The Everfree Forest was not by any means a welcoming place, and it had been dark for hours. Twilight Sparkle and her friends had been ravaged by the everfree when they made it to Celestia’s old and forlorn castle, nestled smugly within the forest’s green overgrowth. Of the two stone towers that once stood tall and proud over the forest canopy, only the lunar tower remained.

Twilight Sparkle was struggling with staying awake; she felt as though she would fall asleep standing. Thinking back, she questioned the wisdom of staying up all night to study Nightmare Moon. Instead of getting 8 hours of sleep – something the princess expected from her – she didn’t sleep at all, and was now paying the price. The only thing keeping her going at this point was the support of her 5 friends, who currently stood behind her.

You were right about friendship, Princess Celestia. Have I done it properly? Twilight turned to face her friends. “You guys wait out here. Get some rest. I’ll go in and see about the elements.”

The light-blue pegasus flipped back upright and turned towards Twilight, and with little regard to the possibility of Nightmare Moon being near, shouted,“WHAao-” The Rainbow-maned pegasus had no chance to continue as the ginger earth pony put a hoof over her mouth.

“Ay Dashie,” Applejack said quietly, “you gotta be quiet ‘cause we don’ want Nightmare Moon to hear yer blabbering.” The pegasus rolled her eyes and flew just out of Applejack’s reach.

“Applejack is right, Rainbow Dash.” The White unicorn had taken a break from observing her cut-short tail, mirror still held in the air by her magic. “The Elements of Harmony may be the key to defeating Nightmare Moon, but we will surely fail without the element of surprise.” Applejack nodded, having won this bout of argument, but still, Rainbow Dash seemed to have more to say.

“So how come you get to go into the cool, abandoned castle, but we have to stay out here?”

Twilight breathed in to reply, but Applejack was already talking. “What?” She taunted, “yah afraid of the monsters that live ‘ere?”

Rainbow Dash paused, then replied with, “Nah, that’s what Fluttershy’s here for.” The pink-haired pegasus shot a timid smile at Rainbow, who paused to return the favor. Applejack, realizing that she had interrupted Twilight, took a respectful step back.

“Quiet down, y’all,” Applejack said to the group, and turning to Twilight, “what were you bout’ to say there sugarcube?”

“Thanks, Applejack!” Twilight said, turning towards the rest of the group. “You all should stay here. Applejack, you’re in charge.” Applejack nodded. Twilight then trotted into the castle before Rainbow dash could protest.

Mere seconds after she set foot within the temple, a dark and powerful voice echoed, resonating within the castle’s ancient halls. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle. I have been expecting you.” Albeit visibly shaken, Twilight pressed on. Welp, there goes the element of surprise. Through the central pavilion she walked, before chancing upon a regal-looking doorway. “Nightmare Moon” Twilight gasped, taken only by a slight surprise..

“Yes, yes. Who else would it be?” Nightmare Moon was not taking this very seriously. “I suppose you’re here for the elements?” She said, walking over to where they were displayed. “To… defeat me?”

“Y- yes.” I don’t think that I can make it to the elements before she does. But maybe if I can make her mad, get her away from the elements, I could teleport away and get over there while Nightmare Moon is distracted by-

Twilight’s train of thought was shattered by the loud and obnoxious arrival of her five friends. Twilight frowns Well there goes that plan. It’s unfortunate, I was never good at improvising, that was more Shining armor’s thing.

Horn glowing with magic, and while looking over Twilight, Nightmare Moon picked up the elements from their dilapidated resting place.

“Ooh, I love guests, come in, come in, young Twilight is… all alone.” The elements spun around the armored mare, like a twisted and dark halo, before smashing into the ground, one after the other. Nightmare Moon brought the last of the elements, the Element of Honesty, to her eye level. “Hello, old friend” The element glowed as it resumed circling her. Twilight, frozen with shock, did not respond, but her friends did for her.

“Hehe, you’re so funny Twilight. An eagle could make a nest in that mouth of yours!”

“Now’s not the time for jokes, Pinkie Pie!” Twilight said.

“I mean, it woke ya up, Twilight” Applejack added.

“This pony, is not very nice, is she.” Fluttershy growled.

Rarity sneered, “And her fashion is sooo a millennium ago.”

Nightmare Moon got up, and trotted towards the six ponies, in order to leave in the same way that Twilight and her friends entered. “This is nice and all, but I really need to manage my new kingdom. Goodbye, my little ponies!”

“Not so fast!” Twilight said, now glowing. Light pink magic shut the door in front of the alicorn. This caught Nightmare Moon’s attention. “It took me a while to figure this out, but those rocks you just crushed are not the Elements of Harmony”

“Oh?”

“Rainbow Dash, although your words sometimes cloud your true intentions, you would always come to our aid, despite us only meeting a few short days ago.” Rainbow was now glowing, the broken element of loyalty floating around her.

“Ooh, I like this, I feel like I could do a hundred sonic rainbooms!” Rainbow dash exclaimed, punching at the air with her hooves.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened with realization, then went back to her normal condescending glare, all within a very short second. Stepping forward and interrupting Twilight’s monologue, she said, “So your friends possess the elements of harmony. Too bad you can’t use them!” She gestured to the orange gem that had given up on floating around her and had implanted itself into Nightmare Moon’s breastplate.

Crap! I totally wasn’t paying attention! Twilight thought, how did she get that?

Applejack and Rarity evidently had enough of watching the psychological torture of Twilight Sparkle, judging by the unbridled rage on their faces, and the growling coming from Rarity. Applejack charged forward, and Rarity threw several stone bricks at the evil alicorn.

“Oop, somebody is quite angry. Why don’t you sleep it off?”

Nightmare Moon’s eyes glowed as she began chanting in an unknown language, and her friends started wobbling, and they eventually dropped to the floor. Twilight and Rainbow Dash, however, with their respective elements protecting them, did not succumb to the dream realm.

“No!” Twilight shouted as all her friends fell into a magic slumber. I don’t have the power to wake them up, Nightmare Moon’s magic is leagues ahead of my own.

“Twilight, gah, run!” Applejack shouted, her status of being the last of them awake, lost.

Twilight ran and Rainbow flew back into the forest, Nightmare Moon laughing all the while.

Author's Note

This Prologue is set about a month or so after the story begins, so it won't be a long wait until we get to this conflict.

Happy reading!
Revised slightly as of June 28, 2024