MY LITTLE PONY: EQUESTRIA UNLIMITED

CHAPTER ONE: WARNINGS FROM THE ORACLE

The scared creature looked around in the darkest of voids, only blackness around her, no ground to walk on, no sky to look at, just black emptiness. Though it was dark she still could see herself just fine, like there was no darkness. She was still what she was supposed to be…she was a dark blue winged horse with a horn…an alicorn. Her mane is partially translucent and ripples and sparkles, like her mane was a wisp of smoke…she had a mark on her flank that resembles a crescent moon on a black night-like background and her eyes were a light blue. She had a black crown on her head, a piece of black chest armor with a crescent moon mark and silver objects on her hooves that could be described as special slippers for horses.

"Who is there?" she asked nervously. Though there was a black void as far as her eyes could see, she sensed someone was there. Normally she can see in the dark, just like it was clear as day, but she could not see through the darkness of this void. "Show yourself!" she demanded in a very loud voice. Her throat hurt slightly, as she normally doesn't use this loud voice anymore.

"Don't you remember me, Luna?" a voice sounded, though the mare called Luna couldn't hear where it came from…it's like it came from everywhere at once. It was no deep, booming or roaring voice, but a soft, almost whispering voice but the tone in which it spoke made it creepy nonetheless.

"Should I?" Luna asked suspiciously. The voice sounded familiar indeed but she couldn't put her hoof on it.

"Of course, you were quite the different mare when we last saw each other…or rather heard." The voice muttered. Out of nowhere, in front of Luna a mirror appeared. But the reflection she saw was different…a tall black alicorn mare with light blue armor on her hooves, chest and head. The eyes were blue like hers and the mark on the flank and the chest armor were a moon, like hers. "…Nightmare Moon." The voice finished.

"NO! I'm no longer that demon! I'm no longer…that!" Luna wanted to look away, and the reflection in the mirror mimicked her every move like any reflection. The Nightmare Moon had the same scared sad look Luna had now and had her hoof in front of her face just like she had. "That's not me!" Luna said softly and sadly, almost whispering.

Luna was then shocked to see that the reflection broke away from the pattern and moved on its own, and an evil scowl appeared onto her face. "Oh really?" the mare in the mirror replied. "Am I not part of you? Wasn't I born from the jealousy and hatred for your sister? How you always were in the background and how the night you cherish wasn't favored?" Nightmare Moon then actually stepped outside of the mirror and moved towards Luna, who staggered back, scared out of her wits. "Am I not the real you?"

"NO! NO! NO!" Luna said as she covered her eyes and her ears with her hooves.

"Face it, Luna…she is the real you! I showed you that before…I can show you again, in case you've forgotten!" the voice whispered again.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Luna shouted as the void around her disappeared, and the voice and the image of Nightmare Moon disappeared alongside it. She no longer found herself in the void, but in a room. She was sitting near a desk of mahogany wood, scrolls, books and tomes covering the desk. She looked around, and sighed in relief to find herself in her room at the Royal Palace.

The entire room was painted and styled in her colors and motive, the dark blue and the night. Walls, carpet, bed sheets, all in various dark shades of blue, and the ceiling was decorated with various stars and the moon of course. As she was Princess Luna, mistress of the night, and protector of dreams…Ironically she couldn't protect herself from these nightmares she had.

A knock was heard on her door. She sighed as she moved towards the door and opened it. A white alicorn mare, much like her stood in the doorway. She was taller than Luna, had a pure white fur, and her mane and tail were wavy and sparkly, but in light blue, pink and green. Her eyes were violet, her crown and the armor on her chest and hooves was golden and the mark on her flank was that of a sun. "Luna? Is everything all right? I heard you screaming…"

This was Princess Celestia, Princess Luna's olders sister, and mistress of the day, responsible for raising the sun and co-ruler of their kingdom, the land of Equestria. "Just having a nightmare…I know it's quite ironic." Luna muttered.

"Having 'just' a nightmare? You don't look that good, Luna. There is something more about it. I heard you scream your lungs out. You are the mistress of dreams, so if you yourself have nightmares it's not a good sign. " Celestia stated. Luna didn't look well indeed. Her face looked sweaty and she had bags under her eyes. "So be honest with me, Lulu…How long do you have these nightmares?" Celestia asked her sister.

Luna bit her lower lip as she spilled the beans: "Something over a month now." she admitted. Her sister was worried for her, she could tell, she couldn't bring up herself to lie because what her sister said was true. Her nightmares weren't normal indeed. And she wanted them to stop.

"Did you do anything a month ago, around the same time the nightmares began?" Celestia asked her.

Luna sighed as her horn glowed and in a bluish aura, some of the books and scrolls she had been delving into floated in front of her sister. "A month ago I started some research…" Luna said.

Celestia looked at the books and scrolls. There were star charts among them, showing the positioning of the stars of the last year. Among the books she saw several familiar titles like 'The Mare in the Moon', 'Magical creatures believed to be extinct' and 'Legends of the Crystal Empire.'

"What are you looking after, Luna?" Celestia asked, still confused. Luna turned the pages in some of the books, showing the pages in the books concerning several creatures the Princesses and the Elements of Harmony had faced. The first book showed during which events Nightmare Moon would escape her prison on the moon, an entry in the book of extinct creatures about changelings and draconequus, and the book of the Crystal Empire about Sombra.

"Luna…these threats have been neutralized. Why are you still looking into them?" Celestia asked.

"These events happened shortly after one another, four major threats in the course of a single year…we didn't have something like that in a thousand years. It cannot be coincidence. When I was Nightmare Moon, I escaped…shortly after Discord broke free…the changeling race, which was believed to be extinct resurfaced after a thousand years to ruin Cadance's wedding and shortly afterwards the Crystal Empire returns…" Luna stated.

"Though I see your point, each of these were contributed to several factors. The star alignment for Nightmare Moon, us having forsaken the Elements for Discord and the curse on the Crystal Empire was powerful yes, but it wasn't eternal." Celestia said.

"It didn't explain how the changelings came back. There wasn't as much of a sighting of them and they came back out of nowhere. Queen Chrysalis was especially powerful, even with Shining Armor's love fueling her, she shouldn't be that strong. I was out of commission during the invasion because my drink was spiked with Mandragora …how could the Changelings know that us alicorns can be affected by that substance? And that curse Sombra cast…it was magic no normal unicorn or even alicorn can just cast…and us being unable to break that curse for the past thousand years shows it was nothing ordinary. I believe something else is behind it." Luna stated.

"What can be behind it? What can be so powerful to manipulate you, a spirit of chaos, a race of shape shifters and a unicorn king like this?" Celestia asked.

"I don't know…I told you I remember little of my time as Nightmare Moon…enough to feel regret for it…but I've recently recalled something else. A whispering voice that had spoken to me prior to my fall into darkness. It had steered me. I had forgotten about it, but it came back slightly…though it's mostly blurry." Luna stated.

"A whisper…a voice that spoke to them?" Celestia asked. To her it seemed all the more confusing.

"Think about it…all these evil forces; they were neutralized a thousand years ago, each one by the Elements of Harmony. Then no such similar events happened for a thousand years, up until last year. Something was forced into hiding or slumber cause the elements could harm him, it was hurt…it was licking its wounds. Nightmare Moon, Discord, the Changelings and Sombra…each one tried to incapacitate the potential of the Elements in a different way. I tried destroy the Elements, Discord warped the users, the changeling target one of the wielders' relatives and Sombra tapped into the fears of your student." Luna stated.

Celestia let it all sink in, though as hard as it seemed to believe…but something Luna said did make sense. "Your theory holds valid points…but nothing up until now we can see as real proof as of yet."

"What? After all I've shown you, how can you still have doubts?" Luna asked a bit upset.

"Nothing ever suggested that any of these evildoers had acted out nothing else of their own personal motives, no hint at someone else pulling the strings. Your time as Nightmare Moon was blurry, as you've said yourself." Celestia stated.

"Tia, please! You know how much we both had lost a thousand years ago? You want us to lose more? We can't take the risk. We need to inform the Wielders of the Elements of this." Luna spat.

"Tell them what? How can we tell them to watch out for something if we don't even know ourselves what it is?" Celestia reminded her.

"At least we'll be able to do something this time. You've kept yourself from interfering with the battles the Wielders have fought, and prevented me from doing the same. They had come out on top every time, yes…and it's true it was up to them to deliver the finishing blow. But we could have done more then stand and watch all those times… it was always too close for comfort. But what if they run out of luck next time? No, they need to be prepared for everything…" Luna stated.

"You know I've been foretold our interference would do nothing in the long run, that it was always up to them. I had to stay out, not because I wanted to…cause believe me I wanted to. You think I'm not worried when Twi…I mean the Wielders go on a mission? You don't think I wanted to do something. But I couldn't…because…"

"Because what? Because that stupid statue told you? Tia, I don't think it's wise to listen to the Oracle. I find his methods…questionable. I don't know if we can rely on him." Luna stated.

"He has never been wrong before. Everything he warned me about has come true. He foretold your return as Nightmare Moon, the return of Discord, the threat against Canterlot that would turn out to be the changelings, the return of the Empire… He was right on those." Celestia said.

"But was he right to say we couldn't do as much as stick out a hoof ourselves? I trust your judgment so I did as told and interfered little, but we can't keep this up. Are you going to keep listening to him? You should be there for them. Twilight is your student…though it's clear to you she's more than a student, isn't she? You care for her like a daughter, I know you do. Can you really bear to lose her too? Like you lost me before? Before you lost your true love? How you lost…her?" Luna asked.

"That's the reason I need his help. I don't want my actions to have consequences. So I always need to know what happens before I can act. So that's why I couldn't do anything before…" Celestia said sadly.

"I call bull on that, Tia! Every action has consequences. What I mean to say is that you shouldn't let anyone else but yourself let your future set in stone." Luna told her.

"I'm sorry Luna, but I need confirmation…I need to be sure. I need to talk with him on this matter." Celestia stated.

"How can you call yourself a ruler if you let yourself be destiny's puppet?" Luna shouted as Celestia left her room. Celestia pretended to not hear, but she was left with an empty feeling.

Celestia made her way to a secret quarters of her castle. No one knew this room existed, no one knew except her and Luna knew what housed it. No one even knew how to get in there. The room was so well hidden that even Discord wouldn't have found it. The room looked different from the bright white and amazing architecture of the rest of the castle. This room was dark and except for three objects nothing was in the room; not even decorations or paint up the wall, just an empty stone brick chamber.

Celestia now stood in front of what appeared to be a golden statue of a three-headed alicorn, two torches at either side lit to illuminate the dark room…they were the only objects there. "You haven't come to see me in a while. You want another prediction, Celestia?" the statue spoke in three unified voices at once, with an echo effect added.

"Oracle…we have reason to believe that… something dark is ahoof. The reappearance of dark forces thought long point that out, but I can't say a thing for sure. You who see the future in an inevitable way, you can tell me if it's true!" Celestia asked.

"Though I'm nearly all-seeing, there are few who can shield themselves from my sight. Though I wouldn't rule out that something more is behind it. But you have reason to believe so as it's really unsettling. But that's not the main reason you come to me, do you?" the Oracle replied.

"Yes…I don't want to be passive about this anymore. I can't bear putting down the Elements in situations like this anymore while just watching. It's too much. Isn't there really another way for me? To fight alongside them when the need arises." Celestia asked.

"Is it about the Elements, or about your student? Do you care so much about her? Is it because she reminds you off…" the Oracle asked.

"I ask the questions, Oracle!" Celestia said firmly.

"My apologies, but I'm just expressing worry if you should get so attached to this unicorn? She is skilled yes, but her power is raw and powerful, nothing like you've seen before…is she even aware of the power she possesses? She has potential for great things, but also as much potential for disaster…" the Oracle continued.

"Enough…just answer my question!" Celestia said loud and firm.

"Very well…you must know, the Element Wielders themselves must be the ones dealing the final blow in the end. To assume their destinies they must learn on their own, you can't always leave breadcrumbs behind. Like with those letters when Discord came along, or when you sent your student that letter before she first faced Nightmare Moon…You can only meddle if it's about the investigation, but not in the battle. Otherwise…the future might be lost." Oracle replied.

"For someone who doesn't see the future related so clearly anymore, you're pretty sure of a future that is doomed." Celestia pointed out.

"If the Elements do not get stronger, it will be a matter of time anyways before they fall…evil never dies, and if it's not one force of darkness, then it's another one." The Oracle answered.

"I still have doubts, but I believe you for now Oracle. You were most helpful." Celestia noted.

"It's my duty to serve the royal alicorn line!" the Oracle replied. Celestia turned around and left the room, which darkened upon her leave, though the only thing still shining bright were the cold empty eyes of the Oracle…

Celestia strolled back through the white polished marble hallways of the castle. No one has seen her go in or out the room like always. Her face hung down and she looked sad. It pained her to talk to the Oracle every time. She understood Luna's distrust in the being. But his abilities were useful so she had kept it around. But it was nothing more than a machine, not taking any emotion in account. To the Oracle, the preservation of the future was above anything. He didn't live in the present, just for the future.

The future was important, but the past and the present were as well. The path the Oracle always predicted was a straight one, though there were ways that took a detour, but Celestia felt fearful about taking those. Though she was powerful…she wasn't powerful enough in her own eyes.

Thousands of years, that long she has been alive. She has seen a lot of wonderful things during that time, but also saw many bad things, things she wouldn't rather think about. How helpless she felt when Luna had fallen into darkness, and how she had lost her lover, and also several other important ponies that had come in her life…

She moved onto the balcony of the highest tower, and worked her magic. The time to set the sun had come for the day and she let the sun go down slowly, making beautiful shades of orange and red appear on the horizon as she did.

"Tia…" Luna's voice sounded softly next to her. Celestia turned around, without letting go of the sunset spell of course. "I didn't mean to snap at you earlier. You're not a puppet. It's just…you're not the only one who had lost someone. But believe me when I tell you, whatever I said was not to have you worry or anything…"

"I know…you are actively busy with the safety of our kingdom. I can't bring up anything less than respect for such determination. I'm not mad at you, sister." Celestia said as the sun had completely set down.

"So what did threehead say?" Luna asked as her horn glowed and she made the full moon rise from behind the horizon, it's white surface reflecting the sun's rays to illuminate the night.

"The Oracle wasn't able to answer all my questions. If there is anything out there, it can shield itself rather well." Celestia stated.

"You do believe me, do you, Tia?" Luna asked as the moon was anchored in the sky and she started working on making the stars appear.

"I do…but I'm concerned about what the future might hold. If such thing as…the Whisper exists, will the Elements of Harmony be enough in the long run as they are now?" Celestia wondered.

Luna finished of the last of the stars as she replied: "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"The Elements have to reach their next level. We might not have been able to do so in the past…but the current wielders have done things we couldn't have. They destroyed Sombra and reformed Discord. I'm sure they might unlock the true power of the Elements too!" Celestia stated.

"So do we tell them their Elements have more power than they thought?" Luna asked.

"We can't…cause you know what it takes to unlock their true power. And it's an issue that can be considered delicate. Emotions can't be forced. And that's what they might do once they know." Celestia explained.

"Cadence has no problem with it." Luna argued.

"She cannot truly affect emotions, she can reach out to them, but not change them. She can bring out positive emotions to end a lover's quarrel, or break a mind-control, but she can't create them. No one can." Celestia explained.

"Okay, but who says that'll happen anytime soon. They seem content with their lives as it is, you think that they have an urge to commit anytime soon? What should we do when it's not going fast enough?" Luna asked.

"Then we must gather our most powerful allies for as the time comes. Luckily, thanks to Fluttershy, we already regained Discord as an ally. Though he's still rough around the edges. But there's a lot that still has to be done." Celestia answered.

"Don't worry, sister. I'll be at your side the whole way…and so will the Wielders of the Elements." Luna stated.

"I know…but nothing is as easy as it seems…"

TO BE CONTINUED

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Hello everyone! I deleted my old fanfic 'Final Coltdown' because…it got off to a very bad start. I had ideas for the middle of the fic, but I started out the fic horribly. I wanted to start off with something all six of the Mane cast are central, but it was mostly improvising that didn't go as I wanted it to, and the first story arc led to nothing as I couldn't think of how to continue.

But now with the revised and renamed version, I do it as it was meant to be, it's going to be back, better than ever and I really hope to improve with this one. So I start of fresh now. And I hope this time you'll be able to enjoy it.

The fanfic is mostly set after 'Games Ponies Play' and will be an alternative universe from that point onwards. Nothing against the season three finale, but I want to take it in another direction. That's all.