The appearance of eight mares one of which being the ruler of the land cause quite the understandable commotion at Ponyville medical. With a quick word of authority Luna had been rushed to intensive care and while healing quickly the doctors insisted the she be kept overnight just to be safe. Luna was brought into a small private room in the outpatient wing with two unicorn solar guard standing watch. Celestia sat next to her sister as nurse Red Heart finished taking the lunar princess’ vitals for the fifth time in the last twenty minutes at Celestia’s insistence to know if her sister was alright. This level of coddling while Luna appreciated it was wearing on her nerves and with her slowly rising blood pressure and heart rate it was showing. The beeping from the heart monitor the strange paper like gown she had been forced to wear her under garments and dress taken to be washed and repaired. Coupled with all the sights, sounds, and unfamiliar words and phrases she was hearing made her surprised that she hadn’t already blown up at the next pony to speak.

“Well princess it seems her blood pressure and heart rate are a little elevated but is otherwise fine.” Nurse Red Heart had to bite tongue to keep from adding in. “And few you was treating me like this mine would be up too”

“Is something wrong with her? Please bring the--”

“ENOUGH!!” Luna interrupted her sister with the booming royal ailcorn voice. “Sister we are fine and only need our rest. Something that your insistent coddling over our conduction is preventing form happening. Doubly so when thee should be looking for the archer so thy can apologize to him.”

“Yes Luna your right of course.”Celestia’s eras fell slightly before springing back up. “Did you say him?”

Luna nodded slowly “Yes sister though it was hard to tell the mask he wore muffled his voice we are confident that the archer is male. However we do not believe he is a pony.”Celestia raise an eyebrow and motioned for her to continue. “The mask he wore it was much too flat to be a pony and his eyes far too small. If we were to speculate it would seem likely his kind do not rely on their eyes.”

“So you do not recognize his species then?” Celestia ask slight worry in her voice.

Luna shook her head slowly as she struggled to keep her eyes open fatigue beginning to overtake her.“Tis…hard to *yawwwnnnn*….say sister”

“I see”

With a gentle nod of her head Celestia dismissed Red Heart before looking back to her sister gripping her hand tightly. When the door closed and the two sisters were in private the solar princess quickly sound proofed the room and nuzzled Luna’s cheek affectionately tears streaming down her face.

“Luna I’m so sorry for banishing you Luna I tried….i tried so hard to..” Celestia was cut off once by Luna placing her hand on Celestia’s cheek and a tender kiss on the lips as tears streamed down the lunar princess’ own cheeks.

“We know you did sister we was very aware while we were…her….and we are sorry as well.”

Cradling Luna in her arms Celestia kissed Luna herself tenderly but passionately as their heads tilted they both hummed in pleasure having not felt each other in a thousand years. Luna wanted nothing more than to catch up on lost time but she was too tired and could barely keep her eyes open. Breaking the kiss she looked up into Celestia’s eyes looking at her as sternly as she could.

“Find him Tia and make this..right….we must….” Luna drifted off to sleep mid sentence her body slowly relaxing into the realm of sleep.

Chuckling gently Celestia leaned down kissing Luna on the lips once more before gently whispering. “I will my night princess.”For a few minutes Celestia merely watch the smaller alicorn sleep slowly stroking her hand. The solar princess had a sea of emotions flowing through her mind joy, relief, sorrow, but most of all worry. The archer had nearly killed Nightmare Moon and Luna with her that sent a chill up white alicorn’s spine. She and Luna both while they didn’t age they weren’t immortal they could still be killed and today was a close call for Luna. Celestia while wanting to find the archer and offer an apology she now had another reason entirely. Thanks to the account of the battle courtesy of Twilight and Luna she knew the archer was dangerous and needed to be watched carefully. Treating him like a criminal would do her no favors as it might spur him to alley with the griffons, minotaurs or some other force on Equis. Then there was the prophecy Star Swirl had left her. Was this archer the force that prevented him for seeing past Twilight’s ascension? Or was it something else all together. Giving a farewell kiss on Luna’s cheek Celestia look over into the mirror and made herself presentable again. Opening the door to the room with a quick flex of her magic she dispelled the sound proofing charm where she was greeted by her student and her new friends. Twilight was the first to step forward looking up at her mentor expectantly.

“Is Princess Luna alright?”

With her trademarked motherly smile Celestia nodded slowly. “The doctors say she will be just fine after a good rest. If all goes well she’ll be able to return home tomorrow as we will as well.”Twilight Deflated slightly at that. “Is there something wrong my faithful student?”
Twilight nervously fidgeted “It’s nothing princess just I now know the magic of friendship and now I have to leave them.” Celestia’s smile brightened as she looked to the young purple and green drake standing next to her student.

“Spike take a note please….”

The fallowing day held a massive celebration for the return of the night princess that lasted from noon to midnight. Singing and dancing all thought-out Ponyvile and was all watched carefully by a lone spider atop town hall.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

“Ah still can’t believe tha princess gave us all’a us tickets to tha Grand Galloping Gala.” The orange earth pony mare with a blonde mane and tail wearing denim overalls and a red plaid shirt with a Stetson hat exclaimed as she took another bite out of the apple pie in front of her. It wasn’t as good as the Apple family’s but it was by no means a bad pie. Her body was easily the most muscled of her friends but still held her feminine beauty well toned shapely legs, rump and above average bust all hidden by her work clothes.

“Oh oh oh oh I know AppleJack first we all like awww… then we were like YAY!!! And now im all super nervouscited. And and and oooooooo!!!! I just can’t set still!!!!!!!!!!!!!.” The bubbly pink on pink earth pony demonstrated as she bounded over to the counter of the bakery to restock her plate with sugary baked goods. Her blue knee length dress and white apron on the front creating a lifting effect on her bust which the town’s folk had come to the seeming sound theory that Pinkie’s breasts absorbed the excess calories the she ate. Seeing as of the mares in town she was one of the two that required custom made bras. The other being the town mail mare “Derpy” Hooves.

“Pinks you can’t set still away.” The blue coated and rainbow manned pegasus mare quipped as she took a drink from her milkshake. She wore blue-ish grey windbreaker pants and a skin tight tube top reaching from just over her belly button to well over her nearly flat chest. With reflective neon orange and yellow stripes about an inch wide a piece running down the sides, front and back as standard safety protocol for the local weather team. The outfit didn’t show much but because how tightly it clung to her managed to leave little to the imagination on her torso.

“True as that may be Rainbow Dash for once I can’t truly blame her I’m quite beside myself too.” The sophisticated the white unicorn mare with a purple curly styled mane wearing a black knee length tight skirt and button up blouse that matched her mane responded as Pinkie returned to the table in windowed corner near the entrance. Looking around the table viewing all the sweet bakery items made her sigh as she looked down at her tea trying to decide if she could indulge herself for once.

“Me too Rarity I’m so excited I could just scream. YAY!” Said scream was just barely louder than a quiet speaking voice in a library. The screamer in question was a buttery yellow pegasus with a long soft pink mane and tail. She wore white long sleeve top and green dress nearly reaching her dainty hooves hiding her otherwise shapely but modest figure. Sitting in the corner she looked around the table to see her friends looking at her with raise brows making her shrink back slightly hiding behind her mane.

“Was I too loud? I’m sorry…”

“No not at all Fluttershy it was just unexpected that’s all darling.” Rarity smile at her shy friend and noticed somepony was being even more quite. “Twilight darling is everything alright you don’t seem very excited about this.”

Twilight looked back over to her unicorn friend upon realizing she had been spoken to. She was wearing what had become her signature look of busy librarian. A sweater vest matching her coat over a short sleeve shirt with a skirt.

“Sorry my mind is elsewhere at the moment.”

“Thinkin about some stallion you’ll meet at tha gala?” Applejack grinned nudging Twilight.

“WHAT!?! No no nothing like that.” Twilight stammered as she tried to push down the blush that made its way onto her cheeks. “No I was just wondering if the princess had gotten any word about the archer. It’s been two weeks and nopony in the guard has seen neither hide nor hair of him not even the tiny hint of a trace of him in the Everfree. I worry that maybe the injuries he got form that spell were too great…”

“You don’t think that princess Celestia actually….you know….” Fluttershy couldn’t bring herself to finish the thought it was just too horrible.

Shaking her head Twilight tried to re assure the kind Pegasus. “I really don’t think so at least not on purpose it’s just not like her. To be honest I didn’t even think she even knew spells that could hurt anypony.”

The young drake that had been sitting next to adoptive big sister broke from his staring at a cretin white unicorn finally adding to the conversation. “Well Twi the princess is over a thousand years old in all that time I’m sure she’s needed such spells in the past after all she DID have to fight Nightmare Moon.” The drake stood at about half the height of the mares at the table and wore a casual slacks and a button up short sleeve shirt both a much darker shade of his own purple scales.

Twilight let out a heavy sigh as she nodded. “I know spike it’s just strange I mean she has to deal with the pressures of ruling Equestria and not once have I even seen her raise her voice let alone attack somepony.”

“Well I recken if somepony I didn’t know was hoverin’ over ma kin like d’at id probably give’m a buck right up side they’re head ma self.” The apple framer added sipping some coffee. The group all nodded in agreement all having families of their own understood the need to protect them.

“Well its gettin’ late suppose we all hit the hay-” Applejack was interrupted by a loud thump on the door to Sugar Cube Corner.
“…soon? What in tarnation was that?” She slowly walked over to the door as the rest of the mares and Spike got up from the table. Reaching the door she slowly opened it peaking out through the crack seeing no one she opened the door fully pulling it inside only for everyone to gasp at what was impaled on the door. A single black arrow with a scroll tied around it emblazed with a pink and white starburst on it matching Twilight’s cutie mark perfectly.

Grabbing the arrow and pulling it out of the door Applejack turning to her friend. “Uh…Twi..i think you got mail.”

“That’s the same kind of arrow the archer used against Nightmare moon.” Taking the arrow she returned to her seat and sat the arrow down on it charging her horn she prodded the arrow slowly with her magic.

“Yo! Twilight what are you waiting for open it up already!” Rainbow said failing her arms and wings excitedly.

Shaking her head Twilight continued scanning the arrow. “No Rainbow it’s not that simple it may have some kind of dangerous magic on it.”

“Oh come on Twilight you’re just being paranoid.” The blue peagsus complained.

“Rainbow I seen the archer turn four glowing arrows into eight I’m not taking a chance. The fact I am picking up an unfamiliar magic doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“Do you think it’s dangerous Twilight?” Spike asked as he clung to the back of her the chair she was setting in fear evident in his voice. The rest of the group backing away from the arrow and eyeing it cautiously.

“Not sure, it’s unlike any magic I’ve felt before but doesn’t feel evil so that’s a plus right?” she smiled as she released her magic. Taking the arrow in her hands once more she slowly untied the scroll. The entire room held their breath in anticipation as one end of the scroll fell free a small jade earring fell onto the table making everyone gasp but none were louder than Rarity. And she quickly moved to grab it but Twilight’s quick thinking stopped her before she could.

“Oh darling why are you stopping me that earring absolutely beautiful the design the style the-”

“The massive amounts of unknown magic following within it.” Twilight cut her off with the biggest “are you seriously doing this” faces as Rarity blushed deeply the rest of the group sharing Twilight’s look. “I admit its beautiful Rarity but we have to be careful with it there might have been a warning on this scroll.” Using a fork she carefully poked and pushed it to the center of the table as she finishes freeing the scroll from the arrow. Sensing no magic in it or the scroll she set the arrow aside and unrolled the parchment for all to see. Its contents surprised them all a series of pictures. A crude but obviously unicorn with Twilight’s cutie mark on its chest putting the earring in her ear holding it and speaking.

“Huh well Twi seems this archer of yours wants to pretty you up some.” Rainbow giggled Pinkie joining her.

“I highly doubt that Rainbow.” Twilight blushing and speaking through clenched teeth.

“Well..um you’re not going to put it on are you Twilight?” Futtershy asked trembling now.

“Hmm….Well if the archer wanted to hurt me he would’ve done it back then or simply waited till I was at the library it seems obviously he’s been watching me how else would he know to shoot this arrow here.”

“Wait so he’s been spying on us!?!”

“Probably.” Twilight gazed down at the earring it was a simple half loop made of jade and she could feel the magic inside it.

“Oh just put it on Twilight we gotta start the real plot sometime.” Pinkie said with a wide knowing grin. “Besides I wanna hurry up and meet my Ro Ro.”

The girls and spike looked at her like she just grew a second head, wings, and horn and murmured to themselves.

“Ro Ro?....start the plot?”

“Oh don’t worry about that the author was just having trouble finding a way for Twilight to ignore all logic and reason to not spend too long studying the earring.”

“Pinkie what in the name of Celestia are ya talkin’ bout girl.”

“Oh nothing I said not to worry about it Applejack. So twilight you gonna put it on or what? Is the writer gonna have to make me put it on you myself?”

“Pinkie remind my later to have this doctor I know in Canterlot examine your head later…and mine.” Twilight said as she took out one of her earrings and placed the jade one in holding her ear like the note said she spoke. “Well if nothing else this will be a silly story later on.”

“For some reason I highly doubt that.”A male voice suddenly whispered in her ear making the mare jump and look behind her screaming.

“WHO SAID THAT?!”

“Calm yourself woman the earring you’re wearing is allowing me to speak to you and only you can hear me. I imagine by now your friends are looking at you like your crazy.”

Twilight looked around the room and indeed they were all expected Pinkie who had the happiest grin on her face.

“Uh..sugar cube you feelin alight?”

“It’s the archer he’s talking to me!”She stage whispered.

“Darling were the only ones here you must have been more stressed form today than we’ve first thought you clearly hearing voices.”

“Woman I can’t hear you unless you’re touching the earring.”

The voices condensing tone was beginning to get to her growling she grabbing the earring and spoke with barely contained anger. “My name is not woman it’s Twilight Sparkle and I would very much appreciated you calling me that. And can you give my friends some kind of proof that you’re the one talking to me and not just a voice in my head?”

“ugh…very well repeat what I’m about to say…. “Arrow coming in 3..2…1..””

At the count of one another arrow broke thought the glass of Sugar Cube Corner embedding itself in the center of the table identical to the first one make everyone scream in panic except for Pinkie once again.

“What the buck! Ok that’s it im going after that jerk!” Rainbow said bursting threw the window fallowing what she thought to be the arrow’s path. Fluttershy and Spike promptly fainted and Rarity was barely able to catch the two of them.

“Rainbow wait!” AppleJack yelled after her flying friend.

“What are you trying to do kill us!?!” Twilight all but screamed as she clutched the earring. She was slightly confused for a moment at what she was hearing then got even angrier at the sound of chuckling coming from the other end. “Do you think that was funny?! Cause is not you could’ve hurt or killed us!”

“If I had been trying to you wouldn’t still be breathing…hmm…..your friend can fly pretty fast by the way. Too bad her eyes aren’t meant for dark the way mine are she flew right past me without even slowing down.”

“Was that arrow really called for? You scared the hay out of everypony.” Twilight asked as everyone still inside the bakery were calming down and sitting around the table once more most of them glaring at the purple unicorn’s ear.

“Everypony?..... I’ll just have to address that later but yes it was you’re the one that wanted proof it was me after all don’t complain about how you got it.”

Twilight had to take a few seconds to calm herself he was right after all and as much as she wanted to chew him out for what he did Celestia wanted to talk to him and so did she. He did confirm Luna’s suspicion that he wasn’t a pony just now so she pushed her current agitation aside. “Indeed I did but I still think that was uncalled for but I’m willing to forget about that for now. So if I might ask what’s your name?”

“Sorry I only give my name out to those I trust and I don’t trust you or your friends yet.”

“Ponyfeathers I couldn’t find anything out there.” Rainbow huffed as flew back inside clearly frustrated.

“He said you flew right past and didn’t even slow down Dash.” Twilight informed her friend.

“What I did? Wait how do you know that Twi?”

Twilight pointed to her ear. “Archer told me and he doesn’t seem to trust us with his name for some reason.” Rainbow huffed again louder as Twilight returned her unseen conversation partner. “So if you’re not going to tell me your name then why send this earring?”

“First while I’m plenty capable to surviving in the forest I…..Let’s just say I have my reasons for not doing so. Second I wasn’t sure if I’d be attacked if I just strolled into town. I could outrun any trouble but I’d like to avoid it if at all possible. I didn’t come here to cause problems just the opposite in fact. I came to settle down into a peaceful life….or rather….never mind.”

“Ok so you’re not here to cause problems? And yet you broke a window already not the best start to that.”

“I’ll repair it or pay for the damages provided gold is worth anything here.”

“Yeah gold is worth quite a lot actually why you have some?”

“Maybe a little.”

“Well ok so are you gonna come over to Sugar Cube Corner right now then?”

“No I figure it would be best if you and your friends calm down some. How bout a meeting in three days at sunset someplace private preferably I’d rather not have a crowd either.”

“How about at the library after closing time just me and my friends?”

“That’s a perfect place actually where is it and how many?”

“It’s the large oak tree in the middle of town can’t miss it and seven maybe eight if princess Celestia can make room on her schedule.”

“Who?”

“Princess Celestia she’s the ailcorn that…well…blasted you with that spell.” Twilight gulped nervously hoping she hadn’t just made a deal breaker and she stiffened slightly as his tone turned icy.

“Why in the name of the infernal planes would she be there?”

“She wants to thank you for the part you played in freeing Princess Luna from Nightmare Moon and apologize for attacking you.” Twilight and waited anxiously for nearly a minute fearing he would back out now.

“Very well… I suppose I can at least hear her out and see if it’s true.”

“That’s great I’ll get word to her right away. Can I ask you a few questions about you like? What you are? Where do you come from? What is your..”Twilight was cut off by the archer clearing his throat over the ring.

“You’ll get your chance to ask questions in three days just make sure your more hot headed friends don’t attack me when I show up. But for now it’s getting late and I’m sure you need your rest after all the running around you did today. Until we meet face to face Twilight good bye.”

“Archer? Mister archer you there?......Hello….Huh I guess he’s not listening anymore…”

“Yo! Twilight what did that jerk say?” Rainbow demanded nearly getting in her face A.J. having to pull her back into her chair.

“Easy there missy I’m sure Twilight was about tell a’lla us.” Apple Jack and the rest of the group looked to Twilight.

Clearing her throat the lavender unicorn looked to her friends. “The archer is going to come by the library in three days and I want all of you there to meet him.”

“Excuse me darling but why do you want us there?” The fashionista ask confused and the rest of the group sharing the thought except Pinkie again. Twilight was beginning to wonder if she knew him.

“Because he saved my life and bought you girls time to show up to help. If it wasn’t for him I believe it would be eternal night now.”

“Fine I guess I can show up for the jerk.” Rainbow then pointed at Twilight. “Just don’t expect me to be nice to him though.” With a flap of her wings she bolted out the window heading home.

“Ugh….I really hope she doesn’t do something brash when he shows up.” The librarian looked over to her baker friend who was glowing with excitement. “Pinkie he said he didn’t want a crowd so no party understand?”

“Oh no worries Twilight I wasn’t going to plan one anyway but do still have lots of baking to do.” Pinkie grinned at her friend before bouncing her way to the stairs and Twilight stopped her.

“Why do you have a lot of baking to do Pinkie?”

“Cause the princess is gonna be there silly filly and we all know how she loves her cake.” Pinkie said with a wink to the empty air to her left. “I wonder if we have an ice pack in the freezer?”

“Umm… why do you need an ice pack?”

“Oh I don’t at least not yet and it’s not for me anyway.” Pinkie turned back to the empty air. “Don’t expect me to be quite as random and wall breaky form now on okay? Okay? Good. See you all next time.” Pinkie slowly hopped her up the stairs her smile glowing.

“Uh…Rarity has she always been like this or has it gotten worse?” The farmer asked learning over to whisper to her friend.

“Sadly I believe she has hit all time high for her randomness I really worry about that pony sometimes.” Everyone else in the room nodded slowly in agreement well almost every one. Twilight was busy clutching a piece of parchment bearing the royal seal. Her left ear was flopping and her right eye was twitching madly along with a few mane hairs sprung out of place.

“OHHHH! Sweet Celestia! we have to get everything ready!!!” Twilight screamed then in a flash and pop of magic teleported back to the library.

“Oh boy…I better get back to the library and make sure she doesn’t go overboard..again.” With that spike snatched up a cookie for the road and ran back home.

“Well ah better being getting home too..if’in ya like Shy I’ll walk ya home.” AJ offered to the quit mare.

“Oh…thank you Apple Jack.” The mare in question spoke softly as she joined her friend at the door.

“No problem sugar cube are ya’ll gonna be there?” The farmer asked looking at both her friends.

“Oh..i don’t know….he didn’t seem very nice…”

“Darling you have to be there.”

“But why Rarity?”

“So we can us the elements on that varmint if we need ta”

“Well I was going to say so she could model a dress for me but that works too..i spouse.”

“Model a dress? Really Rare? We’re gonna have that archer varmint here in town and your fussin over a dress.”

“Well what other chance am I going to get to display my work to royalty before the gala?”

“Gruhh!”…. AJ face palmed hard.

Author's Note

Sorry for the long delay holidays, work and life in general kept me away from this longer than i would like. Also i have found and someone to edit the chapters but do to real life getting in the way its been slow going. So what im doing is going over new chapters as best i can (Which probably is all that great) then post the edited chapters when i get them. I would wait of the fully edited chapters but because of how many likes im getting for im gonna go ahead and post.

P.S. I know the grammar is bad and its being worked on but let me know if your enjoying the story itself.