Into The Night

***Part 1: Awakening***

Twilight's eyes slowly open as a huge yawn exits her lips. She shivers in her sheets. It felt colder than it had the night before. As her gaze hits the window to her right, a smile creeps along her lips. The morning sun was rising and filling the room with light and warmth. It was a good start, but Twilight needed more.

"Spike..." Twilight groans as she slides out of bed. "Spiiiiiiiiike..."

A second later, the door opens and a the little dragon is rushing to her side.

"Good morning, Twilight." He says sleepily. "What, did you need something?"

"Breakfast..." Twilight says as her stomach growls hungrily. "Warm breakfast... Do we have the ingredients for pancakes?"

Spike shakes his head.

*Oh, shoot! Where's Pinkie Pie when you need her?*

"That shouldn't be a problem, though." Spike says.

Twilight cocks her head.

"What do you mean, Spike?"

"Your friends are all waiting for you at Sugarcube Corner." Spike explains. "I was just waiting for you to wake up."

Using her horn, Twilight picks up a comb and begins brushing it through her mane.

"Sugarcube Corner? We've never had breakfast there before... What's the occasion?"

Spike chuckles as he makes his way towards the door.

"You're kidding, right? What pony forgets their own birthday?"

Twilight freezes mid-brush. Her heart was pounding so hard, the noise echoed in her brain. Spike instantly sees he tripped a wire.

"Ah... I probably should have given you this instead..." He says, holding up a letter.

Twilight snatches the letter from his claws. On the front of the envelope was the lunar seal. She tears the letter open and empties its cargo. A single note falls out. It read:

     *Twilight Sparkle,

I do apologize for the rude awakening earlier this morning. I was interrogating your dragon, trying to find some of your interest to incorporate into your birthday celebration. Anyway, you should be happy to know that I have canceled the Diamond Dancers, even though your friend Rainbow Dash seemed a little disappointed. If you are reading this letter, it means you have aged nineteen years since the date of your birth! This is your first of many formal invitations to locations around Ponyville where your birth and life will be celebrated.

     Your favorite princess of the night, Luna*

Twilight reads the letter again twice over.

"I wasn't dreaming when that happened?" Twilight mutters.

Spike shrugs as he exits the room. He had done his duty. Mission accomplished! Twilight, on the other hoof, was still trying to wrap her mind around what the letter had told her.

*The first of many?* She thinks to herself. *What does Princess Luna have planned?*

Quickly throwing a coat over her back, Twilight dashes through the corridors and out of the castle. She looks up at the bright, grey sky. It was still as cloudy as it was the night before. Looking ahead, Twilight could see a large number of ponies walking about already. A few close enough to make eye contact stop and wave to her.

"Happy birthday, Princess Twilight!" The mail mare says cheerfully as she trots on by.

*By Celestia's name... Did Luna tell every single pony in this town my birthday is today?*

Twilight wasn't sure of whether to be impressed or agitated. She didn't want more attention than she could handle.

*This is going to be my coronation all over again...*

Giving a frustrated 'sigh', Twilight begins the short walk to Sugarcube Corner. Leaves crunches and crackled under her hooves as she kicked the little things around. Within no time at all, her target destination was in sight. When Twilight is only a block away from the corner, a shrill, female voice calls her name from above.

"Twiiiiilllliiiight!" Rainbow Dash calls as she dive-bombs the princess.

Twilight has to suck to avoid the crashing pegasus. Only, she doesn't crash. Rainbow Dash lands on all four hooves with a loud 'thud', sending leaves flying in every direction.

"Good morning to you, birthday girl!" Rainbow greets with an obvious 'wink'. "How goes it?"

"Good, I suppose..." Twilight says as she huddled in her coat. "It is a little chilly today. Is Cloudsdale pushing winter early this year?"

Rainbow Dash frowns as she looks up at the grey sky.

"Na... It's just a mandatory cold front. Command has all cloud combat teams grounded until we are given the green light to kick that overcast outta here."

Twilight was an expert on many subjects and fields, but weather was not one of them. She decides to trust Rainbow Dash's forecast and accept the cold.

"Besides, I love the cold!" Rainbow exclaimes. "It makes everything look so much cooler."

Rainbow Dash begins to snicker at her own unintended pun. The snicker quickly turns into a roar of laughter. Twilight can't help but laugh along with her. The pegasus was right, after all. Taking a good look around, Twilight understood what Rainbow Dash was talking about. The carpet of leaves on the ground did give Ponyville a very rustic appeal. Every pony was dressed in their nice, fluffy coats and boots, and there was...

"Uh, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash says, waving her hoof in front of Twilight's eyes. "Hey, Twi, breakfast is this way."

Twilight shakes her head as her mind is snapped back into reality. Her gaze follows Rainbow Dash's hoof to Sugarcube Corner.

"Oh, right... I'm sorry..." Twilight says, her cheeks flushing red.

"Hey, no problem, Twi. I'm digging this season, too." Rainbow chuckles as she follows after Twilight.

Both mares arrive at Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow beats Twilight to the door and extends her hoof, stopping Twilight from entering.

"Hold on, Twi," Rainbow says. "Before you go in, I just want to apologize on Fluttershy's behalf. Her heart is in the right place, but..."

"But 'what'?" Twilight asks.

Rainbow Dash sighs as she opens the door. Twilight shrieks as a barrage of birds flies at her, and she dives for the floor as the swarm shoots over her head. When the dust settles, Rainbow Dash helps the frightened mare to her hooves.

"She may have invited a few extra friends..." Rainbow says, still giggling.

***Breakfast Bash***

When Twilight first arrived at the Sugarcube Corner with Rainbow Dash, she had no idea of what was waiting for her inside. All of her friends were there, sitting around tables filled to the brim with feasts of breakfast foods that gave off a welcoming aroma. Just to prove how hungry she was, Twilight's stomach growls violently as the smell of delicious food enters her nose.

"I'll bet Princess Celestia heard that tummy yelling!" Applejack says with a hearty chuckle.

Twilight blushes as she approaches one of the tables. She watches her step to avoid crushing several squirrels that were chasing each other under her hooves.

"Why? Do you think my stomach growling can be heard all the way in Canterlot?" Twilight jokes as she sits down.

Her eyes sweep over the table, taking in every option before her. Eggs, toast, pastries, bisects, waffles, yogurt and granola, fruits, and of course, pancakes. As Twilight begins reaching for the pancakes, Applejack clears her throat.

"Uh... Actually, I'm sure she heard it, because she is standing right behind ya'."

*What?*

Twilight's head spins around, and she finds herself face to face with her mentor.

"Happy birthday, Twilight." Celestia says with a happy grin.

*Oh, Celestia!*

"Oh, Celestia!" Twilight yells as she leaps out of her chair.

Twilight throws her hooves around the white mare. Celestia groans a little from the pony's weight, but she doesn't object.

"Yes, I've missed you too, Twilight..." Celestia mutters. "It has been a while since you have visited."

"I should say the same thing to you, princess." Twilight says with a smirk.

Blushing, Celestia pulls away. Twilight notices the embarrassment in her eyes, but the warm smile on her lips was unchanging.

"I have been quite busy in Canterlot with... royal business... I'm sure you understand that enough, now. Don't you, Princess Twilight?" Celestia asks with a playful chuckle.

Royal business, saving the world, making friends... Isn't it all the same?" Twilight responds, embracing Celestia again.

Celestia sighs contently as she wraps her own hooves around the purple filly.

"Oh, Twilight... You have grown so much. I am happy to be here with you to celebrate your birthday."

Twilight's eyes begin to water. This actually felt... special. She looks around the bakery. All of her friends were eating and chatting amongst themselves, along with the Cakes. Celestia had her eyes set on a table littered with pastries and desserts. Pound and Pumpkin were sitting on the counter, fighting over a bag of flour. Then, In a funny instant, the bag of flour splits and spills all over Pound.

"Oh dear, Pound..." Mrs. Cake says as she picks the little foal up. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Twilight watches as Mrs. Cake carries the laughing Pound up the stairs where Twilight assumed she would give him a bath. Twilight turns her attention back to the tables of food. She was famished. Twilight finds a seat in between Fluttershy and Fluttershy's pet bear, and she begins stacking her plate full of food. Bite after bite, Twilight began to satisfy her raging, morning hunger. She washes the eggs and pancakes down with a glass of the sweetest Apple juice she had ever tasted.

*Mmmmmm... If this is what ponies get to do on their birthdays, I'm going to have to have a long talk with my parents... What else have I been missing out on?* Twilight thinks to herself as she contently savors the banquet on her plate.

As she swallows a pair of grapes from the fruit bowl, her eyes drift hungrily to a small moon cake.

*I'll bet that moon cake is  good. I wonder if Fluttershy will split it with me. Maybe, the bear will?*

As Twilight is reaching for the moon cake, her mind begins to click.

*Wait... Luna? Where is Princess Luna?*

Only by finding the moon cake had Twilight realized that the princess who orchestrated the event was missing.

"Princess Celestia," Twilight calls. "Where is Luna?"

Celestia's gaze falls as she finishes chewing on the pastry in her mouth and swallows.

"I'm afraid my sister could not attend, Twilight." Celestia says glumly.

Twilight's heart stops. She couldn't beileve her ears.

"What?! Why? She's the one who planned this, isn't she?"

"That is why she could not be here, Twilight." Celestia explains. "I've never seen her work so hard for anything before. She spent all night and all morning preparing this day for you. It has worn her out, and she needed to rest."

Twilight looks down at the table. Suddenly, she wasn't so hungry anymore.

"Take heart, Twilight. Look at what she has done for you, and this is only the beginning of your birthday. She has worked so hard to make this your... 'best bucking day ever'." Celestia quotes. "You mean a lot to my sister for her to do something like this."

Twilight's heart pounds a little faster at those last few words.

*Do I really mean this much to a princess like Luna?* Twilight thinks to herself.

A smile forces its way along her lips. Seeing Twilight smile, Celestia's cheery grin returns. With that, she returns to her pastry. Twilight's gaze returns to the moon cake. She had a sneaking suspicion it might have been a gift from Luna as well.

"Thank you..." She whispers to the cake.

Then, she takes a knife, and cuts the delicious dessert in two.

***To Be Continued***