Equestria Fantasy I

    The dawn could not have come any faster for Twilight. The music down below ran rampant all through the night with the sounds of happy residents. Twilight Sparkle thanked Celestia when the time to rise came about, groggily sitting up and yawning. She felt as dead as a doornail, her eyelids heavy with unclaimed sleep. Gently shivering, her body begged for Twilight to go back down into the warm grip of her blankets, but alas she had a duty to her princess to uphold. The sounds of drunken ponies still lingering down below as she slid out of her little nest, the gentle glow of pre-dawn kissing her face. With each slow step her hooves brought her to her bathroom, her morning routine washing the sleep from her body like shed skin. When she emerged in her new robes her hair was done just right, her horn buffed and new bangles on her wrist. All this lavishness for the Princess, but any Canterlotian knew that to look regal was to be proper.

     Slowly she came down the stairs, ponies leaving through the door to go to the town hall. She found Spike curled up in his bed by a windowsill, a small smile curling her lips up. There were times she felt so motherly for her familiar, other times like a big sister with the patience of a bee. She found Pinkie Pie sitting on a chair with her legs crossed and her hands clasped around a mug of beer. Twilight was about to ask of she was legal to drink that, but then again this girl was so weird that she stopped caring at this point.

     "Hello Twilight! I see somepony missed the party last night!" Her perky attitude had no end it felt, the pink girl had a boundless container of spunk and emotion. Twilight uncrossed those thick legs of hers, stood up, and strode across the room to the other," What's with the duds Twilight?"

     "They're not 'duds' Pinkie, they're royal robes. In fact they're my royal robes that are traditionally worn for occasions like this..." Twilight Sparkle had no patience for this silly filly, but then again she was elated someone noticed that she was dressed up for the occasion. This strange girl was the only pony she had seen from yesterday, maybe now was a good time for questions as she got ready for the sunrise." So Pinkie, why did you gasp and run when you saw me?" A tea kettle was placed on the stove, Twilight motioning to Pinkie who nodded back as a yes to the tea.

     "Oh! That's because I had never seen you before! I just knew you were new from the moment I laid eyes on you!! I missed the airship landing, so I just figured you were the diplomat landing in Ponyville. I never thought you'd be so youthful though..."

     " Is that bad?" Twilight looked up from the cups she was putting the tea bags into.

     "No, just always thought that you were the assumption that anyone working for Celestia was old and wrinkly, not fun at all! Or gorgeous!!" Pinkie's face became attentive as she leaned forward to stare at the other.

      "O-oh? W-well thank you Miss Pie..." Twilight wasn't sure how to respond to that. In Canterlot the compliments were always generally just formal and polite, mostly because of her status as Celestia's personal ward.

     "Pinkie Pie! " The correction was quick and to the point, so curt for someone who was so high energy, although the formality of the moment was lost when she threw a party in the library.

     "Right..." Twilights response was quick, putting out the teacups and pouring the water for the other. The tea was hastily downed, Twilight keeping track of the time as she did spells to clean up her house. "Such a mess..."

     "Oh...yeah, sorry about that. I meant to clean up while you were at the summer sun celebration but being in your new house without your permission would be weird," she was too perky for having partied all night. Twilight felt like a rock...just how???

     "Just a little, but I do appreciate the offer Miss...erm. Pinkie." Her gaze went up to her clock, her pace suddenly quickened.

     “Pinkie Pie the celebration is about to start! We have to go! I have to go! Ooooh!” She looked at Spike sleeping and decided he wasn’t coming, especially since he was still a baby and needed his sleep. Pinkie Pie was quick to jump up and exit the building before Twilight could grab the key to her front door. In the scramble she forgot to turn off lights and blow out candles, but she doubted that any real danger would come about. The candles were old and kept going out, in fact she was sure they were all almost extinguished. Her hooves pounded against the ground as her heart raced in her chest. How dare she be late for Princess Celestia’s raising of the sun, her most faithful student indeed…

“Miss Twilight Sparkle!” A voice called to her, a colt with a white coat in heavy armor approaching her.

            “Your viewing spot has been reserved, please follow me.” and with that he walked through the crowd, cutting it like a warm knife in butter with Twilight following close behind. She watched the others speak in hushed voices and fawn over her, what Pinkie said coming to her mind. She blushed, feeling some kind of pride she had never felt before, was it a genuine emotion? She couldn’t be sure. Bumping into the guard she laughed a little and bowed, thanking him and taking her spot in the town hall.

Her eyes went around the crowd, finding the people she had been introduced to; Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and even Pinkie Pie. All of them unique and just as colorful as the ponies back home which was surprising. She had expected dullness and awful education all around, stuff of gossip and general down speaking. Ponyville was the commoner’s village, where the races came to mingle and the poor and desolate settled down. Well...that’s what had been flown around her ears all her life between the general civilians and upper crusts of Canterlot. However, Celestia had taught her to be kind and open, loving and see oneself as equal to the peers around her. The advice still never really helped the prejudices burned into her personality throughout life. Even her parents and brother weren’t without some kind of dislike, her parents especially. The only thing that came out of Shining Armor’s mouth regarding such a thing was when he got incompetent guards in his squad. She giggled a bit thinking about it, images of childhood coming up as well. She would miss her brother while she was here, but perhaps she didn’t have to stay here too long. She desperately hoped not, but only because she couldn’t stand being here any longer. She did admit they were kind, but way too touchy feely for her to enjoy.

The lights began to dim, the crowds hushed whispers going silent. Morning birds could be heard singing notes high and glorious to the sun that brought them great joy and light. There was a sudden scent on the air, the start of dew. That’s what it was, sweet dew and a little chill that came with that tome of the morning. When the earth got a good chance to cool off and take a breather from the warmth of the sun.

There the Mayor took her stand, her grey mane waved so carefully and pinned in all the right places. She wore a suite that was pleasant to the eyes, a little green ribbon around her neck under the collar. Her tiny glasses were adjusted as she cleared her throat, the crowd looking up at her intently for news of the Princess. Every year all of Ponyville had hoped for a chance to hope the Summer Sun Celebration would be hosted right in there hometown. Every few years Celestia would move the party outside of Canterlot, and here she was. Everyone was so elated that several parties were thrown at once. Even the Mayor had been to them, seen undone and drunk for the first time in ages.

“Ladies and Gentlecolts. Many of you, including I, are honored to have Princess Celestia herself in our presence. As many of you know this is a big step for Ponyville, and as a town we are honoured to have her highness in our presence. Let us all take a round of applause for our Princess! Everpony Princess Celestia!” She stood to the side as the curtains behind her drew and the spotlights focused where the Princess wa-

Or Should be...

The Mayor was the first to be alarmed, Twilight Sparkle the second. The guards were third as the crowd gasped right behind them, galloping to the stage and hustling ponies out of the way to investigate the area. Twilight Sparkle stepped forward, her eyes going up to the moon. No way...and the Princess wouldn’t listen to her. The other girls from earlier took notice to how she was reacting to this situation, coming forward to question her before the moon suddenly darkened, and a great shadow filled the room.

The Shadow was unusual, like stars in a dark blanket. It was like the night sky in a wisp of smoke, a burden on the daylight that wasn’t coming. A great laugh echoed through the hall, the ponies quickly panicking and beginning to shout. The guards were huddled where it began to gather, their spears and swords out to defend themselves. The laugh grew and grew until it was a cacophony of sound equaling cannon fire. The mist formed to create the form of a beautiful woman in a gorgeous armor. It was both sexy and a little ridiculous with the design in mind for combat. There were long pieces of silk that flowed from all around, almost like a delicate cloud of elegance around her. Her skin was dark as the night, her eyes a regal blue, her teeth like shark teeth and her horn long and sharp. Her wings were folded at her side but clearly this Alicorn before them was not the kind Princess they all knew.

“Well well well, what a wonderful gathering you have here…” She eyed around the crowd, “I’ve been gone for so long...I wonder how many of you know who I am? Hm??” she stood and scratched her chin, her slitted eyes settling on the Mayor as if she would know. She appeared to become angry as the seconds ticked on. Her arm raised before someone’s voice echoed above all the others.

“Nightmare Moon!” Twilight Sparkle stepped forward once more.

“Well now, finally someone who knows my name.” She cackled again and stared out the window, the sun setting as she laughed more. “It doesn’t matter, I have your precious precious Princess! You will never see her again so long as I’m around, there is no pony as strong as I!” She chortled again as the guards were thrown across the room. The crowd exploded in shrieks, the Mayor jumping over the balcony into the people below. She was caught with open hands who helped her to safety, Twilight Sparkle also being pulled back by the crowd. They wanted to keep everyone away from the beast at the platform above. It was clear that the alicorn before them was elated in this reaction, her chuckling erupting into heinous laughter.

“I think I will be queen here for a long time, maybe I will move my castle outside the town instead of in Canterlot…” She felt that the fear in the air was enough for her...for now. “Well now, I will see you guys sometime soon, I wish to talk with the purple one about what she knows.”

The lack of action against this newcomer was out of shock if anything, no one knew how to react to this. There were whispers and murmurs that elated into points at Twilight Sparkle. It wasn’t long before the five from before began to go quiet, a plan formulating amongst them through looks and nods. Twilight Sparkle was clearly getting flustered, her voice raising as she tried to defend herself. Slowly she moved towards the exit, finally her horn glowing as she winked out of the town hall. She appeared in her new living space, her heart pounding and her eyes filled with tears. She was frightened, frightened and upset. Where was her Princess? Why did Nightmare Moon Single her out? What was going on?