Elements of Love ----------------------------------------------------------By Cinnamon Swift

Wind blew through the courtyard, and Twilight couldn’t help but place herself in between the monster and Applejack, despite the scowl on his face.

The name ‘Nightmare Moon’ was certainly an apt one, her coat was black as the night and her mane burned with the souls of ponies she had killed and harvested. Twilight could almost feel the waves of power rolling off the mare as she stood laughing before them. All around her and her herd, the other ponies were screaming or fleeing, but Twilight knew she had to stand fast. That much was expected of her.

“You’ll never see your precious Celestia or her sun again!” Nightmare Moon crowed. “Poor, foolish Celestia, couldn’t even be bothered to warn you ponies what was coming…”

Twilight grimaced. Celestia hadn’t told her, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know what was going on—more over, she knew if there were answers to be found, they’d be in a book somewhere. After all, she had been defeated once before, this so-called Nightmare Moon, and she can be defeated again. Twilight’s face hardened. If it was the last thing she did, she’d see this through.

“Yes, flee! You should fear me, for tonight will be your last,” Nightmare Moon crackled gleefully. “Spread the word! Nightmare Moon is back, and the night shall last forever!”

In a blink of an eye, the monstrous mare transformed into a cloud of bats, and the swarm flew out of the window. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. She was gone, for now, and as far as she knew, no pony was seriously injured.

“What the hay was that?” Dashie said, as he gazed up at the window Nightmare Moon had escaped out of. His wings were twitching nervously, and Twilight couldn’t help but give her poor stallion a nuzzle and a comforting hug, before explaining.

“That was Nightmare Moon, she’s been imprisoned in the moon for the past thousand years, and now she’s back for revenge.” Twilight’s ears drooped. “But it sounds like she’s already gotten it.”

“Now, don’t you give up, sugarcube,” Applejack rumbled, as he pressed his muzzle against her own. “If there’s a mare out there who can save us, I reckon it’s you. What do ya need?”

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing up and down. “Let’s throw a ‘help Twilight think of a way to save us’ party!”

“Maybe later, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said with a warm grin. “Besides, shouldn’t you save your energy for when we do defeat her?”

Twilight blushed hard. Her herdmates were so good to her. She could hardly believe she had only met the three of them only recently; they already felt like they had been with her all her life. How could she live without them?

“Thanks, you guys,” Twilight paused to nuzzle each of them in turn. “First, I need to get back to the library—I know there’s at least one book there, Elements of Love, that should help us figure out what to do… you guy’s will be there, with me… right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it!” Dashie exclaimed, jumping up into the air. “We’ll always be there for you, Twilight…”

“Rainbow’s right,” Applejack said with a nod. “We aren’t nothing but a family, by my reckoning, and I can’t say I’d have it any other way.

“Unless it was with sprinkles! Or balloons! Maybe candy! Yeah! Lots of candy! I love candy almost as much as I love

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Author's Notes:

What is dis, dis isn't clop!

Because the book wasn't supposed to be all erotica.