"Wow."

Chrysalis voiced everyone's thoughts in one word as they gazed up in wonder at the sparkling, silver-dotted splendor of the night sky. Celestia, Luna, Lavender, and the Changeling sisters were standing on Canterlot Castle's grand rooftop terrace shortly after sunset. The sky was truly exquisite tonight, courtesy of the Princess of the Night. The beauty of the deep, jewel-blue color mixed with the orangey-pink hues of the fading sunset and speckled with millions of twinkling stars was unrivaled by anything else.

Now Peridot knew why it was called the Starlight Terrace. It was a sight to remember for eternity. Would the night sky ever be as clear again?

How wonderful would it be to have the ability to move the moon and scatter the stars across the sky? Jade thought, drinking in the divinity of every precious moment. She glanced over at Princess Luna, smiling at the alicorn's expression of pure freedom and lighthearted joy. We owe it all to her. Here, closest to the sky, she is completely free of kingdoms, politics, and royal duties. I wish I had a place like this, where I could be myself and be truly free.

As if reading Jade's thoughts, Luna looked over at the eldest Changeling princess and smiled softly, before turning away to stare back up at the sky.

They all went to bed just before midnight, yawning and stumbling on their hooves as they slowly walked through the castle and back to their rooms. It had been a long day, and all they wanted was to rest in deep, peaceful slumber.

Snoring emanated from the two limp forms laid over Jade's back: Peridot and Chrysalis, who had both fallen asleep a little before they left the Starlight Terrace. They weren't exactly feather-light, but they weren't that heavy, either. Jade made her steps light and deliberate, careful not to disturb the sleepers on her back.

She pushed open the door to their guest suite and walked inside, lighting a single oil lamp with a flick of her horn. In addition to the cloud bed that was already there, an extra one had been brought into the bedroom after Jade's sudden appearance at the alicorns' castle. She levitated Peridot off her back and onto the first cloud, and then Chrysalis was laid on the next. Soft feather comforters, floating in Jade's magic, covered their slumbering bodies with gentle warmth.

Once her sisters were tucked in nicely, Jade yawned wide and finally allowed herself to snuggle into the big four-poster bed. She pulled the rich comforter up to her chin, blew out the flame burning in the lamp, and fell into the welcoming, blissful state of unconsciousness.

Dreams came to her immediately.

She was running.

She didn't know what she was running from, but whatever it was, she knew that she couldn't let it catch up with her. It was something dangerous and unwanted. A menace, an enemy. And it was getting closer and closer by the split second.

Jade's lungs burned, and her legs ached, but she kept galloping. At some point, she realized that she was running through the familiar hallways of the Hive. Home. Wait . . . how had she gotten back here? She had been in Canterlot!

But there was no more time to dwell on that. She skidded to a halt at an intersection in the hallway, a fork that she was sure she had never seen in the Hive before. Three separate corridors branched from this one. Magic green letters floated in the air at the beginning of each one. The hallway on the left was marked FREEDOM, the one in the middle was LOVE, and hanging in the passage to her right was FORTITUDE.

Jade had never been more puzzled. Well, that wasn't exactly true. There was that time when . . . never mind. It wasn't important now. What was really vital at that moment was that her pursuer was gaining on her and would reach her in a matter of seconds.

She looked down each corridor, not really knowing what to expect. But there was an image in each one. A vision of the future where she chose one of these hallways?

The FREEDOM passage, the one on her left, was filled with the picture of a beautiful sunset sky, where the first bright stars were starting to appear. Orange-and-pink-tinged clouds streaked the glowing sky like the strokes of a paintbrush. It was Jade's own personal paradise, a world where she could be free.

She took a step toward it, but something made her pause and look at the others. Tears sprang to her eyes when she caught sight of the mirage in the corridor called LOVE. Chrysalis, Peridot, Emerald, even Celestia, Luna, and Lavender, were here, laughing and talking together on a glorious spring day. They looked so happy, so content. Her loved ones were together in this place. Jade longed to join them, but she took a moment to stare down the last hallway.

FORTITUDE was different. Instead of a tempting illusion like the others, this hall had nothing in it. Just a swirl of thick gray mist. Like that future was yet to be determined. But it was Fortitude, wasn't it? Courage to face what happens next.

Hoofbeats pounded on the floor behind her. She was running out of time.

Panic raged inside Jade's mind. She tried to take a step forward, as if thinking that her hooves would guide her by themselves, but she couldn't move. Looking down, she cried out as she saw her hooves – they were made of stone! And that wasn't all. The pale gray color was spreading, freezing her legs in place.

She was stuck.

Jade looked back down the hallway behind her. A long shadow was approaching quickly, a shifting shape on the walls and floor. Huge wings, a long-fanged snout, a spiked tail, spear-sharp claws . . . A dragon?

The frightening creature had silver claws and horns, a set of wings that left a trail of shadows behind them, and shining scales of darkest night. Dark, glittering purple flames flickered around its snout, but that wasn't what really scared Jade. It was the brilliant violet eyes of the she-dragon, narrowed in rage.

She-dragon. Somehow, Jade knew that it was female. That didn't make her any less scared, however. And those eyes . . . she had seen that amethyst gaze before.

"Nidra?" But that didn't seem like the Queen Nidra that Jade knew as a friend.

In response, the Queen of all Night Dragons opened her mouth wide to reveal gleaming fangs. Burning fire glowed in her throat. In less than a split second, the flames shot out of the dragon's mouth, heading straight for Jade. She tried to duck or run, but part of her was still frozen in stone. She could feel the crackling heat getting closer . . . and closer . . . and closer . . . Bracing herself, she squeezed her eyes shut prepared for the worst.

But it never came.

When she didn't feel fire, Jade risked cracking open her eyes. A transparent shield of blue magic had formed around her. The blast of sparkling dragonfire hit the barrier and eddied harmlessly around it, curling into dark gray smoke that dissolved in the air.

The manifestation of Nidra, the queen dragon, hissed and opened her mouth to try again. But this time, something else stopped her. A voice.

"That is enough."

A bright flash bathed the hallway in a moon-white light. Nearly blinded, Jade squinted against the illumination, just in time to see the Dragon of Shadows blown away by the light like weightless black smoke. The light started to fade so that she could make out the familiar form of a dark blue alicorn.

"Princess Luna!" she cried in relief – and also a little bit of confusion. "What are you doing here?"

The princess gave a small nod and lit up her horn. The background of the Hive vanished to make way for a pale blue landscape glowing with the light of a million stars. Jade, standing next to Luna on a not-so-solid-looking path of stars, instantly felt a sense of calm. Nothing bad could happen here.

"Where are we?" Jade's question echoed through the apparently endless starscape.

"Why, the dreamscape, of course," Luna said proudly, gesturing around them with a silver-clad hoof. "The place where all dreams are created. My place. I think you would understand that more than anypony or anyone, Princess Jade, wouldn't you?"

"Y-Yes, I would and I do," Jade answered, slightly startled.

Noticing the other princess's surprise, Luna smiled with a knowing twinkle in her blue eyes. "It would be unbecoming for the Princess of Dreams to be unaware of a dream so free like yours," she said softly.

"The dream – was that your doing?"

"No, not at all." Luna's magic glowed to rearrange several bright stars into the shape of a dragon. "The Night Dragon in your dream – Queen Nidra Nightwing. How do you know her? Are you old acquaintances?"

"Can I answer you when I'm awake?" was Jade's reply.

Luna looked a little bewildered, but she nodded quickly. "Of course. Sleep well, Princess Jade."

The dreamscape started to disappear, wiped away by a wave of soothing blackness. And then Jade felt herself fall into a deeper sleep. This time, no dreams or nightmares disturbed her peaceful slumber. Nothing disrupted her, until a loud voice cut into her consciousness and broke the gentle euphoria.

"Jade! Jade, wake up!" Someone had grabbed her by the shoulders and was shaking her, much to her annoyance.

"What! Stop that." Jade groggily opened her eyes and peered up at her sisters, who were standing next to her bed with tired expressions and frizzy manes. She sat up, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. My dream. Was any of it real? Was Princess Luna really there? "What's going on?"

"Princess Luna has called an emergency meeting with us on the Starlight Terrace, right now," Peridot reported, attempting to smooth down her mussed hair. "It must be something important for her to wake us this early."

How early? Jade glanced out the large window, where the curtains had been drawn back to let the dim light stream into the room. Just a sliver of Celestia's sun had risen over the horizon, three-quarters of the sky were still dark, and stars still glittered against the dark blue backdrop. Sweet Flutterheart, it was barely dawn!

But the dream . . . it was real. Luna wants to hear my story about Nidra.

"Okay, I think I know what this is all about," Jade said, forcing herself to slide out of the warm, comfortable bed and leave the soft luxury behind. "Just brush your teeth, wash your faces, and give your manes and tails a quick brush. I'm going to kill her for getting us up at this time of day just out of impatience," she grumbled, mostly to herself. It didn't go unnoticed by her sisters, however, and they exchanged amused looks.

Twenty minutes later, the three sisters finally reached the Starlight Terrace. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were standing next to each other at the edge, gazing at the sun as Celestia raised it with her powerful alicorn magic. Jade was awed by this spectacular sight and the display of magical prowess.

Upon hearing their approach, Luna turned and smiled, with an extra wink for Jade. "Good morning, my new friends," she greeted them in a bright, chipper voice. "I believe Jade here has a memory to share with us . . ."

Fourteen years ago, at the Changeling Hive . . .

I sullenly followed my mother through the twisting halls of the Hive, which I called home. "Motheeerrrr," I whined softly, kicking at an uneven bump in the hall runner. "Why do I have to attend this summit? Emerald gets to skip it, and you know I hate being around strangers."

Queen Thysanura looked down at me with a frown. "Stop complaining, Jade," she said sharply, and I winced, stung. Her tone of voice softened a tiny bit, almost unnoticeably. "I've already explained this to you. Emerald is too young to attend the Grand Summit of all lands, and besides, it's good experience for a future queen like you. Come, let's hurry to make it in time. I don't want to miss meeting any of our . . . interesting guests."

She means potential enemies, I thought as we continued on to the Hive's grand summit chamber. I knew my mother well enough, almost as well as she knew herself. She had no idea that I knew this, and I wanted to keep it that way. I had seen what she could do.

Two of our most loyal Changeling drones stood guard on either side of the doors to the summit chamber, each of them holding a very pointy spear. I eyed the weapons as Mother and I stepped through the doors that the guards had opened for us. Those spears were not the least bit ordinary, despite their looks. Made of both magically and physically unbreakable black diamond, the spears had long shafts carved with enchantment runes and fang-sharp points tipped with poison that could kill any known creature in existence at first touch.

It comforted me to know that the Hive was so well guarded, but it also made me wary of dangerous accidents or – worse – sudden betrayal.

The Grand Summit Chamber was a huge, round room with dark blue walls and the ceiling mural of Luna's deep midnight sky sparkling with stars. The floor was made of cold, flawless white marble, and chandeliers of enchanted glowing crystals hung from the ceiling. Lit candles were also held in crystal sconces mounted on the walls, where silvery-gray silk draperies hung as well. Round tables covered with lace-edged white tablecloths were sprinkled throughout the room, with seven chairs at each one. Glasses of chilled water and a centerpiece of glowing crystal flowers occupied every table.

Most of the guests didn't know it, but a heavy amount of carefully constructed enchantments had been cast on this room for security purposes. I had read the sheaf of papers on Mother's desk and studiously memorized the list of spells by heart.

My mother and I stood close to the open doors, waiting for everyone to get here. The first foreign delegation to arrive was the draconequus one.

This was the very first time I'd ever seen a draconequus. I had to admit, seeing their jumble of different, mixed body parts gave me quite a fright. I didn't exactly scream, but I let out a strangled sort of yelp and instantly hid behind Mother's legs. The draconequus royal family, Queen Pandora and King Illusion, thought that I was so cute. At least they didn't try to scare me any more than they'd already did. Unintentionally, of course. Overall, they seemed like pretty decent someones. Well . . . except for the fact that their son, Prince Discord, acted a little . . . chaotic.

"It's a pleasure to have you here, Queen Pandora and King Illusion," Mother said, her eyes carrying an icy glint in their dark green depths as she gave a small, curt bow. "I look forward to conversing about old times."

If the draconequus royals noticed Thysanura's regular chilly tone and aura, they didn't show it.

Queen Pandora smiled. It was a friendly, sincere smile, not at all like one of Mother's frosty, fanged smirks. "Yes, thank you, Queen Thysanura, and so do we," she said with a courteous dip of her head before she and King Illusion walked away from us.

The next deputations included the centaurs and gargoyles, the Crystal Empress, and the Equestrian princesses, Celestia and Luna. The one after those was my favorite.

"Welcome to my Hive, Princess Fluffle Puff," my mother said in her usual cold voice. How could she be so serious right now? How?! "I am eager to meet your rather . . . interesting subjects."

Princess Fluffle Puff, who was apparently the ruler of this race called Fluffy Ponies. They were covered in dense layers of colored fluff from head to tail! Their princess was no different. Fluffle Puff was swathed in ridiculously pink fluff. From what I could see around her outrageously thick coat of fur, she wore a crown, a torc, and horseshoes. Her royal regalia was golden and set with small pink crystal hearts.

But what was really interesting and funny about Princess Fluffle Puff was that she would only speak in . . . "Fluffy Language", as I called it. Her response to Mother's greeting was this: "Pfft, pfffbt, pffft pffbt, pffft pfft pffffbt, pfffft."

It was hilarious! I clamped my hooves over my muzzle to keep from laughing out loud, but I was shaking from the effort and my barely contained laughter. Fluffle Puff and the rest of the Fluffy Ponies passed by without seeming to notice my convulsive giggles.

Next came the dragons. I couldn't help shrinking away a little as Queen Eclipse Nightwing of the Night Dragons loomed over me and even Mother. Her daughter, a shy-looking Night Dragon princess, was much smaller and younger than her mother, who looked practically ancient. I noticed that while Eclipse was decorated with several strands of jewels and a gem-encrusted crown on her head, the princess wore only a tiny crown of diamonds and amethysts. Aside from that, her body was bare of any jewelry.

"I am honored to see you here, Queen Eclipse," Mother said. For some reason, she did not mention the dragon princess.

"Yes, thank you." Eclipse's voice was cold and calculating, just like my mother's. I thought that they would have been good friends because of their personalities.

Suddenly, the queen's daughter bounded forward and extended her sharp talon to me. "Hi, I'm Nidra!" she said cheerfully. "What's your name, Princess?"

"M-My name is J-J-Jade," I stuttered, still a little frightened of her. I reached out a trembling hoof to shake her claw. "It – it's nice to meet you, P-Princess Nidra."

"You, too!" Nidra was so bright and sunny – a good quality, but not for a future dragon queen. "So, what do you want to do together?" she asked me, the young eagerness clear in her amethyst-colored eyes.

I remained quiet for a long moment, quite confused. She wanted to play with me? No one but Emerald had ever wanted to give me their time of day.

When I didn't respond right away, Nidra's wings drooped sadly. "Oh . . . okay," she mumbled in disappointment. "I – I'll just, um, leave you be, then . . ." She started to follow after Queen Eclipse, who was walking away from us.

"No, wait!" I called after her, finding my voice again. She turned, her expression hopeful. "Um . . . what do you want to do, Nidra?"

Her whole face lit up in excitement and happiness. "Oh! Oh! Can you show me around the Hive, Jade?" she asked with shining eyes and a big smile. She then turned to our mothers. "Pretty, pretty please, Mom?"

I looked back at Mother and Eclipse. The queen dragon sighed and nodded. My mother rolled her eyes and gave her own permission as well. "You may go." Her voice was exasperated.

"YES!" Nidra cheered.

"Let's go!"

Author's Note

And that is how Jade made friends with the dragon princess! Also, don't you just love fluffy Princess Fluffle Puffs?

This chapter is longer than I intended to make it. Now you know what happens when I suddenly find lots of inspiration.

Don't worry, Princess Nidra will play a far more important part in this story than you think . . .