Shimmer Run 2101

That night a violent rumble rolled across the landscape of Equestria. The heroes all looked up toward the northern sky and saw Stygians ship far in the distance- ascending beyond the sky until it became nothing more than a streak of light.

"Now where ya'll suppose they're headed off to?" Applejack pondered.

"The Moon!" Derpy said as she watched the streak of light head off toward the moon.

"What are they doing on the moon?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Whatever they're up to ah've got a bad feelin' about this." Applejack sighed as they watched a red glow appear in the middle of the 'eye' in the Mare-in-the-Moon.

"Oh, no. They activated the Lunar Core!" Derpy said with a tremble in her voice.

"The what now?" Applejack quizzed.

"I don't know. I just have a strange feeling that I know what's going on." Derpy explained.

"Well ya'll, alicorns can just poof your way up there but how are the rest of us supposed to come with ya?" Applejack complained.

"If Discord would help us." Rainbow Dash piped in with crossed hooves and rolling eyes.

"I said no deus ex machinas!" Discord shouted as he re-appeared. "But I know somepony here who can help." Discord added as Trixie muttered something quietly. "I'm sorry could you speak up a little?" Discord teased.

All eyes turned to Trixie as Discord produced a phonograph which started playing a heartbreaking melody.

"This better not be another one of them' heartbreaking back stories." Applejack huffed.

"You already had one of those!" Rainbow Dash complained as she rolled her eyes at Trixie.

"Follow Trixie." Trixie said with a sigh as she began to lead the group off into the woods and into a nearby cave that was partially covered with fallen tree branches.

"Trixie and Starlight did everything together." Trixie sighed as she illuminated the cave with a glow in her horn.

"All that's left now, is to touch the stars!" A ghostly image of Starlight Glimmer called out as it faded in ahead of the group.

"Trixie just wishes it would be ready on time for the next show." An image of Trixie from the past sighed and hung her head next to the image of Starlight.

The group rounded a bend in the cave and found a dead end with a large object obscured beneath a heavy canvass. Trixie pulled the canvass away with her hoof and the crowd gasped in awe. It was another caravan almost identical to Trixies other one- except that two large rockets- with gold tips and light purple and white spirals up the sides, were mounted on nacelles protruding from the sides.

"You stayed up all night working on it?" The image of Trixie quizzed as it re-appeared beside the rocket.

"Work can wait. I guess I just wanted to surprise you." The image of Starlight reappeared and the two embraced.

"Is it ready for a test flight?" The image of Trixie quizzed.

"Actually, Trixie, I think I should take the first flight alone." The image Starlight Glimmer said nervously.

"Alone!?" The image of Trixie crossed her hooves and scowled.

"I just think that with my magic being more powerful; if something goes wrong on the test flight-" The image of Starlight tried to explain.

"I thought you had more faith in Trixie!" The image of Trixie stormed off out the cave and vanished as it passed by the group.

"Starlight went ahead with the test flight anyway." Trixie explained as the image of Starlight Glimmer looked back over at the caravan and then faded away. "She never returned. A few weeks later the wreckage of the rocket-caravan washed up on the eastern shore- but nopony ever heard from her again."

Discord passed around tissues to the group as everyponies eyes welled up with tears.

"Trixie rebuilt it and hid it in this cave. But then she met Stygian and then Sunset Shimmer and the three of us joined forces. Trixie was always jealous of them though because they had what Trixie had lost- a blueprint for life and somepony to build it with." Trixie said with a tearful sigh. "Trixie can get us to the moon." Trixie said, raising her head, as she opened the caravan doors and gestured for the others to enter.

The forest lit up with colorful sparks as the caravan streaked out of the cave and up into the night sky. As they ascended beyond the atmosphere Trixie began channeling a spell that conjured a bubble of breathable air around the group. As they neared the lunar surface it became apparent that the dark portions of the Mare-in-the-Moon were actually endless ruined cities of a lost civilization.

"Take us to the eye." Derpy ordered calmly.

As they drew nearer- they could see that the red spot in the eye was a large glass dome building. A, seemingly bottomless, pit clad with technological constructs lay in the center with a red glow pulsating from deep within the moon. As they reached the outside of the dome an opening appeared just large enough for the caravan to pass through. The rest of the group gasped in awe. Eventually the caravan touched down on the ground near a cluster of consoles some distance away from the glowing red pit- beside Stygians ship which appeared abandoned.

"It looks like they abandoned ship here." Rainbow Dash remarked as the group filed off the caravan and started looking around. There was a breathable atmosphere inside the dome.

"Hey, Derpy!" Applejack called out as she inspected some of the consoles. "Ain't that your cutie mark?" Applejack continued as Derpy walked over to her. A mark bearing a similar resemblance to Derpys cutie-mark appeared on the side of a console.

Without thinking, Derpy placed her hoof into a hoof shaped recess on the console and then jumped back in surprise as a series of beeps and clicks filled the room. Everypony turned to look as the translucent image of a grey alicorn with a glittering star-filled mane and regal appointment appeared.

"Welcome home, Lunar Muffin." The image called out. "Or as the Equestrians call you- Derpy."

"Who are you? Who am I?" Derpy gave a confounded stare.

"I am Queen Moondust and you are my daughter and the rightful heir to all pony-kind. For thousands of years our kind ruled the very first pony kingdom; right here- on the moon, using the energy from the Lunar Core as a source of great power. Then the Osees, a twisted and vile faction of ponies who want nothing but to ruin everything, came. They coveted the power of the Lunar Core and war broke out- laying waste to our entire civilization. In the final moments of the war we were able to shut down the Lunar Core and banish the Osees to the planet below. My nieces Celestia and Luna were sent down to found a new pony empire to keep the Osees under control. As my final act I sent my daughter- you, through time itself, to a time when the magic of friendship would be at its strongest." The image of Moondust explained.

"I'm from the moon?" Derpy bleated excitedly.

"In a sense we all are." The image of Moondust said with a warm smile.

"Now wait just a darn minute. Ponies coming from the moon? this is the most ridiculous story ah've ever heard!" Applejack protested.

"We've certainly jumped the shark." Discord affirmed.

"The what now?" Applejack was confused at the expression.

"Trixie is tired of standing around!" Trixie started walking toward the pit.

"You must stop the two ponies who have activated the Lunar Core." Moondust pleaded. "But know that, with it, their power has grown beyond comprehension. Brute force will win this fight."

"You've never met me!" Rainbow Dash boasted as she swooped down and hovered beside Trixie.

"How do we get down there?" Fluttershy asked fearfully as she joined them.

"Eeyup." Big Mac stepped up as well.

Derpy waved goodbye to the image of Moondust and then headed over to the edge of the pit with the others.

"Ah suppose that's too far to climb down." Applejack stepped to the edge as well.

"Well I suppose one little-" Discord appeared next to the others.

"Wait!" Derpy called attention to two identical glass orbs near the edge and then looked over to Trixie who nodded. The two began channeling their magic into the orbs and with a brilliant flash of light the group found themselves near a large, pulsating, red sphere at the bottom of the pit.

Stygian and Sunset Shimmer stood beside each other and faced the sphere.

"I see you've been busy." Stygian said as he turned around and noted Trixie and Derpys alicorn transformation.

"Sunset!" Derpy called out.

Sunset Shimmer turned around slowly; the Kirins Voice levitated in front of her. She did not speak- but rather looked upon the group with pleading eyes.

"I suggest you turn around and return to Equestria." Stygian said calmly.

"Nope!" Big Mac called out and began charging toward the couple.

A bolt of magic arced from the Lunar Core to the Kirins Voice and then out to Big Mac. In an explosion of light Big Mac lay on the ground with a singed mane.

"Stop this at once ya'hear!" Applejack ran over to Big Macs side.

"Then turn around and go back!" Stygian warned.

"I've had enough of this!" Discord stood tall and snapped his fingers but the spell backfired with a violent explosion, knocking him to the ground as well.

"Discord!" Fluttershy cried out as she galloped to his side.

"It's too late for that now." Stygian said with a laugh.

Stygian raised a hoof and magic crackled through the air. Everypony began to levitate, in place- immobilized; except for Trixie and Derpy who channeled a spell to block the onslaught of magic.

"Don't do this, Sunset!" Derpy pleaded.

Trixie fired a blast from her horn at Stygian. An opposing blast met it from the Kirins Voice, blocked it. Trixie concentrated hard but eventually was overcome and collapsed from exhaustion. Sunset stared on at the scene with a cold, vacant, expression.

"Stand down, Derpy!" Stygian ordered."Do you really think you can stop us? What can you possibly hope to accomplish against my power?"