Elements of Canterlot

Chapters

Change of Plans
The Party
Arrival
Before the Celebration
The Longest Night

Change of Plans

Spike was feeling pretty good about himself right now. His chores were done, the library was properly organized, and everything that could be right was right. There was just one tiny matter that needed attending to, and that was the party. He'd been looking forward to going to see Moondancer for some time now, and so he wore a big happy smile as he carried his carefully-prepared present. Little could dampen his spirits in this moment. That is, nothing except his lifelong friend, Twilight Sparkle, suddenly crashing through the door as he was reaching for it. The impact sent him flying back onto the ground, and Twilight herself, oblivious to his predicament, looked around for him.

"Spike? Spiiiiiike?"

Then, after just a second, she looked down, finally seeing him upon the floor.

"Spike? Oh, there you are."

Fortunately, dragons, even young ones, were pretty tough, and it would have taken a lot more than being hit by a door to do Spike in. Though he did grumble a little as he sat upright, nursing the spot on his head where'd the door had hit it. But, sadly, he wasn't given a chance to say anything, as Twilight once more rushed right past him.

"Quick! Find me a copy of predictions and prophecies!"

Spike was, needless to say, rather confused about his friend's words, doubly so when he saw her rushing around the library, narrowing her eyes at a number of books on their shelves. But, after again looking to her assistant, the unicorn mare at last noticed something odd about him.

"What's that for?"

At first, Spike was confused, but then his heart sank as he realised what she'd been talking about. For there, planted right on his tail, was the present he'd intended to take to the party. Disappointment came to him as he took hold of the now-ruined gift, and he sighed.

"Well, it was a gift for Moondancer."

The mood was further dropped as part of that present, a stuffed bear, fell out of the bottom of it, much to Spike's chagrin. Twilight, by contrast, did not seem that concerned with this, and so turned again to her precious books.

"Spike, you know we don't have time for that sort of thing!"

The drake looked to her, just as confused as he had been when she first came back.

"But we're on a break!"

Unfortunately, Twilight had ignored his words, and instead ignited her horn, beginning a levitation spell. It was the kind of spell she'd used a thousand times in her life, and yet, as with all things, she put her all into it, using her power to bring forth a number of books to her. However, with every tome and encyclopaedia she glanced at, her irritation grew.

"No...no...no...nonono! Argh! Spike!"

Thankfully for her, the young drake was already one step ahead of her and had, unbeknownst to her, climbed up a very tall and, frankly, unsafe-looking ladder. Within his clawed hand was a particularly ancient-looking book, which he held out for her to see.

"It's over here!"

But, so focused was Twilight on her current task, whatever it was, that she again used her magic to bring the revealed book to her. Sadly, Spike happened to still be holding onto it at the time, and so was unceremoniously dragged down to the ground along with it, his face planted right into the floor beside Twilight's hooves. As for the latter, she again ignored his impact, instead narrowing her eyes at the new book. This time at least, she seemed satisfied, as a smile came to her face for the first time since she'd arrived home.

"Aha!"

And with that, she happily trotted off, book in tow, leaving Spike behind to get himself off the floor. Though the assistant soon found himself fairly annoyed at discovering that his friend had left quite a few of her books strewn about on the floor, and so let out a sigh as he started picking them up. Twilight, having placed her book upon a nearby pedestal, began to rapidly flip through the pages, mumbling under her breath as she did so.

"Elements...elements...e, e, e, e...aha!"

She brought her face closer, allowing herself a better look at the page she'd finally chosen.

"Elements of Harmony."

But the smile she'd been wearing soon faded, and it was replaced instead with a look of confusion.

"See...Mare in the Moon?"

Spike, who had been again climbing up a nearby ladder to get his gathered pile of books away, looked down to his carer with a look that could only have been described as incredulous.

"Mare in the Moon? But that's just an old ponies tale."

Like had happened often today, Twilight hadn't heard him, and she had instead taken herself to another ancient tome of legends and stories. Again she flipped through the pages, and again she quickly managed to find what she was looking for.

"Mare...mare...aha! The Mare in the Moon. A myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria. Defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon."

Spike was listening, as he'd pretty much trained himself to be able to do many things at once while Twilight was going off on one of her knowledge-obsessed rants. But, he was still struggling to get those aforementioned books away, even as Twilight continued to become engrossed with her discovered story.

"Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about night-time eternal!"

Twilight gasped with horror.

"Spike! Do you know what this means?!"

Of course, the tiny dragon only had one possible answer for her.

"...No?"

His words had come at a rather unfortunate time, as it distracted him just long enough to cause him to lose focus and tumble off the top of the ladder he'd been standing on. He fell, again heading straight for the ground, but this time, he was fortunate enough to find himself landing on a much more welcome surface, that of Twilight's back. Though grateful for her being there for him this time, he didn't get the chance to say "thank you", as he swiftly found himself being given a familiar pairing of quill and parchment by his rescuer.

"Take a note, please. To the Princess."

Getting himself into a groove with which he was quite familiar, Spike eagerly bounced off Twilight's back, landing back onto the ground and holding aloft his quill.

"Okay, dokey!"

Knowing her assistant was ready in his role as scribe, Twilight began the message she wished for him to write.

"My dearest teacher. My continuing studies of pony magic have led me to discover that we're on the precipice of disaster!"

But, as dramatic as such a moment might have been, it was undercut somewhat by Spike's apparent difficulty in keeping up with her words.

"Hold on...preci...preci..."

He looked over to her, and Twilight, who was inclined to give him at least a little slack, decided to change her description.

"Threshold."

But, after just a moment of trying to get that one down, Spike again looked to her, prompting her to again try a re-write.

"Brink?"

And when it seemed that even that word was too much for the diminutive dragon, Twilight released a frustrated grunt.

"Ugh! That something really bad is about to happen!"

Spike, smiling to the fact that he'd finally understood her, returned to his duties, and frantically wrote it all down. Twilight, relieved that there would be no more interruptions, resumed her speech, walking further from her friend while she did so.

"For you see, the mythical Mare in the Moon is, in fact, Nightmare Moon! And she's about to return to Equestria and bring with her eternal night! Something must be done to make sure this terrible prophecy does not come true! I await your quick response, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

Spike narrowed his eyes during the last part of his writing.

"Twilight...Sparkle. Got it!"

Twilight smiled.

"Great! Send it."

Spike's own smile vanished.

"Now?"

Twilight looked over her shoulder, surprised he'd even ask such a question.

"Of course!"

But Spike seemed less certain about all this than she was.

"Um...I don't know, Twilight. I mean, Princess Celestia's a little busy getting ready for the Summer Sun Celebration. And it's, like, the day after tomorrow!"

Twilight, having heard all of that, turned around and walked right up to him, sounding a little bit shocked at his position on what, in her eyes, was a very important matter.

"That's just it, Spike! That day after tomorrow is the thousandth year of the summer sun celebration! It's imperative the Princess is told right away!"

Seeing the pure determination in her eyes, the drake knew there was little anyone could tell her to dissuade her on this. So, after just a short moment of being a little worried, Spike once more returned to his writing, albeit with just as much difficulty as before.

"Impera...impera..."

Here, Twilight had just about had it.

"Important!"

Her words had been spoken with such purpose that she had, unintentionally, knocked Spike backwards into the nearest bookcase. As the young assistant recovered from this, he spoke with the expected level of concern.

"Okay, okay!"

Getting himself up, he took hold of the now-sealed parchment, taking in a deep inhale of breath. As he finally blew out, a burst of green fire engulfed the paper, and within moments it had been transformed into magical ash, which sped away before their very eyes, and swiftly exited the library via the open window.

"There, it's on its way!" Spike declared.

But then he looked to Twilight with a touch of nervousness.

"But I wouldn't hold your breath."

Twilight, by contrast, looked just an eensy-weensy bit smug.

"Oh, I'm not worried, Spike. The Princess trusts me completely!"

She began to walk back over to him.

"In all the years she's been my mentor she's never once doubted me!"

Though Spike looked like he might have wanted to comment on that, he sadly wasn't given the chance, as an apparent belch interrupted his train of thought, forcing him to bring forth a second small fiery torrent. This time it was yet another message, which materialised right in front of them both, landing upon the floor. Twilight, naturally, was pleased by this, as shown by her smile.

"I knew she'd want to take immediate action!"

Spike, picking the newly-arrived scroll off the ground, unrolled it and cleared his throat in a professional-looking way, before finally looking to the paper.

"My dearest, most faithful student Twilight. You know that I value your diligence and that I trust you completely."

Twilight gave her ward a quick "I told you so look" as she continued to listen.

"But you simply must stop reading those dusty old books!"

Twilight gasped, completely disbelieving what she'd just heard, and snapped her head to look over at Spike.

"What?! That...that can't be what she wrote!"

But Spike held the paper up to her.

"Sorry, but it's right here."

Twilight galloped over, narrowing her eyes at the writing that was being held to her. Sure enough, there it was, Celestia's writing, as clear as day. Twilight, as one would expect, was dismayed over this, and shook her head frantically.

"This can't be happening! Doesn't she realise how important this is?!"

Spike rolled his eyes.

"Twilight, she's a Princess, so I think she probably knows more about this stuff than you do!"

Twilight frowned.

"Maybe she's just become so engrossed with the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration that she's become distracted and lost focus!"

Spike slumped his shoulders, groaning at seeing his friend go off on yet another patented "Twilight over-obsession" like this. It was made all the worse by seeing her start to quickly pace up and down.

"The prophecy is going to come true soon, and if somepony doesn't do something about it, it could be the end of Equestria as we know it!"

Spike stepped forward, giving her a pat on the side of her body in a vain attempt to get her attention.

"Twilight! Relax! Princess Celestia doesn't think there's anything to worry about, so neither should you!"

But Twilight shook her head.

"I have to worry, Spike! The Princess is sending me off to...to..."

She used her magic to bring the parchment in Spike's hand up to her face, allowing her to read it again.

"...some place called Ponyville! I'll be far away rather than right here, making preparations!"

Spike, who managed to get his arm out of Twilight's magic and land back down on the ground, dusted himself off before looking to her again.

"Well, there's still some time to kill before all the preparations are made to the chariot that'll take us there. So maybe..."

For the first time in a while, he smiled.

"...we can still make it to Moondancer's party!"

Twilight looked down to him, disappointed.

"We can't waste time on parties while the world is coming to an end!"

Her earlier frown returned with a vengeance.

"Besides, I already told those other three that I wouldn't be coming."

Spike, confused, scratched the side of his head.

"Er, what three?"

Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Oh, you know, those three who always try to talk to me? Um...Minny, Twinkler and Lime Heart? Those are their names, right?"

Spike blinked slowly, then sighed, folding his arms.

"Really? Your friends? The ones you've known since you were a little filly and you don't even remember their names?"

Twilight looked away, sounding indignant over that remark.

"I've been very busy, Spike. I can't remember the names of every mare I've come across!"

Spike, annoyed by this, took hold of the paper that had come from Celestia, giving it a look of his own before frowning back at Twilight.

"The Princess is right, you really do need to learn how to make friends!"

Twilight was not happy to hear that.

"We can worry about friends after we save the world!"

But Spike shook his head.

"Nope! We're going to Moondancer's party! I don't want to let her down by not showing up, and neither should you!"

Twilight was taken aback by that.

"Pardon?"

Spike counted off his claws.

"We're going to the party, we're going to have fun at the party, and you're going to spend some long-overdue time with your friends!"

Twilight again looked over to the open book of prophecies on the close-by pedestal.

"But..."

However, Spike cut her off, running over to said pedestal, jumping up and slamming the book shut.

"No! We're going and we're going now!"

He ran behind her, using all his might, which wasn't very much, to push her towards the door of the library. Twilight, realising that her assistant was set on this, and that her own mentor wasn't apparently supporting of her self-imposed quest to save the world from ancient evil, sighed deeply.

"Fine! Fine! We'll spend some time at this silly little party!"

Spike beamed art that, only to stop when Twilight looked down to him with irritation.

"But then we're going straight to this Ponyville place, getting the Celebration sorted out, and then focusing solely on trying to stop the return of Nightmare Moon, alright?"

Spike, having heard all of that, stood straight, giving her a quick salute.

"Yes, Ma'am!"

In spite of her sense of irritation, Twilight couldn't help but giggle, and soon afterwards gave the small dragon a pat on his head.

"Come on then, let's go. But you should probably pick up your...oh."

Only now did she pay attention to the previously-ruined present her assistant had prepared for Moondancer, and Spike himself walked over and picked up the remains. Twilight, for the first time, felt a pang of guilt over this, but Spike, rather surprisingly, didn't seem worried at all.

"Don't worry, you only ruined one of them."

Picking apart some of the packaging, Spike plucked out what appeared to be a picture frame, which he then held up for Twilight to see. The unicorn peered close, seeing a photograph of her reading a book, sitting next to a table where a collection of five other unicorns were. They were happy, laughing, with the exception of one, who wore glasses and was looking to the book-obsessed mare. Twilight, after seeing this, relaxed a little, and looked again to her assistant.

"Well...um...let's go to the party then."

She seemed willing, though whether this was out of a genuine desire to spend time with her friends, or out of some need to go along with Celestia's aforementioned wishes, Spike couldn't say. Still, she was going, and to him, that was what truly mattered here. Spike held the picture close, a wide smile on his small face.

"About time!"

The Party

If Moondancer's friends were going to be here for this party, she was going to make sure it would be a good one. She looked over every single thing she'd brought for the occasion. The food? Check. The Balloons? Check. All the streamers and other decorations? Check. Everything was where it needed to be, including the gifts she intended to give to everypony, and as she took a moment to take off her glasses and give them a quick clean, she sighed.

"Okay, Moondancer. Everything will be fine. I know you're not a big party person, but this will all work out. Minuette will be here, Lemon Hearts will be here, Lyra and Twinkleshine will be here..."

A smile grew on her lips.

"...and Twilight will be here."

She giggled.

"I never thought her as one for parties either, but if she IS coming..."

She didn't finish, instead sighing again, looking simply satisfied with how everything was going. And it was right about this moment when she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, a pair of mares approaching her from the side. It was Twinkleshine and Lemon Hearts. And then, mere moments afterwards, she saw none other than Minuette coming in from the opposite side. She smiled widely at the arrival of her friends, but said nothing as Minuette spoke instead.

"Hey, Moondancer!"

The blue mare smiled just as much as her host when she laid her eyes on the food that had been prepared.

"Look at this spread, huh?"

Moondancer giggled again.

"Thank you so much for coming!"

"Of course!"

Moondancer turned to see the one who had spoken, Twinkleshine.

"We wouldn't miss one of our best friend's parties!"

But, as happy as Moondancer was that the three of them were here, there was one notable face absent from this gathering, and so she started looking around.

"Is Twilight coming?"

Having heard that question, the other three mares started to seem awfully concerned for some reason, with some of them even avoiding looking at her. Moondancer, at first, didn't understand why her friends were acting this way. But then, after the moment had sunk in for her, she gained a sense of realisation, and so started to droop her ears, her smile now gone completely.

"Oh...okay."

Nopony there was happy about seeing her like this, so upset and inconsolable. Twinkleshine and Lemon Hearts were at a complete loss on what to do, but thankfully, Minuette was there too. She perked right back up, and decided to try and elevate the mood of the party with her typical Minuette way.

"Hey! We'll still have fun, right?"

She giggled, but it was obvious to all of them that it was forced. Moondancer, on some level perhaps, appreciated the sentiment, but the knowledge that the mare she considered her closest friend would be absent was simply too upsetting for her. She got down from the table and, to her friends' dismay, started walking away.

"Sure."

Her tone was sombre and almost monotone, the kind of sound somepony made only when they were truly disheartened. Her three friends looked to one another, hoping that at least one of them would do or say something that would be able to help in this matter. But when it became clear that no help was coming, they too started looking down. That is, until a certain voice called out to them.

"Moondancer!"

The red-maned mare's ears perked up, for that voice had been very familiar to her. She turned, and as soon as she did, her smile returned once more to her face. It was Spike, running along happily towards the table where the mares were. But behind him, wearing an immensely-awkward smile, was Twilight Sparkle. Moondancer looked overjoyed by this, and walked right towards them, oblivious to the huge looks of relief the other three mares were having right now. Minuette even wiped away some sweat from her brow, but again laughed before looking over to her lavender friend.

"Hey! Twilight! You made it!"

Twilight looked to her, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"Yes, well...there was a slight...change of plans."

She cast a brief glance down to Spike, who was in no way bothered by her glare. He was just happy to be here, and doubly so when Moondancer approached.

"I...I don't know what to say. Thank you. Both of you. I actually didn't think you were going to show up."

Spiked chuckled.

"Don't worry, Moondancer. Twilight's number one assistant always gets her where she needs to be!"

Moondancer giggled, placing her hoof upon the top of his head and giving him a friendly pat there.

"Thank you, Spike. Where would we be without you?"

The young dragon blushed to this, chuckling nervously, much to the amusement of Minuette, Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. Twilight rolled her eyes to her ward's behaviour, but then watched as he held up the picture frame he'd brought with him.

"I, er, I brought you this!"

Lighting up her horn, Moondancer brought it closer to her, seeing the picture of her and her six friends. She smiled warmly, giving Spike yet another thankful look.

"It's a wonderful gift, Spike."

She leaned forward, bringing him close to her in a hug, which he was sure to return. It was a heart-warming moment, but it was sadly interrupted when, all of a sudden, another voice called out from behind.

"Sorry...I'm...late!"

Everypony turned, and they all saw that it was Lyra, the one friend besides Twilight who had been absent so far. The green unicorn skidded to a halt, panting furiously, all while her friends watched with equal parts concern and curiosity. But they at least gave her time to catch her breath, and when she'd done so, she smiled to Moondancer.

"Well, here I am!"

Moondancer, naturally, was quite happy that all of her friends were here now, and after looking to all of them, she sighed, making her way over to the nearby table.

"Well then, I'll get everypony some food."

She merrily trotted over to the banquet table, using her magic to start plating up some food for each of them. Minuette, smirking over at Lyra, leaned in closer to her, bringing her voice down to a whisper.

"So, where did you get off to?"

Lyra frowned to her, then finally spoke.

"If you must know, I'm still looking at house prices."

Minuette nodded.

"Oh yeah, how is the hunt going?"

Lyra sighed.

"That part of Equestria does have a few places...but I'm still thinking about it."

Twilight, though a little intrigued as to what her two friends were talking about, soon turned her attention over to Twinkleshine and Lemon, who were starting to come closer to her.

"We're really happy to see you here, Twilight. When you told us earlier that you were busy..."

Twilight nodded, and took a moment to consider her answer carefully.

"Well...it seems that maybe my concerns weren't exactly...shared."

As one would expect, this cryptic choice of words left the other mares looking more than a little confused, to which Twilight couldn't help but giggle.

"Don't worry about it. I'm here now and...I guess we're having a fun party?"

Here, Moondancer arrived, levitating a number of food-covered plates, which she silently offered to her friends.

"Hungry, anypony?"

The others, all eager to try some of the delicious food, graciously accepted what had been offered, including Twilight. Even she had to admit that the food looked good, and in fact her stomach started to growl at the sight of it, much to her embarrassment. Twinkleshine and Lemon took themselves off, most likely to give Lyra their own greetings. And this left Twilight with the hostess herself, Moondancer. The two, for a time, said nothing, but eventually Moondancer looked over to her, bearing a soft smile.

"I really am grateful you're here, Twilight."

Twilight looked to her, surprised.

"Well, I'm sure you'd have had a fun party without me, right?"

Moondancer sighed after having heard that.

"You know that's not true. You're my best friend. It just wouldn't have been the same if you weren't here."

As Moondancer looked to her food, ready to take her first bite, Twilight was left stunned by what she'd heard. Her best friend? Is that truly how Moondancer saw her? It was something that, honestly, the young unicorn had never really considered, and yet there it was, spelled out for her right then and there. She looked down to Spike, who fixed her with a definite "I told you so" look. In that moment, Twilight wondered to herself how Moondancer might have reacted if she hadn't turned up here. It wasn't a pleasant thought, that much was certain, but at the very least twilight consoled herself with the knowledge that it was something she'd managed to avoid.

"So...Moondancer."

The other mare looked back to her.

"Yes?"

Twilight cleared her throat.

"This party, it's...it's very...nice?"

Moondancer smiled.

"Thanks. I've been planning it for a while now. But I'd never have been able to make it this good without Minuette's help."

Here, Minuette looked to her bespectacled friend with appreciation, but at least had the courtesy to sound humble about the whole matter.

"Thanks for the compliment, Moony, but you should really thank my pen-pal. She really knows her stuff!"

Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"What pen pal?"

The other mares looked to her with incredulity, and Spike, after slapping his forehead, gave her a quick nudge with his elbow, gaining her attention.

"You know, Twilight? The pen pal Minuette has been talking about for weeks every time we go to have lunch with her and the others?"

His tone was deliberate, and he gave quick jerking motions with his head towards the other mares. Twilight, though at first unsure of why he was acting like this, soon gained some understanding, and laughed nervously.

"Oh, right, that pen pal! Of course! How could I forget? I mean, you're always talking about her and stuff...right?"

Again, Spike slapped his forehead. Thankfully, none of the other mares seemed at all bothered by Twilight's forgetfulness, and all giggled together, Minuette especially so.

"Oh, Twilight, you silly! It's not like we're gonna get mad at you or anything!"

Twinkleshine nodded.

"Yeah! We know how important your studies are. So what if you've got your nose in your book while we're talking about this stuff?"

As had happened several times now, Twilight felt a measure of guilt, but otherwise seemed appreciative of her friends' sentiment. In the meantime, Twinkleshine looked back over to Minuette.

"Well, whatever advice this friend of yours gave you, I'm just glad we're having this party out here."

Moondancer looked over to her, reaching over and giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, we wouldn't put you in an indoor party. Not after last time."

Twinkleshine shuddered.

"I don't know what my family was thinking, giving me a Birthday in such a cramped room. They know how hard that kind of stuff is for me!"

Lemon too walked over to her.

"Don't worry about it, you're not gonna get stressed out here."

Twilight, despite being the one who hadn't wanted to come here, nevertheless smiled at this friendly banter between the other mares. As the other three continued to chat with themselves, Twilight glanced to Moondancer. The guilt she'd been feeling at various times today started to grow in her, and as she sighed, she walked over to their hostess.

"Moondancer...I need to tell you something."

The other mare adjusted her glasses before looking over to her.

"Yes?"

Twilight took a deep breath, then started explaining herself.

"The main reason I'm here right now...is because Spike convinced me to come."

She looked away.

"I was originally planning on just getting on with my preparation with going to help out with Celestia's Summer Sun Celebrations, as well as some...other work."

After a while, she looked back.

"I just...thought you should know."

Given how Moondancer had been feeling prior to Twilight's arrival here, it was no surprise that she seemed to feel a touch disheartened by this. But, to Twilight's surprise, that moment didn't really last long for her, as her smile soon returned.

"That's...that's okay, Twilight."

The lavender mare blinked.

"It...is?"

Moondancer nodded.

"Yep. I knew there was always a chance that you weren't going to show. I mean, you don't spend as many years together as we have without picking up on how devoted you are to your work."

She walked forward, putting her hoof on Twilight's shoulder.

"I'm just happy you're here. And I'm even happier that you were this open with me about it."

Though surprised by this reaction, Twilight soon smiled right back, feeling actually quite touched at her friend's words.

"Th...thank you, Moondancer."

The other unicorn giggled.

"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?"

Sighing with relief, Twilight gave a nod.

"Yeah...I guess so."

However, though the two would have undoubtedly wanted to continue their conversation, they were interrupted by the sound of sudden loud laughter coming from the other mares. Turning, they listened in to see that the conversation about this mysterious pen-pal friend of Minuette had taken a somewhat amusing turn.

"She really did all that?" Lemon asked.

Minuette nodded.

"Yep! Totally true!"

"Wow, she sounds like quite a character. Where was it you said she lived?" Twinkleshine asked.

Minuette smiled.

"Down in Ponyville."

Twilight's ears perked up to that, and even Spike looked to their blue friend with interest.

"Ponyville? Hey, that's where we're going!"

All eyes were upon the young dragon, which led to him explaining further.

"When this party's over, me and Twilight are being sent over to Ponyville for the Celebration."

Twilight, though a little irked at her assistant's decision to announce their plans like that, said nothing as Minuette gasped.

"Oh...my...gosh! Maybe I could come with you?"

Twilight's eyes widened.

"Wait, what?!"

Minuette giggled again.

"Come on! I can go and meet my pen pal in person for the first time in, like, ever!"

Then, Lemon looked like she just got an idea.

"Oh! Lyra? Isn't Ponyville where you're looking to maybe move to? You can come too! Maybe get a look at the place first-hoof?"

Lyra tapped her chin, considering that.

"Huh, that would be a good idea!"

Twilight, of course, was dismayed that her plans for just Spike and her to go there were being disrupted like this, but again, she watched as her friends continued to make their plans.

"What do you say, girls? Wanna tag along?" Minuette asked.

Twinkleshine and Lemon looked to one another, then back to her with wide smiles.

"Yep!" Lemon announced.

"Count me in!" Twinkleshine added.

The mares all looked over to Twilight.

"Well, looks like you've got company on this trip of yours, Twily!" Lyra stated with a smile.

Twilight blinked, quickly casting a frown down to Spike, who nervously shrugged his shoulders.

"Well...um...maybe it'll be nicer with friends?"

She wanted to be mad at him, and yet, as she looked back up to Moondancer, who continued to smile warmly at her, that anger soon subsided. She thought back to how much fun this party had been for her thus far, and how surprised she was at just how happy she'd felt to be able to spend time with her friends. She hadn't expected it, not in the slightest, and yet, there it was. So, after once more glancing to each of her six friends, she let out a long sigh, before finally breaking out into a genuine smile.

"Yeah...maybe it will be."

Arrival

"...Spike?"

"Yes, Twilight?"

"You know that whole 'let's take all our friends to Ponyville' plan?"

"Um...yeah?"

"Did either of us, at any point in that conversation, remember that the chariot needed to take us there was only made to carry two?"

"...No. No we did not."

"Well, good to know."

Twilight's exasperation was not unfounded, as she and Spike, along with the other five mares, were all currently crammed together in that tiny chariot like sardines in a tin. All of them were pressed up so hard against one another that it would not have been out of place for any of their eyes to just pop out of their skulls at this moment. But as difficult a situation as this might have been for them, it was even worse for the pair of pegasus guards who were assigned to actually pull the chariot. They panted and wheezed as they carried this great weight, and after a time it fell to Twilight to light up her horn and try to give a little bit of levitation to the chariot, helping to ease the stallions' burdens somewhat. Thankfully, this ordeal didn't last forever, as Minuette suddenly pointed straight ahead with a wide smile.

"There it is!"

Looking down, the collection of friends saw that she had been right. Ponyville, their destination, was straight down from them. Now, having grown up in a place like Canterlot, a town like Ponyville would, naturally, have appeared small, quaint even. There was a countryside charm to the place at a distance, and as they finally descended closer to the ground, it was a feeling that was strengthened further. As they eventually landed, allowing their pegasus charioteers to finally catch their breath, the six mares and Spike all looked around.

"Looks like a nice place," Moondancer commented.

She wasn't wrong, as everypony here walked about with a smile on their faces. It was the kind of place that looked like everypony knew everypony else here, and it was free from a lot of the hustle and bustle that Canterlot was so famed for. Looking around, Twilight, whose thoughts ever dwelt upon her responsibilities here, let out a sigh. She turned, looking to the aforementioned pegasus guards, giving them a small smile.

"Thank you for bringing us here, Sirs. And...well...sorry for the extra weight."

The stallions, ever professional, stood upright, giving a salute to Celestia's apprentice, before stretching out their wings and giving a flap, sending themselves back up into the skies. Twilight watched them go, seeing them rise higher and higher until, at last, they were out of view completely. Now here in Ponyville, the completionist in her desperately wanted to get this work done, and so she lit up her horn, levitating a parchment out of her saddle-bags. She unrolled it, looking over her list of things that needed doing here, and she spoke them aloud as her friends watched.

"Okay, let's see here. We've got to look over the food for the catering...the decorations...the weather arrangements...the song and music for the ceremony...and then just wait for Celestia to arrive."

Twilight gave Spike the parchment after she'd finished reading it out, which he dutifully took from her. Letting out a long sigh from her journey, Twilight glanced around, thinking on where best to go first.

"According to the information I was given, the family that lives over at the local farm is responsible for providing the food. I think that's a good place to start."

But before she could even take her very first step, she was distracted by a loud gasp from Minuette. Turning, Twilight looked to her with worry.

"What is it?"

The blue mare, looking to her, gave a wide smile.

"Twilight. I've just had the best idea!"

Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"This is either going to be really good or really bad."

Ignoring her, Minuette looked to all of her friends, then let them know the plan that was brewing in her mind.

"Since all of us are here right now, how about we go out and find these party ponies?"

The suggestion took all of them aback, Twilight doubly so, but as they all looked to one another, Minuette's suggestion seemed to take root.

"Huh...that's actually not a bad suggestion," Moondancer considered.

"Many hooves make light work after all," Lemon added.

"It'll certainly help Twilight if she was given less stuff to do," Twinkleshine finished.

Though still stunned at what was being offered, Twilight smiled, speaking to all with a calm tone.

"Thank you all, but it's my responsibility to see these things done. Besides, you all came here for you own reasons, I can't just ask you to do my work for me."

Lyra snorted to that.

"Come on, Twilight! What kinds of friends would we be if we let you do all that checking up stuff yourself?"

Having spent a fair amount of time with them by this point, it was clear to Twilight that nothing she could say to them was going to sweep this notion aside for them any time soon. Looking down to Spike, she saw him give a shrug of his shoulders, leading to another sigh on her part.

"...Alright, if you really want to help me out...then I guess I can spread the load out a bit."

They all smiled at her after that, and Moondancer stepped forward first.

"I can look out for the local weather teams. I'll see if they've got the skies covered for tonight."

Lyra was next.

"I'll scope out this farm family you talked about. Heck, I can probably get a look in at the houses around here while I'm at it."

Lemon Hearts' smile widened.

"I know a thing or two about parties. I've helped sort out a few back at Canterlot, so I can look into whoever's doing the decorations."

Twinkleshine was next.

"I'll keep an eye out for the pony sorting out the music. I'm pretty sure it'll be easy to find them."

Twilight nodded to each of them, thinking on her own role in this.

"I guess that leaves me to check out the place me and Spike were meant to be staying the night. Well, I guess it's the place we're all staying at now."

She frowned at her friends soon afterwards.

"If there's any trouble, don't forget that I'm still here if you need me to come along."

They all nodded, and Twilight watched as they went their separate ways, ready to help her out in her duties. Twilight exhaled deeply, but soon perked up again when she realised that one of her friends was still here.

"Oh, Minuette. I'm sorry, I don't think there's anything left for you, unless you want to come with me and Spike?"

But Minuette, ever smiling, shook her head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm gonna go and see if I can find my pen-pal. She's gotta be around here somewhere."

Twilight giggled, giving a nod of consent.

"Alright then. Have fun."

Minuette chuckled, then started to happily trot off. Now it was just Twilight and Spike, and they smiled to one another before starting to get on with their own journey through this place.

"Well, at least we have less work now, right?"

Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Spike, you were right, bringing them along has been helpful."

A smug look came to the younger dragon.

"What can I say, except you're welcome."

Twilight smirked, giving him a playful pat on the head, which Spike, of course, grumbled at. However, as the two carried on, having been through a number of smiles and waves by friendly locals, they soon stopped, looking on with surprise at what now stood before them.

"Wait...is that where we're staying?" Spike asked, amazed.

Twilight nodded.

"Yep, that's the Golden Oak Library."

Spike stepped forward, half-admiring the unusual construction in front of him, but also somewhat taken aback by it.

"That's...that's a tree-house."

Twilight nodded.

"A literal tree-house!" Spike declared.

Again, Twilight nodded.

"Yes, Spike."

Finally, her ward looked back to her.

"These Ponyville types are weird."

Twilight stifled a laugh, and then moved forward, with Spike close behind her. Approaching the library, Twilight lit up her horn, using her magic to open its front door. Once inside, the pair looked around, with Spike soon focusing on a pile of dusty books to the side.

"Huh...looks like nopony's been here in years."

Twilight frowned as she too looked around, staring at the many bookshelves here. Walking over to the middle table of the entrance room, Twilight placed her hoof upon it, trailing a line on the surface before glancing at the dust she'd collected on herself.

"Princess Celestia said that this place was shut down a long time ago. Nopony had any real interest in this library, so..."

She trailed off, taking another moment to look around at the place that would serve as her and Spike's temporary home. After a while, seeing the neglectful state it had been put in for so long, she gave a disapproving shake of her head.

"Such a waste of good books."

Finally closing the door behind them, Spike looked to his friend with curiosity.

"Do you think Moondancer and the others will do okay in looking for the party-planners?"

Twilight shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not sure. But what I do know is that it gives me time to think of plans in case...things don't go right."

Spike grunted with irritation.

"Don't tell me you're still obsessed over that prophecy thingy?"

Twilight frowned at him.

"I have my responsibilities, Spike. We have to be careful."

Slowly, she turned, looking out of the nearby window. There, up n the pale blue sky, Twilight could see the outline of the moon, which was undoubtedly going to be a full one tonight. After a time, her eyes narrowed.

"For the first time in my life...I actually hope I'm wrong."

Before the Celebration

The sun had set quite a while ago, and Twilight was more than tired after all the work she and Spike had put into getting this place presentable for them to stay here. The dust was cleared, the books had been organized, and everything was prim and proper, just the way she liked it. Spike, for his part, was busying himself with a tasty bowl of gems, wolfing them down in that way that only children could do. As for Twilight, she was quietly sitting by herself, as she so often did, pouring through an old and formerly-dusty tome she had uncovered here. One found in the "E" section. Her eyes narrowed with every flip of the page, and it wasn't long before Spike looked to her.

"So...good book?"

But his carer was too focused to really notice that he had spoke to her, leading to a sigh on the young dragon's part. However, he had little time to dwell on this, as it was just then that the sound of a door knocking was heard, prompting him to get to his feet and walk over to the thing. Opening it, he smiled as he saw that all of their friends had arrived.

"Hey there! Everything go okay?"

Lyra was the first to enter, chuckling to herself.

"Yep! All the food is ready to go! The local farm family was really nice. Trust me, the Princess will dine better than she would at Canterlot!"

But before Spike could ask further, there was a sudden grumbling sound, and Lyra placed a hoof upon her belly, which Spike only now noted appeared somewhat swollen.

"I...I take it you enjoyed some food there yourself?"

Laughing again, Lyra nodded.

"Yeah...a bit too much though. Remind me to never stay over at a farmer's family get-together after this!"

"Hey, at least you didn't end up looking like the Bride of Frankenpony!"

The two turned to the one who had spoken, Moondancer, and Spike took a deliberate step backwards when he finally saw her. She had a somewhat annoyed look on her face, and this was not exactly unwarranted, as her mane had, for whatever reason, become incredibly messed-up, poofing and curling in a completely chaotic display. Blinking, Spike stifled a laugh as he asked the obvious question.

"So...everything okay with the weather?"

Grumbling, Moondancer nodded.

"Oh, sure, the sky will be nice and clear for the Celebration and stuff. So don't worry about any rain or anything. But..."

Reaching up, she touched her mane.

"...I really wish the local weather-mare took things a bit more seriously. I mean just look at this! And this was after she knocked into me during some sort of speed thing she was doing!"

She sighed.

"These Ponyville types, they're...they're something else alright."

Spike chuckled, then looked over to Twinkleshine, who was coming in behind the bespectacled Moondancer.

"What about the music, Twinkle? Any problems there?"

The pink-maned mare smiled back to him, shaking her head slightly.

"Not at all! The music will be provided by a flock of birds, and their songs are so beautiful, you guys! It was the sweetest melody I've ever heard from them, and I've heard some of the birds of the royal gardens!"

Placing his hands upon his hips, Spike gave a firm nod.

"Neat! And the mare who trained them? What was she like?"

Here, Twinkleshine's smile faltered, but only a little.

"She was...quiet."

Spike tilted his head.

"Oh?"

Twinkleshine nodded.

"Yep. As soon as I made myself known, she just stopped talking. When it was just her and her birds, she was more than enthusiastic, but as soon as I spoke to her, it was like she just couldn't talk at all!"

Spike pondered that.

"Huh...well...some ponies like animals more than other ponies, I guess."

He chuckled.

"Kind of like Twilight with her books sometimes."

The group shared a laugh, though Twilight herself, thankfully, hadn't heard them. But the loudest laugh by far came from Minuette, who was the next to enter.

"Oh my gosh, you guys! You should have seen my pen-pal! You know how I always talk about how fun and exciting she is in her letters? Well, the real life her is, like, that times a million! I mean, she's got energy for days that one!"

Moondancer grimaced.

"Ugh! She sounds exhausting!"

Minuette shrugged her shoulders.

"Meh, she could be a little much, sure, but hey, she was fun all the same, and she's really looking forward to heading over to the Town Hall for the Celebration!"

"I think she'll like it then, because that place is really looking pretty great right now!"

The group turned to Lemon Hearts, who was the last to enter, and so closed the door behind her. Once inside, she sighed, looking to her fellow mares with contentment.

"The mare responsible for decorating the place is really talented. I mean, I've done my fair share of parties before, but that lady really knows how to make a place look good!"

Spike stepped forward, smiling to that.

"Do you think Princess Celestia will like it?"

Lemon smiled back down to him, giving him a quick pat on his head before answering his question.

"Oh, I know she'll like it! The decorator actually does dress-making as her usual job, so we know she knows how to make something look pretty!"

Looking to each of the mares in turn, Spike gave an enthusiastic nod.

"Well, I guess that's everything sorted out then! All we have to do is go to the Town Hall in a little while, see the Princess raise the sun, and then boom, job's done and we can get back to Canterlot!"

The mares all nodded to him, though Moondancer's smile was less prominent than the others.

"Before all that though, can I please just get a comb for myself?"

Chuckling, Spike pointed over to a small table next to where Twilight was sitting.

"Sure. I think I saw one in one of the drawers over there when we were cleaning earlier."

Moondancer gave him an appreciative smile, then began to walk on over to the table in question. As the other mares walked about to take a look at the library where they'd be staying the night, Moondancer did indeed get a comb out for herself, and set to work trying to put her mane back into some sort of order. However, as she did this, she soon noted the book that Twilight was reading. Curiosity took hold of her, and she peered over her childhood friend's shoulder. After just a few moments, she muttered aloud one of the passages she read.

"...The Elements of Harmony?"

As soon as those words were uttered, Twilight immediately jumped out of her chair, suddenly aware that there were other people around her.

"GAH!!!"

Moondancer stepped back, looking understandably unsure of her friend's behaviour right now.

"Um...you okay, Twilight?"

Taking a few calming breaths, Twilight looked to Moondancer with a smile.

"Yes, um...I just wanted to do a little bit of reading before the Celebration."

Moondancer raised an eyebrow.

"A little bit of reading? About Equestria's most renowned mythical magical artefacts?"

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, perhaps to come up with some sort of cover, only for Spike to let out another laugh and look over to the two of them.

"Don't worry about her, Moondancer! Twilight's just worried about the Mare in the Moon! You know, thousandth year and all that?"

Twilight, naturally, looked to her assistant with irritation, while Minuette, who had been listening in nearby, let out a giggle before looking over to Twilight herself.

"Wait, that's tonight? The only pony's tale about the evil old mare who'll come back for eternal night? That story?"

Twilight looked around, and realised, much to her chagrin, that she now had the undivided attention of everyone here. So, after casting Spike another quick frown, she let out a sigh, nodding to her friends.

"Yes...it's true. Before I arrived at Moondancer's party, I was looking into the legend. I believe that tonight might be the night spoken of in the prophecy. I even sent word to Celestia herself on the matter."

Moondancer looked to her with renewed interest.

"And...what did she say?"

Twilight frowned again, looking away.

"She said...that I shouldn't worry about it...and that it was just an old story."

Twinkleshine smiled to that, taking a step closer.

"Well...there we are then. If Celestia thinks everything's fine, then that's pretty much it, right?"

Twilight remained silent for a time, walking over to one of the nearby windows. Her friends watched as she stared out into the clear night sky, seeing the infamous mare's face upon the full moon above. Again, she let out a sigh, before finally looking back to her friends.

"I know Celestia knows far more about matters like this than I ever will, but...I don't know...there's just been this feeling. Something in my heart that tells me that there's more going on here than I know about."

Lemon snorted.

"Look out, guys, our Twilight's turning into a conspiracy theorist!"

They all laughed to that, and even Twilight herself, though a little annoyed at the remark, found herself joining in on the jovial moment. When the laughter died down, however, she glanced back to her still-open book.

"I'm sorry, but...it's just one of those things I can't stop thinking about."

Moondancer, smiling to her, walked over, placing her hoof upon her shoulder.

"I know you mean well, Twilight, but Princess Celestia is right about you, you know, Sometimes, you do obsess about stuff like this."

Twilight looked her friend in the eye as the latter carried on.

"Let's worry about prophecies and legends another day. Today is for Celebrations. And I, for one, look forward to spending this Celebration with you."

Twilight stared at her, seeing the honesty in her expression as she'd said that. Slowly, she looked over to all her other friends, many of whom nodded in agreement with Moondancer. After a while, Twilight exhaled deeply, putting on a smile of her own before again looking back to Moondancer.

"You're...you're right. I guess...I can stop worrying for one night at least."

Moondancer smiled, and Minuette, of course, giggled.

"Great! Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the Town Hall! Because I don't know about you guys..."

She smirked.

"...but I'm predicting one heck of a memorable party tonight!"

The Longest Night

Her friends had convinced her that everything would be fine, and that her fears were simply silly little stories she'd allowed herself to overly worry about. She wanted to believe those words, more than she could ever say, and yet, as she, her friends and Spike made their way towards the town hall of Ponyville, those fears continued to linger in her mind, eating away at her confidence. If nothing else, she could allow the hustle and bustle of the evening to distract her, as sure enough, every pony here had started to gather to celebrate the event.

"Wow, not bad for a country place, eh?" Minuette remarked.

Twilight smiled to her, looking around at all the eager new faces ready to see the Princess make her debut here. It brought to Twilight many fond memories, specifically of her own first time seeing Princess Celestia raise the sun. It was the day that first put her on the path to becoming her apprentice, and it brought warmth to her heart to remember it now. However, as she entered the Hall, things became more crowded than before, with a lot of pushing and shoving to get good spots.

"I know they're excited, but geez!" Moondancer commented.

Twilight too wasn't all that fond of this, but then again, when this might be the only opportunity one had to see Princess Celestia of all people, she supposed that it was to be expected that they'd be more vigorous than normal. Thankfully, things began to settle down, and in the growing quiet, Twilight took a moment to glance around. Just as she'd been told, the place was indeed decorated well, with ribbons, streamers and all manner of colours going well wherever one looked. And it wasn't long before her ears picked up beautiful birdsong, no doubt the work of the animal trainer she'd been informed of.

"Okay, Twilight...calm down. Things are going well. There's no need to worry."

Her words to herself, understandably spoken in a hushed tone, did not make her feel comfortable, as she'd hoped, and before long, she started to let her eyes stray upwards, to one of the many large windows that dotted the interior of this place. The full moon was there, as indeed was that ominous face of a horned mare. Twilight's eyes narrowed as she saw what looked like a quartet of stars draw nearer to the bright orb, but she shook her head, convinced that she was just imagining things.

"Twilight?"

The lavender mare looked down, smiling to see the face of Spike looking up to her. Reaching forward, she gave him a gentle pat on the head, speaking in a soothing tone, for his sake if nothing else.

"Don't worry, Spike. I'm just...thinking."

Spike opened his mouth to speak, only to be halted when, just then, a clear and loud voice called out to all in attendance.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, as Mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!"

All of those gathered looked on at the town's Mayor, an older mare who stood at the end of the hall, bearing a look of pride that only came when one knew they were about to introduce somebody important. Twilight smiled at the thought of seeing her mentor arrive again, even though her fears continued to gnaw at her.

"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year!"

Mayor Mare's words had continued to be spoken with confidence, but as she carried on with her speech, Twilight's eyes again betrayed her need to keep focused on the celebration. Instead, they again looked to the window, seeing that moon high above, and as soon as she did, her mouth gaped with shock. The stars, which she had previously thought were figments of her imagination, now reached the full moon. Twilight blinked in spite of herself, and as she again opened her eyes, she found, to her horror, that the image of the mare, the one every Equestrian had grown up knowing, was now gone. Instead, the moon was bare-faced, leading to a pit of dread in Twilight's stomach, even as all other ponies continued to pay attention to the Mayor.

"And now, it is my great honour to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria..."

Twilight turned, seeing the spotlight fall onto the curtains, which now began to rise.

"...Princess Celestia!"

But there were no cheers. No calls of excitement. No greetings for the Princess. For as the ponies all looked on, they saw, to their horror, that there was no Princess Celestia. She was gone. Vanished, with no trace that she had ever been there. Twilight was stunned, as was every other pony, and her closest friends all looked to her with intense worry. The other ponies of Ponyville, understandably, began to nervously chatter, and as this went on, the Mayor tried to keep order.

"Remain calm, everypony, there must be a reasonable explanation!"

But Twilight already knew the explanation. And within moments, so too did everyone else. For in that very spot where the Princess was expected to be, there rose instead a blue and ethereal mist. It was magic, but of a kind no pony there had ever witnessed before. None knew it, yet all feared it, but none more so than Twilight, who took a worried step backwards.

"Oh no!"

Her fears, those that had dominated her mind for so long, now took shape before them all. For from this blue mist emerged a figure. A mare. Like Celestia, she too was an alicorn, but with fur as black as night, and clad in armour of azure blue. Her eyes were harsh, and she gazed out at the cowering mares and stallions before her, as though triumphant from some unseen battle. Gasps of shock and fear were abound, yet this intruder was not concerned for their reactions.

"Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces."

Twilight knew they had to tread lightly here. This was an ancient being of immense power. One false move and they could all be in danger. Unfortunately, she'd neglected to give such advice to her friends, and Moondancer now took a firm step forward, pointing a hoof towards the dark alicorn.

"What have you done with the Princess?!"

Twilight's face went pale, worried beyond words over what the consequences of such an outburst would be for her friend. Instead, and to her albeit very small relief, the towering mare simply appeared amused by the young unicorn's defiance, letting out a hearty chuckle.

"Why, am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?"

Lemon Hearts winced, leaning over and whispering to Twilight.

"I'm usually one for guessing games, but..."

Apparently, the newcomer had heard her, and narrowed her eyes as she again scoured the terrified crowd.

"Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?"

Annoyance and rage wrestled for dominance in her voice, and she looked out at each and every pony here. Naturally, all those being looked at were terrified at what this aggressive mare would do next, and even more of them just looked confused over what she was talking about. But Twilight knew, and with that knowledge, she took a single step forward, taking a deep breath, before finally making her voice known.

"I saw the signs! And I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon..."

She frowned.

"...Nightmare Moon!"

All gasped at the name, no doubt remembering childhood tales given to them by their parents through the generations. Tales and songs and myths of the dark alicorn, who once sought to dominate and rule all of Equestria in ancient days. But as for Nightmare Moon herself, she actually seemed impressed by Twilight's words.

"Well, well, well, somepony who remembers me."

The mare smirked.

"Then you also know why I'm here?"

Twilight gulped, and here she struggled to answer, if only because she feared that answer.

"You're here to...to...to..."

Nightmare Moon's smirk widened, and she again looked to the rest of the crowd.

"Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!"

She cackled wickedly, creating a literal storm of lightning and wind around her through her awesome power. Mares and stallions, colts and fillies alike cowered in the face of this power. But there was one among them who was not so afraid, and that was Mayor Mare. She was no fighter, it was true. She was a politician. But here, in the absence of Princess Celestia, she was these ponies' leader. So, she led.

"Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!"

The Canterlot Guard, those who had attended this place to protect Princess Celestia, now heeded the command of the Mayor, spreading out their wings and launching themselves towards this monster who had captured their monarch. Twilight, watching them fly closer to the centuries-old alicorn, stretched out her hoof.

"No! Wait!"

But it was too late, for the guards were already approaching Nightmare Moon at great speed, attracting the latter's attention.

"Stand back, you foals!"

With a mere thought, Nightmare Moon sent some of her lightning towards her assailants, sending them hurling backwards. Twilight watched with disbelief as those soldiers were thrown about like ragdolls, defeated before even reaching their target. As for the dark mare herself, she cackled once more, using her magic to transform herself back into that ethereal mist, after which she flew speedily out of the hall. There were many murmurs of fear among the Ponyville ponies, but Twilight nevertheless ignored them, charging outside to follow the mist, only to find, once she was outside, that it was gone.

"Twilight?"

Twilight turned, and saw that it was Moondancer, surrounded by Spike and all of her other friends. A moment or two passed, but soon, Twilight's spectacled childhood friend stepped closer, her eyes filled with fear.

"What...what was that?"

They looked to her for answers, and after letting out a deep sigh, Twilight gave the only one she could.

"That, Moondancer...could be the end of all of us."