"Once Upon A Time... in the Magical Land of Equestria, many many moons ago, there were two regal Alicorn sisters, The Princess of The Day and The Princess of The Night, who ruled together over The Three Tribes of Pony and created harmony for all the land. The eldest raised The Sun every day at dawn, the younger brought out The Moon to begin the night. Together, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects and the world and beings beyond.
But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished, worked, played and lived in the day her sister brought forth. But shunned, slept through, and hid away from her beautiful night.
One faithful day, the younger Alicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister and all else who loved her tried to reason with her. But the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a WICKED Mare of Darkness!
Nightmare Moon!
She vowed she would shroud the land in eternal night! And waged a ten year long war on her once beloved sister and all of Pony kind who would not submit to the rule of The Night. Unleasing terrors into the dreams of the sleeping innocents and rallying hordes of feral bat ponies, nighttime cultist, and other horrid creatures to terrorize them in the waking world!
For ten years, the skies were dominated by a never ending stand off between The Sun and The Moon. For ten years, the elder Alicorn battled her sister's eternal night. For ten years, she pleaded with the younger Alicorn to see reason. To see that she was loved.
But the younger would not yield.
Reluctantly, in a moment of desperation, The elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to Ponydom: The Elements of Harmony!
Using the magic of The Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister. And with a heavy heart, banished her permanently to the moon.
The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon. And harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since."
"Urgh! Another dead end!"
A young unicorn mare with violet fur, a dark purple mane and tail with a pink stripe running through them both, matching purple eyes, and a pink starburst surrounded by five smaller white starbursts on her flanks, was laying under a tree. Looking at a book with a frustrated grimace on her face as she flipped a single page in the book back and forth with her hoof. As if hoping eventually, she'll flip it back over and the next page in the book would suddenly be turned into whatever she was looking for. Instead of just the next of many old filly fables contained in its bindings.
She eventually sighed and closed the book. "I probably shouldn't have gotten my hopes up that an old book of little fillies' tales would have something more useful in it." She shook her head and stood up, as her horn began to glow bright magenta. An aura that soon flowed around the book, which she levitated into her saddlebag as she sighed and began her trot back home.
She was Twilight Sparkle. Magical prodigy of eighteen years and personal protégé of Princess Celestia, the ruling princess of Equestria.
It was a nice late spring day in the Equestrian capital of Canterlot. Many ponies, mostly other unicorns, could be seen milling about, including several guardstallions standing at various posts and patrolling the streets of Canterlot's upper levels. Many of who took a second to say hello or give a solute to the princess's protégé. Though she gave them no mind. Too wrapped up in her own thoughts to pay attention to anypony else. Though that's something any of them who were used to seeing their ruler's student would expect.
The Elements of Harmony, The Elements of Harmony, I know there has got be something more to this., she thought to herself as she trudged through the streets. So caught up in her thoughts, she would have walked into half a dozen other ponies if not for the fact that they were actually looking where they were going. I've read the name somewhere before, but where..., she continued to ponder on this matter as she headed back to Canterlot Castle proper. When suddenly, a lightbulb went off in her head and without warning, she sprinted forward. Almost sideswiping into a couple unsuspecting ponies as she did so. And if this was a TV show, it would be a good time for the opening theme to kick in.
Twilight ran up the spiraling stair case of the tower that had become her home and more importantly, her private library and personal study since she was old enough to move out of the dorms of Princess Celestia's School. Which had colloquially come to be known as "Twilight's Tower" or "the bookworm's burrow" as some of the guards had been heard calling it jokingly.
As she reached the door, she used her magic to fling it open without having to slow down. Audibly striking something on the other side. But Twilight didn't care to check as she skidded to a stop and started telepathically pulling volumes off of her many bookshelves and flipping them open as they orbited around her head in her magical aura.
"Spike! I need you to help me find something," she declared as she tossed the books aside and pulled more from the shelves. "Spike!" She repeated while tossing those books away and grabbing more. "Spike!" She said again as she finished flipping through another set of texts. Once again tossing them aside in the same telepathic movement that summoned just as many more. 'Where is that lazy little dragon?', she thought to herself while tossing more books aside. Just as she caught the little dragon in question in the corner of her eye, casually sidestepping a flying tome while rubbing his head. "There you are!"
Spike was a wingless juvenile dragon, about as tall as Twilight's leg, with purple scales, a lime green underbelly, and bright green spikes, eyes, and ear-like head fins. And he was currently looking at Twilight with an irritated expression, while holding a crumpled gift box.
"I need you to help me find that old copy of "Predictions and Prophecies", real quick. I think I might be onto something," she said while continuing to look herself. "No, no, no, no! No!" She said on repeat, getting more and more frustrated with every book that was not what she was looking for.
"You hit me with a door," Spike said bluntly. But that got him no acknowledgement from the unicorn. Who continued to toss books all around the room. Some of which Spike also had to dodge. "And you crushed our gift for Moon Dancer's party," he added. Again to no response. He rolled his eyes and put the crumpled little package aside. Before reluctantly going to look for Twilight's book.
While the unicorn mare continued to hastily grab books off the shelves willy nilly, the drake took a moment to calmly think about where it could be. Before calmly walking to his nearest ladder, pushing it to the right shelf, climbing up and pulling out a single book: "Predictions and Prophecies". Then he slid back down to the floor.
"Found it!" He called out, before being suddenly yanked forward as the book was enveloped in Twilight's aura. And he had to let go before he was dragged across the floor on his belly. Allowing the old book to fly to the unicorn as he caught himself on the palms of his claws. Twilight wasted no time trying to crack it open
"Elements, Elements, Elements of Harmony! See Mare in The Moon?" She flipped around the book some more. "The Mare in The Moon, myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony that wanted to rule Equestria. Defeated by The Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the Moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year the stars will aid in her escape. And she will bring about nighttime eternal. Huh!" Twilight gasped in horror, while Spike looked over the mess the unicorn had created with annoyance.
"Spike! Do you know what this means?!"
"We're not going to the party, are we?" He asked rhetorically.
"Party? Spike! This is serious!" She answered while looking at the little dragon incredulously. To which he lifted a non-existent eyebrow. "The longest day of the thousandth year would be on this upcoming Summer Sun Celebration! The Mare in The Moon, Nightmare Moon is do to return TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!" Spike nearly fell back at Twilight's exclamation. While the unicorn began to pace around fearfully.
"Oh, this is it. This is what my nightmares have been about!" She began to mutter to herself as she continued to pace back in forth and around the little dragon. Who eventually rolled his eyes at her and walked away.
Spike calmly walked back, carrying a brass pitcher of water larger than his head, that he had prepared so Twilight could stay refreshed during her studies later. While the unicorn continued to pace and mutter to herself. He gave her a moment to see if she was going to stop on her own, before flinging the pitcher's contents onto her head. Stopping her dead in her tracks, as the cool liquid -the pitcher was enchanted to keep its contents perpetually ice cold until it came out-splashed across her face, neck, forelegs, and the front of her barrel.
"Spike!" Twilight scorned as she forced her now dripping wet and cold mane out of her eyes. "What in Princess Celestia's good name did you do that for!"
"Sorry Twilight, but the princess did specifically order me to splash water in your face if you ever started pacing and muttering to yourself incessantly," he responded. While trying to fight a satisfied smirk from taking shape on his face. While Twilight could only groan in frustration, as she performed a quick spell that pulled the excess moisture out of her mane and fur. Which then consolidated into ball of liquid she then levitated over the brass container Spike had just sat on the floor, before letting it fall in. "At least you're getting more use out of that spell," he teased to Twilight's annoyance.
"Spike, this is no time for jokes," she said while regaining her composure. "I need you to take a letter for the princess," she announced. To which Spike quickly produced a roll of blank parchment and a quill.
"Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight began. "as you know, I have been having, uh, nightmares for the past few weeks now, that you have waved aside and reassured were nothing to be fearful of. A sentiment I understand and very much appreciated, your majesty." She paused for a brief moment, before continuing. "But I have recently come into new information that may make you reconsider." She went on to elaborate on what she had just read of Nightmare Moon and The Elements of Harmony. "Something must be done to make sure this terrible prophecy does not come true! I implore you to consider what I've told you. I am sure that in your infinite wisdom, you will see what the best course of action is. I await your quick response. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
"Twi-light Spar-kle," Spike repeated as he finished the letter.
"And, send." Twilight commanded. To which Spike rolled up the parchment and held it up in one claw, and with a single puff of green fire, turned it to ashes. Which dispersed into the air. Leaving no physical trace of the letter. "There, the princess should be able to sort everything out from here on out," Twilight said optimistically. Certain her teacher would realize the urgency of the matter and have a plan ready to solve this oncoming crisis. Though Spike looked less sure of this. But he kept his lips shut about that. Instead going back to a more immediate matter.
"So, should we get ready for Moon Dancer's party now?" As he walked over to inspect the destroyed gift box.
"Party? Spike, we can't waste time on something so frivolous as that! Not in a time like this," she said firmly. "They'll be plenty of time for celebration at the actual Summer Sun Celebration on the day after tomorrow."
"But we're supposed to be on break," he complained. "And Moon Dancer has been really looking forward to this. She is your only half sister you know?"
"Yes, I know," she answered with a twinge of guilt in her voice. "But this is more important. We'll just have to make it up to her some other time."
"If you say so," he said with a sigh as he picked up the remains of Moon Dancer's present and the water pitcher to put away. While silence set in in the library/apartment. As Twilight could only think about her teacher's response, what action the princess would decide to take, and what role she may play in her ruler's plan. So much so, she barley spared her little assistant a glance when he walked back to her.
Spike begrudgingly began to clean up the mess Twilight had made, while the unicorn began to pace around impatiently, as she waited for the letter. Till the dragon decided to break the silence.
"Do you think she's really her sister?"
"What?" Twilight asked out loud as she was broken out of her trance like thinking. "Is who who's sister? Moon Dancer?"
"No, Nightmare Moon," he said while carrying a stack of books as tall as himself back to their shelf. "Do you think she's really princess Celestia's sister? Like the old rumors say."
"Spike, don't be ridiculous." Twilight shook her head dismissively. "Of course Nightmare Moon isn't Princess Celestia's long lost sister. That's just a dumb, ancient, sacrilegious conspiracy."
"You're probably right," Spike said offhandedly while putting books up. "Still, we know Princess Celestia had a sistera long, long time ago, right? That she does not like to talk about. That just happened to disappear about a thousand years ago. Right around the time Nightmare Moon apparently showed up," he added as he walked back to Twilight.
"Spike, just because two things allegedly happened "a thousand years ago' does not mean they are related or even that they happened at around the same time," Twilight said with a frustrated wave of her foreleg. "A "thousand years ago" is often used by ponies to describe a period that was actually from roughly eight-hundred to fifteen-hundred years ago, in which many things could have and did happen." Spike turned away to grab some more books, so that Twilight did not see him roll his eyes as he realized he had gotten her going into "lecture mode". While she continued. "And even if the disappearance of Princess Luna and the mythical battle with Nightmare Moon are related, it is probably because Princess Celestia lost her sister in the battle. That's probably why she doesn't like to talk about that time period!"
"Well, sorry. I didn't think of it that way," Spike said sincerely. "Still, Twilight, you hav-" He was cut off by a sensation in his gut that soon forced its way up his throat. Causing him to drop the stack of books he was carrying, as a stream of green fire exited his mouth. Which formed into a fresh scroll sealed with the royal seal, which landed in the little dragon's claws.
"Ah, that must be from the princess!" Twilight announced. Her mood immediately brightened as she rushed over to her assistant. Who was clearing his throat as he unrolled the scroll. Twilight waited with her head held high for Spike to begin reading her teacher's words. But the little dragon hesitated when his eyes landed on the letter's contents. "Well, go on. Start reading," she encouraged. So he did so.
'My dearest, most faithful, and knowledgeable student, Twilight, you know that I value your diligence and I trust you completely.' Twilight smiled in satisfaction at her mentor's words. 'But you simply must stop reading those dusty old books! The unicorn practically recoiled in surprise at that. My dear Twilight, there is more to a young ponies life than studying. So I am sending you to supervise the preparations for The Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location: Ponyville. Annnd I have an even more essential task for you to complete; Make some friends! As he finished reading that, Spike looked up to see Twilight blinking uncertainty as she processed her teacher's response.
"So... Did you want to go to Moon Dancer's party now?"
Author's Note
The beginnings of my retelling of MLP:FIM. I hope some one out there is at least mildly interested. It will more or less follow canon, but not exactly. And I plan to have some potentially interesting shake ups to the story.
Please, if you have anything to say, leave a comment. I would very much appreciate it.
