A Book

Diamond Dancer lays on her bed. She stares at the curtains where small beams of light stream in from the gaps of the curtain. She groans. Sleep keeps itself out of her grasp. A book teetering on the edge of her bedside table catches her attention. Big brother Bradigan had brought it to her to read earlier. She huffs and reluctantly rolls over to grab the book. The arduous task of reaching the book makes Diamond even more irritable. Her condition did not want to cooperate with her today.

After slamming her head on the table to activate her night vision, she reads the cover of the red book, "The Darkside of the Moon: Fact or Fiction? New Evidence!" A curious hum vibrates her lips. She has heard of the titular pony before, everypony has in the Servants of Shadow. "The Darkside of the Moon" is the highest rank in the SS, and only the first one has ever reached that rank and honor. Diamond opens the book with a splotchy black hoof and begins to read.

"Princess Luna." A sigh escaped the princess as she set her black, starry crown on the vanity. Her teal eyes stared back at her in the mirror. Already ponies spend more time in her sister's day than her night. She walked away from the vanity and stoped. She looked behind her at her forlorn crown. Her magic picked it up and she placed it on her head. At least she could enjoy the solace of her night.

A cool breeze towed Luna as she sat comfortably on a cloud. She smiled at the bats that flew by and at the dazzling stars in the sky. A magical disturbance on the ground made her roll off her back and look toward the sleeping city below. A shadowy figure crept against the city wall along the southern edge. The figure ran from the wall and to the nearby woods. Luna had to investigate.

After Luna followed the cloaked figure for an hour over head, the figure stopped their galloping as they approached a cabin. The cabin was relatively big for one pony and had stone walls while a thatch roof topped the building. The figure entered the, well, cottage would be a better word for the dwelling, cottage and Luna landed quietly ten feet away from the cottage.

She could hear a voice from inside the cottage as she snuck closer to a dark window. The voice sounded like a mare.

"Lessons went as well as any other night," the mare spoke. Who else was inside? Luna dared not to uses any magic lest she reveal herself.

"Starswirl still has his secrets and I still have mine," the voice continued. "Which irritates him and makes him fun to watch. He wants to know everything and not knowing anything about me and my species drives him mad!" the voice laughed.

So the mare knows Starswirl the Bearded? And from the sound of things is a student of his. What kind "species" is she? Luna wished to know and dared to peek through the dark window. A blast of crimson magic made her duck her head. Before she could turn and run a pony teleported in front of Luna with glowing red horns. Horns?

The pony dissipated the magic in her horns and cocked a curious brow at Luna. "Princess Luna?" the white pony said.

"Thou. . . thou haveth three horns. . ." Princess Luna spoke.

The white pony with long black and crimson hair stared at the princess with glowing yellow eyes.

"What race of pony art thou?" Luna questioned.

"The kind that does not like it when others spy on her," the pony growled.

"We apologize. We were only curious," Princess Luna bowed. "Most ponies sleep through Our nights, so when We saw one awake, We wanted to see why and whom."

The white mare lowered her guard. "Well. . . now you have seen me; now, you can go," the pony said as she walked past the princess to the front door of the cottage.

"We wish to further converse!" Luna exclaimed as the pony enters the cottage and slammed the door behind her.

"'We' wish to be left alone!"

"Can We at least meet the other pony with whom you were "

The wooden door opens and a pair of serpentine eyes stare through the crack, "You heard me?"

"Yes?"

"I. . . there is nopony else here," is the pony's disheartened reply.

Luna's eyes flashed with revelation.

"You can leave now," the pony said behind a closed door.

"We also have nopony to talk with," Princess Luna shared.

A long silence fell. Crickets sang and the hoot of an owl echoed.

"Sounds like a personal problem," the mare finally spoke.

Lightning flashed above and thunder clapped and boomed. Rain started to fall and drenched the princess.

"We. . . I. . . just wanted to be friends. . ." Princess Luna whispered.

As she was about to teleport home, the door swung open.

"Come in before you get sick," the mare said behind the door.

It is said that the Darkside of the Moon is from a distant, unknown land. About the same time as rumors of a new race of pony is found does the Darkside of the Moon pop up. Perhaps Princess Luna employed a foreigner to have an edge over others? All the notes Starswirl the Bearded had about the new pony have mysteriously disappeared and this author does not believe in coincidence.

Diamond Dancer slides a bookmark in the book with a yawn. Maybe when she wakes up she can start on the second chapter.

Princess Celestia slams the safe close. She ignites her horn to locate the missing object and fails to detect it. "How could it have been stolen from under my nose?" She lights up her horn and teleports to her sister's room.

The regal blue alicorn sleeps soundly in her bed. Celestia reluctantly stirs her sister awake. After several nudges, Princess Luna opens her drowsy eyes.

"Tia?" she mumbles.

"The orb is gone," Celestia states.

Luna sits up in bed, wide awake, "WHAT?!"

"Somepony managed to steal the orb without triggering the alarms or wards. I don't even know when it could have happened. It is not in Equestria, sister," Celestia explains.

"I'll assemble the Servants," Luna says as she climbs out of bed.

"And I'll ring the Equestrian Bureau of Investigation," Celestia nods.

"The power of the Orb of Chaos must not be released. Especially since that time of year is approaching."