It was a thousand years ago, a millennium since that fateful battle. Nightmare Moon remembered it like it was yesterday. She remembered how she was once called Luna, that she and her older sister, Celestia, co-ruled the land of Equestria. While Celestia would raise the sun to create a new day 'Luna' would raise the moon to create a new night, a night filled with many stars. Yes, the night was beautiful.
But the ponies of Equestria thought otherwise. While they played, galloped and lived peacefully during the day, they slept during the night when the sun disappeared behind the horizon. They shunned the beautiful night Luna created, neglected the glittering stars where she put all her effort in to.
She cried, wept while everypony slept. Not even the love of her sister could ease the pain she felt inside her body. She cried but also waited, waiting for that fateful night when everypony would realize that the night was not something to neglect, that it was more beautiful, even more beautiful than the day. She waited long but the night she waited for never came to pass.
Luna fell into insanity, her mourns and sadness drove her into madness. While Celestia was about to rise the sun again, Luna refused to lower the moon and make way for the dawn. Luna was no more, her bitterness created a new 'Luna', a new goddess, a new ruler.
Celestia tried to talk sense into Luna but the younger sister didn't answer to that name anymore. Luna was gone but Nightmare Moon was born. When soothing words weren't enough for Celestia to bring Luna back to her senses she used brute force and a grave battle ensued, a battle that held the fate of Equestria on it's shoulders.
Celestia wanted to use a certain collection of artifacts to stop her younger sister but Nightmare Moon halted her actions before she could even find them. Nightmare paralyzed Celestia and turned her into a stone statue, which still stands today.
Today, a thousand years later. Equestria is no more, she renamed 'her' kingdom into Durdaedor, Dark Shadow Land, a name fitted for a kingdom that lived under an eternal night.
Twilight Sparkle was spending her time in the library of Nightmare Moon's citadel, Barad-Fuin, which lies inside the city Daerochdal, a place she visited since she was a little foal. The library was dark, the only sources of light where torches that where embed on the sides of the large bookcases that filled the hall and candles on the tables where you could read them. The little mulberry coated Unicorn just finished a book called: Outside of Town: A Helpful Guide To Survive The Horrors of the Night, when a little purple dragon came from behind on of the bookcases with a bunch of thick books in his paws.
'Here are the books you asked for, Twilight.'
'Thank you, Spike.' Twilight said to the little dragon and used her magic to lift the book from Spike's paws and put them right next to her on the reading table. 'Why are you reading so much?' He asked. Twilight gave out a little sigh.
'Because that's the only thing I can do.' She said, 'Everypony looks at me with frowned faces, they are all neglecting me for what I am. Not that I can blame them.' Anger and sadness could be heard in her voice. On the top of the staple of books sat a small blue booklet which Spike took and went to sit on the other side of the table. When Twilight was about to open the book Durdaedorian Mythologies a Pegasus Guard entered the hall. His dark gray coat is visible under his thematic armor and unlike the feathery wings regular Pegasi have, he has bat-like wings. One of the trademarks of the Royal Guard, another trademark is his pair of serpentine pupils. 'Her majesty demands your presence, Lady Sparkle.' He said and stood ready to escort Twilight.
'Twilight Sparkle, my fateful student.' Nightmare Moon said. Twilight felt a cold shiver coming over her spine, she hated to be called like that. Twilight was accompanied by Spike and her escort. Before the trio sat Nightmare Moon on her throne with her wings spread to show her might. Her coat was as dark as the night, her mane floated like a cloud filled with brilliant stars and her cyan, cat-like eyes were both malevolent and beautiful. Behind the Alicorn's throne stood the statue of Celestia, guarded by the queen. If someone would touch, or in some way free her, he or she would have to go trough her.
Twilight, Spike and the Guard both bowed down before their queen. Nightmare Moon raised her hoof and commanded the Guard to leave the throne room. When the guard closed the grand door Twilight cut to the chase: 'What is that you want of me, my Queen.'
'Straight to the point? Oh, how I love that arrogant tone of yours.' Nightmare Moon said with a malevolent smile, 'But did your arrogance clouded your memories of a certain... Shining Armor?' Twilight was shocked to hear that name. My brother... My BBBFF...
'Would you please say that again but a bit louder, Twilight?' Nightmare Moon commanded, again with the smile. Twilight's arrogant tone came back. 'My Brother. My BBBFF, Big Brother Best Friend Forever...'
Nightmare Moon laughed loud and maniacally, the BBBFF part brought the real feelings of Twilight above water and the Queen loved to toy with her little subordinates feelings. 'Big Brother Best Friend Forever. Oh such beautiful childly innocence.' Spike looked towards Twilight and sees that she's keeping her anger and hate for the Queen at bay. 'He is indeed your big brother,' Nightmare Moon continued, 'But a best friend he is no more. You live under MY rule, dear Twilight, and you WILL do the things I tell you to do.'
'Then what is it that you command, my queen?' Twilight asked, her eyes pierced Nightmare Moon's with hate. 'Your BBBFF is leading a rebel alliance to overthrow me. I received clues that his base of operations lies in a little town called Ponyville. I want you to go there and inspect the situation there and gather intel.'
'And how do you think that I, Nightmare Moon's faithful student, can blend in with the population of a tiny town?' Twilight asked, a mocking smile appeared on her face. 'Oh yes, I know about this city's 'distaste' of you but you need not to worry, my dear student, for that Ponyville is quite far away from Daerochdal and the only ones that come here are simple merchants.' Twilight's smile disappeared. 'There used to be a librarian there but she sadly passed away recently. Since you're such a fan of books I took the opportunity to give you the spot as her replacement, aren't you happy?' The arrogance dripped of Nightmare Moon's face like liquid, Twilight could do nothing than 'accept' her offer and move to this Ponyville.
'Good, you have the right to say goodbye to your parents in Rochband. A couple of the town's merchants requested me to escort you. You can find them before the citadel's entrance outside when you're ready.'
'You're seeing your big brother again? Isn't that good news, sweety?
Twilight Sparkle was inside Durdaedor's most feared prison, Rochband. She stood before a Unicorn couple in a cell, the cell itself was much more cozy and luxurious than the other cells. This one had, for example, better light sources instead of the single torch other prisoners have to live with. 'I really can't really call it good news, mom.' Twilight said to the periwinkle coated Unicorn female. 'What's the problem then, my child?' A blue Unicorn male said to her. 'The problem is... It is that I have to...' Twilight gulped, 'Betray him...' a little tear dropped from her eye.
The couple looked at each other in concern. 'Oh sweety...' The female Unicorn said, 'It know that it can be painful to finally see someone you never saw in a long time only to hurt both his and your own feelings.' The blue Unicorn continued, 'We know that you had to make a great sacrifice. We know that everything you have to do is against your own vision of justice but remember this. You may be Nightmare Moon's pupil but you're still our child and we will always love you.' Twilight started to cry silently, tears dropping from her eyes like water from a bucket. The couple spread their front hooves and Twilight embraced them and the trio hugged each other, not caring for the iron bars that separate them.
Twilight was ready to take off to Ponyville. Her personal belongings were transported to the town's library by Nightmare Moon herself, all she had now at the moment was her noble companion Spike and a coat to conceal her identity from Daerochdal's citizens. They just came trough the citadel's main entrance right into the courtyard, where a wooden kart full of barrels guarded by two brightly colored Earth-Ponies stood. One was big and red while the other was smaller, orange and wore a cowboy hat. 'Do you think they are the ponies we seek, Twilight?' Spike asked, 'As there are no other forms of transportation at the moment, I'm sure of it.' Twilight answered.
The couple walked down to the kart and were greeted by the orange Earth-Pony, 'You tha new librarian?' she asked with a southern accent. Twilight nodded and the Earth-Pony continued, 'Name's Applejack, and big red over there is ma brother, Big Macintosh.'
Editor's Note
Are there questions in-story? They will be answered in time.
Durdeador is Sindarin for Dark Shadow Land
Barad-Fuin = Dark Tower/Gloomy Tower
Daerochdal = Dark Horse Valley/
Rochband = Horse Prison
Ah know who you are, sugar!
'"And so it begins..." Twilight said to herself. She, Spike and her two companions, Applejack and Big Mac just got trough the gate that closes Daerochdal from the outside world. The night was dark but the road was lit by torches that were planted on the side. Big Mac was the one that pulled the kart forward where the empty barrels were put on. Applejack was resting on the kart, chewing on a piece of reed, and so was Spike, only less relaxed as Applejack. Twilight was the one that went on hoof, there wasn't enough room for her on the wooden kart and she didn't want to go further as another load for Big Mac to pull.
Spike saw how Applejack and her brother were looking at Twilight in a manner that Spike was familiar with. "What's the deal actually?' He said to the orange Pony, 'I know that there isn't enough room for her on the kart but that's not the only reason she can't sit here, I can see it by the way you look at her!" Twilight heard Spike's little outburst.
"Spike! Let it be." She said trough her cloak.
"No Twilight! I hate it when people talk about us behind our backs as much like you do. I want an explanation!"
Applejack took the piece of reed out of her mouth, "Ah'm not gonna lie. It's just that we don't feel good with her around us." Applejack looked at the cloaked unicorn. Twilight just walked forward, ignoring Applejack. "Ah know who you are, sugar. You are Twilight Sparkle, Nightmare Moon's pupil."
Applejack knew that the relaxing mood started to shift into a hostile one, Spike looked angry and Twilight gloomy. "It's not that we have personal grudges or anythin'! It's just..." The kart hobbles over a little rock, "Listen, Ah've traveled to Daerochdal since Ah was a filly and sometimes when we were sellin' the apples Ah came to notice a certain Unicorn that was looked at with tha most hateful stares Ah ever saw. Ah started to get curious and asked around who that Unicorn, in other words: you, was. Again, no personal grudges, just bad vibes. Ain't that right, Big Mac?"
The red stallion nodded, "Eeyup."
Twilight said nothing and Spike was still grumpy. Applejack put her piece of reed back into her mouth. "Great introduction, Jacky..." She uttered to herself.
They didn't speak again since that conversation. It took two hours for the four of them to see small lights appearing on the horizon. Appeljack smiled and yelled: "Ponyville, ahoy!"
They arrived in Ponyville, the little paths where lit up with torches which gave the little town a nice ambiance. the group passed what seems to be the town's marketplace. Ponies where walking around and chatting which each other while they were buying groceries. There were also painters, both stylistic and realistic. Some ponies waved with their hoof to Applejack who waved back at them.
They went further and Big Mac took halt near a large hollow tree. Trough its windows you could see a lot of bookcases and the balcony on the upper level suggests that it could also be used as a house. "Here's where ya have to be, sugar." Applejack said.
Twilight said thanks and went to the front door of the tree. Applejack jumped off the kart to stop Twilight before she entered her new house. "Listen, sugar. Sorry about our little talk, ya know." She said.
"Oh, it's nothing. It's not that I don't blame you for your bad vibes or something." Twilight said with a fake smile. Spike stood next to her, still looking angry towards the orange Pony.
"No, no. Seriously, Ah'm sorry." Applejack continued, "Ah can see that you're quite sad about the fact that you're... Ya know." Twilight's face turned gloomy again. "Listen, Ah won't tell anypony about your secret. Okay? Nopony knows ya, so don't do anything strange or reckless and nopony will start blabbering nonsense, capisce?"
Twilight nodded, Spike looked less angry. Applejack then pointed her hoof towards a farm cabin somewhere near the horizon. "You see that? That's Sweat Apple Acres, mah home. If you feel a bit timid again, just come tah me. Yah can talk to me about everythin'." And with that, the orange Pony jumped back on the kart. Big Mac took off and Applejack waved at Twilight before she disappeared in the distance.
Twilight was now inside the hollow tree. She was actually surprised, she expected that the inside would look a bit like the outside but instead it looks like a regular house. Twilight loved the bookcases, they were full of books that she didn't read yet.
"Hey, Twilight! Come up here! This is nice!" Spike yelled from up the stairs.
Twilight was so into her temporary new home that she hadn't seen Spike going upstairs, let alone that he was with her. She walked up the stairs and saw that the first floor was designed as an actual house. There was a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom and a bedroom. Spike laid down on one of the two beds in the bedroom, it looked like that he really enjoyed it.
"This is so much better than that bag of hay back in Barad-Fuin." He said.
Twilight looked at the bed, it looked indeed better than the beds at the citadel. Yes, they were large and royally designed but these were normal beds. Unlike those at Barad-Fuin, these beds looked welcoming, Twilight never felt welcomed. She threw her cloak on the ground, laid herself on the bed and she fell asleep.
Twilight woke up from her deep slumber. This was one of the best sleeps she had since she became a resident of Nightmare Moon's hold. She looked outside the window only to see that it was still night. "Yeah, duh, Twilight!" She said to herself, "Like you would see the light of day." She looked at the little clock on the wall and saw that it was ten past seven, in other words: morning.
She yawned a bit and stepped off the bed then walked outside of the bedroom right into the living room. There she saw her and Spike's belongings that were teleported here by Nightmare Moon. She walked into the kitchen and looked in the closets to find anything to eat but there was only bread and hay. She used her horn to levitate some slices of bread and hay to make a simple hay sandwich. She took a bite and sudden feeling of nostalgia came over her. "Just like the old days." She said.
Spike walked into the kitchen, "Morning Twilight!" he said. He looked at the sandwich that Twilight was eating and his belly started to growl. "Woops, sorry Twilight. Is there anything for me?"
"There's only bread and hay, Spike."
"Aaaw, I don't like hay."
Spike looked timid and his belly growled further. Twilight looked at him and then at her belongings in the living room. She walked towards them and used her magic to lift up some golden coins.
"I have an idea, let's go the the market." She said.
Editor's Note
Sorry that it took so long...
Schoolwork... Depression... etc...
A friend of mine proofread this. Let's hope he did a good frigging job!