Mike was sitting in front of his computer, playing a game of Heroes of Might & Magic 5. The room he was in was dim, and only the soft light of his monitor lit it in the deep evening. Mike had been playing with his friend for hours, and it was time for the final battle between them. Armies assembled, heroes trained, spells learned. Mike was playing as the Inferno faction – the demons. His friend was the opposite, playing for the Haven faction – the humans. Inferno was focused on raw power, and their special ability was Gating. If developed to its full potential, this ability allowed the Inferno hero to summon nearly fifty percent more units on the field of battle. Haven had its own advantages, such as Training. It allowed the Haven hero to train his troops to bring them to a higher level, thus increasing the strength of his army.

All of it comes down to strategy, both short-term and long-term. You not only need to think one step ahead of your enemy, but you also need to think a step ahead of the step he is thinking ahead of yours. Being a turn-based strategy, Heroes of Might & Magic 5 allows the players to think about their plans carefully for virtually indefinitely. If one were to rush, they would surely lose the game even if they gain short-term victory.

Each player starts the multiplayer game with at least one castle, depending on the map. In a castle, buildings can be erected and upgraded to produce units for the army of the owner, increase defensive potential, bring more money and resources, or discover the spells to be learned and then used in combat or travel. Each building and upgrade requires wood or ore or both, for they are the foundation of most buildings. Then there are rarer resources such as mercury, crystals, sulfur, and gems. Without them, you couldn't go far, and in fact, the most powerful units can only be bought if you have a certain type or those rare resources. And, of course, the most important resource, the one you cannot win without, is gold. Virtually everything that can be bought or built requires it, and it is essential to have a high income to afford a great army.

You have to protect your resources as well lest the enemy take them and benefit from them instead of us. Usually, the players don't meet until later in the game when armies are hired, but one must always keep the unexpected in mind. The game is not the one where you compete with simple might, it is a game where you have to think, make plans, and build strategies to secure the victory.

With all of that in mind, a single game can last for more than ten hours, and sometimes days would be poured into it until the players come to a satisfying conclusion or destroy each other until only one or one team stands victorious.

It was the final battle between Mike and his friend Alex. The latter was in his castle, having a huge advantage over the attacking demons. Walls of stone, three towers with archers on them, and a sturdy gate. Only one unit of the attacker's army could damage the walls – the trebuchet or, how it was known in the game, a catapult. At the beginning of the battle, Alex successfully destroyed it, making it much harder for Mike to bring his troops inside the castle.

However, he knew the advantages of his own army and used Gating. He summoned the additional troops straight to the inside of the castle and begun his attack. Alex was expecting it, and yet he found it difficult to destroy the summoned troops. Meanwhile, shooters from outside the castle attacked the humans with hellfire that spread on multiple troops, dealing plenty of damage. One of the most powerful creatures of Inferno, Pit Lords, bombarded the defenders with spells of fireball and meteor rain. Small and weak, Vermins supplied the Pit Lords with mana stolen from the enemy hero, granting an almost infinite source of huge damage output for Mike's army.

The silent air was filled with tension, and both players were focused on winning the battle. Despite the battle going almost equally, the tide seemed to be turning in favor of the attacker. Mike had some useful tricks up his sleeve, which he knew when and how to use.

As the opening appeared in the army of Alex, Mike used the spell Teleportation, transporting one of his mightiest units from outside to the inside of the castle walls. Nightmares, hellish equines burning with hellfire, sowed fear and destroyed the morale of Haven troops. Heavy hitters, they did easy work of most units they stood against, and many of the said units would run away in fear and lose their initiative.

Mike blinked slowly, feeling a certain heat inside his body, an unpleasant one. Perspiration ran down his forehead, and he brought up his hand to wipe it off. However, the feeling of heat continued to increase. Deciding to ignore it for now, he continued the game, albeit at a slower pace. His mind grew weary, his thoughts moved like rusty gears, and he found himself staring at the digital flames of Nightmares. They captivated him, and as suddenly as his odd feeling came, he found beauty in the fire. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, but it didn't fix anything, blurring his vision instead.

A soft voice appeared in his head, speaking a language Mike had not heard before. He put a hand against his forehead and squeezed lightly, closing his eyes. He cracked his neck and leaned back in his chair. He miscalculated, the chair leaned too far back and started falling. He yelped, immediately opening his eyes, trying to bring his chair back, but it continued falling for a short eternity.

An empty chair hit the floor.

Far away from Earth, deep into the infinite multiverse, a world lay among the countless stars. Populated by magical creatures, both sapient and wild, the world was rich with things of wonder and beauty, as well as of the arcane and secret. Bright, colorful, it was like the world of humans in many ways: green were the various plants, blue was the sky, and the water brought life. Civilizations rose and fell, thousands of years of history were made, and the world was divided into many countries ruled by all sorts of interesting beings. On Earth, they would be the myths and the legends, creations of fantasy and imagination; but here in this world, they were very real.

In one of the countries of this world, a celebration was being held. Praise was given to the one moving the sun on the longest day of the year. And yet, this night, the sun didn't rise when it should have been. Princess Celestia was gone, and a wave of fear passed through Equestria. The sister of the Sun Princess returned as the stars aligned after a millennium of her banishment, releasing her from her prison. The night-blue shape with snake-eyes of aqua, starlit sky as her mane, she had risen above all, proclaiming herself the Queen of the Night and the ruler of Equestria. The Night Eternal was upon all living beings.

And yet, something unexpected happened. A connection formed between Earth and this world, and a being was transported from one world to another. Like a shooting star, the being traveled through cosmos quickly, covering great distances in a matter of seconds. In the depths of the Everfree Forest, a patch of chaos and uncertainty in the land of Equestria, a symbol appeared: a unicursal hexagram in a circle, and each point of the hexagram had a smaller circle with a symbol embedded into each one.

The hexagram glowed intensively, a fiery hum rose in the silence of the trees, and soon it erupted in a loud low rumble across the dark forest. In a flash of blinding light, a creature appeared. A large, muscular equine with dark-gray skin, most of its body covered by a red exoskeleton of bone-like material, including a part of his long tail of skin. A crooked horn protruded from the top of the creature's muzzle, sharp as a saber. The creature was lying motionlessly on the soft ground, its eyes closed, its chest rising and falling in a slow, calm rhythm.

Such a disturbance couldn't go unnoticed. The trees whispered among each other, the wind carrying their words across the Everfree. Timberwolves howled and growled, closing in on the creature. More powerful beings listened and observed, waiting to see what the disturbance truly was. And, of course, the Queen of the Night caught the whispers and learned from them.

The hellish equine awoke, slowly opening its eyes. They glowed in fiery red, and their sclera was orange. The snake-eyes of the equine carefully studied the surroundings as its mind awoke. The mind of Mike was inside that creature, confusion reigning in his thoughts. The first thing he noticed was the muzzle. Bigger and of a different color than his nose, it protruded from between his eyes. However, it didn't do much to cover his vision. In fact, he could almost look behind him without turning his head.

Mike felt the wetness of the soil under him, the chilly night air blowing past him. He could hear the creaks of the wood, the chirps and murmurs of the creatures in the forest, and the soft taps against the ground made by the timberwolves. He inhaled the thick, humid air, and exhaled a cloud of vapor that soon dissipated.

Once his mind began to think, an alarming sensation rose inside him, and flames erupted from his back, the tip of his tail, his hooves, and even his eyes. Panic took over his mind, he rolled around in the mud, trying to smother the flames and extinguish them. The flames weren't bothered by it, burning without restraint, boiling away the water around them with loud cracks.

In a few long seconds, Mike managed to understand that the flames didn't harm him. They were a part of him, and he felt a pleasant hum and warmth inside his body. The light from the fire dispelled the surrounding darkness, showing him the crooked, twisted trees; patches of rough and sharp grass; small pools of stale water; mushy mud underneath him that dried where his flames burned.

Seeing his flames, the timberwolves whimpered and retreated deeper into the forest, knowing well not to attack the equine. The ears of the equine twitched, acknowledging the noise of the distancing steps. Soon, the quietness regained its rule in the Everfree Forest.

Mike lay on the ground, breathing shakily as many thoughts rushed to his head. Where was he? Why was he different? What happened? He wanted to run away, he wanted to shout for help, and yet he remained in place silently. A gentle sensation calmed his mind, telling him that all was good. It told him he would find the way, its silent words assuring him of success. However, it didn't do much to ease his mind. He had no direction, no clear way or path even as much as to simply exit the strange forest. Despite it all, however, he knew he couldn't stay there forever.

Unbeknownst to him, a dark mist was watching him from behind the trees, hidden from his sight in the gloom of the forest. The Queen of the Night was observing him, keeping her distance in fear of it. This odd sensation, this fear was foreign to her, for she feared none. And yet, now this strange being made her hesitate and doubt herself. The looks of the strange creature were foreign and yet ever so slightly familiar. She had a feeling about it, and she didn't know what it was. A connection, perhaps? No matter what she felt, a thought found its way into her head — she could find a use for this hellish equine in her plans.

Finally, Mike slowly stood up. Surprisingly, his new body obeyed his commands swiftly and properly. It felt natural, it was as if he had done it before. Such a thought scared him, and he pushed it to the back of his mind. He made a few steps in a few different directions, testing his mobility. Powerful muscles shifted beneath his dark-gray skin, moving his legs with ease, working harmoniously with each other. He tilted his head, feeling his powerful and long neck that allowed him to look around effortlessly and swiftly if needed. He even managed to look at his back, noting the red exoskeleton he had. No doubt, he was a creature from the game he so loved – a Nightmare.

He walked, and did so with ease. No roots made him stumble, the mud couldn't make him slip and fall, he had full control over his new body. He knew how to trot, how to gallop, and how to stop. He didn't know why it was so easy, but it felt natural, it felt right. Even his usual awkwardness in his human steps was gone, replaced with a sense of power and absolute control.

However, without a way to go, where would his destination be? As far as the eye can see, there was a thick, dark forest under the night sky. One couldn't see anything past the trunks and thorny bushes, past the thick foliage and the dead, rotting trees. In all directions, there was only the forest and nothing else.

"Creature..." a dark feminine voice appeared, penetrating the darkness and coming straight to Mike as if the one who spoke was close. He looked around, and yet he couldn't see the owner of the voice.

"Who..." Mike began to say but stopped when he heard the tone of his voice. Deep and rumbling, it was much different from the one he had before. However, he didn't have the time to think about it. Reluctantly, he continued while looking around: "Who are you? Where are you?"

"I am Nightmare Moon, the Queen of the Night," the voice fulfilled his curiosity, although only partly, "Thou art in my domain. What art thou looking for? I see thou art confused and scared as if thou wast thrown out there against thy will."

"I... I don't know where I am, what I am, and... I don't know anything!" he couldn't contain the panic in his voice, "Please... help me out of here!"

"Perhaps, I can fulfill thy wish to get back where thou belongest," Nightmare Moon said slowly, "However... I suppose I can offer thee a deal. I shall help thee if thou providest some assistance to me first."

"H-how do I know you will fulfill your part?" Mike asked carefully.

"Hast thou not heard of me?" the voice seemed offended, "Hmpf... Thou art as ignorant as others are to my existence..." she let out a long sigh of disappointment, "Very well, I suppose the only assurance is my word. Shalt thou take it?"

Before answering, Mike had to think carefully about the offer. First and foremost, it looked like he was in another world entirely. This Queen of the Night bore an unfamiliar name, and she spoke using the old form of English. Even while it was still English he was familiar with, something told him that he was far away from anyone who would call this language English. If it wasn't so scary, Mike would chuckle at the idea that he became a part of a fantasy story. However, what was happening to him was no laughing matter – he had to get back home to the life he knew. The only way out seemed to be what Nightmare Moon was offering. For the lack of the alternative, he had to take it.

"I will," Mike nodded, "What do I have to do?"

"The task is rather simple but perhaps tedious," Nightmare Moon replied, "There are six mares on the way through this forest. Thy task is to scare them away, hurt them if necessary."

"Uh, mares?" the former human raised a brow, finding the statement of Nightmare Moon somewhat ridiculous. Why would he want to scare away horses? Or were they sapient just like he was?

"Thou seemst to be more ignorant of things than I expected," the Queen of the Night replied with a surprised tone, "Thou art an... equine, art thou not? The six look... somewhat close to thee, but they are half thy height and have different colors. Lavender, pink, orange, yellow, cyan, and white. I suppose that maketh it easy, doth it not?"

"I, uh, suppose it does..." Mike was still confused even after the directions became clearer.

"Very well, then I shall guide thee through this forest," Nightmare Moon said, and small blue lights appeared above the ground, making a path.

After some hesitation, Mike followed them; his hooves ablaze left scorch marks on the ground he walked. The water evaporated, rising from the dark soil; the equine left warm air and mist behind himself. The creatures of the forest hid from him, not daring to step in his path, much less appear in his gaze. Even the mighty manticore ran away from him, fleeing to the safest spot it could find. This night, the fire reigned in the dark, damp forest.

A few hundred meters away from him, the six future Bearers of the Elements of Harmony made their way through the forest. Their path was clear, and yet they stepped warily, often looking around. Twilight Sparkle led them, and even she had doubts inside her head. She had heard many frightening tales about the Everfree Forest. Rumors, some true and some not, stated that this forest was a dangerous place for a pony, and one should be careful not to step off the path lest they find themselves lost and unable to get out from among the crooked trees and bushes of thorn. Having lived all her life in Canterlot, Twilight had rarely ever been to a forest, much less one as mysterious and as dangerous as the Everfree.

The moon was high in the sky, reigning over the land of Equestria. The clocks had stopped their ticking, and the sun could not rise from below the horizon. The world anxiously awaited, and yet it was afraid to act. Only the six mares followed the solution, and they did not know how their journey would end. The Elements of Harmony were artifacts of great power, lost to time and hidden deep inside the Everfree Forest, in the old and abandoned castle of Royal Pony Sisters. For a thousand years, it had stood empty and dark, traces of malice and desperation inside its halls of stone.

Were the Elements still in the castle, no one knew, not even Princess Celestia. And yet, a unicorn mare by the name of Twilight Sparkle had hope, and she knew that if she couldn't do it, then no one else would be able to. Despite her fears, despite the comfort of Ponyville trying to pull her back, she continued on into the forest in search for answers.

The wind blew from behind them, and a certain smell appeared. Rarity was the first one to notice, a grimace appearing on her face. Soon, others caught a whiff of it as well.

"Is something burning?" Twilight asked, turning around. Her eyes widened when she saw orange fire behind her friends, only around fifty meters away. Among the flames, the Nightmare stood, its eyes focused on the six. Soon, all of them turned around and were frozen in fear. Like statues, they stood, their fearful gazes aimed at the hellish equine.

"It is thy time. Act."

Knowing it was the only way, Mike growled lowly, hoping to scare the six away. And scare them it did – with screams of terror, they scattered, galloping as fast as they could in any direction that was away from him. Disregarding the thorns and roots, they dashed through the forest, hoping to get as far away from him as they could.

When Mike was just a child, he would often play with his friends in their imaginary fantasy world. Monsters and heroes, they clashed time and time again. It was all for fun, however – no one was ever hurt or scared. He loved the game, but now, he felt terrible for what he had done. Their frightened screams resonated inside his head, and he was sure he had done something terribly wrong.

"What art thou waiting for? Chase them! They must learn this terror, they must run away from it, and never return!" Nightmare Moon commanded, hastening him onwards.

Mike had to remind himself why he was doing it in the first place. He needed to get back home, and he could only do it with the help of the Queen of the Night. The sooner he did it, the sooner he would depart, and the six mares wouldn't have to see him anymore. Despite the justification, however, he couldn't make himself feel any better.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy fled from the fearsome Nightmare together, their hearts beating rapidly, deafening them to the sounds of their surroundings. They flew through the forest, dodging the trees until Fluttershy collapsed near the bank of the river. She tumbled down, almost falling into the river if not for her friend to catch her. Both of them lay down, breathing heavily, sweat running down their bodies.

"I think we lost it..." Rainbow Dash said, huffing loudly, "You're... alright?"

Fluttershy simply nodded, hiding behind her wings which were wrapped around her like a protective cocoon. Moments passed in silence as their heartbeat calmed down, and soon the relaxing sound of the flowing river entered their ears.

"Everything is fine, Flutters," the cyan pegasus assured her friend, "As long as you're with me, I will protect you, no matter how scared I may be!" she proclaimed, putting a hoof against her chest, making Fluttershy smile.

"Thank you..." she replied quietly, finally able to stand up, "Is... is it gone?"

"Seems so," Rainbow Dash nodded, looking around. The hellfire was nowhere to be seen, and the forest was quiet again.

The rainbow-maned pegasus watched the forest, looking out for any signs of the Nightmare returning. Her ears were swiveling around, reacting to the quietest sound. Her eyes were open wide, trying to see more in the darkness of the forest. Pale moonlight barely shone through the thick leafage, casting peculiar shadows on the ground below.

Among the flow of the water, another noise appeared, the opposite of what the river emitted – cracking of fire. Out of the forest, the Nightmare stepped, its eyes fixated on the two ponies. The reluctance was still present, but he knew there was no other way. Either he did it or risk getting stuck in the forest and this world for much, much longer, perhaps even forever. He felt the might radiating from the dark voice of Nightmare Moon. She spoke regally, putting power behind her every word. He knew not to anger her, for the consequences might be drastic.

"Flutters, to the other side!" Rainbow Dash yelled out, "I will hold it back!"

Without saying a word, Fluttershy took off and flew to the other side of the river, hiding in the bushes and fearfully waiting for her friend. The cyan pegasus picked a stone, throwing it at the Nightmare.

Mike watched as the stone flew straight to his head, but a force from inside him stopped it in mid-air, catching it in a bright-red magical aura. He blinked and soon understood that it was his will to protect himself that acted. Like with hands, he could feel the texture of the stone and its weight. Curiosity took over his mind as he moved the stone with his mind. The weight was there, but moving it was easy and effortless. He also noticed that the same aura was surrounding the horn on his muzzle.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash took the opportunity and flew to the other bank of the river to Fluttershy. Instead of running further, however, the cyan pegasus stood near the water, glaring at the Nightmare.

"You can't cross it, can ya?" she taunted, showing her bravado.

Mike released the stone, letting it fall down with a soft thump. He took a few steps towards the water surface, looking at it carefully.

"You know what happens to flames when they're put in water? They're extinguished!" Rainbow Dash continued, "You can't do anything now, huh? You're not that scary, do you know that?"

Slowly, the Nightmare rose its hoof and touched the water. Mike expected to feel pain or discomfort, but all that happened was water evaporating, and the flames burned on. He took a few more steps forward and found out that he could stand on the water. It bubbled and hissed under his flaming hooves, but he was able to keep himself steady. Crossing the river didn't seem like such an impossible task anymore.

The eyes of Rainbow Dash widened, and wordlessly, she took off into the forest, Fluttershy quickly following her. Mike continued to cross the river until he stepped on what seemed like a boulder. It twitched, breaking his stance, and he fell into the water. He hurried to the other side and was soon on the opposite bank.

"Ow, that hurt!" a voice from the river spoke, and a serpent rose from its bottom. It had a long scaly body reminiscent of a dragon from Asian myths and legends. However, the serpent had orange hair, eyebrows, and mustache, much to the bewilderment of Mike. "I'm sleeping here, resting my head, and suddenly, my side is on fire!" the serpent complained, glaring at the Nightmare, "You know that's not very nice of you, right?"

"Uh... I'm, um, sorry..." Mike muttered and then galloped out of the view of the serpent as fast as he could. Groaning in displeasure and rubbing his burned side, the serpent silently cursed and then went back into the river.

A powerful, clearly magical being, the Queen of the Night, colorful sapient ponies, and now a serpent. If Mike wasn't sure he was in a different world, he was certain about it now. He wondered what other surprises it had in store for him, what other creatures he would meet before departing, and what magical things he would be able to experience. He was glad that it wasn't a hostile serpent, however – he had no idea how to fight one if it came to that.

He didn't have much time to think about it, however. Despite following Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, Mike noticed two other ponies: Twilight Sparkle and Rarity. They noticed him as well, and screamed, dashing away from him. Knowing what to do, he galloped after them, making sure not to come too close or lose them amidst the many trees. He saw the horn of the lavender unicorn being lit, and soon a flash of light caught him by surprise, making him stop in his tracks, digging his hooves into the ground. Once the flash was gone, it was apparent that the ponies were gone with it.

"It seemeth thou art driving them further towards the castle..." Nightmare Moon spoke inside his head, her voice full of disappointment, "I have given thee one task, and it seemeth thou art failing at it. Or... perhaps, there are other forces at play.

For a long moment, she was silent. Mike held his breath, fearing to think about what the Queen of the Night would say next. He could be cast away for his failure, doomed to walk the forest alone in search of the exit. And even if he did leave the forest, there was this world – he had to return to Earth, too. He looked up, and what he could see was wrong. The stars lay in different patterns, the moon bigger and was all wrong as well, and even the sky looked off. The hope of this world being a distant corner of the Earth was completely gone, no matter how much Mike wanted it to be one. He could be thousands of light years away from home or in another universe entirely. And yet, hope lingered – if he managed to travel from Earth to this world, he would be able to take the same route back. The question is, what was that route?

Suddenly, the trees parted, allowing the Nightmare to step into the clearing. Once he did, he saw an old castle on the other side of the chasm that separated the land in two. The six mares were already nearby, making their way across a rope bridge that connected the sides of the chasm.

"They are close, thou hast only one chance to draw them away!" Nightmare Moon spoke again, her voice anxious and fearful, her words quick. "Do it or else I shall punish thee!"

Not having any desire to know what that punishment entailed, Mike charged at the six mares. The earth flew behind him as he tore it from the ground, galloping through the clearing to the bridge. His breath heavy, his heartbeat quick, he made powerful lunges towards the mares. They too noticed him, hastening to the other side. The old bridge creaked and groaned underneath their weight, and began to swing as the heavy Nightmare stepped on it.

"Quick, cut the rope!" Rainbow Dash yelled out, "Twilight, do your magic thing!"

Too late had Mike realized that he would not be able to make it to the other side in time. The ropes were snapped by magic, and it all started falling down to the bottom of the chasm. He yelled out, his eyes widening as the wood disappeared from below his hooves, and soon he was falling. He yelled and yelled, but soon it all stopped as he crashed against the hard stone at the bottom of the chasm. The flames on his body lessened, barely burning; and yet, he was still alive. Pain resonated through his body, soon transforming into a dull ache.

"Thou hast failed me," Nightmare Moon said coldly, and her presence disappeared from his mind.

For a few long, painful moments, Mike lay on the ground, gathering his strength and will. Slowly but surely, he managed to get up and stand on all his four legs. No bones were broken, his head was still intact, and so Mike hazily looked around, trying to ignore the pain. Gladly for him, there were some rocks that made their way from the bottom to the top of the chasm. With some time, he would be able to climb back up. He hoped it wouldn't be too late for him to reach Nightmare Moon and beg her to help him, no matter what he had to do.

With grunts and groans, he jumped from one boulder to another, trying to keep his balance and not fall back down. Slowly and steadily, meter by meter, he climbed back up. In his haze, he could still hear different sounds coming from the abandoned castle, even the voices of the six were still audible.

Refusing to give up, refusing to stop and lay down, Mike struggled up the rocks, almost cutting himself on the sharp jagged edges. and soon came atop the other side of the chasm. With a few tired coughs, he shook his head to clear his mind, and trotted to the castle, having no strength to gallop anymore. Once he reached it, he ascended the stairs and walked through the ruined, dark halls. Pain thumped inside his body, and so his flames extinguished themselves, giving their energy to him. Tired and hurt, he could barely understand where his destination was, let alone where he was in the first place. The old paint was gone, lying as dust underneath his hooves, exposing the gray stone of the walls. Each hall looked the same to his tired mind, and yet he didn't stop to think. Everything became muffled, his vision blurred. He focused on one thought – find Nightmare Moon and try to persuade her to help him despite his failure.

"Thou still dost not have the sixth Element!" the voice of Nightmare Moon echoed through the hall, gloating. Mike quickened his pace, following the voice, "Thy pitiful attempt at creating a 'spark' did not work! Thy struggle is temporary, but my night is eternal!"

"But it did work!" another voice disagreed, "It's a different kind of spark. Despite your attempts at separating us, we stuck together, because we are... friends! This spark is not the visible one, it is inside our hearts."

Mike entered the hall from the side, and he could see Nightmare Moon on a raised platform to the left of him. If only he could reach her before the six...

"You see, Nightmare Moon..." the same pony continued, "When the Elements are together, when the friends are together, the spark in our hearts ignites," a rumble went through the hall, a magical hum rising in the air, "And it creates... The Element of Magic!"

The hall became lit with white as the Elements hummed in harmony, their power flowing through the six ponies. Their eyes glowed white as they rose above the floor of the hall. Nightmare Moon took a step back, fear evident on her features.

"No!" she yelled out, desperately looking around in search of escape.

The hum became louder and louder, the ponies were cocooned in many bright colors. Mike knew it would soon be too late, and if Nightmare Moon was gone, the six wouldn't help him. He had only one chance, and his desperate mind was unwilling to look for other solutions.

As the ray of pure light erupted from the center of the magical cocoon surrounding the six mares, Mike jumped to Nightmare Moon, hoping to knock her out the way. As soon as his hoof touched her, both of them were consumed by the light. It ate them whole, and Mike's consciousness drifted into the thoughtless void of nothing.

Author's Notes:

I hope you liked the rewritten prologue. Tell me what you think about it!