“One little, two little, three little mangos.” A little squeaky voice sang down the road. “Four little, five little six little mangos.” A bat colt with his backpack headed to the Royal Musical Academy for Nocturnal Citizens, at Canterlot. “Seven little, eight little, uh-um A lot of little MANGOS! And there are still a lot of other mangos to go.” He smiled skipping down the dark streets illuminated by the magical street lamps that were spaced out every seven meters, so that the golden light while faded never disappeared. Two of the royal guards passed him, he gave them a nod as they walked on. Looking up at the moon he could see the Mare in the Moon, a cold shiver ran down his spine. His mom had told him that there was nothing to fear, but rumors and folktales abounded about the bats, and their part in the war. They weren’t the most flattering rumors, and they were only about fairytales, but everyone took the bat’s involvement in the story very seriously.
“What are you looking at the moon for, Squeaky?” A guard at the corner asked him. Only then did he notice that he was still looking up.
“It’s really bright tonight,” he said before returning collecting his thoughts. And returning to singing as he headed to the academy. The moon was still raising when he got to the school, there were dozens of extra guards stationed all around it, and as he went into the building there were royal guards in nearly every hall. He slipped into his classroom for choir practice.
As was normal he was a bit early and their professor wasn’t there. His friends were all gathered together in a corner whispering amongst themselves one of them seeing High Pitched waved him over. He smiled joining his friends. "So what are you all talking about?"
"Are you joking did you see the guards they're all over the school and all the bat neighborhoods. There were like twenty just from my street to the academy." One of his friends answered in a hushed whisper. "There's something going on, and nobody knows what."
"I'm telling you they're looking for a shape-shifting bug monster."
"That's stupid, you've been reading to many comic books. What do you think?"
"Isn't it the Summer Sun Celebration maybe it's just added security."
"Yeah but that's in Ponyville this year." Before they could continue on with their conversation. Their professor came into the room and everypony rushed to their desks.
School went normally for High Pitched and his friends. First class was language, second was choir practice, third math, fourth musical theory, followed by lunch. They sat in the cafeteria as royal guards stood at attention at each of the entrance doors to the school. The lunch room a normal hot bed of rumors was on full over drive as each of the students purposed their own theory to why the guards were there, and why all the clocks had been removed from the school, every theory ranging from a monster from Tarturous escaped to as simple training exercise were spreading though the lunchroom. After lunch High Pitch and his group of friends were playing in the choir room constructing puzzles because the Academy was renovating the playground so there was an inside recess. High Pitch and his friends were on a roll in the puzzle room, with new record of having completed ten puzzles. High Pitch was working out where in the puzzle piece in his hoof was supposed to go when a professor opened the door.
"Okay everypony let's get to the music room for a joint practice for the upcoming Hearths Warming Pageant." The students in the room perked up.
"But its recess, and Hearths Warming is six months away."
"That wasn't a request, Viola." The professor said. "Now everypony come on all of your other classes are canceled for this practice. We're going to work on establishing a program for it and students are getting to vote on it for the first time so hurry up all of you. Come on." He began ushering them into the largest room in the middle of the building. The group from the puzzle room soon joined several other large groups as all the student body was being moved. The royal guards were going room to room to make sure that all the student body, which was made up completely of bat ponies, were vacating all of the rooms. High Pitch was just moving into the hallway moving toward the thick double doors that lead to the joint practice room, when a filly behind him screamed and pointed out the window. High Pitch and everyone else in the hallway looked at her then followed her hoof to the window to see what she was pointing to.
High Pitch's blood ran cold. The Mare in the Moon was gone. Panic broke out in the hall, before a guard's voice boomed. "Quite!" The hall fell silent. "Everyone move into the joint practice hall and barricade the doors until we come back to you. No one is to stay outside of those door." High Pitch looked down from the moon and saw dozens of ponies outside of the gates of the school. Nearly a hundred earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi were all yelling at the guards trying to get onto Academy ground. The professors began herding them into the large room. High Pitch didn't so much walk in as he was pushed by scared colts and fillies, and once the last bat was in the doors were shut and bared by the professor.
"What's going on?" Was the question that spread though pupils until the head master stepped up and began to adress them.
"Just prior to dawn Princess Celestia went missing, and an alicorn calling herself Nightmare Moon was found claiming control. As of this moment there are riots all over Canterlot the guards here are to protect you, and hopefully things will calm down. Currently Celestia's Personal Apprentice is on the job trying to find her and fix this. Until then remain calm." The bats stayed huddled together for hours panic and fear being the only things that staved off the chaos. Until there was a knock at the door.
"All clear." The door opened to the guard. "Each student will wait for their turn for a guard to escort them to their homes." He said behind him all the windows of the Academy were shattered bricks having been hurled through them. High Pitch was one of the first ones to be escorted back home. The bat pony neighborhood was in shambles windows were destroyed and some homes were burning. High Pitch was led to his house which was terribly vandalized. He hesitated at the door before his mom and dad opened it and pulled him into a hug. The guard nodded and the door was shut.
