My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Luna Eclipsed
A/N: Ok, time to post the final chapter and I got to get ready to go. See you all tomorrow!
Read, review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship or The Lion King. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.
CHAPTER FIVE: RESTORING FUN
Twilight Sparkle and Sunrise Blossom watched with dejected expressions as Princess Luna flew away once again, taking the storm clouds with her, and Applejack walked up, also dejected since a few minutes earlier, everypony had been having fun, and they had also been warming up to the Princess, too.
"Shoot," she said with a disappointed sigh. "We had everything goin' our way. Luna was happy, everypony in town was happy, now look at 'em." And all around them, the ponies were comforting the crying fillies while cleaning up the mess, the meerkat and the warthog came out from under a table that they'd taken refuge under during the storm.
"Talk about fun turning sour," Timon remarked. "Up until Pinkie Pie screwed things up, the party was going great."
Pumbaa nodded sadly. "Yeah."
"Pinkie's timing does leave a lot to be desire," Sunrise Blossom agreed glumly.
Twilight Sparkle looked down at a cutout of the head of Nightmare Moon and her expression became determined. "It's not over yet," she declared.
"What are you gonna do?" Applejack asked the purple unicorn.
"I'm going to do what I do best," Twilight Sparkle replied. "Lecture her!"
"Uh, I don't know if this is the best time to do a lecture, Twi," her twin pointed out. "The princess was really upset when she left."
"Exactly why it is the best time," the purple unicorn countered. "Come on, Sunny." And she herded her protesting sister away.
Applejack, Timon, and Pumbaa watched the twins go and then exchanged perplex looks. What was Twilight Sparkle up to this time?
Exiting the town, Twilight Sparkle and Sunrise Blossom found Princess Luna crossing a bridge, her head hanging low. "Princess?" And they quickly caught up with her.
"Leave me be, Twilight Sparkle, Sunrise Blossom," said the Princess sadly.
"Princess, I'm sorry it hasn't worked out how we wanted," Twilight Sparkle apologized. "But you have to believe me when I tell you that Nightmare Night is one of the most popular celebrations we have."
Princess Luna rolled her eyes. "Yes. I can tell," she said sarcastically. "By all the adoring shrieks of the children as they run away." And she walked away, only to be blocked by Sunrise Blossom.
"Don't give up on us yet, Princess," she said, having figured out a plan. "We just need to convince a certain pink pony that you've changed, and that should help." And her twin agreed, knowing which pink pony she was talking about.
Back in town, the ponies were still comforting the whimpering and crying fillies while cleaning up the remains of the ruined festival. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was still acting like a chicken, pecking around when she spotted a piece of candy on the ground. Pecking apart the wrapper, she ate it, and then she spotted a trail of candy leading into an alleyway.
Pinkie Pie followed the trail, pecking and eating the candy until she was suddenly pinned to a wall with a startled shriek by the twins.
"No! No shrieking," Twilight Sparkle snapped, clamping a hoof over her friend's mouth. "No screaming or squealing either. Okay?"
The pink pony nodded. "Okay," she said, her voice muffled.
Taking her at her word, the twins released her and backed up a bit. "There's something I want you to see," said the purple unicorn and the orange unicorn nodded. "And I promise that it's safe, but you really, really, really can't shriek. Do you promise not to shriek?"
Pinkie Pie nodded again and. "Mm-hmm." She then did a chicken squawk when the Princess came out of the shadows, but covered her own mouth with her hooves to keep from screaming.
"Pinkie Pie, you remember Princess Luna, right?" Sunrise Blossom asked and the pink pony nodded nervously.
"Ah," said Princess Luna, recognizing the pink pony. "The ringleader of the frightened children. Hast thou come to make peace?" And she offered a hoof in greeting.
Pinkie Pie nervously extended her own hoof, both were unaware of a black cloud moving up behind them, and there was a clap of thunder and lightning. "Nightmare Moon!" she shrieked and, squawking like a chicken fled.
"Rainbow!" the twins shouted, glaring up at Rainbow Dash, who was lying on the cloud, laughing maniacally.
Pinkie Pie raced for the opening, only to be blocked when Twilight Sparkle and Sunrise Blossom teleported in front of her, and they ended up in a tangled heap with the twins on top of the pink pony.
"She's changed, Pinkie!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed. "She's not evil or scary anymore! And she definitely doesn't want to gobble you up!"
Pinkie Pie stared at her for a long moment and then laughed. "Well, duh."
The twins blinked, confused. "Huh?"
"I know that," Pinkie Pie scoffed. "Sheesh, Twilight, Sunrise. I'm almost as big as her, how's she gonna gobble me up?"
"So why do you keep running away and screaming?" Sunrise Blossom asked, perplexed.
The pink pony shrugged. "Sometimes it's just really fun to be scared!"
"Fun?" Twilight Sparkle repeated and she got an idea. "Pinkie Pie, you're a genius!"
"No, I'm not," said Pinkie Pie. "I'm a chicken." And she let out another chicken squawk while making a silly face.
Releasing her friend, Twilight Sparkle turned to the Princess, who was looking dejected again. "Princess Luna! I've finally figured out why you're having so much trouble being liked!" she announced.
"Forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm," Princess Luna said sarcastically.
"Come with us," Sunrise Blossom requested, figuring out what her sister meant. "We'll explain everything on the way."
Meanwhile at the ruined festival, Pipsqueak was sad since the night was nearly over and it wasn't fun anymore. "Gosh. I never thought my very first Nightmare Night would be my very last," he remarked sadly.
"Come, little Pip," said Zecora kindly. "Now don't you fret. Nightmare Night's not over yet. We still have candy left to give, so Nightmare Moon might let us live."
"Yes. Come on, little ponies," Mayor Mare agreed. "What's Nightmare Night without the annual candy offering? You don't want Nightmare Moon to gobble you up, do you?" she teased in a spooky voice.
Spike, who'd been helping with the cleanup nearby, shook his head. "Aw, the rainbow wig just kills it for me," he grumbled.
"Come on, kids!" said Applejack, agreeing with Mayor Mare and Zecora. "Doesn't that sound like fun?"
Reluctantly, the fillies returned to the clearing to place fresh candy in front of the statue of Nightmare Moon. Last in line, Pipsqueak walked up to the pile, added his own candy, and looked up at the statue.
"Goodbye, Nightmare Night. Forever," he said sadly and turned to leave, but he stopped when the wind started whistling, and the storm clouds returned once again, startling the group.
"Citizens of Ponyville!" said the booming voice of Nightmare Moon as she appeared in place of her statue. "You were wise to bring this candy to me. I am pleased with your offering. So pleased that I may just eat it… instead of eating you!" And the group ran, screaming, into the bushes to hide.
Returning to normal, Princess Luna spit out the fake fangs and looked uncertainly at the twins when she hopped off the platform, restoring the statue. "I am not certain that did what you meant for it to do, Twilight Sparkle, Sunrise Blossom," she pointed out.
"Just wait," Twilight Sparkle promised.
"For what?" the Princess asked skeptically. "For… for them to scream some more?" She blinked when she felt somepony tug on her mane and she looked down to see Pipsqueak.
"Um… Princess Luna," he said politely. "I know there's not gonna be any more Nightmare Night, but do you suppose maybe you could come back next year and scare us again anyway?"
Princess Luna was taken aback by the request. "Child. Art thou saying that thou… likest me to scare you?" she asked.
Pipsqueak nodded eagerly. "It's really fun! Scary, but fun!"
Princess Luna considered this. "It… is?"
"Yeah!" Pipsqueak agreed. "Nightmare Night is my favorite night of the year."
"Well then," said the Princess. "We shall have to bring" and she switched to her booming voice "Nightmare Night back!"
Pipsqueak staggered and then he hugged the forelegs of the Princess. "Whoa! You're my favorite princess ever!" he stated and raced back to the waiting foals, who'd been peering out of the bushes. "She said yes, guys!"
"YAY!" they cheered.
"See? They really do like you, princess," said Sunrise Blossom happily.
"Can it be true?" Princess Luna wondered and then cheered in her booming voice. "Oh, most wonderful of-" she then switched to her normal voice "I mean… Oh, most wonderful of nights." And she smiled sheepishly, and the twins chuckled since it would take her some time to get use to not use her booming voice.
Later that night, the festival was fully restored and the party was in full swing with the ponies and Princess Luna all having fun. Watching this, Twilight Sparkle had Spike write a letter to Princess Celestia, having learned an important lesson while Sunrise Blossom, Timon, and Pumbaa helped the Princess win some prizes at some of the games.
"Dear Princess Celestia," she said and the baby dragon wrote. "When you first sent me to Ponyville, I didn't know anything about friendship. I met somepony tonight who was having the same problem – your sister, Princess Luna! She taught me that one of the best things you can do with friendship is to give it to others, and help them find it themselves! And I'm happy to report that all of Ponyville has learned that even if somepony seems a little intimidating, even scary, when you offer them your friendship, you'll discover a whole new pony underneath. And even if my Star Swirl the Bearded costume didn't go over, this still turned out to be the best Nightmare Night ever!" She then ate a piece of candy happily.
Rainbow Dash snuck up on the purple unicorn with the storm cloud and she raised her hoofs – when lightning zapped her from behind and she screamed, zooming off.
Startled by this, Twilight Sparkle and Spike saw Princess Luna was now on the cloud, having snuck up on the blue pegasus, and she was laughing. Exchanging a smile, Spike and Twilight Sparkle also laughed, enjoying the sight of the blue pegasus getting a taste of her own medicine.
When the festival began whining down and the sleepy fillies and foals were taken home to go to bed, Princess Luna assisted with the cleanup before heading back to Canterlot, and Sunrise Blossom, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, who was still fuming at being out-pranked by the Princess, Twilight Sparkle with a sleeping Spike on her back, and Applejack gathered around to say goodbye to Timon and Pumbaa.
"That was some party," the meerkat complimented. "And it was great how things turned out with Princess Luna."
"Yup," said the warthog, wearing saddlebags that had their costumes, candy, and prizes stored in them. "Hope to see you all again sometime," he added as Timon looped the chain around their necks.
The ponies agreed and shielded their eyes as the two animals disappeared in a flash of light. When they were gone, the ponies parted ways to go home and get some much-needed sleep afters such an intense night.
Unknown to any of the ponies of Ponyville and not even Princess Luna had been aware that the whole time that the festival had been taking place, they had been spied on by a shadowy figure hiding in the nearby Everfree Forest.
The figure stepped out from among the trees, turning out to be Shadow Star, and she quietly chuckled, having seen and heard everything that had gone on that night.
'Quite a turn of events,' she thought. 'I had intended to use this night to cause trouble for the ponies, but with Princess Luna here, and at her strongest due to it being night, I knew it would be unwise. But one day, I will have the means to take out both Princesses, the Mane Seven, and then all of Equestria will be mine!'
Pulling her hood over her head, Shadow Star disappeared back into the forest. She had many plans to make.
A/N: Hmm, now what could Shadow Star be up to, and where has she been this whole time? R&R everyone!