Bold: Brave Beginning

Shiera hid behind a large dead tree. She was breathing heavily. There was noise and movement all around her.

She looked up into the night. Darkness is coming, she thought, is this what that pony had meant?

"Where are you Strongbolt?" She asked the air.

She heard footsteps from behind the tree, she gulped.

Shiera arrived on the platform and took in the fresh air.

"Who would have thought two hours on a train could feel so long?" She exclaimed.

Strongbolt, who was dragging a bag out of the train door, replied with: "Yer, derd terk lernger thern I therght it werd."

"You need to stop speaking with your mouth full." She laughed. Strongbolt spat the handle out and swung the bag over his back.

"The hotel is just down the road from here." He said.

They exited the station and trotted down the dirt road. Small buildings with hay roofs were placed evenly apart on either side of the path, each building had a small patch of grass surrounding it.

"Sure is different to Canterlot here." Shiera said, admiring the scenery. Strongbolt seemed more interested in investigating the town; his eyes did not stop moving.

"Everything alright?" She asked. Strongbolt stopped and turned to Shiera like he had only just noticed her existence.

"What? Oh, uh yeah." He replied anxiously. Shiera put her hoof on his back, her face was sympathetic.

"Lighten up," she said, "there's nothing to worry about. I promise." Strongbolt looked into her eyes.

"You're right." He said. "I need to stop being so paranoid. This is our vacation, we're going to enjoy it."

He looked past her. " Is that our hotel?"

She followed his view and saw a large blue building with a sign that read: 'Ponyville Inn.'

"That's the one." She replied.

The reception was fairly empty, except for the receptionist, a young mare with a light grey coat and long white hair. She looked up through her spectacles at Strongbolt and Shiera.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Yes," said Shiera, "we've booked in for a room."

"Name?" The receptionist asked.

"Strongbolt Stonewing and..." She hesitated. "Shiera."

"Shiera?"

"Well, um..."

"Try Cherry Berry." Strongbolt finished.

"Oh yes, we received a letter from you not long ago." She handed him a key. "Room Twenty Four."

"Thanks..." Shiera replied, her tone seemed less excited and Strongbolt noticed.

"You okay?" He asked when they were out of the receptionist's earshot. She nodded. She had never liked using her real name, however, she had never fully explained why, just said that she had never liked Cherry Berry, hence why she went by 'Shiera' instead.

"Let's see now," said Strongbolt counting the doors, "twenty two, twenty three and twenty four, here we are." He unlocked the door and let Shiera in first before following afterwards. Shiera lay her bags on the table and lay down on the sofa. She stared at the ceiling for a while before watching Strongbolt patrol the rooms and unpack their luggage. He stopped when he realised she was still lying there.

"You sure you're alright?" He asked again.

"What? Oh yeah, just a little tired from the trip." She reassured him.

"Maybe take a rest for a while?" He suggested.

"I thought that was what I was doing." She said in a tired voice.

"Well, it's not like we're getting any sleep tonight anyway, not with the Summer Sun Celebration going on. Tell you what, I'll go take a look around town and you sleep for a while. By the time I get back the festival should be about to begin."

"Won't you be tired?" She questioned.

"I slept on the train." He countered.

She considered his offer for a while and then said: "Sure, I'll see you later then."

We waved at her from outside of the door before abruptly shutting it behind him. She stared at the spot where he had previously been for a minute, then turned over, lay back and closed her eyes.

Shiera had a strange dream in those brief moments of slumber. She was high up above Equestria, and looking down she could see all the different cities and towns. She soon realized she was dreaming: she was flying without wings.

Strongbolt is lucky that he's a Pegasus, she thought, he can do this whenever he wants.

"Quite true." Said a mare's voice as a pale peach pony wearing a cloak materialized in front of her. "Although I hear it's not so much fun during storms."

Who is this? Shiera thought. I don't remember seeing her before, why is she in my dream?

"Again, quite true." Said the cloaked pony. "My name is Iris." For some reason, despite her being in a dream, Shiera was shocked.

"You can hear my thoughts?" She asked.

"This is a dream." Said the pony. "Technically we are standing inside your mind at this moment. It makes sense that I can hear what you are thinking because, well, this is where your thoughts are coming from."

Shiera was momentarily baffled. "What are you?" The pony was examining the world below her.

"You must have a vast imagination to conjure up images such as this, it is quite beautiful."

"You didn't answer my question." Sheira implored.

"But it will not stay this way for long. Darkness is coming, be ready. Our hopes rely on just six little ponies."

"Why are you telling me this? How do you know this?" Shiera was worried now.

"I would say it has already begun." She pointed towards the world below, everything was growing dark.

"Be careful Shiera." She continued. "You and your husband have a larger role to play in this story than you may think. Speaking of Strongbolt..."

Shiera felt a hoof touch her shoulder and the world around her crumbled into the hotel room.

"Are you alright?" Strongbolt asked urgently.

"Yeah." She lied. "I was just having... a bad dream."

"You had me worried there." He sighed in relief. "You were shaking in your sleep." He seemed more scared than she was. She hugged him and said: "Don't worry about it." She looked at the clock on the wall.

"Is that the time already? The celebration starts in a few minutes, we should get going." Strongbolt agreed and they set off into the red glow of the afternoon sun.

By the time they had reached the town hall it was already night. Strongbolt had spent most of the journey explaining the various landmarks and shops every time they passed them. Ponies filled the room, most from Ponyville, some from other places. Shiera thought she saw Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor's sister, however, she lost sight of her quickly in the crowd.

A young Pegasus flew up to a group of birds and commanded them like an orchestra, they began tweeting in tune. A beige mare with light grey hair, gold spectacles and a white shirt collar walked up to the stage at the back of the room, a spotlight fell on her.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts," she said, "as mayor of Ponyville it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!" Ponies cheered and applauded.

"In just a few moments," The Mayor continued, "our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this, the longest day of the year. And now it is my great honour to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria, Princess Celestia!"

The curtains above her opened to reveal and empty space. There were various murmurs amongst the crowd.

"Remain calm everypony," said the Mayor, "there must be a reasonable explanation." A white unicorn with stylish purple hair appeared in the hollow room.

"She's gone!" She said.

"Um, Strongbolt?" Shiera looked at him with a worried face. Strongbolt returned the look and shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly, there was a scream and a cloud of purple mist formed on the stage, and took the shape of a dark pony, similar to Princess Celestia, but with a moon cutie mark and dark blue and purple armor. Everyone gasped.

Shiera said' "It can't be..."

The dark princess laughed.

"Shiera who is that?" Strongbolt asked urgently, but she just stood there watching.

"Oh my beloved subjects," said the princess, "it's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun loving faces."

"Shiera!" Strongbolt yelled.

"It's Nightmare Moon..." She replied weakly.

"You mean the mare in the moon? Celestia's sister? How do you know?"

"I told you to read more." She replied brusquely.

"What did you do with our princess?" A light blue pony with rainbow hair shouted.

"Why? Am I not royal enough for you?" Nightmare Moon laughed. "Don't you know who I am? Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?"

"I did!" A voice called from the front.

"Twilight?" Strongbolt said.

"And I know just who you are," the voice, which did belong to Shining Armor's younger sister Twilight Sparkle, continued, "you're the mare in the moon... Nightmare Moon." Everyone gasped again.

"I guess Twilight did her research to..." Shiera murmured.

"Well, well, then. Somepony remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here?" Nightmare Moon called down to her.

"You're here to... to..." She stuttered.

The Princess laughed, "Remember this day little ponies, because it was your last, from this moment forth the night will last forever!" She shot a beam of smoke into the sky and laughed maniacally.

"Seize her!" The Mayor yelled. "Only she knows where the Princess is!" Nightmare Moon watched the array of gaurds fly towards her.

"Stand back you foals!" She shouted at them and knocked them back with lightning. Shiera and Strongbolt were speechless.

Nightmare Moon gave one last cackle before returning to her purple smoke form and launching herself out of the doors.