My Little Pony - An Equestrian Emergency -

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Chapter 1: Celestia’s Disappearance.

 

 

 

 

 

“Spike! Spiii-iike!” Twilight called loudly. It was already after one, and she was supposed to be meeting her friends for a picnic in the park, as per their usual, and she had misplaced her basket.

 

Within in a heartbeat spike is right next to her, “What is it twilight?”

 

“I need you to help me find my picnic basket. I’ve seemed to have um… misplaced it…” Twilight said, her cheeks flushing a bit with one of her fake smiles.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa… You! Twilight Sparkle actually misplaced something? The world is ending!” Spike yelled teasingly.

 

Twilight gave spike a very dissatisfied look, then continued, “Come on spike, there will be plenty of time to remind me of it later. Right now I need to find it or I’m going to be late for our weekly picnic!”

 

“Alright, alright fine. But don’t think that for a moment that I’m ever going to let you live this down. The all mighty, super organized Twilight Sparkle actually lost something!” Spike said laughing. Spike walked up the stairs to their bedroom and looked in there, and sure enough, it had gotten scooted underneath Twilights bed. “Twilight! I found it!”

 

“I highly doubt it, I’ve been looking for it for the last hour.,” she said walking up the stairs. “There’s no way that you’re going to just walk in and…” she said being cut off at the sight of spike holding the picnic basket, “find it.”

 

“Gosh Twilight, it was the easiest thing in the world to find. It was only under the bed.”

 

“Under the bed!? How did it even get upstairs? I don’t ever remember bringing it up here…” Twilight commenting in a puzzled look.

 

“Don’t ask me. I wasn’t the last one that used it.”

 

“Spike!”

 

“What? You asked,” he commented walking back downstairs. “Besides, since when does it take you an hour to fold up the blanket and put the napkins in the basket?”

 

“Well, it doesn’t. I just wanted to have everything organized for when it was time to go without having to rush everything.” She explained. Without wasting any more time she folded up the blanket and napkins as she placed them in the basked and headed for the door. “Come on Spike!”

 

"Actually twilight, I think I'm going to stay here today, I'm a bit behind on my chores so I need to get them done."

 

Twilight smiled back at him, "Well just don't work yourself too hard," she added giving him a nod and started to head towards the park. Twilight got there just as everypony else was and was greeted with a smile. “Hey girls,” she said looking around and noticing that Pinkie Pie hadn’t shown up yet. “Where’s Pinkie?”

 

As if on cue Pinkie Pie popped right up next to her, “I’m right here silly! Where else would I be this time of week?” she replied bouncing over to where she normally sat.

 

“So, Twilight,” Rarity began, “How’s your week been since the wedding?”

 

“I just can’t stop thinking of Cadence, and how Shining Armor and she are married now. My old Foalsitter is now my big sister! I mean, even when I was a foal, I could only dream of what it would be like to have her as a sister, and now she actually is! I don’t think I could put into words how happy I am!”

 

“So yew still ain’t upset ‘bout yer brother not tellin’ you himself?” Applejack asked.

 

“No, actually. I actually think Chrysalis was behind that, not him. I still can’t believe her. Trying to use Cadence like that! I’ll never forgive her for that!”

 

“Hey! Not to mention that she tried to make clones out of us!” Rainbow Dash. “I can’t let there be anymore of me going around and being all awesome and such. That’s my job.”

 

“Not to mention that she almost completely ruined the party of a life time. Like really, could she have picked a worse time to be a party crasher?” Pinkie grumbled, all the other ponies looking at her. “What!? She did!”

 

“I think it was absolutely appalling that Chrysalis needed to make such a ruckus that I was forced to drop my dresses on the ground. I’ll admit The Elements of Harmony were far more important at the time, but the simple fact that we had to resort to trying to get to them was absurd. I mean…” Rarity said looking off in the distance as massive storm clouds looked like they were building in the distance and quickly moving in. “Um… Rainbow, correct me if I’m wrong, but we weren’t supposed to have any storms for a couple of days right?”

 

“Huh? Yeah that’s right. Why?” Rainbow questioned as Rarity pointed behind her. She turned and saw the same clouds. Lightning streaked across the clouds and the winds started picking up to a point where they were almost dangerous. “Whoa!” Rainbow yelped as the wind caught her wings.

 

“Everypony to the library now!” Twilight yelled as the six bolted towards her home. They quickly ran inside, and they no sooner ran inside when Spike ran in screaming.

 

“Twilight!!” He screamed running over to her. “Twilight! What’s going on!”

 

“I don’t know. This storm came out of nowhere.”

 

Lightning flashed and sparked right next to the tree, the crash of thunder instantly spreading through the tree knocking out the power. The shrieks of screams could be heard briefly as Twilight used her magic to light up the room, and as quick as the storm had appeared, it left the area.

 

“Is everypony alright?” Twilight asked.

 

“I’m fine, though what concerns me more was where that storm came from.” Rarity stated.

 

“The only thing I can think of is that it’s a rogue storm from Cloudsdale. It happens from time to time, and the ones that get away are the ones that tend to be really strong. That being said though, it was moving completely the wrong way to be coming from Cloudsdale. Heck, it was moving in the direction of Cloudsdale.” Rainbow Dash stated.

 

“Uh, it’s not just going through Cloudsdale. Look!” Twilight pointed out of panic. “It’s got a funnel and it’s heading straight for Canterlot!”

 

“What!? Canterlot is on a mountain!” Rainbow said flying to the window. “Besides, Cloudsdale would never let a tornado hit Canterlot,” she said looking out to see the funnel ripping through The Castle City. “Oh, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad…”

 

“I don’t know about you girls, but this is all too weird. A storm that didn’t come from Cloudsdale, and a tornado in Canterlot, where it should be climatically impossible for one to form. I don’t like this at all.”

 

“You’re telling me. I just hope that all the animals were able to get to shelter in time. Normally when we have a storm, I’m able to let them know in advance when to stay inside,” Fluttershy commented.

 

Moments later spike got a rumbling in his stomach. It was quite a bit different than normal, and it fell weird. He let out a belch of black flame and a black scroll with a crescent shaped seal on it appeared.

 

“Spike! Are you okay? I’ve never seen you have a black flame before…” Twilight asked.

 

“W-I don’t know… it felt really weird…”

 

Twilight moved over to the scroll and lifted it with her magic and opened it.

 

“What’s it say Twi? Applejack asked.

 

“It’s… from Princess Luna… She said we’re needed in Canterlot as soon as possible. That an Equestrian Emergency has occurred.”

 

“Oh my! What happened?” Rarity asked.

 

“It doesn’t say. The only thing else it says is to make sure to bring The Elements of Harmony.”

 

“The Elements!” Rainbow shouted.

 

“Oh my, if it’s that bad already that we need the Elements of Harmony, then we better hurry before it gets worse.”

 

“Well it’s a good thing she sent a chariot for us, otherwise it would take even longer.” Twilight said as she activated her telekinesis to pull out the chest with the elements in it and gave each pony her element. “Come on, let’s hurry!”

 

The group of six all ran out to the chariot and got in. The guards of the chariot seemed very concerned. “What’s going on?” Twilight asked.

 

“We can’t talk about that here. Princess Luna will inform you soon enough,” the guard responded.

 

The Chariot ride was filled with nothing but worry. The most concerning thing that puzzled Twilight was the one fact that Princess Luna had sent the letter. Normally when something like this happened it was Princess Celestia that sent the letter. Like with what happened with Discord. She couldn’t put her hoof on what was going on, but twilight, and the rest of the group were scared. “Twilight…” Rarity said breaking the silence. Are you okay?

 

“I’m scared. Princess Luna has never sent me a letter before, and now this. Something’s really wrong. The last time something happened on a scale as large as needing The Elements of Harmony, it was Princess Celestia that sent us the letter.”

 

“Well, hopefully the elements are just a precautionary thing. You know, the bad thing hasn’t happened yet, but we’re ready in case it does.” Rainbow chimed in.

 

“We can only hope,” Twilight said as the chariot stopped. “Alright girls, let’s not waste any time.”

 

The six ponies ran through the streets of Canterlot as quickly as possible. Guards were stationed everywhere just as they were on the night of the wedding. There was no barrier though. This made them even more nervous and the scaled the palace stairs. The doors flung open and they all changed into the Princess’s chamber.

 

“What have you done with my Aunt, Luna!?” Princess Cadence shouted. Twilight couldn’t believe her eyes, or her ears. She had never seen Cadence so angry before, and did she hear her correctly? Did she ask Luna what she had done with her aunt?

 

“For the last time I had nothing to do with this!” Luna screamed back through the tears on her face. “I know I’ve made mistakes in the past but I’m not Nightmare Moon anymore! I love my sister and she’s the only pony that didn’t fear or hate me when I stepped in the room!”

 

“Princess Luna!” Twilight interrupted.

 

“Twilight!” Cadence shouted in both a relieved and hurt tone.

 

“Twilight Sparkle…” Luna greeted with a hung head.

 

“We came as soon as we got the letter, and we brought the elements.” Twilight announced.

 

“Yeah, we’re ready for anything that could come our way. There’s nothing we can’t handle,” Rainbow dash said confidently.

 

“I sure hope so Rainbow Dash… I sure hope so…” Luna said and collapsed into tears.

 

“What’s… wrong…?” Twilight asked tentatively fearing the answer.

 

“Twilight…” Princess Cadence started, “It’s Princess Celestia. She’s been kidnapped.”

 

“WHAT!?” all six mares shouted simultaneously Rainbow dash dropping from the sky at the news.

 

“I’m afraid you heard right. Princess Celestia has been kidnapped,” Cadence continued. “We don’t know by who or what. Though I have a pretty good feeling I know who,” she added throwing a menacing glare to Luna.

 

“Why are you blaming me for this!? You forget she’s my sister!” Luna shouted back.

 

“Because you’ve always wanted complete control over Equestria! That’s why she banished you to the moon to begin with, and now that you thought nopony was looking, you’d take your chances of trying to gain control of Equestria once again.”

 

“I would never…. NEVER… hurt my sister!” Luna replied.

 

“Really,”

 

“Cadence… I don’t see Luna having that in her. Not after she came to visit Ponyville on Nightmare…”

 

“You leave Princess Luna alone! She’s not the Monster you make her out to be!” another voice came from the entryway. In the doorway, stood a medium-sized Unicorn Mare. Her coat was a very light icy blue in color, while her main was as deep a blue as the purest of oceans. A small stripe of white flowed down the center of her mane. On her flank was a small patch of dark blue, resting above her cutie mark, a mound of snow cradling two shards of ice.

 

“Ice Storm!” Luna yelled in the most relieved voice Twilight had heard since they’d gotten here.

 

“Hmph, If that’s the case, Ms. Ice Storm, then how can you explain that Luna is the next in line to take control, and then coincidentally, Aunt Celestia just disappears.”

 

“I’m not taking control of Equestria,” Luna announced.

 

Everypony in the room was taken back at this statement. “What? Who’s going to take control of Equestria then?” Twilight asked as Luna looked to Cadence.

 

“She is! Mi Amora Cadenza.”

 

“What!?” Princess Cadence said almost jumping out of her royal bracelets. “But I don’t know the first thing about ruling anything!?”

 

“Well you Obviously don’t trust me to do the job, and if my own niece doesn’t believe that I’m not the one responsible for my sister’s disappearance than what makes you think anyone else will? No, I’m going with you Twilight Sparkle. I will help you find her, and then maybe clear my name from the clutches of Nightmare Moon.”

 

______________________________

 

 

Chapter 2: Loss of Information

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Luna… you don’t have to do that… I’m sorry,” Princess Cadence admitted to her.

 

“Yes I do Cadence. You’ve made it perfectly clear you don’t trust me, that most of Equestria doesn’t trust me. And you’re right! If I watched the throne while you were out searching for her, everypony would suspect me. Just because of one very bad mistake I made.” Luna cried “All I want is the same love that my sister gets… I don’t want to be hated anymore!”

 

Cadence gave Luna a half-hearted smile. Given the situation it was the only type of smile that she could show. “Luna…” she said leaning over and nuzzling her neck. Luna looked up to meet the soft eyes of her niece. “Luna I’m sorry… I guess I’m just not over the Chrysalis incident yet. It was wrong for me to instantly blame you for this. It is a bit suspicious, but as much as Celestia said you had helped her during the lockdown, I should have known better than to jump to conclusions,” cadence said to her, tears forming in her own eyes. She wrapped Luna in a hug, “And no matter what, I’ll always love you, Aunt Luna.”

 

“There’s the Cadence I know and love,” Twilight said watching the two princesses. “But what now? Princess Celestia is gone, and we have absolutely no leads as to who took here or why, let alone where…”

 

“Well, this could be something that Chrysalis is trying. I wouldn’t put it past her to try to take revenge on Celestia.”

 

“It that were the case though, why just Celestia. You and I were the ones responsible for revealing who she was, and it was you and Shining Armor that actually stopped her. She’s have more reason to come after us than Princess Celestia.”

 

“Hey! What’s that up there?” Rainbow Dash asked as she flew up and grabbed a piece of cloth from a broken window pane.

 

“Hmm, I don’t know. I haven’t seen any materials like that here…” Cadence admitted.

 

“Hey Rarity, you’re the fashion designer here, what kind of cloth is this?” Rainbow inquired tossing the fabric to her.

 

Rarity caught it with her telekinesis. “Hmm… this appears to be some sort of silk. It’s definitely not of a quality that I have ever seen before, nor would I want too. It’s absolutely atrocious. I know for a fact that I would never use something this poor in any dress I made.” Rarity said turning her nose up at the fabric. “It’s obviously from nobility, but there’s no way that I could picture Luna in something as low quality as this. This completely rules her out even if there were still any doubts.”

 

“That still doesn’t help. The only thing it proves is that Luna isn’t involved, but it doesn’t give us a direction to go in,” Applejack stated.

 

“Actually, it does. We know that whoever it was, it was a pony of nobility,” Twilight stated.

 

“Anypony could have gotten ahold of a fabric like that. They may not have gotten it the right way, but they could still obtain it.” Applejack pointed out.

 

“Well, yes, I suppose that’s true, but seriously this? I wouldn’t even steal this…”

 

“Hey, what if we asked around Canterlot to see if anypony here recognizes the fabric and who may have an article of clothing made from it,” Ice Storm stated.

 

“Forgive me dear… but I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”

 

“Rarity, there will be plenty of time for pleasantries later. Right now we have more important things to worry about,” Twilight interrupted.

 

Ice Storm huffed. “Hmph, well, In case you missed when Luna said it, my name is Ice Storm. I was on my way to make sure Luna was okay after the storm, and the first thing I hear when I get in here is everypony yelling at her!”

 

“Ahem… I… was actually the only one yelling at her… and for completely the wrong reasons…” Princess Cadence admitted once again.

 

“Still, Luna is my mentor, and the only real friend I have here in Canterlot. I don’t like how everypony else treats her, and I will defend her honor until the day I take my last breath. That being said though,” Ice Storm slinking back into a hunch. “I would like to find out what happened to Celestia as well. I may not find her as appealing as Luna, but she’s still my princess. If she’s in trouble, I wanna help.”

 

Twilight gave in with a smile, “That’s very noble of you. I’m Twilight Sparkle. I would go into more, but right now, like I told Rarity. We need to find a starting point.”

 

“Well, we know that the kidnapping just happened today.” Cadence started.

 

“We also know that whoever took her had more power than my sister could have imagined. More than I could imagine actually, being able to actually take her away from us. No one could have expected that!” Luna said tearing up again. “I can only hope that the elements will be enough to bring her back to us… We can’t lose her! If that happens… I’ll never be able to show my face in Equestria again… It would be like being banished again, but worse…”

 

“No.” Cadence replied lifting Luna’s snout up. “I would never let that happen,” she added pulling her into a hug. “But we aren’t going to find out anything if everypony stays here and tries to wait for the answer to fall from the sky. Luna, before you go though, I’m going to need a lot of help. I don’t even know how to do the sun or the moon spells let alone even have the strength to be able to do any of it.”

 

“Our love for my sister will, and my love for you will give you that strength. I can give you the moon spell,” Luna said to her, her horn lighting up as she connected it to Cadence’s. “Though you’ll have to look in Celestia’s room to see if she has a backup copy of the sun spell. Just in case something like this happened.”

 

Cadence nodded to her. “You know what we have to do now though, right?”

 

“No, I know what I need to do. I’m not going to let your name get tarnished because the first time that you’ll ever have to make a public announcement is the one like this. I’m already hated… I will take the brunt of this… so that you don’t have to.”

 

“Luna, you don’t have to do that…”

 

“Yes I do,” she stated matter-of-factly. “I’m not going to let you take a hit of this caliber on your first day. It’s going to hurt but… I’m used to getting hurt at this point.”

 

“Luna…” Twilight said as she walked out onto the balcony.

 

“Please Luna… don’t to this to yourself…” Cadence pleaded.

 

“It has to be done…” she said sadly turning to the crowd beneath her. “Citizens of Canterlot… I wish that what I had to say was news of peace and rejoice, but the truth is the complete opposite. I already know the reaction that a majority of you are going to have…” She started a number of ponies mumbling to themselves under her trying to figure out what she meant. “My subjects… it is my biggest regret to inform you, that my sister… our beloved Princess Celestia has been kidnapped!” She yelled over the crowd tears pouring from her eyes knowing the reaction that was going to come.

 

Almost immediately, the crowd was in an uproar. It was the very reaction that Princess Luna both knew was coming and she feared the worst. It only proved that her subjects had no faith in her at all. It was a reality that hurt more on its own than the very fact that her own sister had been kidnapped. “I was already expecting a reaction like this, and believe me when I say it hurts more to hear such accusations than you may think. Which is why I’m not going to be the one taking control over Equestria. I cannot in good conscious take over the throne in my sister’s absence while I’m still the most hated pony in Equestria. Which is why Princess Mi Amora Cadenza will be the new ruler of Equestria until Princess Celestia can be found and returned to us safely. I will be accompanying the six ponies that wield the elements of harmony. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkamina Pie, Rarity, and Applejack have agreed to help us find our beloved princess. I only hope that… that we aren’t too late…” she said hanging her head.

 

The entire crowd went silent as she started to head back inside. They were still in shock of everything that just happened. The princess of the night wasn’t taking over? But she was the next in line it was her duty to fit into that position. All the ponies in the crowd looked to each other as the realized the hurt that they had placed in the princess.

 

“Come girls, it’s best we leave as soon as possible. If there’s one thing that I know for sure, it’s that Celestia isn’t here in Canterlot. We would have found her already if she was.” Princess Luna stated.

 

“Huh? How?” Twilight asked.

 

“The magic of an Alicorn has a very special signature and each signature of magic is different,” Cadence started. “Just as your magic has a different feeling than Rarity’s over there, the magic that we three share is very different and very noticeable.”

 

“I don’t understand though, I can’t detect Rarity’s magic at all, not even when she’s using it. Unless I’m looking at her of course and I watch her use it.”

 

“It’s something special amongst Alicorns. When we’re close we can detect each other, which is why we can be someplace rather quickly if there is anything wrong,” Luna explained. “Something I don’t understand though, whom ever took Celestia was able to mask her signature or strike before she was able to even react. I didn’t even feel anything wrong until after she left and I couldn’t feel her anymore.”

 

“Luna, did you at least get a direction?” Twilight asked.

 

Luna just shook her head. “No, but by the time I had even known what was going on, she was gone. The only thing that we have to go off of at the moment is that fabric.”

 

“Like I said, we should ask around Canterlot. Hopefully somepony recognizes the material,” Ice Storm suggested again.

 

“That is a good idea, though who do we start with? I mean, going around asking questions like that to everypony could also cause more anger as well. They might mistake our questioning as an attack on them, and think that we thought they were responsible.”

 

“But didn’t everypony make that same decision on you?” Ice Storm asked confused. “Why should we care about how they feel if they don’t give a hoot at all about how you feel when they do things like that to you!”

 

“Because it’s better to show them love than anger. If I react violently to their outbursts, I’m only proving them even more right in their thoughts.”

 

“Oh,” Ice said realizing what she meant.

 

“At the very least we should see if Shining Armor has any information. He’s the Captain of the Royal Guard after all. Surely one of the other guards had to have seen something and reported it to him!”

 

“Good idea Twilight!” Cadence said with assertion.

 

“Yes, yes. He would be perfect! Why we should go there immediately!” Rarity agrees with a hint of enthusiasm. All eyes turned to her. “What? He is out best chance to get any information after all.”

 

“Right, right… come on everypony. Let’s see if he knows anything that can help us,” Twilight said as she ran to the door with the others following close behind.

 

 

_____________

 

 

Chapter 3: The First Break

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Shining Armor!” Twilight yelled from across the lawn in between them.

 

“Twiley!” Shining Armor said running towards her and the other mares accompanying here.

 

“Shining, we need your help…”

 

“I know, I was… I was there when it happened…”

 

“WHAT!?” they said in unison.

 

“I said I was there… I… I failed our princess…” he said looking off to the east. “And I know right now it doesn’t hold much value, but I heard your announcement Princess Luna, and I’ll have you know that I don’t share the same resentment that the rest of Canterlot does. That’s not important now, however…” he said turning his focus to the group as a whole.

 

“I didn’t get anything more than a glimpse of who the assailant was. As soon as that storm came in from the west, everything went dark, and before Princess Celestia could get anything lit up, her magic was suppressed.”

 

“Suppressed? But how? That shouldn’t be possible!” Luna shouted more in worry than in anger.

 

“I don’t know. Whatever it was, it was a dark figure. It was black, and had wings… It wasn’t a changeling though, I know that much. I saw enough of Chrysalis that I wouldn’t forget her or what her minions looked like in a lifetime. Whatever this was, it knew what it was after and how to keep her from calling for help. I do know that whoever took her went east, just past The Eponnine Mountains. That’s unfortunately all the information that I have.”

 

“It gives us something to go off of at least. We have a direction now! Something that we didn’t have just minutes ago,” Twilight stated before turning to Luna. “Luna, how far is it from here to the Eponnine Mountains?”

 

“It’s at least a three to four day walk, and most of it is through mountains. It’s a day and a half just to get out of the Canterlot Range.”

 

“Why do we have to walk anyway? Can’t you just call a Chariot for us like how you did when you sent for us?” Rainbow Dash inquired

 

“She makes a valid point princess. If we are on a time restriction here, which I assume we are, wouldn’t flying there be faster?”

 

“It would be, but only about a day.”

 

“Well, one less day of walking, and one less day whatever this thing is that took Princess Celestia has to hurt her.” Rainbow declared.

 

Luna nodded, “I agree, the closest one is back at the palace. With any luck we’ll be out of the Canterlot Mountain Range by Sunset… Hopefully Cadence has found something to help her figure ut how to lower the Sun.” she said hanging her head. “Why couldn’t I have been the one kidnapped…”

 

“Luna, don’t talk like that…” Twilight said resting a hoof on her shoulder.

 

“If it were me, at least Equestria would still have a normal night and day. No pony would miss me if I was gone…”

 

“You know that’s not true Luna! I love you, We love you! Your niece and sister both love you, and if something happened to you, you better believe I would be right her with my friends and the Elements of harmony just as ready to save you as I would your sister.”

 

“Yeah! Besides, we all know that the whole ‘Nightmare Moon’ thing was a big hoax thing that was just a figment of our imagination right?” Rainbow Dash said with a wink.

 

Luna smiled softly. “You are lucky to have made friends such as these Twilight Sparkle. They are truly amazing.”

 

“Hey! What about me!?”

 

Luna laughed and gave a soft nuzzle to Ice Storm. “And I’m lucky to have met a pony as special as you are,” she said looking up to the chariot. “We’re here, everyone in. I’m going to go check on Cadence before we leave and let her know what’s going on.”

 

The seven mares nodded as Luna flew up unto the Palace.

 

“Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no…”

 

“Cadence is everything okay?”

 

“No it’s not. Aunt Celestia doesn’t have a backup for anything anywhere, and I don’t know where else to look for anything to help me with the Sun.”

 

“The only thing I can think of is to try the Starswirl the Bearded Wing in the Canterlot Library. If anyplace is going to have the primary source of that spell, it will be there…”

 

“But what if I can’t do it Luna? You know as well as I that I’m nowhere near as powerful as you or your sister! What if I fail everypony… What if I don’t have the strength to change between day and night?” Cadence yelled with it being her turn to break down. “I’m scared Luna… I want Aunt Celestia back…”

 

“I want her back too Cadence,” Luna said wrapping a hoof and a wing around her. “We will find her. I promise…” she added pulling her in a tighter hug.

 

“It’s actually the reason I came up here. We found a lead. Shining Armor was here when Sister was taken.”

 

“What!?”

 

Luna nodded. “He said everything got dark quickly and whatever took Celestia is able to suppress her magic, which has me more worried than you can imagine.”

 

“How… was he…”

 

“He was quite shaken up from it. You’ll both have to be strong for each other thought this time. The love that we have will get us through this. I have full faith that you can do this.”

 

“Thank you…” Cadence said though her own sniffing as Luna started heading back to the window. “Luna wait!”

 

“Yes?” she replied turning around.

 

“In case something happens and I don’t get to say it… I love you… IF anything else… please… just make sure you come home… I can’t lose both of you…”

 

Luna smiled as her heart melted. “I love you too Cadence. We’ll be back. All of us, I promise,” and with that she took off down to the Chariot.

 

“Is everything okay? That took longer than expected.” Twilight asked concerned.

 

“Cadence is just struggling with her emotions, as we all are at the moment, so I did what I could to comfort her as much as I could.”

 

Twilight nodded, “I still can’t believe it myself that something could over power Princess Celestia.”

 

“Take off,” Luna ordered before turning back to Twilight. “I’m still puzzled by this as well. First by Chrysalis, and now by whatever this thing is… I can’t help but wonder what’s happening to us that’s making us weaker, or are our enemies really getting that much stronger…”

 

“Well, from what I’ve seen you aren’t getting any weaker. You’re just as strong as I’ve ever seen you,” Ice commented.

 

“Then why didn’t I sense that my sister was in trouble until she was gone…”

 

“Nopony’s perfect, so how can we expect something that’s not even possible? I mean it’s not like you knew about it and didn’t do anything. You had no idea this was going to happen. I know that if you had been able to, you would have been able to stop whoever did this and keep them from your sister,” Ice Storm added reassuringly.

 

“At the very least slow it down so that Celestia would have had a chance…”

 

“This isn’t your fault dear. As you said, no one could have possibly expected this,” Rarity started. “I must admit I was completely shocked myself when she was beaten by Chrysalis. I was hoping that something like that would never happen again. Fortunately we have The Elements of Harmony though. If memory serves me correctly, they are supposed to be the one power to be able to fix anything.”

 

“I hope so girls… I hope so,” Luna finished as the chariot churned through the mountains. When they did get out of the mountains, Luna saw Cadence fly up into the sky with the moon, and much to her relief, was able to bring the sun down with her when she flew back down. I knew you had it in you, she thought to herself with a soft smile. “We should rest here for the night, and continue in the morning. Even though I prefer night travel, I know most of you have been up since Celestia rose the sun this morning, not to mention for once, I am exhausted myself.”

 

“It’s okay princess…”

 

“Luna, please Applejack. As of right now, I am not a princess. Until I have rescued my sister, I have officially resigned my status of princess of the night. So please, just call me Luna.”

 

Applejack nodded, “It’s okay Luna, we understand. This is a being tragedy for all of us, and can be tiring for even the most… dedicated of ponies.”

 

“I agree, however I’m not sure how much rest anypony is going to be able to get tonight. Even as tired as I am, I’m afraid to go to sleep… I’m afraid every second we wait… is another second that we’re going to be too late.”

 

“Have faith Twilight Sparkle, for faith at this moment, really is the only thing we have left.”

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4: Truths in Awakening.

 

 

 

 

 

Darkness, it was the only thing that Princess Celestia could see around her. The sound of running water nearby suggested that she was in a cave of some sorts, and the constant dripping was already working her already tight nerves. Wanting to try and figure out where she was, she tried to activate her horn to at the very least get some light. However, when she tried to activate her magic, she found that it would fade before she could even get her magic powered. What the hey… she thought to herself pushing herself. “Something isn’t right…” she thought to herself her mane completely static at this point.

 

“Oh, is that so, princess?”

 

“Who are you!? Show yourself!”

 

“All in due time princess. Right now, I have bigger plans than to deal with you. The magic containment field that I have you in right now will more than suffice as a prison for you.”

 

“What do you want?”

 

“What does anypony want Celestia? I was full control of Equestria and The Elements of Harmony destroyed. They are becoming quite a nuisance for me. I mean honestly, they have thwarted every attempt that I’ve had made to gain control of your precious little empire and its subjects.”

 

“What are you talking about? I don’t even know who you are! How could I have unleashed The Elements of Harmony on something or someone I don’t even know of!?”

 

“Oh no, you misunderstand. I know you have never used The Elements of Harmony on me specifically. No, you’d have to find me first in order to do so, and by the time that I actually show myself to you, you’ll be all too willing to destroy them and surrender control of your Empire to me. I almost had it once.”

 

“I will never abandon my subject, and The Elements of Harmony can never be destroyed! Regardless if you destroy the artifacts themselves! They will reform in the right hooves!”

 

“Oh yes, you’re faithful students. Twilight and her friends am I right? I know all about them and I took them into account when I said destroying The Elements.”

 

“No!” Celestia screamed over menacing laughter.

 

“Oh my Celestia, you really don’t know what you’re dealing with here now do you? I swear you’re saying the exact same thing that your sister was saying so many years ago. ‘I’ll never give in to you! I love my sister! I could never do what you want me to!’”

 

“Wait… What did you do to Luna!!!”

 

“Well, within the last thousand years, nothing. She’s kinda been out of my reach on the moon. Oh how a wonderful puppet she became. Do you really think that she really felt Revenge and hatred for you a millennium ago? Honestly, her love for you then was just as devout as it is now, but after several weeks without food, and watching several of her friends die by my hands. Oh you should have seen her face when I took her special somepony away from her. The sadness, the despair, the pain, it was all too amazing to look at.”

 

“Wait a millennium ago… that means…” she realized her eyes going wide as the presence begain laughing some more.

 

“Haha, that’s right princess! It was I that was responsible for the creation of Nightmare Moon! Your sister never resented you once, and she was all too willing to stand next to you. Oh how much fun it was to break that royal Alicorn and watch her suffer.”

 

“But that’s not possible! Luna never left the palace then except to raise the moon!”

 

“Oh how right you are princess. What you don’t realize however, was the most recent enemy to Canterlot that you’ve encountered wasn’t your first encounter with her!”

 

“What!”

 

“That’s right! Chrysalis was also under my complete control!”

 

“That’s not possible…” Celestia said her voice becoming more hurt as she realized just how many beings this thing had touched negatively.

 

“Oh yes, it’s very possible. Chrysalis had just been elected queen of her changelings, and she was relatively easy to trap. And bending her to my will? Mwahaha, that was the easiest thing I had ever done! All she had to do was watch dozens of her changelings fall from the sky to get her to play along.”

 

“You’re a monster!”

 

“Oh? No, you see, I’m nothing more than a mere alicorn like you. The only difference between you and me,” he said though another laugh. “Is that I'm just a lot darker than you could ever be. And the more you want to seek vengeance and get your revenge for your sister, which I can feel inside of you, the more powerful I become.”

 

“Revenge… What no! It can’t be! You’re supposed to be a Mare’s Tale!!!” Celestia said over more laughter, her face turning to a mixture of shock and fear.

 

“Believe it Celestia! I am very much real, and I grow even more powerful by the second! The alicorn Deadly Revenge Is in fact very much live and well. Soon everything will be bowing before me!”

 

“No! I don’t care what you do! I’ll never turn on my subjects.”

 

“That’s the very answer I was hoping for. After all, why would a pony whose special talents are pain, revenge, and death would want anything less?”

 

“Because I know Twilight and her friends will stop at nothing to find me! And I know that they can put a stop to you!”

 

“Haha, we shall see,” Deadly Revenge said menacingly as his presence faded.

 

Celestia was left in the darkness of the cave. Oh Luna… Chrysalis… I’m so sorry… I didn’t know what was going on…Celestia thought to herself tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She looked up into the darkness and let her tears fall. “I should have been able to see the signs! How could I need notice such a drastic change overnight! I should have known there was something larger in the works… and Chrysalis… If only you had told me what had actually happened… I could have protected you and your changelings… We could have been united and you could have felt real love instead of having to try to steal it from others…” She said aloud to herself letting her head fall on her hooves.

 

“How could I have been so blind!? How could I let something like this happen…” she said once again to herself. Her thoughts turned to The Elements of Harmony. Her mind went immediately to Twilight. “Oh girls… please hurry, but even more importantly… be careful… we’re dealing with an enemy more powerful than we could imagine…” she said knowing her warning was falling on nothing but deaf rocks.

 

“Celestia… is that you…” she heard from a voice behind her.

 

“Who else is there!?” she asked almost jumping where she lay.

 

“Celestia… it’s me… Chrysalis… I know that we aren’t on the best of terms at the moment… but please… you have to help me… I’ve been imprisoned here just like you…”

 

“It’s okay… I’m the one that should be apologizing to you.”

 

“It is right what they said about you…”

 

“Oh? What’s that?”

 

“That you’re one of the most understanding ponies in Equestria,”

 

“I supposed that’s true, but it helps that Deadly just stated his involvement with you.”

 

“Yes… but what are we going to do? If we stay her too long he’s going to kill us both.”

 

“Unless you can create some sort of light source, we can’t go anywhere.”

 

“Yes we can,” Chrysalis said leaning in, feeling along her neck until she found Celestias ear and whispered. “We can use the running water in the stream to find the way out. You and I both have wings so we don’t have to worry about any waterfalls that we would run into. If nothing else we can get to a spot where our magic can work.”

 

Celestia nodded out of instinct but then realized that she wouldn’t be able to see that and whispered back,“good idea."

 

 

 

Chapter 5: Plan for Escape

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celestia and Chrysalis both started walking towards the sounds of the running water. Celestia soon found the moist ground underneath her signaling that they were close, and that sound of the creak was now clear as day. She extended a wing out to stop Chrysalis from walking any farther. “Let’s stay next to the creek rather than walking in it to follow it. We don’t know what Deadly has done to taint the water so I’d rather not take any chances.”

 

“What way is it flowing? Can you tell by the sound?”

 

“Hmm, no I can’t. Celestia reached a hoof out and cautiously and lightly put her hoof in the underground spring. “It’s flowing to our left. So that’s the direction we should go.”

 

“Right,” Chrysalis agreed.

 

The royal pair stayed right next to one another, staying within a wing’s touch of each other to make sure they hadn’t lost each other. “Anything yet?” Celestia asked Chrysalis after a failed attempt to activate her own magic. A few sparks of green came off of the horn, but just like with Celestia’s her magic also faltered.

 

“Hmm, we must be getting close to the outer limits of at least your containment field. That’s more than what I was able to spark up.”

 

“We can only hope. It would be nice if we could actually see where we are going. All of this darkness has me more than just a bit worried.”

 

“You aren’t the only one…” Celestia admitted as she felt the ground give beneath her and she instinctively spread her wings. “Watch out, there’s a cliff.”

 

“That’s really odd… you would have thought we would have heard the roar of a waterfall if we were that close to one.”

 

“Perhaps it’s not that large of a drop. Either way, without being able to see that’s a risk I think neither of us want to take at the moment.” Celestia said as she started to descend a bit. She tried her magic once more and got a glimmer, which was more than she had gotten any other attempt so far. “Chrysalis, try it now. I got a little bit of a response from my magic. Yours might work now.”

 

“Without any hesitation Chrysalis started to activate her horn expecting it to fizzle out just like it had the last three times she had tried it. This time, however, it didn’t. Her magic was back and she was able to illuminate the area with her green radiance. “Thank the heavens it works,” she said the both of them looking around. The caves that they were in were very dull. There were some crystals forming on some of the cave walls, but other than that it was completely barren of anything. There weren’t even any fish living in the stream.

 

“Well at the very least we can see the path to follow now, even if there isn’t anything else to look at.”

 

“We better hurry though, I don’t know if he could feel us leave the containment fields or not. So we can’t afford to stay here and talk about what we can see…” Chrysalis pointed out.

 

Celestia nodded in agreement and they both started, once again, following the river.

 

“I wonder how long this goes, and if this is actually leading us out of the caves rather than deeper into them.”

 

“At the very least you can use your magic now, so we should be getting close to some sort of exit.”

 

“How does that mean we’re getting closer to anything? It just means one of us can use magic!”

 

“Well it means we’re out of your containment field and that by that logic closer to at least some sort of exit. If nothing else being able to teleport out of the mountain.”

 

“Um, Celestia I can’t teleport,” Chrysalis admitted.

 

“But I can.”

 

“How does that help us!? You can’t use your horn yet!”

 

“It will help us once I can.”

 

“If you even can…”

 

“I’ll be able to soon. Every time I try I can feel it getting a bit stronger so we’re approaching the range on the containment field for my magic.”

 

Chrysalis sighed. “How can you be so calm when we could be killed by this thing at any moment.”

 

“If Deadly revenge wanted us both dead neither of us would be alive right now. He could have killed us both while we were unconscious.”

 

“You make a point… On that point then though, why has he kept us alive? What could he possibly want to gain?”

 

“If anything I’d have to say we’re bait… which is why I want to get out of here soon and get back to Canterlot so that we can plan a counter attack.”

 

“Are you kidding? We can’t plan a counter attack! He’s with revenge like we are with love. He gets stronger by consuming it.”

 

Celestia sighed. “Then what’s the point? No matter what we do he gets more powerful…”

 

“Well, hatred makes us weaker, which is the opposite of love. Perhaps if we used friendship and Kindness… which are the opposites of Revenge, it would make him weaker. Then those…. Element things you have should be even better. Revenger is a form of Chaos. Harmony is the opposite of Chaos.”

 

“It sounds like it could work,” Celestia said catching a glimmer out of the corner of her eye. “Hey, what’s that over there? I thought I saw a light!”

 

“Let’s not waste any time then,” they both said as the started running towards the light. There was another drop in the cave floor, but this time Celestia and Chrysalis could see it and instead staying on the ground, they spread their wings now that they had enough height to do so and flew towards the light.

 

“Almost…. There…” Celestia said as the cave exit was starting to get closer and closer. Soon they could actually see the sky. Celestia landed just before the cave exit. “Hold on, we don’t want to go straight out… Deadly could very easily just be waiting for us on the other side. Let me see if…” she said as her horn lit up without any problems. “Aha! Get close to me! I’ll get us both out of here!” She said Chrysalis getting as close as she could to the white Alicorn. With a yellow flicker around her horn and the glowing seeping from the bottom of the horn to the top, Celestia activated her teleportation spell. When they two came out of it, they were facing the mountain that they had just been imprisoned in. “Thank the ancestors that’s over. “ They both said turning around only to find deadly revenge right behind them.

 

“What was that? I don’t think I heard you correctly…” he said through maniacal laughter. Celestia and Chrysalis look to each other stricken with fear.

 

 

Chapter 6: Concerns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the first time since she had been back to Canterlot, Luna didn’t have responsibility for the moon. It wasn’t something that she liked at all. The moon was everything to her, and even after spending a thousand years imprisoned in it, it was still her pride and joy. Tonight however she hated the moon. She hated the night in general right now because she knew that they all needed the rest and that they were losing valuable time that they could be using to find Celestia. The fact that the moon wasn’t as bright as normal tonight also unsettled her. She didn’t know how long Cadence would be able to handle everything being thrown at her at once. Perhaps I should have stayed there I at least have a minute amount of experience in how to run things. She is learning everything on the go, and I forced her into it. If everypony hates her now it would be my fault… she thought to herself.

 

Every other pony had managed to fall asleep at this point, but the sheer amount of worry and stress that had built up in Luna had made it impossible for her to fall asleep. Even as tired as she was, she could not let her mind rest about her sister. The fact that she was gone and that there was something that was in Equestria that was naturally stronger than both her and Celestia was off-putting. If he could beat her sister with ease, and Celestia was more powerful than Luna could hope to be, she only wondered what good they would actually be able to do, or if they would have to give into whatever this thing was. She laid her head on her hooves, it feeling almost as heavy as lead at this point. More of these thoughts ran through her head as she laid there, but somehow, she managed to fall asleep.

 

The group of mares awoke at dawn, Luna still being quite groggy from the lack of sleep that she had received from the night before. A part of what she concluded it to be, along with her stress was the fact that she doesn’t normally sleep at night, so it was something that she had to get used to despite how tired she was.

 

“All you alright Luna? You… kinda don’t look so good…”

 

“Rainbow!”

 

“What? She doesn’t,” Rainbow Dash stated plainly.

 

“She’s still a lady Rainbow, and as much as I’m sure you hate lady-like things, some ladys don’t like it when they are told that they look anything less than spectacular,” Rarity informed her with Rainbow Dash just rolling her eyes.

 

“Yeah, yeah, we don’t have time for a lecture. I was just concerned about her because she looked like she had slept wrong or something.” Rainbow finished.

 

“I’m fine girls, really.” Princess Luna said looking to both Rainbow Dash and Rarity. “We have more pressing things to worry about at the moment than me,” Luna said looking to the east. The sun was rising in the sky. Already inside of her she got the feeling that they were not going to like the paths that they were going to have to take in order to get her sister back. It was a trip that she was very much not looking forward to continuing but wanted to continue all the same.

 

“Come on. The more time we waste here, the less time we have to find Princess Celestia,” Twilight stated, the others nodding in agreement.

 

“Let us go then,” Luna announced and the group began to traverse the fields ahead.

 

“So, Luna, Aside from the recent events, how has everypony been treating you since your return to Canterlot? Surely they all can’t hate you as much as you think they do.”

 

“I could only wish they didn’t, but you heard their outcry at first when I mentioned Celestia’s disappearance as I did. They have always hated me Lady Rarity, and they will forever hate me until I figure out how to clear my name from Nightmare Moon.”

 

“Well if it’s any consolation at all, we never hated you.”

 

“Yeah! That whole thing on Nightmare Night last year, was completely because it was fun. We weren’t actually scared of you or anything,” Pinkie Pie admitted to her. “Though thinking about it now, I didn’t realize how horrible it made you feel at the time. I honestly thought it was all part of the party so I just went along with it!”

 

“Ha! Pinkie Pie, you are something else,” Rainbow Dash commented.

 

Luna fell silent. As much as she wanted to carry on a conversation with these ponies, and as much as it did help to know that she wasn’t hated by every pony in Equestria, the only think she could think about right now was Celestia. Hold on sister. We’ll be there soon, she thought to herself.

 

“Luna you okay?” Twilight asked.

 

“Not really, no. Can you imagine what it’s like?”

 

“Well, I was sort of in the same position not too long ago at the wedding, except I was the one that got kidnapped and Shining Armor never even knew about it.”

 

“Then you know what I’m going through then at the moment. The amount of worry I have for not only my sister, but for Cadence as well is almost unbearable. Of the three of us, no offence meant to her, she is by far the weakest. I honestly don’t know how long she will be able to keep everything sustained, not to mention she’s basically been cast to the fire at this point. She’s used to being loved and everypony looking up to her, and now I fear that I may have done something that will severely hurt her.”

 

“Come on now, I know things look dim, but surely everypony knows that Cadence is going to do everything she can in the absence of you and Princess Celestia. In fact I would be surprised if most of the Royal Guard is helping her at this point. Shining Armor is the Captain of the Guard at this point so IT would be silly to think that she wasn’t getting help from them on how you and your sister do things.”

 

“That may be, but that doesn’t change the fact that she has the eyes of everypony on her now, and in a different perspective that from her wedding.”

 

“She will be fine. Besides, if everything goes well, we won’t be gone too long,” Twilight reminded her.

 

“And what if we don’t make it back at all?”

 

“Hey now, that’s not the proper way to think of any situation.”

 

“Says the pony that almost missed the best fliers competition because she had performance anxiety.”

 

“Umm, Rarity, that was a lot different than this. As much as I thought it would be a life or death thing at the time it doesn’t hold a candle to this. We’re behind you all the way Luna. Once we find Celestia, we’re going to take the Elements of Harmony, and shove them down the throat of whoever took her.”

 

“I wish I could be as optimistic as you are Rainbow, but I just don’t know what could have had the strength to do something like this, and that is what’s worrying me the most. The fact that I have no idea what we’re going to be fighting,” Luna finished as they came up to a large lake. “Ugh, really? As if we didn’t have enough problems already, the terrain itself has decided to slow us down.”

 

“No it hasn’t. In fact, this could have sped as up!” Ice Storm stated as she moved up to the lake.

 

“How could this possibly have sped us up? There’s no way that we can get across this with any sort of speed…” Rainbow Dash commented.

 

“Watch,” Ice replied as her horn lit up and the water in front of them started to freeze over in front of them. “The manipulation of water and Ice is my special talent. Raindow Dash, if you and Princess Luna can get behind us and use your speed to push us, we’ll be able to cross this lake as fast as you would be able to.”

 

“Consider it done. I must say, that’s a pretty nifty talent.”

 

With that Rainbow Dash and Luna both got behind the group of mares and Ice Storm made a wall next to the platform of ice on both sides to keep them from falling off. The others got onto the ice, then purple unicorn struggling for footing. “Don’t bother trying to stand. As soon as they start going we won’t be able to stay on our hooves anyway,” Ice Storm told everypony and nodded back towards Rainbow and Luna. The two took off in tandem and in mere minutes they were across the lake.

 

“I must say, I’d much rather not have to get my coat wet in the future, but that was definitely entertaining to say the least. Something that was not only necessary for us to get across the lake, but took some stress off as well,” Rarity stated

 

“I wouldn’t go quite that far,” Luna corrected her.

 

“Right… sorry,” Rarity finished.

 

“Everything from here should be relatively easy until we get to The Eponnine Mountains. If we absolutely have to stop for anything, Fet Loch is just to our northeast. Otherwise, we continue due east.”

 

“Well, the more time we spent stopped the more time we are wasting. I say we keep moving. I’m sure we can make it to the mountains by sundown. They don’t look to be that far away,” Twilight stated.

 

“I agree,” Applejack replied. “The mor’ time we waste her’, ‘en the more time whomever this pony is that’s done this has for whatever it wants.”

 

“What AJ said, I mean really? What fun would any party be if we don’t have all three of the princesses to invite?”

 

“Pinkie Pie… Princess Celestia is in danger, and the only thing you can think about is a party?” Rarity said with disgust.

 

“Oh no, I’m saying that they wouldn’t’ be fun without her presence watching over us. I mean if Celestia didn’t come back then it would be the end of everything that is happiness, and after being without smiles for so long when I grew up…” Pinkie stated, her mane falling straight out of its curls. “I just don’t want to go around being sad again.”

 

Luna looked to the group of mares and was able to muster a small smile. The larges she’d been able to muster since Celestia’s disappearance yes but that wasn’t saying much. “Alright then let’s keep moving.”

 

The rest of the travel through the savannah went without issue. Aside from a few pauses to regain some strength the group of eight mares made it through the vast emptiness to the base of the mountains just as the sun was starting to set.

 

“So, Princess Celestia, according to Shining Armor, is somewhere in these mountains. If I wasn’t so drained I’d say we run in there now and get her out. As is now though, I’m too beat for anything right now,” Rainbow Dash commented.

 

“I agree with Rainbow, my hooves are absolutely killing me. I don’t think I’ve ever been on them this long before at one time.”

 

“Aw it ain’ that bad.”

 

“Easy for you to say AJ, you work on and apple orchid,” Rainbow replied.

 

“Let’s just get some rest girls. Bickering about hurting, and about one has it better than another isn’t going to change anything,” Twilight started. “Once we get some rest we can set out in the morning and we’ll be completely rested for whatever we have to face tomorrow rather than trying to do anything without proper focus.”

 

“Twilight is right. Let us rest,” Luna said as the group settled down for night and preparing for what the morning brought.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 7: The Eponnine Mountains

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dawn crested over the horizon and the mares woke of to the crisp mountain air. Dew still clung too many of the rocky structures making then slick and even more treacherous than they already were.

 

“Alright, everypony stay alert,” Luna said approaching the mountain path. “We have no idea what we’re going to find roaming, and the paths are exceptionally dangerous.”

 

“Right, everypony stay together, and stay as close to the side of the mountain as possible. Rainbow, Fluttershy, you’re on edge patrol. If anypony slips you know what to do,” Twilight proclaimed.

 

“Right!” Rainbow and Fluttershy both acknowledged.

 

The group of mares started walking through the tumbling pass. The pathways along the cliff edges were narrow. Twilight and the others quickly found themselves struggles to fit single file along the cliff face, and the path was only getting narrower as they went on. Twilight felt her hoof slip as she stepped and a bit of the pathway gave underneath her. The pathway around the started cracking, and spreading, “Everyone get close!” Twilight yelled as she and Luna used their teleportation magic to get the group to a small landing.

 

“Whew, that sure was a close one,” Applejack stated sitting down to catch her breath. The group of mares watched as the path that they were on continued to crumple and collapse down the mountainside.

 

“We should watch our step from here out. There’s no telling how sturdy any of these paths are. Even the wider ones could be faulty,” Luna warned.

 

“Do… Do we have to go through the mountains like this? Can’t you just teleport us there…” Fluttershy asked, frightened.

 

“I wish I could, but we have to know exactly where we need to teleport to in order to do so. Otherwise it could be bad for everypony.”

 

“Li-li-like how bad…”

 

“Well, it would be possible that if I tried to randomly teleport us to the place we need to go, we could very easily be teleported into solid stone or in an active volcano, since we have no idea where we need to be,” Luna explained.

 

“Oh… We’ll walk then…” Fluttershy said suddenly feeling a lot comfortable walking than teleporting.

 

“Come on, we aren’t going to get any closer sitting here,” Twilight stated. “This way looks safer,” she added pointing to the decently wide path. She and Rarity approached the path first.

 

“Hmm, this looks like it’s big enough for two, but I think you should go first just to be safe. No need in taking any, unnecessary risks when the dangers that are already around us are so prominent.”

 

“Danger shmanger, as long as Fluttershy, Luna and myself stay along the ledge, nothing can go wrong!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed proudly.

 

“I wish everything were that easy Rainbow. We just barely got away from that!”

 

“Well, I doubt even someone that pours over book after book could have predicted that the passage was going to collapse,” Rainbow countered.

 

“And? We can’t predict when somepony’s going to fall either, or get hurt or if something else is going to fall on us!”

 

“Twilight, keep it down, we’re entering an avalanche zone,” Luna warned. Everypony nodded and started to follow. Looking up, Luna could see the loose rocks that were ready to tumble down the mountain side at any given moment, just waiting for the right amount of sound to be set free. When the mares made it about halfway across the passage, Twilight’s ears perked up. She heard a few of the smaller rocks start rolling down the side of the mountain, and she could see that the others were unstable and waiting to collapse. Then it happened, one of the smaller rolling rocks hit one of the larger ones in just the right way that it dislodged it and triggered a rockslide. “Everypony run!!!” she yelled galloping to the other side as Luna once again had to teleport most of them to safely.

 

“Seriously, what’s with these mountains and having everything collapse? I always thought that mountains were, you know sturdy,” Rainbow Dash commented.

 

“Some mountains are and some aren’t. Apparently we just picked the wrong spot to enter this range at.” Luna answered.

 

“Well, Ah know one thing’s for sure. Ah ain’t gonna be able to handle another thing fallin’ on us. Twice so might’ more than enough for this pony,” Applejack stated.

 

Twilight approached her. “As much as I don’t like what’s going on around us, I can’t really say that something like that isn’t going to happen again. As much as I would like to say it won’t, I can’t. Not unless we find a path that is wide enough that we can all comfortable fit on,”

 

“Girls, we really don’t have the time to complain about things.”

 

“With all due respect princess, we can’t find your sister if we don’t even make it out of these here mountains. If we all die here, then whoever this kidnapper is wins anyway. I’m not sayin’ we need to stop. I just think that maybe you know should probably be trying to go through the mountain range at the base of the mountains instead of halfway to their summits?”

 

“That is a good suggestion, but how are we going to get down? Not to mention, if the place we need to go is at the top of the mountain…”

 

“Then you or Luna can teleport us there. You’re the one that’s done all the book readin’ and the studyin’ here Twi, you should know how most stories like this end! I don’t want to be like most of those stories.”

 

“Personally Twilight, I agree with Applejack… things would be better if we were um…. Not so high up?”

 

“I’ll be right back then,” Luna said as she flew down beneath the Cliffside.

 

“What’s she doing?”

 

“I haven’t got a clue…” Twilight replied before Luna appeared in front of her.

 

“The path at the bottom does appear to be a bit safer than this one. I can’t see any Avalanche zones and the only thing we may need to worry about is wolves.”

 

“Ha! Wolves won’t be a problem at all since with have Fluttershy here! No matter what kind of animal it is she can tame it!”

 

“I don’t know Rainbow, wolves are a little bit different…”

 

“Oh come on! This isn’t going to turn into that whole mountain fiasco when that dragon came here is it?”

 

“Oh no-no, I’m not as afraid of wolves as I am dragons. It’s just well, wolves generally only attack when they’re hungry and wolves well, only eat meat. It’s kind of hard to make it happy without becoming its meal.”

 

“I wouldn’t go ‘quite’ that far. Wolves are very noble and perhaps if we can befriend a couple of them on the way through they can provide us with some protection against the not so friendly wolves,” Luna stated.

 

“Oh! That could work!” Fluttershy accepted.

 

“Okay, but that still leaves the question. How are we all going to get down there in a timely manner? It’s not like we can just jump down.”

 

“Well, I can always make another Ice Slide!” Ice Storm chimed in. “Though it would be a bit more difficult to keep up going that fast.”

 

“Not to mention this high up it would break easily without support. That would be more dangerous that walking on the mountains,” Luna pointed out.

 

Ice pouted a bit. She wanted to be able to help more but so far there was only one point at which she had been useful, and now she felt like she was slowing everypony down.

 

“Don’t worry. I’m sure your ice will come in handy again relatively soon,” Luna consoled her before looking back to the others. “As I was saying with some help from Rainbow dash, I think we can have everypony down to the bottom in only two trips. I can carry two ponies easily and there are only five of you without wings. That should be easy enough.”

 

Twilight nodded and Luna carried her and Ice Storm down while Rainbow grabbed Pinkie Pie and left Rarity with AJ. “I certainly hope it isn’t dusty down there…” Rarity groaned before noticed Applejack’s ‘are you serious’ look. “What? Regardless of what we run into we’re still in the presence of a princess.”

 

“A princess who’s done lost her sister. Ah think the last thin’ you should be worried about is a might bit a dust.” Applejack said as Luna and Rainbow Dash came back up from dropping off the other three. “That sure was fast...”

 

“Well duh, it’s a lot easier to go down with a pony than it is to try to lift one up,” Rainbow commented. “Now come on. We don’t have time to stand up here and discuss how much time it takes to get to the bottom.”

 

Applejack nodded and hopped onto Rainbow’s back while Rarity got onto Luna’s and they both brought them down with the others. “Alright, let’s keep moving… this way.”

 

The ponies continued through the mountain passage. The air down here was still crisp, but a lot damper than it was at the higher altitudes. The winds where none existent and that would make tracking scents impossible. Which was both a good thing and a bad thing. It meant that the wolves couldn’t track them but at the same time they couldn’t tell where the wolves were at.

 

“This is a bit odd. Normally mountains aren’t this quiet, especially ones with wolves…” Twilight stated worriedly.

 

“I know, you’d think we’d have heard howling by now,” Ice replied.

 

“I don’t know. Though at the same time in means were in the right area. Everything is keeping quiet for a reason. Not to mention I’m starting to feel my sister’s presence.”

 

“Yes!!! That at the very least should mean that she’s okay, and that we’re going the right direction!” Twilight proclaimed.

 

“Right direction yes, otherwise it just means she’s alive, not necessarily okay,” Luna corrected.

 

“Alright then! Let’s get to it!!” Rainbow said as she started to speed away.

 

“Rainbow Wait!!” Twilight responded, “We don’t even know what’s on the other side of that corner, let alone what’s in where ever Celestia is being held!”

 

“We’re never going to find out if we don’t keep moving!”

 

“Obviously, but we can’t charge through these mountains like that. You saw what happened when we were moving carefully earlier…”

 

“You… make a valid point, but we’re on the ground right? What could possible go wrong now?”

 

“Oh no… Please tell you did not just say that!”

 

“Say what could possible go wrong!! Statistically in about 83% of the books that I read read about things like that in, whenever somepony asks what could go wrong the find out in a very non-forgiving…” she started saying before one of the mountains a bit behind them erupted exposing itself for the volcano it actually was. “Way…” She shrieked.

 

“Everypony run!! I can at the very least slow it down!” Ice Storm said as she created a wall of ice about a pony’s length in thickness before turning and running behind the group. As they ran, Magma bombs fell from the sky trying their hardest to take out one of them with one solid hit.

 

“Let’s go across the gap!”

 

“Gap!? We’re supposed to be on the ground!!”

 

“Apparently this wasn’t the ground, but it’s not that far down and it will divert any lava flows, so at the moment I’m kinda glad it’s here,” Luna countered motioning for everyone to jump, which that did. Ice was still lagging behind so she picked her up and flew her over the gap, and Ice made another wall of ice on their side of the gap before collapsing.

 

“Ice Storm!!!” everypony yelled running to her.

 

“I’m fine… just… tired…. I’ve never used this much magic before, not in one day anyway…” She admitted.

 

“I’ll carry her,” Luna offered. “She needs the rest after what she just did, though I have a feeling we’re all going to need a short break soon to recover. It just seems that if it can go wrong today it has.”

 

Twilight glared at Rainbow at Luna’s last comment. “And we know who caused that!!”

 

“Like I was going to know any of this was going to happen! I’m sorry I’ll try to use a better choice of words next time!! But I don’t really see what me speaking had to do with a volcano exploding. It was just a coincidence!”

 

“Girls! Now is not the time! Let’s move a bit away from this ledge just in case there is overflow. That way we don’t get caught up in it,” Luna said pointing to the small mountain valley ahead. She could see grass and a couple trees in it. Hopefully they would be able to find some clues there.

 

 

 

Chapter 8: A “Not so Pleasant” Reunion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“How is she?” Twilight asked the princess concerned about Ice Storm. Being a unicorn herself she was very aware of the dangers of what using too much magic could do, and the fact that Ice had passed out only moments after she said that she felt tired was alarming.

 

“She’s stable, but she definitely can’t use any more magic today. Had she needed to support that wall any more, it would be an entirely different scenario right now. The fact that she has a steady pulse, if not very strong at the moment and is breathing is reassuring,” Luna answered.

 

“Okay. I’m just worried.”

 

“You and I both, she’s the first truly loyal friend that I’ve had that I’ve been able to see on a regular basis,” Luna stated.

 

“Hello! Element of Loyalty here!” Rainbow Dash announced making Luna smile a bit.

 

“Yes Rainbow, I know. I rarely get to see you though, any of you. I had hoped to have been able to spend more time with you at the wedding, but then everything went haywire there too,” Luna replied.

 

“Hey, You weren’t even in most of it!”

 

“Rainbow!” Rarity exclaimed not happy with the comment. “You’re the absolute last pony that can talk about napping during a bad situation. You spend most of your time in Ponyville doing so!”

 

“Hey guys, can we move away from the lava flow before we start bickering? That is… if it’s alright with everypony…” Fluttershy spoke up.

 

Everypony else nodded and the moved a bit away from where the lava flow was. There was a small valley nearby where they set up a make shift camp for the night. There wasn’t much to be put up, as there were no tents, or much of anything to be gathered. The mountains were bare. Only rock after rock remained visible along the stone path of the winding mountains.

 

Luna while they walked Luna thought about what Rainbow had said, and wondered if she would accept the reality of the matter that things would have been worse had she attempted anything.

 

“I do apologize, Rainbow, if it felt like I didn’t do my part to help defend the wedding when the outbreak happened. It’s not like I really had much of a choice in the matter. After all, it was my responsibility to oversee the night watch, and it’s just impossible for me to stay awake every single minute of every single day. However, I was instantly awoken after the barrier broke, and I saw what was going on. I tried to teleport to the palace, but Chrysalis had some sort of field up that I couldn’t teleport into.”

 

“Twilight could teleport just fine!”

 

“I could have been within the aura already Rainbow, some magics like that will prevent ponies from entering or leaving, but are vulnerable to anywhere inside the zone where magic can be activated,” Twilight explained.

 

“Well then why didn’t she just fly to the palace? She’s an Alicorn for pony sake! She as wings to ya know!”

 

“Um… Rainbow… I think yer missin’ one very big flaw with that thought…” Applejack commented.

 

“Oh? What flaw?”

 

“Changelings,” Luna answered. “If I had tried to come to the aid, it would have been very easy for me to become cloned and create further confusion. As a leader of the Royal Guard, if I had gotten cloned, what little resistance we had would have been removed. And as much as I don’t like admitting it, I’m not as strong as my sister… I think all of my past actions have proven that to be true. My will is generally weaker, as is my resolve, I’ve always gotten sick easier than her, and you’ve seen me side by side with her before my body is so much more frail and fragile than hers,” Luna said almost in a whimper.

 

“When heard that Chrysalis had overpowered Celestia, the only thing I could do was cry… and that’s why I’m even more scared about what we’re going to find when we find Celestia… I’m legitimately scared that we might not be able to save her…” Luna finished in a near broken state.

 

Rainbow looked on to the princess. Yeah she wanted answers, but she wasn’t expecting this. She had to admit at first it sounded like pony apples, but the more she listened and the more she thought about it, and by Luna’s emotional reactions, that she was telling the truth. Rainbow sided and did something very un-rainbow like. She walked over and gave Luna a hug. “I’m sorry princess. I shouldn’t have even brought it up, especially now. I should have known that you were looking out for the safety of everypony, since, well… for the most part, you always have,” she apologized.

 

“How much longer do you think it’s going to take before we find where Princess Celestia is and who had taken her? I’m not one for a lot of the fancy mystery novels, but from what I hear from everypony else, we ain’t got much time.” Apple Jack commented.

 

“With any luck, which is something that so far this trip we haven’t seen, we’ll hopefully find her tomorrow,” Luna answered looking to the sun as it set on another night.

 

 

 

***

 

The next morning Ice Storm was the first to wake up. The lava flow that had been behind them had solidified into near perfect obsidian and the area where she had created her ice shield wall had also solidified into pure obsidian creating an unintentionally miraculous piece of art. That all would have been fine and dandy except that they were still left with the looming fact that the reason they were out here was because Princess Celestia had been kidnapped.

 

The others awoke shortly after Ice, and Luna, upon waking was right next to her. “Ice… Are you okay?”

 

“I have a headache, and I still feel a bit woozy, but I should be fine,” Ice replied.

 

Twilight quickly exhaled a large sigh of relief. “That’s good then. You had us all very worried. I’m well aware of the dangers of over exerting yourself when it comes to magic. When you blacked out, I had begun to fear the worst…” She explained.

 

“I’m sorry Twilight. I didn’t mean to make everypony worry. I just wanted everypony to be safe,” Ice replied.

 

“We know Ice,” Luna said with a brief, friendly nuzzle. She withdrew quickly and looked out into the valley that they had stumbled across yesterday. There were a few patches of trees, and a small stream or creek that flowed through it. Obviously a mountain stream of the sort as it wasn’t on any map. “We should keep moving.” Everypony else nodded.

 

The valley that they had discovered was of decent size. From where they were they could easily see patches of trees and a small stream running though the center of it. The panoramic view of mountains that stretched along as far as the eye could see added both a sense of security and a feeling of dread.

 

“Anything yet Luna?” Twilight asked.

 

“Not yet, though the thing is, these mountains are so large and so dense, that If she were in one of the deeper parts of the mountain we’d have to pass right next to the mountain that she was in before I could even sense anything,” Luna explained.

 

“Yeesh, what are the mountains made of? Lead?” Rainbow asked sarcastically.

 

“Yes, actually. The Eponnine Mountains have the highest concentration of lead than any other place in Equestria,” Luna answered leaving Rainbow at a loss for words.

 

“So, basically, unless we search every single mountain individually, the chances of us actually finding her in this place are slim…” Ice gathered.

 

“We’ll find her,” Twilight blurted almost immediately. “We have too…” She finished unable to hide her own concern on the matter.

 

They continued along one of the paths that lead next to the mountains but still remained inside the valley with out of the corner of Luna’s eye she saw something moving in the sky. It was a large, reddish-black figure that appeared to have been another Alicorn. Before she could see anything else though, it passed behind one of the peaks.

 

“Uh…. Anypony else see that thing fly by?” Applejack addressed before Luna nodded.

 

So I wasn’t seeing things… she thought to herself. “No, I saw it too. I only caught a glimpse though.

 

“Only ah glimpse? It stalled over us for a couple seconds,” Applejack replied.

 

“Unfortunately yes… I’m sorry… my mind is… greatly preoccupied at the moment. The only thing I’m even doing anymore is feeling for my sister’s magic…”

 

“Ah… yeah… sorry, I thought that you, your sister, and Cadence were the only Alicorns thought? Where in tarnation did that one come from?”

 

“I’m… honestly not sure…” Luna replied. “I know for a fact that there is one other Alicorn that… well… You never want to meet…”

 

“Did it have red bat-like wings, an ebony horn, a purplish-black coat and a blood-red mane?” Applejack asked making Luna pause dead in her tracks. The look of shock, terror, and fear all made very apparent in her expression as she stuttered for her next words.

 

“I…Is that what… that one looked like?” she asked in a shaky voice.

 

“Ah’m assuming that’s bad… isn’t it…”

 

“We must hurry! If he’s the one that’s captured Princess Celestia, we may already be too late!!!”

 

“He?” Applejack stated inquisitively.

 

“Deadly Revenge…” Luna answered softly…

 

“Come on, Everypony knows he’s an old Mare’s tale,” Rainbow blurted out.

 

“Just like Nightmare Moon was an old Mare’s tale right Rainbow?” Twilight countered.

 

“Ahh… right…” she replied.

 

“We must hurry before he does to her what he did to me!!” Luna yelled taking off in almost a dead run towards the mountain at this point. This made Twilight even worrisome.

 

“What!?” she shrieked.

 

“How do you think I became Nightmare Moon? Despite all the stories that have been told I never once resented anypony. Deadly Revenge killed all of my closest friends and did so many other things to me that I’d rather not go into… until I finally broke under him to agree to get Equestria from my sister. I thought maybe if I relented and did what he wanted, he would release me, then I could free my sister and we could both defeat him together. Needless to say… that didn’t work…” she explained while she ran through tears at this point.

 

Then with in a sudden tremor, Luna stopped as she felt another magic signature, no wait… two of them. She felt the warm radiance that she always felt around her sister and she knew. “Celestia!! Everypony!! Get close to me!! NOW!!!” Luna yelled as her voice turned almost dual-toned as a dark purplish-blue mist began forming around her.

 

The other mares didn’t question her as soon as they heard Celestia and gathered around her. With a quick flash Luna poofed them out of existence along with herself only to be brought back into such lest than five meters from her sister. “Celestia!!”

 

“Luna!! No!! Stay back! It’s a…”

 

“Trap that you sprung nicely, my dear,” an ominous voice spoke from behind her as the dark Alicorn materialized behind her. “My, my, Luna I see that you’ve redeveloped nicely after your ever long banishment. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to have been abandoned by your own sister. To think that your love was so devout to her that you watched so many of your friends die, and now you’re here in a futile attempt to save her and watch even more of your friends die by my hand,” He told her sealing the others in a magic-locked cage while binding the Princess of the Night as he had done her sister.

 

“You’re a disgusting monster!”

 

“Oh am I? I’m just merely pointing out the truths? You sister didn’t once even suspect that you were gone or that anything was the matter. Then once I finally broke you, she didn’t even try to listen to you. She just immediately sent you to the moon. The one mare that you loved the most imprisoning you in the one thing that you loved the most and stealing it’s control from you. Face it Luna, she doesn’t care about you!”

 

“You’re lying!! Luna don’t…” Celestia was cut off as a dark tendril wrapped around her mouth virtually tying it shut.

 

“The only thing she wanted was your moon and she was just waiting for the opportunity to take it from you. Come on now Luna,” he said using his horn to funnel dark energy into her giving her power that she hadn’t felt in a long time. I… remember this power… It’s Nightmare Moon’s power. But I still have her inside of me… does he think that she’s gone? Perhaps I can use this to my advantage… Luna thought to herself formulating her own scheme in her mind.

 

She began to struggle and resist the dark ‘”temptation” that he was putting in her. “Come on Princess. Give into the darkness once again. After all, Nightmare Moon is the only friend of yours I can’t kill…” he threatened as a dark tendril began to work its way towards the icy-blue mare that had been sealed away in the cage.

 

With that Luna had no choice but to give in. She let the darkness consumer her body but had since figured out how to completely control the darkness that was inside of her. After being soul-bonded to the darkness for a millennium, it came with the territory for her. Slowly her midnight blue coat transformed into the black coat that she had worn for so long as she had transformed herself back into Nightmare Moon.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 9: The Bond Returns

 

 

“No! Luna! You can’t!!! She’s your sister!” Ice Storm yelled out

 

“Quiet ponies,” she said forcefully and sternly. “She was my sister, until she and everypony else abandoned me! I have not forgotten about what she’s done to me, and now that she’d in binds, there’s nothing stopping me from Eternal Darkness!”

 

“So… It was true… You WERE behind this,” Twilight yelled in disgust.

 

“No, This wasn’t my idea… I’m just merely taking advantage of the situation,” Nightmare Moon countered.

 

“Luna!!” Celestia yelled finally getting free of the darkness that had clamped her mouth shut. “Luna, snap out of it! I’ve always loved you!!! Don’t listen to him please!!!”

 

“Silence sister, Luna no longer exists!” she said as she began to walk towards her making it look like she was ready to deliver the final blow. “My name is Nightmare Moon, just as it has been for the past one thousand years,” she added leaning in to Celestia’s ear. “Play along. I want him to think I hate you!!!”

 

Celestia’s eyes went wide. It was an act! Realizing this, She immediately snapped at her neck to keep the guise up, drawing a bit of blood. “How dare thee!” Nightmare Moon shouted as she teleported back to where Deadly Revenge was standing. “This, my dear sister, is where we end this game.” With that she charged her sister horn down, but angled herself to where her shoulder made contact with her instead sending them both hurtling backwards into Chrysalis breaking the bindings that sealed them both to the ground.

 

“Are you alright, Sister?” Nightmare Moon whispered to her.

 

“I will be soon enough, let’s end this though first.” Celestia responded

 

“Luna!!!” Ice screamed watching her mentor turn evil right before her eyes.

 

“Shut up welpling,” Deadly sneered and lashed a tendril directly at her neck. As it reached the cage though, another dark magic interrupted it.

 

“Do NOT, touch her,” Nightmare Moon warned turning towards him laughing sinisterly. “It seems that there is one other thing that hasn’t changed over the years, and that’s you being ridiculously easy to deceive. My plan failed last time around, and I’ve spent the last thousand years paying for it.”

 

“Now that I know though, that it was you behind everything and that she had been completely innocent the entire time, I know how to deal with it accordingly.” Celestia added

 

“Deceive me? You must be terribly mistaken. I knew that you’d never fully break Luna. There’d always be a piece of you left inside that monstrosity that I’ve turned you into.”

 

“Oh really? So I’m assuming you knew that I never actually got rid of the darkness inside of me that made me Nightmare Moon right? I’ve just learned how to control it and use my gift that you’ve bestowed on me to help my subjects whenever I can. I even have my own holiday thanks to you!”

 

Deadly was taken back a bit when he realized her implications, but just grinned. “I may have given you more power Luna, but you and I both know you’re still no match for me.”

 

“We’ll see about that!”

 

“Not by yourselves you won’t” Chrysalis added as she stood there with Twilight and the rest of the element bearers that had broken free of the cages.

 

“What!? How!? That’s not possible magic shouldn’t have been allowed in those cages!” Deadly spoke in shock.

 

“True, we couldn’t activate our magic inside the cages, but your magic didn’t stop anypony else’s magic from getting inside and resolving. A flawed oversight from you actually for not making it completely magic proof,” Twilight answered smugly.

 

“Fine then, I’ll just have to kill you all then,” he replied as he threw himself forward towards the princesses.

 

“Oh no you don’t!” Rainbow yelled buck-kicking him hard enough to alter his flight trajectory and plummet into the ground next to them.

 

“Why you little horse…”

 

“Pegasus, actually, and the Element of Loyalty. That being said, if you want to get to the princesses, you have to get through us first!” Rainbow proclaimed as Twilight and the others had sense joined them all ready to activate the elements.

 

The six ponies began to glow just as they had the first two times that they’ve been called upon to use the elements, and like Discord, Deadly Revenge didn’t even appear to be phased by the occurrence. The six artifacts shot off as they had done so in the past and angled their way towards Deadly but fizzled out right before they reached him, with his own horn glowing black using a magic that seemed to be drowning out the elements of harmony.

 

“Please… girls, honestly I was expecting more. This, is hardly worth my time,” he stated getting bored of their efforts and firing back a greyed out rainbow that broke and hit all of them, leaving them writhing in pain on the ground.

 

Celestia looked at them in amazement. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM!?” she yelled leaping towards him on to find him teleported behind her.

 

“Really? Celestia? Are going to tell me that you actually thing that you could lay a hoof on me?” he asked as she charged him once again only to watch him teleport again. “I can keep doing this all day Celesti… umph” he spoke cut off by a swift kick in the face from Nightmare Moon.

 

Her kick was strong, accurate, and forceful enough to draw blood from the lip of the male Alicorn. “You’ll regret that, you pathetic excuse of a princess!!” he growled as he teleported once again right behind her and hit her square in the rib cage. She then tackled him and the two started exchanging.

 

Celestia and Chrysalis both soon joined the fight. The three mares began to dance around Deadly beginning to wear him down, unfortunately wearing themselves down in the process. In one quick motion, Deadly Revenge countered a dive attempt from Nightmare Moon and pinned her chest down on the ground. A large snap, and a scream of horrific pain could be felt as he practically tore her wing from its socket leaving it to hang limply in a bloody heap on Nightmare Moon’s right side.

 

Celestia couldn’t believe what she had just seen. The scale of the injury had been to a degree that she had no idea if it would even be repairable. Enfuriated, she blind-sided Deadly, and they both went tumbling once again until Celestia landed back first against a sharp rock, hitting the nerve in her back and causing her entire body to seize in pain. It hadn’t cut her, but it had briefly paralyzed her until the pain could subside.

 

“Enough games. Finally after thousands of years of waiting, I can take what is rightfully mine. Today Celestia, is the day you die!” he ended in a snarl lunging towards her horn first. He was just about to make contact with her when a darkened figure lunged in between them and he felt his horn pierce its side, blood running down his face.

 

“LUNA!!!” Celestia yelled in complete shock as she saw the dark Alicorn’s horn now clearly protruding through her back.

 

Nightmare Moon writhed in pain as she felt Deadly’s horn stab clean through her chest and several vital organs. Her eyes turned towards him looking down on him as she held him there inside of her, make his escape impossible. “You will never harm my sister again!” she said as all the darkness in her body ejected from her in the form of spears. With her last bit of strength she launched the spears into Deadly Revenge hearing the screams as each one tore through his body and dissipating leaving gaping holes where they had entered before he fell to the ground in a lifeless heap.

 

The darkness dissipated from here, Luna could no longer contain the form of Nightmare Moon as her body shifted back to its normal coloration apart from the gaping hole in her back and chest. Before she even felt to the ground Celestia was underneath her trying to prop her up. “Luna! Why! Why did you do this?!”

 

“Because,” she spoke though a cough. “You’re… my sister… I… couldn’t let him… hurt you… Now… he can’t hurt us…. Anymore…” she stated coughing again. “I… Love you…. Sister…” she added, at this point everypony else had gathered around her.

 

“No! Luna you can’t die! I forbid it!” Celestia cried out tears cascading down her snout. She activated her magic to try to heal the gaping cavity, but she only managed to heal a small amount of it shut. The wound was just too big. Then she felt the magic from others helping and looked. Twilight, Rarity, Ice Storm, and Queen Chrysalis all focused their magic on Luna to help repair the wound.

 

“It’s…. getting cold….”

 

“No! Luna hang on! You can make it! Hold one Luna, Please!”

 

Another cough, this time with blood coming out of her mouth, “Goodbye… sis…..sis………” before Luna fell silent.

 

“Luna!” Celestia spoke to her without a response. “LUNA!! LUNAAAAAAA!” she cried out clutching her sister’s body tightly within her hooves. “Luna no!!! Please NO!! Come back!! You’re supposed to be immortal!!! Come back!!!” she screamed still getting no response. “Come back… I’m so sorry… for everything! I should have seen the signs beforehand! We could have stopped him then and prevented this…. Please… I CAN’T SPEND THE REST OF ETERNITY WITHOUT YOU!!!” she wailed burying her face into her sister.

 

Just then a spark flickered out of the corner of her eye. Twilight’s Element had activated on its own, lifting Twilight up in the air, the others following suit with it. “What… What are you girls doing?”

 

Before she could get an answer, the elemental rainbow shot from the group of six ponies and collided with Luna’s body.

 

“What are you doing!? Stop!! She’s been through enough!!!” Celestia yelled, but it fell on deaf ears as the elements enshrouded the princesses of the night. “Stop this now or I’ll have you banished for defiling my sister!!” she warned again, but once again it fell on deaf ears. They weren’t even in control of the elements at the moment. A massive explosion of light came from around the group of six ponies around wrapped around both Celestia and Luna.

 

When the light settled, Princess Celestia two gold necklaces that had been applied to them, one on her, and one on her sister, both were showing two new elements on the crests. She looked over Luna’s body to see that she had been completely healed. She turned to the other six ponies “What? What did you do!?”

 

“I… Have no idea” Twilight said standing up, her eyes still spinning in her head. “I don’t know what happened. It activated on its own, I swear!”

 

“Sis…ter…” Celestia heard from behind her making her eyes go as small as dimes. She turned around to see Luna starting to shift trying to get into a more sitting position. “What… happened”

 

“Luna!!!” Celestia yelled at the top of her lungs making Luna flinch before wrapping her hooves tightly around her. “Oh thank the elements Luna, I thought I had lost you!”

 

“For a moment there, you did,” Luna replied weakly.

 

“Luna, I’m so, so sorry, about everything. I… I should have listened to you, and noticed that something wasn’t right.”

 

“It’s okay Tia. It’s over now,” she told her wrapping her hooves around Celestia as well. She pulled away briefly though. “What are these though? I don’t remember wearing these necklaces during the fight.”

 

“I have no idea, honestly. Mine just appeared on me as well,” Celestia replied.

 

“And they still have the elements… I wonder… Could these possibly be new elements sister?”

 

“I… I don’t know. I’ve never heard of such of thing being able to occur. Then again… I didn’t know that the Elements also had the power to restore life either…” Celestia stated taking the amulet off to look at it more closely. As she looked of over, on the back right behind where her cutie mark was on the Amulet, it had the word hope. “Twilight, do your elements have writing on the back of them at all?”

 

“I… don’t know. I’ve never actually looked,” she replied taking it off and looking for herself. “All it says is magic. Nothing else.”

 

“I see. Rainbow, I’m assuming yours says loyalty.”

 

“Yeah… Does that mean something?”

 

“Well, I don’t think it’s a coincidence. This must mean that this is the Element of Hope. However, that means that my sister and I have been able to reattach ourselves to the elements, albeit slightly,” Celestia concluded.

 

Luna took off her necklace and examined hers as well. “Dependability… I… can’t really say I’ve shown much of that…” Luna admitted.

 

“Actually, you’ve displayed a lot more than that than you think,” Celestia started.

 

“Yeah, the fact that you willingly stepped down in the face of everypony else around you so that you could stop at nothing to save your sister is but only one sign,” Applejack started.

 

“And the fact that you’ve stayed devoted in your heart to the two of us through everything that you’ve been through… even… after I turned my back on you… I’d say that more than qualifies for dependability,” Celestia complimented looking into the teary-eyed smile of her sister. Without hesitation she gripped her sister tightly in another hug. “Let’s go home, my sister.”

 

 

______________________

 

 

 

 

Okay, so this is my first Fanfic that I've ever Wrote. AS it appears this is going to be a multiple chapter work and the story will be continuing. Mu issue right now is I want to make sure that I have the personalities right. Also, I know there is a lot of Dialogue, but that's my style of writing. I like letting the characters tell the story. Any comments or Critiques would be welcomed and appreciated. Thanks, Enjoy!!!

 

EDIT: Updated for Chapter 9

Edited November 25, 2012 by Ice Storm

[Dave247 568]

Piked up a typo

“I can’t there let anymore of me going around and being all awesome and such. That’s my job.”

 

Also a sentence I would word differently if it was me.

It's said Spike goes with Twilight to the Picnic and when they rush back home the phrase "and they no sooner ran inside when Spike ran in screaming." sounds more appropriate to me if Spike had stayed home and was running in from another room because they had all allready ran inside so where was Spike running in from? You could say something like "and they no sooner ran inside with Spike bringing up the rear screaming." That's the first thing that I thought of but there's probably more ways to put it.

Or you could change the story and have it that Spike stayed home, it wouldn't matter story wise. This got me thinking about the very start of the finale how they were having a picnic and Spike wasn't there. He probably stayed back to watch the Library and rushed to them because he had a message.

 

Other then that, great story! I like this type of story telling because it's more like an episode and I don't have to change my focus to think from different viewpoints as often making it easier to read and process.

 

One more thing, you introduced your OC but did not build on the character at all, I assume you didn't have any ideas at the time or just wanted to save them and will start off the next part of the story introducing her to us.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Dave247

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Thanks for the input. I made some corrections to help with wording and continuity, and am working on chapter 2 now. And yes, Ice will be getting explain more in the next chapter. this was just supposed to be her appearance.

[Dave247 568]

Thanks for the input. I made some corrections to help with wording and continuity, and am working on chapter 2 now. And yes, Ice will be getting explain more in the next chapter. this was just supposed to be her appearance.

 

Your Welcome. I look forward to the next chapter.

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Chapter 2: Loss of Information

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Luna… you don’t have to do that… I’m sorry,” Princess Cadence admitted to her.

 

“Yes I do Cadence. You’ve made it perfectly clear you don’t trust me, that most of Equestria doesn’t trust me. And you’re right! If I watched the throne while you were out searching for her, everypony would suspect me. Just because of one very bad mistake I made.” Luna cried “All I want is the same love that my sister gets… I don’t want to be hated anymore!”

 

Cadence gave Luna a half-hearted smile. Given the situation it was the only type of smile that she could show. “Luna…” she said leaning over and nuzzling her neck. Luna looked up to meet the soft eyes of her niece. “Luna I’m sorry… I guess I’m just not over the Chrysalis incident yet. It was wrong for me to instantly blame you for this. It is a bit suspicious, but as much as Celestia said you had helped her during the lockdown, I should have known better than to jump to conclusions,” cadence said to her, tears forming in her own eyes. She wrapped Luna in a hug, “And no matter what, I’ll always love you, Aunt Luna.”

 

“There’s the Cadence I know and love,” Twilight said watching the two princesses. “But what now? Princess Celestia is gone, and we have absolutely no leads as to who took here or why, let alone where…”

 

“Well, this could be something that Chrysalis is trying. I wouldn’t put it past her to try to take revenge on Celestia.”

 

“It that were the case though, why just Celestia. You and I were the ones responsible for revealing who she was, and it was you and Shining Armor that actually stopped her. She’s have more reason to come after us than Princess Celestia.”

 

“Hey! What’s that up there?” Rainbow Dash asked as she flew up and grabbed a piece of cloth from a broken window pane.

 

“Hmm, I don’t know. I haven’t seen any materials like that here…” Cadence admitted.

 

“Hey Rarity, you’re the fashion designer here, what kind of cloth is this?” Rainbow inquired tossing the fabric to her.

 

Rarity caught it with her telekinesis. “Hmm… this appears to be some sort of silk. It’s definitely not of a quality that I have ever seen before, nor would I want too. It’s absolutely atrocious. I know for a fact that I would never use something this poor in any dress I made.” Rarity said turning her nose up at the fabric. “It’s obviously from nobility, but there’s no way that I could picture Luna in something as low quality as this. This completely rules her out even if there were still any doubts.”

 

“That still doesn’t help. The only thing it proves is that Luna isn’t involved, but it doesn’t give us a direction to go in,” Applejack stated.

 

“Actually, it does. We know that whoever it was, it was a pony of nobility,” Twilight stated.

 

“Anypony could have gotten ahold of a fabric like that. They may not have gotten it the right way, but they could still obtain it.” Applejack pointed out.

 

“Well, yes, I suppose that’s true, but seriously this? I wouldn’t even steal this…”

 

“Hey, what if we asked around Canterlot to see if anypony here recognizes the fabric and who may have an article of clothing made from it,” Ice Storm stated.

 

“Forgive me dear… but I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”

 

“Rarity, there will be plenty of time for pleasantries later. Right now we have more important things to worry about,” Twilight interrupted.

 

Ice Storm huffed. “Hmph, well, In case you missed when Luna said it, my name is Ice Storm. I was on my way to make sure Luna was okay after the storm, and the first thing I hear when I get in here is everypony yelling at her!”

 

“Ahem… I… was actually the only one yelling at her… and for completely the wrong reasons…” Princess Cadence admitted once again.

 

“Still, Luna is my mentor, and the only real friend I have here in Canterlot. I don’t like how everypony else treats her, and I will defend her honor until the day I take my last breath. That being said though,” Ice Storm slinking back into a hunch. “I would like to find out what happened to Celestia as well. I may not find her as appealing as Luna, but she’s still my princess. If she’s in trouble, I wanna help.”

 

Twilight gave in with a smile, “That’s very noble of you. I’m Twilight Sparkle. I would go into more, but right now, like I told Rarity. We need to find a starting point.”

 

“Well, we know that the kidnapping just happened today.” Cadence started.

 

“We also know that whoever took her had more power than my sister could have imagined. More than I could imagine actually, being able to actually take her away from us. No one could have expected that!” Luna said tearing up again. “I can only hope that the elements will be enough to bring her back to us… We can’t lose her! If that happens… I’ll never be able to show my face in Equestria again… It would be like being banished again, but worse…”

 

“No.” Cadence replied lifting Luna’s snout up. “I would never let that happen,” she added pulling her into a hug. “But we aren’t going to find out anything if everypony stays here and tries to wait for the answer to fall from the sky. Luna, before you go though, I’m going to need a lot of help. I don’t even know how to do the sun or the moon spells let alone even have the strength to be able to do any of it.”

 

“Our love for my sister will, and my love for you will give you that strength. I can give you the moon spell,” Luna said to her, her horn lighting up as she connected it to Cadence’s. “Though you’ll have to look in Celestia’s room to see if she has a backup copy of the sun spell. Just in case something like this happened.”

 

Cadence nodded to her. “You know what we have to do now though, right?”

 

“No, I know what I need to do. I’m not going to let your name get tarnished because the first time that you’ll ever have to make a public announcement is the one like this. I’m already hated… I will take the brunt of this… so that you don’t have to.”

 

“Luna, you don’t have to do that…”

 

“Yes I do,” she stated matter-of-factly. “I’m not going to let you take a hit of this caliber on your first day. It’s going to hurt but… I’m used to getting hurt at this point.”

 

“Luna…” Twilight said as she walked out onto the balcony.

 

“Please Luna… don’t to this to yourself…” Cadence pleaded.

 

“It has to be done…” she said sadly turning to the crowd beneath her. “Citizens of Canterlot… I wish that what I had to say was news of peace and rejoice, but the truth is the complete opposite. I already know the reaction that a majority of you are going to have…” She started a number of ponies mumbling to themselves under her trying to figure out what she meant. “My subjects… it is my biggest regret to inform you, that my sister… our beloved Princess Celestia has been kidnapped!” She yelled over the crowd tears pouring from her eyes knowing the reaction that was going to come.

 

Almost immediately, the crowd was in an uproar. It was the very reaction that Princess Luna both knew was coming and she feared the worst. It only proved that her subjects had no faith in her at all. It was a reality that hurt more on its own than the very fact that her own sister had been kidnapped. “I was already expecting a reaction like this, and believe me when I say it hurts more to hear such accusations than you may think. Which is why I’m not going to be the one taking control over Equestria. I cannot in good conscious take over the throne in my sister’s absence while I’m still the most hated pony in Equestria. Which is why Princess Mi Amora Cadenza will be the new ruler of Equestria until Princess Celestia can be found and returned to us safely. I will be accompanying the six ponies that wield the elements of harmony. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkamina Pie, Rarity, and Applejack have agreed to help us find our beloved princess. I only hope that… that we aren’t too late…” she said hanging her head.

 

The entire crowd went silent as she started to head back inside. They were still in shock of everything that just happened. The princess of the night wasn’t taking over? But she was the next in line it was her duty to fit into that position. All the ponies in the crowd looked to each other as the realized the hurt that they had placed in the princess.

 

“Come girls, it’s best we leave as soon as possible. If there’s one thing that I know for sure, it’s that Celestia isn’t here in Canterlot. We would have found her already if she was.” Princess Luna stated.

 

“Huh? How?” Twilight asked.

 

“The magic of an Alicorn has a very special signature and each signature of magic is different,” Cadence started. “Just as your magic has a different feeling than Rarity’s over there, the magic that we three share is very different and very noticeable.”

 

“I don’t understand though, I can’t detect Rarity’s magic at all, not even when she’s using it. Unless I’m looking at her of course and I watch her use it.”

 

“It’s something special amongst Alicorns. When we’re close we can detect each other, which is why we can be someplace rather quickly if there is anything wrong,” Luna explained. “Something I don’t understand though, whom ever took Celestia was able to mask her signature or strike before she was able to even react. I didn’t even feel anything wrong until after she left and I couldn’t feel her anymore.”

 

“Luna, did you at least get a direction?” Twilight asked.

 

Luna just shook her head. “No, but by the time I had even known what was going on, she was gone. The only thing that we have to go off of at the moment is that fabric.”

 

“Like I said, we should ask around Canterlot. Hopefully somepony recognizes the material,” Ice Storm suggested again.

 

“That is a good idea, though who do we start with? I mean, going around asking questions like that to everypony could also cause more anger as well. They might mistake our questioning as an attack on them, and think that we thought they were responsible.”

 

“But didn’t everypony make that same decision on you?” Ice Storm asked confused. “Why should we care about how they feel if they don’t give a hoot at all about how you feel when they do things like that to you!”

 

“Because it’s better to show them love than anger. If I react violently to their outbursts, I’m only proving them even more right in their thoughts.”

 

“Oh,” Ice said realizing what she meant.

 

“At the very least we should see if Shining Armor has any information. He’s the Captain of the Royal Guard after all. Surely one of the other guards had to have seen something and reported it to him!”

 

“Good idea Twilight!” Cadence said with assertion.

 

“Yes, yes. He would be perfect! Why we should go there immediately!” Rarity agrees with a hint of enthusiasm. All eyes turned to her. “What? He is out best chance to get any information after all.”

 

“Right, right… come on everypony. Let’s see if he knows anything that can help us,” Twilight said as she ran to the door with the others following close behind.

 

 

_____________

 

And here is Chapter two. I expanded a little bit on my OC's personality but she won't come completely into the the main focus until after Luna and them leave Canterlot. Again comments and critiques appreciated. Thanks!!

Edited April 24, 2012 by Ice Storm

[Dave247 568]

Ok, went over the story a few times to makes sure I picked up everything.

 

 

A little typo:

• If I watched the thrown (throne) while you were out searching for her
• “No, but the time (but by the time) I had even known what was going on

These is more of a grammar error:

• that most of Equestria doesn’t trust me. And you’re right! (This is one of the exceptions that you can start sentence with and.)
• “Actually, it does. We know that whoever it was, (it) was a pony of nobility,” (doesn't make sense otherwise.)
• “Well, yes, I supposed that’s true, (doesn't make sense)
• She yelled over the crowd tears pour (pouring) from her eyes (doesn't make sense.)
• It was the very reaction that Princess Luna both knew was coming and she fear (feared) the most. (should be future-tense here as she's worried about what hasn't happened yet and it doesn't make sense.)
• It only proved that her subject (subjects) had no faith in her at all. (Referring to all the ponies of ponyville, not just one.)
• Almost immediate (Immediately), the crowd was in an uproar. (doesn't make sense)
• “Come girls, it’s best we leave Canterlot as soon as possible. If there’s one thing that I know for sure, it’s that Celestia isn’t here in Canterlot (You already said the word in the previous sentence so it's not needed to be said again. You could take out either word as it doesn't matter. It makes sense both ways.)
• and thinking (think) that we thought they were responsible (their not thinking right now and it doesn't make sense)
• Let’s see if he knows anything that can help us. (,)” Twilight said as she ran to the door,

Because of changing the last sentence into a comma the next comma isn't needed as there two many pauses in the paragraph. You can easily change it into a word.

Twilight said as she ran to the door with the others following close behind.

 

Luna both knew was coming and she feared the most. Feared the most what? Did you mean worst?

 

Telekinesis is not a word i've seen been used before with MLP. It is to do with the mind though and I suppose it is debatable that so is magic but this is something too deep to get into now and it's a lot easier to just call it magic.

 

 

 

 

The story's progressing well though. It Will be interesting to see what happens next.

Edited May 6, 2012 by Dave247

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Updated and made the corrections. The weird thing is, is that mos of the corrections I made where things I though I put in there last night.... guess that what happens when you're writing at 2am. haha

[Dave247 568]

Updated and made the corrections. The weird thing is, is that mos of the corrections I made where things I though I put in there last night.... guess that what happens when you're writing at 2am. haha

 

Fair enough

I know what that's like typing on the forum late at night misspelling every few words. Thank god for spell check!

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Chapter 3: The First Break

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Shining Armor!” Twilight yelled from across the lawn in between them.

 

“Twiley!” Shining Armor said running towards her and the other mares accompanying here.

 

“Shining, we need your help…”

 

“I know, I was… I was there when it happened…”

 

“WHAT!?” they said in unison.

 

“I said I was there… I… I failed our princess…” he said looking off to the east. “And I know right now it doesn’t hold much value, but I heard your announcement Princess Luna, and I’ll have you know that I don’t share the same resentment that the rest of Canterlot does. That’s not important now, however…” he said turning his focus to the group as a whole.

 

“I didn’t get anything more than a glimpse of who the assailant was. As soon as that storm came in from the west, everything went dark, and before Princess Celestia could get anything lit up, her magic was suppressed.”

 

“Suppressed? But how? That shouldn’t be possible!” Luna shouted more in worry than in anger.

 

“I don’t know. Whatever it was, it was a dark figure. It was black, and had wings… It wasn’t a changeling though, I know that much. I saw enough of Chrysalis that I wouldn’t forget her or what her minions looked like in a lifetime. Whatever this was, it knew what it was after and how to keep her from calling for help. I do know that whoever took her went east, just past The Eponnine Mountains. That’s unfortunately all the information that I have.”

 

“It gives us something to go off of at least. We have a direction now! Something that we didn’t have just minutes ago,” Twilight stated before turning to Luna. “Luna, how far is it from here to the Eponnine Mountains?”

 

“It’s at least a three to four day walk, and most of it is through mountains. It’s a day and a half just to get out of the Canterlot Range.”

 

“Why do we have to walk anyway? Can’t you just call a Chariot for us like how you did when you sent for us?” Rainbow Dash inquired

 

“She makes a valid point princess. If we are on a time restriction here, which I assume we are, wouldn’t flying there be faster?”

 

“It would be, but only about a day.”

 

“Well, one less day of walking, and one less day whatever this thing is that took Princess Celestia has to hurt her.” Rainbow declared.

 

Luna nodded, “I agree, the closest one is back at the palace. With any luck we’ll be out of the Canterlot Mountain Range by Sunset… Hopefully Cadence has found something to help her figure out how to lower the Sun.” she said hanging her head. “Why couldn’t I have been the one kidnapped…”

 

“Luna, don’t talk like that…” Twilight said resting a hoof on her shoulder.

 

“If it were me, at least Equestria would still have a normal night and day. No pony would miss me if I was gone…”

 

“You know that’s not true Luna! I love you, We love you! Your niece and sister both love you, and if something happened to you, you better believe I would be right her with my friends and the Elements of harmony just as ready to save you as I would your sister.”

 

“Yeah! Besides, we all know that the whole ‘Nightmare Moon’ thing was a big hoax thing that was just a figment of our imagination right?” Rainbow Dash said with a wink.

 

Luna smiled softly. “You are lucky to have made friends such as these Twilight Sparkle. They are truly amazing.”

 

“Hey! What about me!?”

 

Luna laughed and gave a soft nuzzle to Ice Storm. “And I’m lucky to have met a pony as special as you are,” she said looking up to the chariot. “We’re here, everyone in. I’m going to go check on Cadence before we leave and let her know what’s going on.”

 

The seven mares nodded as Luna flew up unto the Palace.

 

“Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no…”

 

“Cadence is everything okay?”

 

“No it’s not. Aunt Celestia doesn’t have a backup for anything anywhere, and I don’t know where else to look for anything to help me with the Sun.”

 

“The only thing I can think of is to try the Starswirl the Bearded Wing in the Canterlot Library. If anyplace is going to have the primary source of that spell, it will be there…”

 

“But what if I can’t do it Luna? You know as well as I that I’m nowhere near as powerful as you or your sister! What if I fail everypony… What if I don’t have the strength to change between day and night?” Cadence yelled with it being her turn to break down. “I’m scared Luna… I want Aunt Celestia back…”

 

“I want her back too Cadence,” Luna said wrapping a hoof and a wing around her. “We will find her. I promise…” she added pulling her in a tighter hug.

 

“It’s actually the reason I came up here. We found a lead. Shining Armor was there when Sister was taken.”

 

“What!?”

 

Luna nodded. “He said everything got dark quickly and whatever took Celestia is able to suppress her magic, which has me more worried than you can imagine.”

 

“How… was he…”

 

“He was quite shaken up from it. You’ll both have to be strong for each other through this time. The love that we have will get us through this. I have full faith that you can do this.”

 

“Thank you…” Cadence said though her own sniffing as Luna started heading back to the Window. “Luna wait!”

 

“Yes?” she replied turning around.

 

“In case something happens and I don’t get to say it… I love you… IF anything else… please… just make sure you come home… I can’t lose both of you…”

 

Luna smiled as her heart melted. “I love you too Cadence. We’ll be back. All of us, I promise,” and with that she took off down to the Chariot.

 

“Is everything okay? That took longer than expected.” Twilight asked concerned.

 

“Cadence is just struggling with her emotions, as we all are at the moment, so I did what I could to comfort her as much as I could.”

 

Twilight nodded, “I still can’t believe it myself that something could over power Princess Celestia.”

 

“Take off,” Luna ordered before turning back to Twilight. “I’m still puzzled by this as well. First by Chrysalis, and now by whatever this thing is… I can’t help but wonder what’s happening to us that’s making us weaker, or are our enemies really getting that much stronger…”

 

“Well, from what I’ve seen you aren’t getting any weaker. You’re just as strong as I’ve ever seen you,” Ice commented.

 

“Then why didn’t I sense that my sister was in trouble until she was gone…”

 

“Nopony’s perfect, so how can we expect something that’s not even possible? I mean it’s not like you knew about it and didn’t do anything. You had no idea this was going to happen. I know that if you had been able to, you would have been able to stop whoever did this and keep them from your sister,” Ice Storm added reassuringly.

 

“At the very least slow it down so that Celestia would have had a chance…”

 

“This isn’t your fault dear. As you said, no one could have possibly expected this,” Rarity started. “I must admit I was completely shocked myself when she was beaten by Chrysalis. I was hoping that something like that would never happen again. Fortunately we have The Elements of Harmony though. If memory serves me correctly, they are supposed to be the one power to be able to fix anything.”

 

“I hope so girls… I hope so,” Luna finished as the chariot churned through the mountains. When they did get out of the mountains, Luna saw Cadence fly up into the sky with the moon, and much to her relief, was able to bring the sun down with her when she flew back down. I knew you had it in you, she thought to herself with a soft smile. “We should rest here in the valley for the night, and continue in the morning. Even though I prefer night travel, I know most of you have been up since Celestia rose the sun this morning, not to mention for once, I am exhausted myself.”

 

“It’s okay princess…”

 

“Luna please, Applejack. As of right now, I am not a princess. Until I have rescued my sister, I have officially resigned my status of princess of the night. So please, just call me Luna.”

 

Applejack nodded, “It’s okay Luna, we understand. This is a being tragedy for all of us, and can be tiring for even the most… dedicated of ponies.”

 

“I agree, however I’m not sure how much rest anypony is going to be able to get tonight. Even as tired as I am, I’m afraid to go to sleep… I’m afraid every second we wait… is another second that we’re going to be too late.”

 

“Have faith Twilight Sparkle, for faith at this moment, really is the only thing we have left.”

 

______________________

 

here is chapter 3. Per norm, comments and critiques appreciated.

Edited April 25, 2012 by Ice Storm

[Dave247 568]

Another few little typos

• Hopefully Cadence has found something to help her figure ut how to lower the Sun
• “Luna, please Applejack. As of right now, I am not a princess.
• You’ll both have to be strong for each other thought this time.

And one grammar error

• Shining Armor was here (there) when Sister was taken.” (It's talking in past-tense and unless shining and Celestia were in the room that Luna and and Cadence are in now it doesn't make sense)

Also, “We should rest here for the night, and continue in the morning. I'm not sure where here is? All I know is that it's not in the mountains. You need to add a little more explain where they are when Luna says that otherwise it sounds like their going to sleep on the chariot.

 

I assume you were more awake when you wrote this as was I when I read this. I'm getting hooked on the story and want to see what happens next but take your time when you get into the important part of the story because you want it to make sense and be believable. Don't worry, I can wait.

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Chapter 4: Truths in Awakening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darkness, it was the only thing that Princess Celestia could see around her. The sound of running water nearby suggested that she was in a cave of some sorts, and the constant dripping was already working her already tight nerves. Wanting to try and figure out where she was, she tried to activate her horn to at the very least get some light. However, when she tried to activate her magic, she found that it would fade before she could even get her magic powered. What the hey… she thought pushing herself up. “Something isn’t right…” she said aloud, her mane completely static at this point.

 

“Oh, is that so, princess?”

 

“Who are you!? Show yourself!”

 

“All in due time princess. Right now, I have bigger plans than to deal with you. The magic containment field that I have you in right now will more than suffice as a prison for you.”

 

“What do you want?”

 

“What does anypony want Celestia? I was full control of Equestria and The Elements of Harmony destroyed. They are becoming quite a nuisance for me. I mean honestly, they have thwarted every attempt that I've made to gain control of your precious little empire and its subjects.”

 

“What are you talking about? I don’t even know who you are! How could I have unleashed The Elements of Harmony on something or someone I don’t even know of!?”

 

“Oh no, you misunderstand. I know you have never used The Elements of Harmony on me specifically. No, you’d have to find me first in order to do so, and by the time that I actually show myself to you, you’ll be all too willing to destroy them and surrender control of your Empire to me. I almost had it once.”

 

“I will never abandon my subjects, and The Elements of Harmony can never be destroyed! Regardless if you destroy the artifacts themselves! They will reform in the right hooves!”

 

“Oh yes, you’re faithful students. Twilight and her friends am I right? I know all about them and I took them into account when I said destroying The Elements.”

 

“No!” Celestia screamed over menacing laughter.

 

“Oh my Celestia, you really don’t know what you’re dealing with here now do you? I swear you’re saying the exact same thing that your sister was saying so many years ago. ‘I’ll never give in to you! I love my sister! I could never do what you want me to!’”

 

“Wait… What did you do to Luna!!!”

 

“Well, within the last thousand years, nothing. She’s kinda been out of my reach on the moon. Oh how a wonderful puppet she became. Do you really think that she really felt Revenge and hatred for you a millennium ago? Honestly, her love for you then was just as devout as it is now, but after several weeks without food, and watching several of her friends die by my hands. Oh you should have seen her face when I took her special somepony away from her. The sadness, the despair, the pain, it was all too amazing to look at.”

 

“Wait a millennium ago… that means…” she realized her eyes going wide as the presence begain laughing some more.

 

“Haha, that’s right princess! It was I that was responsible for the creation of Nightmare Moon! Your sister never resented you once, and she was all too willing to stand next to you. Oh how much fun it was to break that royal Alicorn and watch her suffer.”

 

“But that’s not possible! Luna never left the palace then except to raise the moon!”

 

“Oh how right you are princess. What you don’t realize however, was the most recent enemy to Canterlot that you’ve encountered wasn’t your first encounter with her!”

 

“What!”

 

“That’s right! Chrysalis was also under my complete control!”

 

“That’s not possible…” Celestia said her voice becoming more hurt as she realized just how many beings this thing had touched negatively.

 

“Oh yes, it’s very possible. Chrysalis had just been elected queen of her changelings, and she was relatively easy to trap. And bending her to my will? Mwahaha, that was the easiest thing I had ever done! All she had to do was watch dozens of her changelings fall from the sky to get her to play along.”

 

“You’re a monster!”

 

“Oh? No, you see, I’m nothing more than a mere alicorn like you. The only difference between you and me,” he said through another laugh. “Is that I'm just a lot darker than you could ever be. And the more you want to seek vengeance and get your revenge for your sister, which I can feel inside of you, the more powerful I become.”

 

“Revenge… What no! It can’t be! You’re supposed to be a Mare’s Tale!!!” Celestia said over more laughter, her face turning to a mixture of shock and fear.

 

“Believe it Celestia! I am very much real, and I grow even more powerful by the second! The alicorn Deadly Revenge Is in fact very much live and well. Soon everypony will be bowing before me!”

 

“No! I don’t care what you do! I’ll never turn on my subjects.”

 

“That’s the very answer I was hoping for. After all, why would a pony whose special talents are pain, revenge, and death would want anything less?”

 

“Because I know Twilight and her friends will stop at nothing to find me! And I know that they can put a stop to you!”

 

“Haha, we shall see,” Deadly Revenge said menacingly as his presence faded.

 

Celestia was left in the darkness of the cave. Oh Luna… Chrysalis… I’m so sorry… I didn’t know what was going on… Celestia thought to herself tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She looked up into the darkness and let her tears fall. “I should have been able to see the signs! How could I not notice such a drastic change overnight! I should have known there was something larger in the works… and Chrysalis… If only you had told me what had actually happened… I could have protected you and your changelings… We could have been united and you could have felt real love instead of having to try to steal it from others…” She said aloud to herself letting her head fall on her hooves.

 

“How could I have been so blind!? How could I let something like this happen…” she said once again to herself. Her thoughts turned to The Elements of Harmony. Her mind went immediately to Twilight. “Oh girls… please hurry, but even more importantly… be careful… we’re dealing with an enemy more powerful than we could imagine…” she said knowing her warning was falling on nothing but deaf rocks.

 

“Celestia… is that you…” she heard from a voice behind her.

 

“Who else is there!?” she asked almost jumping where she lay.

 

“Celestia… it’s me… Chrysalis… I know that we aren’t on the best of terms at the moment… but please… you have to help me… I’ve been imprisoned here just like you…”

 

“It’s okay… I’m the one that should be apologizing to you.”

 

“It is right what they said about you…”

 

“Oh? What’s that?”

 

“That you’re one of the most understanding ponies in Equestria,”

 

“I supposed that’s true, but it helps that Deadly just stated his involvement with you.”

 

“Yes… but what are we going to do? If we stay her too long he’s going to kill us both.”

 

“Unless you can create some sort of light source, we can’t go anywhere.”

 

“Yes we can,” Chrysalis said leaning in, feeling along her neck until she found Celestia's ear and whispered. “We can use the running water in the stream to find the way out. You and I both have wings so we don’t have to worry about any waterfalls that we would run into. If nothing else we can get to a spot where our magic can work.”

 

Celestia nodded out of instinct but then realized that she wouldn’t be able to see that and whispered back, “good idea.”

 

_______________

 

Chapter 4. This Chapter is from Celestia's PoV and is the first that we've seen of her in the story so far. It also has one of the largest plot twists of the story. Over all, I think that this is the best chapter yet.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Ice Storm

[Dave247 568]

Sorry for not replying last night, I was really tired and not feeling well and had to go to bed.

 

Here's what I picked up:

 

 

A few Grammar errors:

• What the hey… she thought to herself pushing herself. “Something isn’t right…” she thought to herself her mane completely static at this point. (First part doesn't make sense and repeated the same words. It's been said she's thinking to herself so it doesn't need to be said again.)
• they have thwarted every attempt that I’ve had made to gain control of your precious little empire and its subjects.” (Word not needed)
• I will never abandon my subject(s),
• The only difference between you and me,” he said though (through) another laugh
• The alicorn Deadly Revenge Is in fact very much (a)live and well
• How could I need notice such a drastic change overnight! ( I assume you meant not)
• feeling along her neck until she found Celestia's ear (It's her ear so there needs to be an apostrophe)

“Oh? No, you see, I’m nothing more than a mere alicorn like you. The only difference between you and me,” he said through another laugh. “And the more you want to seek vengeance and get your revenge for your sister, which I can feel inside of you, the more powerful I become.”

I'm expecting from something to be continued after the first line but his second line says doesn't continue it. It doesn't make sense.

 

Soon everything will be bowing before me!”

Things isn't really the right word to use here. Things could be anything like inanimate objects. You could say everypony but it you want to refer to everyone including those that aren't pony's then you could say everyone but everypony doesn't have to just mean pony's. Its more of a replacement for the word then a variation of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm liking where the story is going, I don't mind the idea of reforming Chrysalis and introducing a new, more powerful Villain is also a good move. Very Interested to see what happens next.

Edited May 6, 2012 by Dave247

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Thanks, and it's not a problem. I've had nights like that before so I know where you are coming from.

 

I've corrected the mistakes that you have pointed out and filled in some areas yo give better context.

 

Chapter 5: Plan for Escape

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celestia and Chrysalis both started walking towards the sounds of the running water. Celestia soon found the moist ground underneath her signaling that they were close, and that sound of the creak was now clear as day. She extended a wing out to stop Chrysalis from walking any farther. “Let’s stay next to the creek rather than walking in it to follow it. We don’t know what Deadly has done to taint the water so I’d rather not take any chances.”

 

“What way is it flowing? Can you tell by the sound?”

 

“Hmm, no I can’t. Celestia reached a hoof out and cautiously and lightly put her hoof in the underground spring. “It’s flowing to our left. So that’s the direction we should go.”

 

“Right,” Chrysalis agreed.

 

The royal pair continued on, right next to one another within a wing’s touch to make sure they didn't lose each other. “Anything yet?” Celestia asked Chrysalis after a failed attempt to activate her own magic. A few sparks of green came off of the horn, but just like with Celestia’s, her magic also faltered.

 

“Hmm, we must be getting close to the outer limits of at least your containment field. That’s more than what I was able to spark up.”

 

“We can only hope. It would be nice if we could actually see where we are going. All of this darkness has me more than a bit worried.”

 

“You aren’t the only one…” Celestia admitted as she felt the ground give way beneath her and she instinctively spread her wings to stop Chrysalis. “Watch out, there’s a cliff here.”

 

“That’s really odd… you would have thought we would have heard the roar of a waterfall if we were that close to one.”

 

“Perhaps it’s not that large of a drop. Either way, without being able to see that’s a risk I think neither of us want to take at the moment.” Celestia said as she started to descend a bit. She tried her magic once more and got a glimmer, which was more than she had gotten any other attempt so far. “Chrysalis, try it now. I got a little bit of a response from my magic. Yours might work now.”

 

“Without any hesitation Chrysalis started to activate her horn expecting it to fizzle out just like it had the last three times she had tried it. This time, however, it didn’t. Her magic was back and she was able to illuminate the area with her green radiance. “Thank the heavens it works,” she said with the both of them looking around. The caves that they were in were very dull. There were some crystals forming on some of the cave walls, but other than that it was completely barren of anything. There weren’t even any fish living in the stream.

 

“Well at the very least we can see the path to follow now, even if there isn’t anything else to look at.”

 

“We better hurry though, I don’t know if he could feel us leave the containment fields or not. So we can’t afford to stay here and talk about what we can see…” Chrysalis pointed out.

 

Celestia nodded in agreement and they both started, once again, following the river.

 

“I wonder how long this goes, and if this is actually leading us out of the caves rather than deeper into them.”

 

“At the very least you can use your magic now, so we should be getting close to some sort of exit.”

 

“How does that mean we’re getting closer to anything? It just means one of us can use magic!”

 

“Well it means we’re out of your containment field and that by that logic closer to at least some sort of exit. If nothing else being able to teleport out of the mountain.”

 

“Um, Celestia I can’t teleport,” Chrysalis admitted.

 

“But I can.”

 

“How does that help us!? You can’t use your horn yet!”

 

“It will help us once I can.”

 

“If you even can…”

 

“I’ll be able to soon. Every time I try I can feel it getting a bit stronger so we’re approaching the range on the containment field for my magic.”

 

Chrysalis sighed. “How can you be so calm when we could be killed by this thing at any moment.”

 

“If Deadly revenge wanted us both dead neither of us would be alive right now. He could have killed us both while we were unconscious.”

 

“You make a point… But, why then has he kept us alive? What could he possibly want to gain?”

 

“If anything I’d have to say we’re bait… which is why I want to get out of here soon and get back to Canterlot so that we can plan a counter attack.”

 

“Are you kidding? We can’t plan a counter attack! He’s with revenge like we are with love. He gets stronger by consuming it.”

 

Celestia sighed. “Then what’s the point? No matter what we do he gets more powerful…”

 

“Well, hatred makes us weaker, which is the opposite of love. Perhaps if we used friendship and Kindness… which are the opposites of Revenge, it would make him weaker. Then those…. Element things you have should be even better. Revenger is a form of Chaos. Harmony is the opposite of Chaos.”

 

“It sounds like it could work,” Celestia said catching a glimmer out of the corner of her eye. “Hey, what’s that over there? I thought I saw a light!”

 

“Let’s not waste any time then,” they both said as the two of them started running towards the light. There was another drop in the cave floor, but this time Celestia and Chrysalis could see it and instead staying on the ground, they spread their wings now that they had enough height to do so and flew towards the light.

 

“Almost…. There…” Celestia said as the cave exit was starting to get closer and closer. Soon they could actually see the sky. Celestia landed just before the cave exit. “Hold on, we don’t want to go straight out… Deadly could very easily just be waiting for us on the other side. Let me see if…” she said as her horn lit up without any problems. “Aha! Get close to me! I’ll get us both out of here!” She said as Chrysalis got as close as she could to the white Alicorn. With a yellow flicker around her horn and the glowing seeping from the bottom of the horn to the top, Celestia activated her teleportation spell. When they two came out of it, they were facing the mountain that they had just been imprisoned in. “Thank the ancestors that’s over. “ They both said turning around only to find deadly revenge right behind them.

 

“What was that? I don’t think I heard you correctly…” he said through maniacal laughter as Celestia and Chrysalis turned to look at each, both other stricken with fear.

Edited May 6, 2012 by Ice Storm

[Dave247 568]

These are all the things I have picked up:

 

 

 

The royal pair stayed (continued on, staying) right next to one another(,) staying within a wing’s touch of each other to make sure they hadn’t lost (didn't lose) each other. (A few changes to make the sentence make more sense. I have moved the comma as well.)

 

but just like with Celestia’s(,) her magic also faltered.

 

All of this darkness has me more than just a bit worried.” (Makes more sense without it.)

 

Celestia admitted as she felt the ground give (way) beneath her and she instinctively spread her wings (out to stop Chrysalis.) “Watch out, there’s a cliff (here.)”

(give way sounds more appropriate to me here as it's a drop and and the ground isn't starting to collapse. Also added a bit extra to add to the story.

 

“Thank the heavens it works,” she said (with) the both of them looking around. (Could put a comma here but then there would be too many pauses.)

 

“You make a (good) point… On that point (But) then though,why (then) has he kept us alive? What could he possibly want to gain?”

(I was really thinking hard about how to reword this part to make the most sense as there's a number of possible variations that I thought of and I finally settled on this. Trying to imagine someone actuality saying it helps the most for me. If you want to change it slightly to fit the story better then feel free to.)

 

“Let’s not waste any time then,” they both said as the (two of them) started running towards the light. (You could change the to they but you already used they a few words before so this just adds a more variety of words to the story.)

 

“Aha! Get close to me! I’ll get us both out of here!” She said (as) Chrysalis getting (got) as close as she could to the white Alicorn. (Could put a comma instead of as but there this seems more appropriate to me.)

 

“What was that? I don’t think I heard you correctly…” he said through maniacal laughter (as) Celestia and Chrysalis (turned to) look to (at) each other(,) (both) stricken with fear.

(Pretty much same as the last one, also adds to the suspense of the end of the chapter.)

 

 

 

All in all, the story is going really well and changing the setting adds a lot to the story, looking forward for the next part to see what the others run into on their way to find them.

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Made the corrections. PoV will be shifting back to Mane 6 and Luna in next chapter. Looking forward to it as well because I was running out of ways to draw out the cave escape without making it boring to read.

[Dave247 568]

I think you did a good job of it, I didn't find it boring and I also think it's a good part to the story because it shows the bond that starts to form between the two. You could change the story and not put in in but I think it's better like this, it adds more depth to the story. I do understand how it takes a lot of words to get through such a short part of the story but I like reading and it's obvious that the story will be long which I don't mind especially when it's a good story.

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Chapter 6: Concerns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the first time since she had been back to Canterlot, Luna didn’t have responsibility for the moon. It wasn’t something that she liked at all. The moon was everything to her, and even after spending a thousand years imprisoned in it, it was still her pride and joy. Tonight however she hated the moon. She hated the night in general right now because she knew that they all needed the rest and that they were losing valuable time that they could be using to find Celestia. The fact that the moon wasn’t as bright as normal tonight also unsettled her. She didn’t know how long Cadence would be able to handle everything being thrown at her at once. Perhaps I should have stayed there, I at least have a minute amount of experience in how to run things. She is learning everything on the go, and I forced her into it. If everypony hates her now it would be my fault… she thought to herself.

 

Every other pony had managed to fall asleep at this point, but the sheer amount of worry and stress that had built up in Luna had made it impossible for her to fall asleep. Even as tired as she was, she could not let her mind rest about her sister. The fact that she was gone and that there was something in Equestria that was naturally stronger than both her and Celestia was off-putting. If it could beat her sister with ease, and Celestia was more powerful than Luna could ever hope to be, she only wondered what good they would actually be able to do, or if they would have to give into whatever this thing was. She laid her head on her hooves, it feeling almost as heavy as lead at this point. More of these thoughts ran through her head as she laid there, but somehow, she managed to fall asleep.

 

The group of mares awoke at dawn, Luna still being quite groggy from the lack of sleep that she had received from the night before. A part of what she concluded it to be, along with her stress was the fact that she doesn’t normally sleep at night, so it was something that she had to get used to despite how tired she was.

 

“You alright Luna? You… kinda don’t look so good…”

 

“Rainbow!”

 

“What? She doesn’t,” Rainbow Dash stated plainly.

 

“She’s still a lady Rainbow, and as much as I’m sure you hate lady-like things, some ladys don’t like it when they are told that they look anything less than spectacular,” Rarity informed her with Rainbow Dash just rolling her eyes.

 

“Yeah, yeah, we don’t have time for a lecture. I was just concerned about her because she looked like she had slept wrong or something.” Rainbow finished.

 

“I’m fine girls, really.” Princess Luna said looking to both Rainbow Dash and Rarity. “We have more pressing things to worry about at the moment than me,” Luna said looking to the east. The sun was rising in the sky. Already inside of her she got the feeling that they were not going to like the paths that they were going to have to take in order to get her sister back. It was a trip that she was very much not looking forward to continuing but wanted to continue all the same.

 

“Come on. The more time we waste here, the less time we have to find Princess Celestia,” Twilight stated, the others nodding in agreement.

 

“Let us go then,” Luna announced and the group began to traverse the fields ahead.

 

“So, Luna, Aside from the recent events, how has everypony been treating you since your return to Canterlot? Surely they all can’t hate you as much as you think they do.”

 

“I could only wish they didn’t, but you heard their outcry at first when I mentioned Celestia’s disappearance as I did. They have always hated me Lady Rarity, and they will forever hate me until I figure out how to clear my name from Nightmare Moon.”

 

“Well if it’s any consolation at all, we never hated you.”

 

“Yeah! That whole thing on Nightmare Night last year was totally because it was fun! We weren’t actually scared of you or anything,” Pinkie Pie admitted to her. “Though thinking about it now, I didn’t realize how horrible it made you feel at the time. I honestly thought it was all part of the party so I just went along with it!”

 

“Ha! Pinkie Pie, you are something else,” Rainbow Dash commented.

 

Luna fell silent. As much as she wanted to carry on a conversation with these ponies, and as much as it did help to know that she wasn’t hated by every pony in Equestria, the only think she could think about right now was Celestia. Hold on sister. We’ll be there soon, she thought to herself.

 

“Luna you okay?” Twilight asked.

 

“Not really, no. Can you imagine what it’s like?”

 

“Well, I was sort of in the same position not too long ago at the wedding, except I was the one that got kidnapped and Shining Armor never even knew about it.”

 

“Then you know what I’m going through then at the moment. The amount of worry I have for not only my sister, but for Cadence as well is almost unbearable. Of the three of us, no offence meant to her, she is by far the weakest. I honestly don’t know how long she will be able to keep everything sustained, not to mention she’s basically been cast to the fire at this point. She’s used to being loved and everypony looking up to her, and now I fear that I may have done something that will severely hurt her.”

 

“Come on now, I know things look dim, but surely everypony knows that Cadence is going to do everything she can in the absence of you and Princess Celestia. In fact I would be surprised if most of the Royal Guard is helping her at this point. Shining Armor is the Captain of the Guard at this point so It would be silly to think that she wasn’t getting help from them on how you and your sister do things.”

 

“That may be, but that doesn’t change the fact that she has the eyes of everypony on her now, and in a different perspective that from her wedding.”

 

“She will be fine. Besides, if everything goes well, we won’t be gone too long,” Twilight reminded her.

 

“And what if we don’t make it back at all?”

 

“Hey now, that’s not the proper way to think of any situation.”

 

“Says the pony that almost missed the best fliers competition because she had performance anxiety.”

 

“Umm, Rarity, that was a lot different than this. As much as I thought it would be a life or death thing at the time it doesn’t hold a candle to this. We’re behind you all the way Luna. Once we find Celestia, we’re going to take the Elements of Harmony, and shove them down the throat of whoever took her.”

 

“I wish I could be as optimistic as you are Rainbow, but I just don’t know what could have had the strength to do something like this, and that is what’s worrying me the most. The fact that I have no idea what we’re going to be fighting,” Luna finished as they came up to a large lake. “Ugh, really? As if we didn’t have enough problems already, the terrain itself has decided to slow us down.”

 

“No it hasn’t. In fact, this could do the opposite!” Ice Storm stated as she moved up to the lake.

 

“How could this possibly speed us up? There’s no way that we can get across this with any sort of speed…” Rainbow Dash commented.

 

“Watch,” Ice replied as her horn lit up and the water in front of them started to freeze over instantly. “The manipulation of water and Ice is my special talent. Raindow Dash, if you and Princess Luna can get behind us and use your speed to push us, we’ll be able to cross this lake as fast as you would be able to.”

 

“Consider it done. I must say, that’s a pretty nifty talent.”

 

With that Rainbow Dash and Luna both got behind the group of mares and Ice Storm made a wall next to the platform of ice on both sides to keep them from falling off. The others got onto the ice, the purple unicorn struggling for her footing. “Don’t bother trying to stand. As soon as they start going we won’t be able to stay on our hooves anyway,” Ice Storm told everypony and nodded back towards Rainbow and Luna. The two took off in tandem and in mere minutes they were across the lake.

 

“I must say, I’d much rather not have to get my coat wet in the future, but that was definitely entertaining to say the least. Something that was not only necessary for us to get across the lake, but took some stress off as well,” Rarity stated

 

“I wouldn’t go quite that far,” Luna corrected her.

 

“Right… sorry,” Rarity finished.

 

“Everything from here should be relatively easy until we get to The Eponnine Mountains. If we absolutely have to stop for anything, Fet Loch is just to our northeast. Otherwise, we continue due east.”

 

“Well, the more time we spent stopped the more time we are wasting. I say we keep moving. I’m sure we can make it to the mountains by sundown. They don’t look to be that far away,” Twilight stated.

 

“I agree,” Applejack replied. “The mor’ time we waste her’, ‘en the more time whomever this pony is that’s done this has for whatever it wants.”

 

“What AJ said, I mean really? What fun would any party be if we don’t have all three of the princesses to invite?”

 

“Pinkie Pie… Princess Celestia is in danger, and the only thing you can think about is a party?” Rarity said with disgust.

 

“Oh no, I’m saying that they wouldn’t’ be fun without her presence watching over us. I mean if Celestia didn’t come back then it would be the end of everything that is happiness, and after being without smiles for so long when I grew up…” Pinkie stated, her mane falling straight out of its curls. “I just don’t want to go around being sad again.”

 

Luna looked to the group of mares and was able to muster a small smile. The larges she’d been able to muster since Celestia’s disappearance yes but that wasn’t saying much. “Alright then let’s keep moving.”

 

The rest of the travel through the savannah went without issue. Aside from a few pauses to regain some strength the group of eight mares made it through the vast emptiness to the base of the mountains just as the sun was starting to set.

 

“So, Princess Celestia, according to Shining Armor, is somewhere in these mountains. If I wasn’t so drained I’d say we run in there now and get her out but, I’m too beat for anything right now,” Rainbow Dash commented.

 

“I agree with Rainbow, my hooves are absolutely killing me. I don’t think I’ve ever been on them this long before at one time.”

 

“Aw it ain’ that bad.”

 

“Easy for you to say AJ, you work on and apple orchid,” Rainbow replied.

 

“Let’s just get some rest girls. Bickering about hurting, and about one has it better than another isn’t going to change anything,” Twilight started. “Once we've gotten some rest, we can set out in the morning and we’ll be completely refreshed for whatever we have to face tomorrow rather than trying to do anything without the proper focus.”

 

“Twilight is right. Let us rest,” Luna said as the group settled down for night and preparing for what the morning brought.

Edited May 19, 2012 by Ice Storm

[Dave247 568]

Moving along just fine. Nice to see your OC have a bigger part in the story. This part of the story is meant to be slow but it's building up to the next part which I expect is where things will start happening.

 

 

Perhaps I should have stayed there, I at least have a minute amount of experience in how to run things. (Added a coma for effect)

 

The fact that she was gone and that there was something that was in Equestria that was naturally stronger than both her and Celestia was off-putting. (Words aren't necessary as "that there was" cover for it and also makes it doesn't sound right when you say it.)

 

If he it could beat her sister with ease, and Celestia was more powerful than Luna could ever hope to be, she only wondered what good they would actually be able to do, or if they would have to give into whatever this thing was. (Although we as a reader know who he is it is unknown to Luna what it is and he implies it is a male which Luna does not know at this point and also dose not fit with the rest of the sentence.) (Ever adds drama to the story but implies a very long time so you don't have to put it in if you feel it goes against your idea of Luna.)

 

More of these unsettling/troubling thoughts ran through her head as she laid there, but somehow, she managed to fall drift off to asleep. (Adds to the story, either word can be used although I prefer the first. Just pick the one you prefer or if you can think of another one you could also go with that.) (The second part is mealy my personal opinion and although there is nothing wrong what what you had this implies it took her a while to fall asleep which ties into her having troubling thoughts and also ends the paragraph nicely.)

 

“All You alright Luna? You… kinda don’t look so good…” (not sure about the all, I assume it's a typo but I think to just start the sentence off at "You" as that feels more in character to Rainbow to me then her saying "Are you alright Luna?"

 

“Yeah! That whole thing on Nightmare Night last year was completely scary because it was fun! (I'm assuming that is the missing word but if I'm wrong replace it with should go there. Also the end of the sentence the explanation mark because that is how Pinkie would say it and it would make sense without it. And the comma isn't needed.)

 

the only think thing she could think about right now was Celestia. (Slight typo.)

 

the terrain itself has decided to slow us down.”

“No it hasn’t. In fact, this could do the opposite” Ice Storm stated as she moved up to the lake.

“How could this possibly speed us up? There’s no way that we can get across this with any sort of speed…” Rainbow Dash commented. (This is just another way it could be put. I can't decide on which I prefer now after reading over the sentence multiple times so just go with whichever one you prefer and sounds the best to you.)

 

“Watch,” Ice replied as her horn lit up and the water in front of them started to freeze over in front of them instantly/in a matter of seconds. (Repeated words, also instead of just ending the sentence there a bit more can be added to it. Choose which word/s you feel goes best as you know your OC's power the best and they both represent different periods of time with one being a short while and the other, well instantly )

 

The others got onto the ice, then the purple unicorn struggling for her footing. (Typo again and without "her" it doesn't make sense.)

 

The largest she’d been able to muster since Celestia’s disappearance yets but that wasn’t saying much. “Alright then let’s keep moving.” (Slight typos)

 

Aside from a few pauses to regain some strength, the group of eight mares made it through the vast emptiness to the base of the mountains just as the sun was starting to set. (When I was reading allowed I naturally paused here which indicates a comma should go there.)

 

If I wasn’t so drained I’d say we run in there now and get her out, As is now though, but I’m too beat for anything right now,” Rainbow Dash commented. (I'm confuised by the "is" and I think you meant to put "of" instead but I think it would be better to remove all that entirely and just start with "but". Rainbow in my mind speaks more plainly and to the point instead of longer, more descriptive words.)

 

Once we've get gotten some rest we can set out in the morning and we’ll be completely rested refreshed for whatever we have to face tomorrow rather than trying to do anything without the proper focus.” (Repeated start of sentence so slightly changed it to make it different. Changed the next word to refreshed as "rest" has already been used and sounds better to me. And lastly the sentence sounds better with "the".)

 

Edited May 19, 2012 by Dave247

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Chapter 7: The Eponnine Mountains

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dawn crested over the horizon and the mares woke of to the crisp mountain air. Dew still clung too many of the rocky structures making then slick and even more treacherous than they already were.

 

“Alright, everypony stay alert,” Luna said approaching the mountain path. “We have no idea what we’re going to find roaming, and the paths are exceptionally dangerous.”

 

“Right, everypony stay together, and stay as close to the side of the mountain as possible. Rainbow, Fluttershy, you’re on edge patrol. If anypony slips you know what to do,” Twilight proclaimed.

 

“Right!” Rainbow and Fluttershy both acknowledged.

 

The group of mares started walking through the tumbling pass. The pathways along the cliff edges were narrow. Twilight and the others quickly found themselves struggles to fit single file along the cliff face, and the path was only getting narrower as they went on. Twilight felt her hoof slip as she stepped and a bit of the pathway gave underneath her. The pathway around the started cracking, and spreading, “Everyone get close!” Twilight yelled as she and Luna used their teleportation magic to get the group to a small landing.

 

“Whew, that sure was a close one,” Applejack stated sitting down to catch her breath. The group of mares watched as the path that they were on continued to crumple and collapse down the mountainside.

 

“We should watch our step from here out. There’s no telling how sturdy any of these paths are. Even the wider ones could be faulty,” Luna warned.

 

“Do… Do we have to go through the mountains like this? Can’t you just teleport us there…” Fluttershy asked, frightened.

 

“I wish I could, but we have to know exactly where we need to teleport to in order to do so. Otherwise it could be bad for everypony.”

 

“Li-li-like how bad…”

 

“Well, it would be possible that if I tried to randomly teleport us to the place we need to go, we could very easily be teleported into solid stone or in an active volcano, since we have no idea where we need to be,” Luna explained.

 

“Oh… We’ll walk then…” Fluttershy said suddenly feeling a lot comfortable walking than teleporting.

 

“Come on, we aren’t going to get any closer sitting here,” Twilight stated. “This way looks safer,” she added pointing to the decently wide path. She and Rarity approached the path first.

 

“Hmm, this looks like it’s big enough for two, but I think you should go first just to be safe. No need in taking any, unnecessary risks when the dangers that are already around us are so prominent.”

 

“Danger shmanger, as long as Fluttershy, Luna and myself stay along the ledge, nothing can go wrong!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed proudly.

 

“I wish everything were that easy Rainbow. We just barely got away from that!”

 

“Well, I doubt even someone that pours over book after book could have predicted that the passage was going to collapse,” Rainbow countered.

 

“And? We can’t predict when somepony’s going to fall either, or get hurt or if something else is going to fall on us!”

 

“Twilight, keep it down, we’re entering an avalanche zone,” Luna warned. Everypony nodded and started to follow. Looking up, Luna could see the loose rocks that were ready to tumble down the mountain side at any given moment, just waiting for the right amount of sound to be set free. When the mares made it about halfway across the passage, Twilight’s ears perked up. She heard a few of the smaller rocks start rolling down the side of the mountain, and she could see that the others were unstable and waiting to collapse. Then it happened, one of the smaller rolling rocks hit one of the larger ones in just the right way that it dislodged it and triggered a rockslide. “Everypony run!!!” she yelled galloping to the other side as Luna once again had to teleport most of them to safely.

 

“Seriously, what’s with these mountains and having everything collapse? I always thought that mountains were, you know sturdy,” Rainbow Dash commented.

 

“Some mountains are and some aren’t. Apparently we just picked the wrong spot to enter this range at.” Luna answered.

 

“Well, Ah know one thing’s for sure. Ah ain’t gonna be able to handle another thing fallin’ on us. Twice so might’ more than enough for this pony,” Applejack stated.

 

Twilight approached her. “As much as I don’t like what’s going on around us, I can’t really say that something like that isn’t going to happen again. As much as I would like to say it won’t, I can’t. Not unless we find a path that is wide enough that we can all comfortable fit on,”

 

“Girls, we really don’t have the time to complain about things.”

 

“With all due respect princess, we can’t find your sister if we don’t even make it out of these here mountains. If we all die here, then whoever this kidnapper is wins anyway. I’m not sayin’ we need to stop. I just think that maybe you know should probably be trying to go through the mountain range at the base of the mountains instead of halfway to their summits?”

 

“That is a good suggestion, but how are we going to get down? Not to mention, if the place we need to go is at the top of the mountain…”

 

“Then you or Luna can teleport us there. You’re the one that’s done all the book readin’ and the studyin’ here Twi, you should know how most stories like this end! I don’t want to be like most of those stories.”

 

“Personally Twilight, I agree with Applejack… things would be better if we were um…. Not so high up?”

 

“I’ll be right back then,” Luna said as she flew down beneath the Cliffside.

 

“What’s she doing?”

 

“I haven’t got a clue…” Twilight replied before Luna appeared in front of her.

 

“The path at the bottom does appear to be a bit safer than this one. I can’t see any Avalanche zones and the only thing we may need to worry about is wolves.”

 

“Ha! Wolves won’t be a problem at all since with have Fluttershy here! No matter what kind of animal it is she can tame it!”

 

“I don’t know Rainbow, wolves are a little bit different…”

 

“Oh come on! This isn’t going to turn into that whole mountain fiasco when that dragon came here is it?”

 

“Oh no-no, I’m not as afraid of wolves as I am dragons. It’s just well, wolves generally only attack when they’re hungry and wolves well, only eat meat. It’s kind of hard to make it happy without becoming its meal.”

 

“I wouldn’t go ‘quite’ that far. Wolves are very noble and perhaps if we can befriend a couple of them on the way through they can provide us with some protection against the not so friendly wolves,” Luna stated.

 

“Oh! That could work!” Fluttershy accepted.

 

“Okay, but that still leaves the question. How are we all going to get down there in a timely manner? It’s not like we can just jump down.”

 

“Well, I can always make another Ice Slide!” Ice Storm chimed in. “Though it would be a bit more difficult to keep up going that fast.”

 

“Not to mention this high up it would break easily without support. That would be more dangerous that walking on the mountains,” Luna pointed out.

 

Ice pouted a bit. She wanted to be able to help more but so far there was only one point at which she had been useful, and now she felt like she was slowing everypony down.

 

“Don’t worry. I’m sure your ice will come in handy again relatively soon,” Luna consoled her before looking back to the others. “As I was saying with some help from Rainbow dash, I think we can have everypony down to the bottom in only two trips. I can carry two ponies easily and there are only five of you without wings. That should be easy enough.”

 

Twilight nodded and Luna carried her and Ice Storm down while Rainbow grabbed Pinkie Pie and left Rarity with AJ. “I certainly hope it isn’t dusty down there…” Rarity groaned before noticed Applejack’s ‘are you serious’ look. “What? Regardless of what we run into we’re still in the presence of a princess.”

 

“A princess who’s done lost her sister. Ah think the last thin’ you should be worried about is a might bit a dust.” Applejack said as Luna and Rainbow Dash came back up from dropping off the other three. “That sure was fast...”

 

“Well duh, it’s a lot easier to go down with a pony than it is to try to lift one up,” Rainbow commented. “Now come on. We don’t have time to stand up here and discuss how much time it takes to get to the bottom.”

 

Applejack nodded and hopped onto Rainbow’s back while Rarity got onto Luna’s and they both brought them down with the others. “Alright, let’s keep moving… this way.”

 

The ponies continued through the mountain passage. The air down here was still crisp, but a lot damper than it was at the higher altitudes. The winds where none existent and that would make tracking scents impossible. Which was both a good thing and a bad thing. It meant that the wolves couldn’t track them but at the same time they couldn’t tell where the wolves were at.

 

“This is a bit odd. Normally mountains aren’t this quiet, especially ones with wolves…” Twilight stated worriedly.

 

“I know, you’d think we’d have heard howling by now,” Ice replied.

 

“I don’t know. Though at the same time in means were in the right area. Everything is keeping quiet for a reason. Not to mention I’m starting to feel my sister’s presence.”

 

“Yes!!! That at the very least should mean that she’s okay, and that we’re going the right direction!” Twilight proclaimed.

 

“Right direction yes, otherwise it just means she’s alive, not necessarily okay,” Luna corrected.

 

“Alright then! Let’s get to it!!” Rainbow said as she started to speed away.

 

“Rainbow Wait!!” Twilight responded, “We don’t even know what’s on the other side of that corner, let alone what’s in where ever Celestia is being held!”

 

“We’re never going to find out if we don’t keep moving!”

 

“Obviously, but we can’t charge through these mountains like that. You saw what happened when we were moving carefully earlier…”

 

“You… make a valid point, but we’re on the ground right? What could possible go wrong now?”

 

“Oh no… Please tell you did not just say that!”

 

“Say what could possible go wrong!! Statistically in about 83% of the books that I read read about things like that in, whenever somepony asks what could go wrong the find out in a very non-forgiving…” she started saying before one of the mountains a bit behind them erupted exposing itself for the volcano it actually was. “Way…” She shrieked.

 

“Everypony run!! I can at the very least slow it down!” Ice Storm said as she created a wall of ice about a pony’s length in thickness before turning and running behind the group. As they ran, Magma bombs fell from the sky trying their hardest to take out one of them with one solid hit.

 

“Let’s go across the gap!”

 

“Gap!? We’re supposed to be on the ground!!”

 

“Apparently this wasn’t the ground, but it’s not that far down and it will divert any lava flows, so at the moment I’m kinda glad it’s here,” Luna countered motioning for everyone to jump, which that did. Ice was still lagging behind so she picked her up and flew her over the gap, and Ice made another wall of ice on their side of the gap before collapsing.

 

“Ice Storm!!!” everypony yelled running to her.

 

“I’m fine… just… tired…. I’ve never used this much magic before, not in one day anyway…” She admitted.

 

“I’ll carry her,” Luna offered. “She needs the rest after what she just did, though I have a feeling we’re all going to need a short break soon to recover. It just seems that if it can go wrong today it has.”

 

Twilight glared at Rainbow at Luna’s last comment. “And we know who caused that!!”

 

“Like I was going to know any of this was going to happen! I’m sorry I’ll try to use a better choice of words next time!! But I don’t really see what me speaking had to do with a volcano exploding. It was just a coincidence!”

 

“Girls! Now is not the time! Let’s move a bit away from this ledge just in case there is overflow. That way we don’t get caught up in it,” Luna said pointing to the small mountain valley ahead. She could see grass and a couple trees in it. Hopefully they would be able to find some clues there.

 

 

Chapter 7 is here!!! sorry it took so long!!

[Glaceon 793]

Dont you have an RP like this?

[Dave247 568]

Dont you have an RP like this?

 

Yeah, but this is her own fanfic that's she's writing. Here's a link to the RP.

http://mlpforums.com...rian-emergency/

 

 

Now about the story,

 

 

 

Dawn crested over the horizon and as the mares woke of to the crisp mountain air. (As fits better here as it describes that they are waking up while the sun is rising. Also did you mean up instead of of? Because that really doesn't make much sense.)

 

Twilight and the others quickly found themselves struggles struggling to fit single file along the cliff face

 

“I certainly hope it isn’t dusty down there…” Rarity groaned before she noticed Applejack’s ‘are you serious’ look.

 

The winds where were none existent and that would make tracking scents impossible. (Wrong were )

 

Luna countered motioning for everyone to jump, which that they did.

 

 

 

It's ok it took a while, I'm in no rush to read it and you have your RP that you need to tend to as well as write this story so that's a lot to keep you busy.

 

Things are really getting into full swing now with all the action and danger happening. Very interested to see what happens next.

[Glaceon 793]

Yeah, but this is her own fanfic that's she's writing. Here's a link to the RP.

http://mlpforums.com...rian-emergency/

 

 

I know im in that RP.

[Dave247 568]

I know im in that RP.

 

I thought so and was going to check to be sure but I got distracted reading the story so I forgot about it. Link can stay for general reference though.

[partyyou 2]

The only thing I would critisize on is not knowing who was saying what. other than that, LOVE IT!

[Ice Storm 1,020]

(I apologize for the Extremely long delay in this story. I've had a lot of major things come up during the process of writing this story that made it hard to think and write effectively. Hopefully now that things have been mostly straightened out, I will be able to update this a bit more regularly and finish the story within the next couple months.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 8: A “Not so Pleasant” Reunion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“How is she?” Twilight asked the princess concerned about Ice Storm. Being a unicorn herself she was very aware of the dangers of what using too much magic could do, and the fact that Ice had passed out only moments after she said that she felt tired was alarming.

 

“She’s stable, but she definitely can’t use any more magic today. Had she needed to support that wall any more, it would be an entirely different scenario right now. The fact that she has a steady pulse, if not very strong at the moment and is breathing is reassuring,” Luna answered.

 

“Okay. I’m just worried.”

 

“You and I both, she’s the first truly loyal friend that I’ve had that I’ve been able to see on a regular basis,” Luna stated.

 

“Hello! Element of Loyalty here!” Rainbow Dash announced making Luna smile a bit.

 

“Yes Rainbow, I know. I rarely get to see you though, any of you. I had hoped to have been able to spend more time with you at the wedding, but then everything went haywire there too,” Luna replied.

 

“Hey, You weren’t even in most of it!”

 

“Rainbow!” Rarity exclaimed not happy with the comment. “You’re the absolute last pony that can talk about napping during a bad situation. You spend most of your time in Ponyville doing so!”

 

“Hey guys, can we move away from the lava flow before we start bickering? That is… if it’s alright with everypony…” Fluttershy spoke up.

 

Everypony else nodded and the moved a bit away from where the lava flow was. There was a small valley nearby where they set up a make shift camp for the night. There wasn’t much to be put up, as there were no tents, or much of anything to be gathered. The mountains were bare. Only rock after rock remained visible along the stone path of the winding mountains.

 

Luna while they walked Luna thought about what Rainbow had said, and wondered if she would accept the reality of the matter that things would have been worse had she attempted anything.

 

“I do apologize, Rainbow, if it felt like I didn’t do my part to help defend the wedding when the outbreak happened. It’s not like I really had much of a choice in the matter. After all, it was my responsibility to oversee the night watch, and it’s just impossible for me to stay awake every single minute of every single day. However, I was instantly awoken after the barrier broke, and I saw what was going on. I tried to teleport to the palace, but Chrysalis had some sort of field up that I couldn’t teleport into.”

 

“Twilight could teleport just fine!”

 

“I could have been within the aura already Rainbow, some magics like that will prevent ponies from entering or leaving, but are vulnerable to anywhere inside the zone where magic can be activated,” Twilight explained.

 

“Well then why didn’t she just fly to the palace? She’s an Alicorn for pony sake! She as wings to ya know!”

 

“Um… Rainbow… I think yer missin’ one very big flaw with that thought…” Applejack commented.

 

“Oh? What flaw?”

 

“Changelings,” Luna answered. “If I had tried to come to the aid, it would have been very easy for me to become cloned and create further confusion. As a leader of the Royal Guard, if I had gotten cloned, what little resistance we had would have been removed. And as much as I don’t like admitting it, I’m not as strong as my sister… I think all of my past actions have proven that to be true. My will is generally weaker, as is my resolve, I’ve always gotten sick easier than her, and you’ve seen me side by side with her before my body is so much more frail and fragile than hers,” Luna said almost in a whimper.

 

“When heard that Chrysalis had overpowered Celestia, the only thing I could do was cry… and that’s why I’m even more scared about what we’re going to find when we find Celestia… I’m legitimately scared that we might not be able to save her…” Luna finished in a near broken state.

 

Rainbow looked on to the princess. Yeah she wanted answers, but she wasn’t expecting this. She had to admit at first it sounded like pony apples, but the more she listened and the more she thought about it, and by Luna’s emotional reactions, that she was telling the truth. Rainbow sided and did something very un-rainbow like. She walked over and gave Luna a hug. “I’m sorry princess. I shouldn’t have even brought it up, especially now. I should have known that you were looking out for the safety of everypony, since, well… for the most part, you always have,” she apologized.

 

“How much longer do you think it’s going to take before we find where Princess Celestia is and who had taken her? I’m not one for a lot of the fancy mystery novels, but from what I hear from everypony else, we ain’t got much time.” Apple Jack commented.

 

“With any luck, which is something that so far this trip we haven’t seen, we’ll hopefully find her tomorrow,” Luna answered looking to the sun as it set on another night.

 

 

 

***

 

The next morning Ice Storm was the first to wake up. The lava flow that had been behind them had solidified into near perfect obsidian and the area where she had created her ice shield wall had also solidified into pure obsidian creating an unintentionally miraculous piece of art. That all would have been fine and dandy except that they were still left with the looming fact that the reason they were out here was because Princess Celestia had been kidnapped.

 

The others awoke shortly after Ice, and Luna, upon waking was right next to her. “Ice… Are you okay?”

 

“I have a headache, and I still feel a bit woozy, but I should be fine,” Ice replied.

 

Twilight quickly exhaled a large sigh of relief. “That’s good then. You had us all very worried. I’m well aware of the dangers of over exerting yourself when it comes to magic. When you blacked out, I had begun to fear the worst…” She explained.

 

“I’m sorry Twilight. I didn’t mean to make everypony worry. I just wanted everypony to be safe,” Ice replied.

 

“We know Ice,” Luna said with a brief, friendly nuzzle. She withdrew quickly and looked out into the valley that they had stumbled across yesterday. There were a few patches of trees, and a small stream or creek that flowed through it. Obviously a mountain stream of the sort as it wasn’t on any map. “We should keep moving.” Everypony else nodded.

 

The valley that they had discovered was of decent size. From where they were they could easily see patches of trees and a small stream running though the center of it. The panoramic view of mountains that stretched along as far as the eye could see added both a sense of security and a feeling of dread.

 

“Anything yet Luna?” Twilight asked.

 

“Not yet, though the thing is, these mountains are so large and so dense, that If she were in one of the deeper parts of the mountain we’d have to pass right next to the mountain that she was in before I could even sense anything,” Luna explained.

 

“Yeesh, what are the mountains made of? Lead?” Rainbow asked sarcastically.

 

“Yes, actually. The Eponnine Mountains have the highest concentration of lead than any other place in Equestria,” Luna answered leaving Rainbow at a loss for words.

 

“So, basically, unless we search every single mountain individually, the chances of us actually finding her in this place are slim…” Ice gathered.

 

“We’ll find her,” Twilight blurted almost immediately. “We have too…” She finished unable to hide her own concern on the matter.

 

They continued along one of the paths that lead next to the mountains but still remained inside the valley with out of the corner of Luna’s eye she saw something moving in the sky. It was a large, reddish-black figure that appeared to have been another Alicorn. Before she could see anything else though, it passed behind one of the peaks.

 

“Uh…. Anypony else see that thing fly by?” Applejack addressed before Luna nodded.

 

So I wasn’t seeing things… she thought to herself. “No, I saw it too. I only caught a glimpse though.

 

“Only ah glimpse? It stalled over us for a couple seconds,” Applejack replied.

 

“Unfortunately yes… I’m sorry… my mind is… greatly preoccupied at the moment. The only thing I’m even doing anymore is feeling for my sister’s magic…”

 

“Ah… yeah… sorry, I thought that you, your sister, and Cadence were the only Alicorns thought? Where in tarnation did that one come from?”

 

“I’m… honestly not sure…” Luna replied. “I know for a fact that there is one other Alicorn that… well… You never want to meet…”

 

“Did it have red bat-like wings, an ebony horn, a purplish-black coat and a blood-red mane?” Applejack asked making Luna pause dead in her tracks. The look of shock, terror, and fear all made very apparent in her expression as she stuttered for her next words.

 

“I…Is that what… that one looked like?” she asked in a shaky voice.

 

“Ah’m assuming that’s bad… isn’t it…”

 

“We must hurry! If he’s the one that’s captured Princess Celestia, we may already be too late!!!”

 

“He?” Applejack stated inquisitively.

 

“Deadly Revenge…” Luna answered softly…

 

“Come on, Everypony knows he’s an old Mare’s tale,” Rainbow blurted out.

 

“Just like Nightmare Moon was an old Mare’s tale right Rainbow?” Twilight countered.

 

“Ahh… right…” she replied.

 

“We must hurry before he does to her what he did to me!!” Luna yelled taking off in almost a dead run towards the mountain at this point. This made Twilight even worrisome.

 

“What!?” she shrieked.

 

“How do you think I became Nightmare Moon? Despite all the stories that have been told I never once resented anypony. Deadly Revenge killed all of my closest friends and did so many other things to me that I’d rather not go into… until I finally broke under him to agree to get Equestria from my sister. I thought maybe if I relented and did what he wanted, he would release me, then I could free my sister and we could both defeat him together. Needless to say… that didn’t work…” she explained while she ran through tears at this point.

 

Then with in a sudden tremor, Luna stopped as she felt another magic signature, no wait… two of them. She felt the warm radiance that she always felt around her sister and she knew. “Celestia!! Everypony!! Get close to me!! NOW!!!” Luna yelled as her voice turned almost dual-toned as a dark purplish-blue mist began forming around her.

 

The other mares didn’t question her as soon as they heard Celestia and gathered around her. With a quick flash Luna poofed them out of existence along with herself only to be brought back into such lest than five meters from her sister. “Celestia!!”

 

“Luna!! No!! Stay back! It’s a…”

 

“Trap that you sprung nicely, my dear,” an ominous voice spoke from behind her as the dark Alicorn materialized behind her. “My, my, Luna I see that you’ve redeveloped nicely after your ever long banishment. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to have been abandoned by your own sister. To think that your love was so devout to her that you watched so many of your friends die, and now you’re here in a futile attempt to save her and watch even more of your friends die by my hand,” He told her sealing the others in a magic-locked cage while binding the Princess of the Night as he had done her sister.

 

“You’re a disgusting monster!”

 

“Oh am I? I’m just merely pointing out the truths? You sister didn’t once even suspect that you were gone or that anything was the matter. Then once I finally broke you, she didn’t even try to listen to you. She just immediately sent you to the moon. The one mare that you loved the most imprisoning you in the one thing that you loved the most and stealing it’s control from you. Face it Luna, she doesn’t care about you!”

 

“You’re lying!! Luna don’t…” Celestia was cut off as a dark tendril wrapped around her mouth virtually tying it shut.

 

“The only thing she wanted was your moon and she was just waiting for the opportunity to take it from you. Come on now Luna,” he said using his horn to funnel dark energy into her giving her power that she hadn’t felt in a long time. I… remember this power… It’s Nightmare Moon’s power. But I still have her inside of me… does he think that she’s gone? Perhaps I can use this to my advantage… Luna thought to herself formulating her own scheme in her mind.

 

She began to struggle and resist the dark ‘”temptation” that he was putting in her. “Come on Princess. Give into the darkness once again. After all, Nightmare Moon is the only friend of yours I can’t kill…” he threatened as a dark tendril began to work its way towards the icy-blue mare that had been sealed away in the cage.

 

With that Luna had no choice but to give in. She let the darkness consumer her body but had since figured out how to completely control the darkness that was inside of her. After being soul-bonded to the darkness for a millennium, it came with the territory for her. Slowly her midnight blue coat transformed into the black coat that she had worn for so long as she had transformed herself back into Nightmare Moon.

 

Chapter 9: The Bond Returns

 

 

 

 

 

“No! Luna! You can’t!!! She’s your sister!” Ice Storm yelled out

 

“Quiet ponies,” she said forcefully and sternly. “She was my sister, until she and everypony else abandoned me! I have not forgotten about what she’s done to me, and now that she’d in binds, there’s nothing stopping me from Eternal Darkness!”

 

“So… It was true… You WERE behind this,” Twilight yelled in disgust.

 

“No, This wasn’t my idea… I’m just merely taking advantage of the situation,” Nightmare Moon countered.

 

“Luna!!” Celestia yelled finally getting free of the darkness that had clamped her mouth shut. “Luna, snap out of it! I’ve always loved you!!! Don’t listen to him please!!!”

 

“Silence sister, Luna no longer exists!” she said as she began to walk towards her making it look like she was ready to deliver the final blow. “My name is Nightmare Moon, just as it has been for the past one thousand years,” she added leaning in to Celestia’s ear. “Play along. I want him to think I hate you!!!”

 

Celestia’s eyes went wide. It was an act! Realizing this, She immediately snapped at her neck to keep the guise up, drawing a bit of blood. “How dare thee!” Nightmare Moon shouted as she teleported back to where Deadly Revenge was standing. “This, my dear sister, is where we end this game.” With that she charged her sister horn down, but angled herself to where her shoulder made contact with her instead sending them both hurtling backwards into Chrysalis breaking the bindings that sealed them both to the ground.

 

“Are you alright, Sister?” Nightmare Moon whispered to her.

 

“I will be soon enough, let’s end this though first.” Celestia responded

 

“Luna!!!” Ice screamed watching her mentor turn evil right before her eyes.

 

“Shut up welpling,” Deadly sneered and lashed a tendril directly at her neck. As it reached the cage though, another dark magic interrupted it.

 

“Do NOT, touch her,” Nightmare Moon warned turning towards him laughing sinisterly. “It seems that there is one other thing that hasn’t changed over the years, and that’s you being ridiculously easy to deceive. My plan failed last time around, and I’ve spent the last thousand years paying for it.”

 

“Now that I know though, that it was you behind everything and that she had been completely innocent the entire time, I know how to deal with it accordingly.” Celestia added

 

“Deceive me? You must be terribly mistaken. I knew that you’d never fully break Luna. There’d always be a piece of you left inside that monstrosity that I’ve turned you into.”

 

“Oh really? So I’m assuming you knew that I never actually got rid of the darkness inside of me that made me Nightmare Moon right? I’ve just learned how to control it and use my gift that you’ve bestowed on me to help my subjects whenever I can. I even have my own holiday thanks to you!”

 

Deadly was taken back a bit when he realized her implications, but just grinned. “I may have given you more power Luna, but you and I both know you’re still no match for me.”

 

“We’ll see about that!”

 

“Not by yourselves you won’t” Chrysalis added as she stood there with Twilight and the rest of the element bearers that had broken free of the cages.

 

“What!? How!? That’s not possible magic shouldn’t have been allowed in those cages!” Deadly spoke in shock.

 

“True, we couldn’t activate our magic inside the cages, but your magic didn’t stop anypony else’s magic from getting inside and resolving. A flawed oversight from you actually for not making it completely magic proof,” Twilight answered smugly.

 

“Fine then, I’ll just have to kill you all then,” he replied as he threw himself forward towards the princesses.

 

“Oh no you don’t!” Rainbow yelled buck-kicking him hard enough to alter his flight trajectory and plummet into the ground next to them.

 

“Why you little horse…”

 

“Pegasus, actually, and the Element of Loyalty. That being said, if you want to get to the princesses, you have to get through us first!” Rainbow proclaimed as Twilight and the others had sense joined them all ready to activate the elements.

 

The six ponies began to glow just as they had the first two times that they’ve been called upon to use the elements, and like Discord, Deadly Revenge didn’t even appear to be phased by the occurrence. The six artifacts shot off as they had done so in the past and angled their way towards Deadly but fizzled out right before they reached him, with his own horn glowing black using a magic that seemed to be drowning out the elements of harmony.

 

“Please… girls, honestly I was expecting more. This, is hardly worth my time,” he stated getting bored of their efforts and firing back a greyed out rainbow that broke and hit all of them, leaving them writhing in pain on the ground.

 

Celestia looked at them in amazement. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM!?” she yelled leaping towards him on to find him teleported behind her.

 

“Really? Celestia? Are going to tell me that you actually thing that you could lay a hoof on me?” he asked as she charged him once again only to watch him teleport again. “I can keep doing this all day Celesti… umph” he spoke cut off by a swift kick in the face from Nightmare Moon.

 

Her kick was strong, accurate, and forceful enough to draw blood from the lip of the male Alicorn. “You’ll regret that, you pathetic excuse of a princess!!” he growled as he teleported once again right behind her and hit her square in the rib cage. She then tackled him and the two started exchanging.

 

Celestia and Chrysalis both soon joined the fight. The three mares began to dance around Deadly beginning to wear him down, unfortunately wearing themselves down in the process. In one quick motion, Deadly Revenge countered a dive attempt from Nightmare Moon and pinned her chest down on the ground. A large snap, and a scream of horrific pain could be felt as he practically tore her wing from its socket leaving it to hang limply in a bloody heap on Nightmare Moon’s right side.

 

Celestia couldn’t believe what she had just seen. The scale of the injury had been to a degree that she had no idea if it would even be repairable. Enfuriated, she blind-sided Deadly, and they both went tumbling once again until Celestia landed back first against a sharp rock, hitting the nerve in her back and causing her entire body to seize in pain. It hadn’t cut her, but it had briefly paralyzed her until the pain could subside.

 

“Enough games. Finally after thousands of years of waiting, I can take what is rightfully mine. Today Celestia, is the day you die!” he ended in a snarl lunging towards her horn first. He was just about to make contact with her when a darkened figure lunged in between them and he felt his horn pierce its side, blood running down his face.

 

“LUNA!!!” Celestia yelled in complete shock as she saw the dark Alicorn’s horn now clearly protruding through her back.

 

Nightmare Moon writhed in pain as she felt Deadly’s horn stab clean through her chest and several vital organs. Her eyes turned towards him looking down on him as she held him there inside of her, make his escape impossible. “You will never harm my sister again!” she said as all the darkness in her body ejected from her in the form of spears. With her last bit of strength she launched the spears into Deadly Revenge hearing the screams as each one tore through his body and dissipating leaving gaping holes where they had entered before he fell to the ground in a lifeless heap.

 

The darkness dissipated from here, Luna could no longer contain the form of Nightmare Moon as her body shifted back to its normal coloration apart from the gaping hole in her back and chest. Before she even felt to the ground Celestia was underneath her trying to prop her up. “Luna! Why! Why did you do this?!”

 

“Because,” she spoke though a cough. “You’re… my sister… I… couldn’t let him… hurt you… Now… he can’t hurt us…. Anymore…” she stated coughing again. “I… Love you…. Sister…” she added, at this point everypony else had gathered around her.

 

“No! Luna you can’t die! I forbid it!” Celestia cried out tears cascading down her snout. She activated her magic to try to heal the gaping cavity, but she only managed to heal a small amount of it shut. The wound was just too big. Then she felt the magic from others helping and looked. Twilight, Rarity, Ice Storm, and Queen Chrysalis all focused their magic on Luna to help repair the wound.

 

“It’s…. getting cold….”

 

“No! Luna hang on! You can make it! Hold one Luna, Please!”

 

Another cough, this time with blood coming out of her mouth, “Goodbye… sis…..sis………” before Luna fell silent.

 

“Luna!” Celestia spoke to her without a response. “LUNA!! LUNAAAAAAA!” she cried out clutching her sister’s body tightly within her hooves. “Luna no!!! Please NO!! Come back!! You’re supposed to be immortal!!! Come back!!!” she screamed still getting no response. “Come back… I’m so sorry… for everything! I should have seen the signs beforehand! We could have stopped him then and prevented this…. Please… I CAN’T SPEND THE REST OF ETERNITY WITHOUT YOU!!!” she wailed burying her face into her sister.

 

Just then a spark flickered out of the corner of her eye. Twilight’s Element had activated on its own, lifting Twilight up in the air, the others following suit with it. “What… What are you girls doing?”

 

Before she could get an answer, the elemental rainbow shot from the group of six ponies and collided with Luna’s body.

 

“What are you doing!? Stop!! She’s been through enough!!!” Celestia yelled, but it fell on deaf ears as the elements enshrouded the princesses of the night. “Stop this now or I’ll have you banished for defiling my sister!!” she warned again, but once again it fell on deaf ears. They weren’t even in control of the elements at the moment. A massive explosion of light came from around the group of six ponies around wrapped around both Celestia and Luna.

 

When the light settled, Princess Celestia two gold necklaces that had been applied to them, one on her, and one on her sister, both were showing two new elements on the crests. She looked over Luna’s body to see that she had been completely healed. She turned to the other six ponies “What? What did you do!?”

 

“I… Have no idea” Twilight said standing up, her eyes still spinning in her head. “I don’t know what happened. It activated on its own, I swear!”

 

“Sis…ter…” Celestia heard from behind her making her eyes go as small as dimes. She turned around to see Luna starting to shift trying to get into a more sitting position. “What… happened”

 

“Luna!!!” Celestia yelled at the top of her lungs making Luna flinch before wrapping her hooves tightly around her. “Oh thank the elements Luna, I thought I had lost you!”

 

“For a moment there, you did,” Luna replied weakly.

 

“Luna, I’m so, so sorry, about everything. I… I should have listened to you, and noticed that something wasn’t right.”

 

“It’s okay Tia. It’s over now,” she told her wrapping her hooves around Celestia as well. She pulled away briefly though. “What are these though? I don’t remember wearing these necklaces during the fight.”

 

“I have no idea, honestly. Mine just appeared on me as well,” Celestia replied.

 

“And they still have the elements… I wonder… Could these possibly be new elements sister?”

 

“I… I don’t know. I’ve never heard of such of thing being able to occur. Then again… I didn’t know that the Elements also had the power to restore life either…” Celestia stated taking the amulet off to look at it more closely. As she looked of over, on the back right behind where her cutie mark was on the Amulet, it had the word hope. “Twilight, do your elements have writing on the back of them at all?”

 

“I… don’t know. I’ve never actually looked,” she replied taking it off and looking for herself. “All it says is magic. Nothing else.”

 

“I see. Rainbow, I’m assuming yours says loyalty.”

 

“Yeah… Does that mean something?”

 

“Well, I don’t think it’s a coincidence. This must mean that this is the Element of Hope. However, that means that my sister and I have been able to reattach ourselves to the elements, albeit slightly,” Celestia concluded.

 

Luna took off her necklace and examined hers as well. “Dependability… I… can’t really say I’ve shown much of that…” Luna admitted.

 

“Actually, you’ve displayed a lot more than that than you think,” Celestia started.

 

“Yeah, the fact that you willingly stepped down in the face of everypony else around you so that you could stop at nothing to save your sister is but only one sign,” Applejack started.

 

“And the fact that you’ve stayed devoted in your heart to the two of us through everything that you’ve been through… even… after I turned my back on you… I’d say that more than qualifies for dependability,” Celestia complimented looking into the teary-eyed smile of her sister. Without hesitation she gripped her sister tightly in another hug. “Let’s go home, my sister.”

Edited November 2, 2012 by Ice Storm