The Endby BluepawChaptersPrologue (Revised)Chapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter FivePrologue (Revised)The moon floated in a starlit sky. It was a quiet, cool night and Canterlot was dim, with only the moon and street lights keeping light in the area. Leaves stirred as a crisp breeze blew across the ground. Animals slept, curled up in their nests, as the ponies of Canterlot snored with their families. Some worked night shifts, waiting for their shift to end so they could finally go back to their families and get some rest. There were some fillies up in their beds, telling ghost stories, while mothers woke to their foal crying loudly. The castle was filled with guards sleeping away on their shift, propped up on their staffs, snoring slightly. Other than that, it was silent. The two royal sisters were asleep on their beds, one sleeping peacefully as the other tossed and turned, sweat beading down her face. She woke up, her eyes narrow and her breath heavy with shock. Looking around her room, she saw nothing but the cool blue colors. Sighing softly, she pushed her covers and thought about the dream that she just went through. She’s having terrible nightmares, she thought, looking down. She should tell her sister. She looked at the door before nodding to herself and walking towards it. The blue mare looked outside. Her beautiful night was once again being neglected. Though she knew that the ponies that lived in canterlot were dreaming happily in their beds. Sighing, she walked towards her sister’s room. She avoided the sleeping guards, knowing that she should probably wake them. It was silent in the castle. Though it might scare some ponies, the princess of the night was fine with. The moon was like this, and after one thousand, hearing nothing but the voices swarming around in her mind, she got used to it. She shook away when she reached Celestia’s room. The solar princess’ snoring could be heard outside the door. Luna opened the door, and looked at her sleeping sister. Trotting towards her, she shook her. “Celestia!” she hissed quietly. Her sister woke and turned to her sister, eyes wide. “Oh, it’s just you, Luna,” the princess said, looking down. “I thought you would be someone else.” Nodding softly to her sister, Luna waited for her sister to stand before speaking. “There is something important I must tell you,” she said, keeping her voice down. The light pink alicorn turned to Luna. “What is it?” she said. Princess Luna hesitated for moment. Then she quickly shook her head. Her sister needed to know this. “I was in Princess Twilight’s dreams, and I saw something terrible.” Taking a deep breath, she quickly thought the words through thoroughly “She’s been dreaming of our enemies, and I believe she might be dreaming of the future. I saw blood, and heard somepony screaming.” She stopped for a moment, shuddering at the thought of her savior’s dreams. She felt a hoof softly fall to her shoulder. “You don’t need to tell me anymore. We’ll boost up the security. The Gala is coming up very soon, and I’m sure that if they attack anytime soon, it will be then.” Nodding to her sister, she brushed her mane and gallopped to the throne room quickly. Luna sighed, and sat. Would they be able to save Equestria, or were they too late already. Author's Note Remade Chapter OneTwilight shifted back and forth in her cold bed. She looked around her dream, and she heard ponies screaming her name. She ran away from the shadows that were surrounding her. She was breathing heavily, and she covered her ears as she heard the shadows calling her name. Then she realized it wasn’t their voices. “Pinkie,” Twilight said, yawning, and rubbing her eyes. “You know I’ve been having strange dreams.” “Sorry, Twily, but if you slept a moment longer, we’d be late for the train.” Pinkie turned and she showed their dresses. Rarity held them on a little rail. “Rarity finished our dresses last night. Aren’t they pretty?” Twilight walked over to her dress, and pulled it out. “Careful, Twilight,” Rarity said. “That fabric’s delicate.” She saw it was purple with stars on it, and a transparent cape over the back. An earring was attached to it. It was golden outlined and it had pink inside it. Stars were at the bottom of it, and at the top was a golden neck piece. They heard a whistle outside, and Twilight quickly packed her stuff. Rarity grabbed brush so she could tend to Twilight’s tattered mane. They galloped to the train, and jumped in. They shut the door, and sat down. “I’m going to sleep,” Rarity said. “I’ve worked my plot off.” Twilight giggled, and nodded. “I can’t believe Shining’s and Cadence’s anniversary is during the Grand Galloping Gala this year! I’m so excited!” She looked at the other mares, and they were nodding in agreement. Suddenly, she felt her stomach growl. “Applejack, did you bring anything to eat.” After a long day on the train, they slept silently. “Princess Twilight,” a stallion said to her. “We have a special room for you.” He pointed to a door, and Twilight nodded. She didn’t want to argue, so she stepped in. She looked around the purple room, and sighed. She walked over to the bed, and lay her head down slowly. “Twilight!” something screamed. Twilight stared at a shadow in front of her. Green eyes glowed from inside of it, and she gasped. She ran away from it, once more, and she heard another scream of her name. This time she recognized it. It was Celestia’s voice! She woke up, and saw the room looming around her. She sighed heavily, and walked outside. She walked into the room where the other girls were sleeping. She saw the sun flying into the air. She yawned, and turned to Applejack. “A.J.,” she said, and she pushed her friend. “C’mon Applejack, we should get up. We’ll be arriving soon.” She groaned, and flopped to the other side. She sighed, and walked over to Rarity. “Rarity, time to wake up!” she yelled. Rarity’s eyes popped open, and she smiled. “Oh, yes!” she yelled, and walked over to Applejack. She ripped her covers off, and A.J. jumped up. “C’mon, Applejack, we’re arriving soon!” She looked at Pinkie Pie, and she was smiling. She stuffed some apple fritter into her mouth, and looked at Twilight. “Let’s do this,” she said, putting on some shades. “Where’d you get those?” Applejack asked as Twilight slammed her hoof onto her face. She looked at Applejack, and sighed. “You had to ask?” she said, and the orange mare rubbed the back of her head, smiling. “Never mind that, we need to go soon. Get your stuff out of the carriers, and we’ll be off in a minute.” She packed up her books once more, and remembered she left her brush in her room. “Be right back, girls. I need to grab something.” She walked into her room, and heard something. “Oh, Twilight,” it said. “I’ve miss you so much.” She turned and saw two red and green eyes with purple shining around them. “We never got to play together like you did with Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Queen Chrysalis.” His eyes became brighter as he came closer. “Remember me, Princess Twilight.” Twilight growled, and ran over to the shadowy pony. “Twilight!” somepony yelled. She turned, but when she looked back to the pony, he was gone. “Twilight!” the pony yelled again, and Twilight turned to see Rarity in front of her. “C’mon, Twilight, it’s time to go!” Twilight nodded, but quickly looked back to where the pony was standing. Pinkie Pie was bouncing up and down next to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She was smiling from ear to ear, and then she suddenly ran over to Twilight. "Aren’tyouexcitedcauseI’mexcitedIcouldjustburstwithhappinessImeanShiningArmourandCadencehavebeentogetherforsolongit’ssoocoolrightApplejack?”Pinkie Pie quickly finished her sentence when Applejack nodded in agreement. Twilight giggled, and they walked out of the train, their hooves clopping slowly on the pavement. Canterlot was sparkling brightly. Ponies worked carefully, cleaning each tower, home, and castle in the town. Twilight stared at her former home, and sighed. They walked through town when Twilight started to get a headache. She felt lightheaded as she walked through the large city, and she stared to groan. Heat started to close around her, and she looked at the girls. ‘Why would it be so hot? It’s the middle of autumn!’ She kept walking, not saying anything about her terrible migraine. Her eyes started to become unfocused as they traveled more and more through the colorful city. Ponies looked at her, and bowed. She forced a smile and waved to them. Pain shot through her head once more, and she looked at Rarity. Rarity gasped, and Twilight started to fall over. “Twilight, you look awful. Rainbow, pick her up and fly Twilight the rest of the way. We’ll follow as fast as we can, and find Nurse Redheart. I think she’s in town.” Rainbow Dash saluted to the alabaster unicorn. She quickly picked up her friend, and started to fly as fast as she could. “Don’t worry, Twi,” she said, “we’ll be there soon.” She kept flapping her wings quickly, and eventually they were stopped by two wings. “Please, Princess Twilight needs help.” She put down the princess, and the guards nodded. “C’mon, Twi, you need some strength.” It was the first time Twilight heard Rainbow Dash beg to someone besides the Wonderbolts. She turned, but saw nothing but a blur. Moaning, she walked forward. She heard Celestia and Luna’s voices. Then Cadence’s came in. “Twilight has been having -” Luna stopped when she saw the magenta pony walk into the room. “Rainbow Dash, what’s wrong with Twilight?” she asked, but Rainbow sadly shrugged. “Where are the others?” The cyan Pegasus explained that they were getting Nurse Redheart, and Luna let out a sigh. “Okay, get her to the guest room. We’ll send in Nurse Redheart as soon as they get here. For now, she needs to rest.” Twilight was guided to the room she stayed in the night she met Sunset Shimmer. She laid her head to her pillow, and started to cough. “Good night, Princess,” a voice rang inside Twilight’s head. The voice belonged to Discord. Chapter TwoTwilight sat up when she heard hooves coming towards the door. After her terrible dream, she wanted to scream to make the pony go away. She kept her muzzle shut, and Nurse Redheart came inside. A mask covered her mouth, and her usually uncovered fur was covered with a red coat. Over it was a saddlebag with her cutie mark on it. She came over to Twilight, and touched a hoof to her head. “She has an awful fever. She just needs to drink some of this, and she’ll be fine by the day after tomorrow.” She gave Twilight a cup with purple liquid in it, which she drank down. “Oh, Nurse,” Fluttershy whispered. “I was, uh, wondering if I could take care of Twilight when you go back to Ponyville.” Twilight had almost forgotten that her friend had been working as a student for Nurse Redheart. She wanted to learn more about a pony’s body than an animal’s. Nurse Redheart looked thoughtful for a second, but then smiled. “Sure you can. I’m afraid I’ll have to leave right away. Look closely over your friend and check her temperature periodically. Pretty much anything you’d do for Angel Bunny if he were sick.” She was about to walk out the door when she paused and turned. “Just, don’t feed her carrots.” She started to laugh, and Flutters giggled. After Redheart left, Fluttershy looked at Twilight. She placed her hoof on her head, and then stuck a thermometer in her mouth. She looked at it and nodded. “Okay, Twilight, I’ll bring you some water. You can just rest for a while.” Twilight’s head sank to her pillow. She felt as if she could sleep forever. She sighed, and slipped into a light slumber. She heard a scream and pricked her ears. She saw red and black around her, and she heard another ear-splitting scream. She yelled as she covered her ears, and started to run. She then saw Fluttershy in front of her. “Fluttershy?” she asked, and she smiled. Tears formed in her eyes as she stepped in front of her friend, and froze when she saw her face. Blood dripped from her nose and mouth. She stared above Twilight, but her eyes were covered with blood; her pupils were huge as she stared above Twilight’s horn. Twilight slowly looked up, and her pupils shrank as she looked at the looming words. They were drawn with Fluttershy’s blood. She woke up, sweat dropping from her face. She felt much better than she did earlier, so she decided to get up and walk to the throne room. She felt as if she could fly and dance once more. She saw Princess Cadence in front of her, and she smiled. Cadence looked serious for a moment, and then smiled happily. “Sunshine, sunshine,” her former foalsitter started. Twilight kept her song going by getting low to the ground, and covering her eyes with her hooves. “Ladybugs awake!” she said happily. They then started to sing and do the motions together. “Clap your hooves, and do a little shake!” They finished they’re old song in unison, and they started to laugh. Princess Luna stepped forward, and propped up her niece. “I hope I am not interrupting your memories, but I believe we need to talk to you, Princess Twilight.” Luna looked into Twilight’s worried eyes, but the magenta pony turned her head away, and nodded. They walked to the four thrones. One had Celestia’s cutie mark, one with Luna’s, and the other two with Twilight’s and Cadence’s. Twilight sat down on hers when Celestia started to speak. “Strawberry,” she said, turning to a yellow pony with a bright red mane. “Please fetch the other elements.” Twilight wanted to tell her former mentor that they’re not only the elements, but her friends. “Thank you,” she said when the others walked in. Twilight flinched when she saw a small cut on Fluttershy’s leg. She stared at it, and Fluttershy blushed. “I cut myself on some glass outside. I’ll be okay. It wasn’t even bleeding that badly.” She smiled happily, and Twilight shook her head. Nothing is going to happen to Fluttershy, she told herself. “So, Princess, what did you need? And why are you up, Twilight? You should be resting.” This was the first time Twilight heard Fluttershy scold any pony besides one of her animals. “Fluttershy, I’m fine,” Twilight said. “I’m just hungry, that’s all.” Celestia started to laugh, and Twilight turned to her. “How could we forget? You mares just woke up. You must be starving! C’mon, c’mon, we’ll have Strawberry ask the cook for something big to eat.” She winked to Strawberry, and the pony walked into the kitchen. Celestia sat the six mares down, and ponies began bringing in appetizers. Twilight ate slowly. The appetizers weren’t anything special, just crackers with some cheese and an olive on a toothpick pushed through it. She still ate slowly, and turned to see the ponies were bringing in daffodil sandwiches, crispy hay, and some stuff Twilight didn’t even recognize. They set them down in the middle of the table, and her friends started to reach to grab things with their forks or magic. “Princess Twilight,” Luna began, after swallowing some soup the servants brought in. “I believe it’s time to tell you that I’ve been walking in your dreams. I see that you’ve been having awful nightmares, and I see that you’ve been seeing, um, certain ponies. I must say that these dreams mean something to everypony in Equestria.” She paused, and turned to Celestia. Her sister nodded. “Twilight,” she said. “I know you’ll hate doing this, but you need to tell us what has been happening in your dreams, and who you saw. Let’s start with tonight’s dream. If it makes you more comfortable your friends will go.” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I’m not leaving Twilight alone. She might need us.” Twilight looked at Rainbow, and she sighed. “I’m sorry, Rainbow, but you guys should leave. Especially Fluttershy; I don’t want her to hear this.” Rainbow Dash snorted, and flew off. The other mares followed, but Applejack stayed behind. “Y’all never said anything ‘bout me,” she said, smiling. “I can help ya through this, Twi, and ya know the others can too. Just let me stay. I want to hear this.” Twilight nodded, and turned away from her honest friend. She started to explain the shadows and running away from them. She then explained how the shadows always screamed at her. She finished with what she saw with Fluttershy. She started to sweat and breathe heavily. Her migraine came back, and she started to fall over. Applejack caught her, and looked at Celestia. “Get Fluttershy, quick.” Chapter ThreeTwilight opened her eyes, and felt wind blowing through her mane. It wasn’t the warm ocean breeze that you’d feel when you’re done swimming at the beach; it was a cold blast of wind that you’d feel if you were in a plane and you opened a window, for some reason. Twilight looked around, and saw only white until she walked farther into a more realistic part of the dream. She heard laughter, and then a familiar voice. “H-hello?” she asked, but it just echoed in her ears. She looked around and suddenly heard a screech of laughter. “Shiny, stop it!” the tiny voice yelled. Twilight began to run faster. “Stop, that tickles!” The little voice seemed to be familiar in her head, and as she got closer, she saw a magenta filly being jumped on by a white stallion. “Shiny, I’m a princess, and your my guard, you can’t attack me!” The magenta filly was running around a tree, and Twilight started to smile. This wasn’t a nightmare, it was a memory. But how did this happen? She then turned around involuntarily, and she saw once again, a magenta pony and a white stallion. The pony had grown to a mare, now, and she was staring at the white stallion. Tears were streaming down her face. “I-I’ll miss you, BBBFF,” she said, wiping a tear off her face. “I’ll come to visit some time, if that’s okay.” The white stallion smiled, and hugged the other Twilight. “Of course, Twily,” he said, tearing up as well. “I’ll always be here for you. No matter what happens, I will always be there.” A third memory came. She walked into an outside area where Shining Armor was with the other guards of the palace. As Twilight walked towards it, the guards raised their weapons. Shining came up, and took off his helmet. “Twily!” he yelled, running down the stairs. He put his hoof to her face, but she pushed away. Twilight stared at him coldly. “How dare you not tell me in person that you’re getting married?” She stared at him, and he looked away sadly. “I’m your sister for ponies- sake!” She turned around, and Twilight turned her head away. She knew what came next. It was too much of a fresh memory. Princess Cadence, well the impostor Princess Cadence, started crying in the new memory, and Twilight was smiling. “Why are you doing this to me?” Cadence said, and she ran off. Twilight definitely remembered that. It was the day before the wedding. She teleported in front of the door, and turned, smiling, happy that she had scolded her future sister-in-law; sadly when she looked up, she saw Shining glaring down at her. He started to scream at her, and Twilight felt a tear stream down her face. She turned around and saw Princess Luna in front of her. “Why are you showing me this?” she asked, staring into the green eyes of the princess. “Is there something wrong with Cadence? Or Shining-” Luna placed her hoof to Twilight's lips, and smiled. She turned, unfolded her wings, and flew off in front of Twilight. The new princess wasn’t very fond or good at flying, but she tried her best to keep up with the experienced princess. “Think about it, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” she said. “You’ve seen your friends, Cadence, Celestia, and me. What’s the difference between them and Shining Armor?” She turned and looked at Twilight. Before she could answer, Luna went on. “There is only one difference: Prince Shining Armor is not here.” Twilight started to think, and realized she was right. Where was her BBBFF? “B-but, where is he?” she asked. However, when she turned her head, Princess Luna was gone. She then saw all the white turn to black, and blood started to drip down the walls once more. “Twily!” somepony called. Twilight knew that voice in an instant. It screamed again: “Twily, help!” She started running, and she felt a hoof on her arm. “Wake up, Twilight!” a voice screamed. She covered her ears and she started to scream when she woke up. “Shining!” she yelled as she woke. She jumped out of bed, and, without noticing that Fluttershy was holding the medicine she needed, ran towards the balcony. “Shining!” she yelled again. She screamed it to the world, and Fluttershy gasped. “Twilight, calm down, please.” Fluttershy put her wing on Twilight’s nose, and pinched it. She opened her mouth, and put the medicine in. She then closed her mouth, and Twilight quickly swallowed to breathe again. “Twilight, you’re okay. Shining sent us a letter saying he’ll be here by tomorrow.” She looked at Fluttershy, her eyes still narrowed from fear, and nodded. She walked back into the castle and saw Princess Cadence. She sighed, and walked over to her sister, still shaking like a cold puppy. She looked at Celestia who was talking to Luna, alone and quietly. Cadence looked at her, and nuzzled her head softly. She slowly put her head to Cadence’s shoulder, and Celestia walked over to them. “Princess Cadence,” she said. “Could you please use the shield spell that Shining Armor used during the Changeling attack? We believe another creature is coming to try to destroy us.” The princess nodded, and walked outside. Twilight wanted to follow, but Celestia touched her wing to her shoulder. “Twilight, we need to talk.” They walked into Celestia’s room, and the white Alicorn gestured Twilight to a chair. Twilight sat down, and Celestia walked to her chair. “I must ask you one question: What has been in your dreams.” Twilight flinched as Celestia asked the question. What could she tell her? All of it was shadows and blood. What else was there? She then remembered when she saw Sombra on the train. Her eyes widened, and she focused on Celestia. She explained what she saw on the train, and Celestia nodded. She then turned away, and took a sip of her water. The green magical aurora surrounded the cup as she brought it to her lips, and she dipped her head back a little. Twilight looked at her glass, and she picked it up. She took a small sip, and looked back at Celestia. Celestia looked back at Twilight. “Okay, Twilight,” she said. “That’s all I had to ask of you.” Twilight started to feel better about the day, and when she saw Cadence walking towards her, she smiled. “Cadence!” she said, smiling. “What did Shining Armor need so badly that he couldn’t wait a while to get it? And, why are you wearing that dress?” Cadence smiled, and blushed. “This dress was the one Rarity gave me for the Grand Galloping Gala. And Shining has to attend the one in The Crystal Empire. I-it’s not safe there for me, so he volunteered to stay and help. So I went to this one.” She smiled again, and Twilight stood next to her sister. “So, how are you and Shiny?” Twilight asked, and Cadence turned her head away. “Are you okay, Candy?” She looked at her sister, calling her sister the cute nickname she came up with when she was about 10. “You look sad.” Cadence shook her head, and looked at Twilight. “I’m fine, Twily,” she said, and she looked at her chest. “Just...fine.” She turned away, and waved her tail to Twilight. Rainbow Dash tapped Twilight on the shoulder, and smiled at her. “It looks like Cadence is in a pickle,” she said, holding a jar of pickles. She started laughing, and Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’ve been waiting to use that joke.” She rolled on the ground, tears streaming down her face. “Y-you’re an idiot, Dash,” Twilight said, giggling. She walked away from her dying friend, and she walked into her room. She lay down into her bed, and started to laugh. She started to laugh and laugh until Spike came in. “Hi, Twily,” he said, smiled. Spike had been gone for two months. He was on important duty with Canterlot officials. He smiled, and Twilight ran up to hug him. “I’ve missed you, Twi.” His voice sounded strange and scratchy. “Sorry ‘bout my voice, I had to scream a lot.” Twilight’s tears streamed down her magenta fur, and she started to laugh again. He laughed with her, and they both hugged each other, laughing and breathing heavily. The next day, Twilight ran towards the front door. Her dreams had been more memories of her and Shining, but she didn’t care. She ran up to the door, and waited for it to swing open. She stood there, and stood there, and stood there, but no pony came. “Twilight,” Cadence said behind her. “Shiny came here about an hour ago.” Twilight blushed, and she started the trek through the long castle. She then reached the dining room, and saw Shining Armor talking with Princess Celestia. “Shiny!” she yelled, and Shining turned his head. He smiled with glee, and she ran over to him, tears streaming down her face once more. “I’ve missed you so much, Twily!” he said, hugging her tightly. She stared into his eyes, and he reached into his pocket to grab something. “I got you something.” He pulled out a beautiful locket. It was her cutie mark on one side, and Shining’s on the other. On the inside, there was a picture of their family. She smiled, and hugged Shining Armor once more. He looked at her, and laughed a little. “You look hungry, Twi,” Applejack said, and she motioned the Alicorn towards a chair. “Come, sit down, and we can all eat.” Twilight smiled, and sat down, trying not to sit on her tail, and picked up some food that was laid down in front of the ponies; she looked at Princess Celestia who was talking with Luna and laughing. She picked up another pancake, and she chewed slowly. “So, Shiny, how was your trip up here,” Twilight said, excitedly. “Not bad I hope.” Shining smiled, and looked at Cadence. “It wasn’t too bad.” He pointed his horn to Twilight, and Cadence nodded. “We have some good news, Twily.” He looked into Twilight’s eyes, and he sighed heavily. “Cadence is-” “Prince Shining Armor,” a guard disrupted him, and Shining turned. “We have somepony who wants to see the elements of harmony.” He looked at Fluttershy who was slowly eating some hay. “We need you, now.” “I’ll be right back, guys,” he said, wiping his face, and setting down his napkin. Twilight watched him leave, and wiped her face as well. “I’ll go with him, to see who it is.” She got out of her seat, and walked towards the door. She looked at where Shining was standing. She walked beside him, and he looked down at her. He kept his face in a serious state, but Twilight saw a glimmer of happiness in his eyes. When the guard stopped, so did Shining and Twilight. “Who is this pony?” Twilight asked, looking at the guard. Suddenly she heard familiar laughter. The guard stepped aside as a large, dragonesque figure stepped into the castle. “Hey, your hooves are cold, you know,” the pony, err, thing, said, looking at the guard. “Good morning, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight stared at him, her eyes wide. She didn’t expect to see him here today. “Discord,” she said, and she stood on four legs. “What are you doing here?” He looked at her, and started to laugh. “Why, I’m just checking on my good friends. Where’s Fluttershy? I wanted to see if we were going out for tea tomorrow night.” He looked around, and picked up Twilight to look under her hooves. “Put me down, Discord!” she yelled, and Discord did as she said. “Fluttershy is going, err, she’s out tomorrow. She cannot have tea with you.” She stared deep into his eyes. He sniffled, and nodded. “Okay,” he said, turning around. “I just wanted to spend some time with my new friends. And especially Celestia; she said she wanted to talk with me.” He smirked, but Twilight didn’t notice it. “Fine, come in,” she said, and Discord followed her to the dining room. Twilight didn’t feel it, or know it, but her enemies were close to her. Very close. Chapter FourTwilight paced back and forth in her room. She glanced at the clock, and finally sat on her bed. “’Bout time you sat down, Twi,” Spike said, his pillow on his head. “I’ve been listening to your pacing for an hour now! You need some sleep.” He took the pillow off, and smiled. “Yea, Spike,” she said. “I-I guess I do.” She lay her head down, and fixed her covers so they were on top of her. “Good night,” she said, but Spike was already snoring. She closed her eyes, and started to think about Discord and Celestia in the same room. She tossed and turned, and finally got in a comfortable position. She then saw white surround her. “Ugh, another dream,” she groaned, but she walked forward. The echoes of her trot became quieter as she reached a room. She saw Princess Celestia and Discord sitting in the chairs Twilight and her were sitting in earlier. She sighed, and sat down. “So,” he said, and Celestia stared at him. “How are... things?” He sounded as if he didn’t want anybody else to hear what they were talking about. Celestia shrugged, as she raised an eyebrow, and Discord’s shoulders dropped. He groaned, and he pinched his nose with his claws. “Okay, Chrysalis, I know it’s you. Celestia has a golden aurora, you have a green one.” Celestia giggled, and she started her magic. Twilight’s eyes shrunk as she saw the usual golden aurora green. She stared at Chrysalis, Queen of the changelings, as her fur changed from white and pure to black as coal and holey. She stepped back, and Chrysalis giggled. “Oh, Discord, you’re such a moron. I’m doing fine with my research. Sombra was dumb enough to show himself to Twilight on the train. Nightmare Moon is doing fine as Luna at the moment. The moment I saw her at the coronation for Twilight, I could tell she was jealous.” Discord’s face turned from a serious state to his usual smirk. “Oh, Chrysalis, I believe that these ponies will die a horrible death.” Twilight woke up suddenly, and she saw Spike was out of bed. It was just a dream. She walked slowly into the kitchen, and saw Princess Celestia. She stared at her for a moment, and her eyes shrunk when she came towards her.It was just a dream! She told herself again, and she smiled to Celestia, and tried to slow her breathing. Celestia smiled and nodded to her former student. “Good morning, Celestia,” Twilight said, following the white pony. “What happened during your talk with Discord?” Celestia looked at Twilight, and she growled a little. “That’s between Discord and I,” she said. “Don’t try to poke your nose into another pony’s personal business, Twilight Sparkle, or you’ll regret it.” She turned and walked away. Twilight stared after her, her eyes shrinking once more. She came to the guards and asked them to call her friends to Twilight’s guest room. When they all arrived, Rarity yawned, and stared at Twilight. “What are we doing here so early, Twilight?” she whined. “My hooves are aching! And I need to go to the royal spa later!” She started to trot off, but Twilight caught her with her magic, and pulled her back. “Rarity, this is important.” She stared into Rarity’s eyes coldly, and the alabaster mare turned her head away. “I’ve been paying very close attention to Princess Celestia. She’s been acting strange. Just this morning, Celestia said to me, and I quote, ‘Don’t try into another pony’s personal business, Twilight Sparkle, or you’ll regret it.’” Fluttershy stepped forward, and she rubbed her hooves together. “I’m sorry for interrupting, but I believe that statement isn’t giving us any proof for Celestia acting strange. You shouldn’t get into anypony’s business. It’s very rude. Sorry.” She shrunk away, and Rarity stared at her. “I believe what Fluttershy said is true.” She looked at Twilight, and she started to look bad for her. “You were sick a while ago, so I believe that you’re imagining this. Pinkie-” Twilight stared at her, and she looked around the room. “I have proof. First of all, I had a dream of Discord and Celestia talking. Discord said that she was Chrysalis, and she turned into the Queen of the Changelings!” She stared at them, but they still didn’t seem sure. “I also-” Fluttershy came over to Twilight, and she put her hoof on the princess’ shoulder. “Now, Twilight,” she said. “I believe you just need some rest. Maybe some sleep will help you.” She started to guide her to her bed, but Twilight shook the yellow pony away. “I will get more proof, but until then, I’m not going to sleep.” She ran towards the door, groaning, and she teleported away. She found herself in a small room. She turned and saw a shadowy figure in front of her. He stared at Twilight, and his eyes started to shine. “Hello, Princess Twilight,” he said in his menacing voice. “Remember me?” He stared into her eyes. She remembered the green eyes staring at her in the door that she could open with her own magic. She stared at him, and her eyes widened. She yelped, and collapsed. She woke up, finding herself in a room. It was covered with black crystals. She turned her head, but saw nothing but the brown dirt, and the coal-like crystals. She then saw a light shining from the castle. She ran inside and saw something shining ahead of her. She saw Princess Celestia, and another dark figure in front of her. Her eyes widened as she realized that the dark figure was Nightmare Moon. She tried to move, but her hooves were trapped with the green goo that Queen Chrysalis used to trap her during the wedding. Celestia’s armored horn was against Nightmare Moon’s. She pushed it harder in. Suddenly Nightmare Moon’s magic started, and Celestia was blasted away. The white Alicorn got up, and Twilight saw blood covering her lip and eye. “Stand down, Nightmare Moon,” she said, jumping into the pony. “Never!” she yelled, and Celestia stared at her for a long while. “You will die by my hooves, Celestia, with blood pouring from your mouth and heart. You will never see the light of day after this glorious night.” She ran forward, and shoved her horn into Celestia’s heart. Twilight screamed, but she realized she couldn’t speak. She tried to scream again to her teacher, but she just felt tears flowing from her eyes. “Celestia!” Chapter FiveTwilight woke up in a room, and felt an ice pack on her head. She took it off, and walked outside. She saw a drink on the counter, so she picked up and started to drink. She finished the drink quickly, and opened the door. As she walked outside, she heard voices. “Is Twilight going to be okay?” Fluttershy asked, while Twilight stood behind a wall. “She fell pretty badly. Oh, I should go check on her!” Rarity grabbed Fluttershy’s tail, and pulled her back. “Now, now, Fluttershy,” she said. “She’ll be fine as long as she has some peace and quiet. That headache will stop soon enough, and her fever’s already gone. Why should we pester her more?” Rarity stepped back from the table and turned. “I think that she should be left alone for at least a day. Let her rest, Fluttershy, and go into the garden. You’ve been working too hard!” Fluttershy nodded, and she walked away. Twilight quickly stepped back and stood behind a door before Fluttershy stepped out of sight. She sighed, and walked back to where she was, and saw Celestia and Luna speaking together. “Traitor,” she said to herself, staring at Luna. Luna looked in Twilight’s direction, and smiled. “We know you’re there, Princess Twilight, why don’t you come out?” Twilight stared up at her, and she remembered when she was a new student at Celestia’s school. “Go back to sleep, Twilight. I might meet you there.” Twilight nodded, and walked back to her bedroom. She looked at her bed for a couple of seconds, and sighed. The sounds of her echoing trots faded as she got into her bed. It was warm, and she felt safe; away from Chrysalis, Discord, Sombra, and Nightmare Moon. She soon closed her tired eyes, and fell asleep. Once again, her sleep was disrupted by the terrifying screams of the victims of the Changeling Queen and Discord. Suddenly she heard a loud bang behind her. She turned, and she suddenly felt smaller. She remembered this. “Twilight Sparkle, open your door right this second!” a familiar voice screamed. Twilight backed away, and hid under her bed. She finally heard the lock click, and the door slammed open. This was the day she broke her grandfather’s glass hoofball that he made himself. Her father was furious, and he stepped on the glass after she broke it as well. She heard the stomping of hooves, but it soon turned to the buzzing of a mosquito. A two terrifying green eyes popped out outside of the bed covers. Twilight’s filly-like, shrill scream broke the silence, and she woke. “Twilight,” Fluttershy came into her room, and she picked Twilight up off the rough, sagging bed sheets. Twilight looked at her, still bewildered from the dream. Her head throbbed, and Fluttershy stood her up. “You should stay up for a while. It’ll help you with your dreams.” Twilight looked at her. All she could see in her shy friend was a hideous changeling under her yellow coat. Twilight shivered, and nodded. “O-of course, Fluttershy, I-I’ll do that.” Fluttershy nodded, and flew away. Her pink tail was flowing behind her, and Twilight suddenly felt heavy with thought. She walked outside, and she saw Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy together. “Is she okay, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked. “I’ve never seen her so, so . . . so strange.” Fluttershy just shrugged to her orange friend. “I don’t know,” she said. “She seems like she’s fine, but confused. Just, don’t try to encourage her. If she’s talking nonsense, don’t listen. The foal is coming soon. If Cadence sees Twilight so sad when her niece slash cousin is born, she’ll probably be sad.” Twilight took a step back. Cadence was pregnant; at a time like this? Twilight was sure that the changelings were back again, and she needed to be rid of them somehow, but Fluttershy was right: she couldn’t go around saying there are changelings to a pregnant princess. She’s already experienced too much. She would be devastated if she knew that her foal was in danger. She walked away from her friends, and she came into the room where Celestia, Luna, and Cadence were sitting. The hideous thought of changelings killing off her sister, teacher, and friend, made Twilight flinch. She ignored it, and walked forward. “Good morning, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, smiling to the purple Alicorn. “Good morning, Luna, Celestia, and Cadence,” she said, forcing a smile. “When did you guys wake up?” She looked deep into Celestia’s eyes, but all she could see was happiness. “About nine,” Cadence said. “I’m actually kind of tired, but I wanted to go to the-” A loud slam cut off Cadence, and Twilight turned to see a guard he ran in, looking at Celestia. “Princess,” he said, out of breath. “There have been changelings found along the outside of the borders of Canterlot. We need Prince Shining Armor right away.” Cadence’s eyes shrunk. Twilight knew that memories were flooding slowly into the princess’ mind. She stared at the guard in sheer horror. Celestia lead the guard to Shining, and Cadence looked at her hooves. “Cadence, you should sit down. You don’t want to excite the foal.” She sat Cadence down onto the small couch. Cadence’s eyes shook with fear. She looked at Twilight, and smiled slightly. “T-Twilight, you’ll watch out for Shining, right?” Twilight stared at her. She sounded as if she were telling her she was going to die soon. Twilight nodded, slightly, and Cadence’s eyes closed. She lay down, and her breathing slowing steadily. Twilight sighed, and walked over to her sister-in-law. Her pink coat was soft against Twilight’s and her mane scratched against Twilight’s ears. Twilight lay her head down next to her, and she closed her eyes.
Prologue (Revised)The moon floated in a starlit sky. It was a quiet, cool night and Canterlot was dim, with only the moon and street lights keeping light in the area. Leaves stirred as a crisp breeze blew across the ground. Animals slept, curled up in their nests, as the ponies of Canterlot snored with their families. Some worked night shifts, waiting for their shift to end so they could finally go back to their families and get some rest. There were some fillies up in their beds, telling ghost stories, while mothers woke to their foal crying loudly. The castle was filled with guards sleeping away on their shift, propped up on their staffs, snoring slightly. Other than that, it was silent. The two royal sisters were asleep on their beds, one sleeping peacefully as the other tossed and turned, sweat beading down her face. She woke up, her eyes narrow and her breath heavy with shock. Looking around her room, she saw nothing but the cool blue colors. Sighing softly, she pushed her covers and thought about the dream that she just went through. She’s having terrible nightmares, she thought, looking down. She should tell her sister. She looked at the door before nodding to herself and walking towards it. The blue mare looked outside. Her beautiful night was once again being neglected. Though she knew that the ponies that lived in canterlot were dreaming happily in their beds. Sighing, she walked towards her sister’s room. She avoided the sleeping guards, knowing that she should probably wake them. It was silent in the castle. Though it might scare some ponies, the princess of the night was fine with. The moon was like this, and after one thousand, hearing nothing but the voices swarming around in her mind, she got used to it. She shook away when she reached Celestia’s room. The solar princess’ snoring could be heard outside the door. Luna opened the door, and looked at her sleeping sister. Trotting towards her, she shook her. “Celestia!” she hissed quietly. Her sister woke and turned to her sister, eyes wide. “Oh, it’s just you, Luna,” the princess said, looking down. “I thought you would be someone else.” Nodding softly to her sister, Luna waited for her sister to stand before speaking. “There is something important I must tell you,” she said, keeping her voice down. The light pink alicorn turned to Luna. “What is it?” she said. Princess Luna hesitated for moment. Then she quickly shook her head. Her sister needed to know this. “I was in Princess Twilight’s dreams, and I saw something terrible.” Taking a deep breath, she quickly thought the words through thoroughly “She’s been dreaming of our enemies, and I believe she might be dreaming of the future. I saw blood, and heard somepony screaming.” She stopped for a moment, shuddering at the thought of her savior’s dreams. She felt a hoof softly fall to her shoulder. “You don’t need to tell me anymore. We’ll boost up the security. The Gala is coming up very soon, and I’m sure that if they attack anytime soon, it will be then.” Nodding to her sister, she brushed her mane and gallopped to the throne room quickly. Luna sighed, and sat. Would they be able to save Equestria, or were they too late already. Author's Note Remade
Chapter OneTwilight shifted back and forth in her cold bed. She looked around her dream, and she heard ponies screaming her name. She ran away from the shadows that were surrounding her. She was breathing heavily, and she covered her ears as she heard the shadows calling her name. Then she realized it wasn’t their voices. “Pinkie,” Twilight said, yawning, and rubbing her eyes. “You know I’ve been having strange dreams.” “Sorry, Twily, but if you slept a moment longer, we’d be late for the train.” Pinkie turned and she showed their dresses. Rarity held them on a little rail. “Rarity finished our dresses last night. Aren’t they pretty?” Twilight walked over to her dress, and pulled it out. “Careful, Twilight,” Rarity said. “That fabric’s delicate.” She saw it was purple with stars on it, and a transparent cape over the back. An earring was attached to it. It was golden outlined and it had pink inside it. Stars were at the bottom of it, and at the top was a golden neck piece. They heard a whistle outside, and Twilight quickly packed her stuff. Rarity grabbed brush so she could tend to Twilight’s tattered mane. They galloped to the train, and jumped in. They shut the door, and sat down. “I’m going to sleep,” Rarity said. “I’ve worked my plot off.” Twilight giggled, and nodded. “I can’t believe Shining’s and Cadence’s anniversary is during the Grand Galloping Gala this year! I’m so excited!” She looked at the other mares, and they were nodding in agreement. Suddenly, she felt her stomach growl. “Applejack, did you bring anything to eat.” After a long day on the train, they slept silently. “Princess Twilight,” a stallion said to her. “We have a special room for you.” He pointed to a door, and Twilight nodded. She didn’t want to argue, so she stepped in. She looked around the purple room, and sighed. She walked over to the bed, and lay her head down slowly. “Twilight!” something screamed. Twilight stared at a shadow in front of her. Green eyes glowed from inside of it, and she gasped. She ran away from it, once more, and she heard another scream of her name. This time she recognized it. It was Celestia’s voice! She woke up, and saw the room looming around her. She sighed heavily, and walked outside. She walked into the room where the other girls were sleeping. She saw the sun flying into the air. She yawned, and turned to Applejack. “A.J.,” she said, and she pushed her friend. “C’mon Applejack, we should get up. We’ll be arriving soon.” She groaned, and flopped to the other side. She sighed, and walked over to Rarity. “Rarity, time to wake up!” she yelled. Rarity’s eyes popped open, and she smiled. “Oh, yes!” she yelled, and walked over to Applejack. She ripped her covers off, and A.J. jumped up. “C’mon, Applejack, we’re arriving soon!” She looked at Pinkie Pie, and she was smiling. She stuffed some apple fritter into her mouth, and looked at Twilight. “Let’s do this,” she said, putting on some shades. “Where’d you get those?” Applejack asked as Twilight slammed her hoof onto her face. She looked at Applejack, and sighed. “You had to ask?” she said, and the orange mare rubbed the back of her head, smiling. “Never mind that, we need to go soon. Get your stuff out of the carriers, and we’ll be off in a minute.” She packed up her books once more, and remembered she left her brush in her room. “Be right back, girls. I need to grab something.” She walked into her room, and heard something. “Oh, Twilight,” it said. “I’ve miss you so much.” She turned and saw two red and green eyes with purple shining around them. “We never got to play together like you did with Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Queen Chrysalis.” His eyes became brighter as he came closer. “Remember me, Princess Twilight.” Twilight growled, and ran over to the shadowy pony. “Twilight!” somepony yelled. She turned, but when she looked back to the pony, he was gone. “Twilight!” the pony yelled again, and Twilight turned to see Rarity in front of her. “C’mon, Twilight, it’s time to go!” Twilight nodded, but quickly looked back to where the pony was standing. Pinkie Pie was bouncing up and down next to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She was smiling from ear to ear, and then she suddenly ran over to Twilight. "Aren’tyouexcitedcauseI’mexcitedIcouldjustburstwithhappinessImeanShiningArmourandCadencehavebeentogetherforsolongit’ssoocoolrightApplejack?”Pinkie Pie quickly finished her sentence when Applejack nodded in agreement. Twilight giggled, and they walked out of the train, their hooves clopping slowly on the pavement. Canterlot was sparkling brightly. Ponies worked carefully, cleaning each tower, home, and castle in the town. Twilight stared at her former home, and sighed. They walked through town when Twilight started to get a headache. She felt lightheaded as she walked through the large city, and she stared to groan. Heat started to close around her, and she looked at the girls. ‘Why would it be so hot? It’s the middle of autumn!’ She kept walking, not saying anything about her terrible migraine. Her eyes started to become unfocused as they traveled more and more through the colorful city. Ponies looked at her, and bowed. She forced a smile and waved to them. Pain shot through her head once more, and she looked at Rarity. Rarity gasped, and Twilight started to fall over. “Twilight, you look awful. Rainbow, pick her up and fly Twilight the rest of the way. We’ll follow as fast as we can, and find Nurse Redheart. I think she’s in town.” Rainbow Dash saluted to the alabaster unicorn. She quickly picked up her friend, and started to fly as fast as she could. “Don’t worry, Twi,” she said, “we’ll be there soon.” She kept flapping her wings quickly, and eventually they were stopped by two wings. “Please, Princess Twilight needs help.” She put down the princess, and the guards nodded. “C’mon, Twi, you need some strength.” It was the first time Twilight heard Rainbow Dash beg to someone besides the Wonderbolts. She turned, but saw nothing but a blur. Moaning, she walked forward. She heard Celestia and Luna’s voices. Then Cadence’s came in. “Twilight has been having -” Luna stopped when she saw the magenta pony walk into the room. “Rainbow Dash, what’s wrong with Twilight?” she asked, but Rainbow sadly shrugged. “Where are the others?” The cyan Pegasus explained that they were getting Nurse Redheart, and Luna let out a sigh. “Okay, get her to the guest room. We’ll send in Nurse Redheart as soon as they get here. For now, she needs to rest.” Twilight was guided to the room she stayed in the night she met Sunset Shimmer. She laid her head to her pillow, and started to cough. “Good night, Princess,” a voice rang inside Twilight’s head. The voice belonged to Discord.
Chapter TwoTwilight sat up when she heard hooves coming towards the door. After her terrible dream, she wanted to scream to make the pony go away. She kept her muzzle shut, and Nurse Redheart came inside. A mask covered her mouth, and her usually uncovered fur was covered with a red coat. Over it was a saddlebag with her cutie mark on it. She came over to Twilight, and touched a hoof to her head. “She has an awful fever. She just needs to drink some of this, and she’ll be fine by the day after tomorrow.” She gave Twilight a cup with purple liquid in it, which she drank down. “Oh, Nurse,” Fluttershy whispered. “I was, uh, wondering if I could take care of Twilight when you go back to Ponyville.” Twilight had almost forgotten that her friend had been working as a student for Nurse Redheart. She wanted to learn more about a pony’s body than an animal’s. Nurse Redheart looked thoughtful for a second, but then smiled. “Sure you can. I’m afraid I’ll have to leave right away. Look closely over your friend and check her temperature periodically. Pretty much anything you’d do for Angel Bunny if he were sick.” She was about to walk out the door when she paused and turned. “Just, don’t feed her carrots.” She started to laugh, and Flutters giggled. After Redheart left, Fluttershy looked at Twilight. She placed her hoof on her head, and then stuck a thermometer in her mouth. She looked at it and nodded. “Okay, Twilight, I’ll bring you some water. You can just rest for a while.” Twilight’s head sank to her pillow. She felt as if she could sleep forever. She sighed, and slipped into a light slumber. She heard a scream and pricked her ears. She saw red and black around her, and she heard another ear-splitting scream. She yelled as she covered her ears, and started to run. She then saw Fluttershy in front of her. “Fluttershy?” she asked, and she smiled. Tears formed in her eyes as she stepped in front of her friend, and froze when she saw her face. Blood dripped from her nose and mouth. She stared above Twilight, but her eyes were covered with blood; her pupils were huge as she stared above Twilight’s horn. Twilight slowly looked up, and her pupils shrank as she looked at the looming words. They were drawn with Fluttershy’s blood. She woke up, sweat dropping from her face. She felt much better than she did earlier, so she decided to get up and walk to the throne room. She felt as if she could fly and dance once more. She saw Princess Cadence in front of her, and she smiled. Cadence looked serious for a moment, and then smiled happily. “Sunshine, sunshine,” her former foalsitter started. Twilight kept her song going by getting low to the ground, and covering her eyes with her hooves. “Ladybugs awake!” she said happily. They then started to sing and do the motions together. “Clap your hooves, and do a little shake!” They finished they’re old song in unison, and they started to laugh. Princess Luna stepped forward, and propped up her niece. “I hope I am not interrupting your memories, but I believe we need to talk to you, Princess Twilight.” Luna looked into Twilight’s worried eyes, but the magenta pony turned her head away, and nodded. They walked to the four thrones. One had Celestia’s cutie mark, one with Luna’s, and the other two with Twilight’s and Cadence’s. Twilight sat down on hers when Celestia started to speak. “Strawberry,” she said, turning to a yellow pony with a bright red mane. “Please fetch the other elements.” Twilight wanted to tell her former mentor that they’re not only the elements, but her friends. “Thank you,” she said when the others walked in. Twilight flinched when she saw a small cut on Fluttershy’s leg. She stared at it, and Fluttershy blushed. “I cut myself on some glass outside. I’ll be okay. It wasn’t even bleeding that badly.” She smiled happily, and Twilight shook her head. Nothing is going to happen to Fluttershy, she told herself. “So, Princess, what did you need? And why are you up, Twilight? You should be resting.” This was the first time Twilight heard Fluttershy scold any pony besides one of her animals. “Fluttershy, I’m fine,” Twilight said. “I’m just hungry, that’s all.” Celestia started to laugh, and Twilight turned to her. “How could we forget? You mares just woke up. You must be starving! C’mon, c’mon, we’ll have Strawberry ask the cook for something big to eat.” She winked to Strawberry, and the pony walked into the kitchen. Celestia sat the six mares down, and ponies began bringing in appetizers. Twilight ate slowly. The appetizers weren’t anything special, just crackers with some cheese and an olive on a toothpick pushed through it. She still ate slowly, and turned to see the ponies were bringing in daffodil sandwiches, crispy hay, and some stuff Twilight didn’t even recognize. They set them down in the middle of the table, and her friends started to reach to grab things with their forks or magic. “Princess Twilight,” Luna began, after swallowing some soup the servants brought in. “I believe it’s time to tell you that I’ve been walking in your dreams. I see that you’ve been having awful nightmares, and I see that you’ve been seeing, um, certain ponies. I must say that these dreams mean something to everypony in Equestria.” She paused, and turned to Celestia. Her sister nodded. “Twilight,” she said. “I know you’ll hate doing this, but you need to tell us what has been happening in your dreams, and who you saw. Let’s start with tonight’s dream. If it makes you more comfortable your friends will go.” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I’m not leaving Twilight alone. She might need us.” Twilight looked at Rainbow, and she sighed. “I’m sorry, Rainbow, but you guys should leave. Especially Fluttershy; I don’t want her to hear this.” Rainbow Dash snorted, and flew off. The other mares followed, but Applejack stayed behind. “Y’all never said anything ‘bout me,” she said, smiling. “I can help ya through this, Twi, and ya know the others can too. Just let me stay. I want to hear this.” Twilight nodded, and turned away from her honest friend. She started to explain the shadows and running away from them. She then explained how the shadows always screamed at her. She finished with what she saw with Fluttershy. She started to sweat and breathe heavily. Her migraine came back, and she started to fall over. Applejack caught her, and looked at Celestia. “Get Fluttershy, quick.”
Chapter ThreeTwilight opened her eyes, and felt wind blowing through her mane. It wasn’t the warm ocean breeze that you’d feel when you’re done swimming at the beach; it was a cold blast of wind that you’d feel if you were in a plane and you opened a window, for some reason. Twilight looked around, and saw only white until she walked farther into a more realistic part of the dream. She heard laughter, and then a familiar voice. “H-hello?” she asked, but it just echoed in her ears. She looked around and suddenly heard a screech of laughter. “Shiny, stop it!” the tiny voice yelled. Twilight began to run faster. “Stop, that tickles!” The little voice seemed to be familiar in her head, and as she got closer, she saw a magenta filly being jumped on by a white stallion. “Shiny, I’m a princess, and your my guard, you can’t attack me!” The magenta filly was running around a tree, and Twilight started to smile. This wasn’t a nightmare, it was a memory. But how did this happen? She then turned around involuntarily, and she saw once again, a magenta pony and a white stallion. The pony had grown to a mare, now, and she was staring at the white stallion. Tears were streaming down her face. “I-I’ll miss you, BBBFF,” she said, wiping a tear off her face. “I’ll come to visit some time, if that’s okay.” The white stallion smiled, and hugged the other Twilight. “Of course, Twily,” he said, tearing up as well. “I’ll always be here for you. No matter what happens, I will always be there.” A third memory came. She walked into an outside area where Shining Armor was with the other guards of the palace. As Twilight walked towards it, the guards raised their weapons. Shining came up, and took off his helmet. “Twily!” he yelled, running down the stairs. He put his hoof to her face, but she pushed away. Twilight stared at him coldly. “How dare you not tell me in person that you’re getting married?” She stared at him, and he looked away sadly. “I’m your sister for ponies- sake!” She turned around, and Twilight turned her head away. She knew what came next. It was too much of a fresh memory. Princess Cadence, well the impostor Princess Cadence, started crying in the new memory, and Twilight was smiling. “Why are you doing this to me?” Cadence said, and she ran off. Twilight definitely remembered that. It was the day before the wedding. She teleported in front of the door, and turned, smiling, happy that she had scolded her future sister-in-law; sadly when she looked up, she saw Shining glaring down at her. He started to scream at her, and Twilight felt a tear stream down her face. She turned around and saw Princess Luna in front of her. “Why are you showing me this?” she asked, staring into the green eyes of the princess. “Is there something wrong with Cadence? Or Shining-” Luna placed her hoof to Twilight's lips, and smiled. She turned, unfolded her wings, and flew off in front of Twilight. The new princess wasn’t very fond or good at flying, but she tried her best to keep up with the experienced princess. “Think about it, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” she said. “You’ve seen your friends, Cadence, Celestia, and me. What’s the difference between them and Shining Armor?” She turned and looked at Twilight. Before she could answer, Luna went on. “There is only one difference: Prince Shining Armor is not here.” Twilight started to think, and realized she was right. Where was her BBBFF? “B-but, where is he?” she asked. However, when she turned her head, Princess Luna was gone. She then saw all the white turn to black, and blood started to drip down the walls once more. “Twily!” somepony called. Twilight knew that voice in an instant. It screamed again: “Twily, help!” She started running, and she felt a hoof on her arm. “Wake up, Twilight!” a voice screamed. She covered her ears and she started to scream when she woke up. “Shining!” she yelled as she woke. She jumped out of bed, and, without noticing that Fluttershy was holding the medicine she needed, ran towards the balcony. “Shining!” she yelled again. She screamed it to the world, and Fluttershy gasped. “Twilight, calm down, please.” Fluttershy put her wing on Twilight’s nose, and pinched it. She opened her mouth, and put the medicine in. She then closed her mouth, and Twilight quickly swallowed to breathe again. “Twilight, you’re okay. Shining sent us a letter saying he’ll be here by tomorrow.” She looked at Fluttershy, her eyes still narrowed from fear, and nodded. She walked back into the castle and saw Princess Cadence. She sighed, and walked over to her sister, still shaking like a cold puppy. She looked at Celestia who was talking to Luna, alone and quietly. Cadence looked at her, and nuzzled her head softly. She slowly put her head to Cadence’s shoulder, and Celestia walked over to them. “Princess Cadence,” she said. “Could you please use the shield spell that Shining Armor used during the Changeling attack? We believe another creature is coming to try to destroy us.” The princess nodded, and walked outside. Twilight wanted to follow, but Celestia touched her wing to her shoulder. “Twilight, we need to talk.” They walked into Celestia’s room, and the white Alicorn gestured Twilight to a chair. Twilight sat down, and Celestia walked to her chair. “I must ask you one question: What has been in your dreams.” Twilight flinched as Celestia asked the question. What could she tell her? All of it was shadows and blood. What else was there? She then remembered when she saw Sombra on the train. Her eyes widened, and she focused on Celestia. She explained what she saw on the train, and Celestia nodded. She then turned away, and took a sip of her water. The green magical aurora surrounded the cup as she brought it to her lips, and she dipped her head back a little. Twilight looked at her glass, and she picked it up. She took a small sip, and looked back at Celestia. Celestia looked back at Twilight. “Okay, Twilight,” she said. “That’s all I had to ask of you.” Twilight started to feel better about the day, and when she saw Cadence walking towards her, she smiled. “Cadence!” she said, smiling. “What did Shining Armor need so badly that he couldn’t wait a while to get it? And, why are you wearing that dress?” Cadence smiled, and blushed. “This dress was the one Rarity gave me for the Grand Galloping Gala. And Shining has to attend the one in The Crystal Empire. I-it’s not safe there for me, so he volunteered to stay and help. So I went to this one.” She smiled again, and Twilight stood next to her sister. “So, how are you and Shiny?” Twilight asked, and Cadence turned her head away. “Are you okay, Candy?” She looked at her sister, calling her sister the cute nickname she came up with when she was about 10. “You look sad.” Cadence shook her head, and looked at Twilight. “I’m fine, Twily,” she said, and she looked at her chest. “Just...fine.” She turned away, and waved her tail to Twilight. Rainbow Dash tapped Twilight on the shoulder, and smiled at her. “It looks like Cadence is in a pickle,” she said, holding a jar of pickles. She started laughing, and Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’ve been waiting to use that joke.” She rolled on the ground, tears streaming down her face. “Y-you’re an idiot, Dash,” Twilight said, giggling. She walked away from her dying friend, and she walked into her room. She lay down into her bed, and started to laugh. She started to laugh and laugh until Spike came in. “Hi, Twily,” he said, smiled. Spike had been gone for two months. He was on important duty with Canterlot officials. He smiled, and Twilight ran up to hug him. “I’ve missed you, Twi.” His voice sounded strange and scratchy. “Sorry ‘bout my voice, I had to scream a lot.” Twilight’s tears streamed down her magenta fur, and she started to laugh again. He laughed with her, and they both hugged each other, laughing and breathing heavily. The next day, Twilight ran towards the front door. Her dreams had been more memories of her and Shining, but she didn’t care. She ran up to the door, and waited for it to swing open. She stood there, and stood there, and stood there, but no pony came. “Twilight,” Cadence said behind her. “Shiny came here about an hour ago.” Twilight blushed, and she started the trek through the long castle. She then reached the dining room, and saw Shining Armor talking with Princess Celestia. “Shiny!” she yelled, and Shining turned his head. He smiled with glee, and she ran over to him, tears streaming down her face once more. “I’ve missed you so much, Twily!” he said, hugging her tightly. She stared into his eyes, and he reached into his pocket to grab something. “I got you something.” He pulled out a beautiful locket. It was her cutie mark on one side, and Shining’s on the other. On the inside, there was a picture of their family. She smiled, and hugged Shining Armor once more. He looked at her, and laughed a little. “You look hungry, Twi,” Applejack said, and she motioned the Alicorn towards a chair. “Come, sit down, and we can all eat.” Twilight smiled, and sat down, trying not to sit on her tail, and picked up some food that was laid down in front of the ponies; she looked at Princess Celestia who was talking with Luna and laughing. She picked up another pancake, and she chewed slowly. “So, Shiny, how was your trip up here,” Twilight said, excitedly. “Not bad I hope.” Shining smiled, and looked at Cadence. “It wasn’t too bad.” He pointed his horn to Twilight, and Cadence nodded. “We have some good news, Twily.” He looked into Twilight’s eyes, and he sighed heavily. “Cadence is-” “Prince Shining Armor,” a guard disrupted him, and Shining turned. “We have somepony who wants to see the elements of harmony.” He looked at Fluttershy who was slowly eating some hay. “We need you, now.” “I’ll be right back, guys,” he said, wiping his face, and setting down his napkin. Twilight watched him leave, and wiped her face as well. “I’ll go with him, to see who it is.” She got out of her seat, and walked towards the door. She looked at where Shining was standing. She walked beside him, and he looked down at her. He kept his face in a serious state, but Twilight saw a glimmer of happiness in his eyes. When the guard stopped, so did Shining and Twilight. “Who is this pony?” Twilight asked, looking at the guard. Suddenly she heard familiar laughter. The guard stepped aside as a large, dragonesque figure stepped into the castle. “Hey, your hooves are cold, you know,” the pony, err, thing, said, looking at the guard. “Good morning, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight stared at him, her eyes wide. She didn’t expect to see him here today. “Discord,” she said, and she stood on four legs. “What are you doing here?” He looked at her, and started to laugh. “Why, I’m just checking on my good friends. Where’s Fluttershy? I wanted to see if we were going out for tea tomorrow night.” He looked around, and picked up Twilight to look under her hooves. “Put me down, Discord!” she yelled, and Discord did as she said. “Fluttershy is going, err, she’s out tomorrow. She cannot have tea with you.” She stared deep into his eyes. He sniffled, and nodded. “Okay,” he said, turning around. “I just wanted to spend some time with my new friends. And especially Celestia; she said she wanted to talk with me.” He smirked, but Twilight didn’t notice it. “Fine, come in,” she said, and Discord followed her to the dining room. Twilight didn’t feel it, or know it, but her enemies were close to her. Very close.
Chapter FourTwilight paced back and forth in her room. She glanced at the clock, and finally sat on her bed. “’Bout time you sat down, Twi,” Spike said, his pillow on his head. “I’ve been listening to your pacing for an hour now! You need some sleep.” He took the pillow off, and smiled. “Yea, Spike,” she said. “I-I guess I do.” She lay her head down, and fixed her covers so they were on top of her. “Good night,” she said, but Spike was already snoring. She closed her eyes, and started to think about Discord and Celestia in the same room. She tossed and turned, and finally got in a comfortable position. She then saw white surround her. “Ugh, another dream,” she groaned, but she walked forward. The echoes of her trot became quieter as she reached a room. She saw Princess Celestia and Discord sitting in the chairs Twilight and her were sitting in earlier. She sighed, and sat down. “So,” he said, and Celestia stared at him. “How are... things?” He sounded as if he didn’t want anybody else to hear what they were talking about. Celestia shrugged, as she raised an eyebrow, and Discord’s shoulders dropped. He groaned, and he pinched his nose with his claws. “Okay, Chrysalis, I know it’s you. Celestia has a golden aurora, you have a green one.” Celestia giggled, and she started her magic. Twilight’s eyes shrunk as she saw the usual golden aurora green. She stared at Chrysalis, Queen of the changelings, as her fur changed from white and pure to black as coal and holey. She stepped back, and Chrysalis giggled. “Oh, Discord, you’re such a moron. I’m doing fine with my research. Sombra was dumb enough to show himself to Twilight on the train. Nightmare Moon is doing fine as Luna at the moment. The moment I saw her at the coronation for Twilight, I could tell she was jealous.” Discord’s face turned from a serious state to his usual smirk. “Oh, Chrysalis, I believe that these ponies will die a horrible death.” Twilight woke up suddenly, and she saw Spike was out of bed. It was just a dream. She walked slowly into the kitchen, and saw Princess Celestia. She stared at her for a moment, and her eyes shrunk when she came towards her.It was just a dream! She told herself again, and she smiled to Celestia, and tried to slow her breathing. Celestia smiled and nodded to her former student. “Good morning, Celestia,” Twilight said, following the white pony. “What happened during your talk with Discord?” Celestia looked at Twilight, and she growled a little. “That’s between Discord and I,” she said. “Don’t try to poke your nose into another pony’s personal business, Twilight Sparkle, or you’ll regret it.” She turned and walked away. Twilight stared after her, her eyes shrinking once more. She came to the guards and asked them to call her friends to Twilight’s guest room. When they all arrived, Rarity yawned, and stared at Twilight. “What are we doing here so early, Twilight?” she whined. “My hooves are aching! And I need to go to the royal spa later!” She started to trot off, but Twilight caught her with her magic, and pulled her back. “Rarity, this is important.” She stared into Rarity’s eyes coldly, and the alabaster mare turned her head away. “I’ve been paying very close attention to Princess Celestia. She’s been acting strange. Just this morning, Celestia said to me, and I quote, ‘Don’t try into another pony’s personal business, Twilight Sparkle, or you’ll regret it.’” Fluttershy stepped forward, and she rubbed her hooves together. “I’m sorry for interrupting, but I believe that statement isn’t giving us any proof for Celestia acting strange. You shouldn’t get into anypony’s business. It’s very rude. Sorry.” She shrunk away, and Rarity stared at her. “I believe what Fluttershy said is true.” She looked at Twilight, and she started to look bad for her. “You were sick a while ago, so I believe that you’re imagining this. Pinkie-” Twilight stared at her, and she looked around the room. “I have proof. First of all, I had a dream of Discord and Celestia talking. Discord said that she was Chrysalis, and she turned into the Queen of the Changelings!” She stared at them, but they still didn’t seem sure. “I also-” Fluttershy came over to Twilight, and she put her hoof on the princess’ shoulder. “Now, Twilight,” she said. “I believe you just need some rest. Maybe some sleep will help you.” She started to guide her to her bed, but Twilight shook the yellow pony away. “I will get more proof, but until then, I’m not going to sleep.” She ran towards the door, groaning, and she teleported away. She found herself in a small room. She turned and saw a shadowy figure in front of her. He stared at Twilight, and his eyes started to shine. “Hello, Princess Twilight,” he said in his menacing voice. “Remember me?” He stared into her eyes. She remembered the green eyes staring at her in the door that she could open with her own magic. She stared at him, and her eyes widened. She yelped, and collapsed. She woke up, finding herself in a room. It was covered with black crystals. She turned her head, but saw nothing but the brown dirt, and the coal-like crystals. She then saw a light shining from the castle. She ran inside and saw something shining ahead of her. She saw Princess Celestia, and another dark figure in front of her. Her eyes widened as she realized that the dark figure was Nightmare Moon. She tried to move, but her hooves were trapped with the green goo that Queen Chrysalis used to trap her during the wedding. Celestia’s armored horn was against Nightmare Moon’s. She pushed it harder in. Suddenly Nightmare Moon’s magic started, and Celestia was blasted away. The white Alicorn got up, and Twilight saw blood covering her lip and eye. “Stand down, Nightmare Moon,” she said, jumping into the pony. “Never!” she yelled, and Celestia stared at her for a long while. “You will die by my hooves, Celestia, with blood pouring from your mouth and heart. You will never see the light of day after this glorious night.” She ran forward, and shoved her horn into Celestia’s heart. Twilight screamed, but she realized she couldn’t speak. She tried to scream again to her teacher, but she just felt tears flowing from her eyes. “Celestia!”
Chapter FiveTwilight woke up in a room, and felt an ice pack on her head. She took it off, and walked outside. She saw a drink on the counter, so she picked up and started to drink. She finished the drink quickly, and opened the door. As she walked outside, she heard voices. “Is Twilight going to be okay?” Fluttershy asked, while Twilight stood behind a wall. “She fell pretty badly. Oh, I should go check on her!” Rarity grabbed Fluttershy’s tail, and pulled her back. “Now, now, Fluttershy,” she said. “She’ll be fine as long as she has some peace and quiet. That headache will stop soon enough, and her fever’s already gone. Why should we pester her more?” Rarity stepped back from the table and turned. “I think that she should be left alone for at least a day. Let her rest, Fluttershy, and go into the garden. You’ve been working too hard!” Fluttershy nodded, and she walked away. Twilight quickly stepped back and stood behind a door before Fluttershy stepped out of sight. She sighed, and walked back to where she was, and saw Celestia and Luna speaking together. “Traitor,” she said to herself, staring at Luna. Luna looked in Twilight’s direction, and smiled. “We know you’re there, Princess Twilight, why don’t you come out?” Twilight stared up at her, and she remembered when she was a new student at Celestia’s school. “Go back to sleep, Twilight. I might meet you there.” Twilight nodded, and walked back to her bedroom. She looked at her bed for a couple of seconds, and sighed. The sounds of her echoing trots faded as she got into her bed. It was warm, and she felt safe; away from Chrysalis, Discord, Sombra, and Nightmare Moon. She soon closed her tired eyes, and fell asleep. Once again, her sleep was disrupted by the terrifying screams of the victims of the Changeling Queen and Discord. Suddenly she heard a loud bang behind her. She turned, and she suddenly felt smaller. She remembered this. “Twilight Sparkle, open your door right this second!” a familiar voice screamed. Twilight backed away, and hid under her bed. She finally heard the lock click, and the door slammed open. This was the day she broke her grandfather’s glass hoofball that he made himself. Her father was furious, and he stepped on the glass after she broke it as well. She heard the stomping of hooves, but it soon turned to the buzzing of a mosquito. A two terrifying green eyes popped out outside of the bed covers. Twilight’s filly-like, shrill scream broke the silence, and she woke. “Twilight,” Fluttershy came into her room, and she picked Twilight up off the rough, sagging bed sheets. Twilight looked at her, still bewildered from the dream. Her head throbbed, and Fluttershy stood her up. “You should stay up for a while. It’ll help you with your dreams.” Twilight looked at her. All she could see in her shy friend was a hideous changeling under her yellow coat. Twilight shivered, and nodded. “O-of course, Fluttershy, I-I’ll do that.” Fluttershy nodded, and flew away. Her pink tail was flowing behind her, and Twilight suddenly felt heavy with thought. She walked outside, and she saw Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy together. “Is she okay, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked. “I’ve never seen her so, so . . . so strange.” Fluttershy just shrugged to her orange friend. “I don’t know,” she said. “She seems like she’s fine, but confused. Just, don’t try to encourage her. If she’s talking nonsense, don’t listen. The foal is coming soon. If Cadence sees Twilight so sad when her niece slash cousin is born, she’ll probably be sad.” Twilight took a step back. Cadence was pregnant; at a time like this? Twilight was sure that the changelings were back again, and she needed to be rid of them somehow, but Fluttershy was right: she couldn’t go around saying there are changelings to a pregnant princess. She’s already experienced too much. She would be devastated if she knew that her foal was in danger. She walked away from her friends, and she came into the room where Celestia, Luna, and Cadence were sitting. The hideous thought of changelings killing off her sister, teacher, and friend, made Twilight flinch. She ignored it, and walked forward. “Good morning, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, smiling to the purple Alicorn. “Good morning, Luna, Celestia, and Cadence,” she said, forcing a smile. “When did you guys wake up?” She looked deep into Celestia’s eyes, but all she could see was happiness. “About nine,” Cadence said. “I’m actually kind of tired, but I wanted to go to the-” A loud slam cut off Cadence, and Twilight turned to see a guard he ran in, looking at Celestia. “Princess,” he said, out of breath. “There have been changelings found along the outside of the borders of Canterlot. We need Prince Shining Armor right away.” Cadence’s eyes shrunk. Twilight knew that memories were flooding slowly into the princess’ mind. She stared at the guard in sheer horror. Celestia lead the guard to Shining, and Cadence looked at her hooves. “Cadence, you should sit down. You don’t want to excite the foal.” She sat Cadence down onto the small couch. Cadence’s eyes shook with fear. She looked at Twilight, and smiled slightly. “T-Twilight, you’ll watch out for Shining, right?” Twilight stared at her. She sounded as if she were telling her she was going to die soon. Twilight nodded, slightly, and Cadence’s eyes closed. She lay down, and her breathing slowing steadily. Twilight sighed, and walked over to her sister-in-law. Her pink coat was soft against Twilight’s and her mane scratched against Twilight’s ears. Twilight lay her head down next to her, and she closed her eyes.
