"No! No no nonononono! Stay with me!" The Doctor cried frantically as the TARDIS lights faded.

"Doctor, what's wrong? What's happening to the TARDIS?"

"It's the timestream, it's too scrambled, she can't fly!"

"Why didn't we have this problem when we arrived then?"

"The normal passage of time, we slipped into a scrambled part while we were out!" He grunted as the TARDIS shuddered. It released a long whistle and stilled. "No! Midnight?"

The air seemed to chill around them, foreboding. "Nothing," she whispered, stunned "she's gone,"

"Doctor? What does she mean, gone?"

"Not forever, right? Just like, she needs a recharge?"

"I don't know, I-I, I can't hear her,"

Ditzy struggled to keep her voice calm. "Doctor, what's wrong?"

"Derpy, you know how we said the TARDIS is alive?"

"y-yeah?"

"Well, um, she might be..."

"No! She can't be! Don't say it Doctor!" Midnight looked ready to cry and Ditzy realized what had happened.

"You don't mean... I mean, it's not dead, is it?"

"We don't know anything for sure yet, come on, let's go out for a while, give her time to recharge,"

The trio sullenly left the TARDIS.

It was a bright, sunny day and the TARDIS was Parked just south of Canterlot, outside of any cities or towns. They set out a blanket for a picnic lunch. The basket they had brought with them mostly held muffins but there was also some fruit. For some reason the TARDIS refused to stock pony foods like hay or flowers. Derpy tried to keep their spirits up but they were already too low.

"Oh come on guys, Midnight, you usually love my muffins. And Doctor, You look like you've got a big old raincloud over your head,"

"I'm sorry Ditzy, we're just worried about her,"

"I'm sure the TARDIS is fine, like the Doctor said, it probably just needs to recharge, you should be more worried about not starving," The pegasus smiled gently as the Doctor sighed and turned away from his meal.

"Or about why the princess is being chased by the Canterlot guard," he said apathetically.

"What?!" both mares cried simultaneously.

"Yeah, see there?" they turned to see Luna flying at top speed away from Canterlot. She soared over their heads and disappeared behind a nearby mountain. When they looked back towards the city about a dozen guards were flying towards them. Midnight was about to ask how he had seen them from so so far away but was startled when they landed in front of the trio.

"Citizens, we are looking for Princess Luna and we believe she came this way, have you seen her?"

"Why do you want to find her? Is the princess not allowed to go where she wishes?" Midnight was quick to respond and grateful that it had been cold enough she was wearing her cloak...

"There are classified matters happening at the castle, have you seen her or not?" she replied without hesitation.

"No, I'm sorry, we haven't," she hardly noticed as her friends suppressed surprised expressions as she started eating the previously untouched muffin. The guard sighed.

"Thank you anyway. You'd better get home, it will be dark soon," The white pegasus turned as a grey one stepped forward.

"I shall escort them home," the was a pause.

"Yes, I think that would be best," he nodded and the grey pegasus ushered them away, protesting at leaving their picnic. Once they were out of sight (and hearing range) of the other searching guards he stopped.

"You did see her, didn't you? I can tell, please show me where she went," His voice was urgent and worried. The Doctor and Ditzy didn't know what to say but Midnight did.

"I'm sorry but I said we didn't see her. and even if we did, why would we tell you, you still haven't told us why you're looking for her," she said it so calmly, all thoughts of the TARDIS forgotten.

"I don't know, listen, I just know that Princess Celestia told us to find her, she didn't say why but it didn't sound good. I think she's in trouble!"

"Agreed, follow me," Midnight started walking towards the mountain, followed by the others.

"Midnight, um, are you sure? I mean why are you trusting this guard if you wouldn't tell the others where the princess went?"

"I don't know, just a hunch, I always follow my hunches. Also, If we have to stop him from telling the others it will be easier three on one,"

They continued on walking. Night fell, making Midnight a bit nervous but she didn't mention it. As the moon reached it's peak they reached the mountain.

"This is it, we saw her reach this mountain but not her exact location,"

"Well then, let's start looking," the guard trotted off ahead of the others, followed closely by Midnight. the Doctor and Ditzy gave each other looks of confusion before going after them.

"Midnight, how will we find the princess? This Mountain is huge!"

"Yes, but at least it's only one mountain. You, guard, has Luna ever mentioned anyplace that she would go in an emergency? Someplace secret?"

"No, Luna never... wait, there was somewhere, and it isn't that far from here!"

"Then lead the way," they started off at a gallop. Soon they reached a cave.

The entrance wasn't large or prominent. It was a small thing that they easily would have missed if the guard hadn't known what to look for. The stone was overgrown but some vines had fallen or had broken stems, signs of a hurried pony's entrance. Midnight thought about telling the guard to wait outside but quickly dismissed the idea. If he really was on their side he could still help and if he wasn't, well, if he wasn't then they'd better keep a close eye on him. The tunnel was long and narrowed considerably until it opened into a large cavern lined with crystals. The Doctor got stuck once and the mares were small enough that they could get through without problems if they were careful but she was surprised that the guard didn't seem to have any trouble fitting through, only hindered by the pony in front of him. The cavern was not dark as it should have been, instead, the crystals glowed softly, revealing the princess trying to sink into the shadows.

"Luna!" Midnight cried as she emerged from the tunnel.

"Midnight?"

"Princess, you are alright!" Midnight was surprised when the guard got a warmer reception than she had, Lunas own sister. The princess bounded towards them as the others made it through.

"Guise! I'm so glad you're here! And Midnight, I missed you," that was a little better.

"What happened?"

"Oh Midnight..." she took a shaky breath "It's Celestia. I saw it, I mean it was definitely the same but it was... different, this time. It had more, ah, control. I-"

"It's alright princess," Derpy stepped in "We're here to help. Just calm down, start from the beginning," Luna took a deep breath and nodded. She looked to the guard, Guise, and began.

"We... well, we have a small problem. Actually, it's a pretty big problem. It's the darkness, you called it a Vexion, it came back,"

"What?! Are you sure?" She nodded solemnly.

"It was gone for so long, I-I thought it was gone for good but today it came back. And it has Celestia," she rushed on before anyone could ask how she knew. "Actually, it has probably been influencing her for awhile now but, I didn't notice at the time. She has been colder, more distant, as if she was angry with me but didn't want anypony to know. Today we were alone in her room and she let it out. I was scared at first, she never yells at me, but then it kind of... took control."

The younger sister cried. The elder had never been cruel until now, not even when the younger had become Nightmare moon. Her accusations rendered her sister speechless. Just as Luna thought she could not take anymore there was a pause. Silence hung icily in the air. The elders voice grew sweet, more gentle. "Oh Luna, I am sorry," she walked over to her sister, caressed her mane. "That was rude, you've had enough pain in your life as it is," she stopped "Of course, your pain isn't over," Celestia turned away with new malice in her voice "I don't need you anymore," Luna looked up, startled with tears still trickling down her face.

"Celestia..."

"Celestia? My dear friend, I am offended, you do not realize what has happened? Who I am? Did our little adventures together mean nothing to you?"

Another pause.

"Maurelle?" She would never reveal to anyone that the darkness had a name, but she knew it, it had told her as Nightmare Moon.

"Of course, my dear friend, who else?" The being speaking from her sister laughed. "I so miss our time together, you were so unhappy, so afraid, so easy to manipulate. Much easier than your sister was at the time. Of course I've learned that sometimes you have to work a bit harder in order to progress and, dear friend, I can no longer progress while you are here," Celestia smiled cruelly, "I will not make the same mistakes this time," Luna, distressed, flew away, wanting desperately for time the process what had happened, as the Vexion called the guards.

"Well what are we doing here?" "We need to tell everyone what happened Cried the Doctor.

"Or we could just tell Twilight and her friends," everyone stared at the grey mare,

"What? They're kind of been unofficially dubbed the protectors of Equestria, even after they gave up the Elements of Harmony they still kept stopping all the monsters and stuff and they already defeated this thing when it was in Luna, no offense princess. I mean, there's no need to make everypony panic, if they would even believe us,"

"I agree, let us go to Ponyville and find the six," Luna declared, and led the group into the night.