-The Night-Mare in her eyes-

Chapter 6- When good Mares go to War

The fog brightened across the Everfree as the stars of night luminated the sky from above. The changing from day to night transformed the thick fog into a manageable mist as the six mares made their way through the overgrowth of the forest to a single dirt path leading through a section of twisted trees with swirling maroon bark and low hanging branches. The light of the moon shining down like a beacon for lost travelers.

“Is it just me or is it getting easier to see?” Rarity asked as they walked in the shadows casted by the trees under Luna’s moon lit night.

“It does seem to be a bit clearer, since the fog has dyed down.” Fluttershy stated, walking alongside her friends.

“Yeah, perhaps now we can finally navigate this forest.” Applejack said, stepping into a puddle of dirt followed by Rarity who screamed. “Oh come on, it's just some dirt… Ahh!” Looking up from her hoof, Applejack hopped back at the sight of the trees. The bark of their trunks sharpened into the mangled faces with sharp jagged teeth and malicious eyes, which caused five of the girls to scream as the branches of the trees reached out for the six mares.

Sounds of rushing hooves stampeded towards the six mares as the limbs of the living trees lifted the group of ponies off the ground, waving them around in the air as they squeezed tighter. “Nightly!” The voice of Shimmering Sun shouted as the golden orange mare in cobalt armor grabbed her companion from behind, raising her off the ground and throwing her with a spin at the trees.

General Moon flow through the air with her twin swords held in her magic as she slashed through the thick branches of the trees dropping three of the six as Shimmering Sun swooped in driving the edge of her blade release two more mares before heading for the sixth pink pony who was busy laughing as the tree that was attempting to eat her. The shaking of her laughing body tickling the tree to the point of loosening its grip on the cotton candy colored mare. The mare making mocking faces at the trees as she giggled away causing Shimmering Sun to grind to a halt across the dirt as she watched the tree’s face disappear and revert to a normal state.

“Well, that’s different.” Shimmering Sun commented as the six mares regrouped out of reach of the living trees. “Are you girls okay? What are you doing out here, don’t you know how dangerous the Everfree can be at night?” General Moon casted a barrier around the mares as she backed her over to the group, her eyes trained on the trees that tried to bash their limbs at her magical shield.

Looking back at Shimmering and the six mares, General Moon noticed the confused looks on the mares’ faces, all except for the pink one who was too preoccupied with laughing at the trees as she taunted them.

“You’re real…” The lavender unicorn commented with widened eyes. “But you were just illusions created by the fog, you can’t be real.”

Looking over at her comrade, Shimmering Sun raised her hoof to the side of her head, making a circular pattern as the lavender mare questioned their existence. “I can assure you, we are completely real.” General Moon stated as she stood next to Shimmering. “Now then, why are you six here?”

“We’re here to save Equestria duh.” Rainbow Dash scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

“You're apart of the resistance? Then that means you're here to help stop that tyrant?” Shimmering Sun asked before turning to the General.

“Well of course darling, what pony could possibly allow that monster to rule. Quite frankly I’m insulted, you even have to ask.” Rarity said, flipping her mane over her shoulder.

“Whether on the same side or not, none of us are going to be making it out of here if we can’t do something about these trees.” General Moon stated as she glanced over her shoulder.

“Your friend over there, the pink one, she turned one of the trees back to normal.” Shimmering Sun commented gesturing with her hoof at Pinkie Pie. “Do you think she would be able to perform that act again?”

“Oh! Oh! I can tell you how.” Pinkie hopped past Shimmering as she bounced out of the barrier.

“Pinkie, what are you doing? Run!” Twilight shouted as the pink mare bounced out of the way of the swinging limbs.

“Oh girls don’t you see?” As Pinkie sucked some air into her lungs, the sound of instruments started playing around them.

Looking at each other, General Moon and Shimmering Sun spoke in unison, “She isn’t possibly going to…”

“When I was a little filly and the sun was going down…” Pinkie Started to sing.

Shimmering Sun and General Moon let out an audible groan, “She is… ughhh.”

The seven mares watched as Pinkie Pie hopped around the edge of the barrier as she continued her song.

“The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown.” The mares followed the pink mare with their eyes and she managed to dodge out of the way to the attacking limbs while holding her notes. “ I’d hide under my pillow, From what I thought I saw.” Another branch came swinging for her head as she ducked.

“But Granny Pie said that wasn’t the way, To deal with fears at all.” Pinkie appeared beside Rainbow Dash back inside of the barrier.

“Then what is?” Rainbow Dash questioned as the two soldiers gave a puzzled look at the physics breaking mare.

“She said: ‘Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall, Learn to face your fears.’” Pinkie Pie reappeared next to Shimmering Sun as she lifted her up into a ballerina pose.

“You’ll see that they can’t hurt you, Just laugh to make them disappear.” Pinkie sang, dancing with her until they were face to face with one of the trees. “Ha! Ha! Ha!” She laughed at the tree reverting it, back to normal before giving Shimmering a spin back to her partner.

The mares gasped as they realized the secret to undoing the magic on the trees. General Moon gave her partner a sassy smile as they took each other in their front hooves as she continued on the dance that Pinkie had started with her mare as the two of them added into the song with harmonics.

“So, giggle at the ghostly,” Pinkie started pushing her friends to the trees as the General dropped her magic shield, while the other mares joined in with laughter that harmonized with the music. “Guffaw at the grossly, Crack up at the creepy, Whoop it up with the weepy.”

The forest was filled with laughter and singing as General Moon and Shimmering Sun danced to the music, aiding with their voices as the pink mare bounced through the trees. “Chortle at the kooky, Snortle at the spooky.” Pinkie Pie than speed up her singing as the music died down before the finale. “And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he’s got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna… Laaauuggh.”

Finishing her song the six mares fell back onto the grass as they continued to laugh and laugh. Unaware that the two mares who had joined them, had already vanished like phantoms of the mist.

“Ha… ha.. So… ha… Who are you two anyways?” Pinkie Pie asked, looking over to where the two female soldiers had been dancing. Taking in a big gasp, she bounced to her hooves pointing at where they had just been. “Look, they’re gone. And they didn’t even introduce themselves.” Pinkie stuck out her bottom lip with a sulking expression.

“Don’t worry, something tells me, we’re going to be seeing those two again.” Applejack said placing a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder causing her to cheek back up.

=====***=====

With they’re laughter dying down, the two mares took in a deep breath. “So what are your names anyways?” Shimmering Sun asked, looking over to the laughing ponies on the ground as they started to vanish like mist.

General Moon raised her eyebrow at this as she walked over to where they were laying, The grass having imprints of the six mares that had been laying there. “Curious…” General Moon commented under her breath as she touched the grass.

“What just happened?” Shimmering asked as she walked over to the General, her confusion clear to read on her face.

“I don’t know, Shimmering, but it seems that some other power is currently at play.” General Moon looked up towards the silhouette of the Castle in the distance, her eyes locking on to a black alicorn as it turned into smoke. “And before this night is over, we’re going to find out what. Let’s go.”

Rushing through the rest of the trees the two mares came across a long river where they met back up with their allies. The thestrals had been trying to calm down a large purple river serpent with orange hair and a mustache that seemed to be crying and thrashing within the river, making it impossible for the non-flyers to cross.

“What happened here?” General Moon asked as they approached their allies.

One of the Kirin scouts under Spring Flare met her halfway as she began to give her report. “We aren’t completely sure, Nightmare Moon. When we finally made it out of the forest we threw one of our spears across the river with some road so that we could pull ourselves across, however as we got ready to cross this creature appeared out of nowhere crying about its mustache. It won’t even respond to us.” The kirin finally finished as she pointed over to the river serpent.

General Moon gave Shimmering Sun a look before she walked over to the serpent. “Sound familiar Shimmering?” General Moon asked as they reached where the serpent was, only to see the image of the white unicorn with the purple mane cut off part of her tail, giving it to the serpent.

“This night just gets weirder and weirder.” Shimmering stated, as the unicorn and the serpent vanished into air, the river quelled itself as the thestrals took the ropes and across the river so that the others could hold onto them.

“Let’s not dwell on it for now, we have a mission to complete.” General Moon said, giving Shimmering a soft peck on the head before she grabbed onto the rope as she started crossing the river.

=====***=====

“I still can’t believe somepony would throw a spear at that poor serpent’s mustache, really, some ponies have no respect for fashion.” Rarity complained, pointing her muzzle into the air.

“I know, hurting a defenseless creature, those ponies must be some meanies.” Fluttershy added as the Castle of the Two Sisters came into view.

“Look, there it is, the ruins that hold the elements of harmony.” Twilight said, almost walking straight off the cliff before being pulled back by Rainbow.

“You just like walking off of cliffs today don’t you?” Rainbow Dash joked as she helped her friend back to her hooves.

“Um, I thought that book of yours said that the castle was in ruins?” Applejack asked as they got near the edge of the cliff, pointing a hoof at the castle on the other side.

“It does, why?” Twilight questioned as she looked back to the ruined castle as her jaw dropped.

On the other side of the ravine at the top of the hill, stood a gray stone castle with a blue roof, free of any signs of visible damage.

“You think it has something to do with the fog?” Fluttershy asked as she looked at the castle.

“Maybe, but for now how are we going to get across?” Twilight asked, looking at the destroyed bridge.

“Um, duh.” Rainbow replied, giving her wings a quick flap as she flew down to grab the other end of the rope bridge.

Flying down into the ravine, the purple mist swept across the broken bridge as sounds of battle roared from above her. Grabbing the rope Rainbow Dash carried it back up to the other side of the ravine, dropping it on the ground as her eyes widened at the sight of therstals and pegasi in dark blue armor fought in the air against white pegasi stallions coated in Celestia’s royal guard’s golden armor.

An all out battle was unfolding as the two mares from before ran along the ground under the aerial assault in front of the Castle of the Two Sisters. The silver maned unicorn general firing off her magic as the golden armored soldiers that came near the two of them as the orange pegasus picked up the opposing unicorns who tried to halt their approach with magic.

“Don’t stop Nightly, let the troops hold off her forces, just get to the castle!” Shimmering Sun commanded from above as she continued to clear the way up the hill, as General Moon blasted another white pegasus that came close to the cobalt armored mare.

“We’re a team Shimmering, we’re doing this together.” The general shouted back as the two of them made their way through the royal army.

Watching the battle from the bridge Rainbow jumped, dodge a spear as two gold armored guards charged at them. “She’s trying to repair the bridge, stop her!’ One of the guards yelled as they rushed the blue mare.

“Wow, now hold on!” Rainbow shrieked as she took to the air, dodging the two stallions as they fired magical beams at her.

“Rainbow!” The girls shouted as they watched helplessly as the two armies fought each other with Rainbow Dash caught in the crossfire.

“Leave Her Alone!” Growled a black pony-like creature covered in red and blue flames as it rammed into the two unicorns leaving a glowing orange dent in their armor.

“Thanks.” Rainbow said, landing back near the bridge.

“Thank me later, if you're here to help then you best be quick.” The creature said as she fought off three more approaching guards.

“Right.” Rainbow quickly tired the rope to its post. “Quickly!” She shouted to her friends as she turned to help the flaming pony, picking up an earth pony stallion brandishing a spear as it tried to stab the creature from behind before throwing the male into the other gold covered soldiers.

“I’m not completely sure what’s going on, but I’ve got your back.” Rainbow stated, aiding the creature as the two of them continued to fend off any soldier that tried to attack the bridge.

Crossing the bridge, Twilight charged her horn as she fired a bolt of magic at a pegasi guard that flew for Rainbow. “Rainbow! We need to get to the castle!” Twilight yelled as the six mares regrouped.

=====***=====

Reaching the castle, Shimmering Sun and General Moon blasted their way inside as they watched the moon beginning to set over the horizon.
“We’re Running out of time!” Shimmering called, as General Moon slid under one of the guards guarding the throne room doors as she lifted the stallion into the air before using her magic to slam him into the ground.

“I know! It's now or never!” General Moon replied as the two mares kicked the throne room doors open.

Opening the twin doors to the throne room, the two mares walked in with caution as they entered the dark room. Looking around slowly as they entered the chamber, Shimmering felt a pressure between her wings as a heavy force caused her to crash into the stone slabs that covered the ground beneath her.

Turning around quickly, General Moon watched as a dim aura lifted Shimmering by the throat before pulling her to the other end of the room where a dark silhouette of an alicorn stood. Holding the mare in her magic it brought Shimmering’s figure close to its muzzle as two glowing golden eyes stared at her before squeezing her with a jerk. A loud snap echoing through the throne room as the torches along the walls one by one became alive with flames.

“I hear they’re calling you ‘Nightmare’ Moon now, my little Noche de Estrella.” The silhouette said as its body lit up.

Standing at the center base of the two thrones stood a white alicorn with the cutie mark of a sun, eyes of maroon and gold and a mane and tail of living flames. Tossing the mare’s body to the center of the room, General Moon ran to catch her body as it landed in her hooves. “Shimmering… Come on… you can’t…” Tears started to flow from Nightly’s eyes as she stared into the eyes of her lover, her lungs gasping for air as blood ran down her neck and muzzle.

“Nigh… tly…” Shimmering Sun said through gargled breaths. “Re… member… I’ll… always… be… your.. wings.” Closing her eyes, Shimmering Sun halted her breathing as her body went limp.

Looking at the two Celestia ignited her horn, as the body of Shimmering Sun bursted into flames. Nightmare glared up at Celestia as the remains of her partner turned to ash in her hooves. Gritting her teeth hard, Nightmare’s eyes flared teal as she lit her horn forcing the moon to halt its descent. Pushing the moon back into the sky, she blocked out the sun as Celestia slowly started walking down the stairs leading to the center of the room. “Celestia…” Nightmare spat through her gritted teeth. “I’m… gonna… Kill You!!!”

As Nightmare’s mane flowed up into the air, her magic bursted through it like a starry night. Pulling in the ashes of her beloved friend, Nightmare’s fur turned to a dark black as her body was engulfed in a pillar of teal and gold magic. As the magic stabilized, a mix of thestral and pegasi wings protruded from her back as she stood face to face with Celestia.

=====***=====

Finally reaching the base of the hill, Rainbow Dash and the others watched as the Sun began to rise into the sky. As the light of the sun touched down across the battlefield the mares watched as the ponies vanished into nothing as the mist grew in volume, reforming itself back into the purple fog.

“Great! First the battlefield, now the fog’s back.” Rainbow said as the mares continued to make their way to the Castle of the Two Sisters.

“If we make it out of this alive, I’m treating you girls to my family’s special apple cider.” Applejack stated as they got closer to the castle.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Rainbow Dash said with excitement.

“I’m sooo throwing a party then.” Pinkie claimed as she hopped past the others. “I’ll be the ‘Made it out alive Party’ . It can go right along with the ‘We beat the baddie party’.”

“As long as we don’t die, I’m fine with anything.” Twilight said as they reached the front of the castle. Pushing the doors open, a loud creak filled the room as Twilight looked into the dark room. “Now all we have to do is find the elements and save Celestia.”

“Then by all means, have them.” Said a voice from the shadows as a golden aura ignited the torches within the room. Revealing Nightmare Moon waiting with an unconscious Celestia laying on her old throne. “They’re all yours.”

Author's Note

Woot!!! We're finally here!

This chapter happens along side chapter 5. Didn't think I would forget about the other three element wielders did you?

Next time - Chapter 7- The Price of Ascension.
Nightmare vs Celestia/ Elements vs Nightmare.