A/N: Well, it looks like this new version is already better than the old one as the first chapter attracted more followers than the old one did. Still, would a review be too much to ask for? Anyway, this version of Chapter Two isn't much different than the old one, but I still hope people like it. Still, even if it doesn't get a lot of attention, I get the feeling that when the action start heating up (which will be next chapter) it'll start attracting a lot of people. But first, onto this chapter. Please enjoy!

After catching an early train, the group was on their way to Canterlot. By the time they were halfway there, Twilight had finally managed to stop worrying about Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense and kept her mind occupied by talking with the others.

"I still can't believe we're about to witness such a cosmological event" she was saying "A pony witnesses something like this only once in their lifetime".

"Except for the princesses" Rarity pointed out "This is probably routine for them".

"We do have to remember that this is a special occasion for Princess Celestia" Fluttershy spoke up "It's the first one she's enacted since her sister was freed".

"My, I believe you're right, Fluttershy, dear" Rarity realized.

"Hay, if you think that's something" Rainbow Dash said excitedly "I hear that the Wonderbolts are going to put on a show following the eclipse".

"Ah shoulda figured" Applejack said with a shake of her head "Yah always get excited when the Wonderbolts are involved".

"Well, I hope that the eclipse has a better display of colors than I saw the day I got my cutie mark" Pinkie Pie said.

"Hold on" Rainbow Dash said "That display you saw was created by my sonic rainboom. Are you saying that you hope the eclipse is more exciting than my sonic rainboom?"

"Don't be silly, Dashie" Pinkie said "I'm just saying that I hope the eclipse fills me with warmer feelings than when I was on that rock farm".

"Well, okay. Just wanted to clear that up" Dash said, relieved.

"I too look forward look forward to the spectacular display of light during the eclipse" Rarity agreed with Pinkie's sentiment "One can never have too much inspiration for outfit designs".

"I hope that Princess Celestia will let me throw an Eclipse Party afterwards" Pinkie said.

"I'm surprised she didn't send a message asking you to host one" Twilight pointed out, causing everypony to laugh.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt" Spike spoke up over the laughter "But it looks like we're here".

Everypony then looked out the window. Sure enough, they had reached the train station at Canterlot. Still, as the train pulled in, and everypony was excited about the day's events, Twilight couldn't help but think back to her nervousness that something could go wrong.

Deep within the underground cavern, the dark force under the large circular tablet with the crest of the alicorns was growing anxious. It knew it didn't have much longer to wait before it would be free. As the time drew near, it could sense the seal's power growing weaker. The cracks in the tablet began to slowly grow, and as they did more and more of the blackish purple substance continued to ooze out. It wouldn't be long now.

As the group disembarked the train, they were greeted by the royal guards who bowed before Twilight. Along with them were Twilight's older brother Shining Armor and his wife Princess Cadence.

"Hey, Sis" Shining said as he approached his little sister "How's the newest alicorn princess doing?"

"I'm fine, Shinning Armor" Twilight said before turning to the kneeling guards "Just having a hard time adjusting to having ponies bow when I walk by".

"I know how you feel" Cadence sympathized "When Aunt Celestia had me coronated, it took me a month to get use to the way ponies treated me differently".

"Yeah, but you knew it was going to happen" Twilight said "I never expected anything like this to happen to me".

"Well, if it makes you feel any better" Shining Armor spoke up "While I'm obligated to treat you as a princess, I'll still think of you as my little sister".

Twilight smiled as she hugged her brother "Thanks, Shinning".

"Well, then" Cadence said "I think it's time we meet up with Aunt Celestia and Luna".

With that, Shining Armor and Cadence lead the group to the castle. As they walked through the streets, ponies they happened to pass took the time to bow before both Cadence and Twilight. Eventually, they reached the castle. There, standing on the steps, were Celestia and Luna.

"Nice that you and your friends could join us today, Twilight" Celestia said warmly.

"It's good to see you, Princess Celestia" Twilight said happily.

"No need to be so formal with me now, Twilight" Celestia said with a smile "As a fellow princess, you are allowed to refer to me as just Celestia".

Twilight chuckled sheepishly "And I thought having ponies bow before me was going to take some getting use to".

"I'm sure you'll have no problem adjusting" Celestia said gently "After all, your friends have already adjusted to the fact that they are best friends with a princess".

Twilight turned to the others, who confirmed what Celestia said with a simultaneous nod, causing Twilight to happily smile.

"Well, now that the formalities are done with" Princess Luna said in her usual loud manner "We have an eclipse to carry out!"

"While you still need to work on your indoor voice, you are quite right, my dear sister" Celestia concurred "Come. To the town square!"

The force behind the seal was becoming excited. It knew its liberation was only moments away. Soon, very soon, it would rule Equestria once again.

Upon reaching the square, the group discovered a large crowd had already formed.

"My, it seems the entire city has turned out to see this event" Rarity commented.

"Well, what do you expect, silly?" Pinkie Pie asked "This is a once in a pony's lifetime event".

Fortunately, as one of the royal alicorns and friends of said royal, Twilight and the others managed to get a view in the front of the crowd while Shining Armor and Cadence stayed off to the side. They then watched as Celestia and Luna walked out into the center of the square before turning to face the crowd.

"We welcome everypony to the celebration of the Equestrian Eclipse" Luna called out for all to hear, for once her loud voice being necessary "An event that occurs only once every 1,000 years where Princess Celestia and myself bring the sun and moon into perfect alignment".

"Indeed" Celestia said happily " And this occasion is made even more grand as this is the first one I share with my sister following her freedom from the dark force that poisoned her mind thanks to the brave efforts of Princess Twilight and her friends".

Upon being mentioned, Twilight and the others merely waved to the group as they applauded.

"Now, please enjoy the spectacle that is about to unfold" Celestia said before turning to Luna and nodding.

The horns of both alicorns began to glow, and as they did, everypony looked up into the sky to see the moon coming in front of the sun. Watching in amazement, they oohed and awed at the sight before them.

"I can't believe this is happening!" Twilight whispered excitedly.

Just then, a certain pink party pony felt her tail twitch.

"Hooves burning! Hooves burning!" Pinkie Pie cried.

"Oh, no" Twilight groaned "Not now, Pinkie!"

"I'm sorry, I can't help it" the earth pony said "But I just got the worst feeling all over".

"Ah thought yah said yah couldn' tell what was going to happen?" Applejack asked

"I still can't tell" Pinkie admitted over the cheers of all the ponies as the sun and moon came together "But something in my gut tells me that it's something really bad. Worse than anything we've ever faced!"

Through a crack in the ceiling of the chamber that had been made during the previous quake, the combination of light and shadow of the eclipse shined through and onto the stone in the center of the chamber. The dark force was pleased. The moment had arrived. At long last, the seal was finally at its weakest.

It was time.

"Are you sure about this, Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Totally" Pinkie Pie said with a nod "Something really icky is going to happen".

Twilight gulped, her earlier fear of something terrible happening returning. "Alright, then we better warn Celestia and Luna. When's it happening?"

Pinkie Pie looked up into the sky to see the sun and the moon separate before letting out her answer in a small meep.

"Now".

No sooner did Pinkie say that word, then the city suddenly began to shake like a herd of dragon were passing by, causing everypony to be thrown off their hooves. Suddenly, the ground split apart, buildings toppled over, and ponies ran screaming for cover, breaking up the happy event.

"Cadence, look out!" Shining Armor shouted before shoving his wife out of the way of falling rubble.

"Thanks, Shining" Cadence said "But what's happening?"

"I don't know, but everypony is in danger" he said before turning toward his men "Protect the citizens and get them to safety immediately!"

Meanwhile, Twilight and her friends found themselves in the center of the disaster.

"N-Now I know what an apple feels like during tree bucking season!" Applejack cried as she tried to stay on her hooves.

"Pinkie Pie, would you please let go of me?!" Rarity shouted as she tried to pry herself loose from the nervous party pony.

"P-Please make it stop" Fluttershy whimpered while being comforted by Rainbow Dash.

"W-W-What's going on?!" was all Twilight could ask.

The alicorn seal was at the epicenter of the quake. As it violently shook, the small cracks in it grew and spread rapidly. Suddenly, the seal exploded, sending debris flying in all directions.

Where it was now was a huge fist made of the same blackish-purple substance that had been seeping through the cracks in the slab. The fist wavered and quivered a bit before it morphed and was replaced by a single, sinister red eye.

The eye looked around to survey its surroundings before it dove back down into the hole the seal used to be with an unearthly moan. A few seconds later, a torrential flood of the ooze began to flow upward from the hole and fill the chamber.

At the same time the alicorn seal broke, there was a sound like an explosion going off.

"What was that?" Shining Armor asked.

"It came from outside the city!" Celestia cried "Everyone, back to castle!"

With that, Celestia fled back to the palace, her sister close behind and Twilight and the others following. The group managed to make it there in record time. As they ran out onto the balcony, they witnessed a huge field miles away from the castle at the center of the shaking. For some reason, the sky above the field began to turn dark. Then before their pony eyes, a gigantic fissure opened up in the field. As the group watched, the fissure grew upward into a small mountain.

"What is that? A volcano?" Rainbow Dash asked.

From out of the newly formed mountain erupted the black-purple slime that had broken free of the seal in the underground chamber. Blobs of the gunk rained down onto the field while a majority of it poured down the mountainside. What was really weird about it was that many faces seemed to be bobbing up and down through the muck while moaning, each one with razor sharp teeth and sinister red eyes. It eventually formed a large pool at the base of the mountain. Then, shockingly, what looked like an arm rose out of the slime and hurled a glob of itself at the side of Canterlot Mountain, striking it with surprisingly destructive force and causing a small rock slide which fortunately didn't fall over the city.

"Wha in tarnation is that glop?" Applejack asked.

"Definitely not lava" Twilight commented.

"And I thought Sweetie Belle's toast was unappealing" Rarity spoke up.

"Look what it's doing to the field!" Rainbow Dash cried. Sure enough, the mucky substance caused the grass in the field to turn black and the flowers to wither upon contact.

"Oh, my" Fluttershy said nervously.

While Twilight and her friends were at a loss as to what was happening, Princess Celestia, whose eyes had widened in horror when the fissure first cracked open, seemed to have an idea.

"No" she whispered "It can't be".

"Celestia? What's wrong? Twilight asked, seeing her former mentor and fellow princess terrified "What is that stuff?"

Celestia just stood there, transfixed at what she was witnessing. When she finally spoke, she answered with just one word.

"Smooze".

TBC…