The dark starry night twinkled above as the last traces of the sunset gently faded from the sky. Three little children lay in a field of grass, each out past their bedtimes.

"Scootaloo? Applebloom?" The little white filly with a curly mane asked. She lay in the open field with her two friends, feeling the embrace of grass against their backs as they observed the night sky.

"What's up Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo replied after a pause, looking around at the waving trees. Apart from a gentle breeze the weather was calm and still. Not a single stray cloud in sight.

"Yeah Sweetie Belle?" A country accent asked. Applebloom whispered with respect for nature's current stillness. Even the animals seemed to respect this apart from the unrelenting song of the crickets and frogs.

"Do you... think we'll always be friends?" Sweetie Belle squeaked uneasily.

"An invasion?!" The purple princess exclaimed suddenly. "What do you mean?" She asked quieter, trying to control her anxieties. Princess Twilight Sparkle sat across from her former mentor, and now equal.

Princess Celestia paused a moment to gather her words; The mare spoke carefully around Twilight. "I am not so sure it is an invasion exactly. I am only saying that ponies have vanished, only to appear again the next day with no memory of being missing." The alicorn paused to take a sip of tea, doing so with regal elegance. Celestia did everything proper. What nopony else saw was years of failure and practice.

"As you may be thinking now, this would usually be indicative of changeling kidnappings." Princess Celestia started again, setting her teacup down with a little clink.
"However the returned individuals do not respond to anti-disguise spells." She wondered if her former student would have any ideas. An inkling, anything at all.

"So it's... not changelings... probably. Not unless maybe they have a protective counter-anti-disguise spell or something." Twilight giggled nervously, sighing and looking down at the table between them.
The new princess hadn't even touched her tea or cookies. They often met like this and just like any other time the subject took a grave tone, Twilight hadn't bothered. "Are you sure it's not some kind of coincidence?" She asked timidly, giving an awkward smile.

Princess Celestia shook her head. "It is unlikely." She looked downward at the floor contemplatively. "We received dozens of reports from around Equestria in a single wave. Citizens vanishing and their loved ones taking notice, and then returning the next day as if nothing had happened. I brought this to your attention so that you may be alert on the matter. Whatever is happening to our citizens, the perpetrator or perpetrators may become more skilled at whatever their goal is. I fear if they are being replaced or something else we may not even notice or have an indicator. If anyone in Ponyville acts out of the ordinary I trust that you will investigate."

Scootaloo kicked at the ground from her scooter. She gave a glance toward the field she'd laid in with her friends a few days prior. Sweetie Belle's question hadn't left her mind, and as a result had become even more insistent that the Cutie Mark Crusaders spend time together.
As she approached Sweet Apple Acres, a dog's barking would become evident.

"Winona." Applejack groaned. "It's just Sweetie Belle girl. Yer gettin all worked up for nothin." She grumbled to Winona and giving her a pet to try and calm her down.

"What's wrong Winona?" Applebloom asked as she stepped out of the house, giving her friend a smile.

"I don't know. Maybe she's mad at me because I don't have any treats." Sweetie Belle whined.

Scootaloo skidded to a halt next to Sweetie Belle. "What's up? What do you wanna do today?" She asked her friends excitedly.

"I know just the thing!" Applebloom exclaimed, adjusting her red bow. "I wanna go to the river and see if we can get fishin' cutiemarks!"

Sweetie Belle perked up a bit. "Oooh! I wonder if I can catch a turtle?" She wondered, hopping up and down a little excitedly.

Applebloom suddenly pulled her friends into a hug, the trio now a giggling mess of orange, yellow, red, white, and purple. "Ya'll are the bestest friends ever!" Applebloom squeaked.

"Cutiemark Crusaders forever!" The trio happily shouted, hopping up and down.

Applejack tapped Applebloom on the shoulder, a serious expression on her face. "Missy." She started as she turned Applebloom to face her. "You see anything.. weird or.. I dunno. Somethin out a place... just... tell me alright?"

Applebloom furrowed her brow, pouting a bit. "I ain't seein lights anymore Applejack. You was right." She huffed.

Applejack nodded slowly, gently brushing her hoof through her little sister's mane. "Alright, well. Don't be afraid to come to me anyway okay? I don't want you gettin h-"

"I'm fine Applejack. I'm old enough to worry about myself."

"Hmmm hm hm hmm.." Humming filled Twilight Sparkle's library. Today was day 4 of completely reorganizing every book. Spike wasn't too bothered by it, this was usual for her. "I think Princess Celestia should've declared you Twilight Sparkle: The Princess of Books." He joked.

This prompted a laugh from Twilight. "I don't think I'm against that title." She said, holding out a wing to take the next book. Spike had realized long ago that Twilight was capable of organizing all of this within minutes if she wished. She enjoyed the process. Maybe Spike did too.

Not enough to do it for 4 days straight though. "So Twilight.. do you think maaaybe we should go outside? Get some sunlight?" Spike started.

Twilight sighed, her wings drooping to her sides. "We probably should." She mumbled. "I can't though I have to clean up this pile." She gestured toward the unshelved pile of books on the floor. "Don't you have that mystery comic to finish or something?"

Spike shook his head. "Twiiilight." He raised an eyebrow. "The Power Ponies are awesome because I can read them anywhere."

Twilight started climbing backwards down the ladder. "Yeah.. okay. I know." She giggled. "I think you know me better than I do sometimes."

Twilight reached the bottom of the ladder, placing each of her hooves on the floor with four gentle clops.

"Yeah. I'm like, the best." Spike bragged, giving her a smirk.

"You still need to work on being humble." Twilight replied as she walked past. She pinched his cheek with a wing, giggling.

"Hey!" Spike whined, batting at her wing.

Twilight just giggled at him as she passed through the doorway and walked toward the front doors.

Before she could make it to the doors, a mare burst through them. Her eyes darted around suspiciously. "Can you feel it Princess?" She mumbled. "Something is in the air.."

"I think it's pollen." Twilight addressed the comment, raising an eyebrow. She was still getting used to being Princess but this mare had wholeheartedly adopted Twilight as her own princess.

Steel Gaze narrowed her eyes at Twilight. "Uh.. yes. Not what I meant though." She mumbled, her back pressed against the wall. "Is there anything I can do for you Princess?"

Twilight uneasily trotted toward the exit. "Umm.. no thanks.." She gave a nervous smile.

"Stop right there Princess! You can't go out there..." Steel Gaze stepped in front of her warily.

"Why not?" Twilight huffed, cocking a brow and waiting for an answer.

The paranoid, light blue mare looked around. "This is some serious business Princess Twilight. I'm not kidding around."

Spike crossed his little arms. "Dude. Just cut to the chase already or let us go outside."

Steel Gaze nodded a little, pausing for a moment. "I've been entrusted with reports from several ponies. Several ponies that insist something is out there."

"There's a lot of somethings out there. We live right next to a mysterious forest." Twilight made a pointing motion with one of her wings. "I can't help anyone if you don't just tell me what's going on." She said, softer and more concerned in tone. Her mind couldn't help but go back to her previous meeting with a certain Sun Princess. Her ears flopped downward as her mind worked, paranoia stirring from Steel's vagueness.

"Seven reports." Steel Gaze started. "Each saying the same thing. Strange lights.. like eyes outside their windows while they sleep. Not stars. Not the light reflecting from an animals eyes."

Twilight twisted her leg, pressing her hoof into the crystal floor to make a grinding sound. She thought as she fidgeted. "What color?" She asked nervously, the prickly long legs of anxiety tickling her spine, cold and wet feelings making her shiver. There was a logical explanation somewhere. Cockatrices had glowing red eyes didn't they?

"Lyra Heartstrings reported yellow lights. Nurse Redheart reported blue. Roseluck reported green. Do I continue?" Steel Gaze explained, making good on her name. Her expression was stern and cold. The mare was ex-royal guard after all. This didn't comfort Twilight. It only made her squirm more.

"I..." Twilight rubbed her chin, raising an eyebrow. "Yes." She nodded. "You said there were seven?"

"Yes Princess. Seven reports of lights." Steel confirmed, keeping her steady tone and demeanor. It was quite the contrast to Twilight, who was having a mini panic attack.

Spike patted her side, reminding her that he was there. "Just breathe Twilight."

"Trixie Lulamoon and Octavia Melody both reported purple. Cheerilee reported green, and finally Matilda reported blue." Steel Gaze finished, awaiting a response from Twilight.

"Spike, please fetch something to write all this down with." Twilight requested with a sigh. The little dragon nodded, burping up a green flame that manifested both paper and quill.

"Soo.... we're going to investigate this right?" He asked as he finished writing it all down. He rolled the paper up into a scroll and handed it to her. The dragon gave her a smirk.

"We don't have a choice Spike" Twilight nodded, kneeling down for him to climb onto her back.

"Sweet! It'll be just like the comic!" Spike expressed excitedly as she adjusted himself.

"This is no game little guy." Steel Gaze said lowly, crossing her forelimbs. "Everyone could be at risk. Lives are on the line here and it's all up to you."

"Woahhh... Awesome.." Spike swooned.

"She's right Spike. This is serious." Twilight mumbled as she pushed open her front doors. "Please keep an eye on everypony else." She requested of Steel Gaze. The ex-military mare nodded, bolting away to presumably do as Twilight requested.

Twilight looked around nervously at all the ponies living their normal lives. She was silent, Spike noticed. They didn't seem worried at all. The pressure on her shoulders was immense. It was her responsibility to make sure it stayed that way. To make sure each and every citizen here and Equestria beyond was safe.

It only worsened as her throat tightened.

She felt an awful twisting in her chest.

A hot jagged blade of feelings twisting around and making her feel uncomfortable in her own skin.

Part of her yearned for another way out.

Sweet Apple Acres was always a nice place to visit. Twilight was just about to knock on Applejack's front door until...

"Applejack! You can't just do everything by yourself!" An unknown mare shouted.

"You listen here missy!" Applejack started.

Spike poked Twilight's neck. "You.. think we should wait.. or leave?"

"I don't know." Twilight whispered.

"This is mah dang farm and I run it how I want to!" Applejack asserted to the unknown voice. Both had accents. Perhaps it was a family member?

"Applejack the whole point a me comin' over here was to help!" The voice replied.

"You do Big Mac's chores and just that! Nothin' else Apple Fritter!" Applejack bellowed.

Twilight backed away from the door. "Maybe I'll.. just wait at the gate." She whispered, ears firmly pressed to the sides of her head as she turned around.

More shouting, though it was tough to tell what they were really saying now. It had been a few minutes of Twilight just sitting and waiting. She leaned on a fence post, tiredly watching the house.

Applejack burst out of her front door, face red as a tomato. "Fine then!" She grumbled, looking back at Apple Fritter. "You can do it all!"

WHAM!

She kicked the door shut behind her and huffed for a moment, catching her breath.

Twilight jumped at the noise. She's only seen Applejack angry a few times but it was never pleasant. She gulped, casting a glance at Spike. He just looked away at the ground.

"Applejack?" Twilight asked. "You okay?" She carefully walked closer to Applejack, eyeing the ground more than looking at her friend.

Applejack blinked quickly, looking up at Twilight. "Oh.. Uh. Hay." She grumbled, pulling her hat off her head and stuffing her face into it.

"Whatchu up to Twi?"

"Well. I'm currently investigating something. There have bee-"

"Look out!" Scootaloo warned briefly before jumping into the river with a running start. Their fishing trip had turned into more of a swimming one now. Sweetie Belle had fallen in, and next thing they knew everypony was swimming.

"Stop it!" Applebloom giggled, turning away from Sweetie Belle as she kept splashing her friend.
Scootaloo impacted the water, splashing the both of them. The filly laughed as she surfaced.

"Beat that Applebloom!" Scootaloo challenged her friend. The river was refreshingly cold. A nice change of pace from the hot day. She gave Applebloom a playful punch on the shoulder, something she'd seen Rainbow Dash do many times.

"Ow! What'd ya do that for Scootaloo?" Applebloom pouted. She swam toward the edge, pulling herself out.

"Applebloom cmooon I was just playing!" Scootaloo pleaded. "Don't leave yet!"

"You just told her to beat your splash Scootaloo. That's what she's doing." Sweetie Belle pointed out.

Applebloom raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Aw Scoot." She mumbled. She stepped backward a few paces and then made a running start. "Cannon ball!" She shouted as she hopped into the air as high as she could, curling into a ball.

The splash certainly surpassed Scootaloo's. The filly even managed to send a fish or two flying.
Scootaloo giggled, unsuccessfully trying to shield her face from the big splash. "Okay.. you win." She conceded.

Sweetie Belle meanwhile was pulling herself out of the water already, trying to save the fish. "Maybe we should have went to a pool instead." She mumbled, depositing the slippery creatures back into the water.

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "Sweetie Belle I thought you didn't like touching fish?"

Sweetie Belle stopped for a moment, looking down at the water. "I guess I didn't think about it." She excused. "They're slimy and floppy but they deserve to live too."

Applebloom snickered. "Ya sound like Fluttershy, Sweetie Belle." She teased.

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

Sweetie Belle gave up, sitting down and dipping her back hooves into the water. "Whatever Applebloom." She stuck her tongue out.

"Don't leave that thang hangin out too long or it'll fall off!" Applebloom recounted something her granny had told her, teasing.

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "No way that's true. That's just a lie." She contested the statement. The filly kicked one of her legs out to splash her friends.

Scootaloo dipped her head under the water, swimming close to Sweetie Belle and trying to tickle her. After a moment she surfaced. "I know you're ticklish! What's the deal?"

"Is that what you was doing under the water?" Sweetie Belle asked, her face blank. "I didn't feel it. Don't you... remember?" She seemed unsure herself of that question.

Scootaloo stared, her expression one of confusion. "What? No?"

"Whatchu mean Sweetie Belle?" Applebloom asked, arching an eyebrow.

Sweetie Belle's eyes darted back and forth for just a moment, before she seemingly decided on a course of action.

"It's personal..." She looked away, frowning. "I.. I don't wanna talk about it. I didn't realize I hadn't told you two. I'm sorry, I just don't wanna think about it right now."

"Sweetie Belle.. you.. can't just not tell us stuff!" Scootaloo growled.

Sweetie Belle squeezed her eyes shut, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry.. I just.. It's really painful okay?"

Applebloom sighed, patting Scootaloo on the side. "If it's that hard for her to think about Scoot it's probably a good idea to not push it. Reckon that's kinda rude."

Scootaloo grimaced for a moment, looking downward. It took her a moment to swallow her irritation. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were supposed to be the closest bestest friends ever! How could Sweetie Belle do this?!

"I.. uh.. I'm sorry Sweetie Belle." She managed.

Sweetie Belle wiped the tears from her face, trembling a bit. "It's.. it's okay.." She murmured.

Applebloom pulled the two into an uncertain hug, though soon they each giggled and chatted amongst another. All was well once again.

"So yer sayin' ya think there's monsters or somethin'?" Applejack asked, her eyebrow raised. She'd calmed down quite a bit now. They began walking to Ponyville during their conversation.

"I don't know, and I'm not going to speculate without evidence. The only evidence we do have are records of ponies vanishing and reappearing days later and a few reports. The lights." Twilight explained to her friend.

"Lights... huh?" Applejack gulped.

Twilight nodded, catching on. "You haven't seen anything like that have you?" She asked, almost pleading in a sense. Part of her hoped it was nothing, but if there were even more reports? That makes a disturbing trend. Seven ponies spotting the same thing was already strange enough.

"Applebloom. Girl cried to me 'bout it few nights in a row. Ah didn't believe it at first, thought it was a scheme or somethin' but I aint never seen her so shaken up." Applejack shivered as she recalled the memory; The pleading teary eyes of her sister coming to the forefront of her mind's eye. "Aw Applebloom." She sighed.

Twilight glanced at Spike, who was in fact doing his job and writing it down. "What color were they?" She asked Applejack.

Applejack gave Twilight an odd look. "She uh.. never really told me that. Reckon we could ask her. Don't see how that's relevant though."

"I'm trying to figure out what could be happening. It's very relevant." Twilight said with a sigh.

"Guess I'll mark it down as a question mark..." Spike mumbled to himself.

Twilight tapped her forehead with a hoof for a few moments. "Hrmm."

"Whatcha thinkin Twi?" Applejack asked curiously. She was usually the brave one, but she had to admit to herself that she was a bit anxious too. Twilight seemed really worked up based on her body language.

"I want you to come with me when I ask these ponies about what happened to them. You can tell when ponies are lying." Twilight said suddenly, after another moment or so of thinking. "That's why I was at the farm."

"Reckon I can do that." Applejack nodded. "Ain't got nothin else better to do for once."

"Is it slow at the farm?" Twilight asked quizzically.

"Not exactly. Just got some extra help is all. Got a few cousins over for the week. I love my family but I think they're gettin tired a me."
Applejack looked downward at the road, sighing.

"Why would they be tired of you?" Twilight had a pretty good guess as to why.

"They're actin all cold like. I think it's cause a what I said to em last time. Got a bit too big for my britches and told em I could do everythin' myself. Guess I made em feel all useless like." Applejack explained, shaking her head slowly. "Told Apple Fritter ta hit the road cause all she was good fer was makin' mediocre fritters." She winced as she said this. "Im awful."

Twilight was glad at least that Applejack was being open about it. She could remember a time when the farmpony had been far less open about these things. "Did you apologize? I would try to make it right."

With this, Applejack grimaced. "That's just it Twi, they won't let me speak to em. They're too mad at me to even let me talk to em. Makes me mad, but I always remember what I done said. I dunno though, If I were them I wouldn't a done that."

"They're not you Applejack." Twilight reminded her. "Some ponies aren't direct like you."

Applejack couldn't help but chuckle at Twilight's bluntness. "Ya sound like me Twi." She gave her friend a sad little smile.

"Sorry, uh... Too straight forward?" Twilight asked with a nervous, apologetic smile.

"Naw. Probably what I need to hear really. Heh. I'm supposed to be the honest one. I'm supposed to be tellin' you what you need ta hear." Applejack smirked a little.

After a few moments of nervous silence and the clip clopping of hooves, they made their way through town. Applejack realized she'd just about gotten sidetracked. She knew somewhere in her head that she'd rather not talk about this at all, to maybe just for once plug her ears and sing as loud as she could. That wouldn't make her problems go away. She realized that long ago. She'd clammed up and shut everyone out before. It had only served to make things worse, as Twilight had helped her see.

"Thanks for talkin' with me about this Twi." Applejack murmured.

Twilight nodded, giving a reassuring smile. "That's what friends are for right?" She asked. "You matter to me." She promised.

The two mares looked around at their town after another moment of silence. They were a little over halfway there. Twilight was heading for Trixie's Carriage. The "great and powerful" mare usually parked it in the same place. Twilight figured she should get the unpleasant one out of the way first.

"Where am I?"

......

"Why can't I see?"

.......

"I can't feel anything. Somepony help me please... I miss my sister. I miss my friends. Please Celestia... somepony..."

......

"Why can't I scream?"

Author's Note

Any feedback would be highly appreciated. Hugs and kisses