Author's Note: Thanks everypony, for all the constructive criticism! I really appreciate it, and look forward to more!

Twilight's horn lit up with her magical aura the colour of her eyes. The other ponies stood back cautiously. Ruby stood next to Twilight, her tiny unicorn form so strange compared to the mare next to her. The night was well underway now, and the two unicorns' silhouettes were against a starry dark night sky. The two different-coloured magic auras pierced the night's depth like two new brightly-coloured stars.

"If I'm still bonded to my Element, both of us can still track it, right?" she had said earlier.

Everypony else had cast doubt on the unicorn's theory, but the determined unicorn would not be swayed. Ruby, being eager to find the Element, had decided to help Twilight out. And so, they had left Canterlot Castle, and now were using a simple tracking spell, trying to put the bond between them and the Element into their magic.

"Is it... working?" whispered Peachy.

"Shiiiiiinyyyyyyy," cooed Pinkie.

And then the aura spread to envelop the whole of the unicorns' bodies. Everypony cried out in shock - including Twilight and Ruby - and there was a powerful multicoloured flash, then the unicorns were lying sprawled-out on the floor, manes frazzled and expressions dizzy.

There came an amused chuckle from behind them. "Tia did say that it wouldn't work, you know."

Everypony whirled around, and saw Princess Luna, almost invisible in the well-underway night. Luna smiled, and chuckled at their dumbfounded expressions.

"What, you think that I still use the Royal We?" said Luna lightly, walking towards them with a cheeky smile on her face. "Tia said that you'd have to find Tick Tock manually."

"P-Princess Luna!" exclaimed Twilight, rushing to the younger alicorn. "What do you mean, find Tick Tock manually?"

"Well, Twilight Sparkle..." murmured Luna, "I would think that you would have... some idea."

"What do you mean, 'some idea'?" asked Twilight. "I'm sorry, Princess Luna, but what is going on?! The fate of Equestria is in peril here and all you can do is... is play games?!"

Luna chuckled. Twilight froze. That wasn't the usual lighthearted, benevolent chuckle normally found when Luna was about. This was a darker, more evil chuckle. The one Nightmare Moon had used...

But that was impossible! Nightmare Moon had been defeated. She no longer existed in this world. No longer could endanger Equestria with her promise of eternal night.

"Oh, Ms. Sparkle..." sighed Luna, stepping forwards. "You have no idea what has been going on... right underneath your pathetic ruler's muzzle, no less!"

"Whaddaya mean by THAT?!" demanded Rainbow Dash, zooming forwards and rearing up on her hind legs.

Luna chuckled darkly, ducking her head. When she raised it, her eyes were glowing an unnerving scarlet. "Well, Ms. Dash, haven't you put it all together? It was all me."

"Wh-what?" stammered Fluttershy.

"That can't be true!" snapped Applejack. "It jes' can't!"

Luna threw back her royal head and laughed evilly. "Oh, my little ponies! You do crack me up. Don't you see? It was me who rigged that bookshelf to fall. It was me who enchanted those books to suffocate Ms. Sparkle here. And it was me who stole the Element of Magic while you were all caught up in that little incident. If Ms. Sparkle died, well..."

She shrugged. "So much the better."

"That's enough, Luna!" demanded Rarity, tossing her mane. "I shall admit, your manestyle has quite caught my eye the past months, but turning evil againon us? Oh, out of all the things to happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!"

Luna laughed once more. "But I am not 'evil again', Ms. Rarity! I have always been evil. For you see..."

Suddenly there was a flash of, not Luna's blue, but a scarlet red, and everypony was thrown to the floor by a sudden dramatic gust of powerful wind. The new-generation Element bearers staggered to their hooves, squinting up at Luna.

But there was no Luna.

No, indeed, in the ruler of the night's place was a stallion. He had a grey-blue coat, and was slightly wrinkled. His mane was limp and bleached with old age, though the horn poking out of his pathetic strands was surrounded in a red magical aura that matched his wicked eyes. Around his neck was a heavy golden chain, one that matched his Cutie Mark.

Peachy Pie staggered backwards. Sweetie Belle screamed. Applebloom pawed at the ground. Scootaloo's wings flared. Dinky Doo's mouth fell open. But it was Ruby who spoke.

"Who the buck are you?!" she shouted.

The stallion laughed, the same laugh that had exploded from the fake-Luna's mouth only mere seconds ago. "Do you not recognise me, my little ponies? I... am Tick Tock!"

"Rainbow Dash, whadda we do?!" wailed Scootaloo, whirling around to face her idol. But there was nopony there.

In fact, as the too-new bearers of Harmony turned around, dumbfounded, they saw no-one else but themselves. No Fluttershy, no Rarity, no Applejack, no Rainbow Dash, no Pinkie Pie, and no Twilight Sparkle.

"Have you not pieced it together, my dearest little fillies, my dearest little ponies?" cooed Tick Tock, rearing up on his hind legs and cackling evilly, murderously, victoriously. "I have imprisoned your idols, Equestria's truebearers... into stone!"

And he was right. There was a statue of Twilight, her hooves set. Rarity's magnificent mane, set in stone. Applejack's hat, forever glued to her granite head. Fluttershy, a wall of concrete mane half-concealing her face. Pinkie Pie, her face in a permanent surprised expression, her bouncy mane to never bounce again. Rainbow Dash's wings, nothing but grey stone, never to fly.

And it was then that the fillies screamed. Because there was nopony left to help them.

Nopony left...