Sunset

“Goldie, Goldie! Wake up.” Brownie Button said, shaking Goldie Sugar. The couple was laying in a soft warm bed. It was morning, but the sunlight wasn’t filtering through the window.

Goldie stirred, and lifted her head, “What's wrong Brownie?” Goldie asked, with a concerned look on her face.

“Goldie, something is wrong.” Brownie Button said, a nervous frown on his face, “ The sun, and most of the light, is gone!” Goldie shot up and jumped out of the bed. She opened up the windows and gasped.

There was no sun, not much light except lamps and candles lit by frantic ponies all across Ponyville. Goldie gasped and pulled Brownie out of bed by his short red tail. He grabbed his glasses, and galloped outside were Goldie was.

Goldie was standing in the mist of the street, were ponies galloped wildly and screamed in the darkness. Brownie stood next to her, mouth wide open at the sky. It was dark as if an inkwell had been broken and filled the sky.

“But, it's morning…” Brownie stammered.

“Don’t… worry… Brownie,” Goldie stammered, “The Mane 6 will help us.” Brownie nodded with a worried look on his face, as he stood and stared at the sky with Goldie.

That was, until a royal guard galloped into Ponyville, shouting “Equestria at War! Mane 6 taken captive by King Sombra! All able-bodied ponies wanted for battle!”

Goldie and Brownie looked at each other, crestfallen.

The couple trotted back into their house, lighting candles when they got inside. Brownie Button nervously started eating some bread, as Goldie Sugar started to pace, trying to think of what was going on right now.

“Why is it so dark? Scientifically, even if Celestia forgot to raise the sun, there would still be a bit more light out. It wouldn’t be that dark outside!” Goldie ranted, her heart rising in her stomach.

“Could this be something with Sombra?” Brownie Button said, looking at Goldie, then outside a window.

“Wait… yah…” Goldie said, her eyes popping wide open, “If hate fills the Crystal Empire, then hate and darkness will be reflected all across Equestria… meaning…”

“Sombra and the Crystal Empire will be Equestria's downfall,” Brownie said, shoving a cupcake in his mouth. His eyes were wide open filled with fear and worry. Goldie wiped from crumbs from Brownies chest, then looked outside again.

“They said we’re at war. They need me. I’m a surgical technologist, they’ll need me out there on the battlefield.” Goldie said, rearing up on her hind legs to see better outside.

Brownie Button adjusted his glasses nervously, and remarked, “Well, I can make weaponry, they'll need me too.”

“But Brownie! You can stay at home and take care of our home till I come back-”

“Goldie, You don’t really need to go, We can stay here and wait this out. I can still make weaponry here you know.” Brownie said, putting a hoof on Goldie's side.

“Well, we’ll see what happens. But if they need me, I’ll be there.” Goldie said, with a small smile on her golden face. She looked at Brownie, who had a frown on his face, and worry clouding his eyes.

“It just isn’t right.” Goldie Sugar mumbled, concerned and worried.

The day passed on without much happening. Goldie and Brownie stayed inside baking and playing video games. They peeked outside a bit, but only to see darkness and frantic ponies, galloping this way and that.

“I wonder what the Princesses are up to.” Brownie Button remarked as he was playing Team Foaltress Two. Goldie Sugar looked up from a bowl of sugar cookie batter and cringed.

“I don’t know, I think they are trying to do something. After all, they are the protectors of Equestria.” Goldie said with a frown as she added cocoa powder into the mix.

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be at work?” Brownie asked, confused.

“I have an off day,” Goldie said, tossing Brownie a schedule.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot…” Brownie said sheepishly, using his golden tinged magic to pick it up. His cheeks turned pink through his tannish coat, as he read the paper

“We were supposed to go out tonight… but I forgot…” He said, feeling guilty. Goldie frowned, then smiled sweetly.

“It’s alright Brownie, after all of this strangeness happening, I can understand.” She said, trotting up to Brownie and sitting next to him after she put the cookies in the oven.

The two curled up and played Team Foaltress two, and ate sugar cookies, not thinking about what was happening, until a knock sounded at their door.

Goldie answered the door with Brownie and gasped. At her door was an exhausted Wonderbolt, wearing a torn up uniform. Goldie gasped as she recognized the light blue coat and the long dark blue mane streaked with rose gold.

“Paris! What are you doing here?” Goldie asked, pulling the Wonderbolt into the cottage.

“Wow! I didn't recognize you Paris!” Brownie Button said, grabbing the mare a glass of water. Paris took off her dark blue goggles, revealing her distressed eyes.

“Paris Midnight Sugar, my poor sister, why are you here?” Goldie asked, handing her a cookie.

“I have awful news big sis, really big news,” she said. She pulled a little black hamster with clear blue wings out of her mane and petted it slowly.

“Celestia, Luna, and Cadence have fallen into a coma, and they have some rocky crust on their horns.” Paris paused, and took a breath, “The best doctors in Equestria are tending to them, but nothing seems to be working.”

“That's why nothing is happening, you know, with the weather, light… wow.” Brownie Button said, shocked and a little queasy looking.

“So what does that mean, for Equestria?” Goldie Sugar asked, nervousness tinting her voice.

“Well, I think you heard, but we are at war… and we all have to fight in it.”