Introduction : What's to Come

Light filled the bedroom as Celestia woke with panting breath.

With a shallow huff, she got up from the luxurious bed and swiftly galloped to the window. She sighed in reluctant relief as she saw the sun gently start to raise in the horizon. "Luna, always eager to show me up...," she smiled as the watched the sunrise. Then, with a grim smile, she added with a hollow tired breath, "...if only tomorrow could be so pleasant."

"Oh, Celestia!" Sang Luna as she pushed open the door. "Oh, so you are awake. Sorry if I woke you up, but the sunrise doesn't have a snooze option~."

"You did a good job, but I think you might have been a few nanoseconds to early..." Celestia laughed lightly as she stared out the window. "You'll get used to it soon enough."

Luna frowned and trotted over. "Is something wrong?"

"To be honest, I couldn't sleep to well. I kept having... nightmares. But, you know of course. Always eavesdropping on your big sister's dreams..." she tiredly smiled as she watched the sun move itself over the distant buildings of Canterlot, "... I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about."

Luna blushed. "Actually, I was busy last night. I didn't even sense you were having a nightmare. How odd." She sat near the window. "Then I got up early and noticed you were not up for the day shift."

Celestia frowned. "You didn't sense anything? Not even a little?"

"No, I'm sorry."

"Well... that's a little less than comforting." Suddenly, Celestia stood up. "Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"I sense some kind of wave of powerful magic. Don't you?"

Luna waited a minute, then suddenly a cold, unsettling feeling rushed through her back, the tension in the room magnifying. "Oh, I do! What is that?"

Celestia shook her head. "I knew it was to good to be true. I just knew it!"

"What is it? Was it in your dream?" Luna's eyes widened. "It is Tirek? Sombra? ... Couldn't be Discord..."

"No, no, none of them." Celestia stood up, glaring at the sunrise as a bright white light slowly overtook the sky. She then stared, blankly, in hypnotic fear. "I was wrong."

"What is that?!" Luna said, staring up at the sky as the white light faded.

"Something I've been dreading for a long time now." She trotted out to the hall, Luna fallowing behind. "Send all Guard Captains to the major cities of Equestria. Tell them to raise and maintain Alicorn level shields, and build walls just to be safe. That includes dawn and dusk guards, and the Wonderbolts. Make sure they know that the danger level is ultra high, battle lances and swords will not be enough. Open the Royal Arsenal, make those forbidden things once again. I don't want to see a single guard out there without something powerful."

"Celestia, explain to me now, what is going on? Why do we need THOSE? Was that a declaration of war? War with whom, the dragons? The deer?"

"It's a little more complicated than war, Luna. It was a... spell. Some kind of unrighteous spell to the likes never seen in millennia. If you want to put it in simple terms, yes, we are at war."

"With who?" Luna whimpered. "I... I can't think of any creature powerful enough to have that kind of blast cover Equestria!"

"You are forgetting a creature capable of that and more."

Luna paused, then nearly stopped in her steady trot. "Maybe... if there were enough unicorns... But a pony? This is an Equestrian's doing?!"

"As for whether they are Equestrian or not I am not certain. But this kind of magic is not as uncommon as you would think. They just normally are not as... " She opened doors to the Canterlot Archives, then turned in surprise to see Luna still following her in deep confusion. "Just remember, stay calm. Don't let the ponies of Equestria see you cry. It will only kill their hope."

Luna scrunched her face. "Cry? I'm not crying."

Celestia gave her a quick hug. "That's the idea. Now, hurry and get things going, the sooner we get this done the better off everypony will be. Just do as I asked, I need to be alone right now. I'll get my enchanters and court unicorns once I get a hold on the situation." She smiled. "And remember Luna. I love you." Celestia closed the doors swiftly, and Luna strained to pry them open.

"Celestia!" Luna glared, yelling as she pounded on the door with her bare hooves.

"Princess?"

Luna turned and saw two Canterlot guards following at a respectable distance, stiffening at her glance into a respectful salute. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, your highness."

"All of it?"

"Yes. We apologize for eavesdropping."

Luna sighed, hearing the pacing hooves of her older sister. "Well, whatever is going on it has Celestia very worried. And that means that I am very worried."

"What are your orders, Princess?"

She glanced at the door, then at the two young guards. "You heard her. Do it. Now. Report back to me on anything you see happening out there. I'm still in the dark myself. Be cautious. Alert Cadence as well. I'm not sure if whatever is happening stretches to the Crystal Empire, but we all should take all precautions we can. We don't know what will happen here, and I can't get any answers out of Celestia." Luna trotted over to the window, looking at the confused citizens out on the streets of Canterlot, looking up at the sky in confusion. "And please, time is of the essence."