Ancient Rivalsby JwuTheHeadcaseChaptersThose Who DreamA Leave of AbsenceA Jumpy NightThose Who Dream“A raised moon, a new night, and more nightmares to treat” Princess Luna thought to herself, standing at the edge of her bedroom window and gazing over the land. Her mane billowed out behind her. She took off into the night air, enjoying the feeling of stretching her wings, and hovered in the air for a moment with her eyes shut. Canterlot would be first tonight. Luna rode the wind, turning her gaze to the city immediately beneath her. By now, most of the ponies would be well into their dreams. Sure enough, the thin slivers dreams, invisible to all eyes but her own, drifted up from the ground below. She began scouting around for the angry red wisps of faint light that would signify nightmares. Luckily, all of the dreams around Canterlot were of calm gold, so she moved on to Ponyville. Nothing much seemed to be going on here, either. Was she finished here already? It would be better to double-check. Many ponies here had done a great service to the Canterlot Royal Family, the least she could do was ensure their good sleep. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a very faint red wisp of dream seeping out of the Ponyville Library. Luna twirled around, swirling the wisp of nightmare with her wings and feeling its essence. This one was a pretty bad one, full of worry and loss. Luna dove downward into the dream, projecting her spirit, thoughts, and magic into the wisp. She manifested herself as the moon in this dreamworld, sensing it was nighttime, and decided to stay in that form for a moment to observe her surroundings. She was in Ponyville, that much was for sure. It was definitely Twilight Sparkle’s dream, evidenced by the enormous school and triple-size library. Aside from that, everything else appeared roughly as it did in reality. Looking around, Luna could spot the town hall, Sweet Apple Acres, and the Ponyville Library. The Library was most likely the cause of the problem, as it was one of the only two places where a nightmare so large would contain itself. Riding down in a beam of moonlight, she reached the ground just in time to see a rampaging fire monster tear its way out of the library and trudge towards the town hall. “Stop him!”Twilight screamed, galloping towards Luna. “But please, be careful not to damage what he’s carrying.” Luna studied the monster carefully. Although the heat from the flames was distorting the air, she could barely make out a dragon-like shape. It clutched a cardboard box in its arms. Fortunately, it seemed like whatever type of cardboard this dream box was, it was fireproof. Dream logic would stand that although water would be the easiest way to take down the fire monster, water would also damage the box. There had to be another way to take down this dragon… Wait. Dragon? “Spike?” Luna called. The fire monster stopped and turned. So it seemed that somehow, the baby dragon had transformed into a spirit of flame. “What happened to Spike, Twilight?” Luna asked. “I was testing a new spell that was supposed to make his fire larger, and… I guess I messed up. When Spike tried it out, it worked at first. The fire grew larger, and larger, but then it just wouldn’t stop! It burned down a bookshelf and I told him to hold it in while I tried to stop it. Then I tried every spell I knew and… That happened.” Twilight covered her horn with her hooves and cradled her head. The fire monster that was once Spike had set fire to many of the surrounding buildings by now. Luna could almost feel the flames scorching her fur. There wasn’t any time to lose. “Twilight Sparkle. You are afraid of your own talent. Your magic is powerful, but yourself full of doubt. We have witnessed your strength, judgement, and skill. Concentrate, and try once more.” Twilight closed her eyes, focusing hard. A spark came out of her horn and fizzled. “Try harder!” Luna urged. “Quickly!” A wave of magic resonated from Twilight’s horn, extinguishing all of the houses and returning Spike to his original form, clawing in the air for a moment before falling to the ground. “Sorry Twilight, I guess I kinda lost control there. I don’t know what came over me. Your books were all destroyed.” Twilight ran over and hugged Spike. “Forget about the books. I was afraid I’d lost you, and destroyed all of Ponyville. Books can be replaced. Friends cannot.” She opened up the cardboard box that the monstrous Spike had been carrying and fished out its contents. Among the childhood memorabilia, quills, and scrolls, there was an old, leather-bound book full of her old letters, pictures of her friends, and a fragment of eggshell. Luna smiled, wiped the sweat off her brow, and yawned, exiting the dream before she intruded on any of Twilight’s personal memories. The only nightmare in Ponyville had been taken care of. It was time to patrol the other cities. Luna flew off in the direction of Cloudsdale, soaring over plains, rivers, and forest, until something below caught her eye. There was something odd drifting in the air, a dream wisp, but from a cave? Odd. Surely a cave would have a dragon in it, yet this dream was clearly from a pony. Did somepony need help? She decided to investigate. Her hooves landed gently on the gravel and she entered the cave, lighting up the darkness with her horn. It was a surprisingly clean cave, free of spiders, bears, and debris. It even looked like somepony had broken the stalagmites off and arranged them in order of increasing size. Luna headed farther inside, following the dream. There was a faint light coming from around the bend. “Hello?” Luna whispered. Her voice echoed throughout the cave. There was no response. She poked her head around the corner. The silhouette of a mare could be seen sleeping beside a very dim light source. As Luna watched, the golden wisp of a happy dream turned deep, crimson red. She quickly dove in to help. Luna landed in a cave, similar to the one she left. She saw a pony sleeping there, similar to the one she was going to help, in the same position, by the same dim light source. But she was in a dream. What kind of a nightmare was this? There was no impending doom, no strife. In fact the figure looked perfectly content, just napping. Luna walked over and poked the figure. “Excuse us, but thou art having a nightmare.” The figure slumped over and its head fell off. It was only a dummy. Luna backpedaled, mind reeling. That was definitely a dream wisp, and this was definitely a dream she had entered. The cave wall closed in behind her as she turned to leave, as if to prove the false reality of the dream world. All that was left was the mysterious light source. It was a slightly glowing red crystal ball. As Luna peered into it, a face appeared, one that she had not seen in many, many years. It belonged to a unicorn with crimson fur and purple eyes. A lock of golden mane partially covered her horn. “Salutations my dearest Princess Luna,” the face spoke. “I take it you believe yourself to be helping some pony in a cave somewhere with her nightmare? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Whatever happened to ‘Nighttime Eternal’? Or was that just one big letdown, like everything else you tried to do?” Luna glared at the ball. “Where art thou hiding? We will show thee how much of a letdown our actions can be!” Her horn glowed and blasted the crystal ball, which absorbed it without showing any sign of harm. “Careful, Luna, or you might break it, and then you’ll be all alone in here forever and ever. You know enough about dreams to know that this is my world, and therefore, I can decide the rules. It might intrigue you to know that I am not actually asleep, so I can hold you here indefinitely while I go… tend to matters.” The face continued. “It’s nice, having absolute power, even if it is limited to this world in my thoughts. Absolute power that no meddling alicorn sisters could ever STEAL from me.” The ball glowed bright red. “Ahem, sorry. I lost control a little there.” “Thou art still a rambler, Malady.” Luna snorted. “Now release us and we might make it hurt less when we turn thee to stone.” The face in the ball looked amused. “You really think that you could make a difference to my plans? Of course I had already factored in your meddling and ruled it negligible. Let’s just say I harbor a bit of a grudge and would love it if you could watch while I destroy everything you’ve grown to love.” The face faded. Luna stomped on the ground with her hooves, but the ground did not give. “Malady! Thou shall pay for this!” She shouted at nothing in particular, then settled down and thought of a spell strong enough for escape. Nothing came up. For the first time since she had returned to Equestria, Luna was once again exiled. Princess Celestia turned in her sleep and woke up. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t quite place it. She got out of her bed and walked across the room, opening the window to get some fresh air. The pale glow of the moon illuminated her kingdom. All of a sudden, it made sense. She couldn’t feel her bond with her sister, something that had slowly grown back ever since Luna’s return from the moon. There were still a few hours before daybreak, but the night shift guards would still be up. Celestia opened the doors to her royal bedroom and galloped down the hall at full speed, grabbing the first guard by the shoulder. “Get me in contact with Shining Armor and the Royal Elite. There is something amiss, and I don’t know how big this problem is going to become.” She paused for a minute. “And bring me a scroll and quill. There is a letter that I must write.” The guard ran off as two more guards came in through the side hall. “What seems to be the problem, your highness?” One of them asked. Celestia turned, facing them in the dim light. “I have lost my connection with Princess Luna. Not very many ponies have the strength nor the cunning to hold her against her will. Is Discord still stone?” The guards gestured over to the garden, where the stone statue of discord stared ominously back. “Have there been any sightings of King Sombra?” The guards shook their heads. “Nothing has happened since Luna left for her nightly duties, your highness.” They responded. Troubling news. Celestia paced back and forth for a good fifteen minutes. This was a slow guard. Finally, the first guard galloped back, clutching several scrolls, quills, and a birdcage containing Philomena the phoenix. “Everything you requested, your highness.” He panted, dropping off the items. “I had to get the scrolls from the basement; we were out.” He slumped down on a nearby sofa. Celestia levitated a quill, inked it, and began writing. “Shining Armor, it pains me to have to request this of you, but the Crystal Empire should be safe for now. Canterlot needs your help. Return immediately.” Philomena engulfed the letter in flame, sending it to its destination. Celestia took out another scroll and began writing. “My dearest student, I-” Philomena squawked and clawed at her cage frantically. Something was deeply troubling her. Celestia flipped open the latch to allow the phoenix to sit on her shoulder. Philomena flew past her and out a nearby open window. “What has gotten into that bird?” Celestia wondered, turning back to her letter. The two guards that had remained beside her the entire time looked towards each other and nodded simultaneously. Spikes erupted from their legs and their color faded to black. Celestia was still absorbed in her letter. “Finished. Guards, could you please mail this?” Celestia asked, turning around to face two of the largest changelings she had ever seen. Bright flashes of magic lit up the halls. Five more guards rushed over to the source of the magic to investigate, but all they could find were an empty birdcage, an unfinished letter, and one of the new recruits asleep on a couch. Luna was missing. Celestia was gone. The only other member of the royal family in the castle was a prince, but a powerless buffoon. There was something coming up on the horizon, something the guards had seen a thousand times, yet this particular time, it left their jaws gaping in disbelief. For despite the absence of the Royal Family, the sun was rising. They were startled out of their trance by a knock on the castle door. A Leave of Absence“A vacation?” Twilight screamed, clutching the scroll that Spike had coughed out not a second ago. “She can’t take a vacation! She moves the sun! How will she read my letters? What if Equestria is in danger?” Rainbow Dash poked her head in through the window of Twilight’s Library. “What’s going on, Twilight? I heard you screaming on my way over to Fluttershy’s.” Twilight moaned, unresponsive, clutching her head and rocking back and forth. Spike handed Rainbow Dash the scroll. “My dearest Twilight, I am sorry to inform you that I will be taking a short vacation and will be unavailable to continue your lessons for an indeterminate amount of time. I’ve become so caught up in royal affairs that it’s taken a toll on me. I know my best student will understand. Don’t worry about the sun; everything’s been taken care of. Yours truly, Princess Celestia. P.S. Luna is coming too,” Rainbow Dash peered at the letter. “Huh. So the Princess gets tired too. Don’t worry about it Twilight, everyone can use a break once in a while.” Twilight talked muffled with her face pressed against her hooves. “No, not so suddenly, not so unannounced! I know my teacher, and she wouldn’t… she couldn’t…” Spike walked over and patted her on the shoulder. Rainbow Dash thought for a moment. “If it would really make you feel that much better, how about we pay the castle a visit? To make sure everything’s okay? I mean since your teacher can’t read your letters right now, and all, you don’t really have much to do, right?” Pinkie pie popped out of a nearby vase. “I heard the whole thing! I’m coming too! I’ll get the others!” She squeezed out of the open window, leaving Rainbow Dash and Twilight staring. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, then stopped. An hour later, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Spike were on a train over to Canterlot. Applejack turned to Twilight. “So you wanna explain what this here trip is all about? We kinda got… Pinkie’d into it.” Twilight was pacing back and forth. “Princess Celestia is… is…” She stopped. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity looked worried. “She’s on vacation and the egghead wants to check on her.” Rainbow Dash snorted. Rarity glared. “I can see why she is worried. Why would a princess ever take a vacation? What could she even do on a vacation? I mean, when I take a vacation, I treat myself like a princess, but…” she trailed off and her eyes lit up. “Do you suppose there’s some sort of life even more glamorous than that of a princess?” “I just hope everypony’s okay…” Fluttershy stared at the floorboards of the train. She had a bad feeling about this adventure. “Will you all relax?” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Everything’s fine, Twilight’s just being her normal worried self.” “We’re here!” Pinkie screamed, bouncing up and down. Indeed, the train had arrived. They disembarked and made their way through the streets of Canterlot to the royal palace. “Twilight!” One of the guards called, waving. “Come on in!” It payed to be the younger sister of the guard captain. The gates opened and the seven made their way towards the throne room. They were interrupted by the loud clearing of an official-looking pony’s throat. Standing behind them was a tall, golden unicorn with streaks of silver down his mane. His cutie mark, a sunrise, was partially covered by a royal-looking uniform. “I am Helios. Celestia has appointed me to be in charge of her affairs during her leave of absence. Is there something I may help you with?” Twilight turned to face him. “Why haven’t I heard of you before? Celestia was my teacher, and she just left without telling me she would be gone. How do I know she’s safe?” Helios raised an eyebrow. “I can assure you that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are simply tired from their daily and nightly duties. I can understand your frustration, as a scholar myself, I sympathize with your situation but there is nothing I can do. Canterlot is, however, in my capable hooves. Now if you’ll excuse me…” Helios moved over to the window and rose up on his hind legs. His horn glowed a bright white light and the sun moved over a few degrees. “As you can see, I am perfectly capable of handling Celestia’s duties during her vacation.” Twilight relaxed a little. Day and night were taken care of. Applejack pushed her way to the front of the group. “Pardon my asking, sir, but where did the Princesses go exactly?” Helios smiled, “Not at all, my dear. Princess Celestia and Luna have gone to an area of great significance to them to reflect on their thoughts… The exact location escapes me, but its name is Tranquility Lake.” Applejack nodded and stepped back. “Do you know what time they will be back?” Rarity asked. “And by the way, that is a very charming uniform.” “Thank you, my lady, but unfortunately the princess did not say. I do know the location is quite a distance away, so it could take a fair amount of time for them to return. Rest assured, they are safe, as I doubt even the mightiest dragons would dare tangle with two of the strongest alicorns in Equestria.” He smiled reassuringly. Fluttershy spoke up. “Did she say who was taking care of Philomena? I’ve been working on my magical creatures care and I would be happy to help, I don’t think we got off on the right hoof the last time.” Helios’ smile faded, as if remembering something. A shadow crept across his face and he turned to the side. “No… not… this… how could I have forgotten something as obvious as that empty birdcage? That blasted bird!” He muttered under his breath, and then regained his composure. “I am sorry, but Philomena is being tended to by our most trained specialists in the Royal Bestiary. Phoenixes have a lot of needs, if you’re aware.” Fluttershy nodded. “Oh yes, I’ve had to find that out first hand. Sorry to bother you.” Helios looked at the group of ponies. “Well, if that’s it then, I do have some more royal duties to attend to. Would you be so kind?” The guards opened the gate and Helios motioned for the group to leave. Twilight stopped for a moment. “While I’m here, is it alright if I drop into the library for a couple books?” Helios was about to talk, but the guards had already let her through. “I’ll meet up with the rest of you outside!” She called behind her before strolling through the main door. The friends were walking in the garden when Applejack felt somepony knock her hat down. “Well that’s just darned rude!” She exclaimed, retrieving it from the grass. There was a note inside. “What’s this?” She read it silently. “You seem more sensible than the rest of them. Meet me at Donut Joe’s so I can tell you what I know. I will be sitting in the corner by the window. P. S. if anypony asks, you never got this message.” “Hey, uh, do yall want to stop for donuts before we head back?” Applejack asked before another passing pony knocked her hat down. She retrieved it, and there was another letter, this time in all caps: “ALONE” she read. “Heh, nevermind, I just remembered there was a thing I had to do. Better go do that there… thing!” She stammered, galloping off, scattering a pile of raked leaves. “Big city’s finally gotten to the country girl.” Spike remarked. Twilight returned from the Castle with her bag looking considerably heavier. “All ready to go, girls?” She asked. “Where’s Applejack?” After an hour of searching, Applejack found Donut Joe’s. “Good for nothing maze of a city. Hope this pony’s the patient type,” she mumbled, entering the mostly empty restaurant. There was a suspicious-looking pony in a trenchcoat by a corner seat. “You wouldn’t happen to be the feller with a thing against hats, would ya?” The pony looked startled and started talking at an extremely fast pace. “No ma’am, I’m just here for the food! I’m not bothering you, am I? My psychiatrist says I talk too much when I get nervous, oh hehehe I’m doing that right now, aren’t I? It’s kind of strange really I just keep talking and talking and don’t even realize I’m doing it. You know what? I think I’ve had enough sugar for today, why don’t you have my table.” He paid the bill and shot out the door in a matter of seconds, leaving Applejack wondering what just happened. The door opened and a royal guard galloped in, out of breath. His mane was gray and his fur was pure white. A disorderly uniform revealed his cutie mark, a tornado with a lightning bolt. “Oh good…, you’re still… here. It’s a good thing you’re… patient, I always get lost whenever I go outside the palace... just give me a moment to…” He didn’t seem as professional as the other guards. He got over and collapsed next to Applejack, doing his best to convey an air of importance. “Sorry… I’m new here… big city…,” he paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “Yall better cool your jets and have a drink before you go sunny side up on me.” Applejack ordered two glasses of cider and watched as the guard gulped them both down. “Actually, one was for me. Aw shucks, looks likes could use them both anyways. Now tell me, what the hay is going on?” The door opened and Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike entered. “There you are, Applejack! We thought you’d gotten lost in Canterlot and went searching for you. Spike said you went to get donuts, but you were gone for one and a half hours now, so… Are you done eating yet?” Twilight asked. “What are you doing with that guard?” “Darnit, you were supposed to come alone!” The guard exclaimed, finally catching his breath. “Whatever, as long as nopony else knows I’m here…” The door flew open again and a larger guard came in. “So there you are, Stormy. Donut break, eh? Your night shift’s starting soon.” The guard went over to the counter. “Hey, could a guard get a glazed and a glass of cider here?” “Stormy”, as the first guard was called, glared at the guard who just came in. “I was attending to some business, Aegisbright. Cider’s on me if you fill in my shift just this once. As a favor? Please?” “Alright, I see what yer getting at,” the guard winked at Applejack and Stormy in the booth for two. “I got a big heart. And a big stomach. Three mugs of cider tonight then.” He headed for the door. “Now that there are no more interruptions, allow me to introduce myself. I am Skyward Storm, of the Canterlot Royal Guard. I am… a little new to my job, but there was something I witnessed that I felt it was my duty to report. However, Shining Armor is still absent despite his summons and I’m not sure which of my comrades I can trust.” Skyward Storm rocked back and forth nervously. “Late last night, Princess Celestia sensed something wrong, although she did not say what. She sent me to retrieve some quills, scrolls, and bird, so I was gone for about twenty minutes.” “Wait. It took you twenty minutes to grab a quill, some paper, and a birdcage?” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “We were low on supplies, I went to the basement, and Philomena was sleeping. Do you know how cranky a sleeping phoenix can get?” Skyward snapped. “Anyway, twenty minutes later, I dropped off the messages and… um… returned to my guard duties... on a nearby sofa. I was tired, okay? I heard her sending off for Shining Armor, and then I fell asleep just as Philomena escaped.” “You fell asleep as a phoenix burst out of its cage and flew out the window?” Twilight asked, lifting an eyebrow. “I. Was. Tired. Okay?” Skyward Storm said. “I know what I saw, and I know what I heard, and I know that when I woke up, the princess was ‘on vacation’ and somepony named Helios I had never heard of before was lording over the castle like he owned the place.” “Are you certain it was not, perhaps, a dream?” Rarity asked, worriedly. This guard seemed a little odd. “I assure you, it was no dream.” Skyward Storm replied grimly, and belched loudly. “Sorry for ruining the mood. It’s the cider.” Rarity took a step back. “Well I’m just not sure what to believe,” Applejack said after a long period of thought. “But let’s just assume that yall are telling the truth. Wouldn’t that mean Philomena is still out there? So if Philomena’s not in the Castle, being cared for like Helios said, then that’s a step in the right direction. Something seemed a little fishy about Helios, but I can’t quite place my hoof on it.” “I could look for Philomena if you’d like,” Fluttershy suggested timidly. “But I don’t think I’d get much help here. The animals of Canterlot are a little shy around strangers.” Spike glanced at her, suppressing a snigger. “I’m just going to let you all think over how ironic that statement was.” The dragon took a bite out of a donut. “Anyway, why don’t we just check over at the palace? It would be easier than searching who knows where for Philomena.” “The bestiary is usually closed off to visitors, but I’m taking a shift there tonight.” Skyward said. “Why don’t the seven of you stay awhile in Canterlot?” The ponies discussed among themselves for a moment. “Beats having to take another long train ride in the middle of the night,” Rainbow Dash said. “And there are more fine materials available here for my dresses.” Rarity added. “Mmphmmphh!” Pinkie Pie agreed with a mouthful of donut. “Don’t worry Twilight, we’re gonna get to the bottom of this.” Applejack rested a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “I would be happy to help,” Fluttershy said. “I even brought Angel here in my bag in case we would be staying longer.” Twilight turned to Skyward Storm. “We’re in.” Skyward nodded. “Good. Now can anyone spot me three bits for some cider? Aegisbright has a big stomach.” A Jumpy NightThe mane six needed to find lodging for the night. “I say we don’t worry about it and sleep in a tree.” Rainbow Dash said, drifting by belly-side up and matching patterns in the clouds with her eyes. “Besides, I didn’t bring enough bits to pay for a good hotel.” “Absolutely not!” Rarity interjected. “Why on earth would anypony want to sleep on some moldy old branch next to the cobwebs and bird droppings?” “I agree with Rarity,” Twilight said. “Maybe Helios will let us stay in one of the castle’s guest rooms?” Applejack shook her head. “If’n what Skyward’s sayin’ is true, he’d be the last person we’d want to let know we’re staying in Canterlot.” Pinkie Pie bounced up. “Ooh! I know! We could stay in a cake shop! I heard cake shops have bedrooms upstairs!” “Aren’t those for the owners?” Twilight asked. “What do you think, Fluttershy? You’ve been silent this entire time.” “Oh, I don’t mind, really. But, how about there?” Fluttershy pointed at an inn. “It looks affordable enough for Rainbow Dash and very cozy.” Rainbow Dash flew over and read the sign. “Six Whiskers Inn, Pets Welcome, Affordable Prices… Sounds like a good deal to me!” The others nodded in agreement and headed inside, just as the sun was setting. Twilight looked over at the familiar sunset and shuddered, thinking about how for the first time since Discord’s appearance, somepony other than Celestia was controlling the sun. Somepony she knew next to nothing about.” The inside of the inn was bright and warm. It was a simple place, made of wood and stone with a red carpet on the floor. There was a cat resting by the cheery fire of the hearth. Rarity walked over to the front desk and rang a bell. “Just one moment!” a voice called from the back. Moments later, a tan pony with a short red mane emerged. He looked young, and had a candle as his cutie mark. “Name’s Styles Wickers, but everypony around here calls me Styles. Welcome to the Six Whiskers Inn. So, what’ll it be, a room, a meal, or traveling supplies?” “How large are your rooms?” Rarity inquired, sizing up the group. “And how many beds does your largest one have?” Styles examined the group. “Well, this is a rather small inn and we only have three bedrooms open, but I’m certain you would all be comfortable in three of them. Or if you don’t mind sleeping on a soft rug instead of a bed, you could opt for two rooms.” Rarity turned around. “Would anypony volunteer to sleep on the floor? Obviously it would be far too unladylike for me to do so, but we don’t know how long we’ll be here, and saving bits is always important.” Nopony stepped forward for a good five seconds.“You wusses wouldn’t last one day camping in the woods,” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Sleeping on the floor is a piece of cake for a pony as tough as me.” She stepped forward. “Anypony else?” Rarity asked, staring. Again, nopony stepped forward. “Well, if nopony else wants to do it, I… guess I don’t mind.” Fluttershy said softly, looking at the ground and poking at it a little with her hoof. “I mean, if it’s a soft rug, and Angel’s there with me...” Applejack interrupted, “Aw shucks, shame on yall, forcing sweet lil’ Fluttershy to sleep on the floor. I’ll do it.” She stepped forward. Rarity nodded. “So it’s decided then. Spike, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie can be in the first room. Applejack, Fluttershy, Angel, and myself will sleep in the second.” She turned back to Styles. “Did you get all that?” “Sure did, ma’am. The total will be ten bits. You’ll be staying in rooms three and four. Oh and for one more bit, I have an old cat basket for your dragon. It’s only ever been used by Whiskers the cat over there,” Styles took out a simple padded basket as the ponies counted out their money and pooled it on the table. Twilight paid for the extra basket and headed upstairs. “What a friendly innkeeper. And such a reasonable price,” Rarity remarked, unlocking the door to room four. She nudged it open and lit the wall candle with a weak magic spell. They were in a smallish room with two beds and a clean-looking carpet. “Best we all get to sleep before we get hungry,” Applejack said and settled in the carpet. “You know, this ain’t so bad.” She quickly fell asleep. “I agree, it’s a good thing I brought my emergency sleepytime kit.” Rarity rummaged in her bag, taking out a medium-sized box. “Some herbal tea, a mud mask, hair curlers, some sliced cucumbers…” She started talking to herself. Fluttershy was tending to Angel. “Sorry we couldn’t get back home, but I did bring you a spare carrot,” she smiled and rummaged through her bag, eventually bringing out a carrot stump. “Oh, it looks like you’ve already gotten to this one.” Angel folded his arms and stomped impatiently. “I’ll go and check if the innkeeper has some.” Fluttershy headed downstairs, unnoticed by the Applejack, who was asleep, and Rarity, who had just fitted in her luxury custom-fit earplugs. Twilight opened the door to room three and illuminated the interior with her horn. “Well this certainly looks cozy enough.” She said, levitating Spike’s basket over to the foot of her bed. “Is this a good spot, Spike?” Pinkie pie burst out from under the sheets, bouncing up and down. “This. Place. Is. Fun!” She said between bounces. “Didn’t I just unlock the door? When did you- Oh nevermind,” Twilight smiled and submerged herself in the covers. They were certainly clean, though the fabric was a little rougher than she was used to. “Night then,” she yawned, powering down her horn. “Aww, it’s dark now.” Pinkie stopped bouncing and settled down as Rainbow Dash curled up on the floor, falling quickly asleep. Twilight had positioned Spike’s basket right next to the snoring Rainbow Dash’s head. “Well that’s just great.” Spike lifted the basket and set it down on the opposite side of the small room, curling up and attempting to fall asleep. Rainbow Dash’s tail whipped him in the nose as she rolled over. Spike moved the basket to the other side of Rainbow Dash. She rolled over again. “Hey Twilight,” he poked the mass of bedsheets that Twilight had wormed her way into. There was a muffled response. “Is it okay if I sleep in the other room?” The bedsheets wiggled. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Spike opened the door, dragging his basket. “Wait. Which room were they staying in again?” He went downstairs to check. The fire had died down and presumably the innkeeper had gone to sleep. Spike used the moonlight from the open window to find the guest book. He dragged it out and opened it. There was a very short list. “Ah okay, room four.” He noticed something odd about the other room. “Holy cow! Twilight needs to see this!” Spike picked up the guestbook, running upstairs. He was intercepted by the silhouette of a pony directly in his path, screaming at him. The scream lasted a good ten seconds and resonated throughout the inn. The door to room four opened and a very annoyed Angel hopped out, holding a candle and revealing the source of the shrieking pony: a incredibly distraught Fluttershy. “Spike… You startled me. What are you doing here?” “I couldn’t sleep in the same room as Rainbow Dash,” Spike explained. “Then I forgot which room the others were staying in so I went downstairs to check in the guest book and…” He looked in his claw. The guest book was gone. “There was something in there that I had to show Twilight, but I was so tired that your screaming just made me forget it.” Fluttershy fetched the single carrot she had purchased and split it in two, handing the larger part to Angel and the smaller one to spike. “There there, Spike, don’t worry your poor little head about it. I’m sure you’ll remember in the morning. Now’s not a very good time to go looking for a book.” She picked up Spike’s basket and walked towards room four. “Why don’t you sleep in our room?” Spike scratched his head. There was no way after all of his experience in handling books for Twilight that he would just lose a book so easily. He stared into the shadowy corners of the inn, half expecting something to stare back. When a good five seconds had passed, he shrugged and headed over to room four, where Fluttershy had thoughtfully placed his basket in an area where Applejack wouldn’t reach if she rolled over. He curled up and went to sleep.
Those Who Dream“A raised moon, a new night, and more nightmares to treat” Princess Luna thought to herself, standing at the edge of her bedroom window and gazing over the land. Her mane billowed out behind her. She took off into the night air, enjoying the feeling of stretching her wings, and hovered in the air for a moment with her eyes shut. Canterlot would be first tonight. Luna rode the wind, turning her gaze to the city immediately beneath her. By now, most of the ponies would be well into their dreams. Sure enough, the thin slivers dreams, invisible to all eyes but her own, drifted up from the ground below. She began scouting around for the angry red wisps of faint light that would signify nightmares. Luckily, all of the dreams around Canterlot were of calm gold, so she moved on to Ponyville. Nothing much seemed to be going on here, either. Was she finished here already? It would be better to double-check. Many ponies here had done a great service to the Canterlot Royal Family, the least she could do was ensure their good sleep. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a very faint red wisp of dream seeping out of the Ponyville Library. Luna twirled around, swirling the wisp of nightmare with her wings and feeling its essence. This one was a pretty bad one, full of worry and loss. Luna dove downward into the dream, projecting her spirit, thoughts, and magic into the wisp. She manifested herself as the moon in this dreamworld, sensing it was nighttime, and decided to stay in that form for a moment to observe her surroundings. She was in Ponyville, that much was for sure. It was definitely Twilight Sparkle’s dream, evidenced by the enormous school and triple-size library. Aside from that, everything else appeared roughly as it did in reality. Looking around, Luna could spot the town hall, Sweet Apple Acres, and the Ponyville Library. The Library was most likely the cause of the problem, as it was one of the only two places where a nightmare so large would contain itself. Riding down in a beam of moonlight, she reached the ground just in time to see a rampaging fire monster tear its way out of the library and trudge towards the town hall. “Stop him!”Twilight screamed, galloping towards Luna. “But please, be careful not to damage what he’s carrying.” Luna studied the monster carefully. Although the heat from the flames was distorting the air, she could barely make out a dragon-like shape. It clutched a cardboard box in its arms. Fortunately, it seemed like whatever type of cardboard this dream box was, it was fireproof. Dream logic would stand that although water would be the easiest way to take down the fire monster, water would also damage the box. There had to be another way to take down this dragon… Wait. Dragon? “Spike?” Luna called. The fire monster stopped and turned. So it seemed that somehow, the baby dragon had transformed into a spirit of flame. “What happened to Spike, Twilight?” Luna asked. “I was testing a new spell that was supposed to make his fire larger, and… I guess I messed up. When Spike tried it out, it worked at first. The fire grew larger, and larger, but then it just wouldn’t stop! It burned down a bookshelf and I told him to hold it in while I tried to stop it. Then I tried every spell I knew and… That happened.” Twilight covered her horn with her hooves and cradled her head. The fire monster that was once Spike had set fire to many of the surrounding buildings by now. Luna could almost feel the flames scorching her fur. There wasn’t any time to lose. “Twilight Sparkle. You are afraid of your own talent. Your magic is powerful, but yourself full of doubt. We have witnessed your strength, judgement, and skill. Concentrate, and try once more.” Twilight closed her eyes, focusing hard. A spark came out of her horn and fizzled. “Try harder!” Luna urged. “Quickly!” A wave of magic resonated from Twilight’s horn, extinguishing all of the houses and returning Spike to his original form, clawing in the air for a moment before falling to the ground. “Sorry Twilight, I guess I kinda lost control there. I don’t know what came over me. Your books were all destroyed.” Twilight ran over and hugged Spike. “Forget about the books. I was afraid I’d lost you, and destroyed all of Ponyville. Books can be replaced. Friends cannot.” She opened up the cardboard box that the monstrous Spike had been carrying and fished out its contents. Among the childhood memorabilia, quills, and scrolls, there was an old, leather-bound book full of her old letters, pictures of her friends, and a fragment of eggshell. Luna smiled, wiped the sweat off her brow, and yawned, exiting the dream before she intruded on any of Twilight’s personal memories. The only nightmare in Ponyville had been taken care of. It was time to patrol the other cities. Luna flew off in the direction of Cloudsdale, soaring over plains, rivers, and forest, until something below caught her eye. There was something odd drifting in the air, a dream wisp, but from a cave? Odd. Surely a cave would have a dragon in it, yet this dream was clearly from a pony. Did somepony need help? She decided to investigate. Her hooves landed gently on the gravel and she entered the cave, lighting up the darkness with her horn. It was a surprisingly clean cave, free of spiders, bears, and debris. It even looked like somepony had broken the stalagmites off and arranged them in order of increasing size. Luna headed farther inside, following the dream. There was a faint light coming from around the bend. “Hello?” Luna whispered. Her voice echoed throughout the cave. There was no response. She poked her head around the corner. The silhouette of a mare could be seen sleeping beside a very dim light source. As Luna watched, the golden wisp of a happy dream turned deep, crimson red. She quickly dove in to help. Luna landed in a cave, similar to the one she left. She saw a pony sleeping there, similar to the one she was going to help, in the same position, by the same dim light source. But she was in a dream. What kind of a nightmare was this? There was no impending doom, no strife. In fact the figure looked perfectly content, just napping. Luna walked over and poked the figure. “Excuse us, but thou art having a nightmare.” The figure slumped over and its head fell off. It was only a dummy. Luna backpedaled, mind reeling. That was definitely a dream wisp, and this was definitely a dream she had entered. The cave wall closed in behind her as she turned to leave, as if to prove the false reality of the dream world. All that was left was the mysterious light source. It was a slightly glowing red crystal ball. As Luna peered into it, a face appeared, one that she had not seen in many, many years. It belonged to a unicorn with crimson fur and purple eyes. A lock of golden mane partially covered her horn. “Salutations my dearest Princess Luna,” the face spoke. “I take it you believe yourself to be helping some pony in a cave somewhere with her nightmare? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Whatever happened to ‘Nighttime Eternal’? Or was that just one big letdown, like everything else you tried to do?” Luna glared at the ball. “Where art thou hiding? We will show thee how much of a letdown our actions can be!” Her horn glowed and blasted the crystal ball, which absorbed it without showing any sign of harm. “Careful, Luna, or you might break it, and then you’ll be all alone in here forever and ever. You know enough about dreams to know that this is my world, and therefore, I can decide the rules. It might intrigue you to know that I am not actually asleep, so I can hold you here indefinitely while I go… tend to matters.” The face continued. “It’s nice, having absolute power, even if it is limited to this world in my thoughts. Absolute power that no meddling alicorn sisters could ever STEAL from me.” The ball glowed bright red. “Ahem, sorry. I lost control a little there.” “Thou art still a rambler, Malady.” Luna snorted. “Now release us and we might make it hurt less when we turn thee to stone.” The face in the ball looked amused. “You really think that you could make a difference to my plans? Of course I had already factored in your meddling and ruled it negligible. Let’s just say I harbor a bit of a grudge and would love it if you could watch while I destroy everything you’ve grown to love.” The face faded. Luna stomped on the ground with her hooves, but the ground did not give. “Malady! Thou shall pay for this!” She shouted at nothing in particular, then settled down and thought of a spell strong enough for escape. Nothing came up. For the first time since she had returned to Equestria, Luna was once again exiled. Princess Celestia turned in her sleep and woke up. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t quite place it. She got out of her bed and walked across the room, opening the window to get some fresh air. The pale glow of the moon illuminated her kingdom. All of a sudden, it made sense. She couldn’t feel her bond with her sister, something that had slowly grown back ever since Luna’s return from the moon. There were still a few hours before daybreak, but the night shift guards would still be up. Celestia opened the doors to her royal bedroom and galloped down the hall at full speed, grabbing the first guard by the shoulder. “Get me in contact with Shining Armor and the Royal Elite. There is something amiss, and I don’t know how big this problem is going to become.” She paused for a minute. “And bring me a scroll and quill. There is a letter that I must write.” The guard ran off as two more guards came in through the side hall. “What seems to be the problem, your highness?” One of them asked. Celestia turned, facing them in the dim light. “I have lost my connection with Princess Luna. Not very many ponies have the strength nor the cunning to hold her against her will. Is Discord still stone?” The guards gestured over to the garden, where the stone statue of discord stared ominously back. “Have there been any sightings of King Sombra?” The guards shook their heads. “Nothing has happened since Luna left for her nightly duties, your highness.” They responded. Troubling news. Celestia paced back and forth for a good fifteen minutes. This was a slow guard. Finally, the first guard galloped back, clutching several scrolls, quills, and a birdcage containing Philomena the phoenix. “Everything you requested, your highness.” He panted, dropping off the items. “I had to get the scrolls from the basement; we were out.” He slumped down on a nearby sofa. Celestia levitated a quill, inked it, and began writing. “Shining Armor, it pains me to have to request this of you, but the Crystal Empire should be safe for now. Canterlot needs your help. Return immediately.” Philomena engulfed the letter in flame, sending it to its destination. Celestia took out another scroll and began writing. “My dearest student, I-” Philomena squawked and clawed at her cage frantically. Something was deeply troubling her. Celestia flipped open the latch to allow the phoenix to sit on her shoulder. Philomena flew past her and out a nearby open window. “What has gotten into that bird?” Celestia wondered, turning back to her letter. The two guards that had remained beside her the entire time looked towards each other and nodded simultaneously. Spikes erupted from their legs and their color faded to black. Celestia was still absorbed in her letter. “Finished. Guards, could you please mail this?” Celestia asked, turning around to face two of the largest changelings she had ever seen. Bright flashes of magic lit up the halls. Five more guards rushed over to the source of the magic to investigate, but all they could find were an empty birdcage, an unfinished letter, and one of the new recruits asleep on a couch. Luna was missing. Celestia was gone. The only other member of the royal family in the castle was a prince, but a powerless buffoon. There was something coming up on the horizon, something the guards had seen a thousand times, yet this particular time, it left their jaws gaping in disbelief. For despite the absence of the Royal Family, the sun was rising. They were startled out of their trance by a knock on the castle door.
A Leave of Absence“A vacation?” Twilight screamed, clutching the scroll that Spike had coughed out not a second ago. “She can’t take a vacation! She moves the sun! How will she read my letters? What if Equestria is in danger?” Rainbow Dash poked her head in through the window of Twilight’s Library. “What’s going on, Twilight? I heard you screaming on my way over to Fluttershy’s.” Twilight moaned, unresponsive, clutching her head and rocking back and forth. Spike handed Rainbow Dash the scroll. “My dearest Twilight, I am sorry to inform you that I will be taking a short vacation and will be unavailable to continue your lessons for an indeterminate amount of time. I’ve become so caught up in royal affairs that it’s taken a toll on me. I know my best student will understand. Don’t worry about the sun; everything’s been taken care of. Yours truly, Princess Celestia. P.S. Luna is coming too,” Rainbow Dash peered at the letter. “Huh. So the Princess gets tired too. Don’t worry about it Twilight, everyone can use a break once in a while.” Twilight talked muffled with her face pressed against her hooves. “No, not so suddenly, not so unannounced! I know my teacher, and she wouldn’t… she couldn’t…” Spike walked over and patted her on the shoulder. Rainbow Dash thought for a moment. “If it would really make you feel that much better, how about we pay the castle a visit? To make sure everything’s okay? I mean since your teacher can’t read your letters right now, and all, you don’t really have much to do, right?” Pinkie pie popped out of a nearby vase. “I heard the whole thing! I’m coming too! I’ll get the others!” She squeezed out of the open window, leaving Rainbow Dash and Twilight staring. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, then stopped. An hour later, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Spike were on a train over to Canterlot. Applejack turned to Twilight. “So you wanna explain what this here trip is all about? We kinda got… Pinkie’d into it.” Twilight was pacing back and forth. “Princess Celestia is… is…” She stopped. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity looked worried. “She’s on vacation and the egghead wants to check on her.” Rainbow Dash snorted. Rarity glared. “I can see why she is worried. Why would a princess ever take a vacation? What could she even do on a vacation? I mean, when I take a vacation, I treat myself like a princess, but…” she trailed off and her eyes lit up. “Do you suppose there’s some sort of life even more glamorous than that of a princess?” “I just hope everypony’s okay…” Fluttershy stared at the floorboards of the train. She had a bad feeling about this adventure. “Will you all relax?” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Everything’s fine, Twilight’s just being her normal worried self.” “We’re here!” Pinkie screamed, bouncing up and down. Indeed, the train had arrived. They disembarked and made their way through the streets of Canterlot to the royal palace. “Twilight!” One of the guards called, waving. “Come on in!” It payed to be the younger sister of the guard captain. The gates opened and the seven made their way towards the throne room. They were interrupted by the loud clearing of an official-looking pony’s throat. Standing behind them was a tall, golden unicorn with streaks of silver down his mane. His cutie mark, a sunrise, was partially covered by a royal-looking uniform. “I am Helios. Celestia has appointed me to be in charge of her affairs during her leave of absence. Is there something I may help you with?” Twilight turned to face him. “Why haven’t I heard of you before? Celestia was my teacher, and she just left without telling me she would be gone. How do I know she’s safe?” Helios raised an eyebrow. “I can assure you that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are simply tired from their daily and nightly duties. I can understand your frustration, as a scholar myself, I sympathize with your situation but there is nothing I can do. Canterlot is, however, in my capable hooves. Now if you’ll excuse me…” Helios moved over to the window and rose up on his hind legs. His horn glowed a bright white light and the sun moved over a few degrees. “As you can see, I am perfectly capable of handling Celestia’s duties during her vacation.” Twilight relaxed a little. Day and night were taken care of. Applejack pushed her way to the front of the group. “Pardon my asking, sir, but where did the Princesses go exactly?” Helios smiled, “Not at all, my dear. Princess Celestia and Luna have gone to an area of great significance to them to reflect on their thoughts… The exact location escapes me, but its name is Tranquility Lake.” Applejack nodded and stepped back. “Do you know what time they will be back?” Rarity asked. “And by the way, that is a very charming uniform.” “Thank you, my lady, but unfortunately the princess did not say. I do know the location is quite a distance away, so it could take a fair amount of time for them to return. Rest assured, they are safe, as I doubt even the mightiest dragons would dare tangle with two of the strongest alicorns in Equestria.” He smiled reassuringly. Fluttershy spoke up. “Did she say who was taking care of Philomena? I’ve been working on my magical creatures care and I would be happy to help, I don’t think we got off on the right hoof the last time.” Helios’ smile faded, as if remembering something. A shadow crept across his face and he turned to the side. “No… not… this… how could I have forgotten something as obvious as that empty birdcage? That blasted bird!” He muttered under his breath, and then regained his composure. “I am sorry, but Philomena is being tended to by our most trained specialists in the Royal Bestiary. Phoenixes have a lot of needs, if you’re aware.” Fluttershy nodded. “Oh yes, I’ve had to find that out first hand. Sorry to bother you.” Helios looked at the group of ponies. “Well, if that’s it then, I do have some more royal duties to attend to. Would you be so kind?” The guards opened the gate and Helios motioned for the group to leave. Twilight stopped for a moment. “While I’m here, is it alright if I drop into the library for a couple books?” Helios was about to talk, but the guards had already let her through. “I’ll meet up with the rest of you outside!” She called behind her before strolling through the main door. The friends were walking in the garden when Applejack felt somepony knock her hat down. “Well that’s just darned rude!” She exclaimed, retrieving it from the grass. There was a note inside. “What’s this?” She read it silently. “You seem more sensible than the rest of them. Meet me at Donut Joe’s so I can tell you what I know. I will be sitting in the corner by the window. P. S. if anypony asks, you never got this message.” “Hey, uh, do yall want to stop for donuts before we head back?” Applejack asked before another passing pony knocked her hat down. She retrieved it, and there was another letter, this time in all caps: “ALONE” she read. “Heh, nevermind, I just remembered there was a thing I had to do. Better go do that there… thing!” She stammered, galloping off, scattering a pile of raked leaves. “Big city’s finally gotten to the country girl.” Spike remarked. Twilight returned from the Castle with her bag looking considerably heavier. “All ready to go, girls?” She asked. “Where’s Applejack?” After an hour of searching, Applejack found Donut Joe’s. “Good for nothing maze of a city. Hope this pony’s the patient type,” she mumbled, entering the mostly empty restaurant. There was a suspicious-looking pony in a trenchcoat by a corner seat. “You wouldn’t happen to be the feller with a thing against hats, would ya?” The pony looked startled and started talking at an extremely fast pace. “No ma’am, I’m just here for the food! I’m not bothering you, am I? My psychiatrist says I talk too much when I get nervous, oh hehehe I’m doing that right now, aren’t I? It’s kind of strange really I just keep talking and talking and don’t even realize I’m doing it. You know what? I think I’ve had enough sugar for today, why don’t you have my table.” He paid the bill and shot out the door in a matter of seconds, leaving Applejack wondering what just happened. The door opened and a royal guard galloped in, out of breath. His mane was gray and his fur was pure white. A disorderly uniform revealed his cutie mark, a tornado with a lightning bolt. “Oh good…, you’re still… here. It’s a good thing you’re… patient, I always get lost whenever I go outside the palace... just give me a moment to…” He didn’t seem as professional as the other guards. He got over and collapsed next to Applejack, doing his best to convey an air of importance. “Sorry… I’m new here… big city…,” he paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “Yall better cool your jets and have a drink before you go sunny side up on me.” Applejack ordered two glasses of cider and watched as the guard gulped them both down. “Actually, one was for me. Aw shucks, looks likes could use them both anyways. Now tell me, what the hay is going on?” The door opened and Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike entered. “There you are, Applejack! We thought you’d gotten lost in Canterlot and went searching for you. Spike said you went to get donuts, but you were gone for one and a half hours now, so… Are you done eating yet?” Twilight asked. “What are you doing with that guard?” “Darnit, you were supposed to come alone!” The guard exclaimed, finally catching his breath. “Whatever, as long as nopony else knows I’m here…” The door flew open again and a larger guard came in. “So there you are, Stormy. Donut break, eh? Your night shift’s starting soon.” The guard went over to the counter. “Hey, could a guard get a glazed and a glass of cider here?” “Stormy”, as the first guard was called, glared at the guard who just came in. “I was attending to some business, Aegisbright. Cider’s on me if you fill in my shift just this once. As a favor? Please?” “Alright, I see what yer getting at,” the guard winked at Applejack and Stormy in the booth for two. “I got a big heart. And a big stomach. Three mugs of cider tonight then.” He headed for the door. “Now that there are no more interruptions, allow me to introduce myself. I am Skyward Storm, of the Canterlot Royal Guard. I am… a little new to my job, but there was something I witnessed that I felt it was my duty to report. However, Shining Armor is still absent despite his summons and I’m not sure which of my comrades I can trust.” Skyward Storm rocked back and forth nervously. “Late last night, Princess Celestia sensed something wrong, although she did not say what. She sent me to retrieve some quills, scrolls, and bird, so I was gone for about twenty minutes.” “Wait. It took you twenty minutes to grab a quill, some paper, and a birdcage?” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “We were low on supplies, I went to the basement, and Philomena was sleeping. Do you know how cranky a sleeping phoenix can get?” Skyward snapped. “Anyway, twenty minutes later, I dropped off the messages and… um… returned to my guard duties... on a nearby sofa. I was tired, okay? I heard her sending off for Shining Armor, and then I fell asleep just as Philomena escaped.” “You fell asleep as a phoenix burst out of its cage and flew out the window?” Twilight asked, lifting an eyebrow. “I. Was. Tired. Okay?” Skyward Storm said. “I know what I saw, and I know what I heard, and I know that when I woke up, the princess was ‘on vacation’ and somepony named Helios I had never heard of before was lording over the castle like he owned the place.” “Are you certain it was not, perhaps, a dream?” Rarity asked, worriedly. This guard seemed a little odd. “I assure you, it was no dream.” Skyward Storm replied grimly, and belched loudly. “Sorry for ruining the mood. It’s the cider.” Rarity took a step back. “Well I’m just not sure what to believe,” Applejack said after a long period of thought. “But let’s just assume that yall are telling the truth. Wouldn’t that mean Philomena is still out there? So if Philomena’s not in the Castle, being cared for like Helios said, then that’s a step in the right direction. Something seemed a little fishy about Helios, but I can’t quite place my hoof on it.” “I could look for Philomena if you’d like,” Fluttershy suggested timidly. “But I don’t think I’d get much help here. The animals of Canterlot are a little shy around strangers.” Spike glanced at her, suppressing a snigger. “I’m just going to let you all think over how ironic that statement was.” The dragon took a bite out of a donut. “Anyway, why don’t we just check over at the palace? It would be easier than searching who knows where for Philomena.” “The bestiary is usually closed off to visitors, but I’m taking a shift there tonight.” Skyward said. “Why don’t the seven of you stay awhile in Canterlot?” The ponies discussed among themselves for a moment. “Beats having to take another long train ride in the middle of the night,” Rainbow Dash said. “And there are more fine materials available here for my dresses.” Rarity added. “Mmphmmphh!” Pinkie Pie agreed with a mouthful of donut. “Don’t worry Twilight, we’re gonna get to the bottom of this.” Applejack rested a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “I would be happy to help,” Fluttershy said. “I even brought Angel here in my bag in case we would be staying longer.” Twilight turned to Skyward Storm. “We’re in.” Skyward nodded. “Good. Now can anyone spot me three bits for some cider? Aegisbright has a big stomach.”
A Jumpy NightThe mane six needed to find lodging for the night. “I say we don’t worry about it and sleep in a tree.” Rainbow Dash said, drifting by belly-side up and matching patterns in the clouds with her eyes. “Besides, I didn’t bring enough bits to pay for a good hotel.” “Absolutely not!” Rarity interjected. “Why on earth would anypony want to sleep on some moldy old branch next to the cobwebs and bird droppings?” “I agree with Rarity,” Twilight said. “Maybe Helios will let us stay in one of the castle’s guest rooms?” Applejack shook her head. “If’n what Skyward’s sayin’ is true, he’d be the last person we’d want to let know we’re staying in Canterlot.” Pinkie Pie bounced up. “Ooh! I know! We could stay in a cake shop! I heard cake shops have bedrooms upstairs!” “Aren’t those for the owners?” Twilight asked. “What do you think, Fluttershy? You’ve been silent this entire time.” “Oh, I don’t mind, really. But, how about there?” Fluttershy pointed at an inn. “It looks affordable enough for Rainbow Dash and very cozy.” Rainbow Dash flew over and read the sign. “Six Whiskers Inn, Pets Welcome, Affordable Prices… Sounds like a good deal to me!” The others nodded in agreement and headed inside, just as the sun was setting. Twilight looked over at the familiar sunset and shuddered, thinking about how for the first time since Discord’s appearance, somepony other than Celestia was controlling the sun. Somepony she knew next to nothing about.” The inside of the inn was bright and warm. It was a simple place, made of wood and stone with a red carpet on the floor. There was a cat resting by the cheery fire of the hearth. Rarity walked over to the front desk and rang a bell. “Just one moment!” a voice called from the back. Moments later, a tan pony with a short red mane emerged. He looked young, and had a candle as his cutie mark. “Name’s Styles Wickers, but everypony around here calls me Styles. Welcome to the Six Whiskers Inn. So, what’ll it be, a room, a meal, or traveling supplies?” “How large are your rooms?” Rarity inquired, sizing up the group. “And how many beds does your largest one have?” Styles examined the group. “Well, this is a rather small inn and we only have three bedrooms open, but I’m certain you would all be comfortable in three of them. Or if you don’t mind sleeping on a soft rug instead of a bed, you could opt for two rooms.” Rarity turned around. “Would anypony volunteer to sleep on the floor? Obviously it would be far too unladylike for me to do so, but we don’t know how long we’ll be here, and saving bits is always important.” Nopony stepped forward for a good five seconds.“You wusses wouldn’t last one day camping in the woods,” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Sleeping on the floor is a piece of cake for a pony as tough as me.” She stepped forward. “Anypony else?” Rarity asked, staring. Again, nopony stepped forward. “Well, if nopony else wants to do it, I… guess I don’t mind.” Fluttershy said softly, looking at the ground and poking at it a little with her hoof. “I mean, if it’s a soft rug, and Angel’s there with me...” Applejack interrupted, “Aw shucks, shame on yall, forcing sweet lil’ Fluttershy to sleep on the floor. I’ll do it.” She stepped forward. Rarity nodded. “So it’s decided then. Spike, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie can be in the first room. Applejack, Fluttershy, Angel, and myself will sleep in the second.” She turned back to Styles. “Did you get all that?” “Sure did, ma’am. The total will be ten bits. You’ll be staying in rooms three and four. Oh and for one more bit, I have an old cat basket for your dragon. It’s only ever been used by Whiskers the cat over there,” Styles took out a simple padded basket as the ponies counted out their money and pooled it on the table. Twilight paid for the extra basket and headed upstairs. “What a friendly innkeeper. And such a reasonable price,” Rarity remarked, unlocking the door to room four. She nudged it open and lit the wall candle with a weak magic spell. They were in a smallish room with two beds and a clean-looking carpet. “Best we all get to sleep before we get hungry,” Applejack said and settled in the carpet. “You know, this ain’t so bad.” She quickly fell asleep. “I agree, it’s a good thing I brought my emergency sleepytime kit.” Rarity rummaged in her bag, taking out a medium-sized box. “Some herbal tea, a mud mask, hair curlers, some sliced cucumbers…” She started talking to herself. Fluttershy was tending to Angel. “Sorry we couldn’t get back home, but I did bring you a spare carrot,” she smiled and rummaged through her bag, eventually bringing out a carrot stump. “Oh, it looks like you’ve already gotten to this one.” Angel folded his arms and stomped impatiently. “I’ll go and check if the innkeeper has some.” Fluttershy headed downstairs, unnoticed by the Applejack, who was asleep, and Rarity, who had just fitted in her luxury custom-fit earplugs. Twilight opened the door to room three and illuminated the interior with her horn. “Well this certainly looks cozy enough.” She said, levitating Spike’s basket over to the foot of her bed. “Is this a good spot, Spike?” Pinkie pie burst out from under the sheets, bouncing up and down. “This. Place. Is. Fun!” She said between bounces. “Didn’t I just unlock the door? When did you- Oh nevermind,” Twilight smiled and submerged herself in the covers. They were certainly clean, though the fabric was a little rougher than she was used to. “Night then,” she yawned, powering down her horn. “Aww, it’s dark now.” Pinkie stopped bouncing and settled down as Rainbow Dash curled up on the floor, falling quickly asleep. Twilight had positioned Spike’s basket right next to the snoring Rainbow Dash’s head. “Well that’s just great.” Spike lifted the basket and set it down on the opposite side of the small room, curling up and attempting to fall asleep. Rainbow Dash’s tail whipped him in the nose as she rolled over. Spike moved the basket to the other side of Rainbow Dash. She rolled over again. “Hey Twilight,” he poked the mass of bedsheets that Twilight had wormed her way into. There was a muffled response. “Is it okay if I sleep in the other room?” The bedsheets wiggled. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Spike opened the door, dragging his basket. “Wait. Which room were they staying in again?” He went downstairs to check. The fire had died down and presumably the innkeeper had gone to sleep. Spike used the moonlight from the open window to find the guest book. He dragged it out and opened it. There was a very short list. “Ah okay, room four.” He noticed something odd about the other room. “Holy cow! Twilight needs to see this!” Spike picked up the guestbook, running upstairs. He was intercepted by the silhouette of a pony directly in his path, screaming at him. The scream lasted a good ten seconds and resonated throughout the inn. The door to room four opened and a very annoyed Angel hopped out, holding a candle and revealing the source of the shrieking pony: a incredibly distraught Fluttershy. “Spike… You startled me. What are you doing here?” “I couldn’t sleep in the same room as Rainbow Dash,” Spike explained. “Then I forgot which room the others were staying in so I went downstairs to check in the guest book and…” He looked in his claw. The guest book was gone. “There was something in there that I had to show Twilight, but I was so tired that your screaming just made me forget it.” Fluttershy fetched the single carrot she had purchased and split it in two, handing the larger part to Angel and the smaller one to spike. “There there, Spike, don’t worry your poor little head about it. I’m sure you’ll remember in the morning. Now’s not a very good time to go looking for a book.” She picked up Spike’s basket and walked towards room four. “Why don’t you sleep in our room?” Spike scratched his head. There was no way after all of his experience in handling books for Twilight that he would just lose a book so easily. He stared into the shadowy corners of the inn, half expecting something to stare back. When a good five seconds had passed, he shrugged and headed over to room four, where Fluttershy had thoughtfully placed his basket in an area where Applejack wouldn’t reach if she rolled over. He curled up and went to sleep.
