“Twilight, are you all right?”
Upstairs, Dusk Glow entered the bedroom carrying a bucket of ice water.
Twilight was sprawled across the bed, frustrated and overwhelmed, with a pillow pressed over her head.
Dusk Glow sighed.
He set the bucket down beside the bed and walked over.
His form shifted from pegasus to unicorn, and with his magic, he gently pulled the pillow away.
“Don’t smother yourself like that,” Dusk Glow said softly.
Twilight slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes were filled with anxiety and confusion.
“I feel like I’m about to lose my mind. I thought we’d have plenty of time to research the Elements of Harmony, but just making friends has already driven me crazy. I really don’t know how to deal with this.”
Dusk Glow sat beside her and gently tried to comfort her.
“Don’t worry, Twilight. You’ve been doing a great job.”
He smiled reassuringly.
“Everypony has things they struggle with. I know you’re worried about Nightmare Moon, but Princess Celestia told us to trust in the power of friendship. So all we can do is try our best to follow her advice.”
Twilight helplessly shook her head.
“But I still feel like I can’t handle it.”
She looked down.
“I’m used to solving problems with knowledge and magic. Making friends is much more complicated for me.”
Twilight turned toward the window.
The moon was unusually large and bright tonight.
She remembered what the old book had said.
On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars would aid Nightmare Moon in escaping, and she would bring eternal night to Equestria.
“Tell me, Dusk Glow,” Twilight said quietly.
“Does Nightmare Moon really exist?”
She looked at the moon.
“I believe Princess Celestia is right. I just hope this really is nothing more than an old legend.”
“She really exists.”
Dusk Glow’s voice became more serious.
“And she will return very soon.”
Twilight turned toward him.
“How do you know that?”
“Everypony else thinks it’s just a legend, yet you’re completely certain she’s coming back.”
She tilted her head.
“I’ve had the feeling from the beginning that you already knew Nightmare Moon would return.”
Dusk Glow fell silent for a moment.
Princess Celestia had told him to keep the matter secret.
But he wasn’t the sort of pony who blindly followed rules without thinking.
Twilight needed to know.
“Twilight, actually…”
Before he could finish, Spike suddenly burst into the room.
“Come on, Dusk Glow! Twilight! Everypony is getting ready to watch the sunrise!”
“Oh. Right.”
Twilight immediately got out of bed and began gathering her things.
The sunrise was about to begin.
That meant Princess Celestia would be arriving soon.
Dusk Glow watched her hurry around the room.
I suppose I’ll tell her next time.
Ponyville Town Hall
Everypony in Ponyville had gathered inside Town Hall.
Dusk Glow and Twilight stood together while Spike sat on Twilight’s back, curiously looking around at the crowd.
“Isn’t this exciting?” Pinkie Pie bounced over beside them.
“Are you excited? I’m super excited! I’ve never been this excited before!”
She paused thoughtfully.
“Well, except for when you first arrived and I saw you coming and shouted really loudly.”
She grinned.
“But this is even more exciting!”
This year’s Summer Sun Celebration was being held in Ponyville, and everypony was eagerly awaiting Princess Celestia’s arrival.
Nearby, Fluttershy directed her birds as they began their performance.
The beautiful singing quickly captured the attention of everypony in the hall.
Mayor Mare stepped onto the stage.
“Fillies and gentlecolts!”
“As the mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to officially announce that this year’s Summer Sun Celebration has begun!”
She raised her voice with pride.
“And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our kingdom, the benevolent and wise princess who raises the sun and the moon each and every day, and protects the harmony of all Equestria…”
Fluttershy quietly signaled her birds to prepare.
Everypony watched the stage in anticipation.
“Princess Celestia!”
The moment Mayor Mare finished speaking, Rarity dramatically pulled back the curtain.
The stage lights followed.
But there was nothing behind the curtain.
No princess.
No pony at all.
The entire hall fell silent.
Then confused murmurs spread through the crowd.
“Something’s wrong.”
“Where did she go?”
“Everypony, please remain calm!” Mayor Mare called out, trying to settle the crowd.
“I need to find out what happened.”
“Oh! I love guessing games!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully said.
“Maybe she’s hiding somewhere!”
Dusk Glow’s heart suddenly sank.
There was no way Princess Celestia would simply be late on a day as important as the Summer Sun Celebration.
A terrible feeling settled in his chest.
He looked at Twilight.
Twilight looked back at him.
They both reached the same horrifying conclusion.
Princess Celestia is missing.
“Her Highness is gone!”
Rarity’s words sent a wave of panic through the crowd.
Pinkie Pie, however, still seemed completely unconcerned.
“Wow! She’s really good at hiding!”
Then she noticed something.
“Ah…”
Suddenly, strange black mist began rising from the stage.
Dusk Glow’s eyes widened.
He knew this scene.
She’s here.
The black mist quickly gathered into a single form.
A tall, dark figure emerged from the shadows.
She was clad in the darkness of night.
Night-blue armor covered her body.
Her coat was as dark as the night sky, while her flowing mane and tail shimmered like a river of stars.
Her bat-like wings spread slightly.
Starlike patterns shimmered across them.
Her icy teal eyes glowed with a cold, otherworldly light.
She was the legendary embodiment of nightmare itself.
Nightmare Moon.
After all this time, Dusk Glow was seeing her again.
A strange excitement stirred within him.
He knew the truth behind Nightmare Moon.
She was Princess Luna, Princess Celestia’s younger sister and the princess of the moon.
And Dusk Glow intended to wake the goodness inside her once again.
“Oh, my beloved subjects…”
Nightmare Moon’s voice was deep and strangely captivating, carrying the chill of an endless abyss.
“It seems I haven’t seen your adorable little faces in a very, very long time.”
“What did you do to our princess?!”
Rainbow Dash shot into the air.
Her rainbow mane flared behind her as she stared fearlessly at Nightmare Moon.
She immediately prepared to charge.
“Whoa there, Nelly!”
Applejack reacted instantly.
She grabbed Rainbow Dash’s tail with her teeth and pulled her back with all her strength.
Nightmare Moon tilted her head slightly.
Her teal eyes swept across the terrified crowd.
Her voice carried a hint of offended disbelief.
“Having me as your princess…”
“Is that not enough?”
“You…”
“Do none of you recognize me?”
“Oh! Another guessing game!”
Pinkie Pie raised a hoof.
“Let’s see…”
“Hokey Smokes! ”
“Or maybe… Queen Meanie!”
She paused.
“No, no…”
“Black Snooty!”
“Black Snooty!”
Applejack quickly grabbed a piece of cake and stuffed it into Pinkie Pie’s mouth.
Nightmare Moon’s expression darkened.
“After being imprisoned for a thousand years…”
Her voice suddenly tore through the hall.
The fury of a millennium exploded from her throat.
“Does my crown mean nothing anymore?!”
“Have you completely forgotten the legend?!”
“Do none of you remember the prophecy?!”
“I remember!”
A clear voice cut through the fear.
Twilight stepped forward.
Her violet eyes met Nightmare Moon’s without fear.
“I know who you are!”
“You are Nightmare Moon!”
Nightmare Moon turned toward Twilight.
Her eyes widened slightly.
But it was not because Twilight had managed to intimidate her.
She had noticed somepony else.
Someone familiar.
Dusk Glow could feel Nightmare Moon’s gaze fall upon him.
There was no point hiding.
He had already suspected that the two of them would meet again.
So he stepped forward.
“It’s been a long time, Nightmare Moon.”
Nightmare Moon’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Her bat wings trembled violently.
“It… is you.”
Her voice sounded like an ancient frozen lake finally cracking apart.
“I never imagined I would encounter you here.”
“Child of another world.”
Twilight’s head snapped toward Dusk Glow.
“You two know each other?!”
“Let’s just say we didn’t exactly part on friendly terms,” Dusk Glow said with a shrug.
Nightmare Moon’s horn began glowing.
A surge of dark blue magic immediately wrapped around Dusk Glow.
His body was completely restrained.
Nightmare Moon effortlessly pulled him through the air until he was directly in front of her.
Dusk Glow couldn’t even struggle.
“What a reunion this is,” Nightmare Moon said with an ominous smile.
“I had planned to find you after I had conquered Equestria completely.”
“But it seems I can save myself the trouble.”
“Child of another world.”
She leaned closer.
“Do you remember what I told you on the moon?”
“As long as you swear your loyalty to me, you can stand at my side as my witness and one of my most trusted subjects.”
“You would have wealth beyond imagination.”
“Power.”
“And, of course…”
“Magic.”
“So come back to my side.”
“Or perhaps you prefer that I call you by your name.”
“Dusk Glow.”
Dusk Glow’s eyes flickered with hesitation.
His horn trembled under the magical restraint as unstable energy began gathering around it.
Then suddenly…
A tremendous burst of force erupted from his body.
The dark blue magical restraints shattered.
Dusk Glow landed firmly on his hooves.
“I will never submit to you, Nightmare Moon!”
His voice was firm.
“I believe the goodness inside you is still there.”
“You’ve just let your hatred blind you.”
Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened in fury.
“So you refuse the easy path.”
She raised a hoof.
“Then suffer the consequences!”
Black magic surged toward Dusk Glow like a violent tidal wave.
But before it could reach him, Twilight rushed forward.
A magical barrier appeared around them.
The attack crashed against it.
“I won’t let you hurt Dusk Glow!”
Twilight shouted.
Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes.
“Then you can both feel my wrath!”
At that moment, Mayor Mare finally recovered from her shock.
“Royal Guard!”
Three Royal Guards rushed forward to capture Nightmare Moon.
Nightmare Moon’s eyes flashed white.
Several bolts of lightning erupted around her.
The guards were struck down instantly.
“Stand aside, fools.”
The Royal Guards crashed to the floor with cries of pain.
Dusk Glow immediately prepared to counterattack.
But Nightmare Moon vanished.
She reappeared directly behind him.
With a flash of magic, she created a cage around Dusk Glow.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Dusk Glow fired several magical blasts at the bars.
Nothing happened.
The cage did not move.
“Now…”
Nightmare Moon laughed.
“No one can stop me.”
She prepared to unleash another attack.
But Applejack suddenly released Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash shot forward like a missile.
“Get her!”
Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie also sprang into action.
Each used her own particular talents to disrupt Nightmare Moon’s attacks.
Rainbow Dash raced through the air.
Applejack charged in from the ground.
Rarity used her magic to interfere with Nightmare Moon’s movements.
Pinkie Pie somehow managed to create chaos wherever she went.
Twilight desperately fired spell after spell at the cage, trying to break it open.
But no matter what she did, the cage refused to budge.
Fluttershy, meanwhile…
She had taken all the birds to a safe place and was trembling behind them.
Nightmare Moon’s horn suddenly began glowing with a powerful blue light.
A massive shockwave burst outward.
The force blasted everything around her away.
The Mane Five were thrown across the floor.
Nightmare Moon spread her wings.
“Remember this day!”
Her wings expanded until they seemed to cover the entire sky.
The last traces of daylight disappeared beneath her shadow.
“for it was your last”
“From this moment forward!”
“There will be nothing but…”
“ETERNAL NIGHT!”
Her laughter echoed throughout the darkened sky.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Nightmare Moon’s body dissolved back into swirling black mist.
The chains around Dusk Glow’s cage tightened.
The cage was dragged toward the darkness.
“Dusk Glow!”
Twilight struggled to rise.
But the shockwave had left her in terrible pain.
She collapsed back onto her knees.
All she could do was watch helplessly as Dusk Glow was slowly swallowed by the black mist.
“Twilight…”
Dusk Glow forced himself to speak.
“The Elements of Harmony…”
Before he could finish, Nightmare Moon disappeared through the doors in a cloud of black mist, taking Dusk Glow with her.
Rainbow Dash immediately chased after them.
But she was too late.
Nightmare Moon had already vanished into the distance.
The entire world outside was covered in darkness.
Rainbow Dash looked up at the sky.
“Forever…”
Her voice became uneasy.
“It’s going to be nighttime forever…”
How terrifying would that be?
Rainbow Dash looked down.
Twilight was already rushing out of the Town Hall with Spike.
Dusk Glow had been kidnapped.
She could tell how frightened and distressed Twilight was.
Twilight immediately knew what she had to do.
She needed to return to the library.
She had to find Dusk Glow’s notes about the Elements of Harmony.
Hang in there, Dusk Glow.
Please, just hold on.
Twilight silently prayed.