Princess Dinky's Letters: Struggling

Dear Fillies,

This is the third letter about my past and the things that I had to do to free Equestria.

From that day, I was an outcast. I had to hide in the Everfree Forest to make sure that nopony found me. On those few occasions when I crept into Ponyville to talk to Twilight's friends, I saw wanted posters with a picture of me on them. It had my cutie mark and told other ponies that I was an alicorn and could hide my wings.

One fateful day, about two weeks after Mummy was captured, I caught a glimpse of a new alicorn. Her coat was dark purple, and her armour was almost black. Her eyes glowed red. She was the Shadow Pony.

She saw me. Just once, when I was hiding in the barn on Sweet Apple Acres. I must have stood out like a sore thumb; a blank-flanked lavender unicorn in amongst all those Earth Ponies with coats of various shades of red, orange, yellow and green. She tore into that barn and tried to find me, but I teleported away before she could find me. It was a huge blow, knowing that there was a second alicorn on Tirek's side. I knew from that moment that I would need to find alicorns to defeat alicorns. Currently, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were stuck in the forms of their Nightmare Ponies, Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon. I knew it would take some powerful magic to get them back, but I had an idea: using the magic of family. Celestia probably had no idea that her sister had had a daughter, but Luna could come back if I told her that I was her granddaughter, even if that was only through adoption. Or was it? I had to be related by blood if I was an alicorn. (I found it later that I was right.) It had to work. It was reckless, but it was the only plan I had.

Living rough was terrible. It had to be done, but I could hardly waltz into Ponyville with the Shadow Pony on the prowl. I had to eat the unrefined grass in the forest and sleep under or in trees. I had some idea of where to find the Two Sisters: they were probably imprisoned in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Somewhere in the Everfree Forest, I would find it.

It took two weeks for my little legs and wings to carry me the entire journey. It was exhausting for a filly to travel that far into the Forest. Eventually, though, I found it. I flew across the canyon separating it from Everfree Forest,, concealed my wings and walked into the throne room.

Everything was covered in thick dust. Nopony had visited the Royal Sisters for years. Only their hoofprints, followed by heavy chains, had kept the dust away in places. The once beautiful stained glass windows were faded and covered in grime.
"Luna?" I called. I heard my voice echo and fade into the nothingness.Luna? Luna? Luna? Luna?
"She's not here," I heard a voice say. The owner of the voice materialised from behind the two thrones. Nightmare Moon.
"Nightmare Moon, I come in peace."
"Oh, peace? More likely to finally end my suffering."
"No. I am serious. You are technically Princess Luna, aren't you? You share her memories, right?"
"Luna is a stain on me, but yes, we share each other's memories."
"Then you know about Princess Luna's daughter."
"Yes dear child. Scram before these rusty chains break and I tear you to pieces."
"Ditzy Doo had a daughter. Me."
"How should I know that you aren't lying?"
Uncover, I thought. My purple wings appeared. I said to her, "I am an alicorn. My mother, your daughter, taught me a spell that allows you to hide anything. Including your wings or horn. She pretended to be a pegasus."
Something in Nightmare Moon's eyes changed. There was a... A spark in those cat-like eyes. I could tell that Luna was trying to gain control again. After several years, I could see that she was having trouble.
"No, I am in charge now, you worthless thing..."

A bright light surrounded Nightmare Moon and I squinted. I could see her removing her armour. Her wings changed and resembled mine. The light disappeared and her coat became slightly lighter. Finally, her pupils dilated and her irises changed to a darker blue. Princess Luna was back.
"No. I am worth so much more than you, Nightmare Moon," she said aloud. She turned to me. "It's Dinky, isn't it? You're related to me by blood. The whole story about you being adopted was a lie to protect you and your mother."
"Princess Luna-"
"Call me Grandma."
"Okay. Grandma, Mummy's in trouble. After you became Nightmare Moon and Celestia became Daybreaker, Tirek took over Equestria and declared himself King. He adopted Cosy Glow. For about five years, we've been in trouble. Twilight has gone missing, and Mummy was captured. There's a new pony who appears to be a shadow brought to life. She's on Tirek's side. We're in deep, deep trouble."
"Wow," was all she could say. "We are."
"How do we get Princess Celestia back?"
"Your cutie mark. Fire and shadows, with a bubble to show family. You're destiny... Is to unite Equestria. You can do this. The shadows represent me. The fire represents my sister. We are family. We have to be together."

This was how I met my grandmother Princess Luna, and how the rebellion started. I feel that you know lots about the rebellion from school, but in my next letter, I will tell you about what sparked it and how it grew.

You are right. This is a difficult subject to talk and write about. However, it is a subject that needs to be dealt with, otherwise those who died both while Tirek was in charge and during the rebellion would have sacrificed themselves for nothing.

Thank you, sweet foals, for asking me to do this.
Yours sincerely,
Princess Dinky.