Twilight Hour, The end of a day under the sunny rule of Celestia where she put the sun to rest for another evening before her sister raised the moon to guard over Equestria at night.

Celestia had just completed her duty as she finished lowering the sun. She smiled to herself as the last glimpse of it's golden rays slipped away. She nodded to Luna and then wandered into the palace to allow Luna her space to raise the moon.

It's last rays were fading fast, the rosy pink painting the horizon quickly being replaced by the bruised blue and purple of a clear evening.

This was Luna's moment. Inhaling the cool, crisp, evening air deeply, she began slowly raising the moon. It was a new moon. The tiniest sliver of a silver smile in the night sky. Steadily the moon rose until it had reached it's resting place for the night, then Luna began painting the sky with stars: Large and unblinking supernovas, tiny, twinkling stars that seemed to Luna like dancers, and all other stars in between.

Stars were a secret favourite of Luna's. There was something mysterious and tragic about the way they danced and seemed always out of reach, to even her, the princess of the night, who knew the moon as well as she knew herself knew only that she could move the stars and nothing else of them. Luna felt that perhaps the stars were not a part of her. That they seemed to have a purpose and life of their own. She felt that nopony owned the night. It was almost as if they were like a bird. Wild and free. Not something to be tampered with or tamed. At least not by her. And if not by her, the princess of the night. Then by whom? No. The stars were things that belonged to nopony.

Looking up at her beautiful sky, Luna placed one last dancing star and then proceeded to doing her night fly, visiting the sleeping colts and fillies, soothing their nightmares and bringing with her warm, happy dreams on a light breeze. It was Luna's job, along with bringing the night, to ensure that all of the ponies in Equestria were soothed in their sleep. That they were protected in their dreams from the mosters in their minds that plagued them.

As Luna continued her journey over Equestria, she passed Fillydelphia, Appaloosa, Manehatten and eventually reached the end of her flight at the edge of the Everfree forest. Here, she slowed, stalled and came to a smooth landing in a barely-lit, quiet, clearing. She loved this part of Equestria. It was so still and serene. Bathed only in the silver light of the moon with no lights from the larger towns, no dreams came to this part of Equestria either. To others it was a dangerous and lonely place. To Luna it was a haven and this was were Luna came to reflect.

She walked for a while, taking to some time to revel in the majesty of her glorious night. She did not understand how so many ponies could not see the mysterious beauty of the night. The night afforded so many things day could not. It allowed a pony to reach into the very depths of their own soul. Allowed them to see the beauty of their secret selves that every pony had but few knew how to reach. She felt particularly strongly about this tonight. There was something different about this night however. Something was different about it, something she did not understand. She was the Princess of the night! She dominated any changes, she created the differences! But not this night. And it bothered her.

Just as she came to the end of her musings, Luna reached a small lake, not more then a pond really, and as she stepped to the waters, she sang a high, quiet melody that matched the dancing rythm of the stars.

A few moments later, A white unicorn with a free flowing pearl coloured mane and tail with a deep purple and gold moonflower cutie mark appeared followed by a Sea blue pegasus with a slightly darker, ragged and haphazard mane and tail and a firefly cutie mark.

'Good evening Moonflower, Evening Nightlight'

Greeted Luna

'How does it fare with my most two loyal subjects?'

'Good evening princess' Adressed Moonflower,bowing low.

'I have no complaints, the moonflowers are blossoming beautifully, They are almost ready for the summer equinox'

'Excellent' Smiled Luna

'And what about you Nightlight?'

'I too am content' smiled the pegasus

'My night flight practice has been going well, I have almost completed my lesson on galaxy clouds. And may I compliment you on a beautiful sky this evening.'

'Thank you Nightlight' murmerd Luna

The conversation regarding the general state of evening affairs continued for some time before the Princess and her two companions eventually began to settle down into their routine of general nightime merriment. This meeting was a monthly occurance. A time where Luna taught other night ponies, ponies, who like her, revelled in and thrived in the misunderstood beauty of darkness. This was where she groomed them to be her companions and confidants of the night. A time where she too learned new things of the night but most of all a time where Luna could be herself without the pressure of being a Princess. She too was a pony afterall.

This night, however, as Luna had sensed was not an ordinary night and at what must have just been past what she called the witching hour, something extraordinary happened.

Author's Note

Characters in this chapter:

-Luna

-Moonflower: Moonflower is a unicorn of my own invention, she is white in coat colour with a pearl mane and tail and a Moonflower Cutiemark. Her Unicorn ability is to grow and utilize the properties of the moonflower, a magical plant that can only thrive in the moonlight and whose magic must be enhanced by that of a unicorn with the gift for it to be effective. In my story, the Moonflowers properties are: It can heal, it has the ability to expose unknown magics and it is also one of the ingredients in an uncomplete youth serum.

-Nightlight: Nightlight is a blue Pegasus pony with a firefly Cutiemark. She is similar to most Pegasi with no particular outstanding ability with the exception of she loves to and can fly exceptionally well at night or in the darkness. I have made her a wonderbolt in training, under Luna's request to better her flying skills, based on her ability to fly in the dark. However this will not play a large role in the story.

-Witching hour: An old/alternative name for midnight.

This chapter is somewhat of a prologue. The story will develop with time. Have mercy. I have not written in years and fanfiction even less so.