When Darkness Falls

Nightmare Moon slowly landed back on earth, still in shock at what had become of her former second-in-command. "You...and me, let's go. You've caused enough pain and suffering, it's time you feel the pain you've brought upon us all...", Sunny said flatly toward Nightmare Moon, harboring a hatred that filled the very depths of his soul. At that very second...Sunny knew exactly what true hatred felt like. It festers in the pit of your chest, trying desperately to escape the more and more it gets pushed and tampered with. It is a parasite that begins to feed off of the deadly fantasies in the back of your mind, before worming its way into the part of your brain that makes you realize it is the easiest thing to make those fantasies come true. And right now, at this very moment....he was enjoying every second of this parasite's feeding frenzy. Celestia still sat there on the ground, almost completely drained of physical energy from the beating she had taken trying desperately to defeat Nightmare Moon. She watched in confusion at what was unfolding before her. Unbeknownst to her, she believed Sunny to be dead when he had never returned from his attempt at coming to a truce with Nightmare Moon. She didn't have any idea that Sunny was actually Nightfall, but she would soon find out. Sunny may have been taken his body back under his control, but he still bared Nightfall's appearance. The midnight blue Alicorn with bat wings, and the disturbing Cutie Mark. Sunny didn't know if this was going to be permanent, but at this point in time it didn't matter. What matters, is the fate of Equestria. "Well, I underestimated how strong you were.", she commented flatly. "You've done more than that, you started something that should never have happened. And I promise you...you will not be around long enough to see the aftermath of all that has transpired.", Sunny replied showing just how much rage had been built up. Nightmare Moon then took on a look of disgust, "You could not defeat me before...what makes you can do it now?!" "You created a monster...now this monster will have his revenge.", I responded standing my ground. Nightmare Moon then laughed her trademark maniacal laugh, "You have no idea what a true monster is!!" Suddenly, Nightmare Moon flew high in the air. Sunny quickly followed. As he flew toward Nightmare Moon, who was already a good distance up in the sky, bolts of magic whistled through the air barreling straight at Sunny. Sunny moved left and right, careful to make sure he wouldn't get hit. He couldn't afford for Nightmare Moon to achieve the upper hand in a fight this important. Finally, he got close enough. Sunny turned quickly and bucked her right in the chest, making her loose focus and move back a few feet. She quickly regained herself, fast enough to shoot another bolt of magic at me. Sunny quickly threw up a small black transparent shield, stopping the sudden blast of magic. But before Sunny could react, Nightmare Moon suddenly dashed at him. Ramming him hard enough that she broke the barrier, and sent him flying higher in the air. She then caught up with Sunny just as he used his wings to keep from falling. She buried her right hoof directly square in his gut, sending what air he was holding back into the open air where it came from. When his head had lowered in pain, Sunny quickly focused enough that he could fire a magic bolt of my own. Nightmare Moon was too close to avoid it, and she was nailed right in the face. She moved back several feet, giving Sunny some time to regain his breath. "You're losing your touch, Nightmare Moon. Getting bested by some-pony thats half your size...", Sunny uttered in mockery, still feeling the aftereffects of having my breath forced out of me. "You will regret mocking your future Queen!", Nightmare Moon angrily replied before she dashed at Sunny once more. She speared him, driving them both even higher into the open air. Sunny quickly sprouted black tendrils from his back and grabbed Nightmare Moon's wings with a vice like grip. She stopped pushing them, and Sunny used his wings to take control of them to keep from falling. Nightmare Moon then grabbed Sunny's throat, trying to choke the very life out of him. Sunny retaliated by grabbing her neck as well, applying enough pressure to cut off her air. Nightmare Moon's mane and tail then grabbed Sunny's wings, serving as tendrils of her own. They both began to plummet to the ground. They had stopped choking each other and began slugging it out, desperately trying to ensure the other lands first. The momentum began to build, as they fell faster and faster with every passing second. They swayed and rolled in mid-air, struggling for control of the horrific free-fall. They kept hold of each others wings. At this point they didn't care who survived, just as long as the other would perish. On the ground, the opposing forces of Guards had ceased their fighting. Both sides watched as these two titan-like ponies continued their struggle. Neither side could tell who had control of the fight, only that they were throwing all brute-force they could muster to kill one another. Finally, they had made contact with the ground. The very earth that they stood under, raddled and shacked as if a volcano had erupted before their eyes. A shock-wave passed over the battlefield, causing the exhausted war-fighters to be knocked off their feet. When they had regained their footing, they started moving in toward the crater that now marked where the town square used to be. Celestia stayed where she was. She had watched the entire fight, trying to contemplate her second-in-command's sudden change of heart. As the opposing Guards that were once fighting peered into the hole that Nightmare Moon and Sunny had made, seeing nothing but two motionless bodies...

Every-pony stood at the outer rim of the crater that had been the aftermath of a colossal battle. They stood there watching, waiting for any signs of movement. Nightmare Moon's Guards anxiously awaiting their Queen to rise and continue the battle, while Celestia's Guards stood there dumbfounded at what had just happened. Her second-in-command that was psychotic in every form of the word, had turned against his so-called master in the blink of an eye. What had caused such change of heart? What had she done to cause such anger and hatred? They continued on questioning the choices of the crazy and maniacal Alicorn, wondering if this meant he was with them or against them now. But their endless wonder soon obliterated itself, as both of the victims in the crater began to show signs of life. The dark blue colored Alicorn slowly lifted his head and blinked several times as if he had a splitting headache. He then rolled over on his stomach, and began to crawl out from the hole he and Nightmare Moon had made. Every few seconds he would try stand back up on his feet, only to loose his footing and fall back to his stomach. Blood seemed to slowly drip from his mouth, and his face seemed slightly swollen from the beating he had given. But Sunny knew that the beating he had received had to have been just as bad as the one he had given. Nightmare Moon moved very little as he finally reached the outer limits of the crater and crawled out from what could have been his grave. He coughed, sending drops of blood splattering the ground and he felt an extreme pain every time he tried to breath. "Yep... that's a broken rib. Or all of them...", Sunny said to himself. It took Sunny several seconds before he regained enough energy to stand back to his feet. He looked up and seen that Celestia was still watching on in utter confusion. "Celestia...", Sunny began to say in between his short breaths. "...go...get the Elements....this is our only shot..." Celestia took a defensive stance, still unsure if this Alicorn could even be trusted. Celestia stood there waiting for this Alicorn, all bruised and bloodied to attack. But she soon realized exactly why he had turned against Nightmare Moon... As she looked into his eyes she couldn't see a maniacal monster. She didn't see a murderer. She didn't have to look past his eyes to see that this was no longer Nightfall, Nightmare Moon's second-in-command. This was the best friend that she had believed was dead...Sunny Night. "Sunny...? How... I thought you...", Celestia began to say before she turned her attention behind her best friend. Sunny quickly turned around, flinching at the pains he still felt in his chest. Nightmare Moon had finally gotten up from the hole and was regaining her stance. Sunny took in what breath he could manage, and stood ready to continue the struggle. "GO!", he screamed one final time. Celestia then took flight, heading straight for the old Castle where the Elements of Harmony were being held. "You...are stronger than I previously anticipated. That hurt...that actually hurt....", Nightmare Moon said as she regained her composure. The signs of battle were visible. She had noticeable welts and swelling, as well as minor cuts all over her physical body. Sunny then spit what blood had built up in his mouth to the ground, "There is more...where that came from..." Nightmare Moon then cackled loudly, seeming as though what had just transpired had little effect on her. "You still think that you can defeat me? ME?! THE QUEEN OF EVERLASTING DARKNESS?! I grow tired of your insolence!" Nightmare Moon suddenly flew toward Sunny, spearing him again and slamming him against a wall. Sunny was almost defenseless against this attack. The fight that had started in the air took a devastating tole on his physical being. Nightmare Moon then took several steps back, and then galloped full speed at Sunny. She lowered her head, planning to impale him through the wall using her horn. Sunny used what energy he could muster, and leaped out from the oncoming attack. Nightmare Moon hit full force into a solid wall, rattling her brain for a few seconds. Sunny saw his chance, he quickly picked a very large piece of the stone wall and raised it high above his head. He brought it down directly in the middle of Nightmare Moon's spine, making her drop to the ground on her stomach. He then raised it up high once more, hoping to end this once and for all. But Nightmare Moon quickly rolled onto her back, and fired a magic bolt directly into Sunny's ribs. The piece of stone fell from his hooves, as he soared through the air. Landing back almost fifteen feet away from where he had once stood. Nightmare Moon then stood back up to her feet and began to boast as usual, "No matter what you do...and no matter how hard you try...you will never be able to defeat me!" Sunny slowly picked himself up from the dirt, coughing up more blood than he did when he had crawled out from the crater. Smoke resonated from his chest where he had been hit, baring a deeply scorching burn. "You call yourself a queen....but in reality...your nothing but a no-good piece of scum...", Sunny mocked while re-catching his breath and spitting out more blood. "You have yet to see MY TRUE POWER!!!!", Nightmare Moon finally screamed before fire a beam of magic from her horn directly at Sunny. He quickly focused everything he had left, and retaliated with a dark beam of his own magic. Both opposing forces clashed dead center between them, and the power struggle had begun. Their beams fought over who was stronger, and at first it seemed as though they were evenly matched. But Sunny knew Nightmare Moon better than that, she was enjoying watching him struggle in vain. Her then seemed to shred through the beam Sunny was firing, piercing his horn and sending her magic pulsing through him. It felt as though he had been struck by lightning, his body seized up and knock him off his feet. Steam radiated from his body. "Foolish little pony...", Nightmare Moon uttered before flying off in the direction of the Castle. Sunny's vision was blurry, and his head was rattling. He could see a faint figure of Nightmare Moon disappear from his vision. ".....no.....", he said silently. He rolled onto his stomach and used whatever physical strength he had left to get back to his feet and slowly lifted himself in the air and tried his best to keep up with Nightmare Moon.

******** 5 minutes earlier... ********

Celestia lay there, Nightmare Moon circling above. The bitterness of admitting defeat began to slowly make its way into her mind. All hope was leaving her, she felt there was nothing more that could be done. She had fought valiantly as did her Guards, but it was all in vain. The burns and bruises she felt were a grim reminder that she wasn't able to protect Equestria, even after all the fight she had put up. And for the first time in her life since she and Luna defeated Discord, she felt what it was like to have a broken bone. She could feel some ribs as well as her back left hoof was broken, it had been so long since she had felt a pain like this. She greatly respected her Guard and the citizens of Equestria before, but feeling this pain which was one that they all went through sometimes regularly brought a whole new level of admiration and respect. She was more durable than all who resided in Equestria so she wasn't used to this kind of pain. But that realization just made the moment that much worse, because she truly believed that she would live to see her subjects again. As Nightmare Moon continued to circle above, laughing her devilish maniacal laughter, she finally seemed to give in. Nightmare Moon...had won.... But just as that thought began to flash across her mind, she heard some-pony scream. A sound shattering scream that could have almost overpowered even the traditional Royal Voice itself. Celestia opened her eyes to the best of her abilities, her face was slightly swollen and there was a painful bruise above her eye that felt as if it rain all the way to her skull. She had seen Nightfall, with blood running down his hoof. 'That monster...', she thought to herself. As she looked toward him, he seem to look around as if this environment was new to him. Then he turned his gaze toward Nightmare Moon, his master. But it seemed as though pure hatred immediately washed over his face, as if they had been sworn enemies all along. "NIGHTMARE!!!", Nightfall screamed. Nightmare Moon responded and began lowering to the ground, but Celestia wasn't even paying attention to her. Something about Nightfall was...familiar. She had never noticed this before, but it seemed as though she had met him before. To her knowledge, no-pony even knew where this evil Alicorn had come from. Only that he had just randomly appeared after Nightmare Moon had declared war against Equestria. Oddly enough, it was right after Sunny had been presumably killed. Even though there was no body recovered, he was presumed dead. Suddenly, it happened. The unthinkable had crept into her thoughts. "Could it be...?", she silently to herself as she watched Nightmare Moon and Nightfall fly up in the sky. 'It can't be possible...', she continued to say to herself in her mind. The idea echoed through out the depths of her mind, it was bittersweet. She felt herself feel happiness that her best friend truly wasn't dead, but at the same time she dreaded the idea that this genocidal murderer was actually Sunny. She wasn't how to feel, she wasn't even sure if he could be trusted any longer. She didn't know if all that he had done was of his own accord. His appearance had been completely changed. Nightmare Moon possessed enough power that she could do that...but was she also able to control his mind...? Deep down she knew that at this very moment he couldn't be trusted. But at the same time she knew him well enough that everything he did was the best for Equestria. Did he surrender, knowing there was no other way to survive? Did he attempt to win her trust and try to double-cross her? Suddenly in the middle of her racing thoughts, Celestia heard the sounds of something falling at very high speeds. She looked up, and saw Nightfall and Nightmare Moon struggling in the middle of a free fall. They rolled and spun in mid-air, fighting over who would get the worst of the fall. Finally it seemed as though an earthquake shook the land, as they plummeting and crashed directly in the middle of the Guards who had long stopped fighting to witness such an epic battle. Everything was silent, only the wind was able to be heard in the dead silence that clung to the air. Celestia slowly stood to her feet, careful not to put pressure on the one that had been broken. Then there was a gasp from the crowd, followed by silent chatter and they began to move away from the crater that was the aftermath of the free fall. Then suddenly, one of them emerged...it was Nightfall. With blood coming from his mouth and the clear signs that he had almost been killed, he slowly crawled out from the large hole in the ground. He grunted something to himself before slowly rising to his feet, nearly falling back down more than once. When he had regained himself enough he slowly trotted toward Celestia. Celestia quickly stood and tried to take up a defensive position, despite her broken leg. "Celestia....", Nightfall began to say. "...go...get the Elements...this is our only shot." Celestia stood there, not knowing what to think. Was he trying to help? Or was he trying to get Nightmare Moon out of the way and take Equestria for himself? But then, that thought re-entered Celestia's mind. She looked deep into Nightfall's eyes, which were supposed to be serpent-like. But instead of seeing the homicidal blood-lust that resided within Nightmare Moon's second-in-command, she had seen the kind...gentle...and familiar eyes of her best friend. "Sunny...? How...I thought you...", Celestia started to say before she seen movement from the crater that Sunny had crawled from. Sunny quickly turned as they witnessed Nightmare Moon crawl from the hole, and begin to regain her stance. "GO!!", Sunny screamed breaking Celestia from her fearful gaze and snapping her back into reality. She barely trotted on her remaining three legs before finally picking herself up with her wings and flying toward the old Castle.

It had been so long since she had last used the Elements. The last time being when Luna and herself had sealed Discord away all those years ago. The last war that befallen Equestria, when the Alicorns opposed Discord and his corrupted minions. Had it really been that long? It seemed as though it was only yesterday to Celestia. Her parents were among the remaining ones that held the resistance against Discord. Her parents made her swear to always take care of her little sister. She felt as though she didn't live up to the promise she had made that day. She felt that she had done something wrong since then had caused all this. She failed her sister...she failed her parents...but she will not fail the citizens that make her ruling possible. On this day...here and now, she will make things right. Finally, the Castle had come into view. Celestia touched down close to the main doors and slowly limped with haste to get inside. As she opened the doors something made her look back. She turned, only to see that Nightmare Moon was catching back to her fairly quickly. She struggled to get in and quickly closed the doors behind her, hoping that Nightmare Moon hadn't noticed precisely where she was.

********

Sunny tried desperately to keep up with Nightmare Moon. She had finally made it to the old Castle, but she stopped at the door and began examining the are. Sunny slowly wormed his way into thick brush and waited patiently for Nightmare Moon to make a move. He could only hope that Celestia was already at the Elements and was planning an ambush. But doubt still filled his mind, worrying that they wouldn't win this fight. Nightmare Moon suddenly lifted off the ground and began to circle around the Castle, as if she was keeping an eye out for signs or watching for something. When she had gotten out of sight, Sunny made his way to the front of the Castle and entered through the main door. As dust flew from the moving door, Sunny found himself reflecting:

His mind returned to the day when he had first come to the Castle. The day before he moved into the Barracks and started his Guard training. All the memories seem to flood into him at once, causing a small tornado of emotions to sweep over him. Fear and anger had him gripped in reality, but in his mind it was sadness and bittersweet happiness radiating from the fond memories he had gathered over the years. And these final moments, were going to determine whether or not those memories would live on and new ones would be formed.

Sunny snapped to back to the present. He needed to catch up and make sure Celestia reaches the Elements or it would all be over. He quickly galloped to the best of his abilities and headed straight for the throne room. This is it...

********

Celestia entered the throne room, still feeling the full pain from her broken leg. She trotted toward the chairs that once belonged to her and Luna and pushed them both aside, revealing a trap door of some sort. She then reached out with her hoof and placed it in the small slot that decorated the stone compartment that had been beneath the throne. Long ago when her and her sister defeated Discord, they decided that they needed to hide the Elements of Harmony in case they would be needed again. The citizens of Equestria and praised them and wanted them to lead the new Equestria. When the castle had been built there was an area secretly constructed underneath the royal thrones where the Elements could be hid. This also would make them easily accessible in case of emergency. The hidden compartment opened, and there they were: The Elements of Harmony, solid stone spheres that bared 6 different insignias. They were in the exact same condition as they were when they were safely hidden all those years ago. But suddenly just Celestia was about to raise them up from their resting place, Nightmare Moon suddenly smashed through the window behind where the thrones once were. Celestia didn't have to time react before she was sent flying backwards. "You failed, dearest sister!", Nightmare Moon said while managing to add in her trademark laughter. Celestia slowly crawled to the wall, and began to pick herself using the wall for support. Nightmare Moon began slowly trotted around Celestia, giving her no choice but to look directly at her own executioner. "Did you really think you stood any chance of defeating me?! I should keep you around for my own entertainment. Your pointless struggle brings laughter to me in ways no jester could ever do!", she mocked. Celestia slowly lifted her head, showing no fear in the face of certain death: "I would rather die....than to let you rule Equestria..." "Have it your way!", Nightmare Moon said before she built up magic and fired a magic bolt at Celestia. But not before she threw up a shield in a last ditch effort of holding on to what fight she had left.

********

As Sunny made his way to the throne room, he heard a loud crash. He quickened his pace...he heard screaming...he tried to move faster only to be stopped by all the pain he had taken throughout this disastrous evening. He then heard the sound of magic being used, along with maniacal laughter. He moved on, trying desperately to reach his destination before the worst comes to pass. He reached the doorway, holding onto this side trying to catch his breath through the broken ribs. He barely caught a glimpse of a flash, followed by a shattering noise. When he had looked he had seen that Celestia's protective barrier had been broken.

********

As the shield protecting Celestia shattered into pieces and disintegrated into thin air, she had admitted defeat and was ready to accept her fate. If she was going to die here today, then she would die without fear and without remorse. She had fought valiantly for her subjects, and she was deeply sorry to them that she couldn't protect them. But all that she had done in her lifetime had seemed to flash before her eyes, and sitting there awaiting her travel into the afterlife she didn't have one regret about her life. She knew that everything good that had happened, happened for a reason. And even the slightest thing changed could have stopped all the memories she had received over the years. Her and her sister wouldn't have been as close as they were if the smallest thing was altered, and they would have never met Sunny Night. Sunny was always there for them, no matter what he was doing he would always take time to make sure they knew they could count on him. "I hope to see you both again in the next life...", Celestia quietly said to herself.

********

Nightmare Moon suddenly readied herself to dash one final time, "This ends now!" Sunny suddenly dashed toward Celestia, there was only one thing left he could do. "I'll never let you win...ever...", he said to himself.

********

Nightmare Moon clenched her eyes as she dashed at Celestia, using every ounce of strength in her entire body. She slammed Celestia against the wall, causing a loud scream to echo throughout the walls of the once proud home of the Royal Sisters. Nightmare Moon opened her eyes to see that Celestia had survived this brute strength attack. "You're tougher than I thought, but that doesn't matter now. I...have...won!", Nightmare Moon thundered while cackling loud enough to be heard from outside. "You think that...", Celestia quietly said. "You still persist?! What hope could you possibly have left of even surviving much longer?!" Just as the last word left Nightmare Moon, Celestia began to grow darker. Her long pink mane started to grow short and turn darker. Her coat grew a darker blue and her wings deformed and reformed into wings similar to that of a bat. Sunny lifted his head as his eyes turned to a deep shade of blue, "Gotcha..." Nightmare Moon jerked back, "WHAT TREACHERY IS THIS?!" Suddenly a bright light illuminated from the direction of the throne. Sunny and Nightmare Moon turned to where this light came from, to see Celestia floating in the air and the Elements of Harmony surrounding her. "NIGHTMARE MOON, YOUR TIME HAS COME TO AN END!", Celestia screamed in the traditional royal voice. "NO! IMPOSSIBLE!", Nightmare Moon replied showing absolute fear for the first time since the beginning of this terrible war. "AS PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST EQUESTRIA, I DOOM YOU TO BE IMPRISONED IN THE SYMBOL OF THE DARKNESS YOU HOLD SO DEAR! I BANISH YOU TO THE MOON FOR ALL ETERNITY!!!" Suddenly, each Element fired their own bright colored beam of energy which soon condensed into a single stream of rainbow colored magic. The beam shot at Nightmare Moon, surrounding her in a tornado of color that soon had her completely engulfed in a barrage of magic. "I WILL BE BACK!! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!!", Nightmare Moon screamed as the tornado slowly grew smaller and disappeared. Through the window opposite of Sunny, he could clearly see the moon. When Nightmare Moon was gone, her insignia suddenly appeared on the moon as if she was still keeping watch over what she believed rightfully belonged to her.

As soon as Celestia had been released from the Elements control and touched solid ground once again, she quickly moved with haste to check on Sunny. She sat down next to Sunny, still a little taken back by his now devious looking appearance. "Sunny...?", she asked quietly hoping that she would get the answer she wanted to hear. "You were expecting Starswirl the Bearded?", I replied being a little smart which was something I always did to make Celestia and Luna laugh. She couldn't laugh, but she was happy to know it was truly Sunny. She quickly hugged around his neck, with tears running from her eyes, "I'm so glad your okay!" "Not to break up this happy moment, but I do have some broken ribs here...", Sunny said in honesty. Celestia was so excited that she didn't realize that she had put her weight into her hug. "Sorry...", she said as she pulled back. "And by the way...we are so talking about overtime pay when we get back to Canterlot...", Sunny finally said. Celestia couldn't help but laugh at that...it was the first time she had laughed in a very long time.