Eternal, Nightfall

Nightfall quietly floated down the staircase until she reached the front door. She grabbed the knob with her magic, then stopped and looked out towards the couch where she saw Lyra and Spike were sitting and playing a game of cards.

“I’m going to walk around town,” Nightfall told them.

“All alone? Twilight won’t like that,” Spike pointed out, peeking out from over the back of the couch.

“Yeah, and neither will Bons,” Lyra agreed. “Why not take the CMC with you?”

“They’re busy already,” Nightfall answered back. “I’ll be fine. It’s just Ponyville, right?”

Lyra hopped off the couch and shook her head while she wore a smile. “Spike, keep the CMC here for a while, will ya? Me and Nightfall are gonna take a walk.”

Spike saluted to Lyra. “Roger that.”

Nightfall looked away and scowled at Lyra inviting herself instead of just letting her leave the house alone. Did Lyra forget that she had been on her own in the Everfree already? She wasn’t a stranger to being all alone wherever she went, so why was Lyra butting into her personal space by insisting they were going out for a walk when she wanted to go by herself?

With a defeated sigh, she walked out the front door with Lyra right behind her. Lyra pulled the door shut, then booped Nightfall on the top of her head and looked down at her with a smile, which made the filly blink and look back at her in return with a frown.

“Bons trusts you, Nightfall. I trust you, and so does Twilight. So don’t think I’m foal-sitting you or anything else, all right? We’re here to look after you, it’s our job as adults,” Lyra explained to Nightfall, “and if Bons heard that you ran away or got injured, well...I’d rather have Twilight punish me than Bons.” She giggled, then stopped and face-hoofed herself and ran back inside.

Nightfall watched Lyra rush back into the cottage, then immediately took to the air and headed for Ponyville as fast as she could while she still had a chance to put as much distance between herself and Lyra as she could.

“I gotta find that pony who called to me,” she told herself as she watched Ponyville come into view below her.

Nightfall landed gracefully in the town market and looked around at the busy streets, seeing the myriad of ponies walking around. Some were at stands browsing the vendors’ goods, others were carrying their groceries away to their homes or other businesses, and others still were enjoying a meal. But while they all seemed happy on the outside, Nightfall could see a sadness in their eyes that she couldn’t explain. She shook her head and reminded herself why she was in town now.

She spent the next five minutes loitering about and asking around, but everypony she spoke with ignored her, some even going so far as to look the other way and pretend she wasn’t there. She flinched when she saw that and sulked away with her head down low. The next time she raised it she was in front of a large statue that stood atop a stump made out of crystal.

Nightfall’s eyes widened in fear when she looked up at the statue of a headless pony with only its right wing extended out, the tip broke off, while the left wing was broken down to where it connected to the shoulder of the statue’s body. The statue itself was so weathered that it had lost its once pristine marble shine and was now covered in vines and wilted plants.

“It’s just like the picture in Momma’s gallery,” Nightfall gulped as she lowered her gaze to the tablet at the pony’s hooves. “The Enemy of Us All”,” she read. “Long Live the Moon.”

“Nightfall?” a voice came from behind Nightfall.

Nightfall jumped and snapped her head back to see a pony dressed in a black dress. Her white coat and purple mane made Nightfall cower against the dusty ground and freeze in place. Rarity reeled back herself after seeing Nightfall cower before her, but she quickly regained her composure and trotted to the scared filly.

“Nightfall, darling, it’s okay. It’s me.” Rarity comforted and soon rubbed the top of Nightfall’s head like she always did whenever the filly was afraid or had a bad dream.

The filly looked up with one eye at Rarity, then, as if she was safe once again, nuzzled into the mare’s hoof and slowly stood up. With a smile of her own, Rarity stopped the caressing and booped Nightfall on the nose.

“What are you doing out here, sweetie? Is this where you’ve been this past week?” Rarity asked Nightfall. “I’ve been terribly worried about you.”

“I’m sorry.” Nightfall apologized and lowered her gaze. “I got lost in the woods and was found by somepony,” she told Rarity, “they helped me and I haven’t wanted to leave.”

This was news to Rarity as much as it was to know that Nightfall had run away, again. And while Rarity was acclimated to Nightfall’s gallivanting, she was not used to Nightfall disappearing for more than a day or two, much less not being someplace in the Everfree where she could be easily found or watched over by one of the Queen’s thestrals.

“So you’re saying you’ve made some new friends then? That’s wonderful, darling!” Rarity cooed and placed her hoof underneath the filly’s chin, lifting her head up so they could see eye-to-eye.

“Are you mad at me?” Nightfall asked Rarity with a frown and tears watering up in her eyes.

“Mad? Oh no, no, darling. I will admit that I am a bit upset at your running off and not returning like usual, but I could never be mad at you for having made new friends,” Rarity answered back, still smiling at Nightfall.

Nightfall felt relieved to hear that next to Bonbon, the one pony she felt the safest around wasn’t upset with her, just worried, and now happy to know she had made some new friends. Nightfall wiped her eyes clear, then looked back at Rarity.

“You’re not going to tell Momma, are you?”

“No, darling. I will not tell her I found you in Ponyville. But...”

“What?”

“You should hurry to your father, Nightfall. Your mother believes you ran back to him a week ago, and if she discovers that you’ve actually been here, she will not be happy.”

Shocker. Nightmare Moon happy? Nightfall wanted to laugh, honestly, but instead of laughing out loud, she did so inside. Rarity was right about one thing though, she should go back to her father before her mother decided to send an envoy to him, if she didn’t already, to bring Nightfall back to her. After all, it was her mother’s month for Nightfall to spend with.

“She hasn’t sent anypony to him yet?” Nightfall asked curiously.

“Not yet. She’s been preoccupied with the local dignitaries. It is that month, after all,” Rarity told Nightfall.

That was a relief to hear, and Nightfall could feel her heart reduce its pace and relax now, as did the rest of her the longer she spent in Rarity’s presence. And knowing that her father was unaware as well gave Nightfall an idea.

“Rarity, I want to ride the train, but I don’t know where it is.”

Rarity cocked her brow at Nightfall’s dilemma and wanted to ask her what in Equestria had made the filly want to take a train, but then she remembered her curiosity as a filly and how she had wanted to ride a train and smiled again.

“I can help you with that, darling. But only if you’re going to your father’s home,” Rarity spoke back, lighting up her horn and pulling something out from one of the dress’ pockets. She then held up the tiny note card in front of Nightfall and gave her a stern look.

“I promise, Miss Rarity. I’ve wanted to ride a train since you told me that story about when you first rode one,” Nightfall quickly answered as she reached for the card that Rarity lifted just out of her reach.

“You’ll have to do better than that, young lady. Remember, I know when you’re trying to fool me,” Rarity snapped and narrowed her eyes at Nightfall.

Nightfall quickly sat back on her haunches and lowered her head in shame. She didn’t forget that Rarity knew her better than her own mother or any of the Guard. She had just really wanted to get to the train station before Lyra showed up.

“I’m sorry, Miss Rarity. I promise you that I will go straight to my Daddy’s house.”

“That’s better. Here you go, darling.” Rarity lowered the card in front of Nightfall and let the filly take it from her aura. “Now hurry along. The train station is just a few blocks from here,” she told Nightfall and pointed in the direction behind her.

“Thank you.” Nightfall quickly hugged Rarity, then hopped into the air and took off as fast as she could.

“Safe travels, dear,” Rarity said to herself before heading back towards the market.

“Nightfall! Nightfall!” Lyra shouted as she ran through the streets of Ponyville, looking all over for the filly who had escaped her watchful eye.

She kept running and calling out Nightfall’s name, turning her head from left to right every few seconds to see if she might spot the filly soon. But while she was panicking about what Bonbon might do to her if she didn’t find the filly and bring her back home, she wasn’t paying attention to what was right in front of her until she felt her body run into something (or somepony). She tumbled head over hooves until she hit the ground and laid on her back in a daze.

“Watch where you’re going!”

Lyra heard a voice yelling at her, and when her eyes stopped rolling around and her vision focused again, the unicorn looked at who she had hit and quickly blinked. She rolled over, then jumped to her hooves instantly.

“Rarity?!” Lyra squealed.

“Ugh, yes, that’s me,” Rarity snapped back as she rubbed her head. “Just who do you think you are, running into me like that?”

Her eyes came to meet Lyra’s and she gasped. She was staring at Lyra Heartstrings, and was being stared at right back. This only fueled Rarity’s anger as she got to her hooves and marched right up to Lyra.

“Well? What are you in such a hurry for?”

“Sorry, Rarity. I didn’t see you there.”

“Obviously not since you’re in such a hurry!” Rarity snapped back, stomping her hoof to make her point to Lyra.

Of all the ponies Lyra could’ve bumped into (well, tumbled over) it just had to be Rarity. Rarity, of all the ponies in all of Ponyville! Just her luck. Lyra sighed and slouched her head for a minute before raising it back up.

“I’m sorry, Rarity. I didn’t mean to run into you, honest. I’m just in a hurry looking for somepony,” she apologized, then blinked when she saw what Rarity was wearing. Her heart stopped and her body felt like she had just been hit by a runaway peanut cart.

Of course she’s yelling at me for plowing over her. She’s wearing one of her fancy dresses. Lyra thought to herself before sighing again, silently counting to three before she’d feel Rarity’s verbal wrath.

“In a hurry or not, Lyra Heartstrings, you should be paying more attention to what is in front of you,” Rarity scolded. “Now look at my dress. I just had it ironed this morning! And now look at it, it’s dirty and scuffed!”

Yup. As Lyra suspected was going to happen now, Rarity went into a tangent about her dress and its appearance. She bit her tongue so as not to say something back to her, but that was pretty hard to do on a normal day, and today was anything but that for Lyra.

“I’m sorry, okay? I’ll pay for it to be cleaned. I just have to go right now.”

“Who are you looking for that you’ve lost your manners and ran into me?” Rarity growled.

Lyra bit her tongue again but this time leered at the fashionista and how she was rudely speaking back to her. Lyra was seriously considering snapping right back but with Nightfall on her mind, all she wanted to do was end the conversation and get going. And then Rarity started tapping her hoof impatiently while glaring at her. Now Lyra had to make a choice: listen to Rarity berate her about damaging one of possibly ten of her favorite dresses, or just answer her and get on with her life. Either way, Lyra figured she wasn’t going to get out of having to listen to the mare’s lecture.

“I’m looking for a filly,” Lyra told her, “she’s about yay high…” Lyra raised her hoof up a foot, “...gray and magenta, has wings—”

“—oh, you must be one of Nightfall’s new friends!” Rarity squeed, doing an impressive 180-degree spin on her attitude.

Lyr’s mouth dropped and she just looked at Rarity, more impressed with how Rarity went from being mad at her for ruining her dress to happy that she knew Nightfall and was one of the filly’s friends.

“Uh...yeah, right, her,” Lyra squeaked, nearly speechless and still shocked.

“You just missed her. I ran into her about five minutes ago. I told her to go back to her new friends, and she did,” Rarity told Lyra.

“Wait, I just missed her?” Lyra repeated before she brought her hoof to her face and mumbled to herself, “never thought to look up. Way to go, Lyra.”

Rarity brought her hoof up to her mouth and giggled at Lyra’s reaction, then shook her head.

“She’s probably back at your place by now, Lyra. Speaking of which, where are you living now?” Rarity asked the musician.

Lyra bit her cheek. “Living over at Fluttershy’s place at the moment, I guess,” she told Rarity. “Anyways, thanks Rarity. I gotta go now. Bye!”

Lyra was gone before Rarity could say a word to her, so she just watched as Lyra cantered off back towards Fluttershy’s cottage. Once the mare was out of sight, Rarity smacked her lips together and decided it was time for her to return to her own residence in the Everfree Forest.

“Mistress will be quite happy to know where Nightfall has been all week, and with whom she’s been staying with.”

~==~==~==~==~

Nightfall saw the train station pop up into sight and made her way to the ground, then trotted happily along until she came up to the platform and the train that was just rolling in from Canterlot. For the time of day it was, or night, it was decently busy. She counted at least three families waiting to board the train while seven stepped off of it, each carrying bags with them.

She made her way towards the ticket building but stopped short and looked at the card Rarity had given to her. She felt a flurry of emotions bubbling up inside her all of a sudden: joy, excitement, nervousness, even uncertainty. Her heart pounded happily at the mere thought of being able to go home to her father, but then it took a sudden turn and she felt afraid of such a thought. She could only remember how her father had been the light in her darkness for what seemed like forever, but now she had made new friends and found warmth in their presence, especially Bonbon’s. Nightfall smiled at that thought.

Daddy… She thought before frowning. “Bons,” she whispered softly.

Nightfall was in a predicament now. Did she really want to return to her home—to her father—or did she want to stay with Bonbon, Lyra, Twilight and Spike, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders? She began to think over the two choices she now had on her hooves and chewed on her cheek anxiously.

Somepony must have seen the filly’s dilemma, because they approached her without her even realizing it until a sweet voice had spoken to her, shocking her out of her thoughts. When Nightfall looked up, she saw somepony shrouded in a purple cloak that hid their face, but she could see the bottom of their hooves and the horn that poked out from the shadow of their forehead.

“H-hello,” she stuttered nervously, her hooves quaking slightly as her mind was telling her both to run away from the stranger, yet stay for some reason.

The stranger then spoke again to Nightfall, their voice ever so calm and warm. “You must be Nightfall. I didn’t think you’d actually come here.”

They knew her name and they didn’t believe she would actually come to the train depot? While Nightfall found that a tad bit odd, she was also curious now, and that was when it clicked with her. She pieced it together and after having listened to the pony talk to her again, she recognized the undertone of the voice.

“A-are you the one who told me to come find you?” Nightfall asked sheepishly, her body no longer shaking in fear.

“Do you recognize my voice now?” they asked her back.

Nightfall nodded once and held the card close to her chest. The stranger nodded slightly back, then gestured for her to follow them as they walked away. She wasn’t sure why or what compelled her to do so, but Nightfall felt obligated to follow this unfamiliar pony, and so she did. She followed them away from the depot until they were far enough away that the sounds had died down and all seemed calm.

“Who are you? How do you know my name?” Nightfall asked after a few minutes of silent walking.

The stranger led Nightfall to a tree, then turned around and sat back on their haunches, looking at Nightfall from behind their veil of blackness. Slowly, they raised one hoof up to their head; a kind gesture to assure Nightfall they were not going to try and do anything unruly to her. They stopped for a moment after gripping the side of their hood, then pulled it back all the way.

Nightfall’s eyes widened when they revealed themselves. They were a mare, and their mane was two-toned of purple and teal. She felt her heart flutter when her teal eyes met those bluish-purple eyes and felt her body relax as if she were bathing in a hot tub.

“I’m the one who heard your wish, Nightfall,” the mare answered the filly. “My name is Starlight Glimmer, and I am the one who has come to help you.”

“Starlight...Glimmer?” Nightfall tilted her head sideways at the mare’s name. She had never heard that name before, but she did find it to be a pretty name for the mare.

“You’re the one from my dreams. The one that told me to wake up and come here,” Nightfall pieced together finally as she remembered the streak of purple and teal colors that she had seen in her recent nightmare.

Starlight smiled at how much Nightfall recalled from just a brief glimpse of her in that dream and nodded curtly to her. She then sat down fully and wrapped her tail around herself, laying it across the tops of her crossed hooves.

“That I am, Nightfall. I heard your cry for help and answered it, so here I am.”

“I didn’t think anypony would,” Nightfall said back to her, sitting down herself now. “Are you going to help me help my momma love me and not hate me?”

“I’m going to try, Nightfall,” Starlight answered, “but I don’t know if I can do it alone.”

“What do you mean? What did you mean by ‘for three days’ and ‘I’m sorry’?” Nightfall questioned next.

Starlight’s smile turned upside-down when the filly brought up that bit of information. She was still coming to terms with how to handle that fast-approaching ordeal herself and she still didn’t know if she would be ready to face her mentor, Twilight Sparkle, when that time finally came.

“I got some friends of mine to help me,” Starlight said honestly, dropping her head with a sigh, “but I did so without asking them directly.”

Starlight jumped and got a scared look on her face suddenly, which made Nightfall jump as well. She was going to ask what was going on but it became apparent in ten seconds when she looked back towards Ponyville and saw what Starlight saw: a cotton candy-colored mane and a vanilla-cream coat thundering towards both her and Starlight.

“Bons!” Nightfall yelled with glee and hopped to her hooves to run to Bonbon, but stopped short when the mare was already a few feet away.

“Nightfall!” Bonbon answered back with a smile on her face as she pulled the filly close to her and nuzzled her, “you had me worried, little one.”

“I’m sorry,” Nightfall said back to her in a whisper, hugging her back.

“What were you thinking, Nightfall?” Bonbon asked, a hint of frustration underneath her worried tone.

At first, Nightfall twitched against Bonbon when she heard her scolding, her but then she looked up and saw a warm smile on Bonbon’s face and worry in her eyes. She was at ease again, even hesitant to say anything back, but then she glanced over at Starlight and smiled.

Nightfall stepped back from Bonbon and looked right at her. “I was going to my Daddy, Bons. But then I met her,” Nightfall pointed a hoof at Starlight.

Bonbon looked over at Starlight, who was a bit disconcerted about having been pointed out by Nightfall. She was about to say something to Starlight, but she suddenly had a bad headache and closed her eyes, holding a hoof to her temple. Starlight took that opportunity to teleport away and leave the two behind.

“Bons, what’s wrong?” Nightfall asked her out of concern for how pained she seemed now.

The pain stopped as fast as it had started and Bonbon opened her eyes to see Nightfall’s concern all over her face. She smiled and shook her head, then lowered her hoof back down.

“It’s nothing, Nightfall. Let’s go home, okay?”

Nightfall tilted her head in confusion at Bonbon’s response, but hearing her say they should go home did make the filly smile again, and even though she really wanted to see her father, she decided she was much happier right now with Bonbon. And as soon as Bonbon turned and walked away, Nightfall looked over at where Starlight used to be, but no longer was.

“Starlight?” Nightfall wondered before Bonbon called her name and she went skipping away to catch up to her.

I need your help. I can’t do this alone. Will you help me?

For the entirety of their stroll home, these were the words that Bonbon heard in her head and every time she heard them, her head throbbed like she was getting a migraine but it’d last only a moment then vanish. For Bonbon, it was a mystery as to why she was hearing these words, but even more so as to who was calling out to her with them.

Who are you? And who did I agree to help? Bonbon wondered.