The shards of the physical Elements of Harmony began to quiver, lift. But Twilight's horn was not glowing. This was not mere unicorn telekinesis.
Luna knew exactly what was about to happen. She'd been on both ends of it, before.
But it will take them some time, she realized quietly. They are new to this ... they shall have that time!
"What ...?" gasped the Nightmare in fear and confusion.
If you lash out now, they will strike you down, thought Luna convincingly, caressing the Nightmare with her psychic voice, pouring into it every element of charm and geas she knew. You must gather your strength, strike them down, but only when your power is overwhelming. Surely six little fillies can't hope to defeat a Nightmare as strong and skilled as you ...
Yes, the Nightmare thought. And she's forgotten something else. She began summoning her full power.
"Applejack," said Twilight, "who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of ... honesty!" The last word rang out as a command. The shards of the Element of Honesty flashed over to the big blonde Apple, circled her as her piercing green eyes narrowed in determination.
That was mine, thought Luna sadly, until I became unfit for it by lying to everyone about my own purpose. Bear it well, fair Apple! Use it to lay the treacheries of evil open to the light of Truth!
"Fluttershy," Twilight continued, "who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of ...kindness!"
Fluttershy looked astonished, even frightened as a swarm of shards shot over to her, began circling. Then she closed her eyes, focused, the shards starting to yield to her mind-magics.
Yours, sister, acknowledged Luna, and the ponies loved you for that most of all. I wish I'd understood that, sooner. Then, to the pink-maned yellow pegasus, who still seemed a bit intimidated by her new role. You can do this, mind-witch! Know that the Shadows cannot bear any touch of love!
"Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of ... laughter!"
The pink earth pony clapped her forehooves together, grinning gleefully as if she were receiving some sort of birthday present, then bounded blissfully into the air, coming down in the midst of her own personal circle. She landed, crouched on all four hooves, and as the shards spun around her, reality itself began to twist into her own personal cloak of protection.
Luna had to cloak her own joy at this sight. My old Element, empowering this last survivor of a lost timeline, she thought to herself. O beware, Nightshadows, for now you face the avenger of her whole people! Right now, she did not care that she herself was one of the most obvious targets of the pink pony's vengeance, so long as it also destroyed the Nightmares.
"Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of ... generosity!
The elegant hoof-to-hoof fighter looked surprisingly serious and humble as her own shards began to circle her. My sister won whole kingdoms over by diplomacy thought Luna, built a nation out of anarchy by encouraging work and trade. Your power is subtle, but one of the strongest of all, given time. I pray you have the time to grow into it.
"And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire, represents the spirit of ... loyalty!"
The brash blue pegasus was solemn as she received her own circlet of shards. There was none of the braggadocio one might have expected.
Oh, Dashie, thought Luna fondly. You deserve this, most of all. Welcome to the ultimate elite, old friend. I know you can cut it. You're far more awesome than even you ever realized.
Luna could feel the energy building in each of them, as each Element prepared to make the final attunement to its individual bearer.
The Nightmare could feel it too.
What do I do? it thought. This is what defeated me the last time. Should I strike now, before they can form the Rainbow?
"The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us!" concluded Twilight, looking at Nightmare Moon sidelong.
No, thought Luna loudly. Not yet. You need to find out if Twilight actually has her element. Ask her!
This was nonsense. The way in which the Elements were responding made it obvious that Twilight had her own Element. But the more time the Nightmare took ...
"You still don't have the sixth element!" pointed out Nightmare Moon, sounding a bit uncertain. "The spark didn't work ..."
"But it did," said Twilight. "A different kind of spark."
She turned toward her friends, turning her back on the Nightmare. She was clearly building up to a lecture, unable to resist the opportunity.
Suddenly, the Nightmare realized something.
Wait, I've accumulated the maximum charge I can throw, and all I need to do is kill one of them to stop the Rainbow .... Why in the name of the Great Dark am I still just talking ... ?
It readied to strike ... a lethal strike ... the path built for the discharge ...
And in that moment, Luna leaped on the back of the Nightmare!
She was not tangible, it was not tangible, but they were both within the same nerve net, and within that conceptual space they were both fully real to one another. So in their mind -- her mind, she was a mare leaping, hooves lashing out with deadly force to pummel the Nightmare on its back, into its ribs.
What?!! it howled, twisting, turning to defend its spine from what would have been a shattering blow. No! You cannot have ...
Luna's answer to this were two more punishing hoof-blows. She felt imaginary bones splinter beneath the impact of her hooves.
Twilight addressed her friends. "I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you ..."
How did you get the strength? it marveled, back-pedaling. You're weak ... alone ...
Not weak, snarled Luna as she came back down to all hooves. Not alone. I'll never be weak and alone again! She reared again, lashed out with both hooves.
The Nightshadow blocked her, moving with surprising force. Nightmare Moon's body trembled, and Luna realized that the Shadow was draining their shared housing to regenerate the damage being done to it by the psychic blows of the Moon Princess. She could see the inky substance of its spirit-form knitting, healing its wounds even as it fought.
"The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all ..." continued Twilight, "... are my friends!"
You are alone, it sneered at her, striking a counterblow which grazed her head, sent her stepping back, dazed even by the glancing impact. You are weak. You are friendless, and I am stronger than you.
The Apple mare, she thought. Dashie. All of them, even Pinkie. They're fighting on my side!
Something began to glow from above, something drifting down from the old ceiling. The light built. The Nightshadow was too focused on Luna to do more than reflexively cringe away from it, shielding Nightmare Moon's face with one upraised wing.
I must keep her attention on me! decided Luna. She came down to all four hooves, made as if to rise again, then suddenly lowered her head and charged, jabbing with her horn.
The Shadow hissed in surprise, sidestepped then squealed in pain as Luna's horn struck home. Its last-second maneuver saved it from being gored, but the horn gouged a streak along its side that gouted out a yellowish-green miasma. Luna smelt the stench of mold and ancient death, but did not let that deter her from completing the move, then whirling and leaping back from the Shadow's riposte.
Luna snorted, flared her wings, her saliva foaming with the intensity of her rage. The Shadow stood there, regenerating, stemming the flow of whatever it used for ichor.
They are not your friends, the Shadow said. They are your foes.
Your foes, Luna replied. But then you're an enemy of Equestria. An enemy of all Ponykind. All life! I'm on their side, even if they don't yet know it. She jabbed once, twice with her horn, probing at the Shadow's defenses. The Shadow gave way.
Fool! the Shadow cried. They do not know me. All they know is that Princess Luna, sworn defender of the realm, betrayed them! As in truth you did, since it was you who chose to summon me!
The pony I was a thousand years ago so chose, said Luna. She was confused, mistaken. She -- I -- did not know what you really were, what you meant to do. I was wrong ... it was my fault ... but I would never choose that path again.
It does not matter! said the Shadow. They will never forgive you your treason! You have no future with them!
"You see, Nightmare Moon," said Twilight, "when those elements are ignited by the ...
That does not matter, replied Luna. My future does not matter, beside the future of all Ponykind. And I stand by my kin, my friends -- my beloved. Her resolve strengthened as she remembered Dusk Skyshine.
Nonsense! scoffed the Shadow. That is not your long-lost mate. That is an entirely different pony, who just happens to have the same soul. Your reproductive urges are misdirected. You cannot even reproduce with her -- she is a mare! You don't even want to try that with a mare!
"... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all ..." said Twilight
After more than a thousand years, said Luna, you still don't understand me -- or Ponies -- at all, do you? If I had room in my heart to pity you, I would. No love, no friendship -- nothing but eternal selfishness. Eternal greed, a hunger for the life you do not and cannot ever understand.
The Shadow looked shocked. Then it snarled, its eyes flaring sickly-green.
"... it creates the Sixth Element, ..."
I take that back, Luna said. I think I do pity you. For when I die, I die knowing that I am part of something greater. When you die, you must die so alone. Yes. I pity you!
The Shadow howled in rage, leapt on her. Luna had been expecting this -- she'd been deliberately taunting it, but she did not expect the way it moved, even within her artificially equinoid perception of their struggle. It became formless, a vast mass of glowing ebon night, like a viscous and foul effluvium that surged onto her.
There was no dodging. It was too rapid, too omnipresent. She was overthrown by its sheer mass, she felt its vile smell, its evil presence surrounding her on all sides. She was rolled over within it, ended up on her back, with the Shadow covering every part of her. To her extreme revulsion, it began pressing in against every orifice -- that she knew that her spirit body was imaginary did not lessen the foulness of this, for she knew that if it could insinuate itself back into her she would suffer a fate far worse than any mere physical violation. She put all her might into her own shielding, keeping the Shadow from entering her and corrupting her soul. But she knew that she could not hold out like this for very long ...
Where are your friends now? the Shadow hissed, mocking her. Even I do not need you any more -- you are now more trouble than you are worth. You will die, here and now, alone in the dark, and I alone will inhabit this vessel. I will kill your friends, murder your species, destroy your world!
"... the Element of Magic!" Twilight said.
The lecture was complete.
Even from her position, Luna sensed the power building. Through the ebon shroud of the Shadow, she could feel the surges of joy as six individual Elements met their bearers, the peaks of energy as six individual Element Bearers released the powers within themselves, focusing them through their elements, harmonizing them with the uniqueness within each other. Element made contact with Element. The whine of a high-speed information transfer between them, the vibration as the combined Harmony found the Shadow's resonance.
Luna smiled savagely. I win, she said
What? scoffed the Shadow. You haven't defeated me!
I didn't have to defeat you, Luna said. Just keep you busy long enough for them to do that!
No! cried the Shadow, suddenly returning its attention to the world outside its form. The Element Bearers were within a complex web of light, floating within it as the power built to the point of release. A webwork of energy, lethal by its very nature to the Nightmare, swept around them, shielding them from any direct attack.
Luna gathered her strength, began tapping her own life force well past the point of danger.
I must retreat! the Shadow realized. It prepared to diffuse into plasma ...
Focusing her mind firmly on her memory of Dusk, Luna let that love suffuse her being, emerge from her in all directions.
The Shadow shrieked as the toxic emotion struck it, evaporating the substance of the part of it enveloping its captive.
Princess Luna twisted and sprang to her hooves, shaking off the last residues of shade. Her starry mane glowed with the energies she expended so prodigiously.
The Shadow tried to diffuse Nightmare Moon without, while holding Princess Luna back within. It did both badly. Nightmare Moon cringed back, but did not dematerialize. And the Shadow had not yet formed its defense when Luna crashed down upon it, knocking it flat, trampling it unmercifully with hard-driven hooves.
Luna stood triumphant atop the Shadow, pinning it to the substrate, stamping out every part of it that tried to ooze away and reform elsewhere.
Outside, the Rainbow began to rise.
No! the Shadow pleaded. Don't let them do this! We'll both die!
I don't much care, said Luna coldly, as long as I take you with me.
You don't understand! It was speaking very quickly now. I'm still with you. If you discorporate now, your Cosmic self will reject you as contaminated. You won't get to rejoin your Oversoul. All that you've been, all that you've learned in your current life will be lost forever. You'll die for real!
You thought I didn't know that? Luna laughed. Cowardly shade, I've led Ponies into battle more times then you've tortured kittens. Thousands of Ponies have died under my command, every one of them fearing the same prospect, yet not letting it stop them from doing their duty. Do you imagine me any less loyal?
No! You're insane! cried the Shadow, and made a convulsive effort to rise, draining all but the last strength from Nightmare Moon. It managed to seize control of her to the point where its next cry of "No!" sounded outside as well, but Luna kept a firm grip on the body's magical energy conduits. Nightmare Moon stood helplessly watching as the Rainbow arrived.
You're really going to die! I'm really going to die! the Shadow babbled, its sanity snapping as the Rainbow whipped around them, and the vortex formed. It made one last effort to teleport.
Luna grabbed it with her hooves, her telekinesis, beating it with her wings, using every remaining bit of her power and every weapon she had to keep the Nightshadow from getting control of any important part of their shared form.
Yes, said Luna. But ... at least ... I ... die ... FREE! The last was a victory cry.
"NO!!!" Nightmare Moon cried one last time, a cry coming from the insane thing within, already disintegrating from fear before even being touched by the hostile energy.
Then the Shadow fell silent, frozen in terror as every sensory channel of Nightmare Moon's form was filled by the Rainbow.
We did it, Dusk, Luna thought. We won. Then, as she had done every time she saw it, one last thought: It's so ... beautiful ...
And then the Rainbow closed around her, consuming everything evil in its pitiless purity. There was one last incoherent shriek from the Shadow, then it vaporized as Luna was overwhelmed by her own agony.
Everything went black.