The countless years Princess Celestia endured without her sister paled in comparison to the greif she felt, once she realized that Luna's banishment did nothing to change her.

         Luna's anger did not fade. She heard her voice scream from the moon.

         I should have tried to find the Elements first, Celestia thought bitterly, but it was too late. Celestia thought she could get her sister back.

        And she was wrong. Celestia gripped her staff, a polished golden rod, with a sun symbol on one end. Yellow magic arched around the sun symbol, her rainbow hair starting to wave, preparing another spell, to entomb her sister for another millennium.

        "I'm sorry..."

"Celestia!" A voice boomed around the moon, startling Celestia, "The night shall last forever! And you cannot stop me!" The same voice radiated from the white rock, screaming. A stream of sparkling stars dashed from the moon, heading to Celestia.

Nightmare Moon's figure dashed around Celestia, following up with another, larger beam. Celestia raised a golden orb around her, just in time, but the dark seraph collided with her, piercing her shield with a black sword colliding with her staff. What was once Celestia's sister, was replaced by an avatar of equal height, clothed in black armor with spiked shoulders, shimmering, starry blue hair, and eyes filled with hate.

Celestia stared at her sister's eyes, irises like a snake, hatred beyond control, before pushing her sword away, and firing off a concussive blast of yellow light, sending her back to the moon.

"Luna, I'm sorry," she wiped tears from her eyes before she reluctantly charged up a beam on her staff. But a huge beam of black magic was headed toward her, so massive, it was visible to the inhabitants below.

Too bad no one was able to see it.

Celestia felt the magic blast hit her mid-spell, knocking her out instantly, and the energy blasted her to the sun, her staff falling towards Equestria.

On the barren white rock, Nightmare Moon collapsed from exhaustion. But soon, she will awaken.

________________________________________

"Celestia's still not back," Twilight muttered, packing a bag, "even after three days.". Her brother entered her room in the castle.

"Your ride's ready," he said, pointing to a purple balloon outside, with a Sylph driver, wings folded.

"Thanks, Shining Armor," she told him halfheartedly, getting her purple staff. He noticed, and stopped her..

"Twilight, I know you're taking it hard. Your teacher leaving for no reason is harsh, and I know how you feel, and, well, don't hit yourself with it. I doubt Celestia left because of you." Shining Armor tried to comfort her. She nodded weakly.

"Just…focus on your job, okay?" He added, knowing his sister's talents.

"I know. Oversee and train the mages in Ponyville. Got it." Twilight muttered, moving towards the door.

"Yeah. Didn't Princess Celestia say to you to make some friends?" He asked, grabbing her shoulder. He felt her sister quiver, if only a little bit, before proceeding.

"It was the last thing she said to me," Twilight confirmed, and headed to the balloon, her eyes adjusting to the unusual weather.

Night and Day have been coexisting, the moon in one side, the sun in the other, reminding her of a tale she had once warned Celestia about, though she doubted it mattered now to the bleak situation Equestria is facing. There is no one that can defend the country like Celestia, as ancient evils may awaken. Princess Cadence is currently defending the Crystal Empire, though her power can only do so much against an ancient evil on it's borders, her power not on par with Princess Celestia. As for the moon and sun, the top mages tried to lower one, but, both seemed to be permanently glued to the sky.

"Spike! Come on!" she shouted at the last minute. The young boy quickly ran with the luggage, trying to load it up to the balloon. Twilight stepped on, and Spike caught up.

"…there. Now we're ready." Spike announced, and the driver started flying, putting a strong breeze against the balloon, wings flapping, to slingshot it to the path of Ponyville.

Twilight unfolded a piece of paper from her purple purse, scanning it with her eyes again, trying to decode it. The last letter she got from her mentor.

My dearest, most faithful student Twilight. You know I value your diligence and trust you completely, but you must simply stop reading those dusty old books! There is more to life than studying, so, in three days, I'm sending you to supervise the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location: Ponyville. And, I have a even more essential task to complete; make some friends!

"Yeah, except now, there's no celebration," Spike said, looking over her shoulder. She sighed to the boy.

"I know that," Twilight muttered, disinterested. Spike thought of other things to say, trying to cheer her up.

"Princess Celestia said that you should make some friends, y'know,"

"Why should I make friends? That doesn't matter now! What matters is that if we can survive without her," Twilight instantly reacted, staring at the horizon.

Ponyville was ahead, close, engulfed with the moon's light. Once the balloon set down, they both stepped off with their luggage, and the Sylphs in town immediately pushed it to a station somewhere.

The town of cottages was empty, devoid of any pedestrians. The streets were lit with torches, since of the practically infinite night. There was a lot of commotion in the town square, however.

"Must be important," Twilight said, and went towards the noise. There were at least more than a hundred people listening to the Mayor, on a stage in front of the Town Hall, a three-story cake-shaped building. Beside her were two people, a man wearing Royal Guard armor, and a female Sylph, with a blue military uniform. Twilight quickly ran to the stage as quietly as she can.

"…now, for conscription. For those who didn't know, Princess Celestia has been gone for quite some time. The last remaining princess is currently defending the Crystal Empire, so it is imperative that we have to be capable of defending ourselves while she's busy. Two out of three people that have not enlisted will be chosen for conscription. Anyone not chosen will run the town as normal. Now, the people exempt from conscription are..." The mayor started to read out names. Everyone was silent, as names were called out.

"Everybody conscripted should report to these trainers. There, you will divide based on race."

The mayor stepped down from the podium, and the crowd burst into sharp whispers. Twilight quickly scanned through the crowd, counting those capable of magic, with their sharply pointed ears, fairies.

More than what she expected that's for sure.

"Spike! Run to the library! Find the blast spell!"

________________________________________

Twilight faced the fairies that awaited her. They were on a field, and wooden boards with targets were set up, torches everywhere. It took place on a decrepit farm, with dying trees and dead grass. A barn and a house was in sight.

"Okay, we're going to start with the blast spell. This spell…" she quickly pointed her staff to the target, and fired a purple beam, smacking against the target powerfully. The target held its ground, as foot spikes were driven in the dirt.

"…can knock out almost anything. Spike, hand out the books," Twilight told him. The fairies received it, and started to practice. Soon, weak beams shot out of staves, and some hit the target, some didn't.

"Keep practicing," Twilight called out, and sat down, leaning against a tree. Spike joined her, admiring a certain fairy.

"Who are you looking at?" the girl asked, and the boy blushed.

"Her," he pointed at a girl with styled blue hair, clothed in a white and blue robe, and a diamond necklace, looking particularly cleaner than the rest.

"She's having trouble with the spell," Twilight quickly got up, and approached her, "Are you having trouble?" She asked politely, and analyzed her. Probably one of those fancy types like from Canterlot, Twilight thought.

"Yes, I can't do the spell. My staff keeps flickering at the end," she told her, with a unusually pompous accent, and tried to cast it. Sparks flew.

"Let's swap," She suggested, and tried the girl's staff. It was ivory white, with blue and gold trimmings, with a diamond shape at the end, almost like a spear, and it felt fragile, but surprisingly heavy.

"Don't drop it! You might get it dirty," She immediately reacted. Twilight rolled her eyes, confirming her analysis and fired a beam, with the same force as with her own staff.

"I guess there's nothing wrong with your staff,"

"Oh, okay, well, I'll keep practicing,"

Twilight nodded, and they exchanged staves then left.

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners?! My name's Rarity, what's yours?"

"Twilight Sparkle," She managed to respond. Rarity shook her hand, and went back to trying to perform the spell.

"What was she like?" Spike immediately asked Twilight. She rolled her eyes.

"Maybe you should approach her," she said sarcastically.

"Okay," Spike agreed, taking the words to heart. She leaned back against the dead tree, looking at the stars.

        How long is this going to last?

"Sorry, but can you stand up?" A voice with a thick southern accent asked her. Twilight quickly stood up, and faced the source. A tanned girl with freckles, a dusty leather jacket and pants, a white button-up shirt, a blonde ponytail with a cowboy hat, began to swing an axe, chopping the tree down.

"But, couldn't that tree grow again?"  Twilight theorized, but the farm girl in front of her shook her head.              

"It's dead, and rotting away. Only a handful of trees are actually still able to the moon doesn't set soon, we're going to have to rely on winter storage. Then, we have to somehow survive through the winter itself." She chipped wood away with her axe, until only a sliver of the trunk remained, before kicking it powerfully, startling Twilight, and tipping the tree over.

        "Oh," Twilight said softly, and the night became all the more depressing.

"Cupcakes!" Someone screamed in a high pitch, and confetti, showered above them, everyone shocked. A pink-haired girl smiled as she brought along a wagon of treats, pushing a curious invention, an iron tube, with a rounded end, with wheels, handing them out to the mages.

"Here, have two!" The girl repeated, with a cupcake in each hand.

"Why two?" Twilight asked, trying to hand one back, until she grabbed her hands, insisting.

"I haven't seen you around before, and I know everyone in town, and I mean everyone! So that means you're new, and…" the cupcake girl rambled on, and the tanned girl behind Twilight chuckled.

"That's just Pinkie Pie. She always like to make everyone happy. It's a good thing she does, especially now," She grinned, as she ate one of the baked goods. Twilight studied the cannon. "that thing she pushes is her Party Cannon. It's really weak, it only shoots confetti, but I never seen stuff like that. "oh, and I'm Applejack," she quickly added, and shook her hand. Pinkie Pie quickly ran off, and everyone was in high spirits again, and started practicing with renewed strength.

A large crackle of sound went overhead. The Sylphs, led by a Wonderbolt with a trail of smoky lightning, flew, rose up, and delivered a hail of arrows to dead trees below.

"Aren't you supposed to be part of the militia?" Twilight said to Applejack. She shook her head.

"My brother is. I have to take care of the family."

"Applejack!" A young girl with red hair and a bow quickly ran to her.

"Applebloom? What is it?"

"Timberwolves! At the back of the barn!"

"Crap!" Applejack grasped her axe and ran. Twilight decided to follow.

"Keep practicing!" She shouted before rushing to aid. Rarity looked at her staff.

"Not that I'm very good at this sort of thing…" she muttered before following Twilight.

They went into the barn. Skeletons of twigs and branches shaped like wolves ate the food stores, breaking barrels and eating apples.

"Stay away!" Applejack shouted, and drove the blade of her axe to a timberwolf, sending it several feet, splintering it's bones. Rarity smashed her staff at another, and kept swinging.

"Rarity?!" Twilight's jaw dropped. More timberwolves entered the barn. Twilight started to blast some of them with a purple beam, blowing several of them backwards.The barn doors were kicked open, and Pinkie Pie pushed her Party Cannon, and grabbed a small, dense, hay bale, crammed it into the cannon, and lit a fuse.

"Stand back!" She shouted, and the bale launched into the last conscious timberwolf with incredulous speed, smashing into the wooden bones and reducing it to splinters.

"Pinkie?!" Applejack shouted in surprise, retrieving her axe from a chopped-up timberwolf.

"I heard you needed help!" She responded. Twilight heard a rush of air as a Sylph landed on the back of the barn, in full view. Her rainbow-coloured hair was a little flashy, and she wore flexible leather armor, with a quiver on her hip.

"Rainbow Dash? What are you doing here?" Applejack asked.

'While I was flying, I saw a gigantic bear headed this way!"

"And the Sylphs with you on training didn't notice it?"

"They're all busy concentrating on the aerial maneuvers. I can do the maneuvers with my eyes closed, so, I'm the only one that noticed." She boasted offhandedly. A giant roar emanated from the forest, and a black bear sped towards the barn, first for the food storage, but the five looked to be lunch. It slowed down, and stopped several meters between Rainbow Dash. Twilight grasped her staff tight; all of them were alert, ready to spring to action if any of them moved.

Another Sylph landed, albeit softer than Rainbow Dash, with pink hair, a shade lighter than Pinkie Pie's, with a yellow sweater and green pants.

'Wait, don't attack the bear!" She shouted. Rainbow Dash considered putting the arrow back to its quiver, but the bear threatened to leap.

"Tame it first, Fluttershy!" The archer responded.

"It's hungry! Most of the animals it hunts have died of starvation," She composed herself, "please don't make it worse!"

"We need this food!" Applejack immediately snapped, and Fluttershy sighed, and walked to the bear.

"Can she really tame it?" Twilight whispered.

"Fluttershy tamed bigger beasts," Rarity responded. Fluttershy petted the bear's neck, and whispered to its ear, pacifying it. Twilight really didn't think it was possible.

"Sorry, big guy, but we need this food."she said. The bear grunted, and the Sylph seemed to understand.

"You can't spare even a little bit?" Fluttershy asked Applejack.

"Honestly, no. Unless the moon sets."

"I think we should give the bear food," Rarity said, "it probably needs it more than us."

"I don't know. Ponyville needs the food,"

"I can probably fix the night/day situation. It's just a hunch." Twilight admitted. Everyone stared at her. Applejack grabbed a barrel of apples, opened the top, and tipping it, pouring out apples near the bear, letting it gorge.

"If you can fix that, then animals won't have to starve!"

"Trees won't die!"

"Everything might go back to normal!" They spoke, and they all now looked at Twilight Sparkle as a solution.

"Do you really think it's worth a shot?" Twilight asked.

"Obviously!" Rarity answered boldly. The town bell rang, signifying the end of training.

"…alright. Meet me at the Great Oak Library."

They went outside, and everyone pointed and gasped at the sky. The shadows grew darker and darker than before.

"Twilight, look!" Spike pointed to the moon, panicked. The situation Equestria was in grew worse. At first, sun still covered half the land; some farms were still thriving. The moon now arced in the sky, covering the sun, forming a solar eclipse. A burst of blue light flashed above the town hall, and there she stood.

The event Twilight warned Princess Celestia about three days ago. Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna's dark form.

The seraph's wings flared, a shock wave emitted around her, lightning forming.

"The night shall last, forever!" Nightmare Moon declared, her voice heard for miles.

'Oh no, you don't!" Rainbow Dash pointed her wood bow on the seraph, and pulled the bowstring back, aiming. But a hand grabbed the arrow and removed it from her grip.

"Rainbow Dash, I doubt you can take on a seraph! We have no choice," Applejack convinced her, and Rainbow Dash reluctantly agreed, "let's get to the library!"

________________________________________

Twilight opened the door, and rushed to a bookshelf, quickly browsing.

"We need to find an old tale, 'Mare in the Moon'. I thought it would happen, and warned Princess Celestia, and it did, sort of. I didn't know the sun would also be up."

"But now, the moon's the only one in the sky," Rarity finished her sentence, "But what did Princess Celestia say about all this?"

"She said I was too paranoid. That was one of the last things she said to me." Twilight started to get choked up. Everyone paused, and looked at her, out of pity.

"Let's just find the book,"

The others mumbled agreement and started searching. Twilight grabbed her staff and magically lifted several books at once, scanning each of them in a fast pace.

"I think I have something," Spike said, and everyone dropped their books and surrounded him.

"One thousand years ago, Princess Celestia raised the sun, and Princess Luna raised the moon. Luna turned evil and Princess Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to banish her in the moon forever." Spike read out.

"Where are the Elements though? Does it say?" Twilight read the tale carefully.

"And even if we do defeat...what's her name?" Applejack looked at Spike.

"Nightmare Moon?"

"Yeah, her, how can the Moon set then? We might as well do nothing,"

'Applejack, you're being really depressing!" Pinkie Pie almost scolded. Applejack blushed.

"I guess I am,"

"We should still give it a chance." Twilight said, before Pinkie Pie tossed a book was tossed to her.

"I found something that says 'Elements of Harmony'!"

Twilight scanned through it quickly, absorbing facts.

"It says these are gems of great power, multiplied immensely when the power is split with the right wielders. The last known location is in the castle where the royal sisters once lived," Twilight recited. She looked at Spike, her assistant already in bed.

"Let's go!" Twilight pushed open the door, but stopped immediately. Ghostly black creatures with dark eyes floated on the streets, as if watching. Rarity looked to Fluttershy, who stayed behind, looking scared out of her mind.

"Fluttershy, just in case anything comes at you, use this," she handed her the staff. The shy person was startled by the weight, almost dropping it.

"Are you sure you don't need this?"

"I can handle myself," Rarity responded, and the gaseous creature was knocked over when Rainbow Dash fired an arrow. But they saw the path to Everfree forest, crowded with ghostly manifestations conjured by Nightmare Moon.

"Follow me!" Rarity immediately ran to another building among town, one with a sign of a horse. Luckily, no ghosts chased them. She opened the door, and immediately went inside a fairly spacious building, with stylish clothes on mannequins everywhere.

"Why are we here?" Twilight asked her, looking around. Rarity shrugged.

"Just to get another staff," Rarity said, picking one up, one with a royal blue shaft, much to the annoyance of the rest, "that's it. Now, let's go."

"You're serious?" Rainbow Dash blankly said. Rarity scoffed.

"We all need a weapon," she responded. Rainbow Dash grudgingly agreed, and handed Pinkie Pie her extra dagger.

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Pinkie Pie ran out, and they followed.

Twilight quickly disintegrated the first ghost they came across. Lots more poured out of the woods as they ventured deeper into the Everfree Forest, but they didn't slow down, bashing and slashing. Except Fluttershy. One apparition advanced towards her, and she held the staff until her knuckles were white. Her wings started to flap, before Applejack put both hands on her axe and threw it, disintegrating the monster. She looked around her, while retrieving her axe.

"You alright?" She asked Fluttershy, who nodded slowly.

"Don't you want to solve everything?" Twilight said. Fluttershy stepped forward hesitantly.

"Of course! But I can't fight!" Fluttershy stopped, when the ranks of the Nightmare Forces gave way, to a giant lion with a red mane, bat wings, and a tail, it's eyes cloudy and wild.

All five stood back, intimidated. The manticore roared right in front of them, saliva spattering.

"My hair!" Rarity screamed, and swung her staff to its jaw, with such anger, the staff cracked and split on impact. Twilight tried to hit it with a beam, but missed, attracting its attention. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash each readied to protect her.

"Stop!" Fluttershy ran forward, right in front of the weapons. They immediately lowered their hands, knowing what she was going to do.

Fluttershy gently hovered , her wings softly flapping, and advanced on the giant beast, its size several times larger than her, unwavering, before gently touching its mane. The manticore grunted threateningly, but she didn't care, quietly whispering to its ear. The hazy eyes glared, and roared, spooking her, who scrambled to fly several feet backward.

"W-what? It didn't work?!" Fluttershy stuttered, shocked. "That never happens!"

Twilight quickly analyzed, and performed a specific spell, driving away a shimmering blue fog away from its head, before Fluttershy tried again, repeating what she said softly, and the manticore walked away. Applejack looked at Twilight, confused.

"How did you know it was…"

"Fluttershy could tame a starving bear. There must be something wrong with the manticore, so I cleared it's mind, but enough about that. I didn't know manticores would even listen to anybody!" Twilight said, in awe of her talent. Fluttershy blushed.

"Well, she has a talent," Rarity responded. The girl in question handed back the staff.

"I think you'll need it more than me,"

"Fair enough. But you should still be careful,"

"Everybody! Look! Nightmare Moon!" Pinkie Pie pointed to the sky.

"What?!" They all said. Sure enough, the seraph was flying, incoming fast. She landed in front of them, kicking up dust.

"It seems that even a manticore would not dispose of you. I'll kill all of you myself," Nightmare Moon approached them casually, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Why?" Twilight asked, trying to buy some time. Pinkie Pie handed Rainbow Dash's dagger back, inconspicuously.

"You fools think that you can stop me? I see everything the moonlight touches. Even your plans," Nightmare Moon unsheathed a black onyx sword, with a marble-like hilt, "the Elements of Harmony will never be touched."

All six stepped backward, but Twilight noticed signs of a castle behind her.

"We must have been going the right path, for her to notice," she said under her breath.

I'll hold her off, you get the Elements," Rainbow Dash whispered to all of them. Nightmare Moon chuckled.

"Do you really think that one Sylph can distract me? I am a seraph; a god!" An arrow quickly went straight to Nightmare Moon, though she waved her sword and deflected it.

"Last mistake," was what she said before advancing fast to Rainbow Dash, before Applejack intervened, the sword biting into the wooden axe handle.

"Damn it Rainbow, why did you have to be so reckless!" Applejack almost scolded her, and struggled to hold the parry, until Rarity smashed the wrists of the seraph, disarming her.

"Twilight, you have to go now! Find the Elements!" Rarity shouted, before tossed aside by magic. Rainbow Dash unsheathed her dagger, and flew right into Nightmare Moon, tackling her. Her armor deflected the knife, and Nightmare Moon grabbed her by the throat.

"You're brave. Ever considered joining my ranks? You'll live,"

"No! Never!" Rainbow Dash choked out before Applejack swung at the seraph's head.

"Lets go!" Twilight shouted, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie right behind. The old castle was almost there. The stone ruins had a grand hall, with a sculpted stone structure on the centre, of five spheres fixed around a central sphere, a gem symbol inscribed on all the structures, except the central. All three of them brought down the orbiting structures, all five, and gathered them in a pile. Pinkie Pie tried to budge the central stone, but it didn't give.

"They must be the Elements," Fluttershy speculated. Twilight silently agreed, and sat down.

"Come on, Twilight! You can do it!" Pinkie Pie patted her back.

"I'll try something," she said, and her staff glowed softly.

A huge boom cracked behind them. They all turned around, and Nightmare Moon got the upper hand. The castle shook, and the central stone on the sculpture tipped over, and cracked on the tile floor. A purple light leaked through the cracks, and Twilight knew what to do.

"We need to break the stones!" Twilight ran to the debris, sifting through it, and uncovered a crown. A golden diadem, with a purple star as it's jewel on the centre.

"That's it! Fluttershy, fly to the bakery, to my room! There's something that looks like a handheld crossbow! Fetch it!"

She hesitantly nodded, and flew as fast as she can possibly go.

"We need to group all the Elements into one place!" Pinkie Pie continued, but the three that stayed behind to buy time, was thrown through the castle with magic. Rainbow Dash struggled to grab her bow, but her quiver was empty.

"Where's Fluttershy?!" Applejack quickly stood up, bruised.

"Yes, where is she?" Nightmare Moon advanced, her height adding to her intimidation. Rarity stood up, with bruises, and one half of a staff, with a splintered end. The threat grabbed the Elements with her magic, including Twilight's recent discovery, and set them beside her.

"Ah, yes, I hear her…"

Fluttershy dashed through the sky with surprising speed.

"Nice try," Nightmare Moon's voice swept the castle.

Lightning erupted from the skies, and swatted her out of the air, the Sylph smoking and crashing towards them, shocking all of them.

"Fluttershy, no!" Rainbow Dash shouted, while flying and tried to catch her, but two lightning bolts in quick succession shot her down screaming, Nightmare Moon detecting the archer to be a greater threat. Fluttershy's back was burnt, the smell of cinders, her skin burned black. She was still awake, but almost catatonic, and dropped her delivery mid-flight. Pinkie Pie's request lay twelve feet in front of them. Rainbow Dash was worse, her face burnt beyond recognition. Twilight quickly scrambled to her, Applejack pulling Fluttershy's body towards them. Twilight's hands glowed purple.

"Rainbow…" Fluttershy managed to whisper through the pain.

"I'm sorry," Twilight choked out, "but I can only keep Rainbow Dash alive, for maybe a few minutes.

"You just…hit both of them. You don't just do that, and get away with it! Especially with Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie yelled, almost hysterically, ready to sprint to the item Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy possibly sacrificed her life for. And Rarity wasn't going to let that go to waste.

"Pinkie Pie, close your eyes!" Rarity immediately created a blinding flash as a distraction, and Pinkie Pie, opening her eyes after the flash, seeing Nightmare Moon stunned by the light, dove for her contraption, an iron crossbow-like device, with the arrow replaced by a tube, that contained one projectile. A firework.

The glowing missile launched, and hit the stones, before exploding in a shower of green and red and yellow crackles.

The stones cracked, and light appeared from within, all with different colours.

"Get the Elements!" Twilight shouted, pointing at the remains of the stones. Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie nodded, and quickly scrambled to grab all of the gems, while Nightmare Moon was stunned, blown back several feet. They presented the artifacts to Twilight. Five of the gems were amulets, with one diadem.

"There's six. Now, the power must be split, in order to multiply it, so, everyone take one." Twilight explained, before quickly glancing at Nightmare Moon's body. She took a blue one, and placed it around Rainbow Dash's neck, and it glowed even brighter. The other four exchanged amulets, noticing that some reacted stronger with certain others. Twilight placed the diadem on her head.

"I think we're good now," Applejack said, and started to wear an orange gem amulet. Suddenly, they all glowed in unison, and beams of light from the amulets focused on Twilight's Element, giving her a sudden rush of power.

"The Elements, they're giving me…a lot of magic," Twilight gasped, and Rainbow Dash started to heal. Though I could've healed her quicker if I didn't prioritize the blast spell first when studying, Twilight grimly thought.

Nightmare Moon started to notice, and picked herself up, startling all of them. She advanced, sword ready. Twilight fired a blast of energy, and instead of a laser beam, her staff unleashed a chaotic torrent of purple plasma, filling the castle hall, engulfing everything with purple light.

"Did you do that, Twilight?!" Rarity spoke in admiration, feeling the magic radiating.

"I did that?!" Twilight was as shocked as her. And she was still holding back. Twilight breathed deeply, and stood up. She felt the magic go through her. Nightmare Moon stood up, and Twilight focused, closing her eyes. Nightmare Moon leaped at them, swinging her sword, but it hit a barrier Twilight unknowingly projected. She opened her eyes, glowing, and another beam projected from all of them, a symphony of colours and light hitting Nightmare Moon for the last time. Rainbow Dash awoke, all of them healed fully, while a shock wave of colors emanated from Twilight.

The power faltered, and the Elements didn't glow once the threat was gone. Gone was Nightmare Moon, in her place was a shorter seraph, with dark blue hair and robes, with a moon pendant. Her eyes were no longer snakelike, and were now softer. Rainbow Dash was confused.

"What happened? Who's she?"

"It's Princess Luna," Twilight whispered to them, and walked forward. The rest hesitated.

"Come on!" Twilight urged them, and went closer to her. Princess Luna glanced at them.

"…who are you?"

"I'm Twilight Sparkle, and they're…" she looked back at them, thinking, "and, they're my friends," she decided to say, and after looking at their expressions, she knew she told the truth.

"I'm sorry for what I've done," Luna looked at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, "especially toward you two." Luna's sword flew to her hand, spinning, "And I will make things right." She pointed her sword at the moon, and the giant white rock moved to the horizon, and beams of light emerged, the sun basking it's glow.

A flaming meteor streaked towards the castle, impacting in front of them. The heat was enormous. Among the smoke, was a lone, winged figure, limping.

"…sister?"

"How can you, a treacherous excuse of a princess, be my sister?!" Celestia's voice boomed, frightening the six that were just watching.

"Princess Celestia?" Twilight got excited, but she quickly shut up. Celestia hobbled forward, her once beautiful robes cinders, her hair tips on fire, her skin pink from burns. And her eyes were no longer kind and wise. They were like a snake's, full of hatred.

"I'm sorry! For everything! I was angry back then, but I regret everything! Please, let me make it up to you," Luna pleaded, tears starting to gleam from her eyes.

"No! You blasted me to the sun after I tried to bring you back! Almost one thousand years, and yet, you tried to kill me! You blew your last chance!"

"W-what?" Luna quivered, and Celestia turned away. "Wait, just one secon-" She tried to salvage whatever was left of their relationship, but the rift grew, as Celestia quickly slapped her hand away.

'Don't touch me,"

Celestia then turned back, about to leave, but she noticed Twilight, and her eyes turned into round and soft ones, even if just for a moment. But her snake eyes returned, and fire reignited.

"The night, will no longer exist,"

"What?! That's not right! There has to be a balance!" Luna shouted at her, the other girls aghast.

"Balance?! I am the star, I heal, and nurture the land! You poison it! They were right to ignore the night! No one cares about you, or your pathetic moon!"

"I have to stop you. You're turning into whatever the hell I was before," Luna hesitated to point it to her. Not only was Celestia her sister she threatened at, but the seraph of the sun was weak, decrepit. Celestia stared down the edge of her sister's blade , and conjured a fiery whirlwind around her, and once the blaze died down, she was gone.

"Princess Luna? Are you okay?" Twilight slowly approached her.

"I'm fine," she said, "but, I need time alone," They obeyed, and went to the steps.

I'm unforgivable? Luna sniffed and cried into her arms, distraught. Twilight looked back, worried.

"The Princess needs time," Fluttershy said, and Twilight nodded in agreement.

"Thanks for all the help, everybody. You all weren't entitled to help me, but, you did."

"No problem, Twilight," Applejack took of her hat, and placed it to her chest, smiling.

"Yes, anything for you, dear. Even if my hair and clothes and…everything gets dirty," Rarity said, trying to brush dirt off.

"Besides, I doubt you stood chance without me…" Rainbow Dash stopped when they all smirked at her.

"…I mean, without all of us." She corrected herself.

"Well, yeah. Pinkie, what was that thing you shot at Nightmare Moon?"

"That was fireworks! You shoot it at the sky, and it explodes in colours and sparkles! When I tested it, I remember that I added too much black powder, so I added more sparkly stuff!"

"That can shatter stone, Pinkie! I think you need to make it less explosive," Twilight said

"Okay, Twilight. Hug?" Pinkie Pie suggested. They all grinned.

"Sure, Pinkie," Twilight laughed, and they all joined in, but Rainbow Dash was reluctant.

"C'mon, Rainbow," Applejack motioned, and she conceded.

"Fine," She joined in, spreading her arms.

"Yes!" Pinkie Pie squealed, and when they separated, Twilight looked to Ponyville.

"What happens now?"

"Do whatever we were doing. I mean, the militia's probably breaking up, and the sun's out. Back to normal," Applejack told the rest.

"But I doubt Princess Celestia would come back to rule. We need Princess Luna," Rarity said. Twilight nodded.

Fluttershy quietly approached the princess. "Princess Luna?" Fluttershy said softly. Luna slowly turned around.

"Yes?" Luna spoke, facing all of them. Her eyes were somewhat red.

"Are you still going to control the sun and moon?" Twilight asked.

"I don't think my sister would do it anymore, so, yes."

"Then you should take Princess Celestia's place,"

"I am not my sister. I can't replace her." Luna turned away.

"We're not asking you to be Princess Celestia. We just need a leader, someone to look up to."

Luna briefly considered it.

"…okay. I'll do my best."

Next Chapter: Shifting Shadows Estimated time remaining: 34 Minutes