Chapter 2: A Princess's Disappearance

"Although despite this well-assured promise, King Night Light, still fearful for his daughter's life, thereby ordered that every black books with wires, or separated, be destroyed on that day."

Outside, folks threw books with wires, or separated, into the fire. The king doesn't want any risk be taken to his little filly.

"And thus, it was done."

Up in a tower, Rarity and Spike watch the stuff being destroyed. The two sighs in concern. They doubt that the black books and wires' destruction will slow down the curse. Once Nightmare Moon is determined to get her revenge, nothing will stop her.

As the two leaves the window, they pass Fluttershy who is drinking tea while eating daisies. She said, "Calm down, Rarity, Spike. Have some tea." Rarity came over and gets some tea to calm herself down. "I'm sure it would work out somehow."

"Ha! I doubt a bonfire will stop Nightmare Moon." Rainbow remarks bitterly while drinking tea. She's right. No matter what, Nightmare Moon is going to be stopped that easily if any black books with wires are destroyed.

"Yeah, knowing the former Goddess of the Night, she will make sure that Twilight will prick her hoof no matter what." Spike remarks in agreement.

"Yes, but if no fire can stop her, what will?" Rarity asks with a sigh of concern.

As Fluttershy eats a sandwich, she pauses and then begins to speak, "Well...perhaps if we could talk to Nightmare Moon. Try to reason with her somehow."

"Reason," Rarity and Spike yelps in shock as if Fluttershy has made the most suicidal idea ever in the history of Equestria!

"You kidding right? Please tell me you're kidding." Rainbow said to Fluttershy with a frown. "No one could reason with her! If her sister Princess Celestia couldn't talk to her with reason, I doubt any of us would!"

"Come on, Rarity, Rainbow, Spike. Nightmare Moon wasn't always evil." Fluttershy explains calmly to her friends. "Princess Luna only became that meanie because Sombra betrayed her."

It's true. Princess Luna AKA Nightmare Moon isn't all that bad. She used to be the Goddess of the Night, after all, nice and helpful to the subjects of the Mystic Realm. But when Sombra betrayed her, the once kind Luna turned into a monster that tried to get her home out of vengeance and jealously. That drove her banishment and for her to live on Mount Thunderflame where she ruled since. And it's all because of that wicked unicorn king Sombra!

"Well, at least Nightmare Moon didn't curse Twilight to become a centaurette at night and a princess by day like what happened before, though Sombra still hates me for robbing his chance to take over the Crystal Empire and all good Dragons." Spike remarks with a sigh. "Good thing Taiku's still the Alpha Dragon."

"And unless I'm mistaken, Sombra is still out there…and he has Nightmare Moon's wings." Rarity said deeply. Princess Celestia has ordered her Royal Guards and best subjects to find Sombra, to capture and make that unicorn paid for his treachery towards Luna and everyone else in the Mystic Realm. So far, he is yet to be found. The Goddess of the Sun was hoping to recover her sister's wings and return them to her, thus hopefully bring Luna back somehow.

"Yeah; and I still remember how mad and revenge driven Crydius was when Drago Bludvist took his mom's wings."

Fluttershy shudders a bit, “Ooh…I’d hate to encounter him, if indeed he is still out there.”

Most of the Mystic Realm trio looks at Spike oddly, not understanding what he meant. Still, Rainbow sat down, frowning while scowling, "Man! Wouldn't I love to turn Sombra into a Parasprite and crush him!"

"Rainbow Dash! That isn't nice!" Fluttershy gasps at Rainbow's suggestion. Even if the yellow Pegasus pony doesn't like Sombra for what he did to Luna, there's no reason to make a threat like that.

"I agree, darling. We use our powers for good, remember?" Rarity reminds Rainbow of one fact: the trio only uses their powers to help others, bring happiness to others.

"Yes, and we don't do dark magic. We do the good kind to bring joy, happiness, and kindness."

"Well, that would make me happy and all that stuff." Rainbow remarks with a frown while crossing her upper forearms. Turning Sombra into a Parasprite and crush him would make the mare happy.

"Yeah...or at least bring Nightmare Moon back to her senses and let her crush him!" Spike remarks with an anger hiss. Boy, wouldn't it awesome if that day were to come?

"We still got Nightmare Moon to deal with. There has got to be a way...somehow..." Rarity said, trying to think of an idea of how to keep Twilight safe from Nightmare Moon until the day of the curse has passed. The white unicorn gasps while brightening up, "An idea!"

"Idea," Rainbow asks as she, Fluttershy and Spike looks up hopefully. Rarity must've come up with something to help Twilight!

"What? What is it?" Fluttershy ask Rarity anxiously.

"It's..." Rarity stops for a moment as she looks around in concern, "Best not to speak here. Even walls have ears."

"Huh?" Fluttershy and Rainbow ask puzzled, not sure what their friend is referring to at first.

"I get what Rarity means. Follow me." Spike said with a nod as he leads the mares. There's a possibility that Nightmare Moon and/or one of her forces will be spying on the Mystic Realm group right now, trying to see if they're up to something.

Spike led the group to a small cabinet as he got onto Rarity's back. The mares use their magic to shrink themselves to fly themselves inside. Once they're in there, Spike closes the door tightly to keep the conversion as peaceful and private as possible.

Rarity grins as she said, "Yes. I will turn her into a flower!"

"What, Nightmare Moon?" Fluttershy ask Rarity in surprise. "Isn't that a bit harsh?"

"No, no, darling! Not Nightmare Moon; Twilight Sparkle!"

"Gasp! Yes, oh, Twilight would be a nice flower."

"Wait, a flower?" Spike asks Rarity, blinking curiously at his love's idea.

"Of course; Flowers can't prick a hoof if it doesn't any." Rarity giggles happily while nodding. It's true. If Twilight's a flower, she won't prick her hoof onto a wire on a black book! It's perfect, "Oh, yes; A wonderful idea!"

"Yeah, wow." Rainbow said with a nod, understanding the idea.

"Oh yes, Rarity. What a good idea!" Fluttershy exclaims, making a cute little squee.

"Oh, Twilight Sparkle will be completely safe by then." Rarity said with a satisfied smile. Once the time of the curse has passed, Twilight will be changed back by then and Nightmare Moon's curse will be foiled!

"Wait, hang on. What if Nightmare Moon send in a fire to burn all the flowers in the kingdom?" Rainbow asks in concern, realizing something that Nightmare Moon could do.

This causes Rarity to gasps, looking concerned as she just came to that conclusion yourself. Spike groans while saying, "Oh man! Not cool. If Rarity turns Twilight into a flower, Nightmare Moon would turn the princess into ashes."

"Oh dear. She always ruins Rarity's nicest flowers." Fluttershy said sadly in agreement.

"Right and she will be expecting us to do something like that." Rarity said gloomy as she came over to sit down on a metal thing. Nightmare Moon would expect that her former friends would try to counter her curse with something like that, and would counter back with something terrible!

"Right; If we try to transform Twilight Sparkle or try to teleport out of Equestria, Nightmare Moon will know what we did and...man, it won't be pretty!" Spike exclaims with a frown, crossing his arms while pouting.

"Well, is there something that Nightmare Moon cannot expect?" Rainbow asks in frustration while flying around a bit. "She knows everything!"

"Oh, not everything, Rainbow. Why, Nightmare Moon hadn't known anything about love, kindness, joy, or helping people, not since Sombra betrayed her." Fluttershy explains to Rainbow clearly. Rarity, hearing this, looks up in thought. "Sadly, I don't think she will ever be happy again."

"Idea!!!! Yes, yes! It's an idea that Nightmare will never expect, ruin or understand!" Rarity exclaims eagerly as she got up. The mare begins pacing around; the idea continues forming in her head, "Now, got to make sure that nothing will go wrong. Okay...yes, that old abandoned cottage in the Everfree Forest is still there. The king and queen wouldn't like the idea at first and would protest. Of course, once we tell the two that it's for the best for their daughter."

"What the hay are you on about now?" Rainbow asks puzzled. What idea is Rarity coming up with next?

"Simple, Rainbow. My idea involves 3 common ponies who raise a foundling filly deep in the forest, just for them."

"Oh...that's nice of them." Fluttershy said puzzled, wondering what ponies that Rarity is referring to.

"So who are they, do we know them?" Rainbow asks, nodding though wondering where Rarity’s going with this.

"Well, my friends; turn around and see for yourselves." Rarity said with a smile to Fluttershy and Rainbow, motioning them both to turn around to find out their answers.

The two ponies look puzzled but turn around, about to face a mirror that is behind them. Suddenly Rainbow shot a blast of magic onto Fluttershy and Rainbow, causing them to now be wearing peasant clothing. This causes them both to jump, gasping at their reflections in surprise.

"Whoa!" Spike exclaims in surprise as well. "You mean..."

"It's us?" Fluttershy ask Rarity in surprise. She, Rainbow and Rarity are going to be the ones who will take care of Twilight?

"As in all of us," Rainbow asks Rarity in amazement.

"And not just us but little Spikey Wikey too," Rarity exclaims happily, patting Spike on the head, making him grin widely, "And why not?"

"Yeah, that sounds good!" Spike exclaims with a smile. Taking care of Twilight until it's time for her to come back home safely: sounds good.

"Oh yes, that's wonderful!" Fluttershy exclaims with a happy squee.

Rainbow notes that her clothes are pink, making her use her magic to change the color into a rainbow like color. Once that's done, the Pegasus pony ask curiously, "Wait, hang on, you mean, we have to feed it?"

"Oh, and wash it, dress it, rock her to sleep. Oh, I would love that nicely. Squee! It's like taking care of animals, only with a baby."

"Yeah, and I would be a teacher of sorts." Spike exclaims, rubbing his claws together. "I always wanted a sister."

"So you think we can do this, Rarity?" Rainbow asks Rarity who uses her own magic to get herself some peasant clothes of her own.

"Well, if Princess Celestia can have a colt to take of and she's from the Mystic Realm, we can too." Rarity said to her friends with a smile.

"Yeah; wouldn't it be great?" Spike asks eagerly as he stood on his tail to balance himself somehow, making the girls giggle.

"Plus, with our magic, this job will be easy." Rainbow brags eagerly.

Upon hearing that, Rarity gasps in concern, "Oh dear! No, we mustn't use magic! Out of the question! Girls, give me your necklaces, please! Oh, and we better get rid of the horn and wings too."

"Wait, hang on." Spike said in concern. Fluttershy removes her own necklace to give to Rarity who uses her magic to remove the yellow Pegasus's wings. "Why can't they use magic?"

"Because, Everfree Forest is close to the Mystic Realm as well as Mount Thunderflame! If we used magic, Nightmare Moon will figure out and our plan will be ruined!"

"Huh. That does make sense."

Rainbow tries her best to hide her necklace, still upset over the idea. Not use magic or even fly?! The Pegasus pony protests, "What, you're saying that we should live like peasant ponies forever?!"

"It will only be for 16 years, Rainbow." Rarity insists to Rainbow. The Pegasus pony tries to fly off, but the unicorn uses her magic to take Rainbow's wings away from her, causing her to fall to the bottom. As she struggles with Rainbow for her necklace, Rarity adds, "And once that's done, we will be ourselves again."

"Aww, come on! We never gone very far without magic before!"

"Precisely, and that's why this idea is something that Nightmare Moon will never think to expect!"

"But...who will do the chores, as well that wash, cook and all that cook stuff?" Rainbow asks her friends frantically while trying to keep her own necklace away from Rarity.

"Seriously; I have to do them back home, remember?" Spike points out to Rainbow bitterly while crossing his arms with a pouty look. It's true; he usually does all the chores at the Mystic Ponies' home all the time.

"Well, we will pitch in and help you, Spike darling." Rarity said to Spike. This made the Dragon to give himself a wide mile. Seriously; His love and his friends are going to help out? "How hard can it be?"

"Oh, I want to care for the baby." Fluttershy said gently and happily. It will be wonderful to take care of a little filly.

"Rainbow, enough, I will take that!" Spike exclaims in annoyance as he swipes the necklace from Rainbow, making her sigh in defeat. He gives the necklace to Rarity while continuing, "Here you go, Rare."

"Thank you. Now come. We must inform the king and queen." Rarity said with a smile; Time to inform Night Light and Twilight Velvet of the plan.

Spike didn't hesitate to get onto Rarity as she flew out of the cabinet before she uses her magic to change them back to normal sizes. The unicorn prepares to head off with the baby Dragon to inform the royal couple of the plan.

"Rarity," Two familiar voice squeaks out from the small cabinet.

Rarity yelps, realizing that she forgot that Rainbow and Fluttershy are still in the cabinet. And without their magic, they can't leave there.

Rarity quickly uses the magic of her necklace to not only get Rainbow and Fluttershy out of the cabinet, but to change them back to normal as well.

"Sorry." Rarity said sheepishly to her friends. As the four gallops out of the room, the unicorn made sure to use her necklace to get rid of her own horn. She will make sure to use her necklace to get it back later.

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As Rarity predicted, Night Light and Twilight Velvet didn't approve of the idea and protest it. But they knew that there's no choice, it's for Twilight's safety. And thus, the couple, with Ben, watches in sadness from a balcony. Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike and Rainbow looks out through a door to outside, making sure that no one, but the trio, is watching. As Fluttershy held baby Twilight, the group, sure of the safety, quickly rushes off into the night towards the direction of the Everfree Forest.

"And so King Night Light and Queen Twilight Velvet watched with heavy hearts as their beloved daughter, their only child disappear into the night. But the most heartbroken of them all was Ben, for he knew that he would never see her again for sixteen years...and she wouldn't even remember him."

Ben, crying as he sees Twilight leave, spoke in sadness, "Good-bye, Twilight."

"Years had passed since that day for King Night Light and his ponies, sadness hit the kingdom since."

But soon, as the years passed, the kingdom appears to be rejoicing once more as the ponies are preparing for something, brightening up.

"But soon, the time for the princess's 16th birthday draws near, making the whole kingdom rejoiced happily."

In another part of Equestria is a dark mountain place known as Mount Thunderflame, a place of evil and darkness. No pony or animal dare to go there as Nightmare Moon holds rule there since her banishment. Lightning and thunder flash around the dark castle of the once Alicorn known as Princess Luna to show the anger and frustration that she is going through all these 16 years.

"For everyone and everypony knew that as long as Nightmare Moon's foul volcanic fortress, Mount Thunderflame, roared and erupted with her fiery wrath and vengeance against Jack Silver...her evil prophecy nor her revenge had been fulfilled."

Nightmare Moon paces back and forth in her throne room, much to the concern of her subjects the Diamond Dogs. 16 years has passed since Twilight's disappearance. She suspected that her former Mystic Realm friends are responsible and so, send her minions to look for them and for Twilight. But so far, there wasn't any trace of them all over! It's like they up and vanished! But the ponies couldn't have teleported out of Equestria. Nightmare Moon would've known about it instantly!

"It's incredible! Sixteen years…and there is still no trace of her?! She couldn't have possibly vanished into thin air." Nightmare Moon snaps in frustration. She turns to one of the leaders of the Diamond Dogs known as Rover. "Rover..."

Rover salutes the Alicorn of Darkness, responding, "Uh…yes, Nightmare Moon?"

"Are you positively sure that you searched everywhere for her?"

"Yes, we…did, Your Wickedness. We searched everywhere…me and the boys. Right, boys?"

"Yes, yes, I can see that, Rover." Nightmare Mare groans as she sits in her throne, rolling her eyes as her minions nod in agreement with Rover. The mare couldn't stand these mutts' stupidity. At least the subjects back in the Mystic Realm are more brighter and smarter than them. "But did you search the town; the forest; The mountains…well, excluding Mount Thunderflame that is?"

Spot, another leader of the Diamond Dogs, nodded as he explained, "Well…yeah, we did; we searched each and every last mountain, looked in every tree and cave in the forest, we even burst through all the houses…and all the cradles, too." The Diamond Dog holds his arms out as if motioning a cradle, much to the surprise and disbelief of the Alicorn.

"Wait. What was that word again, Spot? Cradles?"

Fido, the last leader, nods as he confirms what his colleague just said, "Yep. That's right, Nightmare Moon. Every last cradle."

"Cradle!"" Nightmare Moon exclaims in more disbelief. Then with a smirk the corrupted Alicorn then towards Gilda and spoke, "Gilda…did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I sure did, Nightmare Moon." Gilda remarks, shaking her head in amusement by this.

"You mean to tell me, boys…that for the last sixteen years, you've been looking for a baby?"

"Uh….yep. That's right, Nightmare Moon." Spot said with a nod. All these years, the Diamond Dogs were looking for a baby, still no trace.

Nightmare Moon begins to chuckle, giving out a very cruel laugh. The Diamond Dogs join in, laughing along with their ruler. However, the Alicorn stood up furiously, flashing in darkness with anger in her eyes.

"IDIOTS; MORONS, FOOLS," Nightmare Moon roars in fury as she fires lightning and magic at the Diamond Dogs, they all run off in fear and terror. All these years, those morons should've been looking for a foal or a grown up mare at least! While some of the mutts remain to cover as the rest run off in fear. Nightmare Moon sighs as she sits back down, "Oh, hopeless, every one of them. They are a big disgrace to the forces of evil...."

Gilda, who managed to hide during her boss's rampage, flew out of hiding. She spoke, "Yo, Nightmare Moon. You okay?"

"Gilda…my loyal, unyielding Gilda…you are my only hope now."

"So…uh…what do you need me to do?"

"I need you to circle far and wide throughout the kingdom. I need you to search for a filly of sixteen…with a violet mulberry coat, a moderate sapphire blue mane and tail with a hint of brilliant rose streaks, deep violet eyes…and lips just as red as a rose." Nightmare Moon gives out the order to Gilda. Twilight must be grown up by now. And with the description, it won't be hard for Gilda to locate her. "Now go, Gilda…and do not return until you've found her."

"You can count on me, Nightmare Moon." The griffin said as she salutes her boss. The griffin then flew out a nearby window, flying out of the castle as she begins her mission to locate the missing Twilight Sparkle.

And once Gilda left, Nightmare Moon grinned and stood up once more as she spoke to her cowering Diamond Dog minions, "My friends…my loyal, yet slow-minded friends…we are about to embark on the most odious…the most evil…the most diabolical scheme of my illustrious career. This shall be a crime to top all other crimes. It'll be a crime that will live in infamy!" Then the Diamond Dogs cheered for Nightmare Moon as she summoned a silhouetted image of Twilight Sparkle. "Tomorrow evening, dear sweet Princess Twilight Sparkle shall return to Ponyville for her sixteenth birthday. And…with a little insurance policy that everything goes according to plan…it promises to be a night that she and her beloved family will never forget; Their last night…and my first…as Supreme Ruler…of all…PONYDOM!"

The Diamond Dogs cheers on wildly as they get some rotten Apple Cider from a barrel, singing a song to their boss called 'Equestria's Greatest Alicorn'. Nightmare Moon smiles in approval as she stood there. Soon, her vengeance on those who wrong her will be fulfilled....

Nemo hiccups from his Apple Cider, saying, "To Princess Luna, the world's greatest cad!"

The Diamond Dogs gasps in horror as Nightmare Moon's eyes widen in shock and anger. The mare turns to Nemo, growling, "What…was THAT?! What did you call me?"

"Uh…uh…Nemo didn't mean it, Your Evilness." Rover said nervously to Nightmare Moon. Hoo boy, if there's one thing that Nightmare Moon hated than being betrayed, attacked and anything else, it's being called by her real name.

Spot nods in agreement, saying, "Yeah…it was…well…just a slip of the tongue."

"My name…IS NOT PRINCESS LUNA!" Nightmare Moon roars to Nemo in fury. She hadn't been called Princess Luna since her transformation and the corrupt Alicorn refused to let anyone call her that since.

"Of course it's not. It's Nightmare Moon." Fido said quickly to Nightmare Moon, fearing the worst for poor Nemo.

"Yeah, that's right. It's just Nightmare Moon." Spot said nervously while nodding.

"Yeah, plain old Nightmare Moon," Rover grunts a bit in agreement.

"Silence," Nightmare Moon roared, sending out more lightning and magic at the Diamond Dogs. They scream in fear and rush out of the room in terror. Once every Diamond Dog is gone, the Alicorn groans while sitting back down. "A disgrace to the forces of evil...every last one of them..."

Unknown to Nightmare Moon, someone or something is spying on her...chuckling cruelly while saying, "Excellent...everything is going according to plan."

Author's note
Twilight has disappeared and Nightmare Moon is looking for her. In the next chapter, we see the girls celebrating the 16th birthday of Twilight, who is called 'Iris Crystal', while trying to keep the party a secret from her. As the mare hangs out with her animal friends while singing, she attracts the attention of a grown-up Ben Mare who is journeying with his friends Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Read, review and suggest.

The last part of this is a reference to 'The Great Mouse Detective'.