Nightmare Over Equestria Part 5

   Outside, in the Canterlot gardens, Nightmare Moon was still making her fearsome display to all of the ponies, who were all talking amongst themselves in a panicked state.
   "This can't be happening!"
   "What are going to do?"
   "We can't possibly survive without the sun!"
   Nightmare Moon watched all the ponies panicking and smiled.
   "Look at them. They should have never taken your night for granted."
   Nightmare Moon looked to her right and saw the spirit of the night floating next to her, who's appearance had changed even more since the last time she saw him. "Ahh, spirit. It is good to see you again. And you are indeed correct; those ponies are finally getting what they have deserved after all these years for not respecting me or the night! Together, you and I shall rule Equestria in eternal darkness!" More lightning flashed down from the sky around Nightmare Moon.
   The spirit chuckled. "Yes, that does indeed sound good; but, there is something I need you to do for me first."
   "I am willing to do anything for you who helped me rise to power. Just tell me what you desire and I will grant it."
   "Well, what I desire is simple: I want—"
   "LUNA!!!"
   Nightmare Moon and the spirit instantly turned their heads in complete surprise at this sudden noise. Down below on the castle grounds, Celestia stood there, looking more furious than she had ever looked.
   "Well, well, Celestia," Luna called back to Celestia, "I did not expect you to come back. I thought you would have done the smart thing and accepted defeat."
   "I would never abandon my kingdom!" Celestia yelled as she stamped her hoof on the ground. "I have tried to be a good sister and reason with you before, but still you would not listen! You forced me to fight you, which was unbearable for me to take! Now you leave me no choice but to stop you permanently so Equestria shall be saved from your eternal darkness!"
   Nightmare Moon laughed. "If you could not defeat me before, what gives you the idea that you could defeat me now?"
   "Because I have these!" Celestia then used her magic to take out from behind her—the Elements of Harmony!
   Nightmare Moon felt a flicker of fear when she saw the elements, but then reverted back to her confident self. "Even with the Elements of Harmony, you cannot hope to defeat me!" she started to laugh again, but was interrupted by the spirit tapping on her shoulder.
   "Nightmare! You must get the elements from Celestia!"
   Nightmare Moon looked perplexed. "Why would you want me to do that, spirit?"
   "Because if you have the Elements of Harmony, your power will increase exponentially! You'll become truly unstoppable with them!"
   Nightmare Moon pondered this idea. "You are right, spirit," she replied. "And if I am to be the ruler of Equestria, then the elements should belong in my hooves; not Celestia's!"
   The whole time the two of them were conversing, Celestia and the other ponies watched, puzzled.
   "Who is she talking to?"
   "I don't see anypony else. Do you?"
   "No, I don't at all. This is strange..."
   Celestia was confused, but she knew that stopping Nightmare Moon was more important. "Enough of this nonsense, Luna!! Come down here now so we can end this!"
   Nightmare Moon looked back towards Celestia with a grimace. "Go on, Nightmare," the spirit said to her. "Just remember: ultimate power is within your grasp!"
   Nightmare Moon nodded, and she flew down to face Luna one-on-one. "I am glad that you decided to finish this silly little feud so Equestria will finally get its rightful ruler."
   "Yes...it shall," Celestia said, staring sternly at Nightmare Moon.
   Nightmare Moon stared sternly back at her, "Then let this end now!!" she then started swirling around her night mane into one large focal point of energy.
   Celestia then used her magic to position the Elements of Harmony in a circle around her horn and pointed her horn straight at Nightmare Moon. "I just hope that I will be able to use these by myself," she looked at Nightmare Moon. "Without the power of friendship..." Celestia then started to focus her power on the elements themselves, and they started to spin around in the circle they were in, going faster and faster.
   Nightmare Moon was gathering more and more of her magic night energy together.
   "Yes!" shouted the spirit. "The more power you use, the more power you have to defeat her! Keep going, Nightmare Moon! You and only you are the rightful ruler of Equestria!"
   "Ha ha!" Nightmare Moon turned her head towards Celestia. "Do you hear that, Celestia? The spirit of the night knows who is the rightful heir to the Equestrian throne!"
   "Spirit of the night?" Celestia asked, puzzled. "I see no such spirit. You are just trying to trick me into letting down my guard! But don't think that will work on me!"
   Nightmare Moon looked surprised. "You...don't see the spirit? How can you not? He is floating right next to me in plain sight!" She turned her head to the spirit. "Go on, spirit of the night! Tell them all about yourself and what you have told me!"
   "Well..." The spirit said, "The thing is, Nightmare, is that since I am the spirit of the night, I can only appear to those whose hearts are truly bonded with that of the night; meaning only you can see and hear me. That is why nopony else knows of my existence."
   "Oh...I had no idea..."
   "...but just because they can't see or hear me doesn't mean that you shouldn't still try to win control of Equestria! Now use your power to defeat Celestia once and for all!!"
   "Yes! I shall do it!" she looked at Celestia. "Will end this...NOW!!" Nightmare Moon then focused all her magic energy she had gathered up, and fired a single straight beam of her magic night energy straight at Celestia!
   Celestia was about to use the elements to counterattack, but was reluctant out of the love she felt for her sister; but then she remembered why she had to do this, and used the Elements of Harmony, which fired a rainbow beam that collided Nightmare Moon's nightmare beam.
   The two attacks seemed to be evenly matched, both emanating their intense power. "It seems our powers are evenly matched!" Celestia shouted. "We should just stop this fight now so everything can go back the way it was!"
   "You mean back to me being unappreciated and uncared for while you reign over Equestria and receive all of the ponies' admiration?! Never!!"
   "You're wrong, Luna! We all appreciate can care about you and your wonderful night sky! Anypony would agree with me!"
   Nightmare Moon moved her eyes to look at the ponies around her. All of them looked so afraid of her, so none of them were brave enough to agree with Celestia. "Lies! Lies I say! Nopony truly cares about me or my night! And they never will!!" Nightmare Moon's nightmare beam then started to increase in power from her intense rage. Celestia was overtaken by the fact that the elements were losing this battle.
   The spirit of the night watched in utter delight. "This is working out perfectly," he thought to himself. "Celestia's power will be drained soon, and the rightful ruler of Equestria will take the throne..." he then did his nasty-sounding chuckle as he had done before.
   The Elements of Harmony were getting weaker by the second. Celestia could feel this, and was truly terrified. "This cannot happen," she thought to herself. "The Elements of Harmony cannot lose! The power of friendship is...the power of friendship..." she looked at Nightmare Moon again. "That is what is wrong; without Luna's friendship truly bonded with mine, the power of the elements is too weak to overcome her evil power! I...I cannot beat her..." As Celestia's spirit weakened, so did the power of the elements, and Nightmare Moon's power grew stronger.