Dark Horse: A My Little Pony Story

I think you know that it's not fair

The way you hold your longing stare

Making me come undone

Pixie Dust's song echoed across the dance floor, enchanting all of the ponies who heard it. It was almost impossible not to feel love in the air. Ginger Blush looked up at her dance partner, smitten by his undeniable charm. She and Savoir Fare swayed along to the love song, thoroughly enjoying their first ever dance together.

"What brings you to the Grand Galloping Gala this evening?" Savoir sparked up a small conversation.

"It's a lot," Ginger warned.

"We've got all night," Savoir laughed.

"Okay," Ginger started. "Well, one day my friends and I discovered that somepony was secretly plotting to take over our hometown, so of course we tried to stop it. I actually got trapped in a coma by him while my friends went to fight him head-on."

"This sounds pretty intense," Savoir interrupted.

"Oh, it was," Ginger confirmed. "Anyway, I was trapped in some sort of dream world where I learned all about our enemy, and I actually ended up feeling kinda bad for him. Then, when my friend Prose encouraged my friend Chorus to cast a spell that reversed all of our enemy's spells, I woke up. I immediately headed to find my friends, and we all convinced the Dollkeeper to stop trying to take over the world."

"The Dollkeeper? You and your friends were the three ponies who stopped the Dollkeeper? I heard about that!" Savoir Fare gasped.

"Yes! Anyway, Princess Celestia heard about it, and she invited us to the gala. So, that's why I'm here," Ginger Blush finished.

"You are one impressive pony, Ginger Blush," Savoir Fare complimented. "Not many ponies get to say they saved their entire hometown."

"Yea, I guess so," Ginger smiled. "So, why are you here tonight?" she asked, trying to turn the attention away from her.

"Well, I was hired to be here," Savoir spoke with a smile.

"Right! How could I forget that?" Ginger laughed.

"The uniform gives it away a little bit," Savoir laughed. "I've been hired to work in a lot of places, actually. I've even worked in Ponyville. That's where you're from, right?"

"Yes, I'm from Ponyville," Ginger certified.

"It's a lovely little town. Beautiful, really. Sometimes I prefer places like that over the 'high-class' establishments where I'm usually employed. Ponies are much more humble and kind in places like Ponyville," Savoir confessed.

"I get that. There's a certain beauty in places like Ponyville," Ginger Blush commented.

"You're exactly right, Ginger," Savoir Fare smiled. "I want to show you something."

Savoir Fare took Ginger Blush's hoof and guided her carefully through the crowd of dancing ponies. Ginger followed Savoir as he led her across the event hall and through back hallways, presumably only to be used by the service ponies.

"Where are you taking me?" Ginger asked.

"There's a place just outside of Canterlot where you can see all of Ponyville. At night, the lit-up houses shine so beautifully. I wanted you to see it," Savoir explained.

Ginger smiled at the thoughtful gesture. Savoir led her out of a back door and into the grass and streets of Canterlot. The city looked hauntingly beautiful at night. The tall, sleek buildings shined and sparkled as Savoir and Ginger made their way through the empty Canterlot streets. They passed by Ginger's carriage, indicating that they were getting close to the city limits. Savoir led Ginger through backroads and gardens, past statues and fountains, until they were nearly to the perfect viewing location. Ginger's excitement grew as they neared their destination, excited to share such a personal moment with her date.

Savoir Fare parted some vines with his hooves, revealing a precarious, beautiful cliffside, perfect for viewing anything that rested below.

"Fillies first," he invited Ginger Blush to step onto the cliffside. Ginger smiled and stepped through the vines, briskly heading to see the view. After a few steps toward the edge, her face smacked into a solid force, blocking her from advancing farther. Ginger stepped backwards stumbling into Savoir Fare.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Savoir asked worriedly.

"Look at this," Ginger instructed.

She put her hoof in front of her and walked forward again, once again stopped by a solid force in front of her. She watched as her hoof touched an invisible barrier, causing a deep blue light to radiate off of it. She felt along its surface, quickly realizing just how far this wall spread.

"There's some sort of force field surrounding Canterlot," Ginger hypothesized.

"What could somepony be trying to keep out?" Savoir wondered aloud.

Ginger felt anxiety rise within her chest. "What if somepony is trying to keep something in?"