Princess Twilight Sparkle Part 2
Night's POV
Night looked at Nightmare Moon as she laughed at what just happened to her. "Luna! What are you doing? This isn't you!" Night shouted, trying to reason with her. Luna just ignored him and glared at Celestia.
"Please Luna, stop this and lower the moon," Celestia pleaded at Nightmare Moon.
"Why? So you can continue basking in the glory our subjects give you and just have me return to your shadow? I think not," Nightmare Moon told her.
"That isn't how it is Luna. We rule together," Celestia said still trying to talk her way out of this.
"No, we don't. You rule. You didn't even wait a week when Father died and Mother and Night disappeared before taking the throne. Did you even grieve for them?" Nightmare Moon asked in anger.
"Of course I did. But I did what needed to be done for the good of Equestria and-" Celestia started.
"NO! You didn't even send a search party for them. You were always jealous of our baby brother because he was going to get the throne. In your selfishness, you saw an opportunity and took the throne to yourself with your only legitimate threat out of the way. As far as you are concerned, our brother is dead, and you never shed a tear. You don't deserve to rule," Nightmare Moon interrupted.
"Luna, please, lower the moon. It's your duty," Celestia pleaded.
"Another thing. I am Nightmare Moon now. And I only have one duty, to destroy you!" Nightmare Moon shouted as she fired at Celestia. She dodged the attack and took into the sky and blasted a hole into the roof. "Where do you think you're going?" Nightmare Moon asked as she followed Celestia.
"What are you doing Luna?!" Night called out after her and flew up after her. Night didn't know why his sisters were ignoring him, but he suspected that he wasn't really here. The two sisters battled in the sky with gold and light blue beams firing around the castle. Night tried to summon lightning to break up the fight, but his powers weren't activating.
Looking around, Night noticed that the castle was in the middle of a familiar forest. Before he could think about that, Celestia flew by Night with Nightmare Moon's beam barely missing the two. The two fired their magic again and the beams clashed. But Nightmare Moon's beam slowly started to overwhelm Celestia's. Nightmare Moon's beam exploded when it hit Celestia, sending her tumbling down towards the castle. "No!" Night shouted as he flew in to catch her.
He wasn't fast enough and Celestia crashed through a wall into a room Night thought was familiar. Night then noticed a pedestal in the center of the room and realized that the Elements of Harmony were there. Only Twilight's element looked like it does, but the others looked like crystals, and Night's wasn't there. Night realized that he was in the past, and realized what was probably about to happen.
Nightmare Moon dived down towards the hole made by Celestia and the latter quickly brought the Element's together and fired a rainbow beam at Nightmare Moon with the moon behind her. Nightmare Moon vanished into thin air and her face appeared on the moon.
"No… No… NO!" Celestia screamed when she realized what she just did and started crying, her mane now the multicolor Night was used to. "I'm so sorry Luna. I never wanted this," Celestia wept. Night wanted to comfort his sister, but when he tried to touch her his hoof fazed through her. "I'm sorry father. I failed you. I couldn't protect anyone," Celestia said and Night suddenly found himself back in Ponyville.
Night shook himself and found the others looking at him and Twilight, who's eyes were back to normal. "Why are you all looking at us like that?" Twilight asked them.
"It's just… you were mumblin' to yourself…" Applejack started.
"Ooh! And don't forget the uncontrollable sobbing from Twilight!" Pinkie added.
"We were really worried about you," Fluttershy said.
"I for one found it delightful. Sort of a one-pony theater piece, if you will," Discord said before appearing beside Twilight. "You should really consider taking it on the road," he added pulling up a scroll that showed Twilight crying like a baby.
"Really Discord," Night told him. The Draconaquus merely shrugged.
"Did you two find out whose rump we need to kick and where we can find them?" Rainbow asked.
"I saw the defeat of Nightmare Moon, but I don't see how it has anything to do with what's happening now," Twilight answered before looking at Night.
"I saw the same thing," he answered sadly.
"Perhaps farther back still are the answers you seek. Another sip of the potion will give you a peek," Zecora said, holding up the potion.
"Are you sure about this?" Spike asked the Alicorns. They didn't say anything as Twilight took another drink from the potion.
"Oh, I do hope she breaks into a song this time!" Discord said as he appeared with a large video camera that used film.
The same thing happened again and Night found himself somewhere weird. This had Discord written all over it and Night saw Celestia and Luna, looking like they did at the beginning of Night's last vision but both were covered in bruises and scrapes, approaching a throne that turned to reveal Discord. "Oh, this is so much fun. How about a game of 'Pin the Tail on the Pony'?" he asked, holding up Celestia's tail. She looked back and saw that it was gone.
"Playtime is over for you, Discord," Celestia declared.
"Oh, I doubt that," Discord said, munching on something. "Hungry?" he asked, throwing a few seeds at them. "Suit yourselves," Discord said as he went back to his snack. Celestia and Luna opened the bags they had on them and the Elements of Harmony appeared, again without Night's. "Oh! What have you got there?" Discord asked, throwing away his snack.
"The Elements of Harmony," Celestia answered.
"With them, we will defeat you," Luna added as the two surrounded themselves with the Element's magic.
"So this is when Discord was turned to stone the first time," Night muttered to himself.
Discord merely laughed. "You two think you can defeat me? Your father had the right idea and decided locking me away was the way to do it. And the expressions on your face. So intense. So sure of yourselves. Hilarious!" he said, throwing his laughs as Celestia and Luna fired, turning Discord to stone.
Night then found himself in a cave. Looking around, he saw Celestia and Luna looking like they did a few moments ago. What caught his attention though was the large crystal tree at the end. "The Tree of Harmony. We've found it," Luna said in awe.
"Father was correct, something was left behind to combat powerful foes," Celestia said as she flew up to the center of the tree which looked like Twilight's cutie mark. Looking at the tree more, Night could see the other five elements.
"Are you sure about this?" Luna asked as she flew beside Celestia.
"We have managed to discover the only means by which we can defeat Discord and free the citizens of Equestria. Even without these elements, the Tree of Harmony will still possess powerful magic. As long as that magic remains, it will continue to control and contain all that grows here," Celestia explained to Luna as she took the Elements off the Tree.
"Then let's end this," Luna said and Celestia nodded.
Night was then back in Ponyville. "So what did you find out?" Spike asked.
"I still don't know what's happened to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, but I think I know why the Everfree Forest is acting this way. Something's happened to the Tree of Harmony," Twilight explained.
"The tree of what now?" Rainbow asked.
"It's where Celestia and Luna found the six elements. I think something happened to it," Twilight explained.
"Well, all right then! Let's go save a... tree. Uh... where is it exactly?" Applejack asked.
"I think it's in... there," Twilight said, pointing to the Everfree Forest.
"Oh that's just perfect," Night commented.
Discord: Ooh-hoo! I'm going to need more popcorn!
The group entered the woods with Night using his sword to help carve a path. "Seems like only yesterday we were heading into these woods to find the Elements of Harmony," Rarity commented.
"Seems like only yesterday I was foolish enough to think I should go after them on my own. I don't know what we're going to face there. But whatever it is, I know we need to face it together," Twilight said and everypony agreed.
They eventually encountered a pool of green liquid with some rocks sticking out. "We can use those to cross," Twilight said as she jumped onto one. Those rocks turned out to be the tail of a cragadile as it lifted itself out of the liquid and threw Twilight off of it.
"A cragadile! Run for your lives!" Rarity screamed.
The group separated and the cragadile chose Twilight and Spike as its target. She tried to fly away, but her wings weren't listening. The others then wrapped its limbs with the vines and Twilight then got its jaw. "That was close," Twilight said. The cragadile then moved hard in one direction, breaking free of the vines.
Night brought his sword down on its head, doing damage to its rock-like skin. Night then let out a war cry at the beast while sparking lightning like crazy. The cragadile wined in fear before running off.
"That was too close if you ask me. You sure you're alright?" Applejack asked Twilight.
"I'm fine. I just can't seem to get these new wings to do what I want them to do when I want them to do it," Twilight answered.
"Aw, you'll figure it out eventually," Rainbow reassured Twilight.
"'Eventually' isn't soon enough," Twilight pointed out.
"You have been having an awful lot of trouble with those things. And, well, who knows what else is gonna come after us? You know, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for Twilight and Night to go back to Ponyville and let us look for the Tree of Harmony without them," Applejack suggested.
"What? Why?" Twilight asked and Night was surprised by her suggestion.
"For starters, you just about got eaten by a cragadile," Applejack started.
"We all did. He wasn't after just me," Twilight pointed out.
"And I'm the one who scared it off in the end," Night added.
"Sure, but... well, the rest of us aren't royalty," Applejack said.
"I've been royalty since we met. I've faced the same enemies as you, more so even. Why is this different?" Night asked, his shock turning into anger.
"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are gone. If something happened to either of you, I-I just don't think Equestria can risk losing another royal," Applejack answered.
"Applejack does make a valid point. Even if we manage to save the Tree of Harmony, it won't necessarily mean Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will return. Equestria will need somepony to lead in their absence," Rarity added.
"But the Tree of Harmony! We're the only one who has seen it and knows what it looks like," Twilight pointed out.
"Huge tree, cutie marks on the trunk, probably being attacked by something hideously awful? Yeah, I'm pretty sure we'll know it when we see it," Rainbow said.
"All of you feel this way? Feel like we shouldn't be here?" Twilight asked.
"It is probably for the best," Fluttershy said.
Night's anger then snapped. "Fine then. See how far you get without us," Night growled as he left for Ponyville with Twilight and Spike behind him.
When they arrived, they found Discord filling his claws with Gummy and two ponies crying out for help, as they were wrapped up by a vine. Night, not even looking, sent his sword over and sliced through the vines. "Next time, do something about that," Night told Discord coldly.
"No luck finding your tree?" Discord asked, ignoring how cold Night's voice was.
"We ran into some trouble. And our friends decided it would be best if we returned to Ponyville while they continued the search. Equestria will need us if Princess Celestia and Princess Luna don't return," Twilight explained.
"I'm just surprised that you agreed to their plan. I never thought you'd be the kind of ponies who would think they were better than everypony else," Discord stated.
"I don't think I'm better than anypony!" Twilight shouted.
"Either do I!" Night added.
"Oh, well, how silly of me to assume that you two would think that. All you did was choose to keep your precious prince and princess self out of harm's way while your friends thrust themselves right into it. I'm sure you'll all be the best of pals again when they return from their terrifying yet deeply bonding experience that they're having without you," Discord said.
Realizing that Discord was right, Night and Twilight ran back towards the Everfree Forest. "Why did we even agree to do that?" Twilight asked, clearly annoyed at her decision.
"I don't know, but regardless of how they feel, they'll need us," Night said.
"Come on. Discord may be reformed, but he's not that reformed. He's just trying to get under your skin," Spike pointed out.
"Well, it's working!" Twilight shouted.
The three started heading back the way they came, following the vines as they got thicker. "Are we there yet?" Spike asked somewhat impatiently.
"I don't know where we are. We're lost," Twilight realized. "We never should've left our friends."
"We can't just give up," Night told her.
"He's right. Maybe if I get up there, I'll be able to spot them," Spike said looking up a tree.
As they waited, Night felt something coming up behind him. "Ambush!" he shouted as several vines that with claw-like faces shot some kind of gas at the two Alicorns. Night summoned his weapons, but the plants knocked them away and he got a blast of the gas in his face, making his cough.
As time moved on, both he and Twilight were getting overwhelmed by the plants and he lost consciousness. When Night woke back up, he saw a bunch of the plants were tangled up with each other and Pinkie shouted, "Tada!"
Two plants then attempted to attack her, which Twilight and Night blasted. Spike helped Twilight stand as Night brought some lightning to himself to restore his energy. "I sure am glad you came lookin' for us," Applejack said in relief.
"Well, it's a good thing you found us," Night pointed out.
"The truth of it is, we're simply lost without you two," Rarity said.
"Yeah. Equestria may need its royals…" Rainbow started.
"But we need our friend," Fluttershy finished.
After a quick group hug, the others showed them towards the Tree of Harmony, which was covered in the black vines that had been plaguing Ponyville. None of the light he had seen in his vision was there, replaced with a dark gray. Twilight attempted to touch the center where her cutie mark sat, but the vines tried to grab her and Night shot it off.
"I think I know how we can save the Tree. We have to give it the Elements of Harmony," Twilight said.
"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. How are we supposed to protect Equestria?" Rainbow asked.
"And how will we rein Discord in if we can't use the Elements to turn him back to stone?" Rarity asked.
"Twilight, the Elements of Harmony… They're what keep us connected no matter what," Applejack pointed out.
"You're right about one thing, Applejack. The Elements of Harmony did bring us together. But it isn't the Elements that will keep us connected. It's our friendship, and it's more important and more powerful than any magic. My new role in Equestria may mean I have to take on new responsibilities, and our friendships may be tested, but it will never, ever, be broken," Twilight told her.
"We don't have time to lose, everypony ready?" Night asked as he and Twilight flew up to be level with the Tree's branches.
"Ready," the others said.
Twilight and Night then used their magic to take the Elements off the necklaces they were attached to and spun them around themselves before removing the other two off their crowns. The Elements of Magic and Bravery then sparked between each other before fusing into one Element.
Sensing something was happening, the vines wrapped themselves around the Alicorns and tried to take the Elements. Acting quickly, the Element's flew towards the Tree and attached themselves to their spots, the new fused Element being put into an opening that the Tree made.
The Element's then glowed as the Tree reshaped the spots where the Element's sat to secure them in place. The Tree then burst to life and started to destroy the vines that had caused so much trouble.
Once the Tree restored itself and Twilight and Night were back with their friends, Night noticed two mounds of vines sitting next to the Tree. The vines were then destroyed and Celestia and Luna emerged from them. Night immediately flew up towards his sisters and hugged them both, his feud with Celestia forgotten in the moment.
"We're alright little brother," Luna reassured him.
"We know how difficult it must have been for you to give up the Elements. It was quite brave of you to do so," Celestia told him.
The Tree then started glowing again and the five elements sent their magic into the fused one before sending that magic down the trunk and into the roots. The magic grew a flower from it and when Twilight stepped up and touched it, the petals opened to reveal a small heptagon shaped chest.
"What's inside it? How are we supposed to open it?" Twilight asked.
"Seven locks, seven keys," Luna noted, looking at the chest.
Night, Twilight, and Luna looked at Celestia, hoping she had an answer. "I do not know where they are, but I do know that it is a mystery you will not be solving alone," Celestia said. The old casings for the Elements then suddenly vanished into thin air.
Celestia and Luna returned to Canterlot to restore order and Night noticed that the sky was no longer split. The group then returned to Ponyville and when they exited the forest they were greeted by Discord, who started a small celebration.
"Bravo, ladies and sir! Bravo!" he cheered. "However did you save the day this time? Blast a beastie with your magic necklaces and crowns, I presume?" Discord asked before appearing smaller on Applejack's back, wearing a cowboy outfit. "Where are those little trinkets of yours? You know, the ones you used to send me back to my extremely uncomfortable stone prison," he asked.
Applejack sighed before saying, "Gone."
"Gone!" Discord said in surprise as he returned to his normal look. "Gone," he repeated, adopting a thoughtful look.
"But our friendship remains. And if you want to remain friends, you'll stop thinking whatever it is you're thinking and help us clean up," Fluttershy told him, Discord shrinking in size as Fluttershy spoke.
Discord then teleported and reappeared in a maid outfit. "Fine. But I don't do windows," he said.
"One thing I don't get. Why'd all this happen now?" Applejack asked.
"I have no idea. Those seeds I planted should've sprouted up ages ago," Discord commented.
"What was that?!" Night asked accusingly.
"Oh. Why should I try to explain it, when you can see it for yourself," Discord said, summoning the potion. Twilight took a drink and Night found himself back when Discord was turned to stone.
"Playtime is over for you Discord," Celestia threatened.
"Oh, I doubt that," Discord said, uninterested. Discord then asked if Night's sisters were hungry and threw a seed at them. Discord's voice then showed up. "Well, obviously things didn't go according to my original plan. My plunderseeds should have stolen the magic from the Tree of Harmony and captured Princess Celestia and Princess Luna thousands of moons ago. Alas, it seems the Tree had enough magic to keep the seeds from growing up big and strong. Until now, that is," he said as Night watched the seeds sink into the ground and attempt to attack the Tree of Harmony, but were blocked by a white magical barrier.
"You realize this is information we could have used hours ago?!" Twilight asked when they were both back in the present.
"And rob you of a valuable lesson about being Princess? What kind of friend do you think I am?" Discord asked. Night realized that Discord was going to be that one odd friend, but he thought he could live with that.
The group then headed back to Canterlot, the others no longer needed in Ponyville. When it was almost time for the Sun Rising, Night walked up with his new crown which was a smaller version of the one his father wore. After the fanfare from the guards, the children of Midnight Eclipse took to the stage.
"Citizens of Equestria, it is no longer with a heavy heart, but with great joy, that I raise the summer sun. For this celebration now represents, not the defeat of Nightmare Moon, but the return of my brother and sister, Prince Night and Princess Luna," Celestia announced.
The crowd cheered at Celestia's announcement as Luna took to the sky and lowered the moon. Celestia then followed suit and raised the sun. On cue, Twilight flew up and used her magic as the sun rose, creating a spectacle of light. Twilight then landed with the other Alicorns as the crowd cheered once again.