Shadows and light, angels and demons

Midday, Canterlot, Throne room

The quiet scribbling of a quill on a scroll can be heard from the now empty throne room, after addressing the last of the Nobles and their snobbish squabbles, the solar Queen had some time to herself. "My Dearest Twilight, it seems a foreign source of magic has been detected in Equestria. Namely at the old castle that me and Princess Luna used to reside in, it would ease my burdens if you where to go and investigate with the other Elements. Be careful in your investigation my faithful student, I will expect your eager reply.  Sincerely, Princess Celestia. With a snap the scroll disappears in a green flash, the resulting smoke lazily curls out the open window behind the throne.

Ponyville, Golden Oaks Library

In the peaceful town of Ponyville, things, are not to peaceful. With all the crashing and racket coming from the now newly made Golden Oaks Library, it is enough to turn quite a couple of heads in curiosity towards the crystalline structure. While it seems like things are slightly hectic from the outside, the inside perspective is a different matter. "SPIKE!? SPIIIIIIIIKE!? WHERE ARE MY QUILLS AND SCROLLS!?" "I GOT EM TWI!" A sudden flock of quills is thrown across the room by a lavender aura, accompanied by a scaly little figure clutching onto the last one for dear life. Several other tomes and scrolls are flung into a pair of sky blue saddlebags bulging with the sheer amount of literature related equipment contained in them. Twilight Sparkle panics as she cannot find her inkwells as she uses her horn to upturn all of her books and desks in a futile attempt to find the elusive inks, "Twilight! The inkwell is up on the top shelf to your left!" Spike calls over from a pile of books that had swamped him leaving only is purple scaled head visible. "Thanks Spike!" The lavender Alicorn replies as she  uses her wings to grab the inkwell with her mouth, forgoing the magic. This continues on for some time, a misplaced scroll, or a "essential" book. Not five minutes later the princess of friendship leaves her castle to go and meet up with her friends at Fluttershy's cottage.

Everfree forest, near Fluttershy's cottage

"What do you suppose Twilight could have needed to ask us all out here post haste? I was making a fabulous dress that would have gone wonderfully with the new hat I had made! Wouldn't you agree, Applejack? Asks a prim white unicorn with what seemed to be an impossibly well coifed mane, "Ah told ya'll, if Twi' wants us to meet at Fluttersha's cottage, we sure ain't goin tah keep her 'aitn Rarity! Drawls a southern accented orange earth pony mare with a hay colored mane and tail. While Rarity and Applejack bicker over that matter like Opalescence and Winona, a timid yellow pegasus with pink mane over one eye quietly converses with a....well....a ridiculously pink earth pony that had seemed to be ignorant to the very laws of reality itself. such as hovering in the air. "Heeheehee! Thanks Ben! I like you too!" The pink pony says to the sky, "um...pinkie?...Who are you talking to?" The quiet pegasi asks. "Oh its nothing fluttershy, hey look Rainbow Dash is here with Twilight!" The small fellowship stop what they where doing and go to meet the RD and Twilight. Once together, Twilight shows them Celestia's letter and outlines her plan to find the source of the foreign magic, "Okay girls, I know a tracking spell that will help me locate the source of the magic from the ruins to whatever is using that magic!" She looks at them in turn, outlining their roles. "Rainbow Dash, being the fastest flyer there is. I want you to catch whatever it is we encounter if it tries to run off, Fluttershy, since you are good with animals if the thing we encounter is indeed an animal, then we are going to need your help to tame it. Applejack, if the Thing is hostile, then its your job to subdue it with your strength, Pinkie pie can help you with that." "Oki Doki Loki Twilight!" Pinkie replies with a mock salute. "Rarity can help me with the spells I may need to cast and she can also help me with protecting us all from harm, everypony know their roles?" 5 heads bob in union. "Good, then lets head out!" with that, the six mares set off into the forest. Oblivious to the pairs of green eyes following them....