The Darklands

by Darkswirl

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Dark, Alternate Universe, Sad
Length: 8819

Twilight Sparkle awakes to find herself in a depressing, darker version of Equestria. But why?

Something is wrong- so terribly wrong.

Twilight Sparkle simply unwrapped a gift, but now she has awoken in a stranger land- one where the sun never shines and darkness is everywhere.

Somewhere where nopony is happy, and something is hunting her.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-12-16 00:30:01 UTC

Welcome To The Darklands

Due south of Canterlot, for about two days by hoof, sat a little town nestled against the edge of the Everfree Forest.  It was in this town, Ponyville, that one of the most remarkable unicorns that had ever lived...Lived: Twilight Sparkle, great, great, great, great grand niece of the First Archmage- Starswirl the Bearded.  Of course, she herself didn't know of her relation to the most powerful unicorn that had ever lived and neither did her family.

But both Princesses knew, of course.  And if they knew, then much darker, quieter forces knew as well.

It was on this day, the seventh mark of the one-thousandth and twenty-eighth year, that Twilight Sparkle lay comfortably in her bed in the library; blissfully unaware that dark forces were transpiring against her.  Soon, she would awake to a nightmare from which there was no escape.

And that soon was now.

Gasping as if she had awoken from a bad dream, Twilight Sparkle threw herself up in bed, her eyes darting around wildly to make sure she was safe.  When she had determined this to be true, she fell back against the bed with a groan.

"Spike?  Can you see if we have any medicine for a headache?" Twilight called weakly.

Nothing stirred in the library, forcing Twilight to her hooves and off the bed as she checked Spike's favorite place to sleep.  Strangely enough, a small basket was in it's place- one big enough to fit Spike if he were still a baby, but it would only do to carry small objects now.

Shrugging the oddity off, Twilight figured that he must either be in the kitchen downstairs or outside- off doing something.  Despite her incredibly painful headache, Twilight stumbled down the stairs and into the bathroom to relieve herself.  After finishing her business, Twilight turned to wash her hooves; staring into a broken mirror.

It was shattered, only small slivers of the reflective glass laying in a pile in the sink.

That must have been one hell of a party... Twilight Sparkle thought as she carefully levitated the glass out of the sink and into the wastebasket before turning on the sink to wash her hooves and teeth.

No water came out.

Curious as to the odd occurrences that were happening, Twilight twisted the knobs a bit harder, for some reason figuring that the water would kick on if she just...

Not a chance.  The knob snapped off of the sink and hung in Twilight's magical grasp as she sighed and set it on the counter before trotting out of the bathroom and into the foyer.

The comforting sight of books lining the shelves filled Twilight's vision and she smiled.  In retrospect, she could care less what happened to her home as long as she and Spike were safe along with the precious literature.

But Twilight had no time to read at the moment.  She silently thanked Pinkie Pie and the other ponies for cleaning up after themselves and trotted into the kitchen for some breakfast.

Humming quietly, Twilight Sparkle began opening cupboards without looking, only stopping to do so after she felt nothing in her magical grasp.

Only because nothing lined the shelves.

Cocking her head and raising an eyebrow, Twilight Sparkle couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her- and that something was terribly, terribly wrong here.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she sidestepped a deadly bolt of magic that whizzed past her head and slammed into the floor, leaving a blackened and burnt circle in its wake.  Twilight turned to face her attacker only to be tackled to the ground.

Using every ounce of strength she had, Twilight grunted and threw her opponent off of her being, tossing it into the wall.

Trixie hit the wall with a thud, sliding down along its side and landing with a pained grunt.

"T-Trixie?!" Twilight Sparkle asked mostly to herself; her voice filled with shock and slight horror.

"Do with Trixie what you will...Just make it quick..." the blue showmare muttered silently, her breath coming out in rasps from her meeting with the wall.

"Trixie, what are you doing here?  Why did you attack me in my own home?!"

Trixie lifted her head and stared at Twilight Sparkle as if she were a complete and total idiot.  "You're home?!  Trixie does not see your name on the contract anywhere!"

"Trixie, this is my home!  I've lived here for years!  Just ask anypony around town and they'll tell you that Twilight Sparkle has always lived here!"

Trixie's eyes lit up in shock as Twilight finished her sentence.  Thinking that she had beaten her opponent, Twilight smirked.

"D-Did you say your name was...Twilight Sparkle? As in the Twilight Sparkle?" Trixie asked quietly- so quietly that Twilight almost didn't catch it.

"Trixie, you know my name.  I mean, given that it was a few years ago, you seemed so upset that forgetting my name would be the last thing you ever did.  Now, what are you doing in my house?  Answer me before I call the Royal Guard!"

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!  No, you can't call the Royal Guard!  That's bad, that's bad! That's very, very bad!" Trixie shouted, leaping to her hooves and barreling towards Twilight, who was unfortunately too slow to move out of the way.

As Twilight felt the breath force itself from her body, her eyes tracked the blue unicorn pony as she slid to a stop in the middle of the foyer, flaring her horn and grabbing several books in her magic.  Twilight realized that, curiously enough, Trixie no longer wore her signature cape and hat.  Instead, her moonlight-white hair spilled over the side of her head and battered her cheek and neck every time she turned her head to read a new section of a book.

"Trixie, what the hay is going on?" Twilight asked after she had managed herself onto her hooves and taken up the space next to Trixie.  Without warning, Twilight found herself kissing the cool, crisp pages of a book that Trixie had shoved in Twilight's face.

When Twilight's magic enveloped the book and Trixie's had left it, the wide, begging eyes of a blue unicorn mare stared into Twilight's from behind the book.

"What is this?" Twilight asked, turning over the book to read the cover.

Predictions And Prophecies.

"Read it." Trixie ordered flatly, and so Twilight did.

Turning the book back over in her magic, Twilight began reading at the top of the page.

and she will bring upon sunshine eternal.  Legend also has it that before her return, a powerful unicorn under the name of Twilight Sparkle will appear to pass judgement on the land, either leaving them be or bathing the world in a sea of crushing light and causing chaos in her wake.  This unicorn's decision will ultimately lead to either Burning Star's return, or the continuation of peace and harmony for the Darklands.

Twilight stood bewildered, staring at the writing before her in utter confusion.

"Wait, what does this all mean?  'Sunshine eternal'?  Don't you mean nighttime eternal?  And who is Burning Star?  What happened to Nightmare Moon?" Twilight Sparkle questioned, her mind doing cartwheels- trying to figure out just what exactly was happening here.

"What do you mean 'What happened to Nightmare Moon'?  She's the Queen, of course!  And if she catches word that you're here she'll have you killed to prevent Burning Star from coming back!" Trixie replied.

Twilight's head sputtered and stalled at what she had just heard.  "Nightmare Moon is the ruler of Equestria?!  What happened to Princess Celestia?!  Where are the Elements of Harmony; we can stop her and-" Twilight began worriedly before Trixie interrupted the purple unicorn.

"Of course!  The Elements of Harmony, why didn't I think of that?  Burning Star wouldn't be able to withstand their power and she'd be trapped in the sun again!  Twilight Sparkle, you're a genius!" Trixie shot back, hugging the incredibly confused Twilight Sparkle tightly before dashing off to write a letter.  Twilight, the ever curious and hopelessly lost unicorn that she was at the moment, had no other choice but to peer over Trixie's shoulder as she wrote.

My dearest teacher,

My continuing studies on pony magic have led me to discover that we are on the precipice of disaster!  For you see, the mythical Mare in the Sun is about to return to Equestria and bring with her eternal light!  Something must be done to make sure this terrible prophecy does not come true, and I believe I have the key.  You see, the legends also say that, long ago, Burning Star was defeated using the mythical Elements of Harmony.  It is my belief that if we manage to find the elements, we can prevent Burning Star from returning! I await your quick response.

Your faithful student,

Trixie Lulamoon

This was seeming all too familiar to Twilight Sparkle.

With a sharp exhale, Trixie sent the letter on its way to where ever it was destined for and turned her attention back to Twilight.  "Oh please, oh please, oh please!  You just can't doom Equestria to eternal light!  You can't, please!"

"Whoa, slow down, Trixie.  Who did you write that letter to, and what's wrong with light?" Twilight Sparkle asked.  "What the hay is going on here?"

In Canterlot, in the highest tower of the grand castle, sat a regal alicorn whose coat was jet-black, glossy in the torchlight.  Her brow furrowed and her eyes glared at the parchment before her as she reread it just to make sure she was not mistaken.

As she finished the letter for a third time, a sinister grin crept onto her face as she reached for a quill to pen her reply.

Yes, everything is going just how I have planned...

"You're Nightmare Moon's star pupil?!" Twilight shouted in terrified disbelief.  She silently dared- nay, begged Trixie to take back what she said; to have all her friends come out and say it was all a prank.  But Trixie remained steadfast, her eyes glimmering with hope and fear, but lacking any and all dishonesty that might have been hidden.

This was not the Trixie Twilight Sparkle knew.

Perhaps she learned her lesson after all?  No, wait...That still wouldn't explain why Nightmare Moon ruled...Spike, I've a feeling we're not in Equestria anymore...

"Wait, Spike!  Where is Spike?!  I-I saw his basket by the foot of my- your, bed, but he wasn't there!" Twilight blurted out to Trixie, hoping for an answer.

Trixie simply hung her head in shame.

My dearest, most faithful student, Trixie,

You know that I value your diligence and that I trust you completely, but you simply *must** stop reading those dusty old books!  My dear Trixie, there is more to a young pony's life than studying, so I am recalling you to the castle in order to show you the other, more important, joys in life.  A great stallion once said 'All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy'.  While I'm not quite sure what in what context he was speaking, the message remains the same- one must balance work and relaxation if they are to be at the top of their game.  I have already dispatched a chariot, and it should arrive soon.  Please be prepared, and do not keep me waiting.*

I do not wish to miss a single moment from my most faithful student.

Your loving ruler, teacher, and friend,

Queen Nightmare Moon

As she set the quill down and blew onto the ink in order to help it dry faster, Nightmare Moon wondered briefly if

"You what?!" Twilight screamed.

"I'm sorry, Twilight!  I thought it would be best for him, he wanted to go so badly!"

"No, no, no!  No he didn't!  He was just saying that because he felt unappreciated!" Twilight continued, her eyes blinking back tears as her hooves itched to beat Trixie into a bloody pulp.  Everything was making sense to her now.

Trixie explained that Spike was her dragonling assistant she had earned after hatching him from Nightmare Moon's School for Gifted Unicorns- the similarities were uncanny! She also said that she had been so busy in all of her studies that eventually he began to grow distant until he found a book on his kind and decided that he would move out of the pony world and live with his own kind.

But then Trixie told Twilight the unthinkable.

Spike was no longer that cute, caring little dragon that they had both known and loved.  Now, he was a horrible beast known as Spike the Impaler who held one of the highest seats in the ancient dragon council, and without objections he could order every single dragon to attack Equestria.

But something was off.  Twilight realized that she must be in some alternate reality, where Nightmare Moon banished her sister, Celestia, instead of the other way around all those years ago.  Either that, or this world was a darker reflection of their own- where everything was reversed.  It would certainly explain why Trixie was being so helpful and caring, but then why wasn't Spike's personality different?  Trixie had described him perfectly, to the letter, up until he left and became ruthless.

Twilight was almost on the verge of cracking the code when a small pop sounded right next to her, breaking her thoughts.  Trixie grabbed the newly arrived scroll in her magic and quickly unfurled it.

Twilight saw that her eyes were focused, searching for something.  Suddenly, Trixie's face lit up with fear and she incinerated the letter before dashing upstairs.

"Trixie, what was that all about?  Where are you going?!" Twilight called.  She was getting sick of this whole situation.  She just wanted somepony to tell her everything about this world so that she could get back home where she belonged.

"We have to leave, now!" Trixie shouted back, tossing a rather large and full-looking burlap sack over the railing that Twilight just barely managed to avoid being crushed by.  A moment later, Trixie came dashing down the stairs and picked up the sack in her magical grasp before darting to the door, where she stood waiting for Twilight to follow.

"We have to leave, now!" Trixie exclaimed in worry.

Twilight reluctantly but hurriedly followed the frightened mare out of the library and out of the town.

Please Enjoy Your Stay

"How are you, today?"

"I am well, and yourself?"

"Eh...Tia is worried about her disappearance, but I know you won't harm her."

"You have my word."

"..."

"Is something the matter, Luna?"

"No...It's just...I miss you, Nightmare...Tia doesn't understand...Nopony does."

"I understand, Luna.  But you must understand that this is the limit of our communication between us.  I can never afford to leave my world for that long again."

"I know, it's just...It hurts not being able to embrace a friend, you know?"

"Believe me, Luna, I know all too well the feeling.  But do not dwell on those unhappy thoughts- that is what led me to find you in the first place, and I can almost guarantee that my brothers and sisters will not care if their realms fall into such catastrophic states as mine had.  They care only for power, Luna."

"I never understood magic...It's so strange, the similarities between our worlds, and yet how different they are in some ways."

"It is strange, isn't it?  Alicorns are the most powerful spellcasters that have ever existed, but we have no idea what makes our magic work or why.  Dragons, on the other hoof, live long enough to dedicate their lives to research and they have discovered everything on their own before any other race even began to- but the distinct, uncrackable language barriers...It's almost as if there is a force working against us all.  Perhaps it is for the best, as our worlds have already had a Dragon War that, well...I'm sorry, Luna.  I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, it's fine.  It's kind of nice talking to somepony that remembers it...Tia doesn't like to talk about it."

"And she has every right to not want to.  The Dragons...They had strength in numbers, brute force, and knowledge.  Our kind stood no chance against them.  If the alicorns of that time had the dragon's knowledge alongside their immense magical capabilities...Well, there might not even be a world left for you today.  I must go now, Luna- Twilight and her counterpart are evading me, and it is crucial I find them before time is up."

"I understand...Goodbye, Nightmare..."

"...Goodbye, Luna.  Stay safe, and remember: think happy thoughts."

And with that, the mirror shimmered and returned to it's natural form- the reflection of a tall, dark alicorn staring into it's depths and fighting back tears.

"Can we...Can we...S-top...Now?" Twilight Sparkle wheezed as she struggled to keep up with Trixie, who had her ears flicking around, searching for any sounds as her eyes followed the same pattern.

Reality seemed to grip the blue mare as she slowed her pace and sighed. "Yes, we can stop.  I'm sorry, Twilight, but if Nightmare Moon finds you...It won't be pretty."

"Believe...Me...I think I...Know..." Twilight managed as she tried to calm her heart and keep her lungs from bursting.

Trixie studied the heaving purple unicorn curiously.  Could this really be her?  Can she really be me?  Trixie sighed inwardly and shook her head of the thoughts.  Something wasn't right.  If Twilight Sparkle was supposed to be her reversed dimensional reflection, why did they act so similar?

"Trixie?  Are you alright?" Twilight Sparkle asked.  Trixie was currently laying on her stomach with her hooves tucked in as she studied the ground intensely with a furrowed brow.

"Hm?  Oh, yes...I'm fine...How are you?" Trixie questioned.  Twilight smiled at the blue unicorn as one would smile at a friend, albeit her smile was a tired one due to their recent run.

Settling herself next to Trixie, Twilight replied.  "I'm fine...Why were we running?  I just don't understand why or how you know Nightmare Moon would have me killed.  I mean, I know that because of...Things that happened elsewhere, but how do you know?"

"Twilight, are you familiar with the Reverse Reflective Dimension theory?" Trixie asked, lost in thought.

"...No?  Not really- why?"

Trixie smiled without turning to the unicorn beside her.  Reaching a hoof out, she drew two parallel lines in the dirt.

"Think of this line as your dimension, and this one as mine." Trixie said, pointing to the two lines.  "What would happen in your dimension would also happen in mine, according to the RRD theory.  For example, when we were back at the library, you said that shouldn't it be Nightmare Moon coming back?  I take it that instead of the goddess of the sun being banished in your world, the goddess of the moon was the unlucky one?"

"Yeah, but how did you know they were the goddesses of their respective bodies?  I mean, when we encountered Nightmare Moon, we had no idea that she was really Princess Celestia's little sister."

"That's where I'm confused as well." Trixie said, biting her lip and turning her head back to her drawings.  Within a few moments, Trixie had added four more lines; one above the original on the left side, and likewise on the opposite until they were left with three separate lines on either side.

"Now, imagine that the lines that are directly opposite from each other are reflections of the other, except things are reversed there.  But now, imagine that the middle line on your side is the world you come from, but the bottom line on my side is the one I come from.  Do you see what I'm getting at?" Trixie asked hopefully.  If she and Twilight really were counterparts, albeit from a realm where certain things were off, this would certainly be the key factor in determining it.

"Yes." Twilight said simply.  "The lines on my side are all versions where Princess Celestia rules and Nightmare Moon was the one banished.  The ones on your side are ones where the reverse is true.  However, the above line has something drastically- even if it may seem so small -off in it that separates it from the dimension below it.  The same can be said for the middle and bottom lines respectively.  Instead of being somehow transported to the direct reversal of my own dimension, I was sent over and up one or down one, or even five hundred up since we have no idea how many alternate realities there are.  That would explain why you're my counterpart, even though we have a Trixie in my own world who is the exact opposite of you!" Twilight exclaimed, making a break through.

"And therefore, the opposite of you in your own dimension!  This would also explain why we have the same names, Trixie and I!  Why, somewhere there must be a Twilight Sparkle in my realm that- No, wait...That wouldn't make any sense..." Trixie started, suddenly breaking off and turning her head away in confusion.

"What?  What wouldn't make sense?"

Trixie erased the four additional lines and quickly drew crude images of two unicorns on either sides.

"This," Trixie began, pointing to the top unicorn on Twilight's side. "Is you from your realm.  This, the bottom one on my side, is me- the reflective version of you, down or up a scale.  But you have a Trixie in your world, so shouldn't that mean that I have a Twilight in my world?"

"I...I don't understand.  What are you getting at, Trixie?"

"The legend specifically names you, Twilight Sparkle.  If you hold the same name in your world, and I hold the same name as the other Trixie in your world, then why hasn't anypony noticed a Twilight Sparkle running around here?"

"Because she waited in the middle of the forest like food waiting to be eaten..." a new voice came.  It sounded raspy, as if the speaker was so unused to speaking.

The hair on either pony's pelts began to rise, but they were too captivated by fear to move.

"My Queen!" a voice sounded from down the hall and outside of her room as Nightmare Moon sighed.

After a moment, a light-coated unicorn pony in gothic armor stumbled through the doors.

"My Queen!" he started, catching his breath.

"I trust whatever news you bring is important enough to barge into my quarters, Captain." Nightmare Moon question, her head turned to face the Captain of the Guard while her voice held a carefully concealed blade that would strike out if she heard something she didn't like.

"My Queen, we have found the pair of unicorns."

"Well, where are they?  Have you secured them?"

"Nay, my Queen...They...They are in the Everfree Forest."

"Well, then be gone and retrieve them!" Nightmare Moon growled.

"Milady...Latrodias has been spotted, as well..."

"Such pretty little ponies...Have your parents not taught you to not stray into the forest?" the being taunted as she finished enveloping Trixie in her silk web.

Twilight sat, frozen in fear, on the cold stone floor beneath her- staring up at the large monstrosity that seemed to resemble a huge, house-sized spider.

Trixie's cocoon shook as she struggled to get out- the paralyzing venom used to subdue her having since worn off.  Luckily for the spider, the tightly woven cocoon did wonders to muffle her screams.  The large, black spider clicked its mandibles together as it slowly made its way down its web and onto the floor of the cave in front of Twilight Sparkle.

The creature stood there for a while, simply staring at the quivering pony before her as her mandibles clicked together in morbid pleasure.

"You will taste nice with the blue pony...So very sweet she is, I can tell.  It is always the ones that fight the most that taste the best."

"Why are you doing this..." Twilight mumbled in fear.

"Pony need to eat hay and grass and vegetables.  Spider need to eat pony.  It is nothing against you or your kind; it is just how life has made us." the spider replied sincerely as she reached out to grab the shaking purple pony in order to position her in such a way as to store her for later.

A moment before hairy legs reached smooth fur, a black bolt of magic tore from the treeline- amputating the end of the spider's leg and causing her to shriek in pain.

With the spider distracted, Twilight wasted no time in galloping around to the side and using her magic to cut Trixie's cocoon down.

The large spider was too busy to notice the rescue attempt, however, as she was currently dodging the oncoming bolts of magic while slowly making her way towards their origin.

Twilight Sparkle thanked whatever creature had decided to go spider slaying at this hour before Trixie's cocoon split open and she fell on top of Twilight.

"Any luck, sister?"

"Nay, Tia.  I doubt she walks under the same skies, but I cannot begin to fathom where she might have gone.  The Element of Magic has not returned itself, so we can rest easy that she still lives."

"Perhaps she lies in another dimension."

Princess Luna visibly shook as Celestia uttered that sentence; her voice dripping with suspicion.

"Think carefully about what you do in your spare time, little sister.  I will not lose you to the Nightmare, again."

"She's not the same, Tia!  She never was what you thought she was!  She was the only pony who even bothered to actually listen to me when I talked!" Luna said sternly, fighting in Nightmare Moon's defense.

Celestia fought back.

"I have lived for six hundred years more than you, Luna!  That is six hundred more years of knowledge that you do not have!  I believe that I know very well what the Nightmare is doing- she wants you back so that she may annex our realm into her own!"

"You know nothing about what or who she is!  You haven't seen her the way I have, you've only seen how she defended me!  She defended my name, Celestia!  She defended my honor!  And if she ever wanted to attack- it's a doorway, Celestia!  Not a window!"

The two sisters stared harshly at each other, Luna breathing heavily and clenching her jaw while Celestia sat calmly on her haunches.

"Go to your room, Luna." Celestia ordered.

Princess Luna snorted.  "You think you can just tell me what to do?  You think you can just 'ground' me, Celestia?  I may be your younger sister, but you and I both know who the better spellcaster is!"

"You dare threaten me like that, ruler of Equestria and protector of our nation?!"

"That's just it, Celestia!  It's our nation, but you keep treating it like you brought it from the ground up!  Where would Equestria be without me?!  Where would you be without me?!  No, wait, don't answer that!" Luna spat angrily before turning away.  "You already did one thousand years ago..."

"Luna, dear, what's wrong?" Nightmare Moon asked, worriedly, upon spotting her reflection's snout and cheeks stained with tears.

"It's Celestia...She's acting the same way again."

"What do you mean?"

"She's acting like she did all those years ago when you found me...She said you were just using me to annex our Equestria...That's not true, is it?  Please...Please tell me it isn't true..."

Nightmare Moon's heart broke and her eyes filled with rage.

"Luna, I cannot guarantee the safety of you or your sister for what I am about to do ,and for that I apologize."

Luna's face lit up in fear as Nightmare Moon stepped effortlessly through the mirror, coming into life on the opposite side.

"Where is she?  Where is the 'high and mighty sun goddess'?" she spat angrily.

The Nightmare Returns

Two unicorns lay huddled together, their faces illuminated in the campfire.  They sat, at peace, in the middle of the Everfree Forest; comforted by each others presence.  A snout turned slowly towards the other, and the other slowly turned her snout towards it.

They touched in a spark of passion that only the two could feel as their tongues danced slowly with each other...

Twilight Sparkle cleared the throat to interrupt the pair of unicorns that they had stumbled upon and who had been kind enough to share their campfire and meal for the night.  Trixie's eyes avoided the pair at all costs while they kissed, blushing awkwardly at the sight.

Twilight could care less that they were two mares, but was more bothered by the fact that they were kissing in front of guests.

Rarity would have had a fit. Twilight mused before turning to look at Trixie.  The unicorn was looking away at the moment, into the trees, so Twilight took the opportunity to move the rest of her unwanted food onto Trixie's plate.  The poor mare looked absolutely famished, and the empty cupboards back in the library did nothing to say that Trixie had been eating.

Twilight, on the other hoof, had loaded herself up on food at her birthday party before she was transported here.

Has it really only been a few hours? Twilight thought, searching the sky for any indication on the passing of time.  But the moon hung in the center of the sky as it had since Twilight had arrived.

Looks like Nightmares never change...

"CELESTIA!" Nightmare Moon shouted, her voice echoing clearly through the halls as she stormed off in search of Luna's elder sister- Luna herself following close behind and trying desperately to stop her others' advance.

Royal Guards made attempts to block and even down Nightmare Moon, but the dark alicorn had simply tossed them to the side so that she could pass.

"Nightmare, you can't!  She'll see it as an attack, you'll be gone and your world will be lost for good!" Luna pleaded, begging for Nightmare to give up on defending Luna.

The thought was unfathomable to Nightmare Moon.

How in Discord's scaley right dragon claw did Celestia figure she could boss her precious Luna around as if she were a lesser, or even a slave!  How could she talk to her like that?  The images of Celestia standing over Luna's crippled body where too much for Nightmare Moon, who rounded a corner and burst through two giant double doors- splintering what little remained attached to the frame as she blew the door off its hinges.

"CELESTIA!" She shouted in utter fury at the form before her.  Princess Celestia stood proudly behind a phalanx of Royal Guards, a rather intimidating white unicorn stallion in purple armor standing directly in front of the Princess and lowering his horn threateningly.

"How DARE you treat your younger sister as such!  Do you not remember all those years ago when you lost her?!  Do you not remember what you did to send her and I over the edge?!" Nightmare Moon continued as she slowly advanced, struggling to keep herself from outright attacking the goddess.

"Nightmare Moon.  I knew you would return.  It was only a matter of time before your greed and lust for power consumed you and you decided to crawl through your mirror." Princess Celestia said calmly, although her eyes betrayed her extreme hatred for the dark alicorn.

"Ha!  You think I'm here for power?  I am an alicorn, Celestia, just like you!  I have all the power I will ever need at my hooftips!"

The guards in the phalanx seemed to take this as a threat and backed closer to their Princess in order to better defend her.

"Nay, I am not here to kill you or take over Equestria.  I am here to make you apologize." she spat.

Princess Celestia blinked in shock as the words left the dark alicorn's lips.

A moment or two passed before Nightmare Moon stepped aside to reveal a cowering Princess Luna behind her.

Princess Celestia seemed unable to register what exactly Nightmare Moon had said.  "E-Excuse me...?" she asked in confusion.

"You heard me- apologize to your sister, right now!" Nightmare Moon commanded.

A wave of guilt and shock played over Celestia's face as she replayed the events in her head before pushing gently past the row of guards and slowly approaching both alicorns.

Celestia and Nightmare Moon shared a swift glance that betrayed Celestia's feelings of fear and regret while the dark alicorn held her gaze of rage.

"...Luna..." Celestia began softly, sadly, as she lowered herself onto the floor.  "I'm sorry, little sister...I-I didn't realize what I had said or done...I just didn't want to lose you again...I was so alone when I...When I did those things, and I just couldn't bare the thought of losing you again..."

"The only pony I had to talk to when I was imprisoned was her, Tia.  She kept me company, comforted me when I cried, made me laugh, and soothed me to sleep.   She's more than a friend to me, Tia.  She's like mother.  The mother you should have been to me..." Princess Luna replied quietly before turning away with Nightmare Moon in tow.

Celestia stayed behind, head turned to the floor in shame as a single tear soaked into the red carpet leading up to the throne.

The first tear of many.

A cough from Twilight brought Trixie back to reality, where she noticed that her plate suddenly had more food on it and Twilight's had less.  She raised an eyebrow at the purple mare, who was currently too enthralled by the couple's tale of how they managed to escape an angry dragon after they had accidentally made it's cave their camp one night.

Trixie noticed that she had been staring at the purple unicorn for quite some time- thankful that she had caught herself before the story ended and Twilight's attention returned to Trixie.

"Did you enjoy the story?" she asked cheerfully, and Trixie soon found herself blushing again as she tried to recall what exactly had been said.

"Y-Yes, I especially enjoyed the part where...Uhm..." Trixie started, her brain drawing a complete blank as she stared in Twilight's deep, purple eyes and her voice trailed off.

"Trixie?  Are you alright?"

"Wha- Huh?  O-Oh, yes.  I'm fine." Trixie answered quickly, letting the surrounding trees take her full attention once more.

Stupid, stupid pony! Trixie thought.  You couldn't even land a date with that mailmare if she crashed through your front door and kissed you right there!  Twilight probably has stallions lined up at her door from there to Canterlot back in her own realm...Or maybe mares...?  What if she's not into that?  What if she thinks I'm disgusting for asking her!?

As Trixie's brain racked itself for the courage to ask or the logic to put it down, Twilight curled up into a ball and began to sleep as the fire slowly died down.

Trixie sighed as she rolled over onto her side once more.

The fire of their camp had long since gone out, and Trixie was the only pony out of the four to be still awake.  Her eyes focused on the small ball of pony that was Twilight Sparkle, huddled close but not touching.  She watched for some time as the unicorn's flanks rose and fell with each breath before realizing how creepy it must be to have somepony watch you sleep.  Her eyes took in a new scene: that of the beautiful night sky that was constantly played out above the land.

The night was cold, but it was still beautiful none the less.  Trixie thought about how Twilight had snuck her own food on her plate. It was a sweet move, even if there were no hidden intentions.  Trixie had had little to eat over the past few days, but then again everypony fared the same due to their Queen's banishment while in another realm.  The magic that she gave off as a result of being so powerful had fueled the land and fed the plants while the moon remained high in the sky.  But when their Queen did not return, the land began to die.

It died for one thousand years.

Ponies were ruthless back then, being forced to result to eating meat back then simply to survive.  It was sickening.

Trixie sighed again as she rolled over to fall asleep, only to come face-to-face with a wide-eyed Twilight Sparkle.

"You didn't have to do all of that, you know..." Luna said quietly as she idly chased the wrinkles away in her bed sheet.

"I did what I must to protect you, Luna.  I can't bear to see you broken and would destroy all of my realm if it meant that my brothers and sisters wouldn't find you.  You don't realize what they could do to you, Luna...You're lucky I only wanted to help."

Princess Luna stared up at the towering alicorn as she herself lay on her bed, searching for any signs of deceit in the dark one's eyes.

She found none.

She hadn't expected to.

"Nightmare...Why do you do the things you do for me?  What do you have to gain?" Princess Luna sighed, going back to her game of chasing wrinkles away.

"Honestly...Honestly I have no idea why I feel so strongly for you, like a mother does.  None of it makes sense.  I'm supposed to be you where Celestia was the one threatening the safety of our ponies.  But that would leave me in the seat of power where I would have to take care of every pony, much like Celestia is now.  I know that my own sister would not be able to repent, an nor would I allow her to.  The...Circumstances were different than yours.  She didn't want to let the sun shine forever because nopony appreciated it- she wanted to burn everything to a crisp, Luna.  She was a maniac.  Honestly?  ...Honestly, I guess I see you as the sister I've always wanted.  Maybe I'm wrong- maybe Burning Star can be changed..." Nightmare Moon whispered, mostly to herself, but Luna still heard.

The two shared a strong hug before they both blinked back tears.

"I shouldn't have been gone this long...I need to get back, Luna.  Remember: I'm always just a thought away- night or day.  Call for me whenever you need a shoulder to cry on or a friend to laugh with."

"I will.  I promise."

"And Luna?  Vivas Noctus."

"Vivas Noctus." Luna repeated as her other stepped through the vanity mirror.

"Long live the night..." Princess Luna whispered.

"S-Sparkle." Trixie whispered, her tone sounding as if she were addressing somepony rather than being surprised.

"Trixie." Twilight replied mutually.

"C-Can I help you with something...?"

"Yes, you can.  What is Nightmare Moon really like?  I mean, you actually defended her from Celestia's equivalent, so what is she like?  I only know her as being evil."

"O-Oh.  Uhm..." Trixie began awkwardly before clearing her throat.  "Well, you see....Uh..."

Twilight giggled and poked the stuttering mare.  "Why don't you start with the whole 'banishment' thing."

"Yes, the banishment." Trixie repeated before taking a deep breath.  "A-About a thousand and thirty years ago, Nightmare Moon's younger sister, Burning Star, escaped from her prison again-"

"Wait, again?  How many times was she imprisoned?  And why?"

"Yes, again.  Nopony except Nightmare Moon knows the exact number, but she was imprisoned because...Well, you said Nightmare Moon wanted to bring upon eternal night in your realm because nopony appreciated Princess Luna's nights?" Trixie asked.

Twilight nodded her confirmation.

"Well, Princess Burning Star wanted to bring upon eternal fire so that she could watch us all burn to death."

Princess Celestia stood quietly outside the twin doors to her younger sister's room, silently deciding whether to knock or not.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Princess Luna called from within.

Celestia sighed and gently nudged the door open.

"She didn't know you were out there, you know."

"I know...And I'm sorry for ease dropping, I just-"

"You just wanted to make sure that she wasn't mind controlling me or something."

"...Yes..." Princess Celestia admitted.

"Tia, I understand that you don't trust her, I really do.  But you have to remember that I was the one all those years ago who was so upset.  I was the one who wanted revenge.  Nightmare just gave me the power to do so.  It may be comfortable putting the blame on somepony else, but eventually you're going to have to accept the fact that me, your 'darling little adorable sister' wanted to harm every pony in the world- not her."

Celestia hung her head in shame, nodding softly before speaking.  "It just hurts, Lulu.  It hurts knowing that I failed after mother passed and I couldn't always be there for you like you needed me to.  Maybe if I...If we never fought Discord- if we just left the ponies alone! -we would be closer, and I could have kept you from being so angry and so lonely."

Princess Luna smiled sadly before rolling off her bed to nuzzle her big sister.  "We can't change the past, Tia, but we can work for a bright future."

"That's horrible!" Twilight exclaimed quietly, careful not to wake the sleeping couple.

Trixie nodded in agreement.  "Any other questions?"

"Just three.  First, when you were writing that letter to Queen Nightmare Moon about Burning Star's return, why did you say 'The mythical Mare in the Sun is in fact, Burning Star!' since you already knew?"

Trixie furrowed her brow and tried to recall what exactly she had been thinking.  She spent several long, dark seconds searching her brain for an answer before simply shrugging.  "I honestly haven't a clue- perhaps it was just my mind slipping?  I did just so happen to meet my counterpart from an alternate dimension."

Twilight giggled before nodding in understanding.  "What was in that burlap sack you tossed down before we left?  We had to leave it behind when we got attacked by the spider."

Trixie smiled.  "It was really just an old bag of memories.  I'm probably better off without them."

"Would you mind if we went back in the morning to get it?  I feel bad just leaving them there." Twilight said.  "And we would be able to overpower the spider if she was there now that we've gotten food."

"Sure, if you really want to.  But what was the third thing?  It's getting late and I'm sleepy."

It was Twilight's turn to smile as she leaned in close and softly kissed the end of Trixie's snout; right on the lips.  "It's a rhetorical question: why do you beat yourself up over a petty thing like 'if I like mares or not'?"

A Much Needed Queen

"Report." Nightmare Moon commanded as she stepped back through the mirror and into her own realm.

Before her stood the Captain of her Guard: Glimmering Shield.  With his helmet off, his jet-black hair lay slightly curled against the side of his face and made him a rather intimidating pony.  Now, however, he bore all of his onyx armor over his gray coat and stood rigidly at attention before his queen.

"Milady," he began, bowing in respect.  "We have lost contact with Lieutenant Stardust and his detachment.  I have sent two Pegasi scouts into the forest to confirm whether or not they have taken down Latrodias, but..."

"But she is an aged, formidable fighter.  Nay, those guards are lost, Captain, but perhaps Twilight and Trixie managed to escape..." Nightmare Moon mused, mostly talking to herself as she slowly trotted out the door and down the hall, her eyes distant as she was overwhelmed with her thoughts.

Sleep was not being kind to Trixie.  Nay, it was outright taunting her.  Every second Trixie felt as if she could fall asleep on a whim if she simply shut her eyes, but something kept her from the gently embrace of sleep.

How did Twilight know what I was thinking?  Mind reading is an illegal art here, and I can't imagine it would be legal for whatever reason in her world... Trixie thought, casting a wary glance on the huddled ball next to her.  She was sure Twilight was asleep this time.

She sighed and simply stared up at the small clouds instead, thinking back on her life and scavenging for any memories that might have something to do with these strange new feelings for the purple unicorn mare beside her.

Ever since Trixie was a little filly, her whole world had been consumed with books and knowledge.  Knowledge of any subject- although luckily she was too young and naive back then for certain subjects.  She had passed up opportunities to make friends that she could see clearly now that she looked back.

Her entire life had been wasted while she crammed her snout into countless books, and for what?  Never once had Trixie formed any theories on magic by herself or set about compiling her many strewn notes.  It would take ages to go through all those loose little snippets of paper that lay scattered about the library and crammed into books- sometimes even the wrong books.

Trixie couldn't suppress another sigh.

Is this the way Twilight Sparkle lived?

No. Trixie thought, shaking away those thoughts.  Twilight was happy, even in a strange new place with the Queen of Darkness herself hunting the poor unicorn.

She most have friends, family...Maybe even a lover back in her realm...

Trixie groaned before turning away from Twilight Sparkle and laying on her side- fighting back tears.

Why does everything terrible have to happen to me?

"You promise, Tia?"

"I promise, little sister.  I will do my best to treat Nightmare Moon as an equal- unless, of course, my original suspicions prove to be correct.  I hope that they do not, Lulu- for your sake and mine."

"I hope so too, Tia...We talked a lot during our banishment, you know..."

"Oh?  And what all did you two talk about?"

"...You know...Stuff."

"Lulu, if there's something on your mind, you can tell me."

"...Tia, there are more of them out there- Alicorns, like Nightmare, except not.  They're all her brothers and sisters who own their own realms like we do our own, except they're evil.  When you banished us, Nightmare couldn't get back to her own world because there was nothing to reflect it into ours on the moon.  Her land died during that time, and her ponies suffered.  The others...They're not like her.  They don't care about their ponies, and they'll use whatever destructive powers they can harness to make the land what they want."

"I don't see your point, Luna."

"My point is, is that Nightmare found me because she's linked with depression and anger.  The others, they're all linked to a certain emotion.  If our world, or a key figure in it, feels so strongly on one emotion, it'll call them to us, and we'll be powerless to stop them."

"...And what would you have me, do, Luna?  I've struggled to maintain peace, prosperity, and happiness for thousands of years in Equestria.  The only time I've ever even heard about this was from Mother, and when it happened to you."

"Just do me a favor, 'Tia?"

"Anything for you, little sister."

"...Just keep me from crying?"

"Huh...Whazzat..." Trixie groaned sleepily as a hoof gently prodded her side.

"Come on, Trixie.  It's time to get up.  Looks like those two mares ditched us, but they didn't take anything, at least."

"Nyeh...Five more minutes..." Trixie groaned childishly before Twilight Sparkle elicited a sigh and began trotting away.

"Well, then I guess I'll just go looking for breakfast by myself and leave you here as an easy meal for any predators." Twilight said with a smirk as she turned her head back to Trixie's prone form, which suddenly tumbled around in a flurry of hooves as the blue Unicorn mare struggled to fight off the imaginary creatures she thought were standing over her.

Giggling, Twilight beckoned her forth.  "I think I'm starting to get a hang of telling night from day, even when the moon's stuck in the sky."

"It's something that grows on you." Trixie said with a shiver, fighting off the cold morning air as she tried to awaken herself fully.

"Speaking of which, I thought we'd backtrack and get your bag.  I mean, even if it's just a memory bag, you cared enough to bring it in the first place."

Trixie smiled softly at the notion, but shook her head to disagree. "Thank you, Twilight Sparkle, but I'd rather just leave it where ever it's laying.  I've spent too many nights just looking at its contents and crying- wondering how I could have done things differently so that they would turn out better."

"Oh?  Like what things?"

"Well, one of them was Spike's first tooth that he chipped when he tried to eat a gem for the first time." Trixie said with a sad smile, memories rushing through her head of the pairs happiest moments- only to be soured by the memory of the small dragon's departure because the blue mare couldn't get her head out of her books for a few seconds.

"He broke it here, too?" Twilight questioned with a giggle.  "He cried for hours after that because he kept thinking if he hit something wrong he would crumble into dust.  In fact, that's why he always used to ride on my back when he was younger- even after he got over that fear."

The two mares giggled together as they walked, remembering similar times.

"Do you still have Mrs. Buzzy?" Trixie wondered aloud.

"No.  I got her from my parents alongside Smarty Pants, from my brother, but I always preferred Smarty Pants over the bee." Twilight replied.

"Oh.  I chose Mrs. Buzzy, because I've always wanted to fly.  I mean, Smarty Pants was nice, too, but I wasn't too keen on loving a doll who studied a lot.  Kind of ironic, considering how I turned out." Trixie said, offering a shy smile.

Twilight smiled back, happy that Trixie's mood had improved.

It was a wild card, prodding at Trixie's soft spots to see if she would open up, but at least she was sharing her opinions instead of bottling them up and letting them eat away at her.

Before long, the pair of Unicorns managed to exit the dark and foreboding Everfree Forest, coming through it's trees on the banks of a river that curved along wildly in either direction.

"So, which way now?" Twilight asked, turning towards Trixie for guidance.

"To the castle; both of you." a new voice said sternly.

Trixie and Twilight froze in their spot.

"I do not wish to see him."

"Milady, he is very insistent- he's been tossing our guards about as if we were but ragdolls and his playthings!"

"And so you shall be until he decides to leave, Captain.  No harm will come to your stallions, but for the last time: I do not wish to see that bumbling buffoon!" Nightmare Moon declared sternly, raising her voice in anger and causing her Captain to back away slowly, bowing his head in respect and fear.

As the dark armored Unicorn turned to open the doors to the throne room and escape before his Queen could vent her frustration on him, the heavy wooden oaks burst open with an audible crack and sent the poor Captain flying backwards into the wall.

"Good morning, everypony!  Or is it afternoon?  Well, in reality it's always nighttime, but still!" a strange voice sounded before a jagged looking chimera stumbled into the throne room.  "Ah, my Queen, how very nice to see you- I didn't expect you to be up this early, or late?  You really should think about installing clocks around the castle- it's so CONFUSING, not being able to tell the correct time!"

Nightmare Moon bowed her head and placed a hoof over her snout, rubbing the bridge of her nose softly as a sigh escaped her snout.  "Good evening, Turbatias..."

"What, that's it?  No 'How are you doing?', or 'How was your trip'?  Why, from the sounds of it, I'd say you didn't even like me!" Turbatias replied cheerfully, teasingly as he soon went from three dimensional to flat, disappearing from Nightmare Moon's sight until he turned.  "I still wonder why you assigned me as a diplomat.  Can you imagine?  ME, trying talk to the other races about peace and trade?  Ha!  You should have seen the looks on those Zebra when I went flat and slipped through the floor, screaming my head off!  Of course, I had meant to do that, but only because everything was getting so dreadfully boring."

"Turbatias, is there something I can assist you with?" Nightmare Moon asked dully, hoping to get the matter over with quickly and be rid of the nonsensical chimera.

"Oh, always, my dear Queen!  As you can clearly see, I've returned from my yearly rounds.  This time, however, there's something that you need to hear." The chimera said as his form morphed back into his three dimensional form, shooing the attending guards away as he approached the throne.  "The Changelings weren't at home."

A long pause struck up between the two as Nightmare Moon waited for the chimera to go on.

When he did not, she gave another, irritated sigh and spoke up.  "Well, why not?"

"I'm so glad you asked! And the answer is simple." Turbatias said proudly, folding his arms and closing his eyes in satisfaction.  "I have no idea."

"Then why did you come to tell me this?!" Nightmare Moon shouted furiously, standing up form her seat.

"Yeouch- use your inside voice, Queenie.  And I told you because everything looked as if they just packed up and left.  No signs of struggle, no magic in the air- which was really strange.  It's baffling and bothering even me- the god of confusion!"  Turbatias replied, throwing his paw and claw, respectively, into the air.

"Then I will depart immediately to the Badlands to review the situation personally.  You will stay here and keep an eye on Twilight Sparkle.  You are not to interact with her, and if anything happens, you will contact me first. Am I understood?" Nightmare Moon said with an irritated flick of her wings.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Turbatias said with a mock salute, to which Nightmare shook her head and groaned before stomping out of the throne room, leaving Turbatias alone.

With a sly smile, the chimera rubbed his paw and claw together slowly.  "Oh, this will be fun, Twilight Sparkle..."