About a week passed, Discord still held up his end of the bargain and did TRY to be redeemed, having now formed a friendship with the element of kindness herself. However, he was still unsure of what was causing this whole thing and had no luck trying to summon forth the culprit of the crimes committed; the same misfortune met him if he tried to teleport to them. Still, he occasionally came around Ponyville as per the request of the princess and Fluttershy. Speaking of the Princess, she was slowly driving herself mad trying hard to figure out what was going on. Luna sadly wasn't doing any better and had a hard time trying to comfort and reassure her sister as time passed.

It was another bleak morning and Celestia was laying in front of her fireplace, wide awake but her eyes feeling droopy as she stared into the bright dancing flame. Luna knocked on her door a few times, she had finished her dream duties for the night and went to check on her sister as it was her time to raise the sun. Celestia did not reply so Luna carefully opened the door and peaked inside.

"Tia?" Luna called out before she saw her sister laying on the ground. She sighed and approached her. "You didn't sleep again, did you...?" She frowned as she crouched down and nudged her sister with her muzzle. Celestia merely turned away from the fire and buried her face in her pillow. "You can't keep doing this, sister." Luna spoke once again, Celestia used her magic to lift the pillow and looked at Luna with a scowl.

"And what do you expect I do instead? Sleep peacefully and have "Happy little dreams" while my subjects are being murdered?!" She exaggerated in a silly high-pitched voice before she sighed and flopped back down onto the pillow, letting the one that covered her face fall back onto her head.

Luna cut her sister some slack for the attitude... She knew all too well how ponies acted when they hadn't slept. This is likely what many of their subjects were dealing with over the past couple months. So, she didn't get angry with her, and once Celestia laid back down she carefully snuggled close to her, nuzzling her dear sister gently and letting Celestia have her moment.

"I don't, Tia. But what I do expect you to do is get at least a little sleep because you need it. Our subjects need it. You're more than allowed to have your moments of stress, but we still have our duties to fulfill. And even ignoring conferences you need to attend; the one thing you CAN'T cancel would be raising the sun." She hoped her sister would at least get up and do that. But she was more than happy to comfort Celestia all she needed that day. Even if she was tired. Celestia sighed, a good amount of annoyance in her tone. But eventually, she got up and walked over to her balcony, Luna quickly joined her as she finished letting the moon set.

Celestia took a deep breath of the fresh morning air, and her horn began to glow with a yellow aura surrounding it. The sun began to move above the horizon as the moon and stars faded with the growing light. Soon enough, the bright sun was up, and the sky grew bluer by the minute. Luna smiled a little at her sister, but Celestia did not look to her. Instead, she looked out to the land below her. A sad, and pondering expression now overtook her face as she wondered how her subjects felt and if there was going to be another victim this morning. However, knowing how things have been over the past few days especially, she had very little hope of things going better today.

Twilight was also rather... disturbed, to say the least. After Discord was unsuccessful in figuring out who was behind this, she could NOT stop pacing around the library until she tired herself out. Spike was, needless to say, also terrified of this and refused to go anywhere alone. Heck, he had to move his bed closer to Twilight's and for once, double AND triple checked if everything was locked on his own. Which kind of surprised yet also pleased Twilight as she knew she would probably forget a window or two, but Spike would remember to check...

The night after Discord's release, none of them felt comfortable sleeping alone and so, on the train ride home, they discussed who would spend the night with who, and they had been keeping up with this buddy system throughout the week.

{Flashback}

Rarity stepped up to the landing where Twilight's bed was located, wearing her rather comfortable and warm robe. Behind her were a couple of cups of water, being levitated with a coat of bright blue magic. The purple unicorn was finishing setting up their beds, having brought out the guest bed and putting it right next to her own so they had their own space but were still closer to each other. Spike also setting up his own spot on the far side of Twilight's bed as he did not have the courage to curl up in his own after seeing Discord fail to do something everypony had expected him to be able to complete. Spike was also in his pajamas and stretched as he got comfortable.

"I see everything is almost ready?" Rarity questioned as she placed the cups on the nearby nightstand. She glanced to the window where a magenta pink lightly tinted the color of the night sky. Twilight had put up a forcefield earlier that day once they got home, wanting to guarantee with absolute certainty that nothing would get in while they slept. Opal, Rarity’s beloved albeit feisty pet cat, was already sleeping nearby in her cat carrier. Even though Rarity knew Opal could take care of herself and would be more than find staying in the boutique alone, she didn’t want to risk anything bad happening to her pet.

"Yup." Twilight replied as she finished tucking in the blanket on her bed. Afterwards, she turned to a little candle on her nightstand and lit it with her magic. The tiny flame would provide a good amount of light when the main ones were out, and it would hopefully help Spike sleep. Speaking of the little dragon, he was now curling up with his blanket and a stuffed bear Twilight had given him to help him feel a bit safer. Nuzzling into his pillow as he snuggled deeper under the covers. "Thanks for getting the water."

"Oh, it's no problem at all darling! I hope Sweetie Belle and my parents are doing alright..." She commented as she carefully got into bed, Twilight soon doing the same after drinking a few sips from her glass. She yawned as she climbed into bed and turned to face Rarity and the nearby candle when she turned out the lights. She had so many questions on her mind... but it was best to not ask them now as to not unnerve the others anymore. However, she did answer Rarity's concerns in the most comforting way she could.

"I know they'll be alright Rarity, as will we. I know it won't be easy, but we should try to get some sleep..." Twilight put a hoof on her friends and tried to smile, just a little, Rarity had a hard time returning it, but she nodded a little and wished Twilight a goodnight before putting on her sleeping mask. Twilight returned the wish and turned out the lights with her magic, watching the small dancing flame of the candle, and wishing she could find more comfort in its glow. Unfortunately, it didn't stop the questions in her mind, nor did it soothe her worries regarding the safety of her brother and parents.

Rainbow Dash was settling into a sleeping bag on the floor near Applejack's bed, fluffing her pillow and sighing as she thought about Scootaloo. She was just down the hall with Apple Bloom, but still, she had reason to worry and she knew that. Applejack was working on settling in bed, setting her father's hat onto her nightstand and undoing her mane. She sighed and thought about her own family. Not just her granny and siblings, but the rest of her relatives all across Equestria, Goldie Delicious, Braeburn, and far too many more to name. She shuddered, wondering if any of them were hit by... whatever this was.

Similarly, Rainbow was soon wondering about her own parents. It had been a while since she last spoke to them, and considering there was a murder in Cloudsdale, she grew worried about them and the fact that she hadn't said anything to them... as annoying as their constant praise was, she did still love them. They were her parents after all... and they weren't bad, just embarrassing at times. She groaned quietly and shifted in her spot, trying to get comfortable but her still rampant mind was making it a lot more difficult.

"You alright Sugarcube?" Applejack asked her, fully knowing the answer.

"What do you think..?" Rainbow Dash replied, annoyed as she turned over and sighed. Applejack frowned and tried to get comfortable as well.

"I know this is hard for us all... but we need to try and get some rest. It sure ain't gonna be easy, I know that." Applejack sighed and flicked off the light in her room. Rainbow frowned as she was greeted with darkness, only broken thanks to the moonlight creating a gentle glow around the room. "Try to sleep Rainbow, I'll see ya in the morning..." With that, Applejack tried to fall asleep.

"Yea... you too." Rainbow weakly returned the comment and tried to sleep. It sure wouldn't be easy for either of them. In fact, it was probably one of the worst night's sleep they had ever gotten.

Pinkie Pie stuck with Fluttershy, not even joking around during this dark time and finding it hard to smile. But something was bothering her about the mare she had seen when they ran to the train station... Fluttershy, meanwhile, was working on having her animals eat their food and then help her board up the house as she did on nightmare night. Like Rarity, she was also wearing her robe to bed while Pinkie Pie had on her blue and yellow polka dotted onesie. Once everything was locked up, and everything was set up under her bed, Fluttershy was ready to hide until she fell asleep. Harry the bear, as well as many of her smaller critters, including Pinkie's pet alligator, joined her as they walked into the room. Pinkie Pie followed her inside, but she seemed distracted as she just kept staring at the floor. Thankfully not stepping on any of Fluttershy's critters tails or feet.

"Pinkie? A-Aren't you coming?" Fluttershy asked as she noticed her standing back a little. Pinkie Pie perked up and nodded, barely cracking a smile as she crawled under the bed after the timid pegasus. Underneath the bed, there were PLENTY of pillows around them, similar to a nest of sorts say for the bear head peeking through the blanket at far-right corner, and the large number of critters all nestled in with them.

"Are you feeling a bit more comfortable?" Pinkie Pie asked her, pulling one of the blankets they had placed over herself. Fluttershy seemed unsure but she shrugged.

"I guess so... are you? You've seemed rather distracted since we left for home." Fluttershy asked as she too pulled a blanket over herself, shifting only a little to get more comfortable before making sure her critters were also cozy where they were while Pinkie carefully set Gummy onto her tail, to which he, in an almost dog-like fashion, curled up and laid down, feeling quite comfy in the pink pony's fluffy tail.

"Physically yes... Thanks again for letting me and Gummy stay over. I would've left him at Sugarcube Corner, but I could never sleep with the idea of him being hurt or at risk." She frowned as she gently pet the green lump in her tail, which made gummy let out a sound similar to a purr.

"Oh, I don't mind. I do feel at least a little safer with a friend here." Pinkie nodded in agreement and sighed as she snuggled into the blankets, finding this pillow nest surprisingly comfortable.

"Fluttershy... do you ever get that odd feeling when you see somepony, and you just KNOW there's something off about them? I- I know it's mean to think like that, but I got that feeling from this mare we passed in the streets when we left for Canterlot." This caused the yellow Pegasus to pause and think about it, she had gotten scared because of many other ponies' reputations, Zecora being a prime example, but aside from that, it hadn't really happened.

"Not really... who was it?" Fluttershy replied and looked over to her, Pinkie Pie still seemed... lost in her thoughts, but she soon replied.

"It was a unicorn. She had- white fur and a... black eye." She shuddered a little, something was off about that eye. Normally physical appearances didn't stick out much to Pinkie Pie unless it involved a smile, or she recognized someone. But that mare, she didn't recognize her. And when she passed, Pinkie got a chill of sorts.

"O-Oh my... we should probably tell Twilight about this tomorrow morning. If YOU don't recognize this pony, and she lives in or near ponyville, that certainly is suspicious." Fluttershy was a bit unnerved, but she did have a strong feeling that telling the others about this new pony would be pretty crucial. Pinkie Pie nodded in agreement and yawned as she began to doze off.

"Yea... goodnight Fluttershy." She smiled slightly and got cozy under the covers, Fluttershy smiled softly and wished her the same before they drifted off to sleep along with the other critters nestled in with them.

Author's Note

I hope you like this one- we're finally getting close to the end- which is definitely surprising to me-

It should take about- maybe 3 more chapters at the most? I'm not too sure but yea, Enjoy!