Ring Around The Moon -- Part I

by Lets Do This

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: The Movie, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Nightmare Moon, Drama, Trixie, Tempest Shadow, Cheese Sandwich, Equestria Girls
Length: 28537

A shadow descends upon Canterlot. Celestia announces the impending return of Nightmare Moon. And Twilight, Tempest, and their fellow students find there's more to being Equestria's chosen defenders than they bargained for...

A shadow descends upon Canterlot. Celestia announces the impending return of Nightmare Moon. And Twilight, Tempest, and their fellow students find there's more to being Equestria's chosen defenders than they bargained for...

For more of this AU, see: Ring Around the Moon -- Part II

Also see the series, beginning with Not Exactly Friends

Published 2020-02-21 21:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2020-02-21 21:50:02 UTC

The Gathering Darkness

As the early days of summer slipped by, an invisible shadow fell across the royal city of Canterlot.

In the dead of night, fillies and colts awoke screaming from terrifying dreams... of being lost in dark forests, abandoned in crowds of strangers, or menaced by shadowy creatures with huge claws and sharp teeth.

Ponies with guilty consciences came awake, sweating and shivering, from terrifying dreams of being pursued, endlessly and relentlessly, by an immense dark shape with glowing eyes and glistening fangs. Honest ponies awoke from disturbing images of malfeasance by spouses, relatives, and close friends, causing them to look upon their nearest and dearest with mounting distrust and fear.

Elderly ponies had visions of chill, paralyzing, unending Night... of darkness eternal, never feeling the warmth of the Sun ever again.

Steadily, relentlessly, the unsettled and restless nights lay seige upon the day. Work suffered, tempers frayed. Leisure time became joyless and guilt-ridden. Ponies who might otherwise have spent a few minutes or an hour in idle pastimes under the warm summer sunlight felt the gnawing obligation to keep busy and get the job done, to buckle down and push through, for the sake of their loved ones... or merely their own.

Canterlot had never been a particularly religious city, yet there was a noticeable rise in attendance at vigils and observances in the name of Celestia the All-Wise, Goddess of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, the Protector Eternal. There was also a steady uptick in evening patronage at shows, balls, casinos, sporting arenas, and pubs, as nobles and commoners alike attempted vainly to party the night away.

In a local dance hall late at night, buried deep in a huge box of bunting and streamers and other party supplies, Cheese Sandwich started awake, wide-eyed, from a particularly disturbing dream.

"No one laughed..." he gasped. "Ever!"

Then he dove into the depths of the box, found Boneless, and got back to work redecorating the hall with renewed vigour.

He was determined not to be caught napping again.

While Twilight and her schoolmates appeared to be immune from the rising tide of unpleasant dreams, they were all too aware of the change in mood of the ponies around them.

One afternoon in particular the group was taking their usual snack break at the bakery café on Diamond Avenue. "Allow me," Trixie said archly, as the group walked in and headed for their usual table, the large one by the window. "Same as last time, everypony?" Seeing nods all round, Trixie trotted over to the counter.

And found herself facing a surly, tired-looking young colt, who eyed her star-spangled hat and cloak with narrow-eyed distrust. "Yeah?"

"We'll have our usual order, please," Trixie said airily.

"Get lost."

"Excuse me?"

"Father says we don't have to do business with ponies who associate with the Evil One."

Across the room, Tempest looked up sharply. She watched the exchange with an increasingly dark scowl on her face.

Trixie blinked, wide-eyed. "Uh, what makes you say that?"

"You're a Moon, right?" the colt demanded.

"Er... what?"

"Your name is Lulamoon?" he persisted.

"Ahem! The Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie does go by that surname." Then she dropped the stage voice. "What about it?"

The colt frowned. "Father says Moon ponies are all in league with the Dark Mare!" he snapped. "He says you're all sworn servants of the Mare, out to corrupt honest ponies, and turn them to darkness and sin. He says that --"

The colt abruptly came to a halt, eyes wide.

Standing right behind Trixie was Tempest Shadow, tall and forbidding in her black armor, a coldly merciless look in her eye. And right behind her were two officers of the Royal Guard, whom she'd summoned from the street with a wave of a hoof, as she strode towards the counter.

"Is there some problem here?" Tempest snarled.

The colt frowned, avoiding her iron gaze. "Uh, no problem." He eyed Trixie with open contempt. "Just making it clear we don't have to do business with ponies whose beliefs we consider a bad influence."

Tempest was silent for a moment. And then her tone shifted, turning softly, languidly pleasant.

"Oh, you're absolutely right. You don't have to do business... with anypony..."

She deliberately glanced left, then right. And then her gaze casually lighted on the framed certificates hanging on the wall. "Ah!" she said. "Nice vendors licenses you have here." She scowled at the colt. "Be a real shame if anything happened to them, wouldn't it?"

"Hey! You Guards can't do that --"

Tempest's armored hoof slammed down on the counter, causing heads to turn all around the room.

"I answer directly to the Princess, kiddo!" Tempest thundered. "So you want to guess again about what I can or cannot do?"

Then her voice went back to quiet silkiness. "Now, let's just be clear here: you don't have any problem doing business with any paying customer who happens to walk into this store... do you?"

The colt stared up at Tempest's threatening glare in angry astonishment. He seemed about to object.

And then he suddenly folded, lowering his eyes. "No, ma'am. No problem."

"Good. So glad we got that sorted out. Now, we'll have our usual order. And quickly, please."

As the colt desultorily turned to collect muffins and draw sodas, Trixie sniffed, looking up at Tempest in proud haughture.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie had matters well in hoof herself, thank you very much."

Then, as the colt moved out of earshot, she suddenly dropped the act.

"But, um... thanks anyway!" she whispered meekly.

Tempest eyed her in return. Then smiled thinly.

"Don't read too much into it. I'm a team player."

She swung about and headed back to their table, nodding thankfully to the Guard ponies as she swept past them. The guards themselves stared at each other, astonished at Tempest's brazenness... and more than a little jealous besides.

After a few minutes Trixie returned to their table herself, toting the tray of muffins and sodas in her magic. And the group managed to finish their snack and return to their studies without further ado.

Yet there were other incidents, which weren't so easily brushed off.

One evening Twilight and Tempest came back to the tower room from a lengthy research binge in the library section of the Archives, and found Sunset and Moondancer seated together at the main worktable. Moondancer had her head buried in her forehooves, and Sunset had a hoof around her shoulders, quietly comforting her.

"We were at Quill and Ink," Sunset explained, "picking up an order of scroll paper, since we were running short. We walk out of the store, and this crazy, wrinkled old biddy -- she had to be somepony's great-grandmare -- takes one look at Moondancer and accuses her, flat-out, of being a sorceress, in league with Nightmare Moon, and the cause of everyone's nightmares." Sunset tossed her hooves in the air. "In like, broad daylight! In this really screechy voice, right in the middle of a crowd!"

Tempest sniffed dismissively. "Sounds like somepony just needs another cat. I wouldn't let that bother me."

"Normally, I'd agree," Sunset said. "But then I look around, and suddenly everypony is staring at us, in this really unfriendly way..."

"At me," Moondancer moaned, looking up. Her eyes were red from crying. "It's my mark," she said, managing to speak calmly despite her tears. "The Moon and the Stars? Ponies here, especially older ponies, are starting to connect it with the Nightmare again."

And then she buried her head in her hooves, sobbing. "It's just like grade school all over! Ponies hating me, because of my mark!"

Sunset shivered herself. "We managed to get out of there and back here without any trouble, but I tell you, Twilight... I was half worried they were going to come after us! With the torches and pitchforks, you know? I mean, come on! This is Canterlot! This kind of thing just doesn't happen here! It was, like -- urrh! I just can't even!" She crossed her forehooves, silently fuming.

Tempest looked at Moondancer, then at Twilight.

"Maybe," she suggested quietly, "we should ask the Guard to provide a more visible escort, for when we're out and about on errands. Little show of the armor might help to remind ponies whose side we're on."

Twilight reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, I suppose that makes sense."

"It sucks!" Sunset grumbled. "But... yeah, it makes sense, too."

As the presumed source of the epidemic of restless, tormented sleep became more and more inescapable, the demand for action, of any kind, became equally strident.

There was talk of banning publication or even mention of the Dark Mare's name, or anything related to her. There was talk of requiring students to sing Equestria, My Home every morning before class, as a spiritual reminder. There was talk of requiring government officials to swear oaths of loyalty to Equestria and its One True Princess. Some even called for closing Equestria's borders, though exactly how this was to be accomplished and who exactly was to be kept out were never made entirely clear.

There was even discussion about the need for establishing "safe-paddocks" for ponies with Moon-related cutie marks... just to ensure their safety and security, of course, until the current crisis was over...

None of which amounted to much, thankfully. Princess Celestia merely laughed politely when such things were tentatively remarked upon in council, and wiser heads prevailed.

There was serious debate in the legislature, however, about possibly cancelling the celebration of Nightmare Night that year. Until the Chief Minister had a vividly chilling dream of being buried at the polls. Literally. After which the proposal was quietly tabled and forgotten.

Yet the growing clamor for action, for answers, remained. And Princess Celestia decided the time had finally come to make an announcement... one she'd been delaying for far too long.

Silence fell in the Grand Audience Hall, as the Chief Steward rapped his staff for quiet, then called for attention to orders from the Crown.

"Citizens of Equestria," the Princess said, stern and formal, "we are aware of the disquiet in your slumbers, the resultant unrest in your daily lives. And we should like to put before you certain facts concerning the cause.

"Let us begin with the blunt, simple truth: the Mare in the Moon, Nightmare Moon... is real. She is no legend. She exists, and is the source of the disquiet you are all experiencing."

A disgruntled murmuring began to rise from the assembled nobles and commoners in the audience, until the Steward fiercely rapped his staff for silence.

"A thousand years ago," Celestia went on, "alone and unaided, I fought the Nightmare to a standstill, imprisoning her in the Moon. I had thought that imprisonment might last forever. But its end is steadily approaching us, and soon the Mare will be free once more.

"But we have not been idle in all that time. Far from it. We have long prepared for this event. And thankfully, when the time comes, Equestria shall not stand undefended."

Celestia gestured with a hoof to the line of ponies standing on the red carpet before the Throne, facing the crowd.

"By careful search of the population, and thorough education at our School, a group of ponies has been located. Ponies with the courage, ability, and magic to lead the charge against the Nightmare, to defend us all. Allow me to introduce them to you:

"Twilight Sparkle, and her second, Sunset Shimmer, two of the best and brightest of our students of magic, whose leadership and compassion are exemplary.

"Commander Tempest Shadow, the group's shield and protector, whose strength and fierce determination are unmatched.

"Starlight Glimmer, and Trixie Lulamoon, whose grasp of spellwork and ability with magic are both exceptional.

"And Moondancer, whose diligence, acumen, and expertise on the Mare is without peer.

"Unassuming they may seem," Celestia concluded, "yet these six ponies have it in them to lead us through the coming night, and see us safely to the new dawn that follows. It is our wish therefore, and our royal command, that they be shown the same respect, honor, and duty you would show to us. They shall be our shield, our sword, and -- fates willing -- our olive branch, in facing the Mare's return. So sayeth the Crown!"

"So sayeth the Crown!" the Steward repeated. And the Royal Guard ponies likewise repeated the call, their combined voices booming like cannon-fire, the length of the hall.

In the stillness that followed, Celestia gazed around at her subjects.

"Further details will be provided in due course. But for now, we are pleased to entertain any immediate questions you may have..."

Long afterward, the hour fast approaching sunset, Celestia returned to her quarters. She ordered the guards out, swept the doors shut with her magic, cast a silencing spell around the entire suite...

... and then screamed, loudly and repeatedly, at length.

When she'd finally run herself down, Princess Cadance smiled at her. "Feeling better, Auntie?"

"A little." Celestia levitated over a pitcher of water and gulped large swallows to soothe her throat. "But did you hear them, Cadance? The fate of Equestria itself hangs in the balance, and all they can do is mutter not-so-veiled hints about how their favored son or daughter, who is so obviously better qualified, would have been a far better choice."

Cadance nodded. "It's difficult to deal with big threats, since they happen so rarely. Little slights are what ponies are used to. So it's what they fall back on to cope."

"And Twilight and the others... I felt horrible for them, Cadance! Having to stand there listening, as the research mages implicitly questioned their knowledge and ability. I would have thought their demonstration would have settled any doubt. But it's as if nopony was paying attention that day."

"Twilight gave as good as she got," Cadance said proudly. "She's tougher than she looks, especially when the topic is magic." Then she grinned. "And when that reporter asked why I wasn't one of those chosen... I really liked your answer, Auntie! I am a peacemaker, not a warrior. Best I'd be able to do is talk Luna to death!"

"One should never send a Princess of Love to make war, I think is what I said," Celestia replied with a smile.

"And Twilight and her friends," Cadance went on, "they're so much more experienced in magic and spellwork than I am. They're far more capable and qualified. You made the right choice, Auntie, even if no one else sees it."

"Thank you, Cadance. I'm pleased you take it that way."

"Of course! And it was nice, wasn't it, when the commoners gave them a rousing three cheers at the end? Oh, just try and tell me you had nothing to do with that, Auntie!"

"Nothing at all," Celestia said honestly, smiling at the memory. "In a crisis, the working ponies have a need for heroes. And we provided some. Thankfully, Twilight and the others appear to have won them over already."

"So! There's really nothing left to do," Cadance summed up. "Just finish the preparations for the Sun Celebration, and then, well... we'll see if we have something to celebrate after all, hmm?"

Celestia fell silent. Turning, she crossed to her balcony. Lighting her horn and lifting a hoof, she easily lowered the Sun below the horizon.

And then with a sigh, she gritted her teeth, and forcibly lofted the Moon into place. Its Mare shadow seemed to glare down at her, baleful and proud.

"Fewer and fewer left, Cadance," Celestia murmured. "And soon enough, it will be the last time."

Cadance came forward to stand beside her, leaning companionably against her. "Come on, Auntie! You believe in Twilight and her friends. It won't be the last."

"I hope it won't, Niece. I truly do."

The two of them were silent for a long while, gazing up at the moon.

"You still haven't told them," Cadance began, "about Luna being your --"

"I don't plan to," Celestia interrupted sharply. "As I said, I don't want their hooves tied out of concern for me. They need to feel free to act, to do... whatever needs to be done."

"Another reason I wasn't one of those chosen?" Cadance asked. "I care too much... and I know too much?"

Celestia looked at her. "I'm glad you know, Cadance. I'm glad there's at least one pony I can talk to openly about this."

"I just wish you could talk to Twilight," Cadance said. "If she knew how much it mattered, she might think of a way..."

"I said no, Cadance." Celestia replied firmly. "And that is an end of it!"

Startled, Cadance nodded, and fell silent.

Celestia grimaced. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be so sharp."

"It's okay. I know how much it means to you."

Celestia sighed, and then she stared up at the Moon again.

"I want her back, Cadance. Dearly, more than anything. It would be so easy to forget everything else in the face of that. But I cannot be selfish. If I must ask Twilight to act in my stead, I must give her complete freedom to do as she sees fit... whatever the outcome."

"Of course, Auntie," Cadance replied. "And we'll all support her... whatever happens." Then she reached up to put a hoof on the larger alicorn's shoulder.

"She adores you, you know. You're far more to her than just her mentor."

"I know." Celestia's eyes glistened. "And that, Niece, is why I have to let Twilight face this on her own..."

Following Princess Celestia's startling announcement, the change in attitude towards Twilight's group was both immediate and unnerving.

Tempest noticed it first, early the next morning, when she trotted down the tower stairs to check on the palace guards stationed nearby.

She'd made a kind of game of it. The guards tended to position themselves somewhere obvious and visible, such as a doorway, or up on a balcony or other platform, where they could be seen at a distance by any potential troublemakers, and could see as much as possible themselves without having to move around a lot. Which often meant that Tempest would come across a guard, usually a junior sub-lieutenant, standing in one place, glassy-eyed, half-asleep on his or her hooves.

She'd sneak up behind said guard and then cough loudly, or rap an armored hoof. The reaction was invariably entertaining. And the guards were fast becoming convinced Tempest had the ability to materialize out of thin air, despite her broken horn.

Tempest also made use of her nominal authority to rearrange the guards, reposting them in unconventional locations that made more sense to her: out of the way corners, and other hiding places where they would be concealed, though not conspicuously so. Where they'd pass unnoticed, save at the last possible and least convenient moment... exactly where Tempest herself would not have wanted to come across them.

So far it seemed to be working: the guards had begun to get the message, staying alert and periodically shifting around of their own accord. Tempest felt she was making progress in shaping some of the younger, less-experienced soldiers into a force that could be relied upon. And she'd also begun to feel like she actually knew what she was doing, even as she made it all up as she went along -- almost as if she actually deserved her unusual, and extremely powerful, rank.

But this morning, things were different. Very different. There were no junior officers anywhere near the tower, only seasoned and competent senior Guard ponies, the kind who missed nothing, didn't need to be told where to wait and what to watch for, or how to challenge a potential intruder. The kind who'd always put Tempest on edge, making her feel unsure of herself, uncertain what they knew about her.

The worst part of it was, whenever she approached them the guards would snap to attention and salute, without the slightest sign of hesitation or irony. You are the pony in charge, their attitude said. It was clear they would treat the merest request from her, let alone an order, as a matter of life and death.

Tempest fell back on her usual calm, aloof attitude, nodding minutely to the guards as she passed them. She made her usual circuit around the quad, and then through the Library Annex building, feeling less and less sure of herself with every step. She was inexpressibly relieved when she was finally able to retreat up the stairs to the tower room. She hadn't felt so out of place since the day she'd first arrived at the School.

Starlight and Trixie noticed the difference too, after breakfast, as they strolled along Diamond Avenue in search of a replacement for a stretch of carpeting that had fallen victim to Starlight's attempt to teach Trixie basic potion-making.

They could hardly avoid noticing it, in fact. Wherever they went, shopkeepers and window-cleaners and post-ponies, working-class ponies of every stripe, would stop whatever they were doing and bow respectfully. Starlight kept wanting to turn and look over her shoulder, to see who was passing by behind them.

And later, when the two of them went down to the grassy quad in front of the tower so that Starlight could help Trixie practice self-levitation, they quickly noticed a small crowd of ponies gathering around the edges of the grassy lawn. The impromptu audience applauded and cheered at the least provocation, and it totally screwed up Trixie's focus. She kept wanting to play to the crowd, give them a show, when what she really needed to do was keep her mind on the levitation spell so she didn't wind up pancaking on the grass.

"Okay..." Trixie said at one point, glancing around uneasily, "the Great and Powerful Trixie is feeling freaked out by a raptly attentive audience. What is wrong with this picture, Starlight?"

Sunset and Moondancer noticed it too, when they visited the stationers for a box of quills and a bottle of enchanted ink. Their simple request was treated with all the urgency and solemnity of an estate partitioning, or an investiture of title.

"Is there anything else we can do for you today, Miss Shimmer?" the shopkeeper asked. There was a disquieting nervousness in his voice, almost as if he feared for his job if he wasn't able to satisfy the group's needs in the slightest way.

"Uhh, nope!" Sunset reassured him. "We're good! Thanks so much!"

"Oh! It's our pleasure, ma'am! Please, come again!"

Sunset and Moondancer eyed each other as they walked out into the street. "Is it just me?" Moondancer asked. "Or are we being treated like seriously important ponies all of a sudden?"

"No kidding!" Sunset nodded. "Walking on water would be a step down, I think."

And when the entire group visited the bakery for their regular snack break that afternoon, they found their usual order was already awaiting them at the large table by the window, which was completely unoccupied, despite how crowded the shop was otherwise. And all the way there, and all the way back, they felt everypony's eyes on them, eager and excited -- like it was a parade, and the watching ponies were all inches away from breaking into cheers and applause.

All in all, it was more than a little disconcerting.

And none of them felt it more than Twilight herself.

As she wandered among the stacks in the Archives, with Spike trotting along beside her to take notes and Tempest following closely keeping an eye on them both, Twilight could almost feel the head librarians hovering tensely nearby, just out of sight, ready to leap to her aid at the slightest hint.

Whenever she visited a shop, or even just strolled round the School grounds or along the city streets, working out a problem in her head, she found herself unexpectedly faced with excited and curious ponies, who wanted to ask a question, or wish her luck, or just say how proud they were of her.

And Twilight found it very hard to say no.

"Just say the word, Twilight," Tempest whispered at one point. "I'll fend them off for you, keep them from hassling you."

"No, Tempest," Twilight said. "We can't do that. You heard Celestia: we're the ponies she's chosen to face Nightmare Moon. So now everypony is counting on us. We need to be there for them, give them confidence, reassure them we know what to do..."

She sighed anxiously. "If only I could reassure myself..."

The next morning the group were all gathered around the main worktable in the tower room after breakfast, quizzing each other back and forth on spell construction, in lieu of the classes they were no longer required to attend.

Spike suddenly looked nauseous, and then belched loudly, producing a message scroll. "Woah..." he said, as he read through it. "Princess Celestia says we should expect an important visitor... and I leave it to you, she says, to decide how you choose to respond to their request..."

"Well," Starlight observed, "that's certainly... cryptic."

Twilight nodded. "Any hint who it might be, Spike?"

"Nothin'!" He turned the scroll around to check both sides of it. "That's all she wrote!"

Just then there was an apologetic cough behind them, from the stairs leading up from the entry doors. It was one of the pair of guard ponies who'd been assigned to stand watch at the base of the tower. "Excuse me, Commander? He said he was expected."

Tempest merely nodded in acknowledgement. But Twilight stared wide-eyed at the drab-robed, white-haired mage standing beside the guard. The elderly, stoop-shouldered pony had a disarmingly pleasant, unassuming smile... plus a blue-eyed gaze sharp enough to cut plate steel.

"Please pardon the interruption, Miss Sparkle," he said. "I hope I haven't come at a bad time?"

"Oh, not at all, sir!" Twilight replied nervously and humbly. "Um... what can we do for you?"

"I merely wished to stop by and express my apologies for my staff's behavior the other day. At Celestia's announcement? I hope we didn't leave you with the impression the Research Division is not one hundred percent supportive of your team's efforts."

Tempest eyed him narrowly. "Oh, I don't know how anypony could get that idea," she muttered sourly. "You only cast doubt on her experience, skill, and maturity... nothing at all, really!"

"Tempest..." Twilight warned. Reluctantly the Commander fell silent, though she still scowled darkly.

"No, no," the elderly mage replied, waving a hoof. "The Commander is quite right. We were a little... uncharitable in our questioning, in the heat of the moment. To show you that's not how we meant it, I wanted to come by personally and invite you, Twilight, to honor us with a lecture on your team's project. The Field of Harmony, I believe it's called?"

"Wow!" Twilight gulped. "Umm, sure! I'd be glad to! Er... when were you thinking of having it?"

"Oh, it's an open invitation, to be sure!" He waved a hoof reassuringly. "Whenever you're able to spare us the time, Miss Sparkle. Just give us a heads-up, we'll make ourselves available to you."

Twilight was beyond stunned. Yet she managed to keep her mouth moving.

"I'll... throw my notes together... and... let you know. All right?"

"Perfect! We'll look forward to it," he replied. "Well, that's really all I came by to say, so I won't take up any more of your time. I know you and your group have a lot on your plate, and I'll let you get back to it. Thanks so much for your time, Miss Sparkle!"

Turning, he departed as quietly as he'd arrived, ambling back down the staircase with the guard accompanying him.

The ponies at the table all stared at each other, in dead silence.

"Was that...?" Moondancer finally said.

Sunset nodded. "Thaumic Theory. Head of the Research Division."

"Woah!" Starlight's mouth hung open. "They say he almost never leaves the Archives. He sends his assistants to conferences to take notes for him."

"And he came all the way up here," Sunset said, "just to ask you to give them a guest lecture." She grinned. "Color me jealous, Twilight!"

"Yeah!" Spike punched the air. "Way to go, Twi!"

Twilight nodded. "Uh, yeah. It's... great..."

"What's wrong?" Tempest asked.

"Nothing!" Twilight waved her hooves agitatedly. "Nothing at all! Presenting a guest lecture at the Archives, for the Research Division... it's a huge honor. It's something I've dreamed about all my life!" She sighed, gritting her teeth. "And it's something that normally happens when you're a lot older. It's supposed to be like, the crowning achievement of a lifetime's work in study and research."

"So you're jumping the gun a bit!" Trixie shrugged, waving a hoof. "That's pretty much par for the course for you, Twilight."

"Maybe... but I'm still not sure I deserve this. Or if i'm ready for it!" Twilight glanced around the table at her friends. "But even if I'm not, I'm not going to let all of you down here. And I'm certainly not going to take credit for the hard work you've done. This is a group project, and we've all contributed." She looked around, uneasily. "So could I, maybe... ask all of you to help me prepare?"

"You kidding, Twilight?" Sunset laughed. "Try and stop us!"

"We're with you, Twilight!" Moondancer said.

"Absolutely," Starlight agreed.

The others nodded as well, and Twilight smiled thankfully at them all.

And even that wasn't the end of it. Over the next few days, whenever Twilight and her friends were out and about as a group, on errands in Canterlot, or visiting the Archives, or even just taking a break to go kite-flying in the park, they noticed that the previously aloof noble ponies of the city had begun nodding approvingly at them, and whispering proudly and loftily to each other, as if they'd personally had something to do with it. They eyed Twilight in particular with interested speculation, chattering amongst themselves excitedly.

It was more than a little worrying... almost as if the nobles were all in on some big secret that Twilight and her friends weren't.

And then there came the invitation, hoof-delivered by liveried messenger, asking Twilight and her team to attend a reception in their honor, hosted by some of the city's leading notables. A quick inquiry sent to Celestia produced the reply that yes, she was aware of it... and that she herself would not be in attendance.

This is your night to shine, her reply said. And I would not wish to be a distraction from that. Just put your best hooves forward, and know that as always I am extremely proud of you.

Not certain what to make of it, the group made a hurried visit to a local Canterlot boutique, to be measured and fitted with suitable formal wear for the occasion. And when they returned for the final fitting the next morning, the results were frankly astonishing.

Twilight's dress was an elegant gown of evening hues, shading from dusky orange to star-dusted purple. Sunset's was fiery orange and crimson silk, to match her mane. Starlight had a dress of light blue hues to match her magic, while Trixie's was an upscale version of her magician's hat and cape, done in fine, shimmering purple satin. And Moondancer... wore basic black, by her own request, though she did allow the seamstress doing the fittings to accent it with fine silver stitching along the hem.

Tempest had temporarily traded her battle-mage armor for a suit of gold-plated Royal Guard dress armor. She'd had Grubber polish it until it shone. It was like wearing a flawless, shimmering gilded mirror.

And she kept eyeing it uncomfortably. "This definitely isn't my color," she muttered, shaking her head. "Maybe this isn't the right choice."

"You look fine, Tempest," Twilight reassured her.

"No she doesn't," Trixie muttered.

"Excuse me?" Tempest said, giving Trixie a sharp look.

Trixie crossed her forehooves. "Look, you are supposed to be a Commander in Her Highness's Royal Guard, right?"

Tempest shook her head. "I'm still not even sure what that means."

"Nopony knows what it means!" Trixie shot back. "So use that! You are Great and Powerful, and you answer to nopony! Trust a showpony on this!" She pointed a hoof at Tempest. "There is one performer on the stage, so make sure everypony knows that it's you!"

Tempest considered it. Then she nodded, and drew herself up, tall and proud, with just a hint of her usual cold disdain.

"Better!" Trixie nodded approvingly. "Now I'm getting it!"

Tempest snorted in amusement. "Thanks."

Suitably attired, they nervously made their way up to the Palace that evening, to the Grand Gala Ballroom itself.

"I thought the upper-crust ponies hated us," Starlight fretted tensely, as they stood waiting in the anteroom before the doors leading into the Ballroom proper. "So tell me again, why are they suddenly throwing this big get-together, just for us?"

"Maybe they felt bad," Moondancer suggested, "like the research mages? And wanted to apologize?"

"Hah!" Trixie smirked. "More likely they simply realized the error of their ways, and wanted to correct the mistake. But never let it be said that the Great and Powerful Trixie cannot forgive and forget!" She pouted archly. "Though an apology is probably in order, too."

"It's like Celestia said," Sunset reminded them. "This is our chance to shine. It's our intro to high society, a meet-and-greet with the movers and shakers of Equestria." She grinned uneasily. "Of course, I say that as if I'm not quivering in my shoes myself!"

"Well, I've never been to one of these!" If Starlight hadn't been wearing dress shoes, she'd have been gnawing her hooves in nervousness. "What am I supposed to do? Where do I stand? What do I say? And would somepony please tell me my name? I think it's slipped my mind again."

Sunset grinned reassuringly. "Don't worry, Starlight. I've been to a few of these myself, back when I was being shown off as Celestia's new student. Just relax and be yourself. And if you don't feel like carrying the conversation, you won't have to. If there's one thing these ponies appreciate, it's a good listener. Ohhh yeah!" She rolled her eyes. "They'll talk your ears off, given half a chance!"

Then Sunset looked at Twilight, who was staring straight at the doors in front of them intensely, as if working out the answer to a complicated exam problem. "What are you nervous about, Twilight? You've been to these before with Celestia, right?"

"That's just it," Twilight said. "The Princess was always here with me, watching out for me. She led the conversation, because she knew just what to say, and who to say it to. I didn't have to do anything really. Just be ready to answer any questions the guests might ask. And to be honest, there weren't a lot of those. They were all more interested in talking with Celestia."

"Yeah, I hear you. " Sunset nodded. "I got a lot of that too. I think that's exactly why the Princess isn't here. She didn't want ponies focusing on her, when this is supposed to be about us. Which... basically means we have to step up and be the big ponies for once." She grinned, and lightly punched Twilight's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Twilight... we'll just be nervous wrecks together!"

Twilight smiled at that. And then she looked to her right.

"How are you doing, Moondancer?"

Moondancer took a steadying breath. "I'm actually fine, Twilight. I'm here, with all of you -- all of my friends. I'm not alone anymore! It just doesn't get any better than this!"

The left ballroom door opened partway, and Spike and Grubber slipped through. The two of them were dressed in matching formal coats and bow ties. On Spike the outfit looked endearingly debonair. On Grubber, it merely made him look like a miniature enforcer.

"Everypony ready?" Spike asked. "Looks like they're ready for us in there."

Twilight looked around at her friends, then nodded. "We're ready, Spike!"

With a fanfare of horns, the doors swung open and the group paraded in, moving quickly to the center of the ballroom... and the center of attention.

"Ah, here she is! The pony of the hour! Twilight Sparkle!" A large, matronly cyan mare in a stunning red dress strode forward. She bowed respectfully to Twilight.

Twilight stared back at her in surprise. "Oh! Please excuse me... you are...?"

"Joan Pommelway, my dear! And it's such a honor meeting you, Twilight... may I call you Twilight? And, of course, your fellow students as well!" She smiled grandly at them all, though it was clear that Twilight was her main focus. "Now," she went on, "we know all of you, from the Princess's unforgettably moving announcement. But allow me to make introductions for the notables we have with us tonight. Now, first and foremost, we have Canterlot's pony of ponies, the eminent Fancy Pants, who I'm sure you must know!"

The monacled, mustachioed stallion gave a minute, barely percepible nod. "So dashed charmed to make your acquaintance, Miss Sparkle!" Beside him, the supermodel Fleur De Lis tossed her magenta mane, and dimpled pleasantly.

"And," Pommelway went on, "here we have..."

"Jet Set!" The dark-maned, cardiganed pony gave a sharp bow. "A real honor meeting you, Twilight! Can't tell you what a pleasure this is. And this is my wife, Upper Crust." He gestured to the olive-coated mare beside him, who beamed radiantly.

"And, let us not forget," Pommelway interjected, firmly snatching back the initiative, "our master of ceremonies for the evening, the King of Fashion himself... Hoity Toity!"

"Oh, I can't tell you what an honor this is," the dapper, sunglass-wearing pony languidly enthused. "Simply beyond words, Miss Sparkle!"

"Oh!" Twilight said, "Well, the honor is all mi--"

"And Fashion Plate," Pommelway went on, gesturing with a hoof. "The well-known editor of Cosmare magazine. And we're fortunate to have with us a fellow Manehattan-ite, Prim Hemline, the premier fashion critic!"

The ponies she'd named smiled and nodded.

But Pommelway wasn't done yet, not even close. "And Blue Belle, of course," she said, "and Old Money, and Mare E. Lynn, and..." The torrent of names and faces went on, seemingly without end. Twilight quickly gave up even trying to remember them all. It seemed like the entire upper class of Canterlot, plus a goodly number from Manehattan, had all turned out to greet her personally.

"But come now!" Joan Pommelway finally said. "Please don't let us monopolize the conversation, my dears. This celebration is all about you! Please, mingle! Make yourselves at home. And tell us more about yourselves!"

"Buddy system," Tempest reminded them in a sharp whisper, and the six ponies quickly paired up as they'd planned: Starlight with Trixie, Sunset with Moondancer, and Tempest accompanying Twilight, as they split up and circulated around the hall.

"Now Twilight," said Pommelway, who seemed determined to be Twilight's personal social manager for the occasion, "tell us a little about the work you've been doing at the School. This Field of Harmony you've been working on. It sounds fascinating!"

"Oh!" Twilight grinned. "Well, it's really a team effort. You see, Trixie discovered a method for splitting and refracting magic energy, and Moondancer gave us some ideas about creating a crystal lattice, and Sunset --"

"By the way, my dear," Pommelway suddenly interrupted, "I just wanted to mention that is a simply stunning outfit you have on!"

"Uh... well, thanks! It's just something I picked out for the evening. Now, you see, the Field itself is a bit of a paradox, in that it uses a self-stabilizing spectrum of magic in order to suppress directed magic in a given area, so that --"

"And who does your mane, my dear! It's quite stylish!"

Twilight blinked. "Uh... I did it myself, actually. I'm not all that fussy about how I look. Anyway, are you familiar at all with Star Swirl's theory of transmission differentials in magic spectra?"

"Mmm..." Pommelway shook her head. "Can't say that I am. Oh, well, I was never really much good at magic, when I was at school -- ha ha! Earth pony, you know! Nowhere near your standards, my dear. But do go on, please!"

Twilight paused, her mouth open, momentarily stymied for where to take the conversation next. And Pommelway, instinctively seeing an opening, leapt right in.

"By the way, Twilight -- what is your opinion on the tax rate nowadays?"

"Err..."

"You know, Fancy Pants was saying, just the other day..." And Pommelway drove straight on, at length and in some detail, reporting opinions on the subject from seemingly every single pony she knew.

Twilight just stared at her, utterly at a loss. She'd rarely experienced having the conversation so smoothly yanked out from under her. It was like going for a walk and discovering the ground wasn't there.

Around the room, the others were running into similar issues.

"... so it turns out," Starlight concluded, "that recursive construction actually does make the spell roll-up more concise. So long as you're okay with working with infinite sequences, of course!"

"Of course..." Jet Set echoed hollowly. "I guess that makes sense..."

Trixie sighed, in a long-suffering fashion, and put a hoof around Starlight's shoulders. "My Great and Powerful assistant," she said proudly, "handles the technical aspects of magic with aplomb, as you can tell. But for the broad strokes, suitable for the laypony, you really need an expert in showponyship... such as moi! Observe!"

Trixie waved a forehoof grandly, then made several mystic passes. Then she suddenly clapped her hooves together... and there was a large crimson focus gemstone resting on her left hoof.

"Voila!" she called proudly, with a wave of the other hoof.

"Oh my word, darling!" Upper Crust laughed, nudging Jet Set. "Isn't that just precious! So charming, really! Just like in vaudeville, don't you think?"

"Absolutely!" Jet Set agreed readily. "It's become quite the rage again, hasn't it? Best evening's diversion money can buy. Though in my opinion, one can't top the Karamazhoof Brothers. Those ponies can juggle anything. A trifle common perhaps, but nonetheless quite entertaining, really..."

Trixie's face had gone slack and wide-eyed in disbelief. Then her eyes narrowed, her expression turned dark and explosively angry. She opened her mouth, ready to shout...

And Starlight quickly slapped a hoof over it. "Would you excuse us, please?" she said. "We'll just be a moment."

She swiftly bundled Trixie off to the relative privacy of the refreshments table before the showpony could explode. "Simmer down, Trixie..." Starlight warned. "They didn't mean it as an insult."

"Vaudeville, Starlight?" Trixie snarled. "Vaudeville? The Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie," she said loftily, "has never had to stoop to vaudeville. Trixie is a one-pony show, and she likes it that way!"

"I know, Trixie! I know!"

"Grrr! Why haven't you taught me transfiguration yet?" Trixie snapped, glaring narrowly at the still laughing nobles. "Just one frog spell, Starlight, just one! And you can't say they don't deserve it!"

"That's why we haven't started you on transfiguration yet," Starlight gently chided her. "It's far too easy to get carried away and let things get out of hoof." She sighed. "And then suddenly, everything you look at turns into a chocolate bar."

Trixie looked at her, startled. "Really?"

"Oh yeah! If there was anything I loved more than playing Dragon Pit, it was chocolate! Buuuut... we've learned to control those impulses. Mostly." She grinned sheepishly, and Trixie stared at her.

And then the two of them were suddenly giggling uncontrollably together.

On the other side of the room, Sunset and Moondancer were talking with Fancy Pants and Hoity Toity -- though "talking" was putting it advisedly. They actually hadn't been able to get a word in edgeways.

"And I feel certain," Fancy Pants was saying, "that Miss Twilight must keep all of you gels to a pretty strict schedule, what? I mean, given the progress your group has made thus far!"

"Oh, there's no doubt about that," Hoity Toity smoothly agreed. "I understand their little demo made quite the splash amongst ponies in-the-know... you know?"

The two of them chuckled agreeably together.

"Well, actually," Moondancer said, "Twilight doesn't have to --"

"Now here's something I've been wondering," Hoity Toity interrupted. It wasn't clear whether he'd even noticed Moondancer speaking. "That gown Twilight's wearing... is it the cutting edge of some new fashion trend we're going to be seeing a lot of pretty soon? I mean, she is quite the forward-thinking pony, eh?"

"Uhh..." Sunset recalled how little attention Twilight had paid during the fitting. "I think she's wearing it... because she's okay with it?"

"Oh, rather!" Fancy Pants nodded. "Clearly a decisive young lady, that one! She knows what's best for us, that's clear!"

"Couldn't agree more," Hoity Toity replied.

And the two of them went on like that, indirectly answering each other's questions, leaving no room for anyone else to speak. It was like listening to a play-by-play commentary on a hoofball match... from the sidelines. Sunset and Moondancer glanced at each other uneasily.

"Do you think," Sunset whispered, "if we just walked away, they'd even notice?"

And so it went on, for well over an hour. A seemingly endless swirl of nobles, fashion ponies, famous actors, and other well-to-do names and faces arrived, were seen, chatted for a while, then swept off in lofty spirits.

The effect on Twilight was the exact opposite. Her initial eager, proud confidence faded to a wooden mask of polite attentiveness. Which was not lost on Tempest. After listening in increasing frustration to a particularly long-winded poet speaking loftily about setting the group's efforts in blank verse -- "at least twenty stanzas, I can see it my mind's eye!" -- Tempest suddenly coughed loudly, and then ostentatiously stepped in the way.

"Riveting as this is," she said dryly, "would you excuse us, please? I think we're being paged over there."

She quickly escorted Twilight across the room, to where the other four ponies had already gathered themselves in a kind of defensive huddle. "Trixie," Tempest suggested languidly, "isn't there a practice session we need to be at right now?"

The showpony quickly took the hint. "Indeed!" She spread her forehooves, calling out to the crowd of guests around them. "Ladies and gentleponies! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for such a grand welcome into such lofty company. Unfortunately, the pressure of work calls, and we must bid you a fond and reluctant adieu!"

She lofted a hoof. "Behold! The magician's exit!"

She swept the hoof down. There was an explosion and a cloud of choking, obscuring smoke. When it cleared, the group had disappeared utterly... though there was a path of reeling nobles and other guests, cutting through the crowd, heading for the doors that led to the patio and the royal gardens beyond.

Outside, the ponies quickly re-grouped in the shelter of a handy gazebo. And Twilight finally was able to let out the tense breath she'd been holding in.

"Thanks, Tempest, for getting us out of that."

"No problem," Tempest replied. "But I thought you liked being the center of attention, Twilight?"

"Yeah, when the topic is magic!" Twilight rolled her eyes. "I don't get half the conversations in there! I kept trying to discuss our project, and they kept complimenting me on my dress and asking what I thought of politics and the tax code! I mean, what does that have to do with saving Equestria from Nightmare Moon?"

Tempest snorted. "They're sucking up to you."

"What?" Twilight goggled.

"Oh, yeah," Tempest laughed humorlessly. "I've seen it before. You're the new big shot in town. The pony in charge of our little group, the Princess's declared champions? Which... as good as makes you royalty yourself, by association. The nobles are just making sure to get in on the ground floor with you. Making sure you know who your 'friends' are here."

Twilight made a face. "That is so cynical."

"It's practical," Tempest replied flatly. "And cynical," she allowed.

Twilight shook her head. "I don't believe this. All my life I've dreamed of going to a grand ball like this... being surrounded by society ponies, talking to them about everything I've read, everything I know... about magic!" She sighed. "But Shiny was right, these ponies don't know the first thing about magic!"

"Hey, big surprise!" Sunset nodded. "It was bad enough back when I was being introduced as Celestia's new protégé. I think it's actually gotten worse! And don't get me wrong, I love being popular... for something I'm actually good at." She rolled her eyes. "But there's only so much of this oh-my-dear-you-must-come-and-be-seen-at-my-garden-party that I can take, before I just completely lose it!"

"And you were right about them liking to talk," Starlight said. "My ears feel numb! How can ponies go on at such length about absolutely nothing at all? I feel like I need to go work on a tough spell or two, just to get my brain working again."

"Hmph!" Trixie pouted. "And they didn't respect the Great and Powerful Trixie at all! I try to lighten the moment with a little sleight-of-hoof? And they laugh and say it's oh-so-charming... so vaudeville, my dear..." She growled under her breath. "I still say you should have let me turn them into frogs, Starlight!"

"What about you, Moondancer?" Sunset asked. "What did you think?"

Moondancer shrugged.

"The best thing I can say is that they weren't making comments about my mark. And I'm not sure if that's a good thing... or just really, really sad!"

The six ponies all stared at each other. It was pretty clear what the consensus was.

"Hey, there you all are!" Spike said, looking in through the gazebo doorway, with Grubber right behind him.

Twilight winced. "Oh, Spike! Are they mad at us? For ditching the party so early?"

"You kiddin' me?" Grubber waved a paw. "Heh! They just laughed and said it was a brilliant exit. Charmingly eccentric I think is how they put it."

"And then they just kept right on going!" Spike added. "They're having a grand time in there, all by themselves."

"Oh..." Twilight's face fell. "Really?"

Sunset sniffed. "Maybe we should leave them to it."

"Maybe we should," Moondancer agreed miserably.

"Works for me!" Starlight said.

"Here, here!" Trixie said, crossing her hooves.

Twilight reluctantly nodded. "Yeah... I guess you're right."

Grubber looked up at Tempest. "Does that mean Spike and I can get outta these monkey suits, boss?"

"Yeah." Tempest nodded. "And the same goes for the rest of us. Enough with the high society silliness. We're the Advanced Projects group... so let's get back to what we're really good at here..."

"... saving Equestria," Twilight agreed, nodding.

A Little Knowledge

Which... was easier said than done. Apart from regular practice sessions with the Field spell, and refinement of its various solutions and configurations, there didn't seem to be much left for the group to do.

Yet the feeling persisted: something was still missing, something they weren't seeing. It hung over the group like a shadow, intangible, sourceless, and nagging...

"Okay," Twilight said the next morning, tapping her checklist with a hoof, and looking around the main work table at her friends. "Here's what we've got for today. Sunset and I are going to work on the presentation for the Research Division. Or at least, we'll try to come up with an outline..."

"Don't worry, Twilight," Sunset said with a grin. "I had Spike stock up on extra index cards, just in case."

Twilight frowned at her. "And Moondancer," she went on, "you're still finishing your research on Nightmare Moon, right?"

"I'm nearly there, Twilight," Moondancer said. "There's a last few leads I need to chase down over at the Archives. That is," she grumbled, "if I can only find them..."

"Okay," Twilight nodded. "And let's see... oh, yeah, Shining Armor has asked us to assist him with a few drills of the Guard in the Celebration area today."

"It's mostly about getting them used to taking orders from me," Tempest said. "So I've got it covered. Though the Captain did ask that we send along somepony familiar with the Field and the gems we use, in case there are any questions."

Twilight smiled at that. "Shiny says the Guard ponies tend to focus on gear when they're uncomfortable asking what's really on their minds. Trixie," she added, "would you mind?"

The showpony blinked in surprise, then shrugged. "Sure, Twilight! Although..." she added, tapping her chin with a hoof, "I was kinda thinking about finally getting my wagon cleaned out and re-stowed for travel, so I can haul it over and park it behind the tower like we planned."

Tempest smirked. "I imagine we can talk some of the Guard ponies into lending a hoof afterward," she said. "After all, they can hardly refuse a request from their new Commander -- now can they?"

"Ha! All right, then!" Pulling a gemstone out of her hat, Trixie spun it airily on a hoof. "My time is your time."

"Good," Twilight said, going on with her list. "And Starlight?"

"Well..." she said, "it sounds like Trixie's going to be busy, and I didn't have anything specific planned for this morning." She looked at Moondancer. "You want some help with finding stuff at the Archives?"

"Uh, sure..." Moondancer replied, uneasily. "Though it's not going to be very exciting. Just going through a bunch of old scrolls and journals."

"Well, hey, I don't mind!" Starlight smiled. "How bad could it be?"

Starlight's face landed on the reading-room table with a loud thump.

Me and my big mouth, she thought. I forgot I was tagging along with the only pony who's a more dedicated researcher than Twilight...

She looked across the table at Moondancer. The beige pony hadn't even looked up. She was seated with her head resting on her forehooves, her eyes focused on the book in front of her. Her mane was done up in a tight knot atop her head, keeping it out of her way. And there was a determined, no-nonsense glare in her eye, completely unlike her usual, nervously friendly persona.

Starlight sighed, then sifted through the scrolls that the senior librarians had helpfully collected from the Pre-Banishment shelves downstairs. Moondancer was right: the specific scrolls, journals, and references they needed, the ones relating to Nightmare Moon, simply were not there -- with an almost scary precision.

Starlight had personally arranged all three hundred and twenty-nine scrolls attributed to Sharpquill the Voluminous in chronological order, a minor service to academia considering how disorganized they'd been. Never mind the fact that none of them had dates, and she'd had to organize them by comparing beginnings and endings -- in Old Ponish. And in the process, she'd found that the all-important three-hundred-fifth scroll, the one reputed to discuss his encounter with the Nightmare... was missing.

It was the same with the other references on Moondancer's list. Scrolls, pages, even specific paragraphs in documents a thousand years old -- all were missing, torn out, or simply lost long ago.

Moondancer, in response, had buried herself even more furiously in her researches, as if determined to track down just one reference, one scrap of information that hadn't gone missing. The beige filly read thoroughly, meticulously, in depth... and total silence. She'd said next to nothing in nearly an hour.

Starlight stared across at her, unwilling to give up. "So..." she hazarded, "Hoofbane the Stormbringer... he's kind of a bust, huh?"

"Uh huh," Moondancer muttered, distractedly.

"I mean, he wanted ponies to think he was Nightmare Moon's chosen one, heralding her glorious ascension to power..."

"Uh huh," Moondancer replied.

"But it turns out he was just a disgruntled bell-ringer. And the closest he'd ever been to the Moon was when he made his rounds late at night --"

"Arrrgh!" Moondancer slammed the book closed. "Not again!"

Jumping up from the table, she hurried off into the stacks. Starlight stared after her, wide-eyed and worried. Then she got up and cautiously followed.

She found Moondancer high on a ladder, furiously hoofing through bindings, her horn blazing furiously to provide light to see by.

Starlight stationed herself at the bottom of the ladder, ready to catch any books her friend might toss down. "And then there was General Duskhelm," she went on, "who claimed in his memoires to have personally marched into battle with the Mare... except that nowhere in his official journals is there even a single mention of..."

"Starlight!" Moondancer called down. "Do you mind? I'm trying to focus here!" The gleam of her magic encased the ladder, shoving it bodily a double-leg to the left. Then she went on plowing through the shelves.

Starlight grimaced, her shoulders hunched.

"Sorry. I guess I do tend to chatter a bit. I love a good conversation!" She grinned ruefully. "Trixie's the same way. It's one reason we get along so well. When we hang out together, we can just go on and on, for hours. Of course, Trixie mostly likes to talk about herself, but then, who doesn't, really? And also..."

"Starlight!" Moondancer snapped. "Look, I'm not Trixie, okay? I need to concentrate here! So let's keep it down, huh?"

"But --"

"Shhhh!"

Starlight fell silent. Then she hung her head sadly. Some help I am, she thought. Maybe I should just stick to practical spellwork, and leave the in-depth study to ponies who are actually good at it...

Gradually she became aware there was silence at the top of the ladder as well.

Looking up, she saw Moondancer had a hoof pressed to her head, an ashamed grimace on her face. "I'm sorry, Starlight," Moondancer said. "I'm not mad at you, I'm just... a little fed up right now. It's not you. Really."

"Okay..." Starlight hunched cautiously. "You, uh... wanna talk about it?"

Moondancer stared down at her. Then she smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I suppose."

She slid down the ladder, landing with a thump next to Starlight. "I keep running into blind alleys here!" She sighed, gesturing at the shelves of books and scrolls all around them. "I'm right up to the Banishment itself, and it seems like every reference I search for is a dead end. And we're short on time: the solstice is right around the corner... the Sun Celebration itself! And I'm just not sure I can do this in time!"

"You'll get us there. No worries," Starlight assured her. "It's only a few loose ends, right?"

But Moondancer shook her head. "More than just a few. I was hoping I could wrap things up soon. But I still have too many guesses, and not enough facts! And I just can't find what I need to pin things down, put it all together! Urghhh! Starlight, I have one job to do in this little group of ours. One job! Research Nightmare Moon! And I can't even do that properly..."

Putting her head in her hooves, she sighed desperately. "I'm not an historian... I'm just a stupid, useless filly with a yen for dusty old books! Why am I so freaking useless!"

"Hey! Take it easy!" Starlight said, putting a hoof around her. "Nopony expects perfection. And so what if you haven't dotted all the i's? Give us what you've got, we'll work with it. Every little bit helps..."

"Not this time," Moondancer said. "I have to get this right, Starlight! You heard Twilight. If we can't talk Nightmare Moon into returning peacefully, then... well... I'm not sure what we'll do!"

"Ah..." Starlight nodded. "I get it. It's important to you. Because she's important to you."

Moondancer looked ashamed. "Yeah." She snorted, humorlessly. "My fillyhood pen-pal: Nightmare Moon!" She shook her head. "It's so stupid. I'm not a little filly anymore. And she's not the pony I hoped she'd be! I just need to get over it, Starlight. Just put it behind me, forget about it, and get on with the job!"

"Are you kidding me? Absolutely not!" Starlight objected. "Look, Moondancer, it's because of how you felt about Nightmare Moon that you're here right now, helping us out. It's also the reason you're the best pony for the job. Better than anypony else!" She pointed at Moondancer's cutie-mark, the Moon and Stars. "It matters to you... because Nightmare Moon is important to you!"

Moondancer winced at that. She fell silent, her shoulders hunched, her eyes shut tight.

Starlight stared her, concerned. And then pulled her into a comforting hug.

"Hey," she said quietly, "what's this really about, huh? What's really bothering you?"

Moondancer looked up at her, grimly. "It's my mark, Starlight," she whispered. "The Moon and the Stars? Ponies still suspect me because of it. Even after Princess Celestia's announcement! They treat the rest of you like heroes, but me? They tolerate me, Starlight, simply because I'm with the rest of you. I see them staring at my mark, looking at me suspiciously, like they think I'm... well, you know..."

"... in league with Nightmare Moon?" Starlight offered bluntly.

"Shhh!" Moondancer hissed. "Somepony might hear you! And things are bad enough as it is."

Starlight glanced around. The librarians had been quietly shooing other patrons away all morning, so they could work undisturbed. They were entirely alone.

"Well, so what?" Starlight said. "What if it was true?"

Moondancer stared at her. "Starlight..."

"I'm serious! What if your mark actually did mean you were a servant of Nightmare Moon? Then, hey, you could just say it out loud, declare it to the world: I am Nightmare Moon's chosen pony, and I don't care who knows it!"

Before Moondancer could react, Starlight waved a hoof. "Go on, go on! You try saying it."

"Starlight..."

"Humor me, Moondancer. No one can hear. Just go ahead and say it."

"Uhh..." Moondancer gritted her teeth, and glanced around. "I'm Nightmare Moon's chosen pony, and I don't care who knows it?"

"Great! So am I!" Starlight cheerfully punched her shoulder. "Where are we gonna have lunch today?"

Moondancer frowned at her. "That's not very funny, Starlight."

"I'm not trying to be funny," Starlight retorted. "I'm making a point here. I'm your friend, Moondancer. And that wouldn't change even if you did have some kind of deep dark secret. But more than that, if your mark says that you're a servant of Nightmare Moon... well, who's to say mine doesn't, too?" She pointed at her own cutie-mark, a purple-and-white star with cyan swirls.

"But..." Moondancer objected, "You said it had something to do with your ability with magic."

"That's just what I tell everypony," Starlight said, "because they all expect me to have some kind of simple answer like that. But you want the real truth?" She shook her head. "I have no idea what it means. I'm not even sure what made it appear! I was talking to Trixie one day, and I happened to look round... and there it was! I didn't even feel it appear! And I still don't know what it means."

"Seriously?"

"Absolutely. Haven't a clue. And you know what, Moondancer? I don't mind not knowing, not in the least. Because I don't need it to mean anything. It might not even mean anything at all." She grinned. "I might be the only pony in all of Equestria whose cutie-mark doesn't mean a darn thing! And that's okay with me. Because when I came here, to the School, and started hanging out with Twilight, and Tempest, and Trixie, and the rest of you... I realized that I don't need a cutie-mark to tell me who I am. I'm who I am! I define what my mark means, and not the other way around."

She pointed at Moondancer's mark, the Moon and Stars.

"And you can do the same! All you have to do is be the kind of pony you want others to associate with your mark. Yeah, sure, it won't happen overnight. It may take a while. But eventually, they'll see you for who you are. You just have to be patient, and not let yourself get wound up about cutie-marks." She grimaced uncomfortably. "I know I sure did, before Twilight set me straight!"

"I suppose that makes sense," Moondancer said, cautiously. "There's no loss in trying, I guess."

"No loss at all." Then Starlight gave Moondancer's shoulder a friendly nudge. "And just remember, you've got five other ponies here who already see you for who you are, and like you for it. So if your research isn't quite there yet, don't stress about it. Share what you've got, and we'll figure it out together. We'll figure out how to deal with Nightmare Moon, all of us. Because it's important, Moondancer." She pointed to Moondancer's mark again. "It's important to you, so that makes it important to the rest of us -- okay?"

"Okay." Moondancer nodded. "And thanks, Starlight." Then she grinned. "You know, you're really good at giving ponies advice. You ever consider doing it for a living?"

"What, you mean like some kind of guidance counselor?" Starlight snorted. "Yeah, right! Me telling ponies how to live their lives? Ha! Like that would ever work out."

The two of them laughed at that. And then Moondancer looked up at the ladder.

"Well... as warm and fuzzy and reassuring as all this is, it's not getting the job done. We'd better get back to it. You still want to stick around, help me go through whatever sources I manage to find?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Starlight said. "As long as you don't mind me chattering away down here, now and again."

"I don't, actually," Moondancer said, climbing up the ladder again. "It's kind of reassuring... reminds me I'm not alone..."

"Hey, Starlight!"

Starlight turned, and found Trixie trotting up to her. "Hey, Trixie! Did you get your wagon taken care of?"

"Yep! Parked it right next to the fountain, behind the tower, where it's out of sight. Oh, and you should have seen me, Starlight! I had a Royal Guard escort all the way back! I was so proud!" She giggled. "The Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie wishes she had a Guard escort to all her performances!"

"Oh yeah," Starlight rolled her eyes. "Like your ego needs any more encouragement."

Trixie sniffed, and then beamed smugly. "And I even managed to unload a bunch of old junk I had stashed away, to lighten the load a bit. Like this old book --" Trixie reached into her hat and pulled out a small book, with a cracked faux-leather cover, and tarnished brass clasps holding it shut. "It's some old mage's journal I found in one of my storage trunks. I don't really need it, so I figured I'd donate it to the Archives just to get it off my hooves."

"Hey, can I take a look at that, Trixie?" Moondancer asked, looking down from her perch atop the ladder.

"Oh sure, Moony!" With her magic, Trixie passed the book up to her. And then she grinned at Starlight. "So... what have you been up to all morning, bestie?"

Starlight grinned back. "Oh, you know, the usual... organizing scrolls... giving lifestyle advice... nothing out of the ordinary, and --"

"Oh my gosh! I was right! This changes everything!"

Trixie and Starlight looked up. Moondancer had the journal open, and was staring at it in wide-eyed astonishment. Then she held it out and dropped it. "Starlight! Catch!"

Starlight quickly snagged the book in her magic, as Moondancer came sliding down the ladder at top speed. Landing heavily on the floor, Moondancer pointed a hoof at the journal. "Don't let that out of your sight! I think it's just the link I've been looking for. But I need to grab my notes to confirm it. I'll be right back!"

Starlight and Trixie looked at each other in surprise. Then Trixie worriedly took back the journal, flipping through its pages.

"What is it, Trixie?" Starlight asked, looking over her shoulder. "What'd she find?"

"I don't know!" Trixie gave her a frightened look. "I honestly don't know! Starlight, what did I just do?"

"You made Moondancer's day." Starlight bumped her shoulder with a hoof. "Nice going, Trixie!"

"Yeah. I guess, but... what's she going on about? It's not supposed to -- I mean, it's just an old journal with some hoof-written notes in it. Uhh... right?"

Starlight waved a hoof, grinning. "Oh, you know Moondancer! With all the scrolls and books and things she's been plowing through, she's got half a dozen theories running around in her head. She probably just saw something that clicked with one of them."

"Oh." Trixie stared at the journal, fixedly -- as if afraid it might explode.

"Oh, come on, Trixie! Don't worry!" Starlight shrugged. "Whatever it is, we'll know soon enough, right?"

Trixie winced. And then she passed the journal back to Starlight. "Uh huh. That we will. Um... would you excuse me, Starlight? I just... remembered I left the stove on in my wagon. I'll see you back at the tower."

Turning, she set off at a run, leaving Starlight sitting holding the journal, utterly mystified.

Well, Starlight thought, at least we found something. Now, if only somepony would kindly tell me what it is that we've found...

When they returned to the tower room, Moondancer finally felt confident enough of her research to call the group together around the main worktable, and give them a summary of the results.

Which prompted some startled reactions.

"She's Celestia's what?" Twilight yelled, wide-eyed.

Moondancer blinked in startled surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. I've been so focused on this, I keep forgetting it's news to all of you. Look, here's the most authoritative text I could find for the Legend of Nightmare Moon... or as it was originally called back then, the Legend of the Two Sisters." She pushed across a heavy volume, pointing a hoof at the floridly illuminated text.

"Once upon a time," Twilight read aloud, "in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters, who ruled together and created harmony for all the land..." Twilight went on, reading the rest of the text to the group, her voice becoming steadily smaller and weaker. "... and Harmony has been maintained in Equestria," she finished, "for generations since..."

Her voice failed utterly, dropping off into a stunned silence.

"Her sister?" Trixie whispered, shocked. "Celestia had to banish her own sister?"

Moondancer nodded. "That's how I felt, when I first read it. I didn't want to believe it! I thought it must be an apocryphal version or something. But based on everything I've read, it's the most solid interpretation, and --"

"Why didn't the Princess tell us this?" Twilight suddenly exploded. "This is important!"

There was a long, tense silence. And then Sunset spoke up.

"Because Celestia doesn't always tell you things."

She had her eyes closed, a hoof pressed to her forehead. Then she looked up at the others. "And it's usually for good reason: to keep you from getting crazy ideas, running off on your own before you're ready. Like I did..."

"But she didn't even tell Twi and me!" Spike objected. "And we've known her the longest!"

"I thought she trusted us," Twilight whispered sadly. "I thought she knew how much we care about her... how much I care about her..."

Twilight suddenly felt a hoof on her shoulder. It was Tempest. "That's probably why she didn't tell us," the maroon pony advised. "She knows how much you care. To tell us... she'd have had to tell you."

Twilight thought about it. Then nodded sadly.

"She didn't want us to know," she said miserably. "She must not want anypony to know..."

"Oh, that's just great!" Starlight said. "And now that means we can't tell her, either! We can't let Celestia know that we know!"

"And we still have to deal with... her sister..." Twilight was still having difficulty accepting it. "... Nightmare Moon..."

"Luna, actually," Moondancer said.

"Pardon?"

Moondancer tapped another of the heavy volumes sitting on the table. "That was the Mare's original name, before she was known as Nightmare Moon. In pre-millennial times, when she ruled alongside Celestia, she was known as Luna."

"Wait... Princess Luna?" Starlight asked, glancing at Trixie.

The showpony somehow managed to keep a straight face, though her gaze darted quickly around the table.

"That's right," Moondancer said. "And you know, it took a lot of digging to figure that out? There were almost no references remaining that connected the two. Trixie happened across a pre-Banishment scholar's private diary, which must have escaped whatever purge got rid of all the other references. It had a note in the margin referencing the Legend of the Two Sisters, which supported that being the original version. And that, in turn, supports a number of other sources who indirectly connect Nightmare Moon with Luna. And given that, everything else... just sorta fell into place..."

"Princess Luna..." Trixie whispered, in a small, forlorn voice.

"Hang on a minute!" Sunset said. "In the mirror universe, at Canterlot High, alongside Principal Celestia... there's a Vice Principal Luna! And I'll bet she's even Celestia's sister, too... the parallel's just too close!"

"Well, what was she like?" Starlight asked. "I was on this side of the mirror the whole time, remember? I never had a chance to meet her."

"She was, well... nice!" Sunset allowed. "A little cold and strict, a little insistent on no loose ends. But ultimately, she cared about us students and our safety as much as Celestia did. Maybe even more so!"

"Wow... she does sound nice," Moondancer said.

Sunset nodded. "Yeah, she was!"

"Yeah..." Trixie echoed, miserably. "She is..."

"Trixie?" Starlight asked, looking at her.

"But..." Sunset went on, "that doesn't really tell us much about our Luna. I mean, if we hadn't resolved the distortion in the mirror universe with our magic, and if Celestia hadn't shown up to help put Canterlot High back in order, who knows what Vice Principal Luna might have done next? And maybe that means that our Princess Luna would behave the same way..."

"Maybe," Twilight agreed. "Do we have any other information on Princess Luna?" she asked Moondancer. "Anything from the history you've put together?"

"Not much, so close to the Banishment," Moondancer admitted. "And obviously nothing afterward." She winced. "I mean, I know she was a kind and caring Princess beforehand, but..."

"But," said Tempest, flatly and coldly, "that's not really enough to go on. And if she was willing to turn on her own sister... on family..." She glanced at Twilight, and her face set in a dark scowl. "Then we shouldn't just assume she'll listen to reason. She may need a little gentle persusion first..."

"Yeah, you may be right," Sunset agreed. "Hey, I'm all for giving ponies a chance. But this is about keeping Equestria safe! And we're the front line here. We have to be ready for anything. Like it or not, we have to be ready to hit Nightmare Moon hard, the instant she shows up again. We need to be sure she knows we mean business!"

Moondancer and Starlight glanced at each other, looking uncomfortable, but reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"Trixie?" Starlight asked. "What do you think?"

Trixie jolted. "Me?" she squeaked. "I... um... I don't know... I..." She covered her face with her hooves.

And then she looked up, tears in her eyes. "Would... you all excuse me?" she said. "I need to... go look something up..."

Turning, Trixie scurried away, her cloak flying behind her. She vanished amongst the book stacks on the library side of the room.

"Uhm, keep going, everypony," Starlight said. "I'll just... go see if I can help." And turning, she hurried after the showpony, leaving the others staring after both of them in confusion.

Hunting amongst the shelves, Starlight finally found Trixie sitting in the farthest, darkest corner, hunched and miserable.

And apparently, talking to herself.

"You never told me," she said tensely. "You just never bothered to tell me. You just wanted me to do your dirty work..."

She paused and tilted her head, almost as if listening to something.

"I thought you trusted me... I thought I mattered to you..."

Another pause.

"And I wonder what else you haven't bothered to mention..."

"Trixie?" Starlight asked cautiously.

The showpony flinched, and hunched even further inside her hat and cloak.

Starlight trotted over and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Trixie?"

Trixie sighed. "No, Starlight," she said flatly. "I am not okay! I'm about as far from okay as a pony can get!"

"Is it about... Princess Luna?" Starlight asked.

Trixie eyed her uncertainly. "What makes you say that?"

"You, um... talk in your sleep, remember? You might have mentioned her, once."

"Oh." Trixie fell silent. Then she grimaced miserably, her eyes glistening with tears. "Starlight..."

"Trixie!" Starlight said soothingly. "What is it? Look, if you know something about Princess Luna, anything at all, it might help us."

Trixie shook her head. "I don't think so, Starlight... I don't think this would help at all... It's... kinda bad..."

"How bad?"

Trixie looked at her mournfully. "Bad enough you might not want to be my friend anymore?"

Starlight put her hoof around her, hugging her.

"Trixie, don't say that. Don't ever say that. You know me. If it was really that bad, it'd just make me want to be your friend even more... because I'd want to help!"

"Really, Starlight?"

"Hey, what are best friends for?" Starlight beamed. "So, come on, Trixie, what is it? Can't you even tell me?"

"No."

Starlight blinked. "Huh?"

"No, Starlight," Trixie said, seriously. "I can't just tell you. I tell you, I have to tell all of them. It's the only way."

She hunched, small and frightened.

"Because... I'm not sure I can bring myself to say it more than once..."

The others looked up as Starlight and Trixie returned.

Trixie crossed to the table with a solemn, tense caution, as if she were one of her own focus gems and was afraid she might shatter if she put a hoof wrong. She sat down, and Starlight sat next to her, nodding supportively.

And then Trixie gave the other ponies a lofty, superior look. "Ahem. Trixie would like to say something to all of you, something important. But she would like you to promise to hear her out, to let her finish, before you say anything. Agreed?"

The other ponies nodded in surprise.

Trixie took off her hat and held it up. "First, a quick illusion."

"Trixie," Starlight whispered, "I don't think we have time for --"

"Shush!" Trixie demanded crossly. "This is a good trick! It's called the truth!"

Waving a hoof over the hat, she lit her horn. There was a flash of teleportation, and her hat sagged. Reaching in, she hoofed out a large blue-jacketed volume with a crescent moon on the cover. She levitated it across the table, landing it in front of Moondancer.

"My journal!" Moondancer cried, pulling it close and paging through it. "I thought it was lost!"

"No, Trixie had it. Because she was the one who took it in the first place. Because..." She sighed. "Look, there's just no way to sugar-coat this: Trixie has been working with Nightmare Moon. From the very beginning, before Trixie even came to Celestia's School in the first place!"

The others stared at her, shocked. Except for Tempest, who placed her forehooves gently on the table. She glared levelly at the showpony, as if readying herself to spring across at her.

But Trixie hurriedly went on, and the others all held their peace as promised. "It started when Trixie was little. Trixie was feeling sad, and hurt, and lonely. She didn't have anypony she could trust. And then Nightmare Moon appeared in Trixie's dreams. She offered to help Trixie become Great and Powerful." Trixie frowned disgustedly. "And of course, Trixie said yes -- I mean, why wouldn't she?"

She sighed. "And you know, for a while, it was really fun? It was great knowing things nopony else knew. It was wonderful having a powerful ally like the Mare. With her help, Trixie built up her skills with stage magic, made her way to Canterlot, and got into Celestia's School. She even managed to get into this group! Trixie was so successful!"

She shook her head.

"But... Trixie has come to realize the Mare is not the friend Trixie thought she was." She scowled. "She says she cares about Trixie, but all she really cares about is power, and revenge. She doesn't trust Trixie. She manipulates Trixie, for her own ends. She's not Trixie's friend, not the way all of you are."

She paused. And then she suddenly slammed a hoof on the table, making everyone jump.

"And Trixie no longer wants to help her! Nightmare Moon has to be stopped! And I want to help stop her! That is... well... if you even feel you can trust me any longer..."

She shook her head.

"But Trixie doesn't deserve to be trusted, does she? Trixie lies. Trixie has to! It's part of a showpony's job. And you want to know the worst part, the very worst part of it all? The Mare can tell Trixie to do things, and then make Trixie forget she was told them! So right now, coming clean and telling you all this... I'm not even sure I'm not playing right into her hooves again -- doing exactly what she wants me to do!" She sighed. "I'm not even sure I should trust myself any longer..."

Trixie looked down, ashamed. "That's it... that's the whole truth. Trixie is a liar. And Trixie is sorry! Trixie is not Great and Powerful..."

She shut her eyes miserably.

"... and she probably won't ever be."

There was silence around the table, as the other ponies considered it, none of them sure what to say next, how to react.

Then Moondancer got up, came over, and sat down next to Trixie. She gently put a hoof around her shoulders.

"You've talked with Nightmare Moon, Trixie?"

Trixie looked up, meekly. "Uh huh."

"What's she like?"

Trixie blinked, surprised. "Oh. Scary... really scary. Scary beyond reason, just like the legends say. But... not evil, so much, just... look, she just wants to be honored again. She wants ponies to appreciate and celebrate her Night again. She wants to rule again, to be great and powerful again!" Trixie gave a humorless laugh. "That's probably why she chose Trixie to help her... it's what we both want."

"And... you're able to talk with her," Moondancer went on, "even though she's still trapped up there in the Moon?"

"Uh huh." Trixie nodded. "She talks to me at night, in my dreams. And then, during the daytime, when Nightmare Moon is asleep, whenever I'm daydreaming or my thoughts are wandering, I talk with... with Princess Luna... and she... she..."

Suddenly Trixie was crying, almost uncontrollably.

"We have to help her!" she sobbed. "We have to help Princess Luna! Because she's just like the legends say too! She's the kindest, most caring pony there is! Maybe even more so than Princess Celestia!"

Trixie stared at Moondancer, tears running down her face. "She's the one you've been writing to in your journal! Not Nightmare Moon! Well... not exactly, because they're one and the same... but, look, if we could just rescue Luna! Bring her back, persuade her to give up being Nightmare Moon... you could finally talk to her, Moondancer, for real! And I know she'd care about you. She'd be your friend, and your teacher, and your mentor. Just like..."

Trixie's voice became very small, very quiet.

"... just like she's always been for Trixie..."

She lowered her head, hooves pressed to her face, and went on crying. Moondancer sat with her, holding her tightly and comfortingly. And Starlight moved to join them, putting a hoof around Trixie's shoulders as well.

Then Moondancer and Starlight both looked up across the table at Twilight. And Twilight nodded, understandingly. She looked around at the others.

"All right, everypony," she said, "let's do this! Let's rescue Princess Luna! We'll bring her back, and help her give up being Nightmare Moon."

Trixie looked up, staring in disbelief. "But... Twilight --"

"Look, Trixie," Twilight said, "right now we have a source of information about Princess Luna we didn't know we had five minutes ago! So let's use that! Let's find a way to bring her back safely. The rest of it... well..." She waved a hoof uncertainly. "We'll sort it out later! Right, everypony?"

The others nodded willingly. They all smiled at Trixie.

Even Tempest. "I said you reminded me of someone I knew. He was a mole as well... or rather, a hedgehog." She gave Grubber a sideways glance. "But he turned out all right."

"Thanks, boss!" Grubber said sheepishly.

"But what if..." Trixie persisted, "what if I am just doing what Nightmare Moon wants me to do? How can all of you be sure you can trust me?"

"Oh, we'll keep an eye on you, Grubber and I," Tempest said levelly. "Just the way we've been doing, all along." She gave Trixie a frosty smile.

Trixie glanced at Grubber. He grinned, and gave her a thumbs-up.

"All right, then!" Twilight said. "Let's keep going with Moondancer's summary. And Trixie, you jump in if there's anything that doesn't sound right, based on what you know first-hoof. We'll do this, everypony. We'll find a way to rescue Princess Luna. We'll figure this out! We have to!"

She pounded the table with a hoof.

"Because now both Celestia and Luna are depending on us!"

What You Need

After that, the mood in the tower room was, in a word... subdued.

Trixie sat at her worktable, checking over the focus gems. She polished and trimmed them, holding them up on a hoof to examine them with just a hint of her old lofty pride... which would vanish in an instant, as she glanced uneasily around at everypony else.

Starlight was at the main worktable, going over a complex spell scroll. Not the Field spell, but a different one that Starlight had been working on as a sideline... one that required a significant number of obscure texts and scrolls from the mustier corners of the Archives.

Tempest was over by the stairs leading down to the entry doors. She was calmly doing push-ups, in full armor, first with the left forehoof, then with the right.

Sunset roamed about the room, pensive and fidgety. She picked things up and then put them down again, clearly ill at ease but uncertain what to do about it.

And Twilight... she was seated at her usual spot at the main table, snout buried in a thick book. Ostensibly, she was brushing up on her knowledge of fundamental spellwork, as preparation for her presentation for the Research Division later. But judging by the solemn, distracted look on her face, it wasn't clear how much she was actually paying attention to the text in front of her.

Moondancer sat at her own side-table, quill poised over the summary scroll on Legends and Myths Concerning the Mare in the Moon, which she was thinking of submitting as her graduation thesis. Staring around the room at her friends, she set the quill down with an unhappy sigh.

Sunset, who happened to be passing by, smiled at her sympathetically. "What's the matter, writer's block?"

"No. I wish it was." Moondancer grimaced. "I thought that all this studying, all this research I was doing, everything I was learning about the Mare, would help us somehow. But look at them! I've only made things worse. Look at Twilight! Finding out about Luna and Celestia... and then about Trixie? It's just more problems that she really didn't need right now."

"Hey, don't worry." Sunset said, "If I know Twilight, she'll bounce right back once she's had time to think about it. And finding out the truth about Nightmare Moon... and about Trixie? Well... we needed to hear that. We can make plans now. Without you, Moondancer, we might not have found out in time." She put a comforting hoof around Moondancer's shoulders. "Don't ever beat yourself up for doing what others need you to do. You never know what might happen as a result, right?"

Moondancer smiled uneasily. "I suppose. I just wish I could do something to set things right, to help us feel like a team again." She tossed her hooves in the air. "Even getting everypony smiling again would be a start!"

Sunset nodded. "I hear you. Something will turn up. Look, why don't you go take a break for a bit? You've been working really hard on this. Take some me-time and recharge. The best way to help other ponies smile, they say, is to start with yourself, so they have a good example."

"That makes sense. Thanks, Sunset."

"Hey, no problem! We're in this together, right?"

A short time later, Moondancer trotted out through the front door of the tower room, then down the spiral stairs. Reaching the bottom, she found the two Royal Guard ponies standing watch. They came smartly to attention as she passed them.

"Afternoon, Miss!" said a third guard who was standing facing the stairs. She was a sturdy-looking mare with a dark pink mane under her plumed helmet.

"Oh, hi!" Moondancer replied. "Look, I need to go for a walk in the park, just to clear my head a bit. Uhh... would you mind...?"

"Not in the slightest, Miss," the guard replied readily. "It's what I'm here for."

The guard fell in alongside Moondancer, accompanying her as she trotted across the quad, then out through the side gate into the lane beyond. After a few turns along the streets, they came to the East Court Gardens. It was a broad triangle of green lawn, bordered by shade trees and flower beds. In its center was a small ornamental pond, and a marble bandstand.

Moondancer glanced nervously at the guard. "I'll just... wander around a bit. You don't have to stick with me."

"I understand, Miss," the guard replied. "I'll be right here. Just give a wave if you need me."

Nodding thanks, Moondancer strolled out across the grass, then down towards the pond. Reaching it, she trotted around its edge, then sat down in the shade of a handy oak tree.

And fretted.

The change in venue was pleasant enough. But her problems still remained, and they weren't any more clear here than back in the room. How do we do it? she thought. How do we convince Princess Luna to return peacefully? And how do I get us all feeling like a team again?

She sat staring at the rippling surface of the water for several minutes, alternately trying to clear her mind, and then attack the problem, with no results.

And gradually she became aware that she wasn't alone. There was a voice coming from the other side of the tree, talking to someone.

"Maybe it's my timing. What do you think?"

A pause.

"No... that can't be it. Maybe it's the material? Maybe the jokes are getting stale?"

Another pause.

"I'm glad you think so, Boneless. Because I'm not sure myself, anymore."

Leaning a bit to look around the tree, Moondancer saw a young tan earth pony with brown curly hair, wearing a yellow shirt. Seated next to him was a rubber chicken. Its derby-topped head sagged limply, its plastic eyes stared in glazed stupor.

"Excuse me," Moondancer said. "Why are you talking to that chicken?"

The pony started, then looked round at her, wide-eyed.

"Because... he asked me to?"

Then he grinned, broadly and disarmingly.

Despite herself, Moondancer smirked, and then laughed. The helplessly embarrassed look on his face was just too priceless.

In response, the pony's face lit up with glee. "There's my smile!" He grabbed at his mane with his hooves. "Oh my gosh! I thought I'd forgotten how! You know, I've been walking around the city all morning, trying to make ponies smile? And you never saw such a cranky, sour-faced bunch! Thank you!"

Jumping up, he pumped Moondancer's hoof vigorously.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Uhh, you're welcome! My name's Moondancer. Who are you?"

"Cheese Sandwich! At your service!"

He bowed dramatically. Then he suddenly pointed at her. "Don't move!"

Winding up, he dashed away, disappearing from sight. In seconds, he was back, with a cake in his hooves.

"For you! 'Cause it looked like you needed one!"

Moondancer stared. The cake was frosted with beige icing, the exact same shade as her coat. There were violet moons and purple stars on it. And there was an inscription as well:

For Moondancer,
who lifted my spirits
with just a smile.

"It's an express haiku!" Cheese explained. "Four, six, and four syllables... for when you don't have time for the real deal!"

Moondancer stared at the cake, and the inscription, completely floored.

"How did you..."

The colt suddenly face-hoofed. "Oh, Cheese! What were you thinking! Candles!"

He departed again, leaving the cake hanging in midair. And was back again, to catch it before it fell to the ground. He quickly peppered it with half a dozen candles, all shapes and sizes, ranging from birthday candles to votive candles, to a big cylindrical candle decorated with moons and stars, which sank into the cake, tilting unsteadily to the left. Striking a match on a hind hoof, Cheese lit the candles.

Then he hesitantly offered the cake again.

"Go on! I know it isn't your birthday, but just for science, make a wish anyway!"

Moondancer hesitantly obliged, huffing out the candles in one go.

"Hooray!" Cheese tossed the cake into the air with abandon, and then sat down next to Moondancer. She looked up -- and was showered with confetti and streamers.

"Happy non-birthday!" Cheese said, offering her a noisemaker, and then blowing on one himself.

"Are you always like this?" she asked.

"Absolutely!" Cheese leapt to his hooves. From nowhere, music started playing, and he sang:

In a word... when all is blue...
I always know just what to do...
Just one thing, and I do it right...
To bring a smile, both day and night,
To ponies in need like youuuuu!

(Hit it, Boneless!)

Put one on, it always fits,
And no one will return it!
Right away, they'll cherish the day
That made them laugh, and want to say:
Yes! How did you doooo it!

For I am but a party pony,
Cheese Sandwich is my name!
And all I want is to make you smile!
So I can... do... the... same!

"Ta daaaaa!" With a triumphant flourish, Cheese landed on the grass next to Moondancer, beaming happily.

She smiled in return. "Thanks, Cheese! That helps. I guess I really did need cheering up."

"No problem! It's what I do! And, hey, it looks like you're not the only one!"

He pointed past her. Moondancer looked, and saw the guard walking up to them. "Is everything all right here, miss?" She eyed the party pony with stern suspicion.

Cheese's eyes went wide. "Oooh! A challenge!" He winked at Moondancer. Then he determinedly tugged back the sleeves of his yellow shirt, first the left, then the right. Suddenly springing into the air, he came down right next to the guard, and leaned companionably on her armor.

"Hi! You come here often?"

From nowhere, he produced a dark-pink flower, and offered it.

"Your name is Rose, right?"

"Uh... yeah. How did you --"

"Cheesy-sense, ma'am. It never fails!"

"Um. Right." The guard suddenly looked embarrassed. "Thanks for reminding me." She rolled her eyes. "Kind of silly, isn't it? A palace guard, with a rose as her cutie-mark?"

"Not at all!" Cheese slapped a graduate's hat on his head and adopted a knowledgeable air. "The rose is a well-known heraldic symbol, representing several famous noble houses in Equestria's past. Back me up on this one, Moondancer!" he said, pointing to her.

Surprised, Moondancer nodded. "That's right. It was used in the field or compartment of several great houses. In particular, the houses of Lancaster and York, who fought each other for supremacy in the War of the Roses in the pre-millenial era. It was also a symbol used in the Great Reformation, following the consolidation of faiths after the Banishing."

"And you know," Cheese added, "for a while the rose was a device worn by Princess Celestia herself?"

"Really?" the guard asked, wide-eyed.

"Would this face lie?" Cheese gleefully mugged at her, his eyes crossed.

The guard smirked, then abruptly laughed, although she tried to disguise it as a cough. "That's... nice to hear. I never knew that. Thanks!"

"There's my smile! Yes!" Cheese punched the air. Then he pointed at the guard, a stern look on his face. "Don't you dare take your eyes off me for a second, ma'am! I'm a crazed, dangerous lunatic on a mission to spread happiness wherever I go! Wheee!"

He merrily turned a cartwheel, landing next to Moondancer again. "So..." he went on, "what were you looking so gloomy about, Moondancer, before I so rudely interrupted?"

Moondancer hesitated for a moment. Even with Celestia's announcement, she wasn't quite sure how much she was at liberty to say. "Well... I have these friends. And... we're working on this big project together. And that's going all right, it's just..."

"Uh huh! Uh huh! Go on!" Cheese said. He was utterly riveted, giving her his entire, wide-eyed attention.

"Well... we're trying to figure out a way to deal with this other pony, who's coming back. After being away a really long time. And... we're not sure how to do it."

"Ha! I knew it!" Cheese yelled. "This was the place, all right!" He pointed at Moondancer. "You know what you need? A party!"

He threw his hooves wide. From nowhere, confetti fluttered down.

Moondancer eyed him, amused. "That's your answer for everything, isn't it?"

"Yeah!" Cheese nodded. "Because it's usually the right one! Seriously! When ponies are all frowny and serious, you can't talk them into or out of anything. But when they're laughing and smiling, and having a grand time, they don't know which way is up! You can talk them around to just about anything. Especially if it's something they wanted themselves to begin with."

"Okay, but... I don't know the first thing about parties..."

"You don't need to! That's what I'm here for! I'm a party pony! And not just any party pony, a super-duper party pony! If there's a super-duper party to be thrown, I'm the pony for the job! Now, let's get serious --" He smacked his hooves together, a stern expression on his face. "We need to do this right! I'm thinking big party, big Welcome Home bash, right? Let your friend know that you've really missed her -- it is a her, isn't it? And you want to welcome her back home, to stay with you forever-and-ever! Am I right?"

"A welcome home party..." Moondancer said thoughtfully, considering it. "... for Nightmare Moon?"

She clapped a hoof to her mouth, and glanced worriedly at Cheese. "Forget I said that."

He nodded willingly. "Already forgotten!" Then he glanced around, and leaned closer.

"Quick... who's Nightmare Moon?"

And he winked conspiratorially.

Moondancer stared at him, amazed... and smiling. "How do you do that? Just... make me smile, every single time?"

For a moment, Cheese looked uncertain. "Well... I dunno, really. I just realized, one day, it comes natural to me. The smile is there, somewhere. You just have to find it. The funny just happens, and you gotta roll with it. It's what a party pony does! Apparently..."

"Wow," Moondancer said. "And a welcome home party... it's such a crazy idea... but it might be just what we need."

She looked at Cheese uncertainly.

"Would... you have some time?" she asked. "To come talk to my friends? And help us plan a party?"

"Well! Let's see, shall we?" he said, rapidly paging through a calendar that he'd pulled out of thin air. "No parties left to plan, no venues left to decorate. Nope, we're wide open!" He tossed it over his shoulder with a grin. "My time is your time! Hooray!"

Fortunately, when they got back to Twilight's tower room most of the group were still there.

"Twilight went to give her presentation," Sunset explained, "And Tempest went with her, obviously. Twilight asked that the rest of us not come, said it would make her even more nervous. And what with questions and answers and whatnot, she said she probably won't be back for a while. But who's your friend? And what's with the rubber chicken?"

Moondancer introduced Cheese Sandwich. And Cheese introduced Boneless. And then at Moondancer's suggestion they swore Cheese to secrecy, and told him of their plans for confronting Nightmare Moon, on the day of the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration.

And Cheese nearly hit the ceiling.

"This is perfect! I couldn't have planned it better myself! The Summer Sun Celebration! The biggest bash of the season! All we have to do is redecorate it and rededicate it, and you'll have a Welcome Home party like you wouldn't believe!"

"A welcome home party?" Starlight asked, surprised.

"For... Princess Luna?" Trixie said, uneasily -- but with a look of steadily increasing wonder, as well.

"Woah..." Sunset said. "That's certainly... different from anything we've come up with. But do you actually think it would work?"

"Oh, come on!" Cheese said. "Who doesn't love a party, when it's all for them, and exactly what they need?"

"Well..." Moondancer looked nervous. "It makes sense to me. But do you think Twilight would go for it?"

The group all looked at each other, equally uncertain.

Cheese looked around at them. And then beamed.

"Whaddaya say we find out, huh? Who's with me!"

Twilight groaned loudly, as she and Tempest walked back along the main corridor of the Library Annex building.

"Well, that was a wash," Twilight grumbled. "You know, I always imagined that giving a guest lecture for the Research Division would be, like, this marvelous exchange of ideas, of experience and wisdom. And now... I never want to look at an academic pony again! I mean, come on! These ponies are supposed to be brilliant! I kept having to explain things to them, over and over! It's like they were determined not to understand anything!"

Tempest shrugged. "You're on the cutting edge, Twilight," she said. "Which... generally means the rest of the blade is behind you."

"I suppose. But it's the way those ponies kept asking questions... like correcting me on terminology, or trying to fit stuff into their own personal pet theories... or asking if I'd read this or that pony's ancient manuscript on some completely unrelated thing..."

"Which... you had, of course," Tempest smoothly supplied.

"Yeah, but that's not the point! It was like they were determined to reject any idea that they didn't come up with themselves. They acted like we didn't belong there. No... like I didn't belong there..."

She came to a halt, a miserable look on her face.

"That's not how it's supposed to go, Tempest! I've been studying magic since I was a foal! And I've... I've never felt so unwelcome in my whole life!"

And then she suddenly turned and hugged Tempest, tightly. She gasped, miserably and haltingly.

Startled, Tempest glanced around, then gently put a hoof around her, hugging her back. "Hey," she said quietly. "What's up, huh? What brought this on?"

Twilight looked up at her sadly.

"Every now and then it hits me, Tempest. We're up against Nightmare Moon, here! The darkest, blackest, most sinister figure in pony history! And everypony is counting on us -- on us, Tempest!" She shook her head. "But they don't really understand us. Or the work we're doing. They don't know the first thing about what we're trying to do for them, to keep them safe!"

She sighed desperately.

"We're so alone!"

Tempest considered a comforting lie... briefly. But that wasn't really her style. Nor, she suspected, would Twilight have believed it if she tried.

"Yeah," she agreed. "We're alone. But we've got each other, the six of us. And Spike and Grubber, too -- can't forget them. That's not going to change, Twilight, no matter what happens." She nodded firmly, unquestionably. "We'll be there for each other."

"Thanks, Tempest."

"And don't forget Princess Celestia!" Tempest added, "she's on our side. She believes in us. It's why she chose us as her champions. Even if there wasn't anypony else, having the Princess of Equestria on our side, backing us up? How bad could things be, really?"

"You're right... I do keep forgetting." Twilight nodded. "Thanks for putting things in perspective, Tempest."

"Not a problem." Tempest shrugged. "It's all part of being a Commander, I suppose."

"Oh. I'm sorry!" Twilight winced and drew back. "This isn't very dignified for you."

Tempest snorted derisively. "Dignity is for those who can afford it." Seeing Twilight still looked uncomfortable, Tempest gently put a hoof on her shoulder.

"Don't feel sorry, Twilight. I'm here for you, as and when you need me. And that's not going to change, either."

Twilight just nodded. And, gradually, she finally managed to smile again.

The two of them continued on together, out through the side door and across the quad, heading for the tower.

"Well," Tempest finally said, conversationally, "if you can say nothing else good about that lecture, at least you can say it's over."

"That's for sure!" Twilight agreed. "You know, Tempest, right now, all I want to do is go back to my library and just drown myself in a good book? And nothing in the world is gonna stop me --"

"There you are, Twilight!"

Twilight looked up, startled. Ahead of her on the path were Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine.

The three ponies smiled at her. "Moondancer's having a little get-together," Twinkleshine said, mysteriously. "Over in the west castle courtyard. You wanna come?"

The three ponies leaned toward her eagerly.

Twilight blinked in surprise. She exchanged a tired glance with Tempest, and Tempest nodded understandingly. Just give the word, her look said, and I'll chase them away for you.

Then Twilight sighed, resignedly.

"Sure, girls... I guess..."

"Great!" Minuette chirped. "Right this way!"

The three fillies led the way across the quad, around the Library, and then through the grounds to the courtyard. And even before they got close, it became clear it was more than just a little get-together. There were banners and bunting, streamers and balloons, and tables loaded with cakes, pies, and other sweet treats. There was punch and cider. There was a record player and a stack of records. There was a piñata, and plenty of other games to play.

And there were ponies, dozens of them, all waiting excitedly: students from Celestia's School, the ponies from Starlight's hometown, plus a crowd of other ponies who looked like they'd been swept up in all the excitement and were gathered around, willing and eager to help.

As Twilight approached, the gathered ponies all smiled warmly, nodding in greeting to her.

"Welcome!... Welcome back!... Welcome home!"

Twilight looked around, a little unnerved by the sheer enthusiasm of the greetings from the ponies all around her. In return, they kept smiling, and nodding at her, not letting up for a moment.

"Welcome back!... Welcome home!... We missed you!... It's great having you back with us!... Welcome home!"

Staring around at them all, Twilight finally approached what looked like the main table. And she found Sunset, Trixie, Starlight, and Moondancer all standing there, waiting for her, eager smiles on their faces.

Standing with them was a tan, curly-haired pony in a yellow shirt, who was grinning like a maniac. The pony unexpectedly sprang forward, took Twilight by the hooves, and began to merrily dance around with her, singing all the while:

Welcome home! We're glad you're here,
We've all been lost without you.
And this is just our way to say,
That we've been thinking 'bout you!

We're sorry that we did not say,
While working through our busy day,
That we look forward with all our might
For the respite of your Night!

In the darkness of the Night,
We wish upon the Stars so bright,
For the one who'll come and give us peace,
Who knows the most about the least!

The Sun, it calls us to laugh and play,
These are the aspects of the Day.
But gentle sleep and dreams alight,
Are what we seek in your good Night!

We love our Day, and too our Night,
We cherish them both the same!
And this is just to let you know,
We all... recall... your...
naaaame...

Cheese waved a hoof. A banner unfurled behind the main table, with the words Welcome Home! on it. And all the ponies shouted in unison:

"Welcome home, Twilight Sparkle!"

From nowhere, Cheese produced a cake, a lavender cake with red and blue roses, and a forest of lit candles.

"We've all been waiting so long," he said with warm sincerity. "It's good to have you back with us again!"

Twilight stared at the cake, and then at him, utterly gobsmacked... and with just a hint of a smile on her face, too. "Uhhh... what's going on?" she asked.

"Duhhh!" Sunset said dryly. "It's a party, Twilight!"

"Yeah, I can see that! But what's the occasion?"

"Twilight, this is Cheese Sandwich," Starlight explained. "He's a party pony!"

"A super-duper party pony!" Cheese put in, swinging a hoof and mugging gleefully.

"And," Trixie said, "he has this really Great and Powerful idea for how we might convince Nightmare Moon to return peacefully."

Cheese bowed modestly at that. And then he glanced at Moondancer. "Buuuut..." he hinted, "we weren't quite certain it would work, so..."

"Right!" She nodded. "So, um, like the good researchers we are, we decided to give it a test run. On you, Twilight!" Moondancer hunched nervously. "What do you think?"

Twilight realized every single pony present was looking at her, holding their breath. "Um, why are you all staring at me?"

Starlight shrugged. "Well, it is kinda your call, you know!"

"Oh!" Twilight smiled, and then laughed. "Are you kidding me? I think it's a great idea! I love it!"

"She loves it, everypony!" Cheese shouted. And the ponies broke into cheers and applause, clapping and stamping their hooves. Cheese launched himself into the middle of the crowd, slapping party hats on ponies' heads and noisemakers in their mouths, cranking up the record player, serving out cake and punch, juggling cupcakes, and generally rocketing from pillar to post, keeping the party going at a fever pitch.

He raced past Tempest, who unexpectedly found herself holding a cupcake and wearing a party hat. She eyed Cheese with a sour look on her face.

"Quite the jumping bean, isn't he?"

"Tempest..." Twilight scolded.

"Sorry," Tempest rolled her eyes. "He just puts me in mind of a horsefly. I keep wanting to swat him."

Twilight grinned at that. And then she put a hoof around Moondancer, hugging her tightly. "Thanks for the party, Moondancer! It was exactly what I needed right now."

"You don't know how glad I am to hear you say that, Twilight!"

"Are you kidding? Honestly, what would we do without you?"

"Seriously?" Moondancer shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "I don't think I'd ever want to find out..."

Ruthless Symmetry

That evening, just after sunset, Princess Celestia was in her suite, lying on her daybed. There was a gilded chest beside her, filled with elderly, crumbling parchment letters. She gently lifted them out one by one with her magic, reading them over. Her eyes were moist, her expression pained. And yet she kept reading. And wishing, and hoping...

There was a loud rap at the door.

Quickly composing herself, Celestia tucked the letters away and shut the chest. "Yes? What is it?"

"Your Highness? Miss Sparkle is here."

"Twilight? Oh, please, send her in!"

The right-hand door swung open, and Twilight peered around it. Though she was nearly full-grown now, she managed to look exactly like the meek little filly Celestia recalled so fondly, peering in anxiously at her revered mentor.

"Princess?" Twilight asked cautiously. "Are you busy?"

"Never too busy for you, Twilight. What is it?"

Twilight glanced back at the armored pony looming behind her. "I may be a while, Tempest."

"Take your time, Twilight. I'll be right here."

"Thanks!" Twilight trotted in, and Tempest pulled the door shut behind her.

Celestia nodded approvingly as she approached.

"I envy you your bodyguard, Twilight."

"Oh!" Twilight grinned sheepishly. "Tempest just likes to keep an eye on me. She's such a good friend. They all are, really..." Twilight smiled at the thought.

And then she realized the Princess was giving her an amused look. "What?"

"Can this be the same Twilight Sparkle," Celestia asked, "who'd disappear behind a book whenever the subject of friends was even mentioned?"

"Uhm..."

"I'm teasing, Twilight." Celestia put out a hoof to gently touch Twilight's cheek. "I'm proud of you, proud of the progress you've made. You've learned to open up and reach out, to be there for others. Your friends notice it and they respond to it. You inspire them, Twilight: to do their best, and be their best. Where you lead, they'll follow. And they have no fear, knowing they have you to turn to. You bring out the best in them, all of them..."

Celestia gazed down fondly at her student, and nodded.

"Yes, Twilight. I am very proud of you... very proud, indeed!"

She paused, then laughed, giving Twilight an embarrassed look. "Oh, listen to me! I'm rattling on. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, my faithful student?"

Twilight had been staring wide-eyed at Celestia, completely mesmerized. She shook her head, then drew herself up formally.

"Ahem! Your Highness, the Advanced Projects group would like to request your permission for us to oversee the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Oh?"

"We... have a few ideas about how to make it extra special. I can't really go into the details because... well, it's kinda meant to be a surprise!"

Celestia gave Twilight a curious, speculative look. And then her expression suddenly turned mournful. "Oh, Twilight, you and your friends are already doing so much! And here you're leaving me with simply nothing to do!"

"Oh! We didn't mean to!" Twilight gritted her teeth nervously. "I mean, if you wanted to oversee it yourself, we could always --"

Celestia held up a hoof. "I'm joking, of course. If it's important to your group's work, Twilight, I am more than pleased to leave the Celebration in your capable hooves."

Twilight sighed in relief. "Thank you, Princess!"

"Thank you, Twilight!" Celestia replied. "I'll have the Chief Steward send you the current list of tasks. But if there are any changes you'd like to make, by all means let my staff know."

"We'll get right on it!" Twilight said. "And, well... that was pretty much it, that's all we needed. So... I'll just let you get back to whatever you were doing..."

"Twilight! I wasn't doing anything that important. And we so seldom have a chance to talk. Can't you stay and visit, for a few minutes at least?"

"Oh! Of course, Princess!" Twilight said willingly.

Celestia smiled warmly back at her.

And then, by inches, the Princess's expression grew quietly serious.

"What is it, Your Highness?" Twilight asked, worried.

"Time is so short," Celestia said. "And while I would gladly spend hours chatting with you about absolutely nothing, there is one thing I've long meant to tell you. Something you need to know, about Nightmare Moon's return. And... now seems an opportune moment. We might be too busy later on."

"Oh?" Twilight's eyes went wide. "What is it?"

Celestia, in reply, merely motioned with her head. Getting up from her daybed, she led the way out onto her room's open-air balcony. The evening breeze was already comfortably warm, and above them the night sky was spread like a faint purple gauze curtain, sprinkled with glittering stars.

Riding high above it all was the Moon, with its Mare shadow.

Celestia settled herself near the balcony, motioning for Twilight to sit beside her. The Princess gazed up at the Moon for a long while, her expression thoughtful and sad.

"There is a balance to things, Twilight," she finally said. "A ruthless symmetry we ignore at our peril. A thousand years ago, I cast a spell in anger, not really considering the consequences. And now that debt is about to come due.

"For a thousand years, Equestria has known peace and prosperity. Maybe not always perfect, but generally pleasant. And now, that millennial Day draws to its end, and we face the Night that follows, without the aid of the very Elements that brought it about."

She looked down at Twilight. "When I used the Elements of Harmony that one final time, the Elements became drained, inert, unusable. Perhaps it was because their power is now invested in the spell that imprisons the Nightmare. Perhaps it's because they were not meant to be used in anger like that. The question is moot, really. Even were the Elements available for use, I would not be able to use them myself."

Celestia gazed down at Twilight, tall, proud... and there was an old look in her eyes -- very old, and deeply melancholy.

"As I said, there is a balance in these things. Before the Banishment, Nightmare Moon had an innate affinity with the Moon and the Stars, much as I do with the Sun. When I used the Elements of Harmony against her, she became imprisoned in her Moon, with the Stars serving as lock and key. And when that lock fails us, when the Stars finally weaken and Nightmare Moon is set free again... that balance will be reversed. And I do not know, Twilight, I honestly do not know what the effects will be. Very likely, I will become the one imprisoned... in my Sun."

"In the Sun!" Twilight was horrified. "But... Princess, you'll be --"

"Perhaps," Celestia allowed. "Perhaps not. My affinity with the Sun may yet protect me. But even were I not simply destroyed, I would be locked away up there, unable to do anything to stop her... or to aid you."

Celestia stared at Twilight sadly.

"I'm very sorry, Twilight, but when the thousandth solstice arrives, and you face Nightmare Moon, you must do so without me. I will not be there to assist you. And believe me, Twilight, this is not how I would wish things. It is simply the price I must pay for my rashness, all those many long years ago..."

"Princess..." Twilight stared up at Celestia, eyes wide, utterly terrified.

Her eyes suddenly pooled with tears, and she flung herself at Celestia, hugging her desperately. And the Princess held her close, head resting on her mane, sweeping her wings forward to shelter the sobbing pony.

It was a long while before Twilight felt able to speak again. "Princess," she managed to whisper. "I'm sorry... I really should be more grown-up about this, shouldn't I?"

"Twilight..." Celestia whispered gently. "One of the benefits of being grown up is, you get to decide when tears are appropriate."

Twilight looked up at her, and saw the Princess was silently weeping as well. The two of them held each other tightly, for a long while, comforting and being comforted.

"I should have told you earlier," Celestia finally said, gently stroking Twilight's mane. "Though I'm not sure it wouldn't have done more harm than good. But Twilight, you need to remember this: even though I will not be with you, you will not be alone. You will have your friends with you. And you will have all of Equestria behind you. You will have everything that I have taught you, all the knowledge and skill you have worked so hard to acquire. In point of fact, Twilight, there is nothing more I can give to you. You already have everything you need."

"Yes, Princess," Twilight said, forcing herself to sit up straight, head held high... even as she snuffled and wiped her eyes.

"And you have one thing more," Celestia added. "My unstinting belief in you. I know you have what it takes, to lead and guide your friends, to face Nightmare Moon -- and, if it should come to it, to lead all of Equestria as well."

"Princess?"

"I have given instructions, Twilight, that in the event that I do not return after the solstice, you will succeed me as Princess of Equestria."

"Me?" Twilight gaped. "But, Princess... I'm only a unicorn!"

"So was Princess Amoré, of the Crystal Empire," Celestia remarked. "Though so few remember her, nowadays."

"But... there's no way I could run the whole country! Not like you do!"

"Twilight, what makes you think I run the country?" Celestia smiled in amusement. "For the most part, it runs itself. I do my best to interfere as little as possible. I merely serve as a court of last resort, making decisions that ponies cannot agree to make themselves. I use my knowledge and experience to suggest answers, when it seems there are none. And I serve as a rallying point for the loyalty of the nation: a source of inspiration, of reassurance, of courage. By pledging fealty to me, they pledge it to each other, to this land we all share together. That is what being a Princess truly means, Twilight. And it is that I see in you."

"But... wouldn't Princess Cadance --"

"If it should turn out," Celestia interrupted, "that Princess Cadance is the right choice to lead the nation, that is all well and good. But somepony will need to make that call. A pony on the spot, who understands what's at stake, and knows what must be done. And it is my belief -- and Cadance's, as well -- that that pony should be you, Twilight. You will know what must be done. And you will be able to make the right decision, when the time comes."

Twilight let out a slow exhale.

Then she swallowed nervously, and sat stiffly and tall. "I'll do my best, Princess."

"You always do, my faithful student. I feel completely at ease, leaving my dominion in your care. You really are a most exceptional pony."

Celestia reached out a hoof, and drew Twilight close again, resting her head on Twilight's mane.

"I believe in you, Twilight Sparkle. I always have!"

"Thank you, Princess," Twilight whispered softly.

Some time later, the door finally swung open. Tempest's eyes snapped open, and she watched as Twilight stepped through into the hallway, the door swinging gently closed behind her. She saw the look on Twilight's face.

"That bad?" she asked gently, rising to join her. "She didn't go for our idea?"

"No... it's not that. It's something else. Something... kinda personal." Twilight shook her head fiercely. Then she looked up at Tempest. There was an unusual fire in her eyes, an unstinting determination.

"Tempest, we're going to organize the Summer Sun Celebration," she said. "Just as we planned. And then we'll face Nightmare Moon, try to convince her to return peacefully. And then... well, we'll protect Equestria! All of it!" She stamped her hoof. "Because they're depending on us, Tempest! And we're not going to let them down!"

Tempest smiled. "Now there's the Twilight I know. And we're all with you. How can we help?"

"Just stick close, and be the good friends you've always been."

Tempest nodded proudly. "I think we can handle that. Lead on."

Together, they trotted off down the corridor.

Trixie sat alone, on her bunk in her wagon. In her hooves was a large, heavily-clasped book from the Archives, which was opened to a woodcut picture: the only one Moondancer had been able to find of Princess Luna immediately prior to the Banishing. Tall, proud, wings spread -- she was the very image of swift justice and exactitude.

Not bad, Trixie thought. They even got her expression right... sort of.

"I had to tell them, Princess," Trixie whispered. "I had to tell them, well... everything..."

She felt a gentle hoof on her shoulder. "We knew this day would come, Trixie," Luna whispered to her. "It fact, we planned for it all along."

"We did? I mean, you did?"

"Of course. And thou makes it sound like such a bad thing. Now they will believe in thee more than ever... because they want to believe. Thou are the redeemed pony, in their eyes. They will not wish to let thee go. They will want to keep thee close, even defend thee from others who might challenge thee... right up to the very end."

Trixie shut her eyes. "But, it's still a lie..."

"An important one," Luna told her. "An essential one. "

Trixie sighed helplessly.

"All I want is someone who cares about me -- who believes in me."

Luna leaned closer, her voice a ghostly whispering in Trixie's ear:

"You will have that, Trixie, and more, once I am released."

"But how can I be sure?"

"Trust in me, Trixie," Luna said. "Remember, never any fear..."

"... and never any doubt, I know."

"And remember this, as well," Luna added, her voice becoming cold and stern, "when I tell you what to do, Trixie Luna Moon, if you ever wish to be Great and Powerful, you will do it... for me."

Trixie nodded. "I will, Princess."

And she shivered.

She'd never felt more alone in her life.

In the tower room, at the main worktable, Cheese Sandwich sat long into the night, scribbling away at notes, and sketches, and lists and plans... and getting nowhere fast. This just wasn't his style. He never did things by the book. He always did things off the cuff, winging it like a maddened chicken.

"No offense, Boneless," he added.

The rubber chicken sat on the table next to him, head drooping and staring blankly... and mildly accusingly, he thought.

Turning back to his work, Cheese shook his head. Off the cuff wouldn't do here. Not this time. This gig is too important. I have to get it right. For Equestria's sake... and for Twilight and her friends. They'd been so kind and welcoming, to a complete stranger from out of town, with no credentials or recommendations to offer.

Cheese stared around at the huge room, with its window wall, its scientific apparatus, its library of hoof-selected books... This is our workroom, Twilight had said. So you're welcome to use it too. And if there's anything you need, just let me know, and I'll talk with Celestia's staff. We'll make it happen.

So he had a blank check, pretty much, and the royal ear, or near enough. On top of that, he had all his natural, innate, cutie-mark-official skill at partying and making ponies smile...

... and he wasn't sure it would be enough.

"Don't look at me like that, Boneless," he pleaded. "I know I should ask for help. But who to ask?"

And then he realized. Who else, he thought, but the pony who showed me how?

Grabbing a message scroll and quill, and pausing for a moment for inspiration to strike, he began writing...

Dearest Pinkie Pie --

You may not remember me, but I came through town not long ago. I need to ask your help. I'm working on a huge party bash for a really important pony, up here in Canterlot. I can't tell you all the details in this letter since it's kinda hush-hush, but it's also crazy important, and I'm not sure I can pull it off on my own. But I know you can! Can I maybe, possibly, humbly ask you to come lend a hoof?

Sincerely Yours,
Cheese Sandwich (You know, the one with the chicken?)

P.S. We have animal balloons!

He read it over again, and nodded.

I wonder what the overnight postal rates are to Ponyville?

To Be Continued...

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, its characters and indicia are the property of Hasbro.
No infringement is intended. This story is a work of fan fiction, written by fans for fans of the series.

A Final Demonstration

Ring around the Moon!
Night is coming soon!
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down!
-- Equestrian Skipping Rhyme

On a warm morning in early summer, on a low rise just downslope from the entrance to Canterlot city, a pony climbed into view: a tan-flanked earth pony, with a brown curly mane and a yellow shirt.

And a look of breathless nervousness.

And a rubber chicken sitting on his back.

"Well, Boneless... there it is! Canterlot!" The pony's eyes went wide, as he took in the view of the massive, multi-tiered platforms of the royal city. "And this is definitely the place, the ol' Cheesy-sense hasn't steered me wrong yet. Yeah! Both times, it's been right on the nose!"

He paused, listening. Then shook his head.

"I know, Boneless. It's taking a risk, for sure. I don't know if we're ready for the big time, either!"

He stared up at the spires and minarets of the royal palace, standing tall and imposing on its own platform, high on the mountain's upper slopes.

"But it's gotta be done," he said. "And I'm the pony to do it! Because somepony here really, really, really needs a party. And by the feel of things..."

He shivered convulsively, then leapt a dozen feet in the air.

"Woo-hoo-hoo-hoooo! It's gonna be a doozy!"

The gold-armored, blue-plumed guard strode smartly across the grassy quad in front of the Library Annex of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Coming to the base of the adjoining tower, the stallion steadily, effortlessly mounted the spiraling stairs to the room at the very top.

Striking a proud pose, he lifted a hoof and rapped at the doors -- firmly, but professionally.

The left door swung open. He found himself facing a tall, red-plumed maroon unicorn, wearing tough-looking, intimidating black battle-mage armor, complete with a barbute-style wraparound helm, and armored shoes.

And a look of cold, aloof disdain.

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

The guard cleared his throat importantly. "Good morning! I'm here to speak with Princess Celestia's protégé, Twilight Sparkle."

"Really." The unicorn eyed him, thoroughly unimpressed. "And just who should I say is calling?"

He grinned. "Oh, just tell her it's the new Captain of the Royal Guard!"

"My congratulations," she replied dryly. "Go away."

And hoofed the door shut in his face.

The guard blinked in surprise. Then smiled, and rapped again. The door reopened. The black-armored unicorn glared at him.

"I do also," he added without rancor, "happen to be her brother."

She stared at him for a moment. Then her face twisted into a wry look.

"They would pull family on me, wouldn't they?"

He shrugged, in a what-can-you-do manner.

Not taking her eyes off him, the unicorn called over her shoulder.

"Twilight! Your brother's here."

"Shiny?" called a voice from the upper floor of the tower room. Then there was a clattering of hooves on the stairs.

The black-armored pony smoothly swung the doors open and got out of the way, as the lavender unicorn all but launched herself at the guard, still walking in through the doors and removing his helmet.

"Shiny! Hey, big brother! Long time no see!"

"Twily!" He ruffled her mane playfully. "How you doin', kiddo!"

"Great! Busy, but great!" She drew back, staring at the rank marks on his armor. "Wait... did you get promoted again?"

"Uh huh! Say hello to the new Captain of the Royal Guard!" He essayed a formal bow, and came up grinning. "I just got my commission from Celestia herself. So I just had to swing by and let you know."

"And show off, just a little," Twilight chided him. "Still angling for Sibling Supreme, huh?"

"Hey, it's not just that! What with your group's presentation today, and the rumors of Nightmare Cult activity, and the big day closing in on us... well! Princess Celestia felt it was best to start getting everypony in place, sooner rather than later."

"Oh... she told you?" Twilight asked. "About... Nightmare Moon?"

"Yeah! Could've knocked me over with a feather!" Shining Armor agreed. "But I've learned to expect the unexpected around you, little sis."

Twilight grinned sheepishly. Then she turned to the black-armored unicorn, who'd uncomfortably withdrawn a few paces to give them some space. She was sitting quietly near the stairs, her eyes lowered.

"Tempest, this is my brother, Shining Armor. I've told you about him, remember?" She turned back to him. "And Shiny, this is Tempest Shadow. She keeps an eye on all of us here. But don't let the tough act fool you. She's a really good friend!"

"I'm impressed!" Shining Armor offered a hoof for a shake. "You know how hard it is to get Twilight here to acknowledge other ponies' existence? Let alone call them friends?"

"Oh, stop it, Shiny! I've gotten better about that."

"Yeah? I'll believe that when I see it, bookworm!"

Tempest came forward to shake hooves, an uncomfortable, vanishing smile on her face. "Pleasure to meet you, Captain. And look, uh, I'm sorry about... before."

"Hey, don't sweat it." Shining Armor replied. "You were defending your turf. I can totally understand that."

"Oh. Thanks. It's just, well..." She winced. "I've been worried that one of these days they'll decide this group, this project we're working on, all of it, is just too important. And then they'll send in a real guard to take over."

"Actually..." Shining Armor said seriously, "that's one of the reasons I'm here."

"Oh?" Tempest's expression darkened.

"Shiny?" Twilight looked from one to the other of them, worried.

But Shining Armor smiled reassuringly, first at her, and then at Tempest.

"I'm here... as your backup, Tempest."

Tempest stared at him. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Shining Armor nodded. "Princess Celestia made it very clear. You're in charge of the group's security. I and my soldiers are here to help, as and when we're needed. But you're the pony in charge, so you call the shots."

"Well..." Tempest looked momentarily stunned. "Isn't that going to be a little awkward for you? I mean, I'm not even a commissioned soldier."

"That's the other reason I'm here," he went on. "The Princess expressed the same concern. But we looked it up, and it turns out the Royal Guard does have an old wartime rank that applies, for an officer with extra-ordinary authority, above and beyond the normal chain of command..."

He held out his hoof once more. Formally.

"Congratulations... Commander Tempest!"

Tempest hesitated. "That's a huge show of trust on your part," she said softly. "You and the Princess both." And then she willingly shook hooves with him. "I'll do my best to prove I deserve it."

"Congratulations, Tempest!" Twilight said, beaming with pride. "Or... do I need to call you Commander now?"

Tempest glanced at her. "Just call me your friend, Twilight. That's always been enough for me."

"And I see we don't have to worry about getting you kitted out." Shining Armor gestured to Tempest's suit of mage armor. "That's a really sharp look you've got going there."

Tempest regarded the armor herself.

"What, this old thing? Just something they found for me in the Archives, in one of the deep storerooms. It's supposedly the armor worn by an infamous dark mage... Sacanas, I think they said. I hope there's nothing significant about that." She eyed the glowing double-bolt marks on the flank plates. "Not too sure about the iconography. But now that Starlight's finally gotten her mark, it beats being the only blank-flank in the group."

"Well, it's a good look for an officer," Shining Armor told her. "Tough, intimidating, and just a little mysterious. And don't be shy about putting that to use. Some of the Guard here can be a little full of themselves. Don't hesitate to snap 'em back if they deserve it."

"I'll bear that in mind. Thanks."

"Okay, if you two are through comparing gear?" Twilight smiled at them both. "Look, Shiny, I really want to hang out and chat, but if we want to be ready for this presentation, we need to get back to work. But c'mon up! You can meet the rest of the group while you're here."

She grabbed her brother's hoof and towed him along, as she headed up the stairs leading to the main floor of the tower room. And into a bit of a madhouse.

At the main worktable, Starlight Glimmer sat facing a large parchment scroll, on which the unrolled Harmonic Field spell was laid out as a tangle of discrete spell components. Her gaze swept back and forth among several measuring instruments ranged about her, and she called out adjustments to the ponies positioned around and above the table, wearing or carrying focus gems.

"Double Diamond, a hoof to your right -- yeah, perfect. Sugar Belle, step back just a hair... woah, right there! And Night Glider, up about half a leg... that's good. Now hold it! Let me copy these figures."

"Starlight!" complained the night-blue pegasus. "None of you six have wings! Why are we even bothering with aerial patterns?"

"Because some of the group might be on a ramp," said the tan-coated, bespectacled pony seated next to Starlight, "or on stairs, or uneven terrain, or anything like that. Right, Starlight?"

"Right, Sunny." she said. "And it's always a good idea to have extra solutions in your pocket, just in case."

"Fine, whatever!" Night Glider rolled her eyes. "Just asking."

Sunburst resettled his spectacles. "Thanks for inviting us up to help out, Starlight! This is all fascinating! It's a big step up from the magic we used to do as foals, huh?"

"No kidding!" Starlight agreed. "And thanks for pitching in, Sunny! With all the last-minute tweaks, I can use the extra eyes on this spell."

"Glad I could help!" Sunburst smiled. "But speaking of which, if we're gonna make your demo, we're going to need to lock this down and re-roll the spell soon."

"Take your time," called Trixie. She was seated at a smaller worktable, with a jeweler's loupe in her eye, a gemstone clamped in a vise before her, and a hammer and chisel gripped in her forehooves. "I've got two more of these to do."

"Wait... you're not finished with those?" asked Shining Armor. "I thought Twilight said you had a set made up already."

"We do." Trixie gave him a beleaguered look. "These are the backup-backups! Because somepony decided one extra set wasn't enough!" She glared at Twilight, and then returned to her work, moving the chisel into place, raising the hammer...

From behind the library stacks there was a loud, staccato pounding.

Trixie drew back, growling under her breath. "I swear! I screw up a facet on this again, I will curse somepony! And I've been working on my curses, so don't push me on this!"

"Trixie, you've been working on teleportation spells," Starlight said, not even looking up from the spell-scroll.

"So? I'll teleport that idiot with the hammer into one of my trick cabinets! Preferably the one filled with coats... the ones with the long sleeves? It'd only be fair, the way he's been trying to drive me crazy all morning."

"What is all that hammering, anyway?" Shining Armor asked.

"I requested bunks be put in," Tempest explained, "in an unused storeroom back there. It'll be safer for everypony if they can just crash here, rather than heading back to their dorm rooms late at night. And if worse comes to worst, it'll be easier to set up wards to defend everypony if we're all together in one place.

"I just hope somepony doesn't snore!" Trixie said, eyeing Starlight.

"I just hope somepony doesn't give performances in her sleep!" Starlight shot back.

"Uhh, Starlight..." Sunburst pointed to a mistake on the scroll.

"Oops! Got it." Starlight hurriedly rubbed it out and corrected it, so fast that the nib of her quill snapped. "Oh, sherbet!"

"Here," Moondancer said, levitating over one of hers. She was seated on the other side of the main worktable, working through their collected reference works on the legends concerning Nightmare Moon.

"Thanks!" Starlight said. "How's the overview coming along?"

"You mean the quick précis?" Moondancer said, smiling nervously, "or the week-long retreat with break-out sessions? Seriously! I've been keeping so much of this in my head for so long, I've forgotten how wordy some of these scribes were!"

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Spike said, with feeling. He was busily stacking up the rejected books and scrolls for return to the Archives. "Seems like all the books I've been carting away here have been doorstops!"

"And the ones we're keeping aren't that much better," Moondancer sighed. "I know we're on a tight deadline, but I really don't want to rush this. We might miss something important!"

"You'll get there," Twilight reassured her. "We're lucky to have you sorting through it all. Okay, let's get back to it." She turned to Sunset, who was standing facing her with a stack of notecards held in her magic. "Hit me with another question!"

Sunset sifted quickly through the questions they'd brainstormed together, looking for a tough one.

Shining Armor spoke up first. "What if it doesn't work?"

When Twilight frowned at him, he shrugged. "What? It's something they'll ask. Remember, we're talking nobles here. A lot of them don't know the first thing about magic, even though they use it every day. Even though most of them are unicorns, for Celestia's sake! So... what if it doesn't work?"

Tempest snorted. "If it doesn't work," she said, "Nightmare Moon has us for breakfast. So you better hope and pray it does work. Next question!" She gave Shining Armor an arch look, and he nodded back appreciatively.

"Assuming you're able to contain Nightmare Moon," Sunset read from the card she'd picked, "what do you intend to do next?"

Twilight sighed, nodding. "We'll attempt to talk her round, persuade her to return to peaceful co-rule with Celestia."

"And if she refuses? If she tries to start the Nightmare all over again?"

Twilight glanced at the main table, saw Moondancer looking at them both. "Then we stop her, any way we can. We have to, if she leaves us no choice! Equestria's safety has to come first."

Moondancer looked downcast. But she nodded sadly, in agreement.

A long, awkward silence followed.

Then the hammering started up from the back room again.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Trixie threw down her tools and tossed her hooves in the air.

Starlight shook her head in amusement. Then she motioned for Night Glider to flap a bit higher, while Sunburst called out the adjusted figures for her to copy, to save time. Moondancer handed her current book off to Spike, then grabbed another, readying her quill to take notes. Twilight looked at Sunset, who quickly readied another card.

And then Tempest suddenly glanced around, with a puzzled look.

"Hey, has anypony seen Grubber?"

"Boss!" the hedgehog shouted. He scrambled up the stairs from the entry door. "We got incoming! Some kinda ponies in dark robes -- with bat wings and glowing eyes!"

Tempest swung to glare at him. "On the ground?" she snapped. "Or in the air?"

"Both! They're coming at us from all sides! They got us surrounded!"

Tempest thought briefly, then turned back to the others.

"Safe room!" she called. "Now!"

The ponies all looked up, staring at her in surprise. Then they quickly swung into action.

"Safe room, everypony!" Sunset repeated. "Spike, gem case! Starlight and Moondancer, spell scrolls! Twilight, you're with me. Trixie, you've got our guests! Let's hoof it!"

Spike quickly ran over to grab the casket holding the finished focus gems. Starlight and Moondancer together levitated the key scrolls and journals from the table into a carryall on Moondancer's back.

"Captain, with me please!" Tempest snapped. Shining Armor nodded in reply, and the two of them disappeared down the stairs, heading for the entry doors. Grubber stared after them, gnawing his paws in fright.

Trixie rolled her eyes, then pointedly set down her tools. Standing up, she clapped her forehooves for attention. "Okay, everypony! Follow Trixie! This way to the egress! Chop-chop!"

Sunburst, Diamond, and the other ponies followed along nervously as Trixie led the way across the room to a small pair of wooden doors set in the wall. Trixie swept them open with her magic, revealing an old dumbwaiter shaft.

Hurrying over to join them, Starlight checked the open shaft, then unhesitatingly dove into the blackness. Far below, they heard her yell "Catch me!" and then heard the sharp snap of the arresting spell, bringing her safely to a halt at the bottom.

Trixie peered down, saw her waving readiness, then motioned to the others. "One at a time, everypony! Step lively now!"

Between Trixie and Starlight, the other ponies were quickly levitated down the shaft, including the startled construction crew just emerging from the back room. They were followed by Moondancer, with her packed carryall, Spike with the gem-case, and an anxious Grubber.

Twilight paused, looking nervously back towards the entry stairs herself.

"Come on, Twilight!" Sunset warned. "We're not supposed to hang around up here, you know."

"I know..." Twilight said uncomfortably, turning toward the shaft entrance.

There was a sudden, loud explosion behind her. Looking back, she saw Tempest and Shining Armor mount the stairs at a run, then swing round to face the level below. Shining Armor flung up a shield spell, and Tempest spared an angry glance over her shoulder, her horn blazing.

"Sunset! Get Twilight below! And shut that door! Move it!"

"Now, Twilight!" Sunset grabbed Twilight by the hoof, and all but pushed her down the shaft. Then she followed quickly herself.

"That's everyone, bestie!" Trixie called. "Comin' down!"

She flung herself down the shaft, in the process using her magic to slam and bar the doors behind her.

At the bottom, Starlight smoothly fielded her, then cancelled the Catch Me spell. The two of them hurried around the corner and along the basement corridor, to the old vault that Twilight had found. It was a magic-proof, disaster-proof storeroom for precious documents and artwork, which they'd cleaned out and refitted as a defensible shelter.

Sunset was standing with a hoof on the door's inner handle, waiting for them, with everyone else inside already. The two of them dove in, and turned to use their magic to help Sunset in pulling the heavy door shut.

"Woah! Wait up!" called a desperate voice. It was Grubber, all but falling down the stairs from his post near the ground-level entrance. He hustled along the length of the corridor, and managed to dive through the closing vault door just before they hauled it shut.

"Phew! Thanks, guys! All clear, nopony followin' me!"

Sunset spun the handle, driving the bolts into place. Starlight and Twilight together cast sealing spells on the door, and then defensive wards around the inside of the vault space, just in case.

Then they all caught their breath, looking at each other anxiously.

"Okay," Night Glider asked, "what the hay is going on? Why are we under attack?"

"Who are they?" Double Diamond asked. "What do they want with us?"

"We can't say," Twilight told them. "Not just yet. It'll all be made clear soon. But... we have to be prepared for things like this."

"Okay..." Sunburst glanced around, nervously resettling his spectacles. "So... what happens now?"

"Now," Sunset said, "we do as Tempest said: we stay quiet, we stay put. Until we get word it's safe to come out."

Trixie had settled herself unconcernedly in a corner. She pulled a focus gem from her hat, and began carefully polishing it with a corner of her robe. "And what if nopony comes to get us?" she asked. "What if we end up trapped down here until the air spell runs out?"

"Trixie!"

"I'm serious, Starlight! What good does hiding out in some old bank vault do us?"

"It gives us time to think!" Starlight retorted. "Time to plan! And this way, we know that everyone's here and safe."

"Except for the boss." Grubber said, fretting nervously and staring up at the door. "Hope she's all right up there."

"She'll be fine, Grubber," Twilight said. "Knowing we're out of harm's way gives her freedom to act against... whoever's attacking us."

Spike, clutching the gem case, stared up at her nervously. "You really think someone's out to get us, Twi?"

Twilight shook her head. "I don't know, Spike. But we have to be ready for anything. After all, we thought the Nightmare Cult was long gone. And then we found it wasn't. No offense," she added to Diamond.

"Hey, none taken!" he replied readily.

"So..." Twilight finished, "who knows what we might have to face?"

"Well," Trixie grumbled, "I just hope we don't end up stuck down here forever. The Great and Powerful Trixie adores a captive audience as much as the next showpony, but..."

Thump. Thump-thump.

There was a loud, metallic thumping, coming from outside the door.

Grubber listened tensely, counting under his breath. And then relaxed."It's okay, Sunset," he said. "You can open 'er up."

"You sure, Grubber?"

"Oh, yeah!" He grinned. "That's the special big bad wolf knock. The one that says open this door now, or she'll bust it down herself!"

Cancelling the wards and sealing spells, the ponies spun the handle and pushed open the door. And found Tempest and Shining Armor standing outside, smiling in at them.

"Time, Grubber?" Tempest asked coolly.

Grubber produced a stopwatch and peered at it. "Uh... four minutes, eighteen seconds, boss!"

"Not bad," Tempest said. "An improvement, even with the extra ponies to manage." She scowled. "But we can do better -- a lot better!"

Trixie sighed, and got to her hooves, tucking the polished gem back in her hat. "Look, if we're all finished playing Mage War Shelter for now? Some of us do have work to finish before this demo."

"All right, everypony," Sunset said. "All clear! Let's get back to it!"

Chattering and laughing in relief, the group trotted up the corridor together, heading for the stairs leading up to ground level, and the tower room high above.

And Tempest and Shining Armor stood side by side, watching them go. In particular, they both watched Twilight, trotting along at the rear of the group, accompanied by Spike and Sunset.

Shining Armor looked at Tempest.

"Was all that staged for my benefit?"

"Not you specifically," Tempest said. "Grubber just saw a uniform crossing the quad, and he knew what to do. He's a good lookout in that respect... he's such a craven coward, not much gets by him."

Then she eyed Shining Armor, with an amused look.

"So, what did you think? And be honest."

"I thought it was handled excellently," he replied. "And you've really got this group motivated. I mean, I have lieutenants who can't execute maneuvers with that kind of enthusiasm and coordination!"

Tempest shrugged.

"Twilight motivates them. She just lets me give the orders."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short! I can see what the Princess was saying about you. You'd make a decent Royal Guard yourself."

"Thanks." Tempest frowned, staring after the departing ponies. "I just hope all the things I can't plan for here don't get us."

"We live in hope," Shining Armor agreed. "But I'd say that you have things pretty much under control. Is there anything we can do to help? Anything you need right now?"

Tempest nodded. "One thing."

"Name it."

She looked at him. "Twilight comes first."

At Shining Armor's surprised look, Tempest rolled her eyes. "Captain, we both know that under different circumstances, I might be having this conversation with you from inside of a holding cell. It's entirely due to your sister's kindness and understanding that this isn't the case. Right now, she's the closest thing that I have to family... so she comes first." Tempest waved a hoof. "I'm not saying don't do your job: protect the others, protect Celestia, protect Equestria... all of it! But if it comes down to it..."

She eyed him sternly.

"Twilight comes first. Do we have an understanding?"

Shining Armor nodded. "I'd say we understand each other perfectly, Commander. And that my sister and her friends are in good hooves here."

Later that day, a select group of Guard officers, research mages, and nobles were all gathered in a secure courtyard of the Palace. The Guards were silent and attentive, the mages calmly aloof, the nobles restless and impatient.

Princess Celestia herself stood at the head of the group, tall and resplendent in her golden crown, peytral, and armored shoes, the very image of unassailable strength and assurance.

Her aide, Raven Inkwell, was close at hoof, the diminutive, black-maned unicorn all but invisible standing beside her much taller sovereign. Raven cast a nervous glance between the clipboard in her hoof and the clock above the doors leading into the Palace.

"They're cutting it a bit fine, Your Highness," she whispered.

"Don't worry, Raven. They'll be here." Celestia smiled. "In fact, if I know Twilight, she's been standing on the other side of those doors for the past five minutes, going over her notes one last time."

Celestia paused thoughtfully, then went on, so softly that only Raven could hear.

"If anything should happen, Raven, you know what to do."

"Of course, Highness. But... you don't think it'll come to that do you?"

"We must be certain, Raven. So must Twilight. So we must be prepared for anything. Whatever happens, Twilight will need you and the Guard behind her."

"Understood, Your Highness."

The clock struck the hour. And as predicted, the doors swung open, and Twilight Sparkle stepped through them. She came down the steps into the courtyard, calmly, her head held high.

And Celestia repressed a smile, not fooled for a moment. If Twilight stepped on a twig right now, she'd end up in the Moon herself.

Right behind Twilight came Tempest, stern and threatening in her black mage armor. Following her were the other ponies: Starlight, Trixie, Sunset, and Moondancer. Spike and Grubber brought up the rear, with Spike carrying the gem case and Grubber a small satchel of spell scrolls.

Twilight came to a halt facing the Princess, and the others quickly assembled themselves behind her.

"Princess Celestia," she said, "and honored guests. With your kind indulgence, the Advanced Projects group would like to present a demonstration of our School project: the Field of Harmony."

At Celestia's indulgent nod, Twilight and the others quickly rearranged themselves into a broad hexagon, with Tempest and Starlight at the rear, Trixie and Moondancer to either side, and Twilight and Sunset in front.

Spike brought the gem-case around, and each pony was given a necklace holding one of the focus gems, save for Trixie, who already wore hers on the collar of her cloak. Grubber brought the bag of scrolls over to Starlight, who eyed the group's positioning, then quickly chose one. She studied it for a moment, then showed it to Tempest, who nodded. They both indicated readiness to Twilight, while Spike and Grubber quickly got themselves out of the way.

Twilight turned back to face the Princess... and saw that Celestia was carefully removing her crown, armor, and shoes, allowing an aide to pack them away in a velvet-lined case.

Striding forward into the clear space in front of the group, the Princess nodded to the group of students.

"Whenever you are ready, Twilight."

Twilight stared. "But... Princess..."

"You need to test the Field's power on an alicorn of sufficient strength and ability." Celestia smiled. "And I am pleased to be able to assist you, my faithful student."

Twilight bit her lip, glancing at the others. Then turning back to Celestia, she nodded uneasily. "Yes, Your Highness!"

"And Twilight," Celestia gently warned her, "don't hold back on my account. Give it everything you have -- a real test, if you please."

"Of course, Princess!"

Twilight looked to Starlight, and nodded. Starlight's horn lit up, and she cast the conic shield spell on Tempest's broken horn, stabilizing the larger pony's magic. Then all the ponies remote-cast, linking their pools of magic together. Finally, Starlight cast the opening bar of the Field spell itself.

"Okay, Tempest," she said. "Let 'er rip!"

Tempest lowered her head, gritted her teeth, and launched a near-blinding torrent of magic at the gem on Trixie's collar. Channeled by the Field spell, the beam refracted, changing color and form, then bounced across the circle to Moondancer, where it refracted again. From there, it went forward to Sunset, then back to Starlight, then forward to Twilight, then back to Tempest, and finally over to Trixie again, completing the circuit.

And their gems all glowed, projecting whirling spectral rings of magic that spiraled outward, finally linking together into a vast loop that encircled the entire group.

Their hooves gently left the ground as they lifted into the air together, surrounded by a dazzling, shimmering halo, in all the colors and forms of magic. Their eyes blazed, their manes flowed on invisible currents of power.

And the assembled audience could all sense the projected field, extending outward from the visible dynamo of magic energy: a soothing, calming force, which silenced horns, smothered magic, even as it stilled nervousness and fear, producing a sense of quiet certainty, of optimism... of hope.

"PRINCESS," Twilight called, her amplified voice booming in the confines of the courtyard. "WE'RE READY."

"Very good, Twilight," Celestia replied. She lit her own horn then, and began casting a luminance spell. "Please begin."

Twilight focused her attention on Celestia, on her horn, on the luminance spell. It was a distortion in the harmonic field, which she could sense somehow, with her immensely magnified magic ability. It was like a candle flame, a single light flickering in a dark room.

Reluctantly, Twilight mentally reached out, as if moving a huge invisible hoof... to snuff it out.

Celestia's horn dimmed, ever so slightly. Concentrating, the Princess amplified the spell, restoring her horn's original brilliance.

In response, Twilight focused even more intently, smoothing the field, squashing the distortion in it.

And Celestia's horn dimmed again. The Princess redoubled her efforts, restoring the spell once more.

Twilight quickly found herself reaching the limits of her own power pool. So she began to draw on the power projected by the other five ponies around her.

Celestia winced. Her horn visibly sputtered, almost winked out. Setting her jaw firmly, planting her hooves in the turf, the Princess threw even more power into the spell, causing her horn to blaze brightly once again... but only briefly.

Steadily, inexorably, her power was stifled, suppressed. Celestia's horn grew dimmer, her magic paler. She grunted, shut her eyes, put every ounce of power and ability she had into pushing back.

"PRINCESS?" Twilight called anxiously.

"Don't stop, Twilight!" Celestia commanded. "Don't hold back. Give it everything you have!"

Grimacing, Twilight opened the floodgates, unleashing the full power of the Field. The air in the courtyard was growing hot, and crackling with energy. The shimmering prismatic ring surrounding the six ponies whirled with keening, raging intensity.

And then... Celestia buckled, finally driven to her knees. Even so, she pushed back, desperately, forcing her horn to remain lit.

She shut her eyes, tensed in agony.

Her horn dimmed... dimmed... and finally...

... went out.

There was a sudden loud crack of released energy. With a cry of shock, Celestia was flung bodily backwards, landing in a stunned heap at the hooves of the astonished onlookers.

"PRINCESS!" Twilight shouted, horrified. "QUICK, STARLIGHT! SHUT IT DOWN!"

"JUST LIKE WE PRACTICED, EVERYPONY," Starlight called out, struggling to remain calm herself. "ON THREE! ONE! TWO! THREE!"

The ponies ceased casting, and Starlight hastily ran the reclamation spell, safely winding down the ring's power and returning it to their reserves. As the power abated, the six of them steadily lowered to the ground, their eyes returning to normal.

As soon as she felt the spell release her, Twilight dashed over to the Princess. She was followed quickly by Sunset, and then by the others.

Celestia was only just rising to her hooves, assisted by Raven and the guards.

"Princess!" Twilight gasped. "Are you hurt? We didn't mean to --"

The Princess put up a hoof, even as she shook her head to clear it. "Calmly, Twilight," she said. "I'm all right. And I congratulate you. Your project is a complete success. You were able to withstand even my magic."

Her eyes lifted, to gaze around at the assembled nobles and mages.

"And I very much hope," she added, with a touch of bitterness, "that this little demonstration has settled any doubt in your minds, that Twilight and her fellow students now possess the capacity to defend Equestria. Against any force that might stand against it!"

The assembled observers nodded in awed astonishment. Then they began whispering amongst themselves, as Celestia re-donned her crown and other regalia.

Twilight still stood at the Princess's hooves, gazing up at her mentor in wide-eyed fright.

"Princess..." she whispered. "I'm... I'm so sorry!"

Celestia gazed down at her, with a proud smile. "You have nothing to be sorry for, my faithful student." Looking up, Celestia took in the rest of the group, who were staring at her anxiously. "None of you have," she went on. "You have all done astonishingly well. The six of you are ready, finally ready. And I could not be happier..."

Twilight gazed up at the Princess's face as she spoke... and saw the tense sadness in Celestia's eyes.

It was quiet in the tower room. Twilight was seated over by the window wall, with Spike sitting next to her and looking up at her in concern. Twilight stared out at the afternoon sky, a somber, distracted look on her face. There was a book lying open on the floor in front of her but Twilight hadn't turned a page in it for several minutes.

Sunset finally wandered over and sat down beside her.

"Bit for your thoughts," she said gently. "Though I can probably guess."

Twilight sighed. "I've always believed that nothing could ever stand up to Celestia. She's been Princess for so long. Nothing could ever challenge her, nothing could ever hurt her. And nothing could ever... defeat her."

"And then we did," Sunset said. "And it doesn't help, does it, that she pretty much ordered us to do it?"

Twilight gave her a sad look. "She's always cared about me, protected me and taught me..."

Sunset nodded, and put a hoof around her. "And now you feel like you've repaid that by hurting her, by humiliating her, right?"

"How did you..."

"Because I feel the same way, Twilight! I was here first, remember? And while I may have mouthed off to Celestia on more than one occasion --" She winced uncomfortably. "-- deep down, she's always been more than just my mentor. She's my role model. Growing up, I wanted to be just like her. Nah, that's giving me way too much credit. The truth is, I wanted to be her, full stop. I wanted to be the Princess myself. Seeing Celestia... brought down like that, humbled like that..." She shook her head. "It really hurt!"

"It was frightening!" Starlight agreed, coming over to join them. "I've always been afraid that one of my spells would get away from me and hurt somepony. And this is the Princess we're talking about!" She put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "But you were right there for us, Twilight, managing the spell so it didn't run wild on us. And it turned out all right. No one was hurt."

"It gave the nobles something to think about." Tempest sat down next to them. "Did you see the looks on their faces as we left? I don't think any of them took us seriously before. They do now!"

"And the research mages?" Starlight grinned. "There was this old goat there, I think he lectured at my school once, back home. Very full of himself, very one-day-you-may-be-adequate, that kind of thing. The poor thing looked like he wanted to run away and hide!"

"He wouldn't be the only one." Moondancer trotted over to join the group. "The table-top model is one thing, but seeing the Field itself, at full strength like that?" She smiled uneasily. "If I hadn't been locked into the spell myself, I'd have been over the city limits and accelerating!"

"Still," Spike said, "the Field spell worked against Celestia, so that must mean it's our best chance to stop... you know who... right?"

The five ponies all fell silent, looking downcast and uncomfortable.

And Sunset stamped a hoof in annoyance. "Hey, what's going on here? We should be proud! We passed the test! We aced the demo! Our project is a total success! So... why are we all feeling so down here? Like we haven't really accomplished anything?"

"I don't know," Twilight said, shaking her head. "And I really feel like we should. What are we missing here, Sunset?"

Across the room, Trixie was sitting at the main worktable, reading over a book of practical spells that Starlight had recommended to her. The showpony looked up, and gazed across at the group of ponies, sitting in the warm sunlight by the window. There was a wistful look on her face.

"You all right, Trixie?"

Trixie jolted, and then looked round. She found Grubber standing next to her, looking up at her in concern.

"Trixie is just fine, thank you," she replied archly. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh. It's just... you kinda looked the way the boss looks sometimes, when she's thinkin' about stuff from the past. You know, stuff she wishes were different, that kinda thing?"

"Oh. Well... maybe a little. Trixie's past has not been all that pleasant, either." She looked over towards the window again. "Twilight has such good friends, doesn't she? Who are always there for her, right when she needs them."

"Yeah! Weird ain't it? I been tryin' to figure it out myself." Grubber shrugged. "I think it's because she's just so... nice to everypony, for no particular reason. Heh! And how she wound up with a mix-and-match crew like all of us, it beats the heck outta me!"

"She's Great and Powerful," Trixie said quietly, "without even really trying..."

"Yeah... I suppose. That's one way to look at it."

Trixie stared down at the book in front of her. Then she frowned, and flipped it shut. "Come on, Grubber," she said. "There's an audience over there who needs us."

Getting up, she trotted over to the group by the window, and looked around at them meekly.

"Is it all right if we join you?"

"Sure, Trixie!" Twilight said. And then she smiled, the same open and welcoming smile she gave to all her friends... because she was honestly pleased to see them.

Trixie sat down with the others, and Grubber thunked down next to Tempest. And for a while they just sat there together, all of them. All of Twilight's friends, just being there for each other.

Including Trixie...

... and Trixie hated herself for it.

In the candle-lit darkness of her wagon that evening, Trixie sat on her bunk, quietly debating. Using her magic, she flipped open a nearby trunk and pulled out a large, blue-jacketed volume with a crescent moon on its cover. She held it in her hooves for a while, silent and thoughtful.

And then she nodded, reaching a decision.

Dipping into the trunk again, she pulled out another volume, this one smaller and much more antiquated. It had a cracked faux-leather cover, and tarnished brass clasps holding it shut. She held it in the gleam of her magic, staring at it.

That should do, she thought. That should give Moondancer just enough of a hint, if given at just the right moment...

Stowing both books back in the trunk, Trixie blew out the candle and snugged herself down under the covers of her bunk. And shivered.

Now all I have to do, she thought, is figure out how to sell it.

She shut her eyes, nervously reaching out with her thoughts. It was becoming easier, with every night that passed, as the Nightmare's power grew stronger. As the Mare in the Moon gradually freed herself from the spell that imprisoned her.

Trixie's waking consciousness swiftly faded and slipped away. She sank down into the blurred, jumbled, confused depths of the dreamworld...

And abruptly opened her eyes again, standing in the dark, echoing, night-shrouded marble expanse of the throne room...

... Nightmare Moon's throne room.

All about her, the glowing-eyed, dragon-winged nightmare guard ponies stood at attention, their heads bowed in subservience to Trixie, the Nightmare's chosen servant.

And on the dais, in the shadows shrouding the high-backed throne, its tall, black-armored occupant gazed down upon Trixie with proud confidence.

"Trixie!" the Mare replied. "Our diligent student! We have not spoken in quite some time. Though that is all to the good." She scowled darkly. "We detest aimless chatter!"

"Your Highness?" Trixie asked nervously.

The Mare's head tilted, her gaze sardonic. "Thou were expecting somepony else? We thought thou were sharper than that." As if suddenly recalling who she was speaking to, she smiled genially. "Was there something thou required? Some obstacle to be dealt with, perhaps?" She chuckled coldly and viciously. "Or is this but a social call?"

Trixie approached the throne, executed a precisely measured curtsey.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie," she said proudly, "has an idea for how she may further Your Highness's plans."

"Ah! Do tell!" The Mare gestured indulgently with a hoof. As she did so, she leaned forward from the shadows, her face moving into the light.

It was Princess Luna.

Trixie winced, seeing the look on her teacher's face. It was arch, chill, and scheming. There was little remaining of the kind, caring alicorn she knew so well. The Nightmare's control was returning, relentlessly reasserting itself, on a pace with the Mare's impending freedom.

And it was taking the memory of Princess Luna along with it...

Trixie gritted her teeth, and launched into it.

"The Great and Benevolent Trixie needs to give her so-called friends just the tiniest bit of help, to ensure they don't go completely astray..."

And hope that it will be enough... she thought desperately.