Sorry for the long wait had lots of trouble with this so I decided to write the end first and write backwards after many many attempts at writing it. I did want this one to be the last one but things happened and I did not want to leave everyone waiting ages until I completed it so here is the first part of the last chapter. I hope you enjoy, and comment. He He
Within the twists and turns of the library Luna and Pinkie nearly strayed from Nightmare's path. Nightmare Moon was incredibly fast, one wrong turn and Luna and Pinkie would have been lost within the maze of books, but luckily for Luna's stamina and speed they were able to keep up with Nightmare though out the entirety of the chase.
Soon Luna was too far behind Nightmare Moon, to see which turn she took. 'Left or right' Luna thought slightly panicking, knowing Nightmare was still getting away. Luna was about to choose left when Pinkie skidded into her back, sending them both at the bookcase in front of them. Luna was slow to get out from the tangled mess as books from the book case landed on top of the two ponies burying them.
When Luna finally untangled herself from the pile of books and Pinkie, she could not help but look in the opposite direct that she would have chosen. There in the distance was a black tower, contrasting with the scene of the library. 'Clearly Nightmare's doing' Luna thought as she examined it from her position. Soon a pain filled moan erupted from the pile of books, to which the princess just climbed out of.
"But daddy, book forts are fun" said the disorientated pink pony, just as Luna used her magic to pull the dazed pony out from under the pile of books.
Luna silently thanked Pinkie for slamming into her so that she did not take the wrong direction. Luna then slowly started to walk looking for the origin of the moaning which continued for some time. Soon Luna moved into a clearing, a clearing to where all the bookcases had been forcefully moved to make way for a large tower building which claimed the centre of the clearing. Before Luna could move to investigate the tower Pinkie slowly walked to stand next to her wobbling as she walked.
"Sorry" Pinkie spoke with a nervous squeak. "Slippery floors"
"Don't worry about it Pinkie, if not for you we would have never found Nightmare Moon" Luna said before moving to the tower, closely followed by Pinkie. "Be careful Pinkie, Nightmare could have set traps" Luna told the pink pony as she carefully looked around for signs of any traps.
The tower stood tall in the clearing, its dark bricks made the tower look like the perfect place for any nightmare creature. But other than the black bricks the tower was accentually plain, no statues and no windows, the only thing that distinguished the tower was the stairs which lead to the tower's huge metal gate. The gates blocked entrance for any pony to enter but Luna was not interested at that. What Luna was interested in was that Star Swirl was leaning against the metal bars of the gate, nursing her wounds.
"Star Swirl" Pinkie shouted running up to her, worried about her friend Star Swirl, while Luna followed the pink mare. While Pinkie was talking about how they followed the dark cloudy cloud, Luna was nuzzling her daughter glad that she was unharmed.
"I was absolutely worried" Luna told Star Swirl hugging her so hard that Star Swirl started to struggle to breath.
"Mother… need… air" Star Swirl struggled to get out, before her mother let go and apologized.
"I'm sorry, it's just that I was so worried of losing you again" Luna said pulling Star Swirl into another deep hug, but this time less tight giving Star Swirl the ability to breath within her mother's grip.
"I don't get it" Pinkie said finishing her ramble besides the hugging ponies.
"What do you mean Pinkie" Star Swirl asked pulling herself from the hug with her mother.
"Why did Nightmare pony-nap you" Pinkie said scratching her chin with a hoof. At this question Luna and Star Swirl looked at each other also deep in thought about Nightmare's actions.
"Did she do anything to you" Luna asked tuning to her daughter.
Star Swirl just scratched her head before shaking it. "I don't know, I only remember calling out for help and then being electrocuted, and then well… waking up here" Star Swirl told her mother, before collapsing on the floor in a seated position. "But don't worry about me, the Nightmare your after is right though there" she pointed with a purple hoof into the castle court yard.
"It's obviously a trap" Pinkie said sitting next to Star Swirl.
"Obviously" Luna said as she searched for Nightmare Moon.
"So what do we do" Pinkie asked standing next to Luna.
"If you defeat the Nightmare, the pony Twilight Sparkle you're looking for will vanish from this place, and she will returned back into her own mind" Star Swirl said coughing after she took a breath. "The Nightmare would be destroyed and it will disappear forever"
"Will you be ok out here on your own for a little bit" Pinkie asked Star Swirl.
"Yeh, yeh I'll be fine" Star Swirl said taking another deep breath "Luckily I have enough energy for a simple healing spell, so I would be fine, but you should go quickly before the Nightmare can escape" Star Swirl told them as she placed her back on the stone wall.
Luna looked at her daughter before pulling her from the wall and giving her one last hug. "Know this my daughter; I will always love you, no matter where you are or in shape or form"
"Mother" Star Swirl spoke softly into her mother's ear "Just know that if… well if I never see you again, just remember that I will always love you. And that I don't blame you for what you did to father" once Star Swirl finished she pulled back from her mother and smiled "I never did tell you before you forced yourself into seclusion"
"Thank you" Luna said with genuine happiness giving her daughter another deep hug. "Just don't do anything stupid while you're out here" Luna told her daughter with a genuine grin.
"Just go, before you make me want you to stay" Star Swirl spoke as she pulled herself away from the hug, Star Swirl then made shooing signs with her front hooves as she gave a quick wink to her mother.
Luna just gave a small smile before turning to Pinkie. "Ready Pinkie?" she asked.
"As ready as I will ever be Princess" Pinkie said making a serious salute to Luna with a pink hoof.
Happy with Pinkie's determination and her own, they both slowly made their way into the castle court yard. Pinkie no longer bounced as now she was in, serious danger nearby, Pinkie mode. Luna meanwhile narrowed her eyes as she scanned to wide open space for any trace of either a trap or Nightmare Moon.
Once in the centre of the court yard both Pinkie and Luna heard an almighty crash behind them. Looking back they found that the metal gate had closed behind them, sealing them inside the castle court yard. Now Pinkie and Luna were now flank to flank searching for the dark entity of Nightmare Moon. They did not have to search for long as an evil crackling laugh echoed though out the court yard, dragging both ponies attention to the top of the castle tower.
There at the top of the tower stood in all her glory the one Pinkie and Luna were searching for, Nightmare Moon. Lightning flashed behind her as she bared her fangs at the two ponies below her.
"Well, well, well. You certainly took your precious time getting here" Nightmare Moon mocked as leapt off the tower while using her wings to decelerate her fall, but only enough that she would still make the earth beneath her hooves crack as she hit the stone floor of the castle court yard. "We were beginning to think you were not coming" she spoke with a small evil chuckle.
"We have come to end you Nightmare" Luna shouted at the Nightmare while getting into an attacking position.
Nightmare just chuckled at Luna's threat. "Oh, so the weak Lulu has finally grown a backbone for once in her life. How sweet"
"Just took you a thousand year exile" Nightmare Moon mocked Luna, as she herself prepared for battle.
"You will never harm Twilight or any other pony ever again" Luna shouted charging her horn with magic energy.
"Harm? Twilight?" Nightmare Moon responded a little bit wounded "Why I would never hurt my dear special Twilight. She just as much as my daughter as she is yours you know, and I could never harm her"
"You liar, you only care about yourself" Pinkie shouted at Nightmare Moon with a growl. "You're just born from hate and you only want to hate and destroy things, you big meanie"
Nightmare Moon smiled as she looked over the pink mare that stood next to Luna. "And you must be Pinkie Pie; Twilight told me all about you while we were here"
"Twilight? Where is she?" Pinkie commanded with a fearful tone, one that she herself never knew she had.
"Safe" was all Nightmare Moon said as she turned her attention back to Luna. "You don't seriously think you can beat me do you" Nightmare Moon mocked Luna who only bared her teeth at Nightmare Moon. "I don't think you will have the strength to go against both mine and Twilight's magic, so just go before you get Twilight's friend and yourself turned into black ash"
Now it was Luna's turn to smirk. "I think you forget where we are Nightmare; you no longer have access to Twilight's magic. You're on your own"
"And that dear Lulu is where you are completely wrong" Nightmare said with a smile. "Oh Twilight, you can come out now" she called out, much to Pinkie's and Luna's surprise. As now standing behind both Luna and Pinkie stood a Purple unicorn, one which had Twilight Sparkle's mane style, and Twilight Sparkle's Cutie mark.
"There she is" Nightmare Moon said with an evil glee "Did you have a good time reading my dear" Nightmare asked the purple unicorn known to every pony in the court yard as Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight looked past Luna and Pinkie at Nightmare moon before she said something while made Luna's heart break in half. "Yes mother, I had a wonderful time".