The princes said coldly, without stopping. As she turned behind the door, she raised her voice: "One last thing girls.. these people doesn't joke. This is nothing like the feats you faced until today. These fanatics will kill you if they get the chance. Be careful.. please." She said, and left the girls on their own. Twilight had about a hundred questions unanswered now. The Elements "came" to the Princesses? Discord was different than the Discord they met? And.. Oh god, her head hurted SO much.

"So, lemme get this straight, this people are many, mercilles, and organized and the princess want us to stop them on our own? And she refuses to give explanation to our questions?" Applejack started. " I got just the riiight term for what the princess told us: A huge load of bullsh.." Before Applejack could finish, Rarity shut her mouth with her hoof. "There is no reason to be rude. And the princess was crystal clear. Still.. she was quite secretive. And Applejack is indeed right: Twilight, how can Celestia send us in such a perilous mission all on our own?"

"I got no idea, Rarity. She actually didn't even tell us what she wants us to do. Anyways, it looks like we got no time waste. We better get whatever my brother left for us at the chapel, and go talk to Luna. She could spread some light over this whole mess."

"Which is ironical, since she's the princess of darkness. Tee-hee!"

"Oh, Pinkie." The others chuckled.

Discord would rule

In the unholy name of cosmic chaos

And this time he would reign supreme.

As they reached the chapel, a white unicorn stallion and a pink alicorn reached them. "Twily! I missed you so much sis!" Twilight brother greeted, hugging her. Cadence smiled and winked to her from behind. Leaving the hug, Twilight interrogated her brother about the Princess' behaviour. "The matter is serious, twi. I insisted for the princess to let me and my boys go at your place but there was nothing to do to convince her.. Twilight please, as much as i'm confident you will be safe with Luna at your side i fear.."

"Wait up, calm your horses and start from the beginning. The Princess is coming with us?" Rarity interrupted, arching her eyebrown.

"Yeah.. She'll explain all she can to you later. Well, i suppose i better update you with everything i know." The girls nodded, and Shining went on: "First you got to know that a few days ago Luna and Celestia had a terrible fight, and with terrible, i mean terrible. Luna got pretty close to Cadence as a friend, so she stayed by us a couple of days after the fight. She didn't want tell us what caused the rift between her and Celestia, but Cadence thinks they fought over some political reason, I got no idea if it has anything to do with the events that went on the following days. Yesterday morning, the princess called for me in her private rooms saying she had a grave matter to speak about. According to her, three of my guards had a fight during the night and one of my guys was severely injured. But.." Shining paused and bit his lip, as if he didn't want to reveal his feelings to her sister, or more probably, as he felt forced not to. Cadence step forward and continued Shining's speech: "But we went to visit him, and from the kind of wound he has you can absolutely tell someone ran a sword throught his chest. As you can see, none of my Shining's boys is armed with a sword."

"Which, in other words, means the princess has been lying out of her theeth." Shining said with a concerned voice, Leading the way inside the chapel. Twilight shook her head. "Why would the princess lie like this?" Twi answered. She thought if she should tell her brother what she knew about the injured guard.

"Twi.. There's worse. I'm so sorry having to tell you such things about the princess, i know you're close to her but.. She ordered me to punish my boys for their "little skirmish on work" as she called it. He asked me to punish a stallion who's about to die Twi!" Shining finished, stomping his hoof on the ground. Twilight had never seen him so angry, but that was the last of her concern. This last line caught her off guard. She didn't want to belive a word of what her brother said, and yet she trusted him more than anyone. "Shining.. So you don't know what our mission actually is and who actually hurt your men?" Asked Dash, putting her hoof over Twi's shoulder to confort her. Shining darkened all of the sudden and stopped walking. "I don't know the details. But Luna told me something. She told me my men got attacked by someone and you were to get them. Girls.. Luna told me your could be a suicide mission. That is why me and a couple of my most trusted men wanted to go on your place." Twilight brother finished.

"Twi, should we tell him the whole story?" Dash whispered to Twilight, who answered that they should avoid putting other stress on her brother's mind.

"There's more. Celestia ordered me to prepare my men for war. A war twily! There has never been a war since Equestria was founded! I do not trust her anymore. My whole trust and faith goes to Luna now. You should trust her too, and let her guide you. One last thing: The gift Celestia ordered me to give you was a set of iron chestplates, like the ones the guards wear." Shining smiled, for the first time since the conversation started. "Inteasted, I was able to get you a set of six mithril chestplates. Trust me, there is nothing in Equestria that can break such items. I had to do the impossible to get 'em within two days, but that's the least i could do for you. So, here we are.. Good luck girls." Shining said, stopping in front of a building with six gems drawn upon. Twilight gave him a kiss on the cheek and the rest of the girls thanked him.

He left the girls there, and Cadence, after saying goodbye, followed him.

"Soo.. What do you think?" Rarity started. "I don't understand. Why would Celestia act like that?" Twilight asked.

"I dunno sugarcube, but the earlier we talk to Luna, the earlier we find out." Applejack answered, pushing the chapel door open. Right inside, six mannequins wearing six silverly armours were awaiting for them. All but one, Twilight's, had an empty socked, shaped like a necklage. Armor aside, all mannequins had a cape with a leaf-shaped brooch. Each cape had a hood.

Twilight looked at hers, the one without socket. She already realised what the sockets were for, and se would probably get confirmation from Luna. "Well girls, let's put these on and go meet the Princess." Twilight said putting her hood on and getting ready to go.

"Okie dokie loki!" Answered Pinkie, jumping in a circle around Twilight. How could she even bounce with the weight of a mithril armor on her shoulders?

THEY ARE THE LAST HOPE

FOR PONIES, DRAGONS AND MULES

PHOENIX OF THE FORESTS

ZEBRAS AND GRYPHONS

Twilight was scouting the portcullis. With those rugged cape and hoods noone could recognize them, noone who didn't know their current clothes, of course. She keept scanning the zone, but the princess was nowhere to be seen. Finally, Pinkie emerged from a lateral court, she got close to Twilight and whispered her they had found Luna. They entered the court and turned left. In the dark stood Luna, she too covered in a rug. With her, the other four ponies. Pinkie smiled and bouncy-jumped on the princess side.

"Twilight sparkle. We bet thou have some questions to ask us. You will have all the time to ask anything you want during our journey, but first we would like to say something to you." Luna stood up and freed herself from the hood, with royal gestures. Before she could continue her speech, Twilight interrupted: "Princess, if it's possible i would like to speak in a less formal tone.. We're onto a big quest togheder after all, aren't we?"

"I'm sorry Twilight. Living in the palace made me a bit refractary to normal manners of speech. You must know something really important. Everything you know, everything you were told," The princess said, emphatizing by pushing Twilight's chest with her hoof. "About our past and all history of Equestria is nothing but a huge lie." "Toldya, a huge stack of bullshit!" Added Applejack with a proud smile. The others stared at her with a face that would scare a tiger. She was the element of honesty after all. "What?! The princess said 'at too." Luna put her hoof on her face and shook her head. Than, she continued. "Anyway.. the whole history as you know from the books was made up from my sister. Completely. Not a single line was the truth."

Although Twilight looked fine, she was dismayed. Why would the princess do anything like that? Could it be possible that she studied a bounch of.. lies? She didn't interrupt the princess anyway, and she kept listening. "I will explain everything later Twilight. For now, know that my sister hasn't suddently turned evil. Everything she did, she did because she thought it would be best for our people not to know the horrors of the past. The events which brought to this day and to our current quest were set into motion ages ago. Those dark times still haunts her at a point she can't even tell our people we could be at the edge of a crisis! That is why we had a fight, and that is why she couldn't tell your brother the truth." Luna lowered her voice volume and her face darkened. "Equestria wasn't founded thanks to a freaking heart-shaped burst of magic. The world we know.. You know, won't last much. My sister thought she could make her people live in an age of happiness and peace forever.. But now all could change. Long time ago.. It was different. There was blood.. There was war.. There was death."

Charging energy in her horn, Luna shot a beam of energy with hit the armed pegasus in the chest, leaving nothing but a smoldering corpse. She quickly rolled to her left to avoid the red beam shot by the other unicorn and as it passed by she turned, propelling with her wings and charging toward him, piercing his chest with her horn. The wound was fatal. Her face covered in blood, she entered the flaming hut. She was too exhausted to cast a spell to stop the flames, and she had little time before the hut collapsed. But she didn't care about risk anymore. She bucked the second door down and rushed in. The old stallion was already dead, and Luna rushed to the blood-covered mare who laid on the ground. They had ran a sword throught her chest, and Luna took little time to realise she could do little to nothing to save the poor lady. The mare grabbed Luna's mane with her theeth, and whispered her: "Save her." The poor mother widened her arms. She was holding a young filly. Luna couldn't avoid letting loose a tear down her cheeck. She grabbed the foal and closed her dead mother's eyes, Quickly rushing out of the hut before it collapsed. She held the filly close to her and wiped her face from the black ash and from her tears. She had fell unconscious from the fear.

"Bastard bandits.." She whispered to herself. She took off and flew for the palace as the flames slowly died.

"Luna? Are you alright?" "I'm sorry, Twilight Sparkle. I was just.. thinking." Luna said. A tear ran down her cheek, she wiped it, and continued talking. "As i was saying.. Long ago the world was different. My sister and I.. we both lived over one thousand years. We both had a lot time to see things we shouldn't have seen. My sister doesn't want anyone to witness what she witnessed.. to feel what she felt." Luna got up, as if she remembered something important, and started walking. "Sorry girls, we have little time. I will explain you everything on the way." She finished, putting her hood on and leaving the court, into the crowd.

Before following her, Twilight exchanged a few looks with her friends, and had confirmation of her suspects: They were all even more confused than they were before hearing Luna's story.  Still, they all knew that lonely dark blue pony held all the answers they sought, and they were still loyal to the promise they made to Celestia. As the sun went down and twilight fell on the kingdom, they followed Luna throught the portcullis, and out of Canterlot.

From the high towers the people acclaim

The chosen heroes now crossing the gates

Seven ponies ventured to distant lands

For the sake of mules, gryphons and dragons

Celestia's eyes can see the fear of the world

It's the last dramatic pony war!

End of the prelude

// Author's Note

// ON THIS CHAPTER: Stuff should look a bit confusing, i know that. This prelude is just a freaking big cliffhanger and i feel reeal bad for this. You (and the mane6) will get all your answers in the next chapter. Stay tuned.

// So well, went a bit too far didn't i? I won't say an ETA for future chapters since it really depends on what i have to do and what i want to do. I wrote this in 3-4 hours so you can except about a chapter a day if things turn out well.

// Please feedback and rate up or down the fic. Feedback ALWAYS help, no matter how negative.

// If you are interested in the songs check out "The Dark Secret" "The last Angel's Call" and "The mystic prophecy of the Demonknight". All credits for the Dark Secret Saga and the song goes to Rhapsody of Fire.

// One last note: This is my first attempt ever on writing a fic, so yeah, hope it doesn't turn out to be a complete piece of crap.