We stepped forward through the large doorway. I could hear the soft sound of multiple hooves hit the stone blocks below us. I kept my eyes fixated on the mare standing with her back to us. She was standing over three ponies who were lying on the floor. I looked at all three of them and they matched the description that we were told before. One was yellow-orange with a brownish mane, the second was blue with a white mane, and the third was white with a purple mane. "Rarity!" Fluttershy was about to fly forward at full speed when that dreaded mare turned around grinning at us.

"I see you have come to witness the final ritual of my resurrection. Behold little foals, I will now claim my rightful place as Princess of the Night, and then it is onward to overthrow this tyrant you call Celestia and rule the land in eternal night!" Her loud laugh was bellowing through the area. Her mane swirled around in the air making a spiral with a navy blue color.

I stepped forward taking about four hoof steps closer to her. "I won't let you touch the princess or do any more harm to these other ponies! As my duty as a Night Guard, I will cease your current actions and apprehend you! You are no more than a legend who will be made into another!" I knew the others couldn't tell what I was actually feeling, but Nightmare Moon had this grin on her evil face as she looked at me. She knew that I was scared of her. If I showed it, my friends behind me would not have the courage to help me. "Step away from them now or you will have to answer to me instead of Princess Celestia!"

"Hahaha, you little foal, you couldn't possibly hope to defeat me! I am the true princess of the night, if you stand against me, you will perish along with the others!" She stood up on her hind legs and then slammed her hooves on the ground. I felt the ruins shake from the stomp. She was way stronger than I had thought. Still I had to confront her. If anything, I would have to use my final option to stop her.

"Nightmare Moon, your actions have been judged by themselves! Either step away from Princess Luna and the other ponies or you will face consequences worse than what Princess Celestia can give!" Of course she laughed again. She knew I was just threatening her. How could I harm an alicorn? I had to try my best to stop her anyway.

"Hey Night, I don't think she is listening. Shouldn't we just go get them and get out of here? We should bring them to Princess Celestia so she can protect them." Rainbow was flying right next to me, whispering in my ear. I turned my head a little and my face was that of my determination. It basically told her that we were the only ones who could save them and we had to do this. "Okay, okay, I was just putting out an idea. Stubborn guard..."

"You should listen to her, but who says that Celestia can stop me! She is no longer in control of the elements and cannot protect anypony from me!" Those eyes of her were scary to the bone. I couldn't help but flinch a little as she stepped closer. "If you think that anypony can protect you, your wrong! You mentioned that I was just a myth, well I am standing right here before you real as I can be! So tell me now, am I a myth or or you going to keep spouting those foolish lies?"

What was I to do? What could I possibly do? She had the magic of Luna, the only pony with that much magic is Princess Celestia. How was I supposed to defeat the alicorn before me if I couldn't even come close to matching her power. "Hey Night, don't worry, we will help you. After all, we're friends right?" Rainbow Dash was standing next to me, her wings up like she was about to take off. Pinkie was doing an awkward scowl. Fluttershy...where was Fluttershy? I looked over and she was already at the other ponies. She was going to each one and checking to see if they were OK. "Fluttershy, what are you doing?"

"Oh, I just hope they are alright. Come on Rarity, get up. We need your help." She was now nudging the white unicorn. "Please Rarity, please oh please wake up."

"Silly foal, she is probably dead by now. If you to see your friend, you will just have to join her." Nightmare Moon's horn started to glow. Fluttershy was glowing as well as she floated up into the air. I knew what she was going to do. Before I was actually thinking of how to attack her, I was already crouching beside her. I lunged and slammed into her side. Her magic dissipated and she was sent skidding on the floor. She stopped and stood up again. "Curse you you filthy mule! How dare you touch me!" Her horn began to glow brightly. I have seen this magic used before. It was the same that was used during target practice for unicorns. They shot lightning bolts from their horns in attempt to hit their target. I kicked off of the ground as soon as I saw a bolt begin to appear from her horn. I was lucky that I could react so fast. Looking back at the ground were she hit, I could see a black spot of burnt stone spread for about a ten hooves. "Stop moving, avoiding my attacks only prolongs your inevitable death!" The way she talked was beginning to annoy me now. I charged at her going full flying speed. Three lightning bolts zipped by me. I barely dodged them they moved so fast. As I got right in front of her, I hit the floor next to her, standing on my hooves. I jumped forward slamming into her chest sending her into the air. Nightmare Moon used her wings and steadied herself. Now she was flying above me. "You continue this hopeless battle. Why do you...what is this?" A rainbow bubble appeared around her. A closer looked showed that it was multiple rainbow streaks surrounding her in circle. Rainbow Dash was flying around Nightmare Moon at a speed that my eyes could not keep up with. Nightmare Moon covered herself with her mane and the it expanded very quickly, hitting Rainbow. She was knocked back and landed on the floor next to me. Rainbow stood up and faced Nightmare Moon.

"Don't think that you're the only one who has to do this. If she wants to hurt the princess, then she will have to answer to all of us." I looked over at Nightmare Moon who looked really angry at us right now. She had a scowl on her face and she was showing her razor-bladed teeth. Next, I saw Pinkie Pie right behind her. What could she possibly do to Nightmare that could help? She pulled a cannon out in front of her. "Pinkie why did you bring your party cannon?"

She gave Rainbow a quick smile. "Don't worry Dashie, this thing isn't always meant for parties!" She turned a knob on the cannon and pulled the string. Last thing I heard was a large bang and a blinding flash. I was dazed for quite a while. I was unable to see for a good minute or so. My vision was returning to me. As my eyes began to see, I witnessed something I thought to be impossible. Nightmare Moon was actually bleeding. I saw a long claw like gash along her back. She was having a hard time standing straight. "Gotcha you meany!"

Nightmare Moon began to growl at Pinkie. "How did you cut past my coat? Nopony in Equestria has that ability other than that wretched foal Luna!" I turned to see that Luna was actually standing. Then I heard everyone gasp. Her eyes were pure white, her horn glowed with that purplish blue color. She was awake finally. "Y-you cannot be alive. I took your life from you, how is it that you live?" Nightmare Moon was backing away now. She had fear in hear voice. Princess Luna didn't reply to anything. She just stood there. A barrier was surrounding her. I couldn't see it. I was just glad to see that Luna was standing.

"Princess Luna, you're alright!" I yelled as I flew towards her. Before I could actually get close to her, I hit something and was thrown back. I landed on my back. Pain was sent flowing through my entire body. It felt like I got shocked by a lightning bolt. I sat up and looked at Luna. "Luna, what's going on? What just happened?"

Nightmare Moon was studying Luna. She had this look in her eye. It told me that she saw Luna like this before. Once she realized it, she began to laugh again. "Hahaha, I remember this now. This is a spell that she cast upon herself. The foal sealed away most of her magic and when she is either almost dead or when a close friend of hers is about to die, the magic is released destroying everything she deems a threat. Witnessing you being attacked by her barrier proves that she sees you as a threat." Her mouth widen with this terrible grin. Her razor teeth showed from inside her mouth. Nightmare Moon began to laugh again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luna move her head. It was turned to Nightmare Moon. Nightmare had stopped laughing when she noticed that Luna was now facing her. "Oh please, what do you possibly think you can do to me?"

Upon finishing her question, Luna disappeared. She teleported right in front of Nightmare Moon. The large mare didn't move. Her eyes dilated almost immediately. Luna horn glowed brighter and another bright flash blinded me. When my sight returned, Luna was still standing, but in a crater. The stone floor around her was pushed downwards into the ground. I looked around to find Nightmare Moon. She was trying to stand up after being hit against the wall of the ruins. I looked at her body; she had cuts all over her legs, her back had two more gashes on it, and her chest had one more gash that was bleeding profusely.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were standing next to me. "Hey Night, are you alright?"

"Oh my gosh Night, are you seeing this?!"

"Ugh, I'm alright, and yes I am watching this Pinkie. This is a side of Luna not one pony has ever seen in history. Even though me and Luna are very close, she has never told me about this." Luna walked over to Nightmare Moon. She placed her hoof on Nightmare's side. "Luna..." She stood up on her hind legs. "Luna, no!" She stopped moving. Her head turned towards me. I realized that she could understand what I was saying. "You are not the Luna I remember, the old Luna would never hurt anypony. Whoever you've become, you're not my friend anymore..."

Her mouth twitched. As I looked at her, the magic around her was dying away. Her eyes began to reform. The pupils appeared and the purple, blue iris was slowly forming around them. Nightmare Moon was standing now. She shot a magic bolt and it hit Luna's magical barrier. Her eyes went pure white again. She turned to Nightmare Moon again. Nightmare flinched back again. Luna's horn began to glow with bright magic. A lightning bolt shot out from the tip of her horn. It was a direct hit on Nightmare Moon. The electricity surged around her. Her black coat had a few spots where smoke came from. Her yell of pain was deafening. It was like a piercing shriek that would scare anypony to death, literally. When Luna had stopped, Nightmare fell to the floor. Was she dead? Did Luna really kill her?

I flew over to Nightmare Moon. I placed my hoof on the base of her neck. I felt no pulse. Then one. Every fifteen seconds, I felt a pulse. Her breathing was very heavy and shallow. I looked up at Luna, she was back to normal. The magic barrier was gone, her eyes were back to normal too. She was trembling, her eyes shaking and a hoof held in front of her mouth. "Hehehe...you think...I would leave...without...a gift?" Before I could look at her, a felt something hit my chest. I felt no pain, I felt nothing. All I heard and saw, was Luna and the others gasping and screaming. I looked down to my chest. I saw a hole in the left side. I turned my head around and saw another one in my back. I looked back at the first hole again. That was when the pain hit me. My eyes teared up. I just tipped to the right and then began to fall.

It felt like time slowed down. My eyes closed as the good memories I had with Luna flashed through my head. Luna and I pulling a prank on her sister, the memory of the cupcake came back, and one last memory. It was when I first saw Luna. I was almost half a year old. My eyes opened up to see her standing over me, the night sky behind her. She was staring at me with a straight face. She looked down for a moment. She was reading the letter than was in the basket I was in. She looked up at me again, a smile was on her face. Luna picked me up and brought me inside the palace. She brought me in front of Princess Celestia. I was still too young to understand what they were talking about. I could only see their mouths moving a little. Celestia stayed quite for a moment, and then nodded her head. I saw Luna started to squeal with happiness. I just laughed along with her. She embraced me in a hug. I closed my eyes. Her body faded and I couldn't feel her anymore. My eyes opened back to the ruins. Then reality came back, time resumed to normal and I hit the ground with a thud. My sight was fading into black again.

Before my eyes closed, I hoof stepped right in front of me. It was too blurry to make out. What happened next, frightened me. A pulse was sent through me body. My eyes opened wide and I took in a large gasp of air. I saw Luna standing in front of me. Then I felt something being wrapped around my body. Fluttershy was wrapping a bandage around both of the holes. Luna had her horn on my side. It was glowing with magic. Another pulse was sent through my body. I sat up only to have pain take over my senses. I fell back gritting my teeth. I coughed a little. I covered it with one hoof and saw that the hoof was covered with blood. My eyes were drooping closed.

Again, a pulse was sent through my body. My eyes widened again. I was in the air now. I was surrounded by purple, blue magic. My body was placed on top of somepony. Out of the top of my eyes, I saw white hooves. "Don't worry deary, we will find somepony to help you. Rainbow, fly straight towards Ponyville. Warn Twilight, Applejack, and Mayor Mare. They must know what's going on."

"Roger."

"Fluttershy, you and Pinkie absolutely must accompany us to Ponyville."

We turned a half circle, and started to move forward. We were at the castle entrance and I turned my head to look back. Nightmare Moon's body was on floor with a smile. It then dissipated into a murky blue mist. My eyes felt heavy. They had closed. I no longer felt myself moving. I couldn't feel anything.

My slowly opened to sunshine. I was lying on the ground, a small breeze was blowing every now and then. I sat up and looked up at the blue sky. "Where am I?"

"Welcome, you are at the Gate to Paradise. Your an early arrival, you aren't do for quite a few years to come."

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Offside chat:

Good day, or night, to all the readers here. This is Night Runner speaking to you. The writer wanted me to talk to you instead of talking himself. I have talked with the writer about his feelings on this story. I personally think he could have made my death a little...better. He told me that the chapter doesn't fit his expectations. I just wish that the whole 'sealed magic' part didn't happen. It was scary to picture myself in that moment. Ugh, I got to stop doing that. Anyway, lunablue17 told me about how he at least liked the ending. He told me that this one other writer inspired him to add this next chapter. Hey lunablue17, what was the pony's name again?

His name was Ravenwood11. He wrote the story I AM DEATH.

Right, well, ahem. lunablue17 told me that he would do something later on. He also told me that he was going to start writing a new story. He won't tell me the name of it so you will have to wait for that. Don't worry, I will try to convince him to tell me.

I'm sitting right here Night...

So? I will get you to tell me the name of it. I already have the idea that it's about me. Anyway, it had better not be anything too serious.

You never know what I may write next.

Ugh, you are such a weird human. Back to informing you readers, the writer told me that he will be posting the next chapter at least by next Saturday, whatever day that is. By the way, between us, his birthday is coming up so I think he is just being lazy and doesn't feel like writing.

I can still hear you!

So, please be patient and wait for the next chapter to be written. I still can't get that other story out of my head, what is the name of it?

I'll tell you later. That's it for now readers, I hope you liked my whole story so far. Just be careful and don't think too much when reading it. You get more pleasure from the story that way. Thank you for reading.

Next Chapter: Coming Back from Paradise Estimated time remaining: 22 Minutes