My First New Year's Alone

Chapters

A Sister's Gift
The Life and Times of an Honest Pony
First and Last
The Lamentation Chain
That Invincible Flame
Winona
Dear Sister
Of Green Bottles and Grey Bubbles
VOTING
Succubus
There's Always Someone
Heart of Darkness
The Sun in Flight
Tummy Aches
Nothing Wrong
Lavender
Spikes and Stones
Welcome to the Broken Promise

A Sister's Gift

The mid-winter night's cold bit at the white mare's nose as she slowly made her way down a dark alleyway. Her ears perked up at the sound of a door creaking open somewhere ahead of her and she saw the smallest shaft of warm candlelight shine out from within. The door was thrown open briefly as two guardsponies came trotting out. The mare quickly ducked down an alley to her immediate right and picked up her pace to get as far away from the guards as possible.

The wind blew down over the buildings towering above the mare and grabbed at her pink mane and tail. She decided to take a brief pause to adjust the scarf around her neck to a more comfortable position. The dark alley was briefly illuminated as a faint pink glow wrapped the scarf a little tighter. The mare shivered, and looked up at the clear night sky. Millions of stars were out in all their beauty. The night really is beautiful. she thought. I can see why my Sister likes it so. The mare wished she could simply stay there and enjoy the crisp clear night air. Alas, she had to put an end to this night, otherwise the Equestria she knew and loved would be no more. Celestia sighed and continued toward the center of Canterlot. Toward her home.

"Big Sister, can you tell me a story?"

"A story. Hm... Let's see-"

"Tell me one about a princess!"

"A princess? You always want stories about princesses. How about I tell you a story ab-"

"No Big Sister! I don't want to here about that. I want a story with a princess. Pleeeease?"

"Fine, fine. You win. I'll tell you a story about a princess... Once upon a time, there were two sisters, and both of them were princesses. Now the first princess-"

"What were the princesses's names, Sister?"

"Their names? Well, one was named-"

"And where did they live?"

"Little Sis; do you want to hear a story, or do you want me to answer your questions?"

"Do both!"

"I'll do that then. First, the two regal sister's names were Celestia and Luna, and they lived in the beautiful and bright land of Equestria..."

Celestia stopped and quickly ducked behind a rusty dumpster at the sound of shouting ahead. Peeking around the corner, she saw an elderly stallion glaring at two guardsponies dressed up in black armor. He was menacing the two of them with a long and heavy-looking cane. If the situation hadn't been so serious, she might have found it comical.

"I already told you yesterday! We didn't receive our shipment of ingredients, so we weren't able to make any desserts. Since we weren't able to make desserts, we weren't able to sell anything. And since we weren't able to sell anything, we didn't make any money. We have no money, so we can't pay your outrageous taxes. Now leave us alone, you hoodlums, until we get our supplies. Then your princess will have her money!" the elderly pony fumed. Then he flashed an over exaggerated smile toward the guards. "We may even have the ingredients to bake you a cake!"

The guard ignored or didn't hear the stallion's offer. "You have nothing to pay with in place of money?" he said in a bored tone.

The elderly pony raised his chin a bit higher and stuck out his jaw. "No, we have nothing."

"No food that could be taken for payment? No dishes, silverware, or scarves? Nothing?"

"Nothing." said the old pony gruffly.

The guard who spoke earlier took a step forward. "Then you won't mind us taking a look around? Good." He flared his wings out as he shoved past the stallion and into the bakery.

Even though she was supposed to be hiding from the guards, curiosity got the better of Celestia's conscious. She slowly crept forward until she was looking into one of the bakery's windows. The bakery appeared to be made up of a single room, which was empty except for a small oven, a dingy counter, a nicked and battered table with matching chairs, and an old worn-out cupboard. Celestia noticed that the cupboard, even in its poor condition, was one of the better kept items in the room. Then Celestia noticed a small, frail, and old mare standing behind the counter. Her head barely reached over it as she eyed the guard strutting into her home.

The guard looked around the room a few times before nodding his head toward the sagging cupboard on the far wall. "Let's take a quick peek in there, shall we?" He calmly walked over to cupboard and pulled open the top drawer. The stallion eagerly looked inside to see what plunders could be found, but was disappointed when he found nothing. He opened the drawer below it to the same result. He shuffled his wings uneasily as he glanced up at the old couple. "Well," he said slowly, "It appears you really do have nothing. Under the decree of Our Most Gracious Princess we will give you another week to get the money." The elder mare started to come out from behind the counter to thank the guard, but the guard silenced her with a stare. "But, you will have to pay double the usual."

'But! But-"

"Quit your yammering! The rates just went up. Double next week or else!" The guard walked out the door, but quickly popped his head back in and added, "Oh, and I'll be expecting that cake you promised, too."

With that, the guard left the house and nodded for his companion to follow. Celestia quickly glided up to the roof of the house across the street and hid behind a crumbling chimney. As she peeked around the corner of the chimney, she saw the second guard, a unicorn, cast an illumination spell before the two went on to the next house to continue their bullying of the citizens. After a minute the old couple peeked their head out of the door to make sure the guards really had left them for the night. Celestia let out a breath of pent-up air she didn't realize she had been holding and quickly backed away coughing as she inhaled the smoke billowing out from the chimney. Down below, the elderly stallion looked up at the sound of the unexpected noise. "Who's up there?" he said, eyeing the rooftop suspiciously. Celestia backed further away from the bakery toward the other side of the rooftop. She was considering jumping to the ground below when the stallion spoke up again.

"I don't know who's up there, but if you're looking for a warm place to stay for awhile you can come on in to our house. It isn't much, but it's better than a night out in this weather. Especially tonight of all nights." Celestia paused and considered the stallion's offer. A strong wind was blowing in from the north, and Celestia knew that a doozy of a winter storm would be upon her soon. She looked down at the couple, wondering why ponies who had so little would be so generous with what they had left. She would love to go inside for a bit to warm up. To nestle down in front of a warm stove.

To rest.

Celestia turned away from the welcoming light of the bakery and jumped down to the gloom-filled alley below.

"Little Sister, I think it's time."

"Do you mean it Tia? You really think I'm ready to raise the moon all by myself?!"

"No, no. You're not quite ready yet."

"Ah, but Sis..."

"But, you are ready to raise the moon with a little help from me."

"So... How do I do this."

"It's simple. Remember how I taught you all about levitation last year?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Well, it's just like that, but only on a much, much, much larger scale!"

"...I don't know if I can do this Tia, the moon's so huge! It's, like, like... ten times bigger than you!"

"Oh no, it's much bigger than that!"

"...And you're sure I'll be able to lift this all on my own one day?"

"With practice, yes, my Little Sister."

"...I think I'm ready."

"On the count of three then. One."

"Two."

"Three!"

A light snow was starting to fall as Celestia made her way toward the center of Canterlot. After only a minute's time, a fine layer of the powdery stuff covered everything exposed to the elements, including Celestia. The windows of all the building were frosted over, and in almost all of these windows were candles. Celestia noticed that the frost diffused their glow until the whole window appeared to be made of some sort of golden material. Golden windows. Now that's an idea I've never thought of... Her attention shifted from the windows to a slow and haunting song echoing faintly down the streets. It sent a chill down the sun goddess's spine. Celestia headed toward the sound, needing to know who would be out singing in this cold weather.

O tell me a tale, a tale about winter.

Celestia rounded a corner and the singing increased slightly in volume. She was getting closer to the voice, which sounded like that of a young filly.

Sing me a song, when all the flowers fade.

A second voice joined in, this one a male's, older and weathered.

Here in the mid-winter we celebrate life.

The two voices blended together in a not unpleasant melody. The voices weaving in and out and around one another.

We celebrate life, here on Hearth's Warming Eve!

As Celestia drew near, the forms of two ponies could be made out through the snowy haze. A young filly dressed in an expensive red dress and hat was standing next to a lamppost. On the other side of the lamppost stood a gruff looking stallion wearing a worn out coat and a battered hat without a top. The final note hung in the air for a few seconds before it was swallowed up by the pitch black night. Then the two ponies headed their separate ways without even glancing at the other. The filly started to hum as she skipped towards a nearby house, and the hobo slumped down in one of the drier alleys with a wide grin plastered on his face.

"Those two were the ones singing that beautiful song? But they are so different from one another..." Celestia thought to herself, almost disbelieving her own ears. Another shiver ran down her spice, though this one was a from the cold. "I need to keep moving." The snow was starting to come down harder. It looked like there really was harsher weather incoming.

"Do you want help raising the moon again tonight, Little Sister?"

"No, Tia, not tonight. I think I'm gonna try doing this all by myself!"

"...Are you sure you're really ready?"

"Yes, I need to know that I can do this. I want to help out with the ruling, Big Sister!"

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes!"

"I can't just give a helpful little nudge?"

"Ye- I mean, no!"

"I'm only kidding with you, Little One, you know that. It's just... This..."

"I know, Tia. It's change, it's something different. It's something new to both of us."

"...Yes, it is."

"..."

"Well? What are you waiting on? Give it a go!"

"Well, this stinks."

What was once been a light snowfall quickly evolved into a small blizzard, and Celestia had to duck between two large dumpsters to try to escape from the biting cold and blinding snow. Now she was stuck sitting there between the two smelly metal boxes as she waited for the snowstorm to die down. She tried to find a comfortable position to lay in, but none could be found. Celestia tightened her scarf a little closer to her neck.

"I need to be patient."

The snow continued to fall.

"I just need to be patient..."

And fall.

"I just need to find someplace warm!" Celestia shouted as she got up from between the dumpsters. It didn't matter where she as going, she just need to get somewhere that wasn't here. That wasn't cold. She headed off in a random direction, hoping to find some source of warmth. Within minutes a dim light faded into being and quickly grew stronger as she approached. The light was coming from a homeless shelter, one of the many that resided within the poverty stricken sections of Lower Canterlot. Celestia headed toward the entrance but stopped outside the door. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself while she was in there, and having a horn as well as a set of wings could do that to a pony. I need a disguise... her eyes drifted toward a pile of torn up rags.

"...I think I can make this work."

While she didn't know a huge amount about sewing, she knew enough to cobble together a rough sort of tunic, which she quickly tied around her waist. She checked to make sure her wings weren't visible before heading inside.

The first thing that hit Celestia as she entered the shelter was the smell. It was a mix of dirty clothes, wet dog, and wet pony. Celestia had to hold back the urge to gag as she let her nose adjust to the smell. After about a minute she was able to breath easily enough, so she decided to try and find a place that wasn't too crowded to rest till the blizzard outside subsided. After searching up and down each isle, she found that this would be impossible. Ponies were everywhere. The healthier ones were leaning against walls or standing while the sick, the weak, and the old lay on dirty blankets. She was shocked at how many homeless ponies there were here.

This needs to be stopped.

She finally decided to take her chances with a small open spot next to the edge of an isle. To her right was a middle-aged mare with red hair and, Celestia believed, a once white coat. The mare was attempting to quiet her two fillies down so they wouldn't bother an older pony behind them who was attempting to sleep. The pegasus looked over at Celestia and gave her a tired but sincere smile. "A warm evening to you, Ms." she said. "I hope my children aren't being much of a bother."

"No, no," Celestia said with a quiet laugh as she watched their antics. "They're not bothering me at all." One of the fillies came tumbling over her mother onto Celestia, who jumped at the unexpected contact.

"Silver Bell! Watch yourself." her mother said sternly. The young filly, Silver Bell, looked up at Celestia with wide and scared eyes.

"It's all right Mrs...?," Celestia said. She started to wrap one of her wings around the young filly before remembering her clothing prevented her from doing so. She quickly stopped and reminded herself that she was supposed to be a unicorn. The filly got up laughing and raced off to go after her sister.

"The names Winterlight. What's your name?" she said quickly adding, "If you don't mind, that is."

"My name is-" Celestia paused for a second to think up a good cover name. "My name is Aurora."

"Well Ms. Aurora, I'd like to thank you for being more flexible with my children than the last pony we bed next to. He didn't seem to have an ounce of kindness in him." She humphed. "How dare he growl at my children like that!"

"Yes," Celestia agreed. "Some ponies can be like that."

Like my sister. Celestia thought. She looked around the room at the hundreds of ponies; all of them starving, weak, and in need of help. She isn't who she used to be. She really has changed to allow the world to fall apart so much. She must be stopped.

As she thought about Luna, Celestia's eyelids started to droop down, and she had to stop herself from falling asleep on numerous occasions. At one point she looked up and saw Winterlight staring at her. "It looks like you need some sleep." she said simply. Celestia started to protest, but Winterlight stopped her, "No, I insist. It looks like you've had a long and tiring day, and I would expect you have a long and tiring journey ahead of you. Sleep; I'll keep watch over both my fillies and you. You wont be a burden to me."

Celestia, after a moments hesitation, agreed. She would need to be fully rested for what lay ahead. The din echoing around the shelter was loud and distracting, but it didn't prevent her from drifting off into a restless sleep. The final thing she heard before she drifted off was a small filly's voice. She tried to concentrate on what the voice said, but she couldn't make out any of the words. She let out a slow breath as she let her pent up worry leave her.

"Soon, my dear. Soon."

"Big Sister, tell me a story, please?"

"...Many year ago, before both you and me, there was a princess who ruled in a very far away land."

"Sister, is this a happy story?"

"Yes, it is..."

"..."

"Why are you wondering? Is something on your mind?"

"..."

"Sister, you seem distant tonight. What is wrong?"

"Its nothing, sister, I'm all right. Please, continue your story."

"Ms. Aurora."

Celestia groaned as she rolled over to her side. She had slept on her back, and her wings were now sore from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position.

"Ms. Aurora. It's time for breakfast."

Celestia got to her feet slowly and stretched her back like a cat, wishing she could do the same for her wings. "Thanks for waking me, Winterlight, I'm starving."

Winterlight gave a sad laugh that barely reached Celestia's ears. "Aren't we all?" she whispered quietly.

Breakfast was made up of a meager portion of oatmeal and what appeared to be half a glass of cold, crisp, and wonderful milk. Winterlight's two fillies Silver Bell and Holly Green hurriedly devoured their oats and gulped down their milk within mere seconds of receiving their potions. They looked up from their meal, happy for the warm food yet far from full. Celestia felt sorry for them. This is not a breakfast for young foals. Going against her grumbling stomach, she levitated her oatmeal out of her bowl and gave half to Silver Bell and half to Green Holly. The two young fillies looked down in wonder at the porridge in their now full bowls and then back up at Celestia. "You can have mine. You'll need it more than me, anyways, since your growing foals." Growing, starving foals. she added to herself.

Winterlight looked at Celestia, dumbstruck, puzzled, and unable to say anything. "Y- You. I-" A single tear rolled down her eye as she tried to think of something heartfelt to say. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thank you." she finally said.

Celestia nodded and smiled as she got up from the table. "It's the least I can do." It was time for her to take her leave.

"Thank you!" Winterlight shouted after her. "You really are better than that last pony we stayed next to!"

"Sister, tell me a story tonight. A new one."

"I might run out of stories if you keep asking for new ones so often!"

"I don't think that could happen."

"No, I guess it wouldn't... Many years ago there was a princess-"

"No, I don't want a story about a princess tonight."

"A prince then?"

"No, I don't want a story about princes or princesses."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want a sad story."

"A... sad story?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"..."

"Why Little Sister."

"...I- I don't know. I just want something different for a change."

"Something different... I'll try to dream up a sad story for you then if it will make you feel better."

"Please do."

"Once upon a time, there were three kingdoms. One was the kingdom of the pegasi. The second was the kingdom of the unicorns. The third was the kingdom of the earth ponies. They lived in peace for many years, each helping the other out in times of need. Eventually, though, their hearts turned bitter towards one another..."

Even though the blizzard had finally let up, the snow continued to be a bother. Celestia slowly battled her way over a steep and slippery snow drift. She was annoyed and worn out by the amount of effort it took to simply walk through all this deep snow. She looked up at the sky and and saw a large spire looming ahead of her silhouetted against the full moon. Almost there. she thought to herself. I will stop you, Nightmare Moon.

"So what happened to the ponies when the windigos came?"

"The land froze over. All of the crops that were growing died from the freeze. Whatever harvest remained was hidden away by the earth ponies in places the unicorns and the pegasi knew nothing about."

"So the earth ponies were being selfish?"

"All of the ponies were being selfish. The unicorns didn't want to raise and lower the sun on time, and the pegasi stopped all attempts to control the weather. The world was falling apart."

Celestia rounded a corner and saw a long line of ponies attempting to make their way into a homeless shelter that was offering a small amount of warm food to anypony who needed it. Celestia's stomach grumbled loudly, but she had no time for food or comfort. She had to continue on.

As she passed by the shelter, though, she saw an argument break out between the ponies waiting in line and the ponies serving the food.

"I'm sorry, but there is no more food. We're all out!"

"Yeah right!" yelled one pony. "You're just keeping it for yourselves!"

A low grumble of disagreement made its way toward the back of the line as, one by one, the ponies learned there wasn't any food left. The ponies quickly left the line to see if they could find food elsewhere.

The wind picked up, and it started to snow again.

"As the weather got worse, the ponies from all the nations decided something needed to be done. The leader of each kingdom attended a meeting to try and figure out how to solve the task at hoof."

"And did they solve anything? Did they find a way to work together?"

"No, sadly, they did not."

"So what happened to them?"

"With any chance of cooperation gone, the ponies decided to go their own ways. They decided they needed to find a new land to call home."

The snow continued to fall swiftly on the mostly quiet city of Canterlot. Across the street from Celestia was a two story house bustling with activity. A stallion and a mare were carrying out boxes, bags, and small pieces of furniture, which were then being loaded onto the back of a small wagon. Three foals, two colts and a filly, we're all sitting on the front seat of the wagon. The two colts were chatting away excitedly, but the young filly was quiet, as if in deep thought. She sniffed her nose, and Celestia guessed it wasn't from the cold. She headed over to see what was going on.

"Hello!" Celestia said as she approached the wagon. "Do you mind of I ask what you're doing?"

"We're moving away." said the stallion through a thick beard. He looked cautiously at Celestia. "What's it to you?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Celestia said. "I was just curious, that's all."

The mare came out carrying a young baby colt. "Curiosity can get you into trouble around these parts." she said as she approached.

"Yes," Celestia laughed, "I'm well aware of that fact. I've lived here my whole life."

"What's your name Ms.?"

"Call me Aurora."

The stallion took out a wooden pipe, which he fumbled with for a minute till he had it lit. "Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you Ms. Aurora, but we really need to finish packing. We've got a long tip ahead of us to Manehatten."

"I understand." Celestia said. "I wish you the best on your travels." Celestia turned to go, but then changed her mind and went up the the crying filly. "Don't you worry, little one. The sun will shine again soon." she whispered.

The filly's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Yes, but only if you can show me a smile."

The little filly smiled and her tears stopped.

"Just like that." She said as she lightly poked the filly on her nose. "It'll be bright again before you know it!" The filly let out a shrill happy giggle as her smile widened.

Celestia let herself smile a bit, too. The she turned away from the cart and looked up to the moonlit spire above.

"Where did the pegasi go?"

"They searched far and wide, until the came to a land that was bright, warm, and green. They claimed the land for themselves."

"But what about the earth ponies and the unicorns? Did they find any new land to live on?"

"Yes, they did. In fact, it was the same land that the pegasi had found."

"B-but how come they all came to the same spot?"

"They all ended up in the same spot because that piece of land was all that was left. It was the only part of the world not smothered in ice and snow."

"So... what happened to them all?"

"They all claimed the land for themselves. They fought and argued over who had rights to the land until this land too started to become cold and uninhabitable."

"So the entire world froze over?!"

"...No, not quite."

Celestia crept up behind a snow-laden bush and crouched down. She counted only two guards posted outside the castle's front gates. She looked up at the ramparts towering above expecting to see more guards, but there were none. Celestia tensed her body. Now came the tricky part.

Ever since Nightmare Moon took power, Celestia had to keep her own power in check. She realized that when she limited the amount of magic emanating from herself, she was able to stay hidden from Nightmare Moon. If Nightmare Moon were to find where Celestia was, then Equestria would be doomed to an eternal night. If Celestia were to use any spells beyond the skill of a normal unicorn, Nightmare Moon would detect her magic, and then her plan would instantly fall apart.

re. Celestia took a deep breath and started to focus her magic on the two guards. Before they could shout out, she knocked their helmets together. A long and low dong issued forth from the collision. The two guards were knocked out.

Celestia quickly approached the gate and stashed the two senseless ponies behind some bushes. Then she focused her magic on the gates, and they swung open on silent hinges. Inside the gate Celestia saw a spacious yet empty courtyard devoid of life and guards. On the far side of the courtyard she saw a set of two tall doors made from some sort of black wood. She made her way to them and cautiously opened one.

Except for the occasional lone guard patrolling, the castle was empty. Celestia easily avoided or dispatched these guards as she made her up to the throne room.

This is too easy. she thought to herself. My sister was always the more cautious one...

But no, this wasn't her sister anymore. The sweet sister she knew and loved was gone, replaced by this hate-filled and selfish Nightmare Moon. She only wanted to hurt ponies.

She narrowed her eyes and frowned in anger. Ponies like Winterlight and her foals. They deserve a better life than the one they're living.

Celestia started to ascend a long and winding staircase toward one of the uppermost floors. It was a path she was familiar with having taken it to reach the throne room many times before.

Before Nightmare Moon.

Celestia reached the top floor and found the long hallway deserted. She frowned at the distasteful decorations that had been erected around the castle in her absence. Large statues roughly carved out of obsidian stood in each alcove; all of them depicting some sort of grotesque scene. Large purple and blue banners hung in front of all the stained-glass windows, hiding their lovingly hand-crafted beauty.

Celestia made her way to the end of the hall slowly; she didn't want to face Nightmare Moon.

Thoughts churned about in her mind. Turn back. Leave. You don't need to do this. Just leave Equestria. Find some other land to rule.

"No, I have to do this." she assured herself. Her thoughts flashed back to the little smiling filly on the wagon. "I made a promise, after all."

With a final sigh, she straightened up to her full height and threw open the doors to the throne room. A large metallic throne decorated with stars stood at the end of the room, and on it lay Nightmare Moon.

"Welcome, Sister," Nightmare Moon said in cold voice, the last word dropping with sarcasm. "Welcome home."

"What do you mean, 'Not quite!?' You said that the cold was moving in on them!"

"It was."

"So then they all shouldn't have lived! They should've been sad and suffering!"

"Most of them were, but there were three ponies -one a pegasus, one a unicorn, and one an earth pony- who decided that fighting and arguing wouldn't solve anything. They decided that, together, they could change the land back to its beautiful green beginnings."

"Those ponies weren't very smart. Three ponies wouldn't be able to change anything by themselves! I've seen it for myself!"

"...What do you mean, Little Sister?"

"I...I-it was nothing."

"It sounded like something."

"It wasn't. Please, finish your story."

"...It took many years, and the progress was slow, but the friendship that they had grew and grew, and with it so did their efforts. The fighting stopped first, and then the arguing. The land became warmer, and plants started to grow again. The land was coming back to life. Eventually, all the snow and ice melted and the ponies built a town on the edge of a mountainside. There was no more fighting. No more wars. Everypony was at piece with their neighbor. And they lived happily ever after."

"...I thought you said that this would be a sad story."

"Did you not find it sad?"

"Well, I don't understand..."

"Nightmare Moon." Celestia said with a snarl.

"Oh please, what's with all this anger?" Nightmare Moon smiled and got up off the throne. She slowly made her way toward Celestia. "Wasn't you who told me that anger is the cause of all violence? Calm down, you look silly!"

Celestia crouch low, ready to counter any attack, whether magical or physical. "No! I won't let you harm this land anymore than you already have!"

"What do you mean, my dear sister?"

"There are ponies freezing without my sun in the sky. There are ponies and young foals starving with no food to eat. There are-"

"Are you saying I am the cause for this?" Nightmare Moon raised an eyebrow incredulously.

Celestia started to respond, but Nightmare Moon continued. "Ues, you will say yes, I know."

Nightmare Moon paused mid-step and raised her head to look at the vaulted ceiling high above. Celestia warily did the same and was surprised to see thousands upon thousands of stars glowing up there.

"You always used to tell me stories, didn't you sister? I believe that it is time for me to tell you one for a change."

"Many years ago, when I was just starting to grasp my role as the goddess of the night, a large famine hit Equestria, brought upon us by a swarm of locusts. I remember that, together, we stopped the disgusting bugs before they did too much damage. A week passed by, and the days came and went. All seemed well during the day, but the nights were another story."

The throne room was immediately filled with a blinding white light issuing from the scene above. Celestia had to squint so that she wouldn't be blinded by the light.

"The sun here represents all the ponies out and about during the day. They are so full of life, so happy."

"And you wanted to take away their happiness." Celestia countered.

"You are quite right." Nightmare Moon smiled.

"Why?" Celestia asked after a pause. "Why make everypony miserable?l

"Ah, my little sister, it's a simple answer, and one I would get to if you would stop interrupting."

"You see, the sun here represents those ponies who are happy. Those who are rich."

The artificial sun's light winked out of existence and was replaced by the scene of the stars again.

"After the famine hit, the nights became much more visible. The sun of civilization set, and the thousands of stars of agony, pain, and sickness took their place." A hint of anger crept into Nightmare Moon's voice as she continued. "I saw ponies, homeless, starving, and weak. I saw sickness and despair in every alley way. I did not have the power to help everypony."

The stars above faded and were replaced with the shadows of night.

"I needed more."

"I was... given a way to increase my power. I jumped accepted the offer, eager to put my new found power to good use. I fed the hungry, cared for the weary, and healed the sick."

Nightmare Moon paused and turned her face away from Celestia; a single tear sliding down her face.

"But for each pony fed, each pony healed, each pony helped, another five took their place. There was no end to the injured, beaten, and hopeless ponies of the world. There had to be another solution."

Nightmare Moon turned back to Celestia with fire in her eyes.

"I decided that if I can't heal the wound, I must at least put an end to the suffering. I took my power and made the night eternal, thus putting all ponies on equal ground. All ponies would be like the stars in the night sky. Weak, numerous, and alone. There would be no more sun in the sky. No one would shine brighter than anypony else."

"You believe that by making everypony suffer, everypony would be on equal ground?" Celestia said shakily. "You believe that your helping everypony? You believe that ponies will be happy?!"

Her last word echoed around the chamber as a slow chuckle escaped Nightmare Moon. "Happy? Oh no, nopony is happy. You see, that is the reason this kingdom, my kingdom, is so perfect. You once told me a sad story; I believe it in involved windigos or something of that nature? And it had a such a predictable happy ending where everyone made up? I am sorry my sister, but that is not how this world we live in works. There are no happy endings; I know this as a fact. There is only suffering and hardship. That is real life."

"No." Celestia said firmly. "There can be happy endings."

"Oh?" Nightmare Moon asked in mock wonder. "How is this possible?"

"I can put an end to you." Celestia replied with a snarl as she ripped off her scarf. Underneath the scarf was a golden necklace studded with six jewels of varying hues.

"Are those... the Elements of Harmony?!" Nightmare Moon asked in disbelief. "I thought those were lost decades ago!"

"They were," Celestia replied, "but I found them. It took many years, and many hardships, but I found them. Your reign ends his Nightmare Moon."

Celestia focuses her whole being on the six stones as she felt an unfamiliar weightlessness engulf her. She looked up into the wide eyes of her foe, of her sister, and felt a wave of sorrow rush ov

The Life and Times of an Honest Pony

Tonight, I sip at my flask of hot cocoa, rub my freezing hooves, and tighten the scarf around my neck, just like every other night.

It’s the forty-seventh day. Four-seven, tee hay-ch, written in those littler words called something-script. Subscript. That’s probably it, yeah. It’s the seventieth day we’ve started work, and we’re finally above ground level. We had to take out the foundations in order to fix up the ground underneath, so that we could then lay in a new set of foundations, and that was long work all right. The Canterlotians really don’t skimp on stability when it comes to the nobles’ buildings, I can tell ya. The steel beams which kept the ground firm were a hundred feet in deep. Crazy innit? A hundred feet! We had to dig and dig, loosen up all the soil, and then have the unicorn squads do the heavy lifting, take the beams out in one glowy magical pull. Unicorns doing heavy lifting! Goes to show that anything goes in the New Era, just like the radios are saying.

Anyways, we managed to pull out the old, twisted foundations, put in new ones - the fancy kind with the beams covered in runes so that we don’t have to strike ‘em in as deep, because it’s magic. And then we started the scaffolding, and the first bits of flooring, and now it’s the forty-seventh day, bordering on forty-eighth.

I mean, from now on, there’s no more digging. It’ll just be a simple matter of carrying and laying and mixing and setting, and even the thinking part of that’s all the forepony’s job. We just have to do what he tells us to do. That’s fine.

You know, you’d think that the city folk would be complaining, what with us a-rattlin’, a-banging, generally being the loud sort of productive in the middle of the night, but they ain’t. Probably because the ones who made it out aren’t around any more, and the ones who dinna made it out aren’t around any more neither.

Maybe I shouldn’t say that out loud. Although it has been already forty-seven days since the big rampage, and all.
A month and some. King Crownmaker from the history books had a month-long mourning when he died, but I doubt there was any kings when the buildings collapsed.

Construction’s going on all around our area, it isn’t just us. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Most I ever saw was when I was drafted to go work on them low-cost housing, down in South Haymeande, and that was pretty amazing, like, a couple hundred units and we worked on ‘em twenty at a time, where a chunk of the wild forest used to be. The Haymeande villagers told us you couldn’t see anything on account of the dust. But this is something different. This is like... a quarter, yeah, a whole quarter of Canterlot being rebuilt from rubble. Really something different all right.

Ma tells me I oughtta be more poetic. It’s the only way a rough cut like me could get grandkids for her, she says. Forget the grandkids, this is worth mentioning on its own.

Like...

Think a construction site, right. Dead soil, the clay kind, all dry and crumbly because of all the years of being sat under by buildings. You’ve got your forepony shouting at everypony. You’ve got your big fences with all the warning signs and pictures of safety equipment. You’ve got all the dust everywhere, ponies walking in dust, ponies trailing dust as they walk, all that. There’s cement-mixers and wagons and machinery carrying things and beams and cans and canisters, and all that stuff which goes into a building, everywhere, all over the grounds. And you’ve got the building itself, right, just a scaffolding frame, nowhere near even half the height of the original building, made of poles and all covered with the soft green mesh. And you’ve got ponies climbing it and being everywhere. And you’d wonder sometimes just how the heck could we ever get it back up, and then you remember that it just does. That we’re the ones who get it back up, because it’s our job.

And you’ve got this construction site, and there’s another one beside it, and another one around that, and all over. It just stretches on and on, all across northern Canterlot. You can actually see more sky because there’s no more skyscrapers in the way. That’s what some ponies are saying, at least. I wouldn’t know. I’ve always been able to see the sky fine. I do know that you can’t walk well, though, because all the skyscrapers are blocking your way. What’s left of them, I mean. Well, at least, I would mean, except we’ve cleared that away already, for the most part. The debris is somewhere, wherever it is that debris is thrown.

And everypony’s being noisy, and loud, and there’s metal clanging and shouting and hitting, but there’s a strange calm about it all. Not in the ears, you know, but somewhere... deeper. In the watery cocoa, in my cold hooves, and around my scarf.

I dunno. It’s not that I don’t like the calm or anything, it’s just weird. In a nice kind of way. I do like doing the night shifts. Always liked the nights more. Guess I should have told her that.

It’s the two-hundred-and-first day. A lotta ponies ain’t happy. I’m not sure if I’m one of them.

See, the government, who’re the ones hiring us to rebuild Canterlot, want to hire griffons and goats too. Griffons are good builders, on account of having both strength and wings, and goats are good at handling heights, which is kinda where we are around now. That pissed off the union, and so they’re locked in, mmm, heated debate. Because while the government’s, y’know, the government, we’re the ones who’re actually doing the work, so we should get to have a say. And, apparently, what a lot of “we” are saying is that we don’t want meat-eaters and low-pay bumpkins to come in and steal our jobs. Well, “we” are saying that, though I don’t mind them. I mean, griffons look at you funny, and goats look at you even more funny, but they never did me any harm, and if there’s too much work to be done, then I don’t see how they could steal our jobs, since we’ve still got ours and there’s still more to spare.

I mean, yeah, it’s been two hundred and one days, which is, um, seven months less a bit. Even with the unicorns we’re behind schedule by five weeks, and the forepony thinks we’ll be behind by even more if this carries on. This, of course, being the stupid weather. It’s not even pretty weather. It’s just dark.

It’s been raining on-and-off for the past three weeks. Sometimes it’s a drizzle, sometimes it’s a storm, but it all comes down to clouds ain’t getting kicked. It’s all because the pegasi in charge aren’t doing their job. They’re slacking off. Forepony tells me so. Their tower got destroyed, so they were relocated to a less nice part of town, and their wages were cut temporarily to make funding for the reconstruction. And apparently this made the pegasi boss official real upset, so he’s being a pain in the flank by being sloppy. I mean, he’s throwing a fit because he doesn’t have a nice office no more, and we’re the ones who get caught in the rain and mud! If anything, the government should go give his job to the griffons. Then we could actually make cement with the proper amounts of water, and actually climb the scaffolding without worrying about slipping, and, you know, actually do work.

But the forepony tells me that’s not gonna happen, because the boss official is the nephew of the Speaker in Parliament. He’s important, and nopony wants to get in his way, so he gets away with it. And because the government needs to look like it’s doing something, it’s gone and proposed that it hires griffons and goats. And Princess Celestia’s, well, not around, so that’s just that, bless her soul.

We’re doing the best we can as is. We really are. It’s real hard work, and I can’t remember what it’s like to not feel sore all over, or to not have mud in the nicks of your hooves. But the government is making it sound like we’re not good enough. That’s not right. Ma always told me to do my best in everything, and I did. I am.

I’m thinking that maybe I am one of the unhappy ponies, and the more I think about it, the more unhappy I am. Now I’m not sure whether I want to be unhappy.

It’s been a week since I’ve come here. Canterlot sure is... well, it’s not what I was expecting at all. Ma always said Canterlot’s a mess, ‘s why she never left Trottingham, and, hey, Ma was right.

The forepony here’s really different from Mr Roe. Good old Mr Roe. He’s a younger pony who’s still got black hairs in his mane, and he wears this custom safety vest with pockets especially for holding pens. He’s got a really sharp look to him, like the old headmaster, lookin’ to see if you really did steal that toffee, or hit that filly because she called you a ne’er-do-well. Which she did, but he never stared at her, but that dinna matter now. Point is that the new forepony kinda scares me, so I have to work real hard to do everything right. I don’t wanna find out what happens if I don’t.

The sleeping area’s more or less the same. It’s a shelter and we sleep on mattresses in rows. No fancy electricity, because the thing that makes it got destroyed. And of course everything smells of mud and sweat, even though it’s just been a week. Still, I’m not complaining. We each have our own oil lamp, which is plenty generous, and there’s quite a bit of wiggle room between mattresses. Wood that makes the floor’s good and solid, too, doesn’t sound like the kind that gets damp easy. That’s good. I mean, we’ll be living in here until the construction gets done, and it looks like it ain’t gonna get done until a long, long time.

It’s... it’s just insane, what happened here. We heard the news, and thought that was bad, and then came the newspapers with the pictures, and we thought that was more bad, but seeing it with your own eyes...

Who’d have thought it? Princess Luna, going bad and calling herself Nightmare Moon?

The radio didn’t do it justice. “Long-fought battle”, they said. Well, “long-fought battle” my flank. “Long-fought battle” don’t show you just how much rubble there is. It’s all just rubble. Everything, all the buildings, the houses, the roads, all crumbled and broke. And there’s ponies underneath. Hundreds of them, they’re saying. Maybe even a thousand. It makes me sick just thinking about it...

That’s all we’ve been doing, and that’s all we’ll be doing, for the next couple of weeks. Just clearing rubble. The top layer’s just dusty. It’s the bottom bits, the ones that stink of death. There’s a lot more worms there. Beetles, too. You move a small stone and the light from your torch goes in, and out come like five of them, all scuttling, nasty black shiny things with pincers. And you look at them, and you think about them, where they’ve been and what they’re doing there, and... Oh Celestia...

The unicorns can’t use their magic anymore, or we’d be done a lot quicker. Just zap the rubble clean off. All the unicorns lost their magic, probably due to the fight. Sun against moon, day against night. There’s a lot of talk about nature leylines and balance, but it sails over my head. It’s not for me to bother about, because I’m not a unicorn. I’m paid to work. So that’s what I do. It’s good pay, too. Lucky it is, or I might’ve had half a mind to go home. I mean, geez, I’m not soft stuff, heck no, but being surrounded by all of it - the wreckage, the death, the look on everypony’s faces - that’s not natural. It’s just not good for the soul. Soul’s important.

But Ma’s getting old, and with the battle, everypony’s worrying whether the harvest will be okay or not, and then there’s Sissy who’s pregnant, and the foal’ll need a cot... Money’s never been this good, work’s never been so much. If I see this through, we’ll have enough for at least a while. I’m sure of it. And I have to do is just work. Ponies do it all the time.

Anyhow, I’m being put on the night shift. We’re working in a huge team of a hundred and fifty, half of us working in the day and the other half at night. Get things done faster, you see. I’d almost be happy for being in the night shift, if not for the whole thing with Princess Luna. I can’t help but feel bad, y’know. I enjoyed her nights. Didn’t make a difference, though, if she felt as jealous and unappreciated as she did. Maybe I should have told her, and then it might have mattered. I can’t help but think that. But then again I’m just a poor worker pony from Trottingham. I’m a rough cut. Ma says so all the time. I’d probably end up offending the Princess. Not that I’d know now.

It’s the two-hundred-and-thirty-third day. Two three three! A special number for a special day. Maybe special isn’t the word, though. It’s a good thing that’s happened, but I don’t feel very good about it.

Somepony nailed a folder of papers on the steps of the High Court. There were photographs, chits, receipts, letters, even a spell that contained recordings of the boss official doing “dealings” of the secret, bad kind. A bad attitude wasn’t his biggest problem; it was corruption, and every article in the folder was proof of it. The nail that did the job was eleven inches thick. Nopony makes nails like that! The longest we use is nine! Though I guess that’s not the point. The point is, the official was forced to resign, and the government’s been forced to punish him for his deeds. Radio’s been talking about it non-stop, though the signal’s been pretty bad and it’s hard to make things out of the crackle. Justice’s been done, and although I don’t really know all that much about it, you can still feel glad about it. It’s just one of those things.

What we weren’t expecting was that his replacement’s a griffon. One of the sons of a griffon elder. The radios talk about “diplomatic moves” and “intercontinental relations” and “trade”, but I’m kinda worried. I’m sure he’s a nice, um, fellow, and more responsible, and he’s already moving orders to get the sun back on us, which is good, but the union doesn’t seem to like it. Like, I’m not supposed to be working now, but I have to, because we get paid by the day and every day counts. We’re behind enough as is, and the forepony’s got bald patches trying to figure out how to make up for lost time. I don’t think he’d be happy if the few of us who’re still working stopped working. And Ma always told us to don’t do to others what you dinna want others to do to you. And besides, who ever thought of skipping work? Definitely not me. I need to work whenever I can. Construction workers don’t get much in the way of continued employment, and all, since there isn’t so much continued construction.

Some ponies are asking me why I’m not going on strike with them. I told them I needed the money. I think they get it. The truth is that not everypony wants to be on strike; I think it’s the leaders of the union who want it the most, and we never see them on site, so you have to wonder whether they know what they’re doing.

It’s the two-hundred-and-sixtieth day. The strike’s been holding up, even though the weather’s cleared up and we can actually make progress. Nopony is getting anywhere with negotiations. Eleven workers have packed up and gone home. If you’re going to do nothing, might as well do it at home, right?

I’ve been putting in my all every day, more than before, and it’s really doing a number on my back. But I gotta. We have to if we want to get the building done. Slowly but surely, we’re getting the floors done. There’s around twenty of us out of the team of a hundred and fifty - no, a hundred and thirty-four. Twenty’s a fine number. Twenty could get a house done in a couple of months real easy, though a house is a lot smaller and less complicated than an office building. We’re all day shift.

The taller it is, the more complicated it is. That makes sense, because there’s more floors and more weight to deal with, so the struts have to be more... just more, really. That’s all headwork and up to the architects, of course. We just do the fitting. And twenty’s a fine number to do fitting with. Just enough ponies to hold the supports and nail things, and keep everypony else safe and fastened.

Some of the ponies are kinda upset that there are twenty of us still working. Maybe they’re frustrated at the lack of progress, or at the union. The twenty of us are all border folk, living on the outskirts of the map, or so I’ve noticed. All honest, quiet lads with big families back home. Almost half from the chilly north, too. Not that the others aren’t honest, just that, well, maybe the others think different because they eat different. They think work’s worth skipping, and we don’t. There’s bound to be a reason for that that I’m not getting.

I mean, the griffon is obviously doing his job, right? What’s the problem then? If we can properly work now, that’s what we should do.

Mmm... Hearth’s Warming is coming up in a month or so. That’ll be a real day off. Wonder what I should do? Maybe I could do overtime. Canterlot pays more for its overtime workers, I’ve been told. It’d be a good way to keep warm at any rate. The pegasi are trying their best, but the lack of control over the past few months have messed up the order of things, or so they say.

Tonight, I sip at my flask of hot cocoa, rub my freezing hooves, and tighten the scarf around my neck, just like every other night.

It’s the three-hundredth day. Everything’s going as it should be. Yesterday, orders came from the union to start work again. Just that. And so we did. Truth be told, I think many of the ponies were happy to be able to work again. You could see it in the way they used to pace around, and poke at their food.

Despite our requests, the pegasi aren’t keeping the frost off the site. I see them trying, though, every so often, so I guess it’s just because they can’t. It’s real dangerous to work the scaffolding, now that we’re eight floors up. The wood gets damp in the Canterlotian winter, and the cold makes the wood brittle because of it. The railing’s also harder to hold, and the ropes are a lot more stiff. But we gotta keep working.

I’ve been put back on the night shift. It’s strange, having to get used to it again, sleeping in the day and all that, and getting my night vision back, but I’m not complaining. What I might be worried about is how this little bit of my back hurts whenever there’s a wind about, and sometimes it just locks... If I tell the forepony, though, I might get fired, on grounds of health. I really don’t want that. So I’d better keep quiet about it. I mean, yeah, I’ve been working all this time, and I’ve got a tidy sum on balance, but it could be more.

The view from here really is pretty. You can see the lamps lit up all over the sites, and you can see the shadows of the workers twitching and moving constantly. It’s like a construction festival. Noise is still noise, but there’s still a calm to it. And beyond that’s the sky - the vast, starry sky. I love that the most. It’s where I learned to count. Most ponies use paper, but I always wanted to know how many stars there were in the sky. So I tried to count them. And I kept on counting them. And before I knew it, I learned how to count up to... a lot. A really big number. I’m not sure what it is anymore. Pity.

In a couple more hours, it’ll be the new year. Come to think of it, I’ve never been away from home for the new year. Somehow I’d always be back home. Probably because nopony builds anything around the holiday season, until now that is. But now that I think about it, it’s my first new year’s alone. Well, not alone. There’s all the other workers, too.

The forepony’s shouting, but he sounds different. There’s a cart coming in and it’s filled with something. Whatever it is, a lot of ponies are getting interested in it really quickly.

Oh! The forepony’s telling us to come down. He’s got a treat for us, for the new year, and he says he’s giving us the rest of the night off. That’s really nice of him.

A lot of the ponies look happy. That’s the first time I’ve seen them like this. It’s really nice. And warm-feeling, too.

So now, I just have to put my cup down, grab the rope, and I’ll just strain my poor back for one last moment - don’t fail me, buddy - and we’ll ease down the building...

Tonight was amazing. You won’t believe it, but I gotta tell you anyways. I saw Princess Luna! The Princess Luna herself!

See, I was just walking in the woods, right. It’s the night shifter in me. You have to just do something with your hooves when the day gets cool. Anyways, what I was doing was walking in the woods, and then I come upon a clearing. Really wide, open, nice cool clearing, and it isn’t marsh, too, which is great for a place like Trottingham.

And in the clearing I saw the back of Princess Luna, just sitting there, staring at the full moon.

She must’ve heard me, even though I was trying to be quiet. That’s clumsy me for you. Ma always said I was a rough cut. She turned and looked at me. I couldn’t see her face, because her shadow was covering it, but there was... something about her. Her mane and tail were flowing even though there wasn’t any wind. The only thing I could really see from the distance was her eyes, and even then I couldn’t see that clearly.

She just faced me, and I faced her, and I didn’t know what to do.

I mean, Princess Luna, all the way in Trottingham! And I’m a rough cut, just some construction worker pony, and not even that - an unemployed construction worker pony.

I think I bowed. I must have. Manners, and all that, right, because Ma wouldn’t stand for me being disrespectful to the Princess. But anyhow, we didn’t say anything, and then, somehow, she was gone.

I mean, I know I’m pretty slow. I can do numbers, but that’s about it. But I finally thought of what to say to her, after she was gone, and it was real nice and simple too. It was simply “Thank you for the night”, because I like the nights. There’s a strange calm about them. A real warm, peaceful kind of calm, even in the cold seasons.

I guess I’ll have to tell her that if there’s a next time.

First and Last

January 1st, 1006 PRL

Dear Princess Celestia,

Happy New Year! You should have seen the party last night in Ponyville. Pinkie had the entire town covered in decorations, and there were more sweets than I had seen in my entire life. She even had fireworks! (And they were great!) Too bad Spike had to miss it; he would have had a heart attack with all the available cakes and cookies. I had a lot of fun, but it still nagged at me all night that he wasn’t there. This is the first time we haven’t spent celebrated the New Year together in a decade. Still…
Even when I returned home, half the town was still out celebrating. Was hard to get to sleep but let the ponies have their fun.
With Spike gone on his “journey” or whatever he calls it now, mailing my friendship reports seems to be the only other option I have. This seemed important for Spike, and I had to let him go, even if it fails miserably. But, knowing how the mail system is usually “run,” I’m afraid my reports will be lost in the system or delayed! Never let it be said that Twilight Sparkle is lazy! I’ll make sure they’re sent, one way or the other. You can count on me. I’m still sorry for any inconvenience this will cause, Princess!
In other news, the meteor storm I’ve been tracking seems to still be on course and will run by Equestria sometime in the next month. I’m so excited, Princess! I can’t wait! Maybe if one lands near Ponyville, I’ll be able to finish up my study and forward you the findings. Even thinking about it has me shaking in anticipation. It’s going to be a great month!

P.S Spike says “hi.”

P.P.S Tell Cadance and Shining Armor “Hi,” for me as well!

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle

January 10th, 1006 PRL

Sorry it’s taken my so long to write this letter, Spike, but things have really been piling up around the Library. I had a whole new shipment of Astrology books come in to help me with the upcoming meteor shower. It’s a shame you won’t be there to see it with me. The rest of the gang send their best wishes to you, but it’s nowhere near mine. Pinkie did make it clear that if you’re not back by the next big party, she’s going to personally track you down and drag you home (I think she’s sad you didn’t get to eat any of the things she cooked!). It’s lonely around the library, Spike, and it’ll be nice when you’re back. This isn’t trying to guilt you into abandoning your trip and coming home. This is a thing dragons do. They like to explore, and you’ve grown enough to have more independence in your life! Oh, I hope none of your dragon friends are reading this! I don’t mean to embarrass you!
Enough about me, how are you doing? Tell me about your interesting adventures. Surely you have flown over something worthwhile (and scientific!) in the few weeks you’ve been gone?

P.S Pinkie had “forced” me to include some cookies with the letter. They might be a bit stale, but that’s never stopped you before, right?

P.P.S – We all miss you a lot, Spike!

Your Best Friend,
Twilight Sparkle

January 16th, 1006 PRL

Twilight,

The cookies were awesome! Send my thanks to Pinkie, and tell her that I will be home before the year is out. Tell the others everything is cool and I’m having tons of fun as well!

Did I tell you that flying was scary? Still haven’t gotten used to everything being so small. I know why Rainbow Dash feels so strongly about it now. It’s rad being able to write while flying (Don’t be jealous, it makes the letters all sloppy. Don’t worry, either, it’s not that sloppy).

You should see the all dragons, Twilight. There’s hundreds of them! All different shapes, colors and sizes. We’re almost like ponies with how unique we can look. (Dragons are way cooler!)

We had a pretty big flight over the northern mountains a few days back. Even got to see a glimpse of the Crystal Empire but it fell behind us pretty fast. I’m sorry there’s not much else to tell you, but I’ve been hanging out with the other dragons and trying to make friends.

I’ll write you soon to tell you about them, though Daggerclaw begs Pinkie to send more cookies. Yes, Twilight, I did share them. It was difficult I’m growing up, you see?

Your Best Assistant,
Spike-Wikey Spike

February 2nd, 1006 PRL

Dear Princess Celestia,

I hope my last few letters have reached you safely. We managed to clean up the mess the manticore made near Fluttershy’s cottage. Fluttershy’s still incredibly embarrassed about what happened. Apparently there are some manticores that can resist her animal instincts. At least she managed to stop it before it got into town. I’d never seen Fluttershy berate an animal so hard. Poor thing; rampage of destruction it might be, but no one deserves the stare Fluttershy gave it. Thinking about it gives me goosebumps.
Anyways, the meteor storm is on the Horizon, and flying closer to Equestria than I initially thought. We should all be able to watch them from the hills on the outskirts of Ponyville. I know you’re really busy, Princess, but would it be too much to ask that maybe you would like to come and watch the storm with us? We would be able to share notes! I understand if you can’t, but I thought that I would ask anyways.

You asked about Spike in your last letter and I have to say that he is getting along fine if his writing is any indication. Pinkie still sends him more cookies (she makes more and more each time) and I swear that every dragon Spike hangs with is going to be too stuffed to fly. He’s made a lot of friends, and apparently they’re flying across the ocean to the dragon homeland. A lot of gems as well, he says.

Sorry to cut the letter short, Princess, but I’ve got to get the telescopes ready for tomorrow. It’s going to be so great!

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle.

February 3rd, 1006 PRL

Spike,

The meteor storm should be here tonight. I’ve dated this letter in advance in case it arrives early. It should be visible around nine o’clock tonight. Be careful when flying, those meteors are closer to Equestria than I thought they would be. I’m trying not to be worried, but as great as dragons are, a unicorn’s protective shield is better (in my opinion!) so just take it safe. Looking forward to see you home again. Really is lonely with you gone and I think Pinkie spends every free moment baking cookies. She thinks that eventually she’ll create one so delicious, you’ll want to come home. Hehe!

Your Best Friend,
Twilight Sparkle

February 3rd, 1006 PRL

Dear Princess Celestia,

There’s so much noise and commotion! The town hall is on fire, I think. One of the meteors smacked directly into it. Several other buildings got struck as well. The fireponies are doing what they can, and they seem to have the fires under control, but everyone is rushing around and trying to find their friends. I’m so sorry, Princess, I should have predicted this!

I hope Spike’s okay…

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle

February 6th, 1006 PRL

Dear Princess Celestia,

Sorry it’s taken three days to get this letter to you, but everyone has been helping with rebuilding the houses that were hit. Town hall got the worst of the damage, and was almost completely burned by the time the fireponies had the flames out. I swear Mayor Mare was crying, but she seems fine now. They’ve gotten the framework for the building back up, and it should be done by the end of the week. There’s no sign of the meteor that hit it, but there was a massive hole in the foundation of the building so the rock probably just obliterated itself against the ground. The other houses that were struck have all been repaired, and everypony is okay, so I think the worst is over but it was still a very bad shock all the same.

Spike’s written back to me as well. He and the other dragons were far enough away to avoid the shower, and they are all fine. Spike’s hoping to make a visit when they pass over the middle of Equestria, and I can’t wait to see him. The rest of us are okay as well, thought Rainbow Dash was a bit mad at having to reform the clouds the meteors tore through. Fluttershy’s having a hard time convincing her critters to stop hiding in the forest. They all seem to be scared, even Angel has taken off. He left a carrot for Fluttershy, which could only mean anything. Rarity’s was hoping to find some miraculous gems for her dresses but seemed disappointed when all the objects were confiscated by the agents from Canterlot. Thank you for sending them, by the way, they’ve certainly helped calm the citizens.

I know you told me not to feel guilty about this, and that I couldn’t have done anything, but I was the one tracking this storm for months, and I knew it was getting closer than what I had originally determined. I can’t control the cosmic nature of the universe, but still… I should have warned the town. The feeling will disappear when this is all over, hopefully.

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S Could you have a sample of the meteorite send to me if it’s not dangerous. I’d appreciate the opportunity to study its composition. Plus, it will help with the astrology study!

February 24th, 1006 PRL

Dear Princess Celestia,

I hope my letters aren’t getting lost again in the mail, but I haven’t gotten a reply from you in a while. Stupid mail service! Don’t tell Derpy I said that…

I received the samples you sent me last week and I have to say that they are extraordinary. I’ve never seen anything like them, and the material they are made out of is nothing like any mineral or substance found on Equestria. This is going to take forever to completely break down, and all the corrosive elements I’ve used have had little effect on the rock. It’s almost like one big gem, but I probably shouldn’t tell Spike that! I was stuck inside my library all day looking at the thing. It was only supposed to be a half an hour study, but when I finally pried my snout away to check the time, it was late in the evening! I don’t even remember getting up to turn on the lights, or if I even ate! The girls were mad at me for missing out on their planned tea date, but they seemed to understand my excuse. Well, sort of.

Fluttershy’s managed to coax Angel home, but the rest of the animals seem to be missing save for a few chipmunks. I asked her how many she had left to look for but she just shook her head and told me, “Too many.” Pinkie’s tried to cheer her up with a party, but I’m not sure it will last that long. Pinkie herself seems to be worn out as well, and she keeps making cookies for Spike. She misses him a lot. But she was ecstatic when I told her last week that he’d be visiting on the 26th when he flies over. She has another party planned, and even I’m really excited for it. Maybe it will cheer Fluttershy up as well.

Rainbow has also been complaining about the clouds. Something in the meteor must have burned off in the atmosphere and gotten into the sky. There aren’t any health complains, but Rainbow is saying that clouds are now harder to force together, and when she gets them into the shape she wants, when she comes back they aren’t the same formation as when she left. There’s only so much I can study at the time, but this could potentially effect Winter Wrap Up in Spring.

I’ve got to get back to preparing for Spike, Princess. If you get this letter, please reply back. I’d like to hear what your scientists have found out about the meteorites.

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S Should my sample be glowing blue in the evening?

February 26th, 1006 PRL

Dear Princess Celestia,

I yelled at Derpy the other day about the lateness with the mail, and how I haven’t gotten anything back from you in a while. She seemed confused when I brought up the dates, and mentioned something about it being forever ago she sent those letters off. Sometimes, I swear she just… ugh, never mind. I feel bad about what I did, and I tried to tell her I was sorry but she barely seemed to remember when I approached her the next day. I worry for her, sometimes.

Spike still hasn’t visited, and today should be the day he is here, but there is no sign of him. I know I shouldn’t be mad or worried, but so much today has just ticked at me. Combine that with the fact that these letters may not even be reaching you, and it’s just too much.

Every time I look at that sample, time just seems to melt away. I don’t know if that means I’m way too enthusiastic about it, or I’m just bad at managing time (which is unlikely since I made so many lists about time management) but when I finally haul myself away for something to eat, or a bathroom break, the stars are in the sky and it’s dark. I’m not tired, either, but I’m just losing focus of everything. I just need a break…

Fluttershy still hasn’t gotten her animals back, and I think she’s stopped trying. When I asked her the other day, she sighed and said it was too late and that she had come to terms with them being gone. It’s barely been a month, and I don’t know why she has given up so quick. I tried pursuing the topic further, but she got worse and I had to leave. I think I heard crying when I was outside her cottage.

Mayor Mare also seems worse. I passed her in the street and she just looks… worn out. I know I shouldn’t be judging but there were bags under her eyes and she was limping. Maybe the town isn’t doing so well with the cost of repairs, but something seems to be weighing heavily on her. I asked her what she had planned in March, and she looked at me like I was crazy. She seemed to drone in and out of the conversation as well, which annoyed me to no end.

I know it’s bad of me to say this, but I haven’t had much time to spend with Rainbow and Rarity. Pinkie has been bringing cookies over each day, and she mentioned about how the Cakes have bought way too much flour than what they needed for the month, so she used some of it to make Spike some cookies. She’s eagerly awaiting him to visit as well.

I hope Spike’s okay…

Have your Scientists found out anything useful about the meteorite? I’ve tried dropping it, melting it, freezing it and prying it apart with magic, but nothing works. It just glows and glows and glows, seemingly brighter. I’m sorry about how negative this letter sound, Princess, and hopefully next week will be better.

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S We need another way to transport our letters, because this is the absolute last straw with the mail system. As much as Derpy is a friend, I have a duty to you to get these letters to Canterlot.

March 5th, 1006 PRL

Spike,

Where are you? You were supposed to visit last week and there was no sign of you! I was really looking forward to catching up. It’s been three months since I’ve seen my best little assistant and I can’t describe how much I miss you. Letters are good… but not good enough. Speaking of which, you better not just be opening the letters for Pinkie’s cookies. It’s been a month since I got a reply from you, and I’m not trying to force you away from your friends just to write to me, but I really, really miss you and would love to hear about what you’re doing! So If you get a chance, please write!

Your Best Friend,
Twilight Sparkle

March 17th

Princess,

I’m really scared and I don’t know what to do. My letters aren’t leaving Ponyville, of that I’m sure. Every time I talk to Derpy she’s not listening, or just looking at me like I’m crazy. Any mention of dates just makes her laugh. I got so fed up that I yelled at her in front of the entire post office. There was only a minute of silence, and I was sure she was going to toss me out, but her expression just vanished and she asked me what I was doing here so late. I turned around and it was dark out! It was ten in the morning when I came here!

That’s not all. I personally tried teleporting to Canterlot, but it wouldn’t work. I appeared at the boundaries of Ponyville, and each consecutive teleport, regardless of how far I intended to go, only got me a few feet. I resolved myself to walk to Canterlot and personally deliver this letter to you, but I only made it a mile or two before it was daytime and I was exhausted. I had to turn around and head back, I was just too tired, so I tried to teleport. It worked fine but the moon was back in the sky when I appeared on the Library porch.

I don’t know what’s going on…

March 15th

Spike,

Where are you? I’m really scared. You haven’t wrote back to me, and there’s no sign of any dragon migration anywhere. Please, things are wrong, everything is WRONG. I need you here now…

Please.

March 20th

Princess,

Mayor Mare is dead… and I don’t know how long she has been. I went to her office today to discuss things with her and… and she was just slumped over on the desk. I just… it’s, I can’t. Her mane was nothing but a few wisps of stray hair, and her face was sunken. She looked all bones… and nothing else. The office smelled of…

The doctors say she’s been dead for weeks.

They say the cause was old age. That her life just ended! That’s not possible! How can you die of old age when you’re barely past middle age? She looked bad the last time I saw her… but not that bad! Princess… Celestia, just please, if you get this, please, please come to Ponyville right away. Something is very wrong. I sent Owlicious to deliver, but please, hurry!

March 21st

Everyone looks tired… exhausted.

March 24th

I tried using my horn to cast a protective bubble. My body feels strange. My muscles feel strained, and my horn aches, something uncharacteristic of a mare at my age. How old am I? Have I been affected by this as well?

My friends barely acknowledge me with nods. Their eyes are sunken. Pinkie is the only one worried. She came over to deliver cookies, and I told her what I thought. She stayed for the night, and I made my shield big enough for her to stay in.

March 30th

Every day passes in ten seconds. I don’t feel that bad, maybe this shield is helping. If I could find a way to extend it over Ponyville…

April 3rd

Spike,

Where are you?

Extremely Worried and Deathly Scared Best Friend,
Twilight Sparkle

April 10th

I can’t do it anymore. My studies have yielded nothing on the rock. It has to be the cause. This blue glow, it’s unbreakable shell. It has to be the source, but if it is….

The last letter from the Princess told me she was sending the pieces to various labs across Equestria and having a joint team work on the information.

If that’s happened…

It seems like years ago that I last wrote to the Princess. The town is empty. The ponies I do see are so old… and so thin.

Pinkie cries herself to sleep each night, but she doesn’t look old. The shield is working.

April 20th

Don’t look, don’t look, I’m never going to look. Forget about them, Twilight. Forget what they are and remember what they were.

What they once were. Vibrant colors, personalities and dreams.

Remember their cutie marks.

Remember them as they once were.

June 2nd, ???

Spike,

I really miss you.

The Lamentation Chain

Rarity couldn't be certain what it was that had drawn her to this particular shop. A lady of her refinement never visited such dark and scary back alleys, after all, even in broad daylight. Hints of rat life and piles of moldering refuse were nearly enough to make her turn away, but once she had reached the shop, the bell dingling as she opened the door, and let her eyes adjust to the dim interior, she knew it was worth following through on the hunch, if one could call it that.

Through the haze of dust disturbed from shelves of knickknacks and oddities so thoroughly caked in the stuff that they were little more than undifferentiated lumps of grey, she could just make out the back wall of the shop. The door, which opened to reveal the shopkeeper emerging from the backroom, was bordered thickly in a red that was vibrant despite the dreary lighting. In the center of the door was painstakingly painted a depiction of a long, serpentine dragon, its scales gleaming with fibrous gold accents. Red eyes blazed fiercely, defending whatever valuables might be too delicate to leave to the careless hoof of an unsuspecting customer. A mouth full of sharp teeth, pearlescent and softly serrated, completed the artful visage of a truly terrifying beast.

"May I help you?" The shopkeeper's voice was soft, tempered by years of choking on dust and ferreting out the desires of customers who thought they could put one over on him. He raised an eyebrow, drawing attention to his four-cornered toque, a Ponyental style that, along with his garb, lent him an air of exotic mystery. For Rarity, it was a source of excitement, which she unsuccessfully tried to rein in.

"Yes, well, I..." What should she say? She wasn't even certain she knew why she was here, though being in this place felt right somehow.

He cleared his throat. "You know, you're only in here by grace of my having forgotten to lock the door. It's New Year's Eve after all, almost the new year proper, and I am not in the habit of leaving my shop open on holidays."

Hot shame blushed her cheeks. "Forgive my prevaricating, sir. I don't mean to keep you away from your family at this time of year."

"That is a worry you should not shoulder." He smiled. "But I'm not the only one missing out on tonight's celebrations." Drawing up a stool, he seated himself behind the counter and adjusted his pince-nez, squinting at her as she walked closer. "So tell me: what brings you to my little shop?"

"I've lost something," Rarity said, and felt as though it was the thing she had meant to say. "I was hoping you could help me. My timing is of course not the best, but..."

"It was very important, this something you've lost." The tan stallion lifted his chin and tapped it gently. "I notice you never said you wanted help finding it."

"Well..." Rarity's eyes fell upon a glass paperweight, dull beneath its patina of dust, that winked at her. "It isn't so much a thing, you see..."

"Say no more," said the shopkeeper, a smile brushing his lips. "You are not the first with this problem, nor, dare I say it, the last. I know what you need; please wait just a moment."

She watched him hop off the stool and barge through the dragon, effortlessly vanquishing it for the briefest of moments. Rarity craned her neck, wary of the small metal tree on the counter full of necklaces, earrings, and sharp ends, and focused on the dragon, as though it might divulge some secret behind what the shopkeeper might be doing.

She hadn't long to wait. The dragon receded and the antiquities dealer emerged with a tall object obscured by a maroon cloth. Rarity recognized it instantly as being made of velour, and rather poorly cared for at that. The object made a soft noise as it was set upon the countertop, and the shopkeeper looked at her a moment before whipping the cloth off, perhaps overdramatically.

Rarity stared at the thing. "Is that... a milk carton?"

"It is."

"I'm sorry." Rarity sighed. "It's late, and I've bothered you on a holiday. I'll go--"

"You misunderstand," he said, mirth coloring his voice. "I don't know why this works the way it does, but take a look at the side. Tell me what you see there."

He turned it then, so that an image surmounted by the words "LOST" and "HAVE YOU SEEN" was visible. Her breath caught in her chest as she saw the face of Spike, the pink woolen scarf she'd given him last Hearth's Warming wrapped about his neck. His eyes were red, and squinted against the wind. It appeared to be snowing where he was, but that was impossible. The day was cold, but it had been still when she'd entered the shop and there was no snow scheduled until after the start of the new year.

Rather than moving in real time, the picture on the carton shifted every few seconds, showing a new image of Spike struggling to walk through snow that rose above his knees. Rarity's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Oh, little Spikey-wikey," she whispered.

Spike pushed on through the driving snow, but though his legs burned, the rest of his body was cold. Dragons are able to generate fire within themselves, but they are nevertheless cold-blooded, and the wintry landscape drained his energy, slowing his metabolism and dulling the energy he could otherwise muster to warm himself from within.

He blinked against the flakes assaulting his vision, raising a hand in a feeble and ultimately fruitless attempt to block them. The only thing that entered his vision was white, after all. The landscape stretched in every direction, flat and featureless save for the hints of trees in the far distance. He couldn't even see where he'd come from, as his footprints filled in immediately. The wind whipped his breath from his lungs, and though tears were in his eyes, they had nothing to do with the weather.

A year's-end kiss, a ritual that was supposed to determine who you'd spend the next year with: that's all it had been.

She had been right, after all. He should face reality, the reality that said they could never be together, that he was young and foolish and entirely not what she was looking for. Some small part of him had always known that this would one day come to pass. But until it had, it was easy to convince himself that things were fine and she would give him a chance one day.

Now that rejection had been leveled in no uncertain terms and with no deadline, he'd had no choice but to react, and it hadn't been the most dignified of reactions. It had carried him through to wherever this place was, sniffling, the aching in his legs long since having dwindled to numbness.

He stumbled, as though his entire body had hesitated at once, and couldn't recover. He fell into the soft snow and dull exhaustion swept over him. He curled into a ball and wept, though no tears came, as though he had been used up. He kept his eyes squeezed shut and it seemed, over the driving winds, that he could hear a voice calling him. It was familiar.

"Spike, where are you? You know mom's going to be worried about you!"

Mom? What was Twilight talking about?

"Spike, come here at once! I'm not telling you again! We have to clean up the library before she sees!"

Twilight was right, they did need to clean up the library. But he couldn't force his limbs to move for some reason. Sorry, Twilight; I'll help clean up just as soon as take a I nap, I promise.

He thought he could see mom right in front of him. She was sitting up late, like Twilight tended to, but poring over her photo albums instead of studying. Wasn't it a holiday today? Maybe she had a glass of wine.

It was port wine, actually, and the glass was half empty, which didn't matter much, because the bottle was still half full. Velvet sighed and took another swallow, not even pretending to sip in temperance anymore. The wine was rich and woody and warmed her from inside without any burning; it was good stuff. Night Light had conked out in bed hours ago, his share of the wine drunk, and she was once again alone with her photographs.

This was not a good ritual to keep, but it was always New Year's that sent her back to these albums, above and beyond even Hearth's Warming and the kids' birthdays. Maybe it was the close proximity of Hearth's Warming to the new year that sent her into a whirlwind of nostalgia and loneliness, a tidal wave of emotion that broke on this day every year.

Her hoof passed over Shining Armor's first Nightmare Night dressed up as a guard. Next to it, Twilight hugging her Smarty Pants doll, her face alight with wonder at Velvet's ability to repair missing eye buttons. Twilight's first cutie mark picture, taken after an entrance exam to the School for Gifted Unicorns that Velvet did not entirely recall, lay nestled beside the first of a series of photos from their trip later that year to Baltimare. Twilight had been ecstatic at seeing the beach. Velvet felt laughter burst forth as she recalled her daughter rushing out to the tide pools and bringing her a new creature, one by one, back to her, just to let her know what it was.

That had been their last vacation as a family, she realized with a soft sickness. That fall, Twilight had started at the School, while Shining had continued with his second year of guard training. It was just her and Night Light now in a Canterlot two-story that was far too big to hold them. Visits from her sisters were infrequent, and Night's family was all too far away to stay over, so it really was just them.

This had especially been true since the wedding. Cadance used to visit even after Twilight was too old and too involved in her studies to require a foalsitter. It was fortunate, Velvet thought, that she'd gotten so close to her future daughter-in-law so early. After all, she'd only ever wanted the best for either of her children, and Cadance definitely fit that label. It amazed her how easy it was, being around Cadance, to forget that she was royalty.

Another swallow drained the glass and after a moment's hesitation, she lifted the bottle for a refill.

"No more than one bottle this time, I swear," she said to the unmoving house. It gave no reply, instead letting her have her space.

Velvet leaned back in her chair and let the wine add flush to her cheeks. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply and felt the cold dryness of winter creep into her nostrils. It took her three tries to adjust the thermostat from afar, after which she also swore off magic for the remainder of the night.

She was, upon reflection, quite lucky to have such a remarkable family. Yes, they were all away on their own adventures and living their own lives, but that was what children did. You raised them from birth, taught them everything you knew, and then hoped that they wouldn't need you anymore. If that was the measuring stick for parental success, then Velvet was perhaps the most successful mother in history. She'd given birth to a mare who was already the personal protégé of Princess Celestia, who had saved Equestria twice by virtue of being the bearer of an ancient magical artifact, and who, judging by common opinion, was destined to become the greatest unicorn mage since Star Swirl the Bearded. Her other child, no less impressive, was the youngest pony ever to hold the title of Captain of the Royal Guard, and had married a mare who was among the few who called the Princesses "aunt". Velvet was quite nearly the sister-in-law of Celestia herself.

She couldn't blame her children for not visiting during the holidays. That she missed them nevertheless meant she was a pony. That they were away for her to miss them meant she had done well by them.

A smile passed across her face and she wiped at a tear that was not born of emotion, but of relief. Then drunken clarity hit her and she wondered if the Princesses ever felt this way. Like most ponies, even those Canterlot-bred, Velvet really didn't know much about her regents' personal lives. There had been Luna's 'return' just two years ago, three if one counted the new year coming, but it was an event so shrouded in secrecy that few truly understood what it meant. Velvet had heard something from Twilight about it, and knew that her daughter had been entangled in the happenings of that day, but had never pried, never having wanted to use her daughter's privilege to her own advantage. The only suggestion was the disappearance of the Mare in the Moon, but even that only left more questions for the normal ponies.

For Celestia, it was hard not see the Mare still up there, a silent reminder of what she'd done to her younger sister. Two years had passed, three if one counted the coming new year, but she still felt the burden of guilt like a yoke that weighed her inexorably to the ground any time she so much as looked at Luna.

Her sister didn't blame her. She'd tried time and again to convince herself of this, but she couldn't believe it. The guilt was all her own making, all of it projected onto other ponies. It was becoming more than she could bear, and keeping up centuries-old rituals like this one weren't helping her to alleviate it.

Every year since that first one, on New Year's Eve in the dead of winter, she would remove her raiments, returning her mane to its natural state, don a scarf, and hide her wings with a spell. As a pink-maned unicorn she would then join in the revelries carried out by her subjects through the night. Inevitably, she would look up at the moon, the very same moon that to her still featured that shape staring coldly back at her, and simply watch it.

For her, it was not the desolate prison so many believed she had banished Nightmare Moon to, but a living symbol of her sister's legacy, a legacy she had only recently handed back to its rightful owner. It was good, not having that extra burden to bear, coincident as it was with the rising and setting of the sun, but at the same time, she missed it. Every night, when she raised the moon, it was liking taking her sister's hoof and pulling her up to a high ledge, like when they were fillies and Luna was just learning to fly. Lowering the moon so the sun could come out felt like tucking her sister in to bed. That's what she'd told herself at the time, anyway; that she could still touch her sister with her magic, however far away she might be.

"Tia..."

Celestia turned, surprised to see the midnight-blue unicorn, her lighter mane hidden under a knit cap.

"Lulu!" She needed a moment to compose herself from the surprise; it was not often she needed these moments, and thus they tended to last. "What a pleasant surprise to see you out here tonight!"

Luna gave a half-smile, tilting her head slightly. "I thought it odd that you had left so late in the evening. You aren't normally awake at this hour."

Celestia nodded, her breath curling out in vapors. "I have always come out to look at the moon on this night."

Luna turned her head upward and slightly away from Celestia, a small smile on her face. "Even now that I am back by your side, sister?"

For a moment, Celestia took in her sister's profile, let the reality of their sharing this moment wash over her. Then she looked up at the moon as well, and saw the superimposition was gone. Luna existed only as a real pony beside her.

"Old habits and all that, Lulu."

"You know I've forgiven you, yes?"

"I do." Celestia sighed. "And I don't."

Celestia saw motion out of the corner of her eye, then felt a warm body press against her.

"Let us pay tribute to the moon together."

Bells tolled midnight and fireworks began to rise into the sky, exploding and showering Canterlot with light. The first salvo roused Twilight Velvet from her drunken stupor, and she panicked for a brief confused moment, until her clock began striking twelve. The darn thing always ran slow, no matter how they tried adjusting it.

Her bleary eyes showed her a near-empty wine bottle, then the opposite wall of the room being lit up by numerous colored bursts. She groaned slightly, rubbed her forehead just under her horn, hopped off the chair and wobbled to the door. Remembering the headache had made her vow against using magic for the remainder of the night, she grabbed her scarf from the rack with her teeth and set it in a slack loop around her neck.

She felt like she needed a walk.

The cold night air almost snapped her back into sobriety, and she shivered against it. The streetlights had been dimmed, to let the fireworks and full moon illuminate the city during the festivities, and she found she enjoyed the effect of seeing everything around her change color once or twice every few seconds.

She trotted aimlessly through the streets of Canterlot, now and then passing other ponies who wished her a happy new year and received the same in turn. Everypony was smiling; most were enjoying the festivities in silence. Near a fountain, she saw a pair of tall unicorn mares, one white and the other nearly black, leaning against one another, and she caught her eyes filling with emotion.

There was, however, one pony in Canterlot who was not having a good time, and it was just Velvet's luck that she would come upon her. Velvet happened to live nearby a liquor store, the very one that had supplied the port currently fueling her purposeless meandering, and in front of that store there stood a magenta mare, slightly older than Velvet's daughter, who wailed softly at the ground.

"Why, why, why..."

Velvet considered herself a compassionate pony. One had to be, after all, to be a mother. So it was with this in mind, as well as her current lack of good decision-making skills, that she approached the mare and said, "Why dear, whatever is the matter?"

The mare looked up at her with forlorn, watery eyes as she said with complete seriousness, "I'm outta booze."

Velvet raised one eyebrow. "Really? Is that it?"

The mare nodded sadly. "An' I got here a hour late to get more! They's closed for the holibay!"

"It really isn't worth getting worked up over, you know." When the mare frowned at her and began working on a new wave of tears, Velvet let out a sigh. "I've got some wine back at my place still. Nopony should be alone on New Year's; would you like to join me for a glass?"

The mare sniffed and scrubbed at her nose. "What kind?"

Velvet could not believe what she was hearing. "It's... port."

The mare's eyes lit up with more than just fireworks. "Oh, that's my favorite! I shall most humbly accept your offer, madame!" She attempted to bow, but nearly fell over, remaining upright only due to Velvet's reflexes, which weren't all that hot, either.

"What's your name?" she asked as they got underway back to her house.

"Berry. You?"

"You can call me Velvet."

Berry smiled. "Thank ya, Velvet. I camed up to Cannerlot to see my family, but... Not too many ponies want nothin' to do with a drunk like me, even on a holiday."

Velvet made a disparaging razz. "I'm hardly the pinnacle of sobriety myself."

"But you can say pimmacle," Berry said with utmost solemnity. Velvet burst out laughing.

"You'll have to be quiet," she said after a few moments had passed. "My husband went to sleep early tonight."

"Aw, tha's a shame," Berry said, then added, "You ain't, y'know... Pickin' up mares so you can..."

"Oh, heavens, no!" Velvet was too drunk to be offended, and she laughed again. "If he wakes up still as drunk as he was when he went to sleep, he might very well ask us to put on a show. You know how stallions can be."

"I sure do, sister!" Berry giggled and pushed Velvet playfully, and she responded with a shoulder-check. The mares passed by an antiquities shop as they wobbled to and fro down the street, their progress noted by an older stallion in a four-cornered toque and pince-nez.

He turned from the window, walking back to a door with a large dragon emblazoned on it, whose metallic scales caught the reds, blues and greens of the fireworks display and threw them back against the walls in little sparkling needles of light.

"Did you find what you were after?" he asked softly as he passed through. The unicorn mare on the other side of the counter looked up, startled, and dropped the milk carton on the countertop.

"I... Yes." She swallowed, then forced a smile. "I'm awfully sorry to have bothered you, sir, but... Thank you. Thank you so very much for letting me see this. What do I owe you?"

He held up a hoof. "Oh, you needn't worry about that. The carton I bring out only when it's needed."

She smiled, and her horn glowed. "At least let me compensate you for lost sleep if nothing else. It is New Year's Eve, after all." Three coins clinked onto the countertop beside the jewelry tree and rolled to a stop.

"You mean New Year's Day, madam," he corrected her, and her eyes widened.

"Oh my goodness! How long was I..." She turned and bolted to the door, stopping momentarily to look back over her shoulder.

"I have a friend out there who needs me. Thank you, again, sir, and happy New Year to you."

She pushed the door open, then vanished into the alley from whence she had come. He trotted to the door, turned the sign so that "Yes, We're Open!" faced inward, and drew the tattered bamboo shade over it.

"Happy New Year," he said softly. "And best of luck."

That Invincible Flame

Hmm, it looks too… festive.

Twilight swayed her head back and forth, attempting to look at her manetie from an angle that made it appear less gaudy, but eventually scoffed in defeat and removed the offending accessory. Levitating another over, she took a glance and decided, No, too red. Hardly matches my coat. A third manetie floated over, this once pure purple. She considered it a moment before tossing it aside as well.

The librarian was not a mare of many mane supplements, and as such, quickly found herself out of options. She wondered if it was even worth it to put so much attention on her appearance. Only her closest friends would be attending the party, and Rarity, the one who would be most critical, was to be busy sitting the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ Hearth’s Warming Eve celebration. Something was compelling her, though.

Sweeping up all of the discarded maneties with her magic, she placed them all back inside her dresser. If there was nothing on hoof, she would just need to visit Rarity and ask for something more fitting. Twilight tidied up the rest of her room then grabbed a winter saddle from her closet and strapped it on. Much easier with magic. She also hopped into some boots before walking downstairs.

Her number one assistant was busy putting up Hearth’s Warming decorations. It occurred to Twilight that she should have done so much earlier. Now they’d only be in-spirit for a day or so. Also, there was something about seeing that little dragon working so hard on it by himself, something she couldn’t quite put her hoof on.

The library felt very cold all of a sudden. Decorations were always provided back in Canterlot; it was odd to see Spike do it alone. Spike wouldn’t even be at the celebration tonight. Her parents, her brother, too. All gone. But that was the way of things, right? Ponies grow older, move away, do bigger things with their life. It was just sudden this year.

She wished she could have kept something of Canterlot, something besides her memories.

Hearing Twilight descend the stairs, Spike turned around from his spot on the ladder. “I thought the decorations would be a nice touch for anypony visiting the library. Besides, you never know if you’ll need to have an emergency celebration here.”

“Oh, Spike,” said Twilight, sighing. She walked over and nuzzled him. “I’m proud of you for thinking so far ahead.”

The poor dragon couldn’t help but blush, though he did his best to hide it from Twilight.

“Say, Spike—why did you ask to go to the Cutie Mark Crusader’s party, anyways?”

“Well, it makes sense, doesn’t it? They’re all my age and—“

“Rarity’s going to be there too?” Twilight’s tone turned suggestive.

Spike looked away and curled his claws into fists. “N-no, that’s not it.”

“It’s okay to admit you want to spend the holiday with her.”

“But that’s not it, really!”

Rolling her eyes, Twilight made her way to the door, but paused before leaving. “I’m going to Rarity’s to pick up a new manetie, then I’ll be heading to Sugarcube Corner for lunch. I should be back well before nightfall, though. See you later!”

“But you don’t need a manetie to look pretty.”

Now Twilight’s cheeks were tinted rose, but she refrained from acknowledging the comment. Twilight walked out the door, torn between a grin and a frown.

Twilight poked at the last of her lunch with a hoof. Her bread had nothing amusing to show her, though. With a sigh, she laid her head down on the table, choosing to observe the lunch crowd. It offered much more entertainment than her inanimate food.

The ponies here all seemed so cheery to her. They all had somewhere to be; such was expected before a holiday like tomorrow. Maybe it was that spirit that kept them moving. Maybe it was the bakery itself. Pinkie Pie certainly contributed to it. Though Twilight kept asking herself what it was she saw in them, she never wondered if it was in fact something she lacked…

“Hiya, Twilight!” The stoic unicorn’s vision was suddenly filled with a very pink mane and two very blue eyes. She jolted backwards.

“Pinkie! You startled me.”

“Why you looking so down? Are you drowsy? Or coming down from too much sugar? You know, that’s happened to me before. My solution was to just eat more sugar.”

“I’m not tired. I got plenty of rest.”

“Aww, don’t tell me you’re sad! There’s a big, super-awesome party tonight! Be excited!”

“I am excited for the party tonight. I actually just came here from Carousel Boutique.” Twilight levitated her new sparkling-pink manetie out for Pinkie to see. “I wanted to wear sometime nice for tonight.”

Pinkie’s eyes grew to the size of watermelons under the spell of Twilight’s new manetie. “Oooh. I bet it looks so good on you. I can’t wait to see it.” Once Twilight stashed the manetie away, Pinkie started hopping up and down. “So, which game are you most excited for tonight? I usually go for the pin-the-tail-on-the-pony, but Rainbow Dash really likes to bob for apples, and Applejack likes musical chairs.” She puts a hoof to her chin. “Now that I think about it, wouldn’t it make more sense for Applejack to like bobbing for apples more? I think I should ask her about that.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’ll all be very fun, Pinkie. I wouldn’t want to anticipate one too much over the others; I might not give them all a fair chance.”

Pinkie leaned in, peering with one eye directly into Twilights’. “I guess…” Twilight could only offer a nervous, toothy smile.

“I think I should be going. Plenty of things to do today!” Twilight stood up and took a few steps toward the door before Pinkie buzzed in front of her.

“But there’s so much for us to talk about! What is your family doing for Hearth’s Warming? Are they coming here? Hmmm?”

“My… family? Well, I sent them a letter and they sent me one back. They’ll be celebrating with friends in Canterlot. I’m sure they’ll enjoy it just as much as me.”

“What about the princess?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the inquisitive earth pony. “Celestia? I-I’m actually not sure what she’s doing. Does it really matter?” Pinkie bobbed her head up and down furiously. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s working through it, or perhaps spending some time with her new sister. I think that’s what I would do if I were her.” Stepping to the side, Twilight started toward the door but Pinkie popped in front of her again. “Pinkie, not that I don’t appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I’m fine. I’m sure everyone I know in Canterlot is going to have a great time.”

“If you say so.” Pinkie leapt forward and embraced Twilight in a tight hug. “You know, I heard Applejack has been really busy today, getting food together for the party. I’d go help, but I’ve got so much to do here.”

“That sounds like a great idea. I’ll go check on Applejack. I’m sure she’s got her hooves full like always. See you tonight, Pinkie!” With that, she trotted out the door, though her step didn’t hold the bounce Pinkie usually saw in it.

“I thought so…” she said to herself, narrowing her eyes before bounding back over to the counter. Something was up with Twilight, and she had a pretty good idea what it was. As soon as the Cakes came back to cover for her, she’d need to do some Pinkie-sleuthing.

Almost on queue, Mr. and Mrs. Cake walked through the front door, escorted by a familiar white unicorn.

Spike absentmindedly fiddled with the scarf as he sat in his bed. It was a little worn from age and use, but the orange had kept well, not fading or decaying as one might expect. Though the thing had always been a little big for him, Spike always thought it was perfectly comfortable. Maybe dragons didn’t really need scarves with their thick scales to protect them, but maybe the cold wasn’t the only thing he needed protection from.

He was still fumbling with it when a knock rang out through the library.

The suddenness of the noise made him jolt and fall out of his basket, but he quickly recovered and ran toward the door. “Coming!” he called out, and seconds later he swung open the front door, revealing two ponies: Pinkie Pie and Rarity. Upon seeing the former, he suppressed a gulp.

“Hello, there, Spikey. May we come in? It’s dreadfully cold out here,” said Rarity. Pinkie added a “Brrr” for emphasis.

“Uh, yeah, sure! I’d love for you to come in!” He stepped to the side and held the door wide open, allowing the visitors to step inside.

“Thank you, dear.” Rarity drew out her mane with a hoof, shaking some snow from it. “I don’t understand why the pegasai insist on having snow on Hearth’s Warming Eve. I understand the desire to be festive, but perhaps they could wait until the day of for that? Many busy ponies are still travelling at this time.”

“But without the snow, you can’t make snowponies!” Pinkie said, hopping around the room. “Or have snowball fights! Or slide around on your rump yelling ‘wheeeeeee’ all the way through town! How are you supposed to have a real holiday without those things?”

“I assure you, Pinkie, it is quite possible. Although, I must admit your aim with snowballs is uncanny.” After a quick inspection of her tail, she turned to Spike. “We didn’t come here to talk about snow, however.”

Pinkie halted her inside bouncing routine and zipped over to Rarity, also turning to Spike. “Mmm-hmm. We have something very important we need from you.”

Spike tugged at his collar. “Uhh, important? From me?”

Rarity stepped forward and patted him on the head. “No need to get nervous, Spikey. While this is important, it’s nothing complex or eloquent; rather, it’s something I imagine you do quite frequently.” She turned around, horn glowing, and summoned a scroll from her saddlebag. It stopped in the air before Spike, who grabbed and unfurled it.

It was a letter to Princess Celestia.

“I’m not sure I follow,” said Spike.

Pinkie jumped in. “See, Twilight came to Sugarcube Corner earlier today to eat, but she was really really down, like she hadn’t had a cupcake in days! So I went over and tried to cheer her up like any good friend would do, but she wouldn’t say what was wrong. She seemed really nervous talking about Celestia, and this is Twilight’s first Hearth’s Warming away from Canterlot and I figured she missed her teacher!”

“You think she misses Celestia? I dunno…”

Rarity laid a hoof on Pinkie’s withers, silencing her hyperactive friend. “Spikey, I too had a similar conversation with Twilight when she came into the Boutique. She was clearly not herself. Avoiding my eyes, mumbling more often than not, dancing around topics concerning her teacher—I’m actually surprised Pinkie got as much as she did out of our troubled friend. In fact, when I did get around to giving her her new manetie, she insisted on paying for it!” Rarity scoffed as if offended.

“I guess that is a little weird for her. Are you sure it’s Celestia she’s missing, though?”

“Quite certain. Who else might it be? I considered her parents, but she seemed more open about that, and I know she’s had correspondence with them about the holiday. Celestia, on the other hand…”

Spike’s face fell. “That does make sense.” He let out a deep sigh and looked back to the letter. “So, what’s this for, then?”

“That, dear, is our request for help. It is our hope that the princess might have some time for her favorite student. A short visit would do wonders for Twilight, don’t you think?”

Spike looked back to the letter. “That seems a little excessive.”

A blur of pink danced across Spike’s vision and he found himself under the stare of two powerful blue eyes. “Spike, Twilight told me she was really busy at Sugarcube Corner but when I suggested she visit Applejack, she accepted! On a whim! Twilight never does that! When she’s busy, every single minute of her day is planned out.” Pinkie stuck her lower lip out in a frown. “I’m worried for her.”

“Yeah, I-I guess I can see that. Something must really be bothering her. Alright, stand back, I’m gonna send it.” Both Pinkie and Rarity gave Spike some room before he drew in a mighty breath, then released it in a gush of green flame, consuming the scroll and sending it on its way.

“I do hope we receive good news when she replies,” said Rarity. “Could you let one of us know when that is?”

“Sure.”

“And make sure not to tell Twilight! It’ll be much better if it’s a surprise. I love surprising ponies,” said Pinkie.

Pinkie and Rarity both walked over to the door, though Rarity stopped short before leaving. “Oh, and Spikey, that is a lovely scarf you’re sporting. You should wear them more often.”

Blood rushed to Spike’s face and he looked down at the orange scarf as if he just noticed he was wearing it. He quickly tore it off and hid it behind his back. “Uhh, scarf? What scarf? I don’t wear scarves.”

Covering her mouth with a hoof, Rarity gave a polite laugh before walking out the door. “Of course you don’t, Spikey.”

When the door closed behind her, Spike took the scarf back up from behind his back, running his claws delicately over the material. The stitching held, though it was a bit rough and rogue threads stood out in place. He brought it up to his nose, taking in a deep breath. It smelled the same as it always had.

Like home.

Twilight knocked on the boutique’s front door once again, shifting nervously in place. She craned her neck in an attempt to get a good look through the door window, but saw no movement inside. Undeterred, she darted over to one of the display windows, hoping to find something she had been missing. Again, no results; the place was empty. The defeated unicorn was about to teleport away when somepony called out to her.

“Yoo-whoo! Are you looking for me, dear Twilight?”

Twilight spun around, elated with her luck. However, she kept her smile suppressed to nothing more than a subtle grin.

Rarity trotted up to her front door and unlocked it, opening it wide for Twilight. “Dreadfully sorry, I was just out for a stroll. Please come in.”

Once the two had gotten inside, Twilight explained why she had come.

“I… I want you to come to the party with me—er, us. Pinkie’s party.”

Rarity shot Twilight an inquisitive look. “I do appreciate the concern, Twilight, but this has been planned for weeks. I made my decision to look after the girls and Spike instead of coming to Pinkie’s party. Sure, I’d love to do both, but the world doesn’t always work out that way.”

“Please,” Twilight pleaded. “I really want you to come.”

Rarity’s expression twisted further. “As do I, darling. Is there a… reason why you’re coming to me with this now? Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes, Rarity, I’m perfectly fine. I’ll just be better if you’re at the party!” Twilight’s voice began to rise in volume; Rarity felt her mane almost get frazzled from the force of her friend’s shout.

“Forgive my assumptions, Twilight, but your tone leads to me think something is bothering you. I am honored to call you a friend, and right now you sound like a friend who needs help. Why don’t you come in, take a seat, I’ll make us some tea, and we can talk about it.”

“Rarity, I—“ Twilight cut herself off and took a deep breath. It would be rude to let her frustrations start affecting her friends, as well. “This isn’t something complex that I want to talk about. If you can’t come, that’s fine. Why don’t you let me babysit the girls instead? You’re always taking on these responsibilities, but just because you’re the Element of Generosity doesn’t mean your friends can’t be generous as well.”

For a moment, Rarity was simply lost for words. She did her best to keep from gawking at the very sudden proposal her friend put forth. Only after she recovered, was she able to offer a reply. “That is very thoughtful of you, Twilight, but I don’t want to disrupt your plans at all. This is your first Hearth’s Warming away from Canterlot, is it not? You should be the one out enjoying time with our friends, not concerning yourself with what you might miss from back home.”

“What I miss back—” The instant Rarity heard Twilight’s reaction, she knew the words were ill-chosen. Twilight’s gaze shifted into a razor-sharp glare. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, Rarity, but I am not ‘concerning myself’ with such things. I am trying to be a good friend but if you’re not interested you could just say so.”

Reaching out with a hoof, Rarity attempted to calm Twilight back down and apologize, but the librarian was gone with a bright purple flash, teleport off to someplace unknown. Rarity kept a straight face, however. She may have failed Twilight right at that moment, but surely Celestia would hear their plea.

Someone needed to, for Twilight’s sake.

The old wooden library door creaked as Twilight opened it, waking Spike from his nap upstairs. He groggily turned over and upon seeing Twilight enter, he quickly removed his scarf and stashed it under some sheets. A swift blast of cold air shook him, bringing out a sting of regret for leaving the scarf off. After making sure it was hidden, he waddled down the stairs to greet her, though her appearance gave him pause.

There were clumps of snow sticking to her mane and coat. Her bangs drooped, empty of the springy life they often carried. Her eyes shared the same countenance, directly at the floor as she lazily shuffled toward the bathroom. Spike didn’t want to pry, but silence would hurt more.

“Hey, Twi.” He couldn’t formulate the question he needed to ask.

Slowly, she lifted her head, and a private little smile grew on her face. “Hi, Spike. How was your day?”

“Oh, y’know. Good, I guess.” A claw instinctively went behind his head.

“That’s good.” The tone her voice carried spoke a different story, however.

Spike watched her approach the bathroom, feeling his time ticking away. There was something that needed to be said. “So, how was yours? Your day, I mean.”

She paused, keeping her eyes forward, seemingly contemplating the simple question. “It was… it was good.”

“Oh. Hey, I think—” The bathroom door slammed behind Twilight, cutting him off.

He stood staring at the door, wondering what had defeated her, wondering if he could muster the courage to say what he wanted to. Wasn’t she looking forward to the celebration? Pinkie and Rarity had said she was missing Celestia, and maybe that was the case, but a small part of Spike wanted it not to be her, but someone else…

A rattling on the window made Spike turn around. Pinkie was outside, hopping up and down, poking at the window. Spike hurried over and cracked it open so they could talk.

“Do ya got the response?”

“Oh,” said Spike, his demeanor darkening at the mention. “Yeah, but it’s not exactly what you wanted. Celestia said she can’t come, but wrapped up in her reply was another letter. Here.” Spike squeezed a scroll through the open window and Pinkie quickly stashed it away. “Celestia said to give that to Twilight if she needed cheering up. I hope it helps.”

“I’m sure it will, Spike. You’re the best!” Before leaving, Pinkie stuck a dazzling gem through the window. “For being stupendous!”

Smiling, Spike accepted the gift, though his eyes did not carry the same enthusiasm. “Thanks.”

He popped the gem in his mouth as he closed the window. It tasted fine. Not good, not bad. Fine.

What concerned him more was the unicorn now held up in the bathroom. Puffing his chest out and taking a deep breath, he marched over to the door and knocked.

“What is it, Spike?”

“Twilight, I’m worried about you.”

He heard a scoff. “You and everypony else.”

“What’s bothering you?”

“I’m just worried about the party tonight, that’s all.”

“I thought you were looking forward to that.”

“Well, I was. But then I realized how much different things are. I’m not even in Canterlot any more.” After a short pause, she continued, “This is probably pretty hard on you, too, isn’t it?”

“It’s not so bad, though a lot of me wishes I could be celebrating it back in Canterlot.”

“I know, Spike. But things change. That’s just how they are. We can’t live our lives never moving forward.”

“Do they have to change, though?”

“Eventually.”

And here was his opening, the perfect chance to say it. I don’t want them to change, Twilight. I want to spend the holiday with you. But the words didn’t come. They choked in his throat and died out. So the young dragon trudged back upstairs, grabbed his scarf, and left. It was about time for the party to start, anyways.

He just wished he didn’t have to leave Twilight in that bathroom. It was a terrible place to be alone.

The setting was the same. It was always the same. Every Sugarcube Corner party was a copy of the last one, thought Twilight as she gazed into her reflection in the punch bowl. Streamers tossed about the ceiling and walls, balloons in the corner and on some festive-looking tables. The traditional Hearth’s Warming fire was burning, but it didn’t look different than any other flame. Soft music ran through the background, urging the partygoers to break into dance. Twilight was unaffected. She’d come to the table get something to drink, but now that she’d caught her reflection, she didn’t want to let it go.

“Hi, Twilight!” Pinkie hopped over to the table, sending ripples through the bowl and breaking Twilight’s reflection.

“Hey, Pinkie. You’ve got another nice party here.”

“Thanks! But what really makes these parties good is having my friends here to enjoy it!” She gave Twilight a light-hearted smack on her withers. “How about we play a game?”

Twilight looked to her friend. She supposed it couldn’t hurt to at least try. “Sure. Why not?”

Letting out a squee, Pinkie leapt into the middle of the room and shouted, “Game time! Who wants to play pin the tail on the pony?”

Everypony gathered around as Pinkie set up a poster on the wall and handed out tail pins. Twilight silently watched her friends take their turns, each one shouting out jubilation or disappointment on seeing their aim. Pinkie gave everypony a pat on the back, whether they did well or not. It all seemed so easy, so natural to them. And why wouldn’t it be? They all knew each other for a while, now. This was their home, their tradition; a tradition they were welcoming Twilight in to with open arms. They were doing everything they could to make her belong—but there was one thing they couldn’t do, even with all the sincerity in the world.

“Uh, Twi? It’s your turn.”

Twilight noticed all of her friends were staring at her quietly. She shook her head, bringing herself back into awareness. “Oh! Sorry. Just zoned out a bit.” Adorning the blindfold, she spun herself around then charged forward, plucking the tail pin down with vigor.

“Is everything okay, Twi?” asked Applejack.

Cursing Applejack’s uncanny ability to identify troubled friends, Twilight removed the blindfold and turn to her cowpony friend with a smile. “Yes! Perfectly fine! I am just fantastic! I’m at a party with all of my friends and couldn’t be happier!”

“Ya don’t sound all that happy.”

Twilight gritted her teeth and forced her smile wider. “Whatever do you mean? I’m smiling! I’m doing great, how are you, Applejack?”

“I’m not so worried ‘bout myself.”

“Well, that’s just swell, isn’t it?”

Pinkie shouted from the other side of the room, “Dance time!” and turned up the volume on her turntable. The exclamation tore attention away from Twilight long enough for Pinkie to begin ushering everyone toward the dance floor. Applejack was about to voice a protest when Pinkie nudged her, saying, “Don’t worry, Auntie Pinkie has this.” Applejack acknowledged Pinkie with a nod and gave Twilight one last worried look before joining the others on the dance floor.

Lowering her head, Twilight trudged toward the punch bowl once again. Her short trek was interrupted when Pinkie jumped out in front of her. Rolling her eyes, Twilight attempted to maneuver around her friend. Pinkie, of course, proved to be un-maneuverable.

“Alright, Pinkie, what is it?”

“Aww, Twilight, don’t be a grumpy sad-sad. This should cheer you up!” Pinkie thrust a scroll into Twilight’s face, shocking the somber unicorn into hopping backward.

“What is this?”

“Just open it!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at her friend, but opened the scroll nonetheless. As soon as her eyes landed on the words, “My Dearest Student,” Twilight’s eyes widened and she nearly dropped the letter.

Pinkie took this as a good sign and gave a little hop in joy.

My Dearest Student,

I do not have much time, so I will be brief. Let me first say how much of an honor it has been for me to watch you grow. I’m so proud of you for taking your studies to Ponyville, so proud that you could find friends and a life there. Too often even I forget the importance of independence; I’ve lived on my own for so many years.

I realize it must be difficult, living away from your family in Canterlot. I know you haven’t seen them in quite a while, and the things you once found familiar may seem more and more foreign as time passes. But this is not a negative thing, Twilight. Look on it as a positive. It’s proof that you are growing, expanding, learning beyond even what I have taught you. You’ve become your own unicorn in more ways than one.

As I look outside, I see clouds and snow, a darker Hearth’s Warming in years past. There is dread and weakness in the world, phantoms that would take you and drain the joy from you. I am not worried, Faithful Student. You are a mountain, a mighty tower than such shadows crash against and wither. Your time in Ponyville has only proved this.

So enjoy yourself, Twilight. Your parents and your brother will be here, thinking about you. You are in my thoughts as well. We have not forgotten you, and never will.

Happy Hearth’s Warming,
Princess Celestia

Twilight was brimming with tears. Her friends had gone and told Celestia, the teacher she worked so hard to earn respect from, that her student couldn’t handle her first Hearth’s Warming alone. That Twilight needed her teacher for something as silly as loneliness. The letter that had been meant to cheer her up had instead shattered her, leaving sharp, broken pieces of her spirit scattered across the floor. She looked at Pinkie, halfway torn between screaming and crying.

Her friend simply smiled back.

Desperately, Twilight read the letter again, looking for something to take solace in, something to keep her emotions from spilling out into the air. All of Celestia’s words, while genuine and kind, could not ease this pain. The body of the letter proved useless to the tortured student.

The signature, however…

Twilight was always one to notice the little things. “An acute attention to detail,” Celestia called it. It was one of those traits that helped Twilight grow so fast in her studies, allowed her to pick up details others simply passed up. And right then, this skill of Twilight’s noticed something crucial. Something so vitally important, it had the power to hold her tears.

Celestia’s signature was distorted. Twilight rubbed a hoof on it, wondering if the ink was still wet, but the words did not run. Her next guess was that some snow had gotten on the letter, but had that been the case, there should have been many more distortions. It made no sense for a single snowflake to hit the letter.

For several moments, Twilight looked intently at the distortion, her brain running like a locomotive, her gaze sharpening with each second. Then things made sense. The realization slammed into her, drawing a gasp.

It was a teardrop. And there was only one way to get a letter here from Celestia so quickly.

Twilight knew what she had to do, what she should have already done when she woke up today. Dropping the letter, she concentrated on a spell, a desperate teleport to take her where she needed to go. The air fizzled around her, crackling and twirling into a small storm.

Then, with a bright, purple flash, she was gone.

The icy wind pushed against Spike, slowing his progress to a crawl. Snow flew through his vision, the occasional flake hitting an eye, causing him to pausing and blink. He heard howling as well, as if wolves were stalking the streets on this lonely night. The world was a terrible white.

Spike’s thick scales held the cold at bay, however, and the scarf he tightly grasped in his claw held his heart. It was to be a long night, but it was not something the dragon would yield to. He’d seen colder nights in Canterlot.

His short, stubby legs failed him, however. The snow hit a deep pocket Spike couldn’t see, and he lost his balance. The fall seemed to last forever, and the world of white greeted him like an old friend. From that spot, lying in the tomb of snow, his first action was to clutch the scarf more firmly.

Thrashing, Spike fought to free himself from the snow bank. All he succeeded in doing was tossing the surrounding snow about. He wanted this snow gone, he wanted to be home, and he wanted to forget all about this stupid holiday. His tears froze the second they left his eyes.

He thought he heard somepony call his name.

The snowfall was thick, and from his position on the ground, he could see little. Maybe his small dragon ears had deceived him.

“Spike!”

A warm, purple glow enveloped him, and soon Spike found himself in a fuzzy, lavender embrace.

“Spike! I was so worried! Rarity said you had run off, but what are you doing here?”

Spike returned the embrace briefly, then realized he was still wearing the scarf. He fumbled with it, trying to tear it off and hide it as quickly as he could. “I-I’m going back home.”

Twilight set him down. “But why would you do that? I thought you were having fun! And the weather is horrible!”

Keeping eye contact, Spike continued to grapple with his scarf, but the thing seemed determined to clamp onto his neck. “I was tired. That’s all. You know me, right? Love my sleep.”

“Why would you—“ Twilight leaned in and squinted. “Is that… the scarf I gave you?”

Spike threw the ends of the scarf behind him and snapped his hands to his sides. “N-no! I mean, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Grabbing one of the ends with her magic, Twilight brought it in front of her. “This is! It’s the same orange I remember, and it’s aged appropriately as well. I thought you’d lost this!”

Spike said nothing, only blushing furiously and staring at the ground as if it had suddenly become very interesting.

“Spike, did you… did you want to come to the Hearth’s Warming Eve celebration with me?”

“No, that’s silly. You were probably all doing grown-up stuff. Besides, I got to spend the night with Rarity.”

Twilight’s face went flat. “Spike, don’t lie to me. And look at me when you talk.”

“I just, well,” a purple hoof lifted Spike’s chin until he was looking straight into Twilight’s eyes. “It’s your party, isn’t it? Your friends. I’m just a kid, right? It’s selfish for me to want to always be a part of your life. Besides, you said things change. Isn’t this just one of those things?”

“Spike…” Twilight sat down, then scooped Spike up in a mighty hug, swinging him gently back and forth. These were words she should’ve said long ago. “I wanted you there, too.”

“You did?”

“Yes. I was telling myself the same thing; that it was selfish for me to ask you to stay with me for the night, that things had to change because that was the way of the world. I got so upset over it! But I wanted you there. I wanted to know that not everything changed, that some things could stay the same. That the little dragon I’d been looking over for so long wanted to celebrate with me, too.” Twilight set Spike down. “You’re not just a part of my memories, you’re a part of me. Don’t ever think you won’t be.”

Spike stood there, in front of her, tears flowing from his eyes. But these tears did not freeze. The cold didn’t seem so harsh any more. The snow wasn’t so deep. The sorrow that had torn through him seemed so distant now; a pang of another life, a sting that had struck someone else. “I’m glad some things haven’t changed.”

Twilight ran a hoof over the baby dragon’s head, ruffling the scales as her hoof passed over them. “Let’s go home.” She lifted him onto her back and started trotting toward the library.

The warring, gruesome, icy tempest roared around them, shaking the world underhoof and chilling all it touched with a terrible cold… but in that blizzard, there was warmth.

For the darkest cold could not extinguish that invincible flame.

Winona

--Applejack--
Soon as I saw him, I could tell he was dead. I mean, I might not have as much book learnin’ as the pony following behind me did, but I know what a dead dragon looks like. Out in the elements for that long with nothing but a scarf, and bein’ cold blooded? Wasn’t nothin’ else he could have been, anyhow.

Winona spotted him first on the ridge opposite, gave out a quick snap of a bark and bolted down the hill in the dark, but she couldn’t make it through the drifts of snow. Pegasus ponies lay it down awful thick out in these parts, the way they’re supposed to; and at the bottom of the hill it was gaskin-deep. Winona’s feet could barely reach the ground; I doubted that Twilight would be able to ford her way up the draw without me bustin’ a path through.

That is, until I saw her gallop right past me, using her magic to melt the snow in front of her as fast as she could run. Winona and I hopped into the rut she was carving and followed behind; I did my best to keep my footing in the mud. There’re rules about leaving the snow untouched until Wrap-Up Day, but if there was ever a reason to break them, I can’t think of no better.

She got to the top the ridge and with a grunt cleared out a circle of snow, at least 20 lengths across. It was somethin’; one second there’s snow nearly stacked to your barrel and then in a flash of light and steam it’s all gone. Winona just about jumped out of her skin, and spent the next few minutes at the edge of the circle of grass and mud, whimpering and wonderin’ whether it was safe to walk on...

I started scannin’ the night sky and wavin’ my hat to flag one the patrol pegasi so I could let ‘em know we found him. Then out of the corner of my eye I see what, if I could live to be as old as Celestia, would still be the most heartbreakin’ thing I'd ever see. Twilight was sitting in the center of her melted circle, caked in mud, lifting Spike up out of the mud. And he was for all the world just as limp as that ragdoll Big Mac got from who-knows-where. She was cradling this dragon in her forelegs like he was her own foal; and in a way he was. He was nearly as old as Apple Bloom, even if he was a baby in dragon years, and she had raised him every step of the way. I had a flash of holding Apple Bloom that way and had to blink it away.

Then Twilight looked up at me with this shattered look, and I realized: I’m standing here with a mother and her dead young ’un, and it’s all my fault. Because I had to go and open my mouth and tell this baby the truth.

Her foal is dead on account I let him realize that we’re all just Winonas.

--Princess Luna--
Truly, ‘tis a queer sensation to be unsure whether oneself is to be counted as amoung the dead or the living. My companion was most assuredly dead even as they sat weeping into my shoulder, but where my predicament fit into the grand scheme of the cosmos, to this day I do not fathom. Perhaps upon my sister’s awakening she could intervene and at the very least guide the situation to one conclusion or the other, but until then, my body was alive while my essence was trapped in the endless dream of the deceased. I sat beside my unwitting captor and did my best to console, which I admit is not a task for which I have the greatest capacity. In the silence punctuated by sobs, I contemplated how I arrived here.

The space between dreams is a vast expanse of nothing. In resuming my duties after my--shall we say “return”?--I find it a most unpleasant place, and spend as little time there as circumstances permit. But as I exited the dream I was in, I saw a dream of a different color, one I had never noticed before, far off in the distance. I must admit curiosity got the better of me, I undertook the rather arduous journey out to the edges of the nyxscape to better examine.

I entered the dream to find a dark, grey Canterlot as seen from the gardens behind the Royal Library. It was cold, so very cold, and a chill wind blew through the air under the dark, heavy clouds. The owner of the dream appeared as an aged purple unicorn as she cowered before a towering leviathan of a dragon. Lights danced in the windows of the Library as scrolls and books were consumed by an inferno of wyrm fire. Ash fell about the unicorn like snow as the beast bellowed, “You said you would never send me away! But here you are, about to leave for somewhere I can’t follow! Why didn’t you tell me!?”

I kept to the shadows and took in all I could. While I have the power to alter dreams at will, one must recognize that nightmares serve their purpose. Often one must suffer through them all the way to their dark conclusions in order to grow and progress; I speak from grave experience on this matter. What was this pony trying to tell herself through this vision of terror?

I studied the aged unicorn closely, catching a glimpse of the unmistakable mark on her flank. This was my sister’s protégé, the one she spoke of with such pride and devotion: Twilight Sparkle.

I gasped at the recognition, which is when the most curious thing happened: the dragon turned to see the source of the noise! Whilst on many an occasion I have deigned to make myself known to the ponies whose dreams I am tasked with keeping watch, their apparitions do not move on their own. I can control them, of course, and the dreamer controls them whether they realize or not, but the visions have no wills of their own. Which meant that Twilight Sparkle was not the dreamer, but merely the dream.

In all my many years, I have only kept watch over the dreams of my little ponies. How came I to wander into the erebal plane of a dragon?

--Applejack--
The day before we found Spike, Winona and me was checkin’ up on the saplings in the north forty. Hearth’s Warming was almost two weeks ago, and we had a few weeks yet until Winter Wrap-Up. Bloomberg was a sickly apple tree in the beginning, and his nephew Dinkins didn’t fall too far from, well, the tree. I was taking care of Dinkins--and Winona was taking care of something else over by Rudy--around the time that Spike came skipping up the road along the fenceline.

“Heya, Sugarcube, what brings a junior librariator like you out to the boondocks?” I grinned as I leaned up against the top rail of the fence.

“Applejack! I had to show you the present that Rarity got me for Hearth’s Warming! Isn’t it great?” He motioned to the scarf he had wrapped around his neck, which he wore like it was a blue ribbon from the Championship Rodeo. Course’n it wasn’t blue, it was orange. Or rather, “fluorescent tangerine”, which Rarity had assured me a couple of weeks ago was going to be “all the rage” amongst the toney pony set. Looked like a warning sign to me; but then, I ain’t a part of the toney pony set.

I told him, “That there is a right smart lookin’ noose, Slick. It was awful nice of Miss Rarity to pick you be one of the very first to wear her new line, wasn’t it?” He started a-grinnin’ from ear to ear at that. He had his hands on the bottom rail and was rocking back and forth on his heels in that “can’t sit still” manner that young ’uns are wont to have.

“So, whatcha doin’?” He asked.

“I’m wrapping Dinkins’ trunk here up in a blanket so he doesn’t get too cold in the snow.”

“Trees can get too cold?”

“Well, Granny Smith says we shouldn’t treat the trees like they have feelings. She says they hate that. And I know we have countless years of tradition, and they’re supposed to be perfectly fine until spring; but these are young trees and I’d’ve hated to find ‘em dead when I could’ve done something about it.”

“Looks like Winona’s trying to keep the trees warm, too!” giggled Spike as he pointed to the yellow snow around Rudy’s trunk.

I’m sure Twilight would’ve said something about “propriety”, but I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, I don’t suppose it hurts anything, anyway. C’mere girl!” Winona came bounding toward us from the tree she was investigating and nuzzled her head under my hoof for an ear scratch. “You’re a good girl for the most part, aren’t ya?” I told her as I tousled the fur around her neck. It was about that time I noticed her muzzle and remarked, “You’re getting a mite white in the face lately, ain’t ya old girl?”

Spike furrowed his brow a bit. “How old is Winona, anyway?”

“Well, she’s about a year older than Apple Bloom. But she’s still got a few summers left in her, don’t ya, girl?”

“A few summers?”

“Well, I don’t like thinking about it that much, Sugarcube, but yeah, nopony lives forever. And dogs don’t live near as long as ponies do.”

“And how long do ponies live?”

“Not nearly as as long as dragons do, I can tell ya that. Dragons live a long time; you’ll be kicking around long after the rest of us are gone. Shucks, you’ll probably give the Princesses a run for their bits when it’s all said and done. But some of us ain’t got that much time, so I got to get back to work. You have a good ‘un, and tell Miss Rarity that I said that her scarf looks good on you.”

And I went back to work checkin’ on the saplings and, so help me Celestia, I thought I was reassuring him. I didn’t realize what I’d done. Not until late in the night, when Twilight was frantically knocking on the door with the note she’d found that said he’d run away so he didn’t have to watch her die before he’d even got done growing up.

--Princess Luna--
The only circumstance more remarkable than finding myself within the dream of a Leviathan, was finding that the beast knew who I was and watching that monster melt away into its waking form, that of a baby dragon. The wyrmling in the charge of my sister’s protégé, in fact.

“You are the one called Spike, are you not? How am I able to enter your dreams?”

“This is a dream? It is a dream, isn’t it?”

“Indeed, young wyrm. And a portentous dream at that. What has troubled you so?”

And so we sat on the steps of the Canterville Library Garden while the Library behind us burned, and the dragon told me of the events of the day. He told of how, twelve days after Hearth’s Warming Day, he reached an epiphany: With his tremendous lifespan, all of his friends--including his beloved Twilight Sparkle--are going to wither away before his eyes, leaving him to spend the remaining centuries in solitude. Of his decision to spare himself the slow agony of watching them die by leaving home for the wilds where others of his kind live.

As he spoke, I noticed the chill in the air was growing stronger, until it grew to the point that I had to interrupt. “It is growing quite cold, is it not?”

“Yeah, it’s probably snowing where I’m sleeping. I couldn’t find a decent cave, so I started camping under the stars. It’s kinda silly, but I was talking to the stars out there.”

“Talking to the stars?”

“Y’know, I needed someone to talk to, and the stars were there. So I asked, ‘Who would be so cruel to make me live so long when everyone I love is going to be gone in the blink of an eye?’ Y’know what’s really weird? I got the feeling that the stars were listening.”

An answer to the question of how I came to be within this dream suddenly flashed to my mind. “It was not the stars who listened. It was The Mother.”

“Whose mother, now?”

“The Mother. The Mother of Everything. The First Pony. Faustus. She Who Birthed The Universe. And She sent me to your dream, because She knows I have trod the very path you are taking your first steps on, and She wants me to ward you away from making the same mistake.”

The small dragon’s eyes grew wide. Truly, learning in one day that one is essentially immortal--and that one also has the ear of The Mother--has a humbling effect, particularly in a child.

“Tell me, young dragon, when your friend Applejack told you of Winona’s inevitable demise, did she appear ready to abandon her pet?”

“No, I guess not.”

“Indeed. Because your friend knows something that it took me over a thousand years to realize: you must treasure the time you have with your loved ones while you have them there. Before my--shall we say ‘incident’?--I met countless souls, but only in their dreams. I grew upset that their waking hours were outside of my purview, and that I never truly got to know them as they were. A thousand years later, all those souls are lost to the ravages of time, while I am still here. Waking, dreaming, it matters not; the opportunity to know them further is gone. I now see that I am blessed to see ponies in a light no one else will, and I will not squander that gift any longer. You must understand that you are blessed in a similar way, and will know your friends in a way that is unique to you. Do you understand?”

The young dragon gazed upon his own feet. “I guess so.”

I stood, in part to leave young Spike to his thoughts--thoughts quite weighty for what is for his race to be considered an infant--and in part to invigorate myself against the biting cold of this dream. How cold it must be wherever his corporeal form is slumbering! I pondered, as I gazed into the horizon of this sunset dream sky.

I have stood in countless dreams, those of old and young ponies alike. Being at the control of the dreamer’s will, they can be unpredictable and one would be well advised to keep aware of the most minute of details. Unfortunately, the gravity of the subject we had been discussing had distracted me from noticing something about the view in the distance. The dream we were in had taken a certain shape about the edges that I had seen in previous dreams, a crispness and a finality that dreams are usually not permitted. Signs in the distance that the dream was about to become endless.

“Spike, I fear it is time for you wake up.”

“I don’t know how, Princess Luna. Besides, I still have a lot of thoughts I need to sort out.”

“I must insist, young dragon, for if you do not leave this dream soon, you may not be able to leave it ever.”

--Applejack--
The pegasi relayed the message to town, and soon enough there were a whole bunch of ponies arriving at the circle of grass and mud in the midst of nowhere. One of them that I recognized as the head nurse from Ponyville Hospital was trying to pry Spike from Twilight’s grip, and not getting too far along with that.

“Miss Sparkle, it’s probably too late, but we need to examine him to be sure.”

“Stay back, I need to concentrate!”

“Sweetheart, are you--are you trying a come-to-life spell? Oh, sweetheart, that’s just a name they give it because it makes things move; just let him go and we’ll--”

“I SAID GET BACK!”

I had never seen the “Royal Canterlot Voice” projected by anyone other than a royal princess. However, I had seen that barrier spell she used before. Her brother had pushed every changeling out of of Canterlot without touching the other ponies. Twilight had just shoved all the search party out into the snow. The only ones left in the circle were me, Twilight and Spike.

She was mumbling as she continued to focus her magic, “I’ll push the diaphragm up and down, I’ll contract the heart for a little while, but you have to wake up and keep it going, Spike. You have to wake up and do this yourself...”

Twilight’s eyes shut tight as she levitated Spike into the air. Then her eyes flew open bright white with magical power, and--this is Honest Applejack here, so you know I ain’t makin’ this up--he started breathing again.

--Princess Luna--
As the young dragon and I sat there on the steps leading into the garden, the fact two long-lived but lonely fools had managed to stumble into a situation where they would never need to worry about companionship ever again nearly drove me to chuckle out loud. One could suppose that despite the frigid temperature, being in Canterlot at sunset for eternity wasn’t the worst fate one could suffer. For that matter, it seemed as if we were getting used to the cold; at least it felt warmer.

Spike continued to cry while latched onto my shoulder, eventually gaining enough composure to be able to speak again.

“It’s not fair! I finally decide to go back home and now you tell me I can’t?”

“I am afraid not, young one. We appear to be caught in The Eternal Dream, and there is no waking up from that.”

“But I miss Twilight.”

“Well, this *is* a dream, little one. With time, you may grow to control it and see her whenever you like for as long as you like.”

“No, not a dream Twilight! I want one that’s real. I want my time back with the real her, even if it isn’t going to last forever.”

I bolted upright and turned away, so as to hide the tears I could feel welling from within.

“I miss her so badly, it’s almost like I can hear her calling me to wake up.”

“Did--did you say you can hear her?” I scanned the horizon, and I have never been so overjoyed to see the hazy indeterminate form of the edge of a dream than I have at that moment. “Spike! You really can hear her!”

“I can? That’s really her?”

“Yes! Focus on that voice, and go to where it is.” I found myself wrapping my forelegs around the young dragon and squeezing tightly. “Go back to her,” I smiled, “And I shall see you in the daylight, Spike.”

He closed his eyes tightly, focusing on what he heard. Just as I started distinctly hearing the voice of Twilight Sparkle reverberate throughout the dream, the dream vanished.

I was in the void between dreams. A cold, empty place. But not as cold and empty as I had supposed.

--Applejack--
I am telling you, that dragon was dead. And then he was breathing again. Durndest thing I ever seen.

As soon as he opened his eyes, Twilight smiled a weak little smile before collapsing. I lunged forward to catch her, just in time for the leviation spell to break and drop Spike on the both of us. It took a spell before the other ponies who had been keeping their distance finally started crowding forward. If their jaws had dropped in awe at being shoved around by the barrier spell, the breathing dead dragon drove those jaws into the ground deep enough to plant turnips.

So there I am with Twilight all but snoring on my shoulder, I’m holding a weak but but somehow alive dead baby dragon, all these medical ponies crowding around me trying to figure out how she did it, and to top it all off Winona finally got enough courage to enter the circle and was jumping around and barking her fool head off.

“Hush, girl!” I tried to calm her down.

At which point Spike looked up at me, and he said, “Applejack?”

“Yeah, Sugarcube?”

“While she’s still here, can you make sure Winona knows she’s loved?”

I gave him and Twilight a hug, “She already knows, Sugarcube. She already knows.”

Dear Sister

“Three cheers! Hip-hip!”

“HURRAH!”

“Hip-hip!”

“HURRAH!”

“Hip-hip!”

“HURRAH!”

A dozen unicorn horns lit up in harmony, and let loose a flurry of fireworks into the air. The night sky was dappled in greens, magentas and blues, the crowds below watching in awestruck delight. Thousands of ponies of every kind were gathered in a green field, the beautiful night sky looking down on them. It was the first time that any of them could remember seeing the stars, or the moon. A pale, silver disk that glimmered in the air, entrancing them. They had barely believed it when they saw it. Its shape did not change, nor its colors on a whim. Its course across the sky was slow, calculated and even, not haphazard and chaotic. This was the symbol they had so desperately needed.

They were finally free.

The stage the multitudes were gathered around was hastily constructed, not meant for decadence or any amount of showiness. As odd as it was, Celestia believed that she preferred it that way.

At the center of the stage stood an alabaster pony, unlike any of the others. Her coat seemed to hold a sheen that was as radiant as the stars themselves, and her pink mane levitated above her shoulders and her back as if possessed by a strength all its own. On her hindquarters rested a cutie mark of the sun, flaring out and demonstrating its power. A long, pointed horn came from her forehead, and powerful wings rested at her sides. No one had a name for what she was, though an old term “alicorn”, that had lost its meaning to the ages was starting to be applied. She smiled sweetly at those below her, now her subjects.

This was the first sovereign of the reborn Equestria, Princess Celestia.

However, she was not alone on the stage. To her right stood another “alicorn”, slightly shorter, but with a stronger frame. Her coat was a dark indigo, as if it were made of the night itself. Where Celestia possessed a shining radiance to her coat, this mare possessed something else. It was something strange to see, yet wonderful all the same. The world itself seemed to warm, and darken around her. Everything became more like the night, and yet even so shrouded they seemed to hold a different kind of glow. A pale, hinting shade of moonlight kissing their features and bringing them a step closer to perfection. Her mane was a shade lighter than her coat, and listlessly waved in the air like the other alicorn’s. Tiny twinkles of starlight peeked through the hairs, winking at the crowds. Her cutie mark was black and white, the crescent moon resting in an inky blot of night sky. She was attempting to smile, but her nerves were transparently showing.

This was the second sovereign, Princess Luna. She was Celestia’s younger sister.

It is not often that one could say a nation’s royalty was elected, but Equestria had been a special case. In theory, they could have created any system of government that they desired. Instead, they chose to hand power to their two greatest heroes, who had deposed their last “king”.

Discord, the embodiment of chaos and disharmony, the perpetrator of an obscene oppression of ponies, and the laws of reality themselves. Once a feared and godlike being, he was now nothing more than an inert statue. Behind the stage stood an ancient, gnarled forest called the Everfree. Once, it had been the seat of Discord’s power, his castle at its center. Though Luna and Celestia had defeated him, this place was forever tainted. The harmony the land had once known would never return to this place. But changed or the same, it belonged to the ponies again, and that was what mattered.

The celebrations had been going on since noon, with no sign of stopping. Bands were playing now, earth ponies topped with dozens of odd instruments playing a medley of a dozen heroic legends, smashed together and warped to fit the story that was being made on that day. Jugglers tossed flaming rings into the air, and bards told ancient, nearly-forgotten stories of friendship and warmth to an audience that was hearing them for the first time.

Sensing an opportunity, Celestia turned to her sister and nodded away from the stage. Luna understood, and the pair slipped away from the celebrations. They walked north, no light to guide them but their own.

The sisters stopped on a small hill, still in sight of the throng of partygoers, and watched on from a distance.

“I can scarcely believe it, sister.” Said Luna. “An actual party! No cruel pranks, no grotesque things disguised as gifts, and not a single thing has exploded!”

“YOWCH!” cried somepony from the party, as their fire-juggling routine went hooves-up.

There was a moment of stunned silence between the sisters, before they burst into hysterical laughter.

“Perhaps you speak too soon, Luna?” asked her sister, wiping an amused tear from her eye.

“Ha! Oh, perhaps.” Luna admitted. “Still, it is an amazing thing. I have never seen our friends so happy.”

“Agreed.” Celestia replied. “But, you did not look quite so happy as they did. Is something troubling you?”

Luna flexed her lips in a troubled way, trying to shape her thoughts into words. “Sister, are we doing the right thing?”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “What could you possibly mean by that?”

Luna puffed out her chest, taking a massive breath. She let it out slowly, through her nostrils. After a moment’s hesitation, she said “I do not see the wisdom in granting unlimited power to anypony, when we have just ended a war to depose a creature for abusing that same power.”

“…I see.” Celestia murmured. She nodded sagely, and sidled a bit closer, putting a wing around her little sister. It had always comforted her when they were young. “You’re worried we’re not fit to rule. That we’ll end up like he did.”

“No, not us!” Luna insisted, flustered. Celestia felt a pang in her heart. Luna did not doubt her sister, only herself.

The elder alicorn chuckled and shook her head. “Luna, you are nothing like that… beast. You would not have been chosen if you were. Do you still have the Elements with you?”

“Of course.” Her sister replied. Celestia was obviously referring to the Elements of Harmony. The magical artifacts that had appeared to the sisters, and given them the strength to defeat Discord. Celestia’s horn lit up, a golden light gently conjuring a bubble of wavering magical light that solidified into three gems. One green, another blue, and the third a deep purple. The Elements of Kindness, Laughter, and Generosity.

Luna performed the same spell, and another three gems formed from her twilight-colored magic. The first was orange, the second crimson, and the third magenta. The Elements of Honesty, Loyalty, and Magic.

The six gems swirled together, suspended mid-air in a hexagonal pattern. Celestia lifted up her sister’s chin to look straight at the Elements. “Look at that, Luna. If you will not listen to me, then let the Elements tell you what I already know: that you are the most loyal, true-hearted and magical sister I could ever ask for. And you will make an excellent princess.”

Without warning, Celestia dove in and nuzzled up against the side of her sister’s face, and Luna struggled to keep her head away, snorting as she tried to hold back a laugh.

“That was awful!” she cried, her voice and body shaking with giggles.

“But you laughed, did you not?”

“I did no such thing!” Luna protested, scoffing haughtily. “I merely had a natural, bodily reaction to how utterly ridiculous your bad jokes are.”

“Well, you know what I think?” Celestia asked rhetorically. She picked up her hoof and poked Luna’s muzzle with it. “I think your sense of humor is just as bad as mine, and you don’t want to admit it!”

The younger princess rubbed the affronted area tenderly, shooting a false glare at her sister as she re-settled herself.

“Besides,” Celestia added. “I meant it.”

Luna paused, mouth slightly agape. “…Really?” she whispered, voice trembling. The smile on her sister’s face said everything she needed to hear.

Luna looked up at the sky, admiring the moon. It was hers, now. “So, we are agreed on how to split the duties, sister?”

“Only if you are, Luna.” Celestia replied. “We both know what the night means to them.”

She was referring to their subjects, and their fear of the night. Discord was a devil during the day, but at night he became something even worse. His most horrifying nightmares came out only in darkness, enshrouded in shadows that seemed to amplify the terror they projected. The instinctual response to the night, for a pony, was the run and hide in any shelter they could find. Both sisters suspected the only reason those present were out tonight was because so many of them were gathered in one place.

Celestia continued, “I would understand if those memories are not something you wish to be associated with.”

Luna raised a hoof, and silenced her sister. “I appreciate the concern. But I am aware of the challenges I face. If I’m to be the princess you say I will be, then I cannot run away from something as pathetic as bad memories. But more than that…”

She looked back at her cutie mark. “I think… the moon is meant to be mine.”

Celestia smiled at her sister, who beamed back and promised, “I will make the night something beautiful. Nopony will ever fear it again.”

“I know you will.”

“I know…”

“…NO!”

Celestia’s eyes shot open as if a cannon had just gone off in the room, rising from her bed and holding a hoof to her pounding heart. She was confused, and in the first moments of waking she had no idea where she was, or what she had just seen. The princess cleared her thoughts. Be still, and think.

She remembered now. She had been sleeping, here in her chambers. She had been dreaming the dream again. Or, rather, she’d been remembering things in her sleep. She groaned, sliding off of her bed. Her head was pounding. She had been remembering her coronation, a year and a half ago, or so. But at the end, there had been… something else. She couldn’t remember what it was, no matter how hard she tried. The dream was already slipping from her recollection, like it did every morning for the past month.

A knock came at her door, and a guard peeked in. “Princess Celestia, are you all right?” he asked.

“Erm… yes.” The Princess confirmed. “Why do you ask?”

“We heard screaming,” the guard nervously explained. “and we were worried you had been harmed.”

Celestia’s white muzzle burned red with embarrassment, which she hid by turning away nonchalantly. “Ah, I see. Nothing to worry about, Captain. I was just… remembering something, that I had nearly forgotten.”

The helmeted horse looked more confused than anything else, after that poor explanation. Still, he seemed to take Celestia at her word. “Very well, Princess. Your entourage is here for your morning routine.”

Ah yes, the “joys” of royal life… the Princess mused. On a whim, she called to the guard, saying “Send them away, if you would. I shall handle my own preparations for today.”

“As you wish, Princess.”

The door finally shut, given Celestia a little solitude. It came too late, though, the remnants of her dream were now scattered to the winds. She sighed, and trudged into the washroom.

Her hooves clopped musically against the carefully-laid stone patterns, charmed to change with each passing day. Today, the Princess paid no heed to the shape (which, incidentally, was a frog prince on a lily pad throne). Instead, she looked out of the little window in the wall. She had a grand view, seeing beyond the palatial home she now resided. Below her stretched the newly-minted capital city of Equestria. It had been named Canterlot. The populace had been told it was an ancient word that translated to “Where We Run Free”. Celestia’s little secret was that it was just a bad pun. She’d found the name of a strange old kingdom named Camelot in a book, once, and it seemed right to appropriate it for Equestria’s use.

She submerged herself in a pool of crystal-clear water, a flash of her horn warming it to the perfect temperature. She opened up her wings and began to preen herself, going through a simple routine that she had come to perfect. Yet all the while, something tickled the back of her mind. Some forgotten tidbit. Maybe related to that dream, she wondered?

Unsure of how to bring back the memory, Celestia decided that perhaps going over her daily routine was the way to go about it. Remember the normal, and figure out what’s different.

She would wake up, get ready, and leave her room in more or less the same way every morning. Then she would have her breakfast, and spend the rest of the morning through late afternoon in the Day Court. She would then head to dinner, spend some time in her personal study, and end the day by lowering the sun. That was when the Night Court began.

She sighed, and grumbled to herself in a bit of carefully concealed frustration that would never have come out in public. The Night Court was defunct, pointless. Nopony ever had the patience to wait until the Night Court for their problems.

Of course, she couldn’t complain. After all, she was the one who insisted it remain on the daily schedule.

Twenty minutes passed in the bath, carefully cleaning herself and making a presentable Princess for her subjects. Coat washed, mane brushed, and teeth sparkling like gems, she left the bath and pulled several towels from the wall to clean herself with. She took the time to observe herself in a looking glass as the fluffy fabrics scrubbed the water away. Even after being drenched, her radiant pink mane and tail seemed to float weightlessly.

Oh! Maybe that was what she had forgotten. Her horn lit up as she cast her daily spell. From the root and down, the colors of her mane shifted from pink to a spectrum, a brilliant sky blue and a subtle green joining her natural hair color in a shifting pattern. Now almost completely her public self, she practiced a smile in the mirror. It looked natural, warm, and above all, royal. Perfect, she thought.

Stepping out of the washroom, se retrieved her regalia from its stand on the far side of the room. She didn’t do so much as break her step, each golden shoe slipping onto its respective hoof as it lifted from the floor in her stride. Her necklace, so large it could be mistaken for a piece of armor clasped behind her neck and fitted itself to her chest. Finally, the crux of the outfit, her tiara, fit itself snugly onto her head. It was such a routine, Celestia did not even return to the looking glass. She could tell just by touch that everything was in its proper place.

Food, then. She decided. She was focusing on one thing at a time, hoping for some relief, but that tickling had not left her. Her mane hadn’t been what she had forgotten.

She stepped out of her chambers, still puzzling over it, passing the guards who stood at her doorway. They saluted, though she didn’t return any sort of gesture this morning. She was preoccupied. The hallway only had two ways to go. Halfway down the corridor, she could turn left and head for the Throne Room, or she could go left, into the other set of royal chambers. She chose to go left.

The palace was beautiful, the greatest artists and architects in Equestria responsible for its construction. They assured her that its glory would stretch above the highest mountaintops, and be seen and admired by ponies in every corner of the nation. The word assured was used, because it wasn’t finished yet. Only the main hall and the east wing were in a state that could be used. The rest was being worked on daily. Even now, motes of dust and powdered marble were hanging in the air, slightly obscuring the world around the alicorn. It wasn’t a perfect home, she knew, but a change in location had been necessary. The temporary seat of power had held too many bitter memories.

Far, far too many.

It was dusk, the orange sunlight nearly sucked from the sky. In the outside world, there was time still to enjoy the day. But in the Everfree Forest, the tall trees blocked out light far earlier than anywhere else in the surrounding countryside. This made for a curious sight. The officially designated Day Court lasted long into what seemed to be the night. Usually, at least. Today seemed to be a welcome reprieve.

The Princesses were housed in the Everfree Keep, as a temporary arrangement. Much was to be decided on the future of the nation, and until that happened they needed a place to sleep, and to manage the day-to-day dealings of their subjects.

This left a bitter taste in more ponies’ mouths than any would care to admit. Everfree Keep was the very place they had sacked from Discord. His own personal hall, rumored by some to be the last building standing from Old Equestria; the first ponies to come to this land, long before the devilish creature had taken control. Many felt their skin crawl just walking in the place, its bluish hue seemed otherworldly.

Dozens of guards were stationed in every conceivable location of the Main Hall. They were not there for anypony’s safety, especially not creatures as powerful as the princesses. They were there as a constant visual reminder: ponies ruled this place. Not him. Never him again.

Besides these guards, only four ponies were present in the hall at the time. Sitting on her throne was Princess Celestia, looking terribly frustrated. By her side was a gray stallion, small and boney, his horn levitating a small scroll with the day’s issues written on it. They had reached the last item on this list, a formal audience with a baron by the name of Roseheart. He hailed from the northeast, and had a personal guard by his side. Celestia was trying to appear civil, though she was barely resisting the urge to glare at that bodyguard and catapult them from the keep.

That guard’s presence was an insult, and a vulgar one at that. To bring personal means of defense, be it a weapon or a soldier, quite clearly implied you did not find yourself safe in the royal hall. Such a level of distrust from a fellow pony sat like an acidic gob in Celestia’s gut. Their fledgling nation was barely on its feet, and already the nobles saw fit to scoff at the authority of the ones they insisted take command? She considered, for a moment, replacing him with someone with a little more respect. She caught the thought halfway through, though, and tossed it away. If she abused her power like that, she would be no better than the fiend that came before her.

His complaint had been a meager one; a town from across a river bordering his territory had insisted it owed him no taxes, though he claimed that outlying sections of the town crossed into his domain. A simple look at the map had shown that the only buildings related to that town on his side of the river were watchposts belonging to the Equestrian Guard—a national group under the direct authority of the government. And Roseheart had no taxation rights over them. He didn’t seem all too pleased about her majesty’s decision, but he had no choice but to accept it. He bowed graciously.

“Very well, I shall collect no taxes from Hockleberry, henceforth.”

“Good.” Celestia stated. “Is there anything else that you require, Baron?”

“Mm, no, that will be all.” He told her, bowing once more. “We shall leave you to your rest now; good day, my queen.”

The air seemed to freeze over in cold as Celestia’s pupils shrank a little. It was imperceptible without being terribly close up, and she managed to disguise the anger with bored frustration. She stared quietly at him with unamused, half-lidded eyes. “I think you will find that I am no queen, Roseheart.”

The baron, for his part, seemed unfazed, and maintained his cool composure as he bowed his head once more. “Apologies, Princess, it was a slip of the tongue… though, if I may ask?”

Celestia tried not to make her frustrated snort too obvious. She had an image to keep. “Of course.”

“What, precisely, differentiates you from a queen? A princess implies a higher authority, yet, Equestria has none.”

Celestia calmed down, though only a little. As much as she hated to admit it when it came to Roseheart, that was a fair question.

The princess explained, “The difference, Roseheart, is that Equestria does not need a higher authority, such as a queen. A queen would be a monarch, sole ruler, and possess power that could not be opposed on many matters. Our last ‘monarch’ proved quite handily why Equestria needs no such thing as a monarch. My sister and I share our power, and possess advisors and councilors. There is no sole ruler. Therefore, there is no queen.”

Judging by his eyes, Roseheart thought that a flimsy excuse. But that was Celestia’s reasoning. After a brief silence, Roseheart excused himself, and left.

As soon as the shutting of the main doors announced his full departure, Celestia sank into her seat, sighing. “Why does it feel like these court days are getting longer?”

The little gray stallion fidgeted. Masterstroke was his name. “As it happens, Princess, today’s court was significantly shorter than usual.”

Celestia sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. “You cannot be serious. My word, these squabbles will take me long before age.”

The princess departed from the throne, making use of a hall directly to the right of it. It bent around, leading to a stone staircase that stretched up, alongside the side of the keep. At the top was a simple room, used as she and her sisters’ shared chambers. Though, Celestia supposed that ‘switched-off’ applied to the situation better. It was time for her to sleep. Therefore, it was time for Luna to wake.

“Sister, are you up there?”

A flash of bluish light filled the room, replaced a moment later by Luna herself. “Yes.” She replied with a cheeky grin.

Her sister tittered, neatly failing at hiding her surprise at her sister’s teleportation. “You’re getting better at that.” She complimented. “I take it you’ve been working late nights in the library, then?”

“Of course.” Luna replied proudly. “We have long nights to partake of, sister; it only makes sense to wring as much productivity as possible from them.”

The elder alicorn gave a sly look at her sister, commenting “I see ‘we’ve’ also been working on ‘our’ silly accents.”

Luna blushed so deeply that her entire face seemed to be burning crimson. Her voice stammered trying to raise protest, managing only to dig herself in deeper. “I—ah, I mean we—blast, I mean, we mean we—wait—gaaah!”

Every botched attempt at saving herself only amused her sister further. Luna eventually gave up, and bit down on her tongue. But by then it was far, far too late to save herself any embarrassment. Celestia had lost all control, leaning against a wall to prop herself up as her entire body shook with laughter, her eyes clamped shut and streaming tears. Luna’s ears folded back, and she sat as still as a scolded puppy. After a few moments, Celestia noted the silence and brought herself to a halt.

She noticed the hurt look on her sister’s face and frowned with her. “Oh, come off it, Luna, it was just a bit of teasing.” She tried to smile and brighten the mood, saying, “If the royal ‘we’ is that important to you, I shall not bring it up again.”

“It is not that it is important, necessarily.” Luna admitted. “It just seemed like a… royal thing to do. I have been reading a book, from the library, that speaks of proper royal behavior.”

“Oh?” her sister asked, curiosity piqued. “What book might that be?”

“It is a red book, leather-bound, though I cannot read the title. I have never seen the language it seems to be from.”

“Hrm. Well, that is annoying. Do you know where it might be from?”

“Yes, and no.” Luna explained, most perplexingly. “I do not know where it was written, exactly, but it speaks of a place called ‘Camelot’.”

Celestia rested on her haunches, puzzling over the mysterious book being described to her. This wasn’t the first odd book the sisters had found in Discord’s library. They had decided that it shouldn’t be very surprising. It could hardly be imagined that a creature such as him would own a library, of all things, without making it a little interesting. They had found books that spoke as if factually on places, creatures and worlds they could hardly even imagine.

“Camelot… what an odd name. Do you suppose it means something?”

“I have not the faintest idea, dear sister.”

“Tell me then,” Celestia asked, changing the subject on a whim. “why would you need to copy a book on ‘royal’ etiquette?”

The dreaded blush had returned, and Luna’s eyes deftly avoided her co-sovereign’s. After a moment’s hesitation, and a mischievous horn coming dangerously close to her flank for a prod, she spilled the dirt.

“…If I may be honest, sister, I still have doubts that we chose correctly, to rule.”

Celestia smirked, quite nearly envious of your humble sister. “And you do not see, Luna, why that makes you so perfect for the task?”

Luna’s face flattened, and one ear fell flat as she tried to make sense of that one. “No, quite frankly, I do not.”

“The greatest quality a leader can possess is to think like a subject.” Her sister explained. “For as long as I have known you, Luna, you have made it your mission to ensure every action you take was for the good of all ponies.”

She placed a hoof on her sister’s shoulder, an her face faltered for only a brief moment as she continued. “Though you may have acted… boldly, on occasion, you have always had good intentions at your core. That is certainly more than I can say for our predecessor. All you need do, sister, is follow your heart. It is wiser than you know.”

Luna smiled, chuckling a little at the corny, yet earnest little phrases her sister could spin. “Thank you, Tia. I suppose, if you are here, Day Court has ended?”

“Yes, it has.” She confirmed. “Which means you may begin taking your audiences whenever you wish. In the meantime, I think I shall stop by the library, and see if I can locate this mysterious ‘Camelot’ book you spoke of. Then, off to bed.”

She leaned in and nuzzled the side of her sister’s face, as was their custom since they were foals. “Good night, Luna.”

Celestia spread her wings, giving her an extra boost as she leaped up the stairs. She made it up the first flight, and Luna had nearly exited the little chamber and made for the throne room, before the alabaster alicorn turned back. “Oh, and Luna?”

“Yes?”

A poof of golden smoke appeared before the younger sister’s eyes, leaving behind a tiara to match her coat. Celestia placed it in its proper place, and teasingly commented, “You forgot your tiara.”

A second bound carried Celestia out of sight, leaving Luna all alone. She took that precious solitude and used it to let yet another blush die down before heading out. Masterstroke was still standing by the throne, staring at a piece of parchment quite intently. He barely noticed his princess coming in, but snapped to attention when he did.

“Er, your majesty!” he exclaimed, bowing to her. Luna returned the gesture, and slid into the throne she and her sibling shared.

“Greetings, Sir Masterstroke.” She said in a strong voice. She adjusted her posture, sitting upright and tall as she prepared herself. “We are ready to receive our audience for the Night Court.”

The secretary’s reaction was immediate, his head rising up a bit and body cringing. Luna recognized the action far too easily. She sunk lower into her seat, seeming to deflate as she lowered her head to stare at the floor.

“Nopony has come?”

Masterstroke’s silence said everything she needed to hear.

“Very well.” She jutted her chest out, looking as strong as she could as she stepped off of her throne. Her elegance was measured and quite deliberate. With a final bow to her assistant, she swiftly left the throne room, calling back “If though hast need of us, we may be found in the library.”

The library was an intimidating place, though no moreso than the rest of the castle. For a place inhabited by Discord, it was fairly conservative in design. The prevailing color was absolutely green, be it dark or light. The walls, the shelves, the drapes and even the light itself seemed to be tainted by the color. Luna entered through the only door, which led into a narrow corridor between bookshelves to the center of the room. There, the only table belonging to the library could be found, with room to seat several individuals. The rest of the room belonged to the books. The ceiling, approximately twelve feet high, was scraping against the tops of the wide shelves, of which there numbered about forty, crammed in a criss-cross pattern and framing the walls, for good measure. It seemed to smell of malicious laughter, if such a thing were possible. Malicious laughter, and neglected and musty tomes.

At the center table sat Celestia, poring over a quartet of open volumes. She spotted Luna from the corner of her eye, smiling widely and waving to her. She smiled back at the more enthusiastic mare, albeit weakly, and approached.

“You are looking for Camelot the hard way then?” Luna asked.

“Skimming, mostly.” Celestia admitted. “Usually, there’s a table of contents that I may peruse, though these ones are particularly impenetrable.”

She gestured at the books she’d laid out, and indeed they were odd. They seemed to be written in an indecipherable system of brushed ink, forming alien patterns. Luna’s eyes spun just looking at them.

“Where in Equestria did he find these?” Luna questioned.

“I’m beginning to wonder if these came from Equestria at all.” Celestia mused. Or, at least she tried to, before squinting and rubbing the sides of her head.

“Art thou tired?” Luna asked, slipping into her accent again. Celestia nodded, regretfully.

“Today was particularly grating on me. I think I shall retire early.”

“In that case, I shall continue looking for that book. I am sure I shall find it somewhere around here.”

Her sister caught the implication quickly, and frowned in sympathy. “No Night Court?”

Luna shook her head, the happiest face she could muster coming out a solid neutral. Celestia stood up and smiled reassuringly to her. “At the least, you will not be bored, with all this strange information.”

“That much is true.” Luna agreed, something closer to a smile on her lips now. She nodded to her sister, who left quietly. Now alone, the princess glared at the shelves encroaching around her. Where had she gone and left that book?

Every direction looked the same to her. This library had that effect, muddling directions and sense like that. Discord’s touch, quite clearly. Luna determined to herself that she would need to implement some sort of system to sort all of these shelves and books. But that was a task for the future. For the present, she picked a direction and struck out that way, scanning every shelf for the red leather she remembered. She scanned one level of the shelf, then another, eyes shooting back and forth across the volumes as the swiftest of arrows.

It was not on this shelf. She moved on, to the next down the line, and repeated the process. It was not here either. She moved on again, and yet again, doing this seven times in total before something caught her eye.

It was not red leather. It was not red at all, and it certainly was not leather. The binding of this book was not any material she recognized at first glance, and the colors were as nonsensical, if not more so. A wide, vertical stripe of neon green ran down the spine of the tome, crisscrossed with horizontal maroon lines, and framed by two thinner, vertical lines of black, with uneven splotches of white upon them. There was no title on the spine, only a large, seemingly engraved exclamation point.

It was not her goal, but it was simply too much to pass up. What the devil was this little book? Luna pulled it from the self and quickly brought it over to the table, setting it down and taking a seat to examine its front cover.

It was of a similar pattern as the binding, but there were three exclamation points on the front, even bolder and larger than the one on the side. They almost seemed to be carved out of wood, but the feel of book didn’t quite match that texture. It was closer to a metallic rubber, if such a thing made sense.

Luna opened the book, and looked at the first page.

Said first page was labeled number ‘42’, and started mid-sentence. Something about a pony in a jungle, and a jewel of some sort. It made no sense to her. Curious, and wondering if somepony had removed the first 41 pages, the princess flipped to the next page and read it.

This page was number 1,570, and gave an in-depth look on the anatomy of reindeer. Luna’s eyes lingered on the page for a confusing moment, then moved to the opposite page. This one was clearly a story meant for foals, and the drawings were even simpler than said story.

“What… kind of book IS this?” Luna wondered, starting to flip the pages at a faster rate. No need to read them now. Vastly varied, out-of-order numbers flashed by, along with hundreds of different tales, pictures and fonts. She neared the end of the book, growing more frustrated with the impenetrable book by the second.

Her pace stopped immediately upon reaching one of the very last pages. Entirely blank, worn yellow by time itself. Something seemed different about this page. Something animated, intriguing.

That was when the ink blot appeared. Dabbed in the center of the page by no outside force, it suddenly swirled, forming large and ornate letters.

HELLO, PRINCESS.

Below the words sat two disturbing, piercing eyes that watched her with vicious curiosity. Luna felt her skin crawl, and ice shot up her spine.

“Discord.” She snarled between her teeth.

AW, YOU DO REMEMBER ME!

The eyes shifted to happier, almost goofy-looking things, but the princess’ expression was as violent as ever. “I suppose this was your idea of a prank, leaving a charmed book to trick ponies with.”

WHAAAAT? NO, NO PRANKS MY DEAR! I SOLEMNLY SWEAR ON MY HONOR AS THE GOD OF DISHARMONY! THE GENUINE ARTICLE, RIGHT HERE, AND AT YOUR SERVICE.

The eyes closed, and nodded in a way that suggested that, if he had a body, it would be bowing to her.

She despised the motion, coming from him. “So you’re an advanced charm, then, made to respond to the individual the same way you might.”

TELL YOURSELF WHATEVER YOU WISH, MY LITTLE PONY. BUT IF THAT’S THE CASE, WHAT’S THE FUNCTIONAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME, AND THE REAL DISCORD?

“The real Discord stopped talking quite some time ago.”

YEEEEAAAH… DON’T YOU THINK THAT WAS KINDA MEAN? C’MON, WE WERE HAVING FUN, RIGHT?

Luna’s coat was bristling with fury. “You enslave my kind, subject them to centuries of brutal oppression and torture, and have the GALL to—“

Her eyes opened a bit wider, and then closed. She took a deep breath, serenity returning to her.

WHAT’S THE MATTER? NO MORE SHOUTING?

Luna, even with her emotions commanding her to burn the book, managed to smile at it, and not in an entirely vicious way either. “You are most clever, Discord, I shall give you that. But your games will not work on me.”

Luna grabbed the book, slowly lifting it into the air and preparing to snap it shut.

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! DON’T SHUT ME, PLEEEEEASE DON’T SHUT ME! IT GETS SO MUSTY IN HERE, I’LL BE GOOD!

The eyes looked prepared to cry a river, little ink tears falling from their corners.

Luna raised an eyebrow. She enjoyed hearing the sick creature beg a little more than she knew she ought to. “Oh?” she maliciously teased. She feigned closing the book, savoring the squeal of terror from the charmed remnant of the beast. “Tell me then, draconequus, why I should would do anything but shunt you in a dark, moist corner, to be forever forgotten?”

…I CAN BE GOOD COMPANY!

The eyes lit up brightly, like a child who just had their first stroke of genius.

“Because clearly, allowing you any form of freedom is in my best interests.” Luna said, sarcastically.

HONEST, THOUGH, I AM! THIS LITTLE BOOK, RIGHT HERE? JUST AN EXTRA-BODILY ASSERTION OF MY CONSCIOUSNESS. I’M COMPLETELY POWERLESS.

HERE, WATCH ME TURN YOUR HOOF INTO A CHICKEN.

The little eyes squinted, noiselessly exerting all of its effort as beads of sweat practically flew from them. After a moment, the eyes opened, lidded and exhausted as they silently panted for breath. Little inky puffs of breath faded in and out below them.

SEE? I GOT NOTHIN’!

“You could mislead me quite easily like that.” Luna asserted. “Even if you speak the truth, I am well aware that you need no powers to harm. Your silver tongue is the stuff of legend, for better or worse. You are hardly the ideal conversational partner.”

WELL, IT’S A PAPER TONGUE NOW, SO NO WORRIES THERE. BESIDES, SURELY BAD CONVERSATION IS BETTER THAN NONE?

Luna’s ears pricked up, though she attempted to disguise the reaction. It was a fruitless endeavor.

AH, AH, I SAW THAT! DON’T TRY AND FOOL THIS OLD GOAT, I KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON IN MY OWN CASTLE. YOU’RE STARVING FOR A LITTLE CHIT-CHAT, WHAT WITH ALL THE NEGLECT YOUR COURT’S BEEN GETTING, EH?

“…How did you know that?”

I KNOW MANY THINGS.

The eyes seemed to spiral around, in a clownishly hypnotic manner.

BUT YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN, DON’T YOU? I’M LONELY—NOT TO MENTION BORED—SITTING AROUND, STILL AS A STATUE. AND YOU’RE LONELY, WITH YOUR PRISSY LITTLE SISTER HOGGING UP ALL THE FAME AND GLORY. WE’RE LIKE THE CHOSEN ONES OF PEN PALS!

“My sister has done no such thing!” Luna growled at Discord, Volume 1. The eyes rolled in disbelief.

OH, SHE HASN’T? THAT’S SAD, DEAR, TRULY SAD. I’M NOT AS BLIND TO YOUR SITUATION AS YOU ARE, AND I’M A BOOK.

CELESTIA’S DONE NOTHING BUT SOAK UP THE ATTENTION, WHILE YOU’VE GOTTEN TABLE SCRAPS. SHE SHOOTS THROUGH HER DAY COURT AT DOUBLE TIME, JUST TO LEAVE YOU WITH NOTHING WHEN NIGHT ROLLS AROUND. PONIES PRANCE AND FROLIC AROUND LIKE THE LITTLE STUPID THINGS THEY ARE THROUGH THE DAY, AND THEY TUCK AWAY TO COWER THROUGH THE NIGHT YOU TOIL TO BRING THEM. AND HAVE YOU HEARD WHAT THEY SAY TO HER? THEY DEMAND SHE MAKE HERSELF QUEEN.

A QUEEN, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? CONSOLIDATE HER POWER, AND LEAVE YOU TO ROT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

HOW RUDE CAN YOU EVEN GET?

“That is ENOUGH.” Luna shouted, her voice booming with the authority that a royal needed. The eyes nodded in approval. “My sister loves me dearly, and I her. She would never hurt me so. And you seem to have forgotten, night is a natural time of rest. My symphony rejuvenates, and gives my subjects strength to carry on through the coming day, and all the work that comes. I was well aware of my duties when I took them, and you shall not sway me so easily.”

OH, FINE.

The eyes narrowed at her.

I TRIED TO WARN YOU, SHOW YOU WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON. YOU’LL BE BACK, THOUGH. YOU’LL SEE FOR YOURSELF SOON ENOUGH.

“I HIGHLY doubt that.” Luna told the book, snapping it shut. With a single snap of magic light, the book was placed back in its little corner of the world, and the princess left the library in a huff.

Tia would never do that to her.

Right?

The next few weeks passed by quickly. The number of cases in the Day Court seemed to triple over the daily average. This coincided with the beginning of construction to the northeast. Architects, scholars, artists, and thousands of manual laborers had been called in from every corner of Equestria to commence the construction of the young nation’s capital city. It was to be a beacon of art, commerce, and harmony for all to see and admire. Though it did not yet have a name, this combination of talents was leading to truly astounding concepts.

Celestia had been keeping close track of the construction, but Luna had other thoughts preying on her mind. She had kept searching the library, diligently. In her spare time, she had created a simplistic system to track books by their genre, sorting them onto shelves with others of their kind. The idea of a Court Librarian was rapidly starting to appeal to her.

But every moment spent in Everfree’s library was a moment in the same room as that cursed tome, still hiding in its corner. Luna had once felt at peace when in the middle of her studies. Now, she felt on edge merely thinking about the room. She had contemplated informing her sister of the book, but decided against it. It was harmless in its current state, and Celestia might have done something drastic from the shock of first hearing what she’d been told. Luna had yet to determine if tampering with the book might affect Discord’s true body in some manner.

No, for the present it was simply best to ignore the book. Though the princess found that difficult, at times. The Night Court remained empty, only a scant few peasants roaming in on odd nights to demand property rights over one animal or another. Even while patrolling the dreams of her subjects, she saw happy thoughts of bright sunlight, and cowering fear of the encroaching darkness. She reminded herself often that this was instinct. The natural reaction to Discord’s reign. The instinct she was patiently working to remove.

Luna could not remember the last time a noble paid visit to her, during her own hours. They preferred to appear in the Day Court, where the most ponies were available to see them. Or, perhaps, because Celestia was there.

This type of thought occurred more often than Luna liked, and she shut them out every time. Discord’s words had stung her more deeply than she’d first thought, and now daily wriggling questions squirmed in her head. Surely Discord was only trying to harm, but… what if there had been unintentional truth in his words?

Thus far, she’d managed to scoff away the thoughts at this point. Truth, from Discord, unintentional or otherwise? Absurd. Simply absurd.

On one day in particular, Celestia invited Luna to travel with her, out to the new capital. The plans had been finalized, and proper building was ready to begin. They just needed the approval of their beloved royals, considering the monumental importance of their project. She was told that it was to be a party of sorts, lasting long through the night. Luna immediately accepted.

A carriage, pulled by four earth pony guards trundled across a dirt path over green hills. The vehicle itself was simple, made of lacquered cherry wood and trimmed with a scarlet color. Inside, both royal sisters sat quietly, the elder examining the planned layout of the capital, while Luna silently watched the countryside pass by her window.

The former sister was the first to start conversation. “I’ve been thinking about the capital.”

“Considering our destination, I would imagine so.” Luna retorted. Celestia gave a quick huff of laughter.

“Well, yes, but I meant the name. The workers have asked for us to name the city, you know.”

Luna seemed perplexed. “They have seen our names, yes?” she asked, referring to their blatantly obvious namesakes. “Surely they do not believe us the most clever at this sort of thing.”

Tia shrugged. “I suppose, but who are we to question our royal duties?”

“Royalty.” Luna flatly answered. Celestia sputtered hard that name, and was forced to clamp a hoof over her muzzle.

“Ah, true, sister. As I was saying, I’ve been thinking on a name… what do you think of Canterlot?”

Luna got the joke immediately, and a scandalous grin overtook her face. “Tia, you cur! The most important name to be given in Equestrian history, and you pick a PUN?”

There was no shame in Celestia’s countenance, only malicious pride. “I shall make no apologies for art.”

Luna certainly did not disapprove, but she questioned the reaction their subjects would give. “Do you think they will buy it?”

Tia dismissed the thought with a casual wave of her hoof. “We have access to an ancient library that none but ourselves may enter. We shall tell them it is some archaic term about freedom.”

The sly grin on Luna’s face was most accusatory. “So much for not abusing our power.”

Celestia blushed as she scrambled to defend herself. “I-it is not an abuse! Just a harmless little prank. Something we may laugh about now and again. No abuse, whatsoever.”

“If you are certain.” Luna teased. The princess of the night was in an especially playful mood today. This was because of her little plan. Ever since hearing of the event, she had been re-arranging the schedule of her nighttime patterns. No one but she was aware of it yet, but on this night the largest meteor shower in recorded history would be passing directly over the construction site. A little “thank you” gift to the workers.

The carriage stopped, signaling that they had reached the end of their destination. One of the carriage ponies pulled the door open from the outside, letting the sisters out to stretch their legs. The moment they were out of the stuffy vehicle, though, they were frozen in their tracks.

Far in the distance rose one of the largest mountains in the nation, and surrounding it was the foundation of the capital city. It had not struck either of the pair until now, that part of their new home would literally be jutting from a mountain. It was an awe-inspiring thought.

They became aware of an entourage making their way towards them. A group of earth ponies, likely the ones in charge of the project. At their head was a squat, muscly brown stallion that went by the name of Keystone. He, and then his followers, bowed to the royalty, who kindly returned the gesture.

“Yoor majesties,” Keystone began in a gruff tone. His accent was all but indecipherable. “I kennut thankee enuff’fer kummin out ‘is far fer uh simpuhl sayer-uh-mo-nee succha’ ‘is.”

Celestia blinked a few times, frantically trying to sort out some actual words from that terrifying babble. “It… is no trouble, Sir Keystone. We could not imagine being anywhere else on such a momentous day.”

Keystone bowed again, graciously, and blushing a little from the compliment. “Well’n, effya dun’t mine, p’rups yee kin kumm an’ luck o’fer uh fyoo ‘ings? Just, yee-no, foina-lies-ay-shun an’ all?”

The princess paused again, believing she was starting to catch on to his odd speech. “Er, yes, I suppose I can.”

The group immediately began walking away, and Celestia turned to follow. She turned back when she realized that, technically, only she had been asked to come. Luna remained standing by the carriage, a hint of hurt on her face that was overpowered by confusion. She was still going over Keystone’s speech, wondering if she had missed the part where she was asked for her assistance, as well.

Celestia whispered to her, “Perhaps I shall handle this one, dear sister. I am afraid I must relegate to you the dread task of making sure tonight’s cider is up to our… royal standards?”

Luna got the hint at once, and after sharing a goodbye nuzzle with her sister turned and trotted for the worker’s camp. One does not simply turn down an opportunity to shirk work for free cider.

So why did she still feel uneasy? What her sister had just done was a great service, saving her from both boring administration and the mind-fraying voice of Keystone. Even so, the words of the book echoed in her mind. The ponies had quite clearly only asked for Celestia. And Tia had been all too quick to go along with it…

“No.” she whispered to herself. She shook her head violently to dispel the thought. She should not go reinterpreting the kind acts of her sister. Even if her doubts WERE starting to make sense to her. She should enjoy the opportunity for leisure.

Not five minutes passed before she had found the socks of drink, borrowing a barrel of cider for herself. She had moved to a distant corner of the outdoor picnic grounds, a table to be shared only by her and her magical elixir. The taste was just a little harsh, but that was the way Luna preferred it.

Nopony came to join her, but that was to be expected, she decided. For one, she was royalty. There is a certain unapproachability that comes with the position. Compounding that was her dubious position as princess of the night. Still a thing to be feared and mistrusted. But that did not bother her either, she assured herself. For these ponies, at least, that would change after tonight. They would see the same beauty in the night sky that she did. She allowed herself the type of smile she had reserved for foalhood and her private time. Just the thought of their wide eyes, enraptured by the passing meteors made her giddy.

When she first sat down, it was approximately three o’clock in the afternoon. Luna was patient, though. The princess was content to watch her smiling subjects share drinks, laughs, and more than a few raunchy jokes with one another. The time whiled away like this, and the barrel of cider gradually lost its contents. By the time dusk rolled around, over half of it was gone, and Luna had made more than one frantic trip to the latrine. She was lounging on the bench she had taken for herself when a figure approached. It was Celestia, smiling weakly as she admired the cider barrel.

“I do not suppose you saved some for your sister?” the alabaster alicorn pleaded. Luna smiled and waved to a vacant seat, which Celestia gratefully took. A mug of cider was passed to her, and downed in a single gulp.

“I take it you have had your fill of Keystone for the day, then?” Luna asked. The bags under her sister’s eyes seemed to worsen just at the mention of his name.

“I cannot decipher a single word he says.” The elder grumbled. “If he was not the best architect in Equestria, I would replace him in an instant.”

“But, he is.”

“He is.” Tia groaned.

The pair shared a weak chuckle, at their own expense.

“I hope things have not been too boring for you, here?” Celestia asked. Luna shook her head politely.

“Not at all. In fact, when we return to the castle there is a story I need to share with you about a hat, a stump, and a rutting—“

KR-FOOOOOOM

The pair’s ears pricked up, catching a distant roll of thunder. They looked to the west, where a bank of stormclouds had appeared. Both were quite certain that those clouds were not there earlier in the day. What was worse, they seemed to be making a beeline for them.

Luna felt something shattering in her chest.

“What is happening?” the lunar princess demanded. Celestia focused her eyes, and pointed towards a speck leading the storm.

“Someone approaches.”

It was a pegasus, green like the freshest apple, and flapping his wings furiously to stay ahead of the storm. As he approached, the sisters could make out his shrill voice calling out commands.

“Last-minute storm schedule swap! Everypony to shelter!”

“STORM?” Luna yelped, almost squeaking in surprise. There was no way. Not today.

The pegasus seemed to notice the princesses, and dove down towards them. He nearly flattened himself on the landing, rolling forward and doing a quick bow to the two of them.

“Y-your majesties!” he panted, quite clearly exhausted. “Lieutenant M-Maplewood, at your service! I-I’m afraid I need to ask you to, erp, get to shelter!”

“Calm yourself, Lieutenant.” Said Celestia, her voice shifting into its most regal tones. “And then tell us what is happening here. No storms were scheduled for today.”

“Y-yes, your highness!” Maplewood stuttered, quite clearly terrified. “I’m very, very, very-very, VERY sorry—“

“Out with it.” demanded Luna, which elicited a squeal of surprise from the timid pegasus.

“R-right Our weather teams, erm, misjudged our storms’ output for the season! We’re short of scheduled rainfall, and if we don’t send an extra week’s worth of rain through, we’re risking a drought! The whole northern crop could fall t-through!”

Luna’s eyes were as wide as saucer plates, and she could swear her heart had stopped. Today, of all days. That… wasn’t fair.

Celestia had shut her eyes, blocking out the world as she considered the options. She hummed a single, constant note as she let out a strong release of air. When she opened her eyes, there was a gracious sense of defeat in them.

“Very well, Lieutenant. We shall take our leave at once.”

Something clicked in the princess’ mind. Discord’s words were ringing in her head, though she now began to wonder if they were not her very own thoughts. How dare Celestia make this choice by herself? How dare she rob Luna of her chance to redeem the night?

The princess of the night stamped her foot. “No!” she commanded. The royal voice was in full effect. “We demand you avert this storm immediately!”

Maplewood looked like the tip of a sword was between his eyes. “B-b-but… we need to get this rain through!”

“Postpone it a day!” Luna countered.

“W-we can’t! If we don’t space out the rain, it’ll oversoak the soil!”

The timid pegasus was scared out of his wits. But Luna did not see that. In her fit of anger, all she saw was a pony telling her that her greatest chance to show the world that the night—that she—was not something to be feared, was being denied her. She leaned in, planning to make her next words very clear. Only Maplewood could see the change in her eyes, pupils narrowing to miniscule slits.

“We care NOT for thine petty excuses. Simply DO as thou art TOLD—“

“Luna!”

A hoof smacked the princess in the side, and Celestia closed in on her face. The slits were gone, and beneath the wrath of her sister the princess of the night felt like a filly again. Seeing a squabble he did not wish to be involved in, Maplewood quickly sped on his way, to evacuate the other ponies.

“You shame us!” Celestia scolded, her voice harsh and angered. “What by the stars has become of you? You would doom our harvest for naught but a night?”

“Easy to say,” Luna replied bitterly. “when thou speakest with sole authority!”

Celestia’s words caught in her throat. All she was able to choke out was a confused “What?”

Luna’s expression would have been fierce, if not for the tears in her eyes.

“Our subjects hate me! Hate the night, they fear it like it is some sort of… monster! Tonight was my one chance to prove them wrong, and you would take it from me!”

“Luna…” Celestia began, despair and confusion dripping from her words. “I have no idea what you are talking about! Our subjects love you; I love you! Why would anypony hate you?”

Luna didn’t answer, silently seething as she tried to maintain her visage of rage. Despair was quickly winning out. Seeing an opportunity to defuse the situation, Celestia stepped closer, trying to put her wing around her sister. The smaller alicorn backed away.

“Sister, our duty is to our subjects. Surely whatever you’ve planned can wait one night? Maybe I could help—“

Luna wasn’t sure why, but that line struck something in her mind. Something very deep, and angry. She lunged forward, ears back and teeth bared, hoof dragging at the dirt beneath her.

“Stay AWAY from my night!” she commanded. “You have already taken enough for yourself!”

The younger sister turned and unfurled her wings, taking to the sky and flying south. Celestia galloped after her, calling her name to no avail. She was only a dot in the sky by the time her sister stopped. She could have caught up to her, but it would have been pointless. She stood alone in the field, the first drops of an evening rain beginning to fall.

“Luna…” she whispered, feeling a looming sense of danger, and horrible confusion.

That night, at Everfree Keep, Luna sat alone in the library. Her sister had yet to return, and most of their menagerie had followed them to the soon-to-be capital. The halls were awfully quiet that night; it seemed even the little mice that slept within the walls had left the brooding princess. She was staring at an empty table, a heavy weight in her chest. She had been processing the day, slowly, many times over. Reliving each moment of rage, and sorrow. Could Celestia have been right?

Of course. She knew her sister was correct. It was more important that the crops be completed. But… she had tried so hard, to create that meteor shower. So much effort, wasted, with not a tear shed by anypony. And Celestia had been so quick to step over their boundaries… tried to encroach on her own sister’s domain. She was merely trying to help, right? Trying to be a good sister. And yet it made sense, it all made too much sense right then.

Something clicked in her brain. A wheel turned, a lever was flipped. She looked straight down the aisle of books to her left. She remembered where she had hidden it. Gulping, already weighing the magnitude of her choice, she stood. She felt confused, alone. She had only ever been able to confide in her sister; she could hardly do that now. She could see only choice, at that moment.

She retrieved the book, and flipped it open. The very first page was blank, now, save for a pair of manically gleeful eyes.

WELCOME BACK, LUNA.

“A ‘pleasure’ to see you again, Roseheart.”

Celestia sat on her throne in Canterlot. The Day Court was in full swing, at approximately 2:30 in the afternoon. The breakfast she’d enjoyed was, truthfully, not enjoyable in any sense. She detested oatmeal, but the cooks were low on supplies and had little else available. A schedule for food delivery was still being worked out, Celestia understood that. But would keeping a few apples in reserve truly be so difficult?

What was more, that frustrating itch in her mind had not left for a single instant. All day, she had dealt with the infuriating little bit of uncertainty. Even as she settled territory disputes with the bison tribes, trade agreements with the griffons, and authorized a campaign to drive the wights from the Northern Reaches, some small part of her mind was dedicated to sorting out this mystery. She had forgotten something dear, something she knew she should never, ever forget.

She had considered it the worst part of her day until Roseheart had arrived, no less than a dozen other nobles in tow. She already knew what he was here for. He had come monthly with the same proposal, a new supporter or two every time. And every time, he was denied.

The baron bowed to her, and replied “The pleasure is mine, your majesty.”

Celestia nodded curtly. “State your business.”

Roseheart cleared his throat, and assistant opening up a scroll for him to read.

“Ah-ahem. The following parties: Dukes Cliffwheat, Marigold, and Dewdrop; Barons Cloud Skimmer, Nightingale, and Roseheart; Lords Sapphire Gem, Karat, and Misty Morning; and the esteemed Marquis Horizon, have signed the following petition in accordance with Article VII, Subsection C of the Equestrian Pact of Nobleponies, that our sole sovereign, Princess Celestia, be appointed Queen of Equestria. This collection of Nobles does so make this request for the best interest of this nation’s diplomatic standings with others, to present a unified and sovereign power.”

Celestia harrumphed, though tried not to let it show. The new face was the Marquis, and he would certainly be a problem. Lord of Manehattan, currently the only city in all of Equestria with a port capable of trade with the Griffon nations across the sea. He was a very influential stallion, and this movement would only grow so long as he supported it. She would need to chat with him privately, and regain his trust. But that was a problem for a later date. For now, she needed a good excuse to rebuke these nobles, at least for the time being.

She believed she had an idea. Straightening her posture, and speaking in the most royal voice she could, her reply was as thus:

“If you will recall, esteemed mares and gentlecolts, that upon the founding of Equestria, my sister and I were appointed, by the citizens of our fair nation, princesses. In Equestrian history, no title such as ‘Queen’ has ever existed. In fact, the title of “Princess” is, by past example, an elected position. For Equestrian purposes, Princess is in fact the highest position in our government, and is a position which may be replaced, by the word of our legislature, should the current occupant or occupants be deemed unworthy of said position.”

That was a stone-faced dare, and every blanching noble in that hall knew it. She had cornered them. At least for today, she had forced the issue into whether Celestia was fit to rule. Though the ponies gathered may have had their own thoughts on how Celestia was handling the affairs of their nation, nopony wanted to be the sole rebel in the room. The nobles hoofed at the ground, nervous as they tried to recollect their wits. All except for Roseheart.

The Baron locked eyes with the Princess, an approving, conniving aspect in his stare. Though the others had only seen the bluff, it seemed that this pony in particular was more observant, and had spotted the real reason Celestia was so viciously maintaining the title of “Princess”: if she would ever accept the position of Queen, she would be accepting solitary rule over the nation, and fully consolidating her power. And she would never do that. Even now, in her heart, she would insist that she still shared power with…

That was it.

Celestia felt a weight lift from her. The itch dissipated, as what she had forgotten finally returned to her. Today was New Years’ Eve. The first that she would ever spend without her sister. A sudden rush of energy came upon her, and the princess rose from her throne.

“Thank you for your time today, everypony.” She began. “But in case we have forgotten, it is a momentous day. The countdown to a new year. All of you, please, go home. Be with your families tonight.”

In a single instant, Celestia had ended the Day Court prematurely, for the first time in its short lifespan. Though confused, the nobles had already been flabbergasted by their ruler's bluff. They had no willpower left to resist with, and turned to leave. The only one that turned back, after his first few steps, was Roseheart.

“Shall we see you at tonight’s festivities, your highness?”

“Of course.” Celestia told him. “It is my royal duty, after all.”

“Then… may I ask a more personal question?”

Celestia arched her brow, questioning his intent. He was standing some distance away from her throne now. The guards had escorted the others out, and the pair was alone in the hall, with whatever secrets they chose to divulge.

After a long pause, Celestia flatly said “You may.”

The baron approached, though didn’t close much of the gap before stopping again. He sounded strangely… apprehensive of his words. Perhaps even worried, if Celestia could believe he was capable of such a reaction.

“You told us, specifically, to be with our families tonight.” Roseheart began. “And I assure you, we will do so. But, your highness… what will you do?”

The alicorn paused, as if frozen in mid-motion. Her face revealed none of her emotion, but for a long time no words were spoken, and that said enough of how seriously she was taking this question. The answer she finally gave was given flatly, and quite cryptically.

“I shall do the same, Baron.”

In some manner he could not explain, Roseheart believed he understood her intent. He bowed without another word, leaving the hall immediately after. Celestia had hours before the official celebrations began, and decided she knew precisely where to spend that time. She tried to keep her pace even, slowly, and regal as a princess should move, but it was difficult not to shift into a canter, or even a full gallop.

She came up to the hall that led to her chambers. But now, she proceeded in the opposite direction. The door that met her was unlocked, and she gently opened it. The light from the hall slowly crept in, revealing a beautiful, circular room, made of indigos and midnight hues, with a ceiling dappled in a perfect recreation of the night sky.

At once, Celestia felt a bittersweet sensation entering the room. But she did not stop, feeling a sense of purpose that she had been lacking all day. She proceeded to an armoire. She threw it open, and found only a single article of clothing inside. It was a simple scarf, which she took down from the spot it hung. She held it fully stretched out, examining its sheen. The same color as her sister’s coat, and her moon was lovingly stitched on the end.

She’d never even worn it.

The months after Luna's fit of anger passed by quickly, and frantically, as if the world itself knew of some grand moment approaching, and sped life itself on to meet it. The winter passed without incident, the new year coming and going with much fanfare that was still forgotten. The princesses made fewer public appearances in this time. Celestia spent many of her days dedicated to the construction of Canterlot, giving her personal input to many facets of the design.

Luna, on the other hand, read her book. She withdrew from the world. At first, it was temporary. She had exploded at a commoner who was simply trying to do his job, and then at her own sister. She knew she had been wrong, but knew of no way to properly apologize. She had decided she would wait it out, until tempers cooled.

But her temper never did. She continued to confide in the book. Discord, to his credit, listened intently to her every word, sharing his condolences. Sympathizing when she was certain nopony else would. In the first days, she would come to the book once, or twice a week. Before she had realized it, the chats had become daily things. She began to share other frustrations with it. Frustrations she had not even realized she had, until she had said them. It was as if all the things she had bottled away were finally coming to the surface. Someone was finally paying attention to them.

She began taking meals in the study, avoiding as much contact with her sibling as she could. No more would her twisting words confuse her. Luna knew her duties, and stuck to them diligently. She maintained her focus upon them all. Celestia would encroach on her territory no longer. The book was proud of her, and she of herself. Too long had she felt helpless under her elder’s shadow. The night was nothing to be feared, but neither was it something to fear anything else.

On a cold day, mid-February, a carriage to Canterlot arrived for Celestia. She would be making one final trip before they moved in, to ensure everything had been arranged to her tastes. She passed Luna by the gate, who was standing rigidly as she watched her leave.

Celestia worriedly tried to begin a conversation. “Will you be all right by yourself, Luna?”

“Oh, I shall be fine, sister.” She remarked with barely hidden scorn. “Do not let me trouble you or your work. Do let me know what decrees you’ve decided to make on our decorating when you return.”

Celestia knew she was being rebuked, and left silently. Luna immediately returned to the library, retrieving her book and turning to page 579, where her only friend waited for her.

YOU LOOK ESPECIALLY DOWN TODAY.

The eyes made a disappointed, almost-frown. Luna exhaled, trying to maintain her composure.

“She has made another trip. Alone, to Canterlot. Clearly, I’m unfit to choose the pattern of the rugs.”

Suddenly, the eyes narrowed at her.

YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT’S ENOUGH.

Luna felt a pain in her heart, bracing itself for yet another betrayal. “W-what?”

I’M SICK OF SEEING YOU SIT HERE AND MOPE AND THEN DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR YOURSELF!

The eyes made a motion that, somehow, seemed like flexing muscles.

IT’S TIME YOU TOOK ACTION. GOT A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE!

Luna lurched back from the book, mouth agape. She felt despairing just attempting to imagine a way out of this horrible scenario. “B-but… I do not know what to do!”

THAT’S COOL, THAT’S COOL.

The eyes made a motion like a shoving, “relax” sort of gesture.

AS IT HAPPENS, I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE SUBJECT FOR MYSELF. AND AS IT HAPPENS, I HAVE AN IDEA. A WAY TO MAKE THIS WHOOOOLE SITUATION GO AWAY. BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE.

His words resonated with the princess more than Discord: A History could have ever known. She felt many things toward her sister, but above them all she wished she could wipe it all away. Return to before her doubts. Back when they still played, just happy with each other’s company. Luna decided at that moment that, if it was possible, then she would do whatever it took to bring that time back.

“What… must I do?”

WELL… THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW TO HELP… IS THE DIRECT APPROACH.

“Direct?”

THIS PLAN WILL SOUND DRASTIC, BUT I THINK IT’S THE ONLY WAY. YOU, AS THE PRINCESS, KNOW WHERE THEY’VE KEPT MY STATUE, RIGHT?

Luna, even in her desperation, recoiled at the thought. “I will NOT free you, no matter what you say!”

WHOA-HO, LET’S NOT BE HASTY! I WASN’T GONNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT FREEING ME. LIKE I SAID, THIS IS ABOUT YOU, TODAY, LITTLE PRINCESS.

BUT, YOU KNOW WHERE THEY KEEP MY BODY? WELL, WITHOUT FREEING ME—LET’S MAKE THAT CLEAR—I THINK I CAN LEND A LITTLE BIT OF THE OL’ JUICE TO YOU. REWRITE ANYTHING YOU WANT, HOWEVER YOU WANT. PUT THE OL’ CELESTY BACK THE WAY YOU REMEMBER HER. BEFORE… WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MAKE LIKE SHE IS NOW. ALL… POWER-GRABBY.

“…You believe this will work?”

ABSOLUTELY.

“…What shall I do when I’ve found your statue?”

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TOUCH IT WITH YOUR HOOF…

AND OPEN YOUR MIND TO THE POSSIBILITIES.

In the dungeons beneath Everfree Keep, there was a cell that nopony ever entered. This was where Luna found herself, fifteen minutes after leaving the library. Her pace had been slower than she’d liked. She felt nervous. So many things could go wrong. But what was left, right then, that could go any worse?

If she could change things, then she would. As simple as that. Maybe she could make it so they had never taken power to begin with. Let someone else take the stress. They could live a quiet life, far from the machinations of nobles and diplomats. Nothing to drive them apart. That image was the thought that drove her as she voided the spell hiding the second half of the cell.

What looked like a wall faded away, leaving behind an alcove. Within it rested a single statue, of a creature unlike any other, smiling with deceptive glee. In some part of her mind, Luna was protesting. She knew the danger of what she was about to do. This was a mistake. But she had already made so very, very many mistakes. Her sister was wrong. Luna was never fit to rule.

She lifted her hoof. “Open your mind… to the possibilities.”

She touched the statue.

GOODBYE, PRINCESS.

Pain like a thousand spears pierced her mind, and she recoiled at once from the statue. A black, seeping magic coated her hoof and burned like fire a thousand-fold. The princess tried to scream, but did not feel her lips move. As her body floundered about, a numbness overtook her limbs, until she became aware that she was no longer in control of her own movements. The body that was once hers moved on its own, still hurting, still writing in silent agony on the floor as the dark, liquid fire spread over her leg. It came to her chest, spreading across her body completely. She tried to stretch away her neck, anything to get away from what was coming for her.

There was no response. She had lost all muscle control, and her blurring vision could only catch the barest glimpses of the liquid sloshing up her coat, reaching her neck and slowly climbing up. Luna fell to the floor. The only thing she felt now was pain. She let out one final, piercing shriek in her own mind before she was finally silenced.

The body was still on the floor for some time. When it finally stood, something new was controlling it.

“No, no, no, Ursa Major goes further that way.”

The pegasus holding a paintbrush in her mouth sighed in exasperation, moving in the direction that her princess dictated. Celestia stood in a perfectly circular room, on top of fresh carpet that was the precise color of the twilight sky. Workers were moving furniture about to her orders, and multiple painters were consulting a star chart sprawled out on the ground.

It wasn’t hard to see the nerves straining the alicorn at that moment. Her thoughts were consumed by her sister, and the way she had spoken to her earlier that day. The way she’d spoken to her for the last several months, in fact. Her fellow alicorn had been terribly cryptic about what troubled her, unwilling to explain what she meant by her accusations. But whatever her reasoning were, Celestia was certain she was at fault.

Today had cemented the idea. Luna felt underappreciated? Was that it? She desperately hoped so. Celestia hoped this would make up for it, if only in the smallest manner. Her very own chambers, hand-crafted to appeal to her tastes. And directly below it, connected by a ladder straight down, was he most expansive, luxurious personal study in all of Equestria. Star maps, telescopes, all manner of equipment for scanning the night skies. Every rare book that could be found in the nation, purchase and collected in a single spot. Many, in fact, had been donated. Nobleponies and commoners alike that Celestia had sought out, eager to impart a gift to one of their beloved princesses.

The princess was certain this would show her sister. She was appreciated, by her subjects and by her sister.

If only a perfect replica of the night sky weren’t so complicated.

“Everypony, take a break.” The princess announced. The workers tried not to sound too relieved as they scrambled for lunch.

Solitude upon her, Celestia stepped over the paint buckets, tarp meant to catch falling paint, and other bits of debris in her path until she reached the far side of the room. An ornate glass door met her, which she gently opened. The princess stepped out onto a stone balcony, looking out over the world beneath her. It was late in the afternoon, and the descending sun painted the landscape in glorious orange, and red hues. Below her, she could make out thousands of little multi-colored dots. Her subjects, darting from project to project as they erected buildings where once only grass had been. Cobblestone streets being laid, homes forming from scratch, shops and gathering places that were once hazy dreams suddenly coming to life.

She took a moment to admire that. She had always wondered what her subjects thought of her. As best as she had observed, it was something awe-inspiring. A step higher than them, with power beyond their reckoning.

And yet she was so amazed by them. Their ability to come together and make so much out of nothing. To be standing in a castle upon the side of a mountain? In her eyes, that may well be grander than any spell she could ever conjure. That bond, the friendship between the ponies down there was something to be cherished.

She thought she had known that bond once, but lately it felt like it had been fading from her.

“Princess!”

The door slammed open behind her, and she stepped back into the room. A guard, out of breath and clearly mortified had just collapsed to the floor. Celestia came to his side, kneeling down by him.

“Soldier, calm yourself! What is the matter!”

“Your majesty!” the unicorn spluttered. “Emergency! E-everfree!”

“Everfree?”

The Keep. Luna.

Celestia’s voice became more concerned. “Everfree? The castle? What has happened?”

The pony seemed scared just to utter the words that he did. “E-engulfed! The whole forest: Engufled!”

“Engulfed?!” Celestia gasped. “By what?”

The guard shook his head, quite clearly confused and terrified. “We don’t KNOW!”

A chill ran down Celestia’s mind. She knew of the secrets hidden beneath the Keep, and only one culprit seemed clear in her mind.

“Stay here, get yourself to a nurse. You have done well to inform me of this.”

She turned and began moving for the balcony. The soldier called after her, “Your majesty, where are you going?”

“To Everfree!”

With a single flap of her wings, Celestia took to the air, soaring above the fledgling city and circling back south. The power behind her body was beyond what even the fastest pegasus in Equestria could muster. She was the fastest flier of her nation, when pushed, and she pushed furiously as she charged through the darkening sky.

The land below passed by in a blur, clouds at her side going by as white flashes in her peripheral vision. Villages, towns, and little caravans were but specks. Her vision narrowed, until the only direction she could look was forward. A numb thought wondered if this was the fastest she had gone before. It was ignored. Even if it was, she would go faster still.

Many miles by the measure of her subjects was ten minutes to her. As she neared the edge of the forest, she opened up her wings and caught as much as she could, slowing to a halt midair. Her jaw immediately dropped as she was met by the scene.

A colossal, black bubble, made of some inky, frothing and shifting material had encircled the entire Everfree Forest. It was as tall as a mountain, and if she had delayed her halt by just a few second, she may well have collided with it. She looked below, and at its edge she could see many golden dots. Her soldiers had already arrived on the scene.

She dived down to meet them, immediately catching the eye of her subjects, who cheered at her approach. She would save the day, surely. At the rear of the vanguard she recognized one of her generals, and landed by his side. He saluted her immediately, then bowed. Celestia returned the bow. “General Shining Steel.”

The old, white stallion smiled a tired smile at her. He spoke with a rough, experienced voice. “Thank goodness you’re here, your majesty. This… thing appeared here approximately an hour ago. Expanded from somewhere in the center of the forest, and coated the whole blasted place within minutes. Since then, nobody has gotten in OR out.”

At the edge of the bubble, Celestia could see a full platoon of unicorns aiming their spells at the dark wall. They rebounded off of its surface as if they were cast by a foal.

“Not for lack of trying.” The General said, as an addendum to his previous comment.

The Princess nodded stoically. Inside, she was a nervous wreck. A dozen gruesome images were cycling through her mind as she imagined what had become of her sister. It only drove her further to get to the Keep. She asked the general, “Do we know what the bubble does?”

“Not a dang-nabbed clue, ma’am.” Shining Steel admitted. He scowled at his inky, shifting foe, and continued to speak. “It’s magic, we know that much. We don’t know if it’s alive or a spell, though, ‘cause right now it’s rebuffed everything we’ve thrown at it. Scrying spells, identification spells, transmutation spells.”

“Have you tried going through?”

“Sam’s Apples, no!” the general yelled. “By my father’s griffon paramour, I barely allowed letting my ponies within fifty feet of that thing! Touching it is out of the question until we figure out what it is!”

That was no good to Celestia. She needed to get to the keep immediately, and playing investigator would only slow her down.

“In that case, General, I need you to back your soldiers up. I’ll try my hand at breaking through.”

Shining Steel’s old eyes opened so wide that they were visible even under his busy white brows. He barely managed to sputter out a response. “Ba-wha—pardon my insubordination, ma’am, but that’s ab-so-lutely insane! Heaven knows what that thing’ll do to you!”

The princess smiled, confidence radiating from her. “I appreciate your concerns, old friend, but my sister is somewhere in that bubble. And I intend to find her.”

The General hesitated just long enough to take a deep, gravelly breath, before saluting her. “May swift winds carry you, your majesty.”

“And you.” She replied. The General barked out his orders, and the soldiers stepped away, leaving Celestia alone as she trotted towards the bubble. Spells were rotating through her mind. A shield spell would likely be too weak, and a spear veil would collapse before getting her through entirely.

She desperately wished that Luna were here. The Element of Magic belonged to her. She was the stronger spellcaster.

Celestia caught her thought and cast it aside. “There is no time for ifs or maybes.” She resolved. “My sister needs me.”

Her eyes caught a series of flashes around her. Three gold, and three blue. Six gems rotated around her, emanating light.

“The Elements?” she whispered. “Even Luna’s.”

Three of the flashes had been the color of her sister’s magic. Had she sent the Elements of Harmony to her? Whatever the case may be, if they were here then Celestia was needed more urgently than she had realized.

She set herself up for a straight shot, and charged. Her hoofbeats pounded against the dirt in a powerful rhythm. Around her, the Elements began to glow in many colors, shrouding her in their light.

She let out a yell, and collided with the wall. A pain like passing through fire engulfed her body in one moment, and in the next it was gone.

She came to a halt, breathing furiously, and opening her eyes. The Elements were gone. But she was on the other side. Behind her, the dark wall could be seen, fluctuating but as a whole, unmoving.

She took in her surroundings. This was Everfree’s border as she remembered it, but darker. It was as if the day had departed more quickly in this corner of the world. The blue nighttime air should have been relaxing, but something was off about this place. It made the hairs of the princess’ coat stand on end.

Above she could see stars, twinkling in a random pattern. These were not the constellation she knew. And there was no moon. The night sky seemed so… empty without it.

More than anything, Celestia felt confused. None of this made any sense. She had feared the return of Discord, but this was… different. It wasn’t his style. This was something new, and for some reason Celestia dreaded it far more than her old foe.

She flapped her wings, and returned to the air. The trees and winding paths would slow her down on hoof. All she was certain of was that if Luna was to be found anywhere, it was at the Keep. Celestia charged forward, ripping past the canopy of the Everfree Forest. As she moved further, deeper in, the world only seemed to grow darker. Life itself seemed to be squeezed out of this place. The alicorn’s heart began to tremble. She had never seen anything of this nature before.

Every new discovery made her fear for her sister more and more.

She knew the ways through the gnarled old forest well. She was close, now. The trees here were taller, but she could shoot straight over them to—

As she came to the clearing around Everfree Keep, Celestia felt her heart shatter. The old purple stone had crumbled, as if blown apart by some great force. Chunks of the castle were scattered about the area, some having knocked down entire clusters of trees. Only a single story remained standing. The princess’ hopes felt as if they had been dashed against a rock.

“No, no, no, no, no…”

She dropped to the ground, running on her legs as she scrambled for the castle. The gate had been blown to splinters. The inner door had not left a trace beyond smoking cinders. The main hall was exposed to the elements, the throne half-pounded. Celestia’s eyes darted from corner to corner, hoping to find some trace of her sister, hiding just out of sight from whatever had done this. The shadows fell strong and harsh, even in the darkness of this place.

Wait…

In the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow shift. Her body seized up with fear as she realized: it was behind her.

Her horn shined brightly, and in a flash of light she teleported to the far end of the hall, looking back where she had been. That spot that she’d stood in only moments before was engulfed in dark, writhing flames. Smoke poured from the spot, through which stepped a shadowy figure.

Eyes as ferocious as any beast rested in its face. It looked like a pony—an alicorn even, if it had been coated in living darkness. It wore armor, a blue like pale moonlight. Celestia’s eyes shot open wider still. She recognized that wafting, shimmering mane of twinkling stars, and the crescent moon upon the beast.

“…What are you?” she whispered.

The dark fiend grinned viciously. “I am Nightmare Moon. And I am your death, BETRAYOR!”

A beam of black magic erupted from the thing’s horn. Celestia acted on instinct, and a bubble of golden light surrounded her. The beam enveloped the shield, and cracked it open in an instant. The thing that called itself Nightmare Moon smiled, but lost its glee quickly. Celestia was not within the bubble any longer, having relocated herself behind the thing.

Whatever that thing was, it was NOT her sister.

“Monster!” The princess hissed. “What have you done with Luna?!”

“She is DEAD, waiting for you in TARTARUS!” the beast roared back. Her eyes began to glow as her power built up. “GO MEET HER!”

The sides of Nightmare Moon shifted, and two limbs of darkness erupted from them. Celestia crafted a shield around herself, and the appendages rhythmically pounded against it. Cracks were already growing. The princess felt fear gripping her. She would not die. Not like this.

She cast another spell, and two massive golden hooves shot from her bubble. They caught the cudgels mid-swing, and in a single burst of light they both dissipated. But Celestia was hardly finished. A second spell was cast, and summoned a long rope. It drew itself taut and swept across Nightmare Moon’s legs, flipping her into the air before tying itself and restraining her. The beast struggled against the rope, held in place by magic and Celestia’s force of will. The alicorn approached her captive, horn glowing as another spell was prepped.

She scowled at the creature. “I do not believe you. Now tell me what you have done to this place. What have you done with my sister?!”

The false alicorn sneered at her foe. “I have given this place the punishment it deserves: eternal night. Just as I shall give ALL Equestria, once I have killed you!”

“Why?!” Celestia demanded. “What has Equestria done to you?”

The question hit closer to home than the princess expected. An unexpected shock of deep pain shot through the creature’s eyes.

“They spurn the night, and cast all their fears upon it, as their scapegoat. If they hate the night so… then I shall choke them to death with it!”

Even as the beast spoke, Celestia’s heart broke. She recalled the words of her sister, those many months ago. In that instant, her will faltered, and Nightmare Moon surged in power. An eruption of darkness washed through the hall, eviscerating the rope and tossing Celestia to the far end. She rolled along the ground, her body bruised and battered. Even then, she felt numb, and when she came to a halt her eyes stared vacantly at the horrible creature hovering above her.

“Luna… it really is you.” she murmured in despair.

“NO!” the beast replied. All its—her—face displayed was rage, yet tears seemed to be forming in her eyes. It nearly choked on the words, “Not anymore…”

Its clouded eyes focused again, and a beam shot from her horn. Celestia mustered herself, and rolled out of the way, struggling to her feet.

“Luna, what has happened to you?!” she screamed, even as the beast prepared another spell. Another beam shot towards the princess, and this time a golden mirror was conjured to stop it. The beam was reflected, striking a column off to the side. It shattered, and collapsed to dust.

“Please, let me help!”

The beast seem to grow only more hateful with the uttering of those words. Her mane and tail flared to double their size, and her eyes glowed white as a stormcloud ballooned to life between them. Lightning lashed out, and scorched Celestia’s side. The princess countered with her own spell, and summoned the wind. Cyclones in the shape of pegasi surrounded the cloud, lifting it up and away from the conflict, until they were entirely out of sight.

“You MOCK me!” Nightmare Moon bellowed, snorting and stamping a hoof into the stone beneath her. “All you and your ‘help’ has done is take! Taken my court! Taken the love of our subjects! My night is all I have left!”

Her sorrowful expression quickly soured to one of blinding, raw hatred. “And you shall NOT! TAKE! THAT!”

A thousand spikes, black as the night stretched from the tip of her horn. They ascended to the air and came down upon the princess like a barrage of arrows. Celestia erected a barrier above her and absorbed the blows. She shouted at the top of her lungs, the roar of the impacting projectiles nearly drowning her out.

“Our subjects love you dearly!” she pleaded. “As do I! Please, stop!”

“NEVER!” the monster shrieked. “I will not listen to your lies any longer! All you’ve ever wanted is to take the power for yourself!”

Celestia shook her head, heartbreak written plainly on her face and sweat dripping from her as the exertion of magic grew more difficult. “I just want my sister back!”

The barrier above her began to splinter and crack. It would shatter any moment.

“Luna, please!” the princess cried. “I’m sorry! I’ve failed you! Take the day, the sun, just please stop!”

Nightmare Moon advanced, cackling. “Oh, I shall take the sun, after I have taken your life! I shall take all of Equestria, and smother it in darkness!”

The spells clashing against one another finally erupted in a wave of light. When the blinding flash faded, Celestia remained standing, but only barely. Her legs quivered, her breath was faint, and her vision was beginning to blur.

Nightmare Moon approached, an evil grin splitting her face as she prepared the coup de grâce. Tears welled in the alabaster alicorn’s eyes, her coat stained gray by soot and smoke.

“Please… Luna… I’m sorry. You’ll have whatever you want. Just stop, before it’s too late.”

“All I want,” Nightmare Moon hissed, “is your corpse.”

She fired her final blast, and Celestia clamped her eyes shut.

She only re-opened them when she heard her sister’s cries of disbelief.

“What?!”

The Elements of Harmony had returned, and circled through the air around the remaining princess, halting the corrupted creature’s spell. Celestia marveled at the sight, as the gems seemed to pulse with light. Nightmare Moon shook her head, backing away in disbelief, grief-stricken.

“You monster!” she screamed at Celestia. “You took my Elements?” In a flash, all her disbelief and hurt was funneled into her hatred, and her voice began to snarl as she spoke. “I HATE YOU! I’LL KILL YOU!”

She fired another blast, and another, and another still, but each spell was flicked away like the lightest feather. Celestia watched the effort, and with each passing moment and rebuked spell, felt a determination growing in her heart. She had tried, truly.

“I’m sorry, Luna.”

The gems stopped in their motion, rearranging themselves around the princess. Her entire body began to glow with a blinding white light. Nightmare Moon funneled all of her power into a beam, but could only watch in terror as it dissipated before the light. Her body began to tremble, backing away.

“W-what are you doing?!”

“What I must.”

White light poured from the alicorn’s eyes, and a beam every color of the rainbow erupted from the gems around her. It spun through the air, high above them, before arcing downwards. The beast below it only had a moment to scream before the power of the Elements swept her up in its current.

“NO!” It screamed. “Please! Stop! Sister!” It pleaded. Nightmare Moon desperately looked at the princess, begging for mercy that would not come. The creature felt itself being pulled away, high up into the air. It resisted and pulled as much as it could. An effort made far, far too late.

“I’m sorry!...”

Celestia heard not a monster’s voice, but her terrified little sister cry out before the rainbow show high into the air. It pierced the dark bubble high above, and flew further still.

The princess watching below fell to the floor, six inert stones smashing to the ground around her. A mortified breath left her. The creeping realization that she had made a horrible mistake.

“Luna?...”

The forest was silent. Not even the whistling of the wind approached the battered princess. Far above her, the hole left in the bubble began to spread, slowly dispersing the darkness. The night sky above as she remembered it greeted Celestia, with one key difference.

The pale, featureless moon was now marred by the dark shadow of the banished beast.

“Gather round, everyone! Gather round, the ball’s dropping in ten minutes!”

Canterlot Square, a cobblestone courtyard made of reds, whites, and other bright colors was already established as the prime place for celebration in the capital of Equestria. Thousands of ponies, some traveling from the far corners of the nation just to be there had assembled in the square on this New Year’s Eve. The cold night would have been harsh, and unforgiving if one were alone. But nopony was alone this night. Friends and family gathered around fire pits, roasting snacks over the crackling flames and sharing stories with one another. Some hadn’t seen each other this entire year, only gathering for this event.

It was a tight squeeze, but there was a warmth in the air tonight, beyond the fire. They had made room for everyone. A metal pole dominated the center of the Square, and at its top was a ball loaded with firecrackers, confetti, and all manner of entertaining forms of explosion. Unicorn attendants had steadily lowered it over the last several hours, and now only a few precious moments stood between all those present and a brand new year.

From a distance, the princess watched her subjects. Celestia had been present when the sun still lingered in the sky. She had given a speech, spoke with subjects, and made her support known. But she had left soon enough.

She was out of sight, in the shadows, the multicolored mane her subjects had grown used to gone. Only a solid pink remained. Celestia turned away from the celebrations, walking into the abandoned streets.

The winter wind nipped at her, but she was not bothered. A dark blue scarf was wrapped around her neck, and kept her warm.

She could hear the clamor of her subjects far behind her as she marched up the streets. Her hoofsteps drummed out a simple pattern, that relaxed her into a trance. Before she knew it, she stood at the base of her castle. The princes flexed her wings, and took to the air. The night air felt refreshing to her, and seemed to sweep her up of its own strength, carrying her to her tower. She came own upon the balcony of her chambers, and looked out over her home. Scaffolding and cranes could be spotted everywhere, bits of construction and work left by the wayside, just for one night. The world seemed frozen, like this. As if time had just stopped, for a single instant, so that all the ponies down in the streets could enjoy each other’s company.

Celestia was glad for that, but it was not for her. She looked up at the night sky, wistfully. Her only company was the moon.

“I’ve missed you.” She spoke to the night air. The moon above stood silently, a sentinel in the sky. The shadow on its surface almost seemed alive this night. Celestia felt very close to insanity. Speaking to a celestial body. But it felt good, and she continued to do it.

“It has been a hard year, sister. The griffons nearly declared war on us, and there have been avalanches in the north. The nobles are trying to force deals out of me. I… I found that book. The one you told me about. It is strange, and I do not understand it all. But I’ve been trying to follow its example, like you did.”

She let out a deep puff of air, watching the cloud blow from her nostrils. It hung loosely in the air, before wafting away with the breeze. Celestia tried to remain composed.

“I still do not understand it all. Why you did what you did. But I think I’m starting to. And I want you to know that I forgive you. I should have seen what was happening, done something. The fault is mine.”

She looked down into the city, at the crowd packed into the streets below her.

“They do not cower anymore, sister. These ponies have come from far and wide, tonight. Your night is a time of celebration, of family and friendship. They are not afraid.”

She looked down at the balcony she stood on.

“These weren’t in the blueprints, you know. I asked for them, across from each other like this. So we could watch the stars together.”

The moon was an inert object, and made no response. But Celestia hoped that somewhere on it, her sister could hear her.

“I’m sorry, Luna. I failed you. You probably cannot even hear me. But if you can… I’m trying to do better. Our subjects love your night; I do as well. I promise, I shall keep it as beautiful as you always dreamt it would be. It will be ready for you… when you come home.”

She could hear shouting coming from the Square now. The ball had nearly dropped, and the onlookers were counting down the final seconds.

“20!”
“19!”
“18!”
“17!”
“16!”
“15!”

Celestia looked to the moon above, and smiled as tears trickled down her cheeks.

“It’s almost here.”

“10!”
“9!”

The princess quietly began to count down with the crowd.

“7!”
“6!”
“5!”
“4!”
“3!”
“2!”
“1!”

An eruption of flashing lights, scattering confetti and the cacophonous cheers of the vast multitude came all at once. From rooftops all around, fireworks streaked into the frigid night air, painting the backdrop with every color in fantastic patterns. Crimson dragons soared through the sky, and blue pegasi swooped down low in formation. Bubbles flared in and out of life, and butterflies fluttered listlessly.

But the grandest shape of all was the bulbous, pink heart that sprung to life above them all, so large in volume it could have held the entire Square in its form. Cheers and cries of awe came from below, ringing in the New Year.

And far from them all, Princess Celestia sat on her balcony, eyes caught between the moon and the gorgeous display. A bright smile sat gently on her face, and her wet eyes dropped a steady stream of tears to the stone below.

“Happy New Year, dear sister.”

Of Green Bottles and Grey Bubbles

Title:

I received another splendid gift from those splendid little fillies the other day.

It was unexpected, as usual... but then, just as usual, not as unexpected. One of those pleasant series of occurrences which have the courtesy to announce their general injection into your life, but fail to tell you a little secret: they'll always drop by unannounced, with the sublime instinct of knowing precisely when to do so, in order to ensure every happenstance is ever more felt, and equally remembered.

The little surprise was an early New Years gift, I suppose. Though now that I think on it, it was perhaps a late Hearth's Warming present. It's hard to tell with fillies, you know. Always doing things willy-nilly, on the most sudden of whims, and yet expressing the sincerest sense of purpose and devotion, as if they had been planning for weeks.

Perhaps they had in my case? It's hard to tell with fillies, you know.

My little gift was right there, gloriously out in the open, pinned to my front door. The painfully bright morning sun caught the edges of the paper in just the right way, making it seem as if it floated in front of me. I squinted at it, more from the sudden flare in my throbbing headache than from a need to discern what the lovely gift was.

Like all the others, a beautiful piece of artwork lay before me - a true showcase of brilliancy. Not gift wrapped of course - fillies, as you know.

And behold, I was the lucky star of the picture. In vivid detail I was carefully painted in front of a small, red shop, through whose window you could see many varying kinds of cider - the hard kind, of course. A lovingly executed six pack sat next to a large set of bottles, one of them a greenish hue. How disturbingly accurate, I thought, and I shifted my weighted, withered saddle bags hanging on my back.

Alas, the store was closed for the holidays, and yours truly stood flabbergasted, mouth agape, her world threatening to collapse around her without her source of strength in life. The artwork expressed a potent mixture of sarcasm and wit, and it conveyed a strong feeling of mockery. Anypony I imagine would have a great laugh at it, it's true, no doubt because they would think it's subject true.

But I, on the other hoof, felt a stab of pity for that pony in the picture - how couldn't you? The holidays had chosen to be cruel to her. Why couldn't she have her enjoyment like the rest? Everypony got drunk during the season; their choice of wine was simply different. Why did she have to look like the fool?

That's what made it such a powerful work of art, really. I could relate to it; I knew that pony's pained expression. As if painted by the author of my soul, it reached out and gripped my gut fiercely with powerful fore hooves.

The little, roughly scrawled note attached to it only added to the lovely present.

LOOKS LIKE LONELY BERRY PUNCH CAN'T BE SO "BERRY" DRUNK THIS HOLIDAY

Such a nice gift.

I ripped it down.

I stomped on it with a low, guttural neigh, my ears twitching at the sound of filly laughter coming from the nearby bushes. Turning, I saw the little artists flee in victory, their faces gleaming with wide, self-satisfied grins, their wicked eyes full of smugness.

I suppose you want me to describe them to you. Well, I won’t. It's how I return the favor, really. They spend their free time making a nice holiday present for me, and I'm careful I make no mention of who they are in my writing. It's in the sincerest hope of not preserving the memory of their identities. Record one tale of the dreaded Nightmare Moon and she becomes immortal - such is the power of written words. I refuse to grant that to those sweet little fillies.

Except for one.

A new member to the usual cast of tyrants, this one altogether stood out from her fellow co-conspirators. She was a light orange filly with a purplish mane, and no cutie mark. She stood oddly dejected, looking back over her shoulder at me, ears flat against her head, a deep frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. I remember her because, unlike all the others, she looked so... guilty.

I glared at her, and she wilted further, before blinking rapidly and running off.

Fillies.

Picking up the picture in my mouth, I pushed open my door. Perhaps it was my pulsing head, but the thing seemed to have an added screechiness to its creaking, as if it too was trying to add to the pleasantries of that morning. Though it isn't fair of me to say that. My door guards me, after all - or rather, the house - well, me all the same. It was always good to me. He was like a pony, I suppose; good on the inside, but still imperfect, with his own little ticks and subtleties. He had moods, too.

No... he was complaining about my patrons.

Sqeeeerrrrreeeeeaaaa-ee-ee-ee-eek-eek

Thanks for the support Mac (I call him Mac), I thought so too.

I walked into my home, closing ol' Mac behind me with another rusty, screeching profanity that made my head grind. Setting my old saddlebags on the square kitchen table, I walked over to the wall above the counter, next to the sink. It was a veritable shrine to the fillies, and I pinned up the latest entry, note included. Home sweet home.

My house, it might interest you, was unspeakably plain and not at all interesting, concerning the season.

It was, after all, three days till New Years Eve, and thrice since Hearth's Warming - smack dab in the middle of the most awkwardly blissful week of the entire year. Ponies were still stumbling pleasantly out of the swirl and stupor of one holiday while trying to grease the axels and stir the carriage off into another.

Why waste the time and effort in decorating my house? See, I was clever: I let others do it for me. Every evening, when the sun would set, and Ponyville flooded with a rush of luminous life, the inside of my home would become a beauteous mixture of red, green, and gold. Hang a few crystal shingles in the window and I could make those colors dance, almost as well as the times made ponies dance. All of Ponyville decorated my house every year. How could I, one pony, compete with that? No, I was happy with Ponyville's gift to me; and it was just for me.

Besides, decorating one's home was like trying to dress a full grown pony; you only did that for foals. My house was fine just the way he was. The kitchen blended un-seamlessly with the living room, in whose far corner a small staircase spiraled up to the second floor.

If I laid on the floor, by the trashcan next to the door, and looked at it, I could almost imagine it twisting onwards and upwards, forever; my own little staircase to the clouds, and then the stars beyond.

They say the Princess of the Night walks among the stars. Perhaps if I meet her someday I'll ask her to take me along.

I dumped out the contents of my bags onto the table, and the uneven thing wobbled a bit. Though my headache remained, I no longer felt woozy. I put the vegetables and fruit on my counter, and delicately set my green bottle in the center of the table.

My sink was dripping again - she had moods, too - and I could tell it was going to be stubborn today and not give me any peace. I considered (again) getting somepony to fix it. Like that farmer, Big Mac; I was sure he could fix it. His sister worked in the marketplace sometimes. I could ask her. When Big Mac visited, I could say hi. That would be nice.

I trotted into my living room and plomped on the sofa. It was one of those ones where you would sink real deep in it, the cushions nearly enveloping you. I liked it. I enjoyed the sensation; it felt like sinking into the hooves of a big stallion. I often slept there rather than my bed upstairs. In fact, I took a nap right then, though unintentionally.

I woke up eventually, headache gone, and ate a couple of the radishes I had bought earlier, sitting on a soft lump of hay at the table. I only ever ate there - it was the only spot in the house where my eating didn't echo. Nothing echoed there.

I munched away, observing my green bottle at the center of my wobbly table. Often I would wonder what it might be like to be inside of one. I wondered about living in a bottle - a green one - like one of those tiny ships that Feather Sails from down the street always built.

Ponies were simply fascinated by how she could fit such a thing into a bottle. They'd gape at her creations, and with eyes glowing and wide, beg her to tell them. Feather Sails would just smile demurely - a pretty smile, and a knowing one - she'd angle herself away, her eyes aimed back at her captivated audience, and with a barely discernable toss of her loose, curly locks, and a mischievous glint in her eye, she'd say:

"Oh, that's a secret for me to know, and you to pay to find out on your own."

But I never asked; I knew. I knew. Slipping something into a green bottle was a simple feat - not hard at all. Getting it back out again, well... I'd have to ask Feather Sails about that.

Later, after eating, I went out for a walk around town - no aim in particular. The air had a bite, and was in that state of stillness where you didn't feel its presence until you moved. The thing I always liked about the crisp winter air was how, unlike in summer, it didn't surround you, but made the world feel more spacious; as if you could stretch your hooves out into the far fields and beyond. It didn't envelope you. I always felt more free in the chilly winter air.

On my walk I saw our town librarian. I know her name, but I prefer to call her by that. It creates a nice effect. She's saved Equestria itself four times over; she's the personal student of the great Sun Princess herself; no unicorn matches her in magic; and she's the village librarian. See, that's the effect - amazing. And she's our librarian.

She was sitting outside of Sugercube Corner, with those five friends of hers. Those six were like the Three Musketeer Ponies... times two. Mischief was their motto. Ponyville didn't know the meaning of the word "trouble" until those six got together. It also didn't know the meaning of the words "hero" and "sacrifice." I'll let you in on a secret: ]everypony wanted to be them.

They were always galloping nose first into some wild adventure. Maybe someday I'll join them for one.

The librarian was in between her friends, a hurt look on her face. Her companions were talking to her with careful expressions and loving eyes, and there was a reassuring closeness about them all. They sat so near one another they were touching, and they hemmed the librarian in on both sides as she stared despairingly at an unfurled scroll lying on the ground, with a broken, yellow, wax seal. There were many gentle pats and nuzzles.

I walked on.

It wasn't long before the sun rolled down the side of the distant hills, and in a splash of red, dipped below the lip of Equestria. That was the time of day that the holiday season really came into its own, and Ponyville once more became a kaleidoscope of color and light, garlanded by a blanket of snow. Ponies here loved their Hearth's Warming decorations, and I witnessed a few still fussing over them with tenderness.

I said the season comes into its own at night in Ponyville, and I meant it. Ponies were coming out of their homes in droves, hoof in hoof, with little fillies and colts all bound up in plush, knitted scarves and small booties, riding on their parents' backs. Friends and loved ones greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries, and like a steadily growing tide they began flowing through town.

They were out to see the lights.

It was an unspoken tradition in Ponyville, really. Little fillies and colts begged their parents come sun down to go on a canter through town. A handful of young stallions would offer sleigh rides, and some businesses remained open to provide hot chocolate to the masses - and I mean masses. Mostly everypony in town would be out, and they moved like a great ocean wave. Ponies laughed and cheered, striking up choruses on the spot, not to mention the many carolers. Those who could play a tune did so, and dancing circles would form all over. The general level of chatter was like that of the market, but warmer despite the night air. Those who stayed inside kept their houses open to visitors, often calling out to the crowd when a new batch of cookies were done.

Ponies admired the lights, refracted a million ways from the tinsel and the garland and the snow; they admired each other, and they admired the night. I was once told that it would warm up five whole degrees from all the ponies talking and singing and laughing and dancing, their breath heating the air. They were wrong - it warmed up ten.

The whole village became as one, and though it was spread across town, a funny happenstance at one end would travel quick as lightening to the other, so that the entire town could end up in an uproar. Ever seen a village sing? I have.

I doubt even the city of Canterlot could top a night in Ponyville during the holidays. In fact, the Princess never visited during this time, until our librarian showed up. Since then, both Royal Sisters visit at night as many as seven to ten times in the season. Once, I overheard a snippet of chatter betwixt the royal pair.

"Sister, these ponies make me jealous of my own night."

A laughing of golden bells -

"Were it only that I didn't have to raise the sun - we could go on forever. Perhaps we could move the palace here."

"Aye, or Ponyville to the palace."

There was nothing like Ponyville holidays at night.

....

I went home.

It was an uneventful evening.

I woke up the next morning in my bed, which was surprising because I thought I had last laid down on the sofa. My head was throbbing again; I felt woozy, and my eyes yelled in pain at anything other than pure darkness. But I got out of bed. A few splashes of water from my bathroom helped a bit, but nothing dramatic.

Carefully I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. I had closed all my blinds the night before, so it was pleasantly dark. My green bottle was sitting in the center of my wobbly table, and I wearily picked it up in my teeth and tossed it into the recycle bin, with all the others. It was full, so I decided to drag it outside so it could be picked up. But opening the door to reveal the blinding light on the other side made me choose to wait a bit. So I sat instead at the table and munched on an apple, observing with careful inspection the marks of my teeth on every bite.

With my light sensitivity appreciatively diminished, I dragged the clinking cart of recycles outside my front door, though I still had to squint in the brilliant light. The Princess spared nothing in the winter season; she didn't have to be afraid we would appreciate her sun less just because we didn't see as much of it.

There was the sound of fluttering wings, and I turned to see the village mail mare dropping by. And I mean that literally. With a squeal - which didn't sound all too frightened to me - she careened headlong into my mailbox at the head of the walkway. It snapped in half, and the two sacks of mail, which the mare carried like a pair of saddlebags, erupted in a small explosion.

Derpy.

"Oooooooo hoo hoo hoooo..." Her gray furred head popped out of a pile of letters, and one was sticking out of her blonde mane. She was wearing a long golden scarf wrapped about her neck. I don't know why she bore lopsided grin as she rubbed the site of impact on her head, saying, "Not a bad landing Ditz, not bad at all. I should have it perfected by the time I get to Rose's."

She dug her hoof into the mountain of letters surrounding her, moving it around in search of something, as she looked up at the sky.

"Ooo, that's a pretty cloud. I'll have to tell that Rainbow Dash not to - aha!" She pulled out a single envelope, gave it a gentle pat, and went to place it in my mailbox. She stopped upon seeing the broken mast sticking out of the ground, and the smile slid from her face.

"Uh oh."

"Hi Derpy, need any help?"

"Ah!" Derpy jolted and dropped my letter, sinking into the pile up to her little nose.

"Derpy?" I called again, and began walking towards her. For the moment my pounding head was forgotten.

Derpy's eyes grew alarmed, and she aimlessly grabbed a few envelopes, calling out, "Oh, no thank you, Berry Punch!"

"You look like you need it - that was a nasty fall."

Her features scrunched in worry (an expression all of Ponyville knew as well as their own reflection), she quickly thrust her fore hooves into the pile, and shoved the whole thing over the ruins of my mailbox. As I came up to her, she was shifting through a few letters on the ground with her nose, and with a twitch of her wings she looked up at me with those bright eyes of hers, and a soft smile on her face.

It was a commonly held belief, and spoken of often by Cherilee, that Derpy could be an amazing actor, if only she could learn to hide those red hooves of hers.

"Good morning, Berry Punch!"

"That's quite a mess, Derpy."

The mare blew air through her nose, and she put on a wise smile. "Oh, you would think, but mail delivery is a strange business, trust me. I can't let you in on our secrets, of course, but I'll tell you that nothing's out of the ordinary here."

With careful attention, she began placing letters, one by one, back into the sacks, spending a second or two observing each one. She appeared completely raptured, as if the world or I didn't exist.

"Can I help you put these back?" I said with a smile, which felt like taking a stretch after three months of not doing so.

Derpy acted like she didn't hear me, and looked at another envelope - she had all the appearance of being very busy and caught up in her work. But thankfully she was able to spare a few seconds from her cramped schedule and look at me after a few seconds.

"Oh, that wont be necessary. Mail business, you know - very complicated. I'm afraid you might mix something up."

I looked at the pile.

"Really."

"Oh yes. Just leave me to my work, and I'll be out of here in no time. I'm sure you have a nice, hot breakfast waiting inside for you. Look at you, you're not even dressed properly. Go on inside before you catch a cold. Go on - shoo!" Derpy had all the tenderness of a loving mother as she pushed me towards my home.

"I'm fine, really, Derpy. I'd like to stay here and watch you work - mail business is so fascinating."

Derpy faltered, and I let small grin show.

"Um... okay." She sat down, and began putting letters back into the sacks, only going slower. I thought I could detect an added trembling to her movements.

"Hmm, if you don't mind, I'm just going to check my mailbox while I'm out here," I said, moving towards the pile.

"Not necessary!" Derpy replied quickly, thrusting a hoof into the pile and pulling out my letter from earlier in a flash. Surprised, I took it, and she returned to her work. Ever. So. Slowly.

My head was thundering with the hooves of a hundred stallions again, and my patience was up. With a loud "Oops!" I grabbed the pile and shoved it off my broken mailbox. Derpy yelled "No!" before being smothered in letters.

I stared down at the damage, and waited for the culprit to show herself - she didn't.

"Derpy."

No response from the pile. I rubbed my temples.

"Derpy," I said again.

"...Yes?" came the muffled reply; for all the world it sounded like a filly.

"I see a broken mailbox here."

"You do?" The pile rustled a bit.

"Yes, Derpy."

"Well, um, that's a shame."

"Derpy, I do not have time for this. My head hurts, the sun is too bright, and I'm all wobbly on my hooves."

Suddenly, the pile of letters slid down, revealing a shrunken Derpy underneath. She wouldn't look at me.

"I'm sorry, Berry. I... I broke your mailbox. Surprising, I know. That's the third one this week. I don't know what's happened to me."

"It's the season, I'm sure. Messes with a lot of ponies."

Derpy looked past me, and I suddenly became very aware of my bin of recycles sitting by my door. I moved in front of her. She still wouldn't look at me. Derpy could be try a pony's patience, but seeing her depressed made me think of my green bottle.

"I'm not angry at you, okay? Just... get somepony to fix it."

"You're really not upset with me?" she said, her eyes seeking reassurance.

"No. Now come on, clean this up so you can finish delivering the mail."

Derpy smiled and gave me a lopsided salute. "Yes sir ma'am sir!" As she shoved the envelopes into the sacks, she said, "Don't worry, Berry Punch, I'll have that mailbox fixed up and looking better than all the others in town. It'll be a nice New Years gift!"

"I could always use more of those."

"Good! It'll be just in time for you to celebrate!"

I shrugged. "I don't celebrate the holidays. Ever."

Derpy stopped, and looked past me again, then met my gaze. Somehow, it didn't feel like only one eye was staring at me.

"Oh, well, that's a shame," she said, her nose scrunching up.

"I don't think so. Too much hassle, really. I'm fine seeing everypony else have a wonderfully amazing time."

"Okay!" Derpy continued to shovel in the mail. It still felt like she was looking at me.

"I'm sure you'll have a great time, celebrating the New Year and everything," I said, helping her a bit. Derpy smiled, but the glimmer in her eyes didn't match it. "Any special plans with your fiancé?"

Derpy, you might like to know, was engaged to a doctor; he wasn't from Ponyville - I don't know where he was from. I fact, I don't think anypony other than Derpy herself knew. Their relationship, and subsequent engagement, was the talk of the town. Derpy, with a doctor? But I didn't question. I knew how unexpected relationships could happen. I knew.

"Oh, um, actually, he isn't in town," Derpy said.

"Really?"

"No," she said, continuing to busy herself with a small smile, "he was called away a few weeks back to help the Princess - isn't that great?"

"So, you were alone for Hearth's Warming?" I asked intently.

She gave me a sweet smile, and with eyes closed, said, "No one is ever alone, silly."

"What did you do then?"

"Stayed at home, of course."

"What about New Years - will he be back for that?"

"No," she said, drawing the word out slightly. I sat down in the snow. She had finished packing her mail back up, and carefully she buckled the bags to her back. "Time to go finish business. Lot's of letters from ponies' families - don't want them to miss those. I know how important they are. I'm sorry again about your mailbox," she said with a frown. Before I could reply she heaved herself into the air and took off. I watched her as she disappeared from sight, and remained sitting. Then taking my letter, walked back inside the house. Ol' Mac creaked loudly in the cold - it was lower and shorter than usual. I ignored him.

I set the letter on the edge of my wobbly table, and sat on the lump of hay. I looked at it; guess I wasn't one of the many to get a letter from family or a friend. Oh well.

I continued to sit, and wobbled the table some. My sink began dripping again. I grabbed a radish from the counter, but instead of eating it right away, I let it role around on the table a bit. I began tapping my hoof; it didn't echo - nothing echoed from that spot. I glanced at the center of the table: it was empty - no bottle. I grabbed the radish to take a bite, but didn't.

Instead, I left it there, and it rolled towards the center. Getting up, I threw on a purple scarf and some worn out booties, and went out for a walk. I ignored the bin of glass bottles.

Another layer of snow had fallen the night before, and it crunched loudly with every step. My headache and wooziness were surprisingly almost gone, and my pace quickened as I moved through the many streets. I decided to cut through the market as opposed to going around, and reached the town square more quickly that way.

I meandered around there for a bit, taking a look at the frozen fountains, and the many ice sculptures therein. There was always somepony at the spot, shaping great works of art, but not then. I often imagined myself as one of those sculptures. Ponies admired them; the things could express whatever their creators wanted, and ponies admired them. Strange that when a living pony expressed some of those same things, ponies reacted quite the opposite.

I heard a door open and close, and saw Derpy walking from the Post Office. She had an enjoyable smile on her face - I think she was one of those ponies who just generally enjoyed every day life. You didn't have to do something special to make her smile. She spotted me and waved.

"Hi Berry!"

"Fancy seeing you here," I said. "Where are you off to?"

"Oh," she began, roving her eyes about the town. "I was heading home to eat lunch. I had to rush to finish the mail on time after that, um, accident, heh heh - and now I'm hungry!"

"Yeah, I was thinking about going home and eating too."

Derpy looked at me and her eyes lit up.

"Would you like to grab lunch somewhere?"

I studied my fore hoof before saying, "Sure."

"Great!"

We went to a small cafe across the square called Sunny Side; Derpy apparently ate there often. It was a small place, capable of seating only about twenty ponies or so. Of course it was covered from doorstep to rafters in lights and garland and related fair, and a large fire billowed heat over us in waves. Derpy seemed very comfortable, removing her scarf and laying it beside her on the stack of hay. I kept mine on.

A young brown stallion with a slicked back mane suddenly popped up beside us. I jolted, but Derpy didn't flinch. His eyes were closed as he said with a pleasant smile, "Good evening, ladies. My sincerest thanks for choosing to honor us with your presence this fine wintery afternoon. I hope the season bears you well."

He opened his eyes, and upon seeing Derpy, smiled even brighter. "Miss Ditzy Do! A pleasure as always. How are you?"

"Oh I'm well, thank you!" she replied in her cheery tone.

"And what of the Doctor - he's doing just as well I hope? Off with the Princess saving the world, I'm sure - quite the honor."

Derpy blushed and answered, "Yes, he's good too, thank you for asking Whistler."

"I bet you're going to head straight home and write to him, so he can get a beautiful letter from his love, eh?" Derpy's blush grew crimson, and she simply nodded. Whistler lowered his head and drew nearer to her, and in a quieter tone, whipping his eyes back and forth, said slyly, "If I might make a suggestion, I think telling him about the simply amazing little lunch you had at the humble cafe of Sunny Side would cheer his day up wonderfully, so much so the Princess herself might even hear of it." Derpy just laughed.

"I see you brought a friend," he said, turning towards me, still grinning. I met his gaze, and he seemed to be expecting something of me.

"This is Berry Punch," Derpy chimed in without missing a beat. The stallion tilted his head and brought a fore hoof to his chin.

"Hmm, Berry Punch, eh? I'm sure I've heard of you before... oh well! Pleased to make your pretty acquaintance. Shall I take your orders?"

We both ordered simple daisy sandwiches, which was the usual for Derpy, and Whistler left.

"That crazy stallion," Derpy said, "sometimes I think he's only so nice to me because my eyes are all wonky. Sometimes I think that's why a lot of ponies are so nice to me."

"Why?"

Derpy gave a little shrug and smiled.

"The Doctor too?"

Her smile deepened, though she tried to hide it. "No," she answered quietly.

Author's Note: And I'm afraid that's it, dear reader. That's right - I wasn't able to finish before the deadline. Down vote me, if you wish, though there's nothing in the rules against submitting an unfinished fic. I'm really sorry I wasn't able to finish this - had quite the plan, I did. Ah well, I'll just finish it up on my own time now. Life happens. Still, I was determined to not let all that work go to waste.

So again, rate me how you will, though I'd like it if my score reflected the quality of my writing more so than my ability to finish. But then again, others churned out for times as much as this in the same amount of time.

Anyway, sorry again, and maybe you can tell me what your thoughts were, eh?

VOTING

Voting is already finished. Sorry about that!

Succubus

The moon seemed particularly bright that dusk. It's full luminescent glow cast the street in an eerie, blue tinge. Shadows seemed just a shade darker tonight. Tonight, tempers flared. Tonight, brewing storms were more malevolent. And tonight, Princess Celestia couldn't help but feel some sorrow.

It had been nearly a year since she had made the choice to banish her sister into the moon. The guilt still had not subsided. The torment at her failure—what had she done to cause things to go so wrong?—had never left her in all these days. She didn't know.

She sighed, watching the snakes of white breath meeting the cold wintry air. Even her lonely promenades, the times when she could have a moment alone after doing double-duty celestial-body raising, brang her less relief each night. She found herself flying farther from Canterlot each night.

The particular town she was in (Did it even have a name? She couldn't recall ever seeing any sign of it on any of the royal cartographer's maps.) was at least an hour's flight from her home. It was rather measly. It had only the one street, surrounded by a market place with some temple under construction farther along, near the center of the town. The ponies here must turn in rather early, for not a light was glowing when she arrived a few hours after the setting of the sun.

"M'Lady?"

Celestia nearly jumped out of her own skin.

"Who's that? One of my little ponies?" She turned about, coming breast-to-snout with a small, aged mare. The mare shivered and took a step back.

"Ragamuffin come tell you of them lunes, she does. They don't like m'Lady," said she, distraught.

Celestia frowned, wearily glancing around. Highly unorthodox though it was, she decided to hear this poor denizen out.

"Ragamuffin, was it? What do you mean by this? Who are these 'lunes'?"

The mare took a breath. Her lip quivered, and she pawed at the cobblestone walk, glancing down at the Princess's hooves.

"They is Her supporters, m'Lady. They want to kill m'Lady and bring back the Nightmares." Her eyes widened, as if to say You must believe me.

Celestia thought herself a capable royal and knew the Elements and runes which sealed away her sister were not easily undone. No, it would take a power far superior to her own, though not even the matriarch of her school was able to surpass her. Justifiably, then, Celestia did not imagine she could be in much danger.

"My Little Pony, I assure you, there is no need for alarm. No harm will come to me." She placed a hoof on the little creature's shoulder. "Get some rest and don't worry about the affairs of a Princess."

These words did little to lessen Ragamuffin's fears. Nevertheless, she hung her head and turned away.

The sun rose at her behest again the next morning. She gave a slight smile as her shining light slid up the horizon, burning away the last dregs of early morn. And with her work completed, she turned around to return to her room. In front of her stood a captain of the guard.

"Princess, there is something you must attend to in the dungeons," he said curtly.

Though surprised, she nodded and followed the pegasus down the area of the castle which she preferred to leave forgotten or—at the very least—at the farthest boundaries of her memory. The stone walls became darker and plainer the farther they descended, until even the bright torches which now lined the corridors and flights of stairs only illuminated the form of her guard and the unsure steps of her hooves.

Before she could begin contemplating what it was that needed her attention, the guard stopped. They were in the dungeon now, in front of a cell. Inside sat a beige earth pony. His white hair was unkempt, and the traces of age were already apparent around his dull, dish-water eyes.

"This old boy was found creeping around Palace grounds. A troop detained him, but he insists on seeing Your Majesty. He says you know him." The guard turned to the incarcerated pony. "Hey, you! Princess Celestia will now hear your case. Speak quickly, and don't try any funny business."

Upon hearing the name of the princess, the creature stirred, a small spark of recognition burning beneath his eyes. He turned to Celestia, something akin to a smile forming on his lips. He approached, but was barred from coming further by an iron door.

"I would like to know, Citizen, why you were snooping around my castle." Quiet rage befitting a sun goddess alighted her eyes.

A sad expression befitting a dog struck by a stone dawned on the other.

"Do… do you not remember me?" He placed a hoof on the bars. "I—" He looked up at her, pleading. "I'm Thimbleweed."

Taken aback, the princess studied Thimbleweed. There was something faintly familiar about his features. His name… his name… his name uprooted some long-lost memory. Her eyes widened.

"I— You—" She looked over at the guard. "Prepare an interrogation room. I would like to speak to this pony privately. And assemble a squadron. There is a pony I would like brought in for questioning."

"We order, on the land claim of McMuffins vs. the town of Fillydelphia, that the value of all the chicken coups destroyed on Miss McMuffins's land be repaid in full, and that a parcel of land two-fifths the value of her residence be bought and bequeathed to her by the Regent of the district where her land lies." Two large stallions rung a gong. Verdict: final.

A gray pegasus with blond hair and a raining cloud Cutie Mark smiled eagerly, barely containing a cheer. Beside her, though fidgety and fraught with a nervous tick of the hooves, a youthful beige stallion mirrored her excited emotions.

"You are dismissed," finished Princess Luna. The court began to loiter out. One, however, stayed behind.

"Your Majesties," the beige pony began. He smiled slightly, barely managing to get out what he was trying to say. "I hope you don't take offense to my intrusion, but I would, well… I would like to…"

"You would like what? There are no inhibitions among Us, Young One. The Day sees all your hopes and the Night sees all your dreams."

At Luna's words, the stallion twitched uncomfortably, averting his eyes and placing his tail between his legs.

"My name is… is Thimbleweed the Wistful."

The pony paused.

Celestia glanced over at Luna. While her sister's statement regarding "hopes" and "dreams" might have been true, Celestia could only experience an ambiguous kind of ecstatic enthusiasm. Her sister, on the other hand, had taken to a far more complex form of magic. Seeking to extend her rule over the night, she had found a way to enter into unsuspecting ponies' dreams. It was a frightful prospect, even to the Celestial Princess.

"I represented the fair mare McMuffins, as you saw, but that is not what I come before you today to say."

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "And what is it that you come before Us today to say?" She felt something tap her side.

"Oh, do be patient, Dear. The lad might have something of import to say." Luna motioned for the stallion Thimbleweed to continue.

"I wish neither of you to take any offense, but it has become clear to me that forestalling this moment will lead to no more than my own destruction." Celestia frowned at this choice of words. "Therefore, with your permission, I would like to ask if there is an eventide in which Your Majesty, the Princess Luna, would have me."

Celestia took a moment to comprehend what the stallion was saying. Before she could say something, however, Luna responded.

"Well, I see." She smiled in an alarmingly copacetic manner. "Well, I suppose I could talk to you this evening." The stallion smiled, and Celestia felt the bubbly froth of his hope churning around her stomach. Unsure of her sisters intent, she allowed Thimbleweed to trot off, content with his date.

"What, pray tell, do you think you're doing?" inquired she. "What use have you for the heart of a lawyer, of all things?"

"Oh, Sister, he's really quite the creative type. Resourceful, too. Poor lad's a lonely soul, though." Her gaze settled on nothing in particular, in the way that you'd think that that nothing was the most important nothing she'd ever seen.

Celestia just looked at her sister, unsure of what to say.

"I tell them things, sometimes. It's quite amazing, really, what one can do when another clears away those pesky reservations.

"Besides, he thinks my bum is cute."

Celestia was unsure what to say to this.

"You can't—" She shook her head. "This is highly improper, Sister!" Celestia put a hoof to Luna's shoulder. "Please, tell me what you told that pony."

Luna looked down and took a breath.

"Nothing, nothing really. I just…" To Celestia's surprise, the Princess of the Night flushed deeply, almost turning a shade of pinkish violet.

No mare should be gallivanting around the sanctity of our deepest fantasies, thought Celestia.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

The pony remained silent.

"Answer me or the next brand will be on your tongue!" she snarled, slamming a foreleg on the table.

The earth gulped. "Don't you understand, Ma'am? What would you do if She never left your dreams? They said… they said that…" He looked away.

"What would you do if you were a frail, old creature like myself and, every night, the nightmares came? And, each night, they hurt you? And, before you wake, they whispered terrible things to you?"

He was sobbing now.

"Enough. I've heard enough. Take him away. There is no more to be learned from this pony." The Inquisitor motioned for the guards to either side of her to restrain Thimbleweed and drag him back to his cell.

"She'll return! Don't you hear me? She'll return! I see it in my dreams! She's coming back! You're all going to die! Darkness will fall again! Don't— you— see—?"

His ravings became fainter and fainter until she could hear him no longer.

Nothing of any pertinence had been forthcoming.

"Tell Her Majesty that the guy's a lune," she whispered, long after the guards had gone.

Celestia looked down at the ragged cloak, weary of its ancient and powerful magic. She lifted it.

Her guards had been unable to find the mysterious mare. Celestia's decidedly lacking description certainly didn't help matters. Now, if she was to find anything, this was the way to do it. The only way.

She dawned the cloak, and beheld something, the gentle dozing of a thousand dreamers, the nightly air clawing all around her, an assault of every experience upon her senses. Unsure of whether to be astonished or afraid, she took a step forward.

The dream world pulsed and vibrated, shimmering and shattering and forming back once again. Through the chaos, she sought one pony. She attempted to see as Luna saw, the individual among the throng.

She indeed found what she was looking for, eventually. Thimbleweed, cowering there in the void, a speck on the expanse of imagination. She approached, faltering slightly as she drew closer. The environment became harsher, and the scene more nightmarish. She could feel Her presence here, still lingering.

"My Little Pony," she called. He was far more sickly-looking here than in person. "What ails you? How may I help?" A wave of emotion emanated from the hunched form.

Anger. Pure, untempered malice.

"What can you do?!" He bolted to his feet. "You can start by dying and plummeting straight to Tartarus! Or killing me before you do!" The earth pony dashed to her, flinging punches and bucks. She stared at him, surprised more than anything at the pony's failing attempts to do her harm. "Do you know—?" He stopped.

"DO YOU FUCKING CARE?!" His cheeks were awash with tears. She saw a glint between his teeth. A knife—

Where had that come fr—?

He tackled her, embedding the knife in her neck. The world flashed black.

She opened her eyes. Ugh…

She could feel a pain where the blade had been, but there was no wound she could see. Dark and powerful magic indeed. She knew now what she must do.

"It was just a dream! A fantasy! I am not at fault…" All the eyes of Canterlot and the Closerlands were trained on the scaffold holding Thimbleweed the Wistful. "Please… I beg of thee." A large brown stallion wearing a black mask ascended the scaffold.

"For attempted murder and conspiracy to commit the murder of a princess," began she. The masked stallion placed a rope around his neck.

The pony quieted down a bit. Still, he glared at the Ward of Day. "Know that I do not fear death, My Liege. I embrace this fate. But I will not have my name sullied in the annals of your history. Even if I die today, some morrow anew my name will be cleared!"

"Thimbleweed the Wistful has been sentence to summary execution."

Convinced that the pony was given sufficient time to contemplate his own demise, the masked pony shoved him unceremoniously off the edge of the scaffold.

"Luna—"

Even Celestia flinched with a kind of sickened anguish as she heard this last word, this last breath, shattered by the snap of the rope.

At the edge of the crowd stood a small, aged mare, smiling devilishly.

There's Always Someone

Spike wandered amongst the streets of Ponyville. The pegasi really had made quite a snowstorm today.

Ponies of every sort rushed into their homes, slamming the doors shut against the bitter cold and likely getting to a fireplace as quickly as possible. So many families getting together today, so many homes likely full of laughter and warmth.

Spike kept walking, his internal fires keeping the chill from being anything but a minor annoyance. He probably should start heading back to the library. Dusk was going to need someone to help keeping an eye on the kids, at least until Write Off came home from work.

That pony had far too much to do at the Canterlot Bank these days, but it was just the way things were. Dusk had wanted to keep Golden Oaks running, so Write Off had agreed to make the commute so it could remain their home. It wasn’t too hard, so long as the train was working, but it meant he often worked late at night.

Every day was the same routine: Spike would keep the twins entertained for the better portion of the day as Dusk worked about the house, and the twins always insisted on staying up until their father returned home. The instant the poor stallion was through the door, he would find himself taken down by a very excited pair until Dusk was able to pull them away. Write Off would spend a few minutes with the children as he overrode their yawned protests and put them firmly into bed, and then give Dusk a peck before the two would go off to bed. The next day, the never-ending process would repeat itself.

Though Write Off rarely had much time with the twins or Dusk, whenever he had a day off, he shoved every minute he could into it. The holidays were one of those rare occasions when he could come home early, and thankfully today was such a day. Instead of close to ten at night, Write Off would be home around quarter past two today. The twins were literally bouncing off the walls.

Spike smiled a little. It was great that those two had such a great relationship with their father. Write Off had earned his place as Dusk’s husband and as a father. Morning Star had every reason to be proud.

However, that thought sent Spike’s mind wandering, amongst halls he had desired to never visit again, and his pace slowed as the memories leapt unbidden to his mind. Morning Star, Dusk’s father. Eventide, Morning Star’s mother.

He had to stop, or he was going to go someplace he had never wanted to go again. But it was too late, the name leapt unbidden to the front.

Twilight.

Spike couldn’t outrun himself, though that did not stop him from trying.

Grown dragons spent a hundred years awake, and then slept a hundred years in deep hibernation. It was the main reason for their longevity. The hundred years asleep was their time for rejuvenation, a healing of the body from the strains of the physical activity a lifetime could put you through.

It was also a period of mental growth. In a dream state, a dragon had time to contemplate, and find the wisdom throughout his past lives, the number of which depended on their current age. A dragon over a thousand years old would find remembering anything from the beginning of his life difficult when he was awake, due to the sheer number of memories and other such tasks an active mind would require when he needed every function of his brain to keep him moving and alive. However, in the dream state, he could compare and contrast his past lives with his current one at his own leisure, a hundred physical years to learn from his experiences.

However, what Spike had not known, because Twilight had never told him, was that young dragons had a slightly different cycle. Because they were younger, and needed their rest even more than a more mature dragon, they also had to take a hundred year’s rest. But they started it after only fifty years. To learn how to best utilize their time in the dream state, young dragons had to get as much practice as possible while they were still young enough by their species standards to bear being cared for by their elders.

Spike slipped on a slick patch of ice and went to the ground, rolling to a stop. The fall hadn’t hurt, his scales were too thick for that. Yet still he curled into a miserable ball, sobbing uncontrollably as steam clouded the air from the hot tears hissing in the fresh fallen snow.

He hadn’t even been able to say goodbye, or see them all one last time. He’d said goodnight to Twilight and her children one evening, and then gone to the home he’d found for himself. He hadn’t wanted to intrude, and she had the right to her own home when she’d finally found that somepony to settle down with.

Though they had told him he was free to stay, he’d known that it was time to find a place of his own. So he’d made a little cave, dug in the side of a hill near the Ponyville Lake. When he woke up what felt like the next day, he hadn’t known just how much his life had changed, until he went to visit Twilight again.

It was a terrible start to his day. First, everypony had panicked when they saw him, for none of them had ever seen a dragon strolling into Ponyville before. To them, it was just old mares’ stories. Guards had been called, threats issued, and a cry sent to Canterlot for someone to deal with the young dragon invading their peaceful town.

When Spike had tried to explain himself, nopony had wanted to listen. After all, nopony knew him and he knew nopony else. Only a young filly by the name of Dusk had dared approach him, despite the screamed warnings of her neighbors.

“Are you a nice dragon?” she’d asked, her innocent eyes wide with both awe and curiosity. A bit of fear had danced in them as well, though she restrained from screaming her head off like everypony else was.

Hoping against hope, and praying that someone here could explain how the whole world had gone mad in a single night, he’d held out a claw. “I’m Spike,” he’d said. “Who are you?”

Dusk had looked to his outstretched hand. Then put her hoof in it, looking up and smiling at him.

“My name’s Dusk,” she’d answered. Then she’d taken him home to introduce him to her mother Gem Stone and her father, Morning Star.

At first, they’d reacted as any sane parent might if their daughter brought home a dragon. However, after some quick explanation, Spike was allowed to stay in near the house until Celestia should arrive and verify his truthfulness. Only after the alicorn had been summoned, had everyone learned of his honesty.

And that Spike learned of his terrible, terrible curse.

The very thought nearly made him heave. Young dragons didn’t have only one shortened cycle. They had four: two-hundred years awake, four-hundred asleep.

How many years did he have left before this vicious cycle began again? He’d already spent a couple dozen watching Dusk grow up, find love, and have her own family. He’d been there when Morning Star had finally met his time, and when Dusk’s mother had followed not long after.

So, at best, another couple dozen and spare change, and then it’d start all over again. He’d go to bed, and awaken to find everything he’d started caring for gone once more. He’d never get to be there for Dusk in her final years, or for her children, or her children’s children.

A hundred years. Over a hundred years since he’d seen his first friends, among them his own adopted mother. It felt shorter sometimes, like only yesterday he’d been talking with them: joking with Pinkie Pie, working with Applejack and hanging around with Rainbow Dash; trying to find someway to tell Rarity he’d loved her with a passion greater than a thousand suns, or just helping Fluttershy with the critters; and, of course, being with Twilight, working as her helper and acting as her friend.

Spike curled up all the tighter, clinging to his scarf. It wasn’t fair. Why hadn’t anyone told him about this? Why hadn’t Twilight warned him? Told him that he’d never even be there to hold her hoof when that day came? Why he couldn’t have been there for them when they’d needed him most?

A bubbly giggle echoed over his weeping, and Spike sat up in shock. The storm had only grown worse, and it was already getting dark out. He could barely make out the orange blur standing a few feet away.

“Who’s there?!” he shouted, trying to wipe his face with a scaly arm. But it only got wet slushy snow in his face, and he sputtered as the orange blur laughed all the louder. Spike shook of a hand and wiped at his face with his slightly less soggy scarf. “Stop it!” he snapped.

The orange blur just giggled, and Spike heard a lilting female voice dance through the screaming winds.

“Hey!” she chimed. “Can you play with me?” Then it dashed off, into the howling storm.

Spike stumbled to his feet. “Hold on!” he yelled after it. “You don’t want to be outside right now! It’s too dangerous! Come back here!”

“Then you better catch me, silly!” came the sing-song reply.

With a growl, Spike tore off after the orange blur. Holy cats, did it move fast. Like a snake, the blur slithered easily over the thick snow, while he just plowed through it like a tiny tank. Stupid filly, her parents would likely be worried sick, and playing a game of tag in the snow was going to get her frozen into a dunce-icle.

But she just kept giggling madly, laughing all the louder every time he let out a puff of emerald flame and roared, “Get back here!”

She just kept running, and he kept chasing. Soon, they were no longer in Ponyville. Then, they were no longer even near Ponyville. Spike followed in close pursuit. Over the hours of chasing, and with a bit of practice, he’d found he could move faster if he swam through the snow, instead of bulling through it. He laid on his stomach, whipping his tail back and forth to propel him like a scaly ship up the ancient, long forgotten paths along its side.

The little twerp led him all the way to a familiar lone mountain, jutting like a silent sentinel of times immemorial. She streaked towards the top. The orange blur shrieked in delight as he kept following her, and moved even faster, recklessly so, up the treacherous paths.

Up the mountain, higher and higher they went, over small gorges and around recent rockslides, climbing higher and higher and higher. Before he even knew it, the orange blur was dashing towards a deep cave. If she made it in there, there was no way he could find her again. It’d be too dark, and she probably knew this place even better than he did if it was someplace she knew well enough to make her way up a mountain in the middle of a blizzard at night.

He gave an especially powerful stroke and launched himself through the air, tackling the orange blur and sending them both sailing into the cave. She screamed loudly, and Spike clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Okay, fun’s o–”

A snarl shook the whole cave, and his blood froze. Spike slowly lifted his head, bringing him snout to teeth with a very angry looking dragon, whose golden eyes shone like a pair of gigantic spotlights.

She was certainly an interesting breed. Her head was the triangular wedge one would normally associate with a viper, two fangs the size of a good footstool each jutting down from her lips. A greenish-hued fluid ran down them in deadly rivulets as she exposed the rows of sharp, serrated teeth they were nestled in.

To either side of her head were a great pair of large frills, splayed wide to make her face even more imposing than it already was. Her deep crimson body was long and snake-like, with a large frill which ran along her spine like a sail right to the tip of her thin, whiplike tail.

She wasn’t all that large by dragon standards, maybe the size of a small apartment or two, and her serpentine body wasn’t much thicker than a couple ponies standing side by side. Three pairs of batwings, the “thumbs” all bearing a hooked claw, served as her legs. They jutted awkwardly all over the place, bending at strange angles as she loomed over him, and Spike found himself wondering how exactly such a creature could move, much less stand on the frail looking appendages.

“You have ten seconds to let go of my daughter,” she snarled.

Spike looked down, finding himself on top of a much smaller version of the titanic beast threatening him.

The only real difference she had to her mother was her coloring. She was a deep shade of ruddy orange, with a peachy underbelly covered in black dots. Black streaks adorned her spine and sides, and a pair of bright yellow eyes shone happily as she squirmed beneath him, still trying to get loose and run again.

He swiftly leapt off, landing unceremoniously on his backside a couple feet away, and the little dragon looked up at her mother almost disappointedly.

“Aww, momma… ”

Her mother glared down at her. “Get behind me, Lily.”

“We were just–”

“Now!”

In a flash, the little dragonling was up and hiding behind her mother’s rearmost set of wings. The mother glared at Spike once more.

“Leave her alone, walker,” she growled, though her voice was surprisingly high-pitched, almost a musical sound really, for such a large creature. “Or I will end you.”

Spike held up his claws. “I-I just thought s-she might be someone from town. It isn’t s-safe to be wandering around at night. E-especially tonight.”

The dragon’s snout was in his face again, her hot breath bearing a scent that was almost sickeningly sweet, like rotten fruit. “Get out.”

Spike slowly got to his feet, and started backing out of the caves while doing his best to keep his hands up and maintain eye contact.

Lily glared up at her mother. “No, momma! Don’t chase this one away too!”

Looking down at her daughter again, the dragon frowned. “Don’t start with me. I’ve been worried sick, and now you’ve shown someone our hiding place. Now we’ll have to leave.” She sighed, smoke pouring from her nostrils. “Again.”

“I don’t wanna go!” insisted Lily.

Her mother roared, the whole cave trembling beneath the mighty din. “We have to! I’m not having this argument again!”

In a flash, Lily darted out from behind her mother’s legs and tackled Spike. “No! I’m staying here with my new boyfriend!”

“What?!” shouted both the mother and Spike at the same time.

“You heard me!”

Spike desperately tried to pry her off, especially when he noticed the murderous gleam in the mother’s eyes, but Lily was rather clingy to say the least. It was worse than trying to peel glue off carpet. There should be no way she should be this strong with such delicate looking wings.

When he finally had to give up, any rougher and he’d have to risk hurting the little nutcase, Spike just threw up his hands. “I didn’t do anything! I swear!” he insisted.

The mother stalked towards them, body slung low and the tip of her tail twitching. “Let go of the walker right now, Lily; I’m not going to ask again.”

Lily just tightened her grip, and Spike felt some of the wind leave his lungs. “No! You always do this! I never have anyone to play with because you keep chasing them away!” Spike almost thought one of his ribs was going to snap. “But this one’s mine! I even picked a dragon this time, so leave us alone!”

“Lily… ” started the mother, the murderous gleam growing ever brighter as she glared at Spike.

“I didn’t ask for this!” Spike snapped, giving a light shove against the tiny dragon glued to his stomach to prove it. “I don’t want to be her boyfriend! But, unless you want me to start breaking things, you’re the one that’s gonna have to make her let go!”

Only when he looked down, did Spike find the depth of his mistake. Lily was looking up at him, tears welling in her yellow eyes.

“Y-you don’t wanna be my boyfriend?” she asked, lower lip quivering. He didn’t say anything, but she must have seen the struggle in his eyes because Spike found himself on his behind for the second time in as many minutes as she shoved him down and screamed, “Fine, then I hope I never see you again, you meanie!”

Lily ran for the deeper part of the cave at a weird hobbling gait, bawling at the top of her lungs and leaving trails of tears in her wake.

Spike stood up, brushed off his scales with a grumble, and then stormed towards the mouth of the cave. A titanic claw rested on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

“Hold on,” came a quiet command.

Spike screamed in frustration and wheeled on the large dragon. “For the love of Celestia, make up your mind!” He slapped the claw away. “I got her off of me, didn’t I? And now she wouldn’t come near me again even if I was made of tourmaline! So you’re freaking welcome! I’m getting off this crazy train!”

When he turned to leave, a tail wrapped about his waist and lifted him from the ground. He glared at her, legs still pumping.

“I’ll bring you home,” the large dragon sighed.

Spike kept glaring at her. “Am I even being given a choice?”

“Yes.” He lifted a scaly ridge curiously, and for the first time, the dragon smiled a little. “It’s rather dark out tonight, and I don’t think you want to get lost in a blizzard.”

“I–”

The dragon’s tail set him on her spine. “My kind lives for the cold, walker. The ice is our father, the wind our mother, and it is a rare breed that can outrace a Serpent of the North.”

Spike didn’t really know what to say. Maybe she was being truthful, or maybe she just wanted to get him away from where Lily could see what she really had in mind for him. He’d just made her daughter cry, after all.

Still, it didn’t seem like he really had a lot of options. This dragon could just as likely past him here as anywhere, if she really wanted to. Besides, she was right to some extent. It was pitch-black outside, and while he was tougher than most ponies, he was still capable of being frozen solid if he got lost. Or fell off the mountain and sprained an ankle, keeping him from finding shelter in any timely manner.

“Okay,” he sighed, settling on her back and grasping one of the spines that jutted from her now flat-lying frill. “Let’s go.”

She took off, shooting into the darkness like a bolt of lightning. The dragon practically skated over the snow on her belly, slithering serpent-like down the mountain in a manner Spike knew he’d never be able to truly duplicate with such sinuous grace.

“Listen,” started Spike. “I–”

“There is no need to apologize, walker,” said the dragon, not looking at him. “What was done had to be done. But thank you for not hurting her in any other manner. I would have likely ripped your eyes out through your leg stumps.”

Spike gulped. “N-no problem, um… ”

“My name is Amaryllis.”

“Amaryllis.” He looked about the darkness. Only Amaryllis’ eyes provided any light to the black murk. “Um, where are you taking me?”

“To Ponyville.”

He lifted an eye ridge again. “How’d you kn–”

Amaryllis hissed in distaste. “Because you are a walker. Dragon’s hatched of pony magic develop no wings, because they adopt a few characteristics of their surrogate mothers. Plus, I could smell the stench of them upon you from miles away.”

“Hey!”

A shiver ran through her spine, threatening to send Spike sailing off. “How can you stand yourself? Subservience should beneath an old-kin. You’re an abomination of nature, destined only for pain.” Another shiver. “Destroying you would be a kindness, both to yourself and to our race.”

Spike opened his mouth to protest again, but could force no protest through his lips. He tried again, but no luck. He heard Amaryllis sigh.

“You’ve gone through first cycle, haven’t you?”

A wave of pain rushed through him. “Yes,” he croaked, tears threatening to fall once more.

“Is it worth it?”

Spike looked up, arching an eyebrow ridge. “What do you mean?”

“Is being with any of the lesser beings worth knowing that you shall outlive almost every single one of them? Is this a cycle you could bear to repeat, time and again, until even your own life should eventually ebb away?”

Silence.

“I-I don’t know… ”

“So why do you stay? Why have you chosen to remain amongst them, instead of finding solace amongst your own kind?”

Spike snorted bitterly. “Because I’m a freak. I don’t have a place among ‘our’ kind. I don’t have a place with any kind.”

“Would you like me to grant you mercy, then?”

Spike sat bolt upright, and tried to leap off so he could run, but Amaryllis’ tail coiled about his body, and he couldn’t budge a muscle. Her fangs were drooling again, whatever that fluid was hissing angrily as it touched fresh snow.

Her head swiveled in place and no emotion flavored her voice as she spoke. “I can give you peace, child. I can make it all stop.”

“W-why are y-you doing th-this,” gasped Spike, her coils crushing him even as her fangs drew ever closer.

Amaryllis cocked her head. “Because, child, you need it.”

Spike felt the tears coming again. “You’ll just take what you want anyways.”

His face smashed into the ground. The world spun as she brought him an inch from her fangs.

“Don’t try my patience, walker. I am merciful only because of Lily: it would likely upset her if she learned that you are hurting and I could have helped. But your delirium is contagious, and my daughter shall not find herself in your fate, trapped in endless heartbreaks. She is dragon, an old-kin, and is above the petty needs of lesser beings.”

“So why are you still with her then? Why not let her join one of the flocks and grow up by herself?” snarled Spike.

Amaryllis frowned. “Because she is my daughter.”

Spike spat, even as the edges of his vision went black. “That doesn’t sound very dragon-like.”

In a rush of air, he could breathe again. Amaryllis tossed him to the side like a used napkin, and slithered a few feet away. Spike stood, massaging his ribs as he walked after her, groping blindly until he felt her scaly side beneath his claws.

“Who was the pony?” he asked.

She glared at him. “I am not–”

“You weren’t hatched by ponies, but you knew one, didn’t you?”

Amaryllis looked away. However, her wings sagged low, and he heard a new hiss, though this was of the tears now falling to the ground. “I hatched, joined a flock, and fought and struggled like any other youngling. However, my breed are not known for their fighting prowess, so I was defeated by my superior opponent. As is tradition, I was left to fend for myself afterwards. My first cycle had already passed, and so the flock had no reason to protect me anymore.”

She set Spike on her back again, and continued to slither towards Ponyville, as if to outrun her memories.

“A stranger found me, alone and wounded in the wilderness one day. Though merely a unicorn, still he cared for me, bringing me to his own home despite my raging. It was my first experience with–” She almost had to spit the word out. “Kindness.”

Spike nearly asked a question, but Amaryllis was already speaking again.

“Though I naturally fought to free myself at every opportunity, he made sure I could go nowhere until I had healed. Only after I was strong once more did he take me back and let me go. My first instinct was to attack the creature that had dared try to tame me.” She chuckled bleakly. “Which I did. And yet, he did not fight back. No matter how I hurt him, no matter how a bit and clawed, he would not strike at me. It… it did something. I couldn’t end him, and I felt only shame when I left, him standing there covered in injuries I had inflicted.” She hunched up, as if the cold had somehow gotten to her. “Now I’m tainted. And Lily has been tainted as well, by merely being my daughter. But I cannot claim even your excuse of being forced into this perversion of nature.”

In a swift turn about, her tail lashed about Spike’s waste and smashed him roughly on her spine. Then it struck loudly against the snowy ground, shattering some of the dirt, and she lithered as fast as she could, as if to outrun the memories. “Why did that fool do this to me?!” she screamed. “How can he have dirtied one of the old-kin in this manner?!” Her keen split the sky. “And I cannot even tell this to him anymore! But why does it hurt?! Why do I care?!”

The lights of nearby Ponyville glowed softly, and Amaryllis hurried towards them. Soon, she was slithering amongst the buildings, a red ghost in the middle of the storm, even as her tears still hissed upon the ground.

“Why?” she sobbed in mantra, every utterance marking a push of her body herself through the empty streets.

Thankfully, because of the lateness of the hour and viciousness of the storm, they made it to the library without incident. Lights burned brightly, even though the ponies within should have long been in bed. Spike felt an odd sense of warmth as he looked at the old treehouse. Amaryllis turned her head.

“Get off, walker,” she snarled, the coldness slicing through the joy.

Spike slid from her back, and Amaryllis lifted her head, trying to keep her face turned so she could try and hide her reddened eyes. As she turned to leave, Spike set a hand upon her side. She hissed at him, exposing her teeth, but he just smiled sadly.

“Can you tell me something?” he asked, patting her side absently as he looked towards the library. The twins were likely asleep by now, but maybe Dusk and Write Off were still up. “Do you love Lily?”

“Yes,” said Amaryllis, a scaly ridge lifting a bit and a scowl creasing her lips. “I do, with all my heart. And I would ask you to never question that again if you don’t want to know the color of your innards.”

Spike smiled, scraping a foot against the ground. “You asked me if living with ponies is worth the pain. And I have an answer. Yes.” She made to speak, but he chuckled. “For the same reason you should think it’s worth it too. Because, what they offer is something the old-kin have always been missing: loyalty, generosity, kindness, honesty, and laughter.” He chuckled again. “They give us friendship, which closes a hole we have always tried to fill with useless trinkets.”

Amaryllis frowned, looking away, and Spike patted her side once more before heading towards the library.

“Even though they don’t live as long as we do, what they give us lasts longer than any hoard. Old friends give rise to new friends, creating joy where there once was pain.” He reached for the knob, twisting gently. “It isn’t a taint, Amaryllis; it’s a gift. And one you shouldn’t be afraid to let both yourself and Lily enjoy. For, no matter how many friends we lose as the years pass... ”

With a creak, Spike opened the door, smiling at the sound of the excitable twins piling down the stairs to greet him. He turned to Amaryllis, still at the edge of the candlelight, as Dusk, Write Off, and the twins rushed to hold him. “There’s always someone there for you, if only you look in the right places.”

Heart of Darkness

Sombra licked his lips. His final destination lay on the other side of the portal before him. He had with him naught but the armour which favoured him so over the years. There was no army needed, no soldiers to fight this war – only the magic he wielded, unmatched by another unicorn.

He walked through the portal.

It was all the stories had said, and more. The Crystal Empire shone with an intensity he thought unimaginable. Its inhabitants cheered and played about in childish glee, unperturbed by the qualms of reality. Entertainers and performers and sideshows spread all about the town. The festivities were in full swing.

Sombra wretched.

A crystal pony made a jolly approach. “Hello there! What brings you to the Crystal Empire today?”

“The fare.” A sinister grin punctuated his response.

“Feel free to join in! By the looks of that armour, I bet you’re looking for the jousting. It’s just over there, right by the Crystal Heart.”

Sombra’s eyes lit. “Crystal Heart.”

“Oh yes. The Crystal Heart is the heart of the Crystal Empire. The joys of all the crystal ponies at the fair give it the strength to bring happiness to all of Equestria.”

“Good.” Sombra locked on to the crystal heart, pacing slowly toward it.

The crystal pony rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, it’s nice to meet you too.”

He reached the Crystal Heart and looked up to it. Even in the setting of a field of crystals, it stood out like a diamond in clay. The splendour of the fare gave it enough strength to power an entire kingdom with goodwill for centuries.

And he would corrupt it – a true testament to his might.

Sombra’s horn glowed with a black as dark as the abyss. Tendrils of black crystals rose from the ground and formed a cage around him and the Crystal Heart. Thick thunderclouds engulfed the skies and plunged the Crystal Empire into a shadowy darkness. The crystal ponies screamed and scrambled about the fare grounds. A few astute unicorns organised themselves to penetrate the prism that contained their sacred heart. They surrounded it at all sided and lay the heads down, pointing their horns at the black crystals.

“On my mark!” one instructed. “One. Two. Three!”

The unicorns assaulted the prism with beams of crystal magic at all angles.

It had no effect. Sombra erupted into a hideous evil laughter.

The unicorns slowly tired from their efforts until they too joined the crowds of screaming and scrambling ponies.

“Fear. Good.” He tapped his horn to the surface of the Crystal Heart. He could feel its power waning, but it was still strong. He turned to the crystal ponies. They would first need to let darkness into their hearts.

He shot the librarian with a glare, and a vision befell her. She stood in the library as ponies rummaged through it, collecting all of the books into a flaming pile that lay in the centre. She screamed and screamed, but had no voice. The pillage continued until she collapsed and was brought back to reality.

Sombra then spotted a pair of lovers in the chaos. Into them both he injected a vision of the other. They stared with sullen eyes, heartbroken. “How could you?” they said. Each could see the sadness in their partners’ eyes, but could not console them, no matter how hard they tried. They moved their lips, but could not speak. They each slapped the other, and then each slammed the door on the other. When they escaped the nightmare, their crystal coats were as dull as their spirits.

Another pony caught his gaze, this time a jouster. He felt his legs wobble beneath him until finally collapsing. He could not get up. The world washed away and he awoke in a hospital bed. The doctor looked over him with low eyes. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing we can do...”

One by one, Sombra brought their fears to life, until all of the crystal ponies were left as mere shadows of their former selves.

He looked up to the Crystal Heart. It was ready. With a tap of his horn, the last bright light in the Crystal Empire was overcome with darkness.

Luna paced back and forth about the Canterlot throne room. She shot to attention as the double doors opened. Her head dropped when she saw it was her lieutenant returning empty handed.

“Where is she?” Luna asked.

“Dealing with insurgents in Los Peagsus, Your Highness.”

Luna flustered. “What? She does not think this cause for alarm? The Crystal Empire has been overrun! We can feel it.”

The lieutenant rubbed the back of his neck. “It would seem that it is not at the top of her priorities, Your Highness.”

Luna went to stomp her hoof, but resolved to maintain her composure. “Very well. We shall take to this matter ourselves. Hark the general. Move out when the stars command it.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The lieutenant saluted her, then exited the room.

Luna followed shortly after, fully intending to get a head start. The guard would take time to assemble – more time than she feared could be allowed.

She weathered the Arctic North alone, till finally reaching the portal to the Crystal Empire. In contrast with the icy blizzard that surrounded it, the portal was laden with black crystals, which suffocated it like a tumour. It appeared to flicker, as if its energy were to fail at any moment.

She looked up at the sky. The night is ripe, she thought. She gave the signal, then entered through to the other side.

It was much as she feared. Thunderous clouds enveloped the skies as far as the eye could see. The empire was barren, with no sign of life anywhere. Luna consoled herself in the thought that they were merely sleeping, but soon after the thought saddened her. Was there not one pony out to lavish in the night?

As she walked through the town, faint whispers scattered about the air.

“Leave this place.”

She gulped, but continued towards the castle.

“There is nothing left.”

Luna jumped. “Who is there? We demand thou show thyself!”

“Save yourself.”

Luna paused. Now was not a time to be brash. She closed her eyes to focus on the magical energies in her surroundings. There was little she could see; everything was clouded in a black darker than the night. Then a faint glimmer caught her attention. She opened her eyes and beelined in its direction. It was in a house. She pushed the door open, finding it to be unlocked. Inside a crystal pony lay cowering in a corner of the darkness.

“P-please don’t h-hurt me.”

“We wouldn’t think of it,” Luna assured her. “Tell us what has happened.”

“I d-don’t remember.”

“Surely you must – something, anything.”

The pony forced her eyes shut and screamed in intense pain, then returned to her cowering state. “No. N-nothing’s happened. We’re fine. Please leave.”

Luna nodded. “Thou art ill – not by ailment, but by curse. Be sure, we shall rid thee of this evil.”

Luna left the house and realigned her path to the castle. The whispers continued, but Luna decided that they were of no use, opting to ignore them.

On entering the castle, she noted an eerie familiarity with it. Every room, hallway, and staircase was positioned identically to that of Canterlot’s castle. In all ways except colour and adornments, they were much the same building. It was difficult of course to ignore the protruding crystals that hung from every direction like stalactites.

Luna reached the throne room’s double doors. After preparing herself for what lay on the other side, she pushed through them.

Inside, Sombra lounged on the throne with a grim smirk. Behind him hung the Crystal Heart, warped by black crystals and volatile sparks of magical energy. The moon shining through the enormous windows gave the room its only light.

As Luna walked into the room, its doors slammed shut behind her. Unperturbed, Luna faced Sombra and augmented her voice to a boom. “Foul being, release the Crystal Heart at once.”

Sombra remained lazily seated, beginning into a bellow. “Haa-haa-haaa. Princess.”

“We are Princess Luna of Equestria, and this castle lies within our borders. Thou may yield now and face trial of court.” Luna lowered her horn into an attack position. “Else thou shall face trial of the night.”

Sombra erupted into a devilish laugh. “The night.”

Luna fired. A magic missile soared through the air at breakneck speed before striking its target dead-on. The throne exploded in a great ball of smoke and rubble, and but for the sound of crumbling rock, the room was silent. Luna could not see through the dust. She remained on guard, for she was certain that it would not be that easy, and waited for it to clear. A pebble rolled past behind her, and she jumped to face it, only to turn back after seeing it was no threat.

The dust finally cleared, revealing but an empty throne with the Crystal Heart still behind it.

A low roar echoed throughout the room. “This night... too dark for you, Princess.” A cacophony of laughter permeated in all directions.

“Sheath thy tongue, demon, lest we should do it for thee.” Luna threw her head in all directions, trying to isolate the source of the echo.

“Demon? But you... princess in the night.”

Luna remained steady, ears perked. Presently, she jerked her head to face a pillar and fired a magic missile. A great explosion followed, before the pillar collapsed entirely. “Shouldst thou cower longer, we shall render this castle to dust.”

“This castle... yours.”

Luna fired at another pillar, but missed, striking and destroying a wall.

“Destroy it.”

Luna positioned to fire again, but soon relented. She perked her ears again, for the hole in the wall weakened the rumble of Sombra’s laugh. She waited for him to speak. Nothing. Only more laughter. There had to be a better way to coax him out of hiding. She looked to the Crystal Heart. The sparks and swirls of Sombra’s magic continued to fashion it like a daemonic artefact. Decidedly, she galloped to it within horn’s reach. She recognised the spell; Celestia had shown it to her. She pressed her horn against it and felt its pulsating spasms reject her. Trying harder, she released all of her magic into the Crystal Heart.

All around her, the castle suddenly collapsed. Luna closed her eyes and braced herself, but no injury came to her. She re-opened her eyes to see herself in the Canterlot throne room. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head.

Celestia barged in through the throne room’s double doors. “What have you done, Luna? Have you no temperance? I expected more of you.”

“Sister, I –”

“Never mind that, now. There are more pressing matter to attend. Return to Everfree Castle and maintain watch there. I shall take to cleaning up this mess.” Celestia slammed the door shut on her way out.

Luna lay by the throne, sobbing. “I’m sorry.”

The throne room collapsed around her, but this time she did not brace herself. When the rubble washed away, she was back in the Crystal Empire. Sombra stood before her as she lay broken, still sobbing.

“The night... shadow of the day. You... weak... watcher, not guardian.”

Luna wiped the tears from her eyes. She stood up firmly and fixed her eyes to his. “We are Princess Luna!” She charged her horn.

Sombra’s eyes and horn glowed a fierce green, and his body began to take an ethereal form.

Luna fired, but the shot passed through his now ghastly figure.

Sombra soared across the throne room as a cloud of black smoke, laughing his devilish laugh. He struck her horn with a beam of green magic, and little black crystals formed around it like a seal.

Luna went to fire again, but the crystals on her horn blocked her spells. Her teeth clenched. “What is this?” Without magic to augment it, her voice came out as a whimper.

She heard a loud banging against the double doors. “Princess Luna? Are you in there?” She recognised the voice as that of her general’s.

Sombra continued to roam about the room sporadically. “Bring... the sun.” He hovered over to the double doors, then opened them, revealing a Luna’s guard on the other side. Sombra grabbed Luna with his magic and flung her through the doors, then slammed them shut. His grim laugh punctuated the act.

The guard stared at her in a mix of concern and bewilderment. A few noticed the crystals that riddled her horn. “Are you –”

Luna shook her head and stood up firmly, attempting to maintain appearance. “We are addled. Call the retreat. We must return with a stronger force.”

The guard saluted her, then split in all directions.

Luna hung her head, then said to herself, “We must return with my sister.”

[Celestia & Luna squabble, then head out to take on Sombra. Shit goes down, some stuff gets said, and the black guy dies in the end. Oh, and the Crystal Empire “vanishes” in collateral damage.]

Celestia looked over her subjects with a benevolent gaze. Luna and two royal guards stood beside her, silent. Thousands upon thousands of ponies looked up, gazing eagerly upon Canterlot Castle’s royal podium.

Celestia began. “People of Canterlot, people of Equestria, fear not. No evil threatens this kingdom.”

Her face turned grim. “But the sense of fear you might have felt was not mistaken. A great evil was here.” Her face returned to that of triumph. “But together we stood strong and vanquished that evil.”

The crowd erupted into cheers and celebrations.

Celestia started again, this time her voice booming. “Do not fear, my ponies. We know you are good ponies. The good in your hearts will always be there, no matter what. Hatred will never overcome this great kingdom.”

The crowd simmered down.

Celestia wiped her brow. “Thank you.”

The royal sisters departed the podium and headed back into the castle, and the two guards followed closely behind them.

Celestia turned to one of the guards. “I want all records of the Crystal Empire burned. Should knowledge that the ponies’ happiness is dependent upon the Crystal Heart spread, there’s no telling what might happen. History must forget. Equestria will live on.”

Luna run in front of Celestia, blocking her path. “You can’t just write away an entire civilisation, Sister!”

Celestia pushed past her. “There is no choice.”

Luna ran back in her path. “Would you listen to what I have to say, just for once?”

Celestia stopped, then deadpanned. “What do you have to say, Luna?”

“Tell them the truth.”

Celestia sighed. She walked her sister over to the wall, so that the guards could not hear them. “As much as it pains me to do so, this is what must be done. Please try to understand.”

Luna said nothing.

“Please, Luna.” Celestia looked to her sister with puppy dog eyes.

Luna turned her head and stomped off in a puff.

Celestia sighed. She turned to the two guards. “Burn it all.”

Celestia awoke with groggy eyes. She tumbled about for a while before deciding to get up. After walking up to it, she peered through her window and saw that the moon and stars were still out. If it weren’t for her squabble last night, the sight would have been merely odd. But something with Luna was amiss. She broke out of her bedroom through the window and headed straight for Ever free Castle.

When she arrived, a sense of foreboding overcame her. The moon shone brightly upon her as she entered the castle halls.

“Luna!” she called, her voice echoing eerily against the brick walls. “Dawn is here! Lower the stars!”

Celestia jumped as a silhouette rushed past her.

A shrill voice pierced through the hallway. “Do the stars bend to thy will, Sister, or to mine?”

“Prithee stop these games and talk to me. Whatever your problems be, we can sort them out.”

The voice came again, but from another direction. “The time for talk is long gone, Sister. For too long I have stood in your shadow. For too long have ponies neglected the night.”

Celestia turned to face the voice. “Luna, please –”

Luna emerged before Celestia in a quick wisp, iron clad in battle-ready armour. Her frame was sharp and stance aggressive. “Don’t call me that name. Luna is dead. I am Nightmare Moon.”

Luna fired a bolt of magic at Celestia, flinging her across the room and into the walls. “It is time for you watch under me.” She fired another bolt, pushing Celestia further into the wall.

Celestia rolled around and shook the rubble off of herself. She conjured up enough strength to put a magical barrier in front of her before the next strike came. Three more strikes came before a pause. Celestia peered through her shield and saw Luna transforming into a starry miasma. Leaving no time to spare, Celestia took flight. She burst out of the nearby window, smashing it to pieces, and turned for the courtyard. Luna followed closely behind, shooting beams of magic wildly in all directions, smashing various nearby structures into rubble.

Celestia continued her flight through the courtyard and into the forest. She rustled through the trees, weaving in and out of them in an attempt to shake her.

The miasma shrieked, following closely behind. “Do you think you can stop me, Sister?” As she seeped through the trees, their leaves fell off, leaving them barren.

Celestia continued her escape, her wings working harder than they had in years. Every few beats she turned her head to check on her pursuer. She was relieved to see she was gaining distance. Satisfied with the space between them, she landed in a nearby crevice. With energy now to spare, she focused her magic.

In a moments time, the miasma came crashing past.

Celestia’s eyes glowed a heavenly white, but its colour did not mask the tears. Her voice roared with a magical boom: “Lower the stars, Sister.” Her entire body began to glow a hot white. “Please.”

The miasma did not respond but for its wild shriek. It continued in a beeline heading straight for Celestia.

As the miasma made contact, Celestia teleported herself out of the forest. She let out a relieved exhale, for she was now within the safe confines of Canterlot Castle. But there was little time to relax. She could feel the night growing colder. The sun must rise.

She looked up. Before her lay the door which contained the Elements of Harmony. With great reluctance, she slid her horn into the keyhole. A few clicks and ticks of clockwork later, the door opened. Celestia wielded the elements, then headed back out for Everfree Castle.

It was much as before, only many parts of the castle were now in ruins. Celestia shivered in the chilly wind as she re-entered the castle. Time was of the essence, so she ran for the throne room.

She barged through the double doors. On the other side of the throne room, Luna sat on a half-broken throne, sneering. Moon light shone through the walls. “Welcome back, Sister. Are you here to beg some more?”

“Ponies need the sun, Luna. You must lower the stars to make way for the dawn, else all will suffer.”

Luna rose from her throne. “They will suffer as I have suffered.”

Celestia lowered her head. “I’m sorry, Luna.”

“You are sorry? Hah! It is I who is sorry for you. I –”

Celestia’s body coalesced into a great white light. The Elements of Harmony presented themselves before her, and Luna’s confidence wilted into fear.

“I banish thee, Nightmare Moon, into the moon. May one day you find peace, and return as my sister.” A white bale of pure energy erupted from her horn and pierced through elements. As it went through them, the light refracted into every colour of the visible spectrum, enveloping Luna in a blinding rainbow. She screamed in agony as her body slowly crept away from the Earth.

Celestia screamed as well, but not in physical pain. The barrage of rainbows continued for a long time before Luna was completely gone.

When all was done, Celestia collapsed, with only enough energy left to weep. “Please come back, Luna.”

And so Celestia looked up at the moon longingly, wondering if she would see her sister ever again.

The Sun in Flight

Rainbow Dash kept her distance from the cluster of ponies massed in the hallway. Who did they think they were fooling? They were making so much noise that Princess Celestia could probably hear them all the way over in Canterlot.

“Did you bring the present?” Twilight Sparkle whispered.

Sweetie Belle nodded and pointed to a box perched on Apple Bloom’s back. Covered more with tape than anything else, its wrinkled cardboard showed through gaps in the mismatched scraps of wrapping paper.

“Cake?” Twilight asked.

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes. Yeah, like she’d go anywhere without cake.

Letting out a sigh, Twilight jerked her head toward the open door. “Okay. We jump out on three. One—”

“Wait, sugarcube. Right on three, or is there a ‘go’ afterward?” Applejack said as she scratched her head.

“On ‘go,’ I guess,” replied Twilight. When everypony else had nodded back, she took a deep breath. “Okay. One... two... thr—”

“Surprise!” Pinkie cried, leaping through the doorway with the cake balanced on top of her head.

“Surprise!” came a halfhearted murmur in echo as the rest filed in behind her. Except Fluttershy. She’d ducked her head to the floor and was covering it with her hooves.

“Is it over?” she squeaked.

“Yes, dear. You’re the only one miss—” Rarity’s head soon poked back into the hallway and found Rainbow Dash still leaning against the wall. Raising an eyebrow, Rarity perked her ears up. “Are you coming?”

Dash shrugged and let out a sigh. It was just another kid party. It’s not like she didn’t have better things to do.

“Come on, Rainbow Dash. You know what this would mean to her.” Suddenly, Rarity’s eyes didn’t have that usual sparkle.

Dash tensed her legs to walk, but... she just scratched a hoof at the floor. She should be moving. She wanted to.

“Rainbow Dash, you get in here this instant!” Rarity growled through a clenched jaw.

Finally, her hooves were listening to her. Or Rarity. Whatever. She trudged the last few steps down the hall and into Scootaloo’s room.

“Happy birthday!” everypony chorused as Scootaloo sat up in her bed and buzzed her wings. Her mouth gaped open, and she swung her head from one side to the other, taking in all the cheery grins directed at her.

She giggled and bounced up a little on her mattress. “Wow! I wasn’t expecting—”

“O’ course not, sugarcube!” Applejack said through her chuckling. “Now, put out that candle and make a wish!”

Scootaloo clasped her hooves together, closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and let the corners of her mouth turn upward faintly. After a long minute, Fluttershy and Pinkie exchanged glances, but Scootaloo finally opened her eyes again and blew the candle out.

As soon as Pinkie had given a hearty “Woo hoo!” and carried the cake over to the desk to cut it up, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hopped up on the bed beside Scootaloo.

“We got you this!” declared Apple Bloom as she bucked the package into the air, then bounced it off the top of her head and let it plop down in front of Scootaloo, who immediately tore at the paper and flipped the box’s lid open.

From the back of the crowd, Rainbow Dash rocked up on her hooftips, flared her wings, and craned her neck to see over everypony. A warm sensation flooded her chest, and she held her breath at the immense grin on Scootaloo’s face until...

Scootaloo held up a new helmet, painted with rainbow stripes. “I love it!” she shouted, tugging her new prize over her head and fastening the chin strap.

Dash felt the blood rush from her face. Why couldn’t that filly be obsessed with somepony else? She sank to her haunches and folded her wings back. Of course ponies found her awesome. But most knew where to draw the line.

“Today’s your special day!” Apple Bloom shouted as she leapt back and forth across Scootaloo’s bed. After Apple Bloom’s third trip, Applejack put a hoof on her sister’s shoulder and shook her head slowly. Frowning, Apple Bloom hung her head and folded her ears back.

“You can do anything you want!” cried Sweetie Belle, her tail swishing around. “So, what are you gonna do for the perfect birthday?”

“Hm. I was thinking...” Scootaloo held a hoof to her chin and stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth.

“Yes?” said Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle in unison as they leaned forward and opened their eyes wide.

“Well, I’ve got an idea for a new crusade.” Scootaloo snapped a sharp nod and beckoned them closer. She flicked her eyes back and forth between them. “It seems to me that we’ve never done much crusading in the snow. Now, obviously my cutie mark is going to be about speed and style. I think it’s time we hit the slopes.”

Apple Bloom drew her eyebrows together for a moment. “But... there’s no snow on the ground. And we’re not scheduled to get any for a couple o’ weeks.”

A bright grin spreading across her face, Scootaloo spotted Dash ducking behind Rarity and Fluttershy. “I know. Rainbow Dash can do it!”

Everypony turned to look at Dash. She jumped and rubbed a hoof at the back of her neck. Perfect. No chance of slipping out of here unnoticed. “Oh. Well... I dunno. I’d have to request a permit for a temporary weather modification. Could take a week or two...”

“Oh, Dash,” Twilight said, wrinkling her nose and shaking her head. “They’re not going to care about one hill out in the countryside. I think it’d be okay.”

Cocking her head and giggling, Pinkie said, “Hee hee! Silly filly! Dashie’s just pulling your leg. Of course she can do that for you, Scootaloo!”

“Um... Heh heh.” Rainbow took a steadying breath and let her shoulders slump. “Yeah, I guess that would work. When do you want to go? Sometime after lunch?”

“Why not right now?” Scootaloo answered. “I’ve got a lot planned, so we better get started early!” She tossed the blanket off and bounced down to the foot of the bed with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

“Oh...” Rainbow froze and rolled her eyes down toward the floor.

“Ssst!” Rarity hissed under her breath, glaring at Rainbow. “You said you’d help out!” she added in a harsh whisper.

“Yeah, but I didn’t think I’d have to do everything,” Dash muttered. When she looked back up, there were enough stern glances directed back at her to make her shudder. Fine. She managed a weak smile and gestured toward the door. “Right this way, kids.”

She glanced back at the other party guests and noticed one she’d missed before: Spike. Up there on Twilight’s back. He was actually smiling, but just a little. “You wanna come, too?” He nodded vigorously, but that strange smile remained. She wasn’t sure she liked it.

“This is the perfect one, Dash!” Scootaloo shouted, pointing up a long slope just outside Sweet Apple Acres. “I could get going so fast down this one. I can see it now: my cutie mark’ll be a flaming icicle!” She flashed a toothy grin and rubbed her hooves together.

“A flaming what now?” Apple Bloom remarked, scrunching her face up. “Do those things burn?”

“If you get it going fast enough, I bet anything can.” Scootaloo smirked at her clearly superior reasoning.

“I can try to light one,” Spike offered, “but... Princess Celestia might not appreciate it.”

Rainbow couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. She spotted a large gray cloud in the distance and left them discussing flammability as she raced out to get it. After she’d checked it over, she braced her hooves against it and shoved it back to their hill. Grabbing a pointy tendril at one end, she swung it around and around, faster and faster, until the cold air had turned the few drops leaking from it into ice.

There. That should be chilled enough. “Heads up!” she called, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders retreated over to the next hill.

Dash rubbed a hoof at her chin and nudged the cloud this way and that, satisfied that she had it centered over the hillside. Finally, she rocketed straight up into the sky, then turned back earthward. Each second, she built up more and more speed, the icy blast of wind making her eyes water. She braced a shoulder against the impact and plowed into the cloud, which immediately plopped a thick white blanket over the hilltop. The snowy wave rolled down the incline, leaving the whole thing buried under several inches of fresh white powder.

When Rainbow came to a landing at the bottom of the hill, the three fillies charged down from their waiting place and back up the dry side of their new playground, shoving and jostling to be the first to the top. Wait. Where was Spike?

Dash saw a strange green light beneath the snow, and soon after, flame erupted from the snowpack, and Spike jumped out. “Oh my gosh! Are you okay, Spike?” she shouted, but her astonished gape faded as she watched him rolling around and writhing with laughter.

“I’m fine! Now that was fun!” Spike glanced up to see her wiping the tear streaks from the corners of her eyes. “Oh. I’m sorry... Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?”

Returning a blank look for a moment, Rainbow finally flicked her gaze down to the hoof she’d been using to rub her eyes and shook her head. “Oh, that? No, that’s just... flying fast in cold air. Y’know.”

“Oh. Yeah. Dash, I...” He gave one of those knowing smiles that’s supposed to say a lot, but Dash was never much of a mind reader. He kicked at the snow around his feet for a minute before finally rushing off to clamber up the hill.

By the time Spike had reached the top, the three fillies had already strapped on skis. “Here goes nothin’!” yelled Apple Bloom as she leapt onto the snow. Sweetie Belle was right behind, and they made slow progress in snowplowing down the hill on wobbly knees. Still having fun, though. Open-mouthed smiles and laughter slowly floating down. Rainbow couldn’t help but chuckle at them.

Then, Scootaloo came blasting between the two. Crouched down on her skis with gritted teeth, she buzzed her wings for extra speed, but her eyes quickly widened. “How do I steer? How do I steer?” Before Rainbow Dash could open her mouth to answer, Scootaloo had plowed into a snowbank and gone airborne, fluttering uselessly and screeching until she flew face-first into a drift. The other two had lost their concentration as they watched, and both teetered over sideways.

Dash was on Scootaloo like a shot, digging her out of the snow. “Are you alright?” she asked, panting.

After taking a moment to get her breath back, Scootaloo nodded and blushed. “Yeah. But I’m not gonna get anywhere like this.” She set her jaw and bounded back up the hill. “C’mon, girls! Let’s try the sleds next!”

She perched her sled right on the edge of the snow, retreated to get a good head start, then ran at a full tilt, finally taking a flying leap. The sled took off in an instant, and Scootaloo streaked downhill, squinting and wearing an evil grin. She skittered and bounced over lumps in the snow, but using her wings, she managed to keep her course straight.

She hit the bump at the bottom and launched far across the grassy field, flailing her tail around to keep from tumbling. Scootaloo! Dash’s heart leapt into her throat, and she grabbed the leftover bit of cloud in her teeth, tearing after Scootaloo. At the last instant, Dash managed to get beneath her and catch her on the cloud’s pillowy surface.

Scootaloo pulled her face out of the cloud and stared at Dash for a few seconds, both of them gasping for air. Then she broke into a broad grin. “That was awe—”

“Look out below!” Apple Bloom shouted. Dash saw her just in time to shove the cloud underneath her, but she flew straight through it and crashed into Rainbow Dash, sending them both sliding across the ground. “Sorry,” Apple Bloom said with a sheepish grin as she spit out some dirt.

“My fault,” Dash grunted. Forgot that clouds don’t work if they’re not pegasi... She rubbed her head and trotted back over to the bottom of the hill. Kicking at the wall of snow, she scattered rough clumps of it all over the lower end of the slope. That should slow things down. She snapped a nod and went back to Scootaloo’s side.

Scootaloo sat up on the cloud’s edge and shoved enough of the fluff away to see that her flank remained unmarked. “Rainbow Dash,” she said, punching a hoof at the cloud, “we need more! That clearly wasn’t fast enough. Can you make us a track?”

Rubbing her chin, Rainbow nodded. “Yeah. I think that’d work.” Never tried this before. Could be interesting. She scanned the sky for a moment. Yeah. That little grey one will do.

Dash flew off for a second time to retrieve a cloud, and once again pulled it over the hilltop. She gave it a good stomp to start it raining, then flew circles around it faster and faster, slowly following a corkscrew pattern toward the ground. Once she had the raindrops whipped into a fine mist, she shot down the hill, her spiral pattern carving a channel through the snow. The mist trailing in her wake immediately froze, leaving a slick glaze. Worked like a charm. Heh. Even put in a couple of turns for ’em.

Scootaloo’s eyes lit up, and she scrambled back up the hill with Apple Bloom hot on her trail. At the top, they met Sweetie Belle and slapped hooves together. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Bobsledders!” Spike was laughing so hard that he had to prop himself up with his tail.

After all three fillies had piled onto one sled, Spike gave them a mighty shove, and they went sliding down the icy course. They whipped through the first turn, and Sweetie Belle was already hanging on for dear life. Out of the banked curve, and Apple Bloom finally had enough balance to yank Sweetie Belle back onto the sled. Dash was still a bit out of breath, but she felt a smile creep onto her face as she watched. Their manes were blasted straight back, and they couldn’t even hold their ears up anymore. Through the final turn and into the last straightaway. Heh. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were shrieking their heads off, but Scootaloo just hunched down even further and grinned. And all three with their cheeks flapping in the wind. Girl’s got nerve.

They hit the rough snow at the bottom and skidded to a stop. Just a few seconds behind, Spike slid up beside them on his stomach.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” Sweetie Belle asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Nuh-uh,” Spike answered with a head shake as he closed his eyes and patted his belly. “Thick, smooth scales.”

“Oh!” Scootaloo said as she looked down at her side, but her face fell. Still empty. Apple Bloom dabbed some snow there, and they all giggled.

“I’m sorry, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said as she hung her head.

Sighing, Scootaloo replied, “It’s not a big deal. I had fun. C’mon! Let’s go again!”

Casting a glance over her shoulder to where the sun was well on its way to the horizon, Dash cleared her throat. “Hey, it’s well past lunch. Didn’t you have other plans for the day?”

“Oh, yeah!” Scootaloo’s ears pricked straight up.

“Alright, you four head off, then. Hope you had fun!” Rainbow turned to trot away.

“But Dash!”

Rainbow froze in her tracks.

“I was hoping we’d have lunch together!” Scootaloo put on her best puppy-dog eyes.

It was all Rainbow could do to keep from stamping a hoof. Wasn’t all morning and half the afternoon enough? It’s not like she needed to beg—of course Rainbow would do that for her. So why did it feel like such a chore?

“Sure, squirt. Where’d you want to go?”

“Well... you know that diner you talk about sometimes? The one you said was the most hole-in-the-wall place in all Equestria, but they had the world’s best grilled mushroom sandwich?” She leveled a huge grin at Rainbow Dash, but then frowned at her friends. “Sorry, guys. It’s in Cloudsdale. You wouldn’t be able to walk around there,” she said, wiggling her wings.

“Don’t worry your little head.” Apple Bloom waved a hoof at her and closed her eyes. “We’ll just skedaddle over to Sweet Apple Acres for a snack, then we’re gonna come back here and sled some more.”

Before joining them, Spike sidled up to Dash. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Dash answered with a shrug and a forced grin.

He let out a sharp breath. “I’ll be here when you get back. Stop by and let me know how everything went, will you?”

Rainbow stared back for a second, then nodded. What was that all about? Dash could handle herself.

She bent low to let Scootaloo climb onto her back. The poor thing was still breathing heavy from her sled ride. “You okay?” Dash felt a nod against her neck and went for a gentle running takeoff. Would Scootaloo say so if she wasn’t okay? Ponies don’t always answer that question honestly—

Spike.

Dash wished she had a cloud to punch.

“I can see Canterlot from up here!” Scootaloo shouted. She opened her wings straight out and twisted them a bit in the air stream, experimenting with the force of lifting herself a little off Dash’s back.

“Yeah. And way over that way is the mountain where we chased off that dragon.” Rainbow added a punctuating snort. “I kicked him. Right between the eyes, and he never came back.” At their easy pace, she only needed to flap once every few seconds. It was actually... relaxing. She let her hooves dangle limply below her and soaked up the sun’s warmth at her back.

“Well, duh! He didn’t want to mess with Rainbow Dash!” Tucking her wings back in, Scootaloo settled down onto Rainbow again and let go of her mane.

“Heh.” Dash’s smile lingered a little while as she angled toward Cloudsdale’s downtown area.

At the end of their brief flight, Rainbow weaved through a few streets near the edge of the city, then set down in a back alley, where a flickering neon sign read, “Skyline Diner.” They walked in the front door, and the jingling bell prompted a head to pop out the kitchen door.

“Rainbow Dash! It’s been a while! Your usual seat?” the cook asked, jerking his head toward the corner booth.

Dash nodded. Greasy Spoon had the same apron as always. Stained in—heh!—a rainbow of colors, and she was sure that none of them was the original. “Good to see you again, Spoon.” She slid into her seat just inside the front window and patted the bench next to her. “Best seat in the house!” she remarked to Scootaloo.

The filly craned her neck a bit to where she could see a narrow patch of sky between a couple of the buildings. From there, she found the edge of the weather factory, where new clouds puffed out a few times a minute. “Um... nice view?”

“That’s what gave this place its name!” Greasy Spoon roared as he gave Dash a hearty clap on the shoulder. “What can I get ya?”

“Two of your mushroom specials and some ice water.”

“Comin’ right up.”

When he’d left, Rainbow studied the well-worn tabletop and didn’t say anything. What was there to say? In the sky, at least she was an expert. Here... She just watched Scootaloo, who seemed fascinated with those batches of fluff floating out of the factory like clockwork. Cloud after cloud, all the same, but still she stared, that little smile never leaving her face.

The clink of plates against the table jerked both of them back into the moment. Sinking her teeth into her sandwich, Scootaloo let out a low moan. “Mmmm. It’s even better than you said!” By the time Dash was halfway through hers, Scootaloo had already wolfed the whole thing down. And seconds later, she hiccupped. Then again.

“Whoa! Take it easy!” Dash leaned over and thumped Scootaloo on the back. “Drink some water.”

Scootaloo drained half her glass, and when she came up for air, she sat still for a minute before smiling. “They’re gone.” She took a deep breath, then munched on her potato chips and pickle slowly while waiting for Dash to finish her meal.

Dash did so in silence. All around them, the few late-afternoon customers chatted away, and sounds of silverware clinking against dishes added punctuation. A strong smell of vegetable soup floated out of the kitchen. The front door’s bell tinkled and hinges squeaked every few minutes when the mail carrier came by, the odd police officer needed a hit of coffee after his shift, or some pedestrian needed a place to get out of the winter air and read her newspaper while enjoying a piece of pie. In the right circumstances, the rhythm could be hypnotic. If she let it. Or needed it to be.

She shook her head.

That filly. Staring at the clouds again, and the occasional burst of rainbow. Was she really happy just sitting there? Rainbow picked up the pace a bit, if only to get this day over with a bit quicker. Last bite down. “You want the rest of my chips, Scoot? I’m not gonna eat ’em.”

“No. I’m full.” A thin ribbon of blue sky reflecting in her eyes, Scootaloo smiled up at Dash.

“Anything else? Dessert?” Greasy Spoon asked as he walked over and slid their check onto the table.

“I’ve still got cake waiting for me,” Scootaloo replied, her ears perking up.

“Alright then. Don’t be a stranger, Dash!”

Looking at the bill, Rainbow dug a small stack of bits out of her saddlebag and tossed a couple extra on the table. She glanced back at Scootaloo and motioned toward the door.

Scootaloo followed her out into the street. “So, was that all? Day’s almost over.” Poor kid. She looks wilted. Can barely keep her eyes open. “Shouldn’t we head back?”

Nodding, Scootaloo added, “But can we take the long way? I was hoping to go for a flight.” Her knees were wobbling, just barely. But Dash noticed.

Again, Dash bent down to let Scootaloo on her back. “I’m not feeling up to doing any stunts this late. You don’t look like you are, either.” Poor kid’s exhausted. She’s pushed herself hard today.

Scootaloo blinked hard, and her eyes didn’t open all the way. She let out a big yawn. “I know. I don’t care if it’s a lazy flight. I just wanted to spend it with you.”

Rainbow swallowed hard and glanced around at the few pedestrians in the street as her pulse picked up. She trotted the couple of blocks to the city’s edge. Leaping off and into the sky, she turned easy circles to gain altitude gradually. Once she was high enough to clear all the rooftops, she skimmed over toward the far end of town.

“Down there’s my old neighborhood when I was a filly,” she said, pointing at a row of nondescript apartments. “Those old streets are where I first learned to fly. Every day after school. And over there—” she angled her head toward a large open field with a couple of race courses “—is where I went to flight camp. That’s where I first learned to fly again.”

“Again?” Scootaloo raised her head from where she’d allowed it to rest on Rainbow’s neck.

“Yeah. Raw talent’s one thing, but you don’t get the most out of it if you don’t really understand it.” Banking gently to the south, Dash flew over the city’s large stadium. “And that’s where I was in the Best Young Flyer competition.”

“I know,” Scootaloo slurred.

Rainbow raised her eyebrows and craned her neck around at her passenger. “How’d you know that?”

Blushing, Scootaloo looked to the side. “I snuck over and watched from the ground.”

Heh. She’s got spirit. Gotta give her that.

The sun was just dipping below the horizon, and Dash could see the interplay of color in the high cirrus clouds above. She continued circling for some time, letting the orange evening glow wash over her. It was nice. Peaceful. In fact, she could almost forget...

Eyeing the fading light to the west one more time, she broke the silence. “We can swing by Canterlot, but then it’ll be dark, and we should head back. Okay?” No answer. “Scoot?”

Dash felt a stirring on her back. “Hm?”

“I was just saying—we should go home after we pass by Canterlot. Okay?”

“Mmhm.”

More long minutes of silence. But... Dash’s knotted muscles relaxed a bit. The wind rushing over her wings, that soft breath on her coat. Though there was a bite to the chilly night air, a pleasant warmth ran through her body. In the moment, it was... If she could just stay in the moment, it was blissful. She closed her eyes and couldn’t help smiling. But moments end.

Everything had dimmed to a dusky purple, and Rainbow kept on course for the twinkling lights that were drawing near. “Rainbow Dash?” came a faint voice from a little below her ear.

If it had been any louder, it might have made Dash jump, but it was just right. “Yeah?”

“I... know you’re tough, Rainbow Dash. I wanna be just like you. That’s why I didn’t wanna risk making you think I was all sappy or something.” A light sigh brushed Rainbow’s neck. “But I wanted to say... I love you.” Dash felt Scootaloo’s muzzle snuggle a little harder into her mane.

Rainbow’s eyes widened instantly. Her mouth worked in silence as it tried to sort out something to say. But what? Say something! Don’t leave that hanging out there! She forced air from her lungs, but all she could do was croak. The fan club. Following her around everywhere. Spending her entire birthday with her! It’s not like it wasn’t obvious. Say something!

Her pulse pounded in her head, and lights danced in front of her eyes, but not the familiar ones of Canterlot. She—she thought she might pass out. No! Rainbow Dash doesn’t get lightheaded. That’s for weak ponies.

Rainbow came to a hover and looked back to see she’d overshot Canterlot by several miles. “Scootaloo?” she said, her voice quaking. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to tell. “Scootaloo?” she asked a bit louder, her tightened throat at least making a steadier sound.

That tingling sensation returned. Her head swam. “Scootaloo!” Dash didn’t even notice that she was crying. She dove for the ground and leaned her head back to nudge her passenger.

“Hm?”

Pulling up while still several hooves above the ground, Dash took a few deep, shuddering breaths and buried her face in her hooves. She didn’t know she’d been trembling, either, but now she felt her hooves shaking against her eyes. “Scoot, I...” She waited a minute, but there was no further response. Asleep again.

Dash glared at the ground. That’s where it was all going to end. She’d fly forever if she could, but someday, hooves have to return to the ground. As long as she could, she’d fight it, though. It was solid, didn’t move. It cut her world in half. And brought back harsh facts. Everything returned there, after all. She sighed. Still need to start back toward Ponyville.

Ponyville.

Spike.

She flew off back toward the snowy hill at the highest speed she could muster. Soon, she saw the frozen expanse reflecting the soft moonlight. Sweeping down the slope, Dash finally spotted a small purple shape curled up at the bottom. Spike was asleep, shivering faintly against the snowbank, wrapped up in both Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s scarves. Dash hovered above him and poked him in the shoulder. “Spike! Hey, Spike!”

He stirred, blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes, and looked up at her. “I’m sorry, Spike! Scoot wanted to go flying after lunch, and I forgot all about you. You should have gone home!”

Spike shook his head. “I’m fine. Did you two have fun?”

“I think so. At least she did.” Rainbow jerked her nose toward her back. “I...”

“Why don’t you come down here? You’ve gotta be tired from all that flying.”

“No.”

“But Rainbow—”

“No!” Dash could just make out his scowl in the pale light. “When I touch ground again... that’s it. She’s still flying with me. But when the flight’s over, so is the moment. Gone forever and back to reality. So I’m staying airborne.” She sneered toward the east and its eventual sunrise. “I’ll stay out all night if I can help it.”

Spike sat up and sighed. “It’s late. She’s probably already missed dinner.”

“We had a late lunch.”

“Dash, it’s going to be okay.” He rested his chin on a claw.

“Go home, Spike,” she replied as a few beads of sweat trickled down her forehead.

“You’re the one I asked to come by here on your way home. Not her.” Dash had averted her gaze to the ground in front of Spike, but he hunched his neck down to keep eye contact.

“Are you okay?” His stare bored into her.

He wasn’t going to let up, was he? Dash kept silent for a minute, but her wing joints were starting to ache. That horrible tingling started up in her chest again.

“How’d you get to be so wise beyond your years?” she asked as her voice broke and the first few tears trickled down her cheeks.

“Ancient dragon knowledge.”

Dash raised an eyebrow at him. “For real?”

“You learn to pick up on things when you live with Twilight,” he answered, chuckling. “Someone’s gotta.”

“Oh. Well, I’ll be fine.” She sniffled and managed a weak smile. “I’ll be fine. I don’t know why this hit me like a ton of bricks, but...”

Spike reached up a claw and patted her on the hoof.

Almost flinching from the touch, Rainbow set her jaw. “I’m not ready to land just yet. Not yet.”

Nodding, Spike rose to his feet and brushed the snow off his sides. “Dash, it’s going to be okay,” he said again. “It may not be that serious.”

Rainbow wrestled the corners of her mouth upward, wiped a hoof across her nose, and shrugged. “Now go home, Spike. Really. And keep this to yourself.”

He turned toward the road back into town and waved a dismissive arm behind himself. “I’m not gonna rat you out.”

Her shoulders protesting with each flap, Rainbow winged off toward town. The last few familiar landmarks passed by below: Town Hall, Carousel Boutique, the river. She found her destination and hovered over the front walk for a minute before a tightening in her wing told her there was an imminent cramp. She dropped the last few inches to the pavement and didn’t let her knees absorb the landing. It jolted her. It hurt. It should.

By some miracle, Scootaloo didn’t wake up.

Having spent the last several hours in darkness, Rainbow squinted into the harsh light when she went through the front door. She trotted down the hall, up the stairs, and found Scootaloo’s darkened room. Number two-eighteen. That warm breath still on her neck... She sighed and leaned over, letting Scootaloo slide into her bed, then rolled her onto her side and pulled the covers up.

“Dash?”

“Yeah, kid?”

“I had fun. Thanks.”

“No problem. Say, when is your birthday really?” Dash leaned in close to hear the whispered answer.

“Next week. On the third.”

“Hm.” Dash gently unstrapped the rainbow-striped helmet, slid it off, and placed it on the bedside table next to the covered cake platter. “Scoot?” No answer. Just the steady rise and fall of her chest and the soft rush of breath. She leaned over a little farther and kissed Scootaloo on her forehead. “I love you too, kid.” There might have been a faint smile, and Scootaloo wriggled a little harder into her pillow.

Stepping out into the hallway, where the lights had also been dimmed for the overnight hours, Rainbow looked in both directions and didn’t see anypony. Just a few cabinets and scattered bits of equipment. She turned toward the stairs and went far enough that she was sure to be out of Scootaloo’s earshot.

Dash remembered from her own time in the hospital that there was a shift change right about now. The day nurses would be signing out, and the night staff would still be picking up their assignments downstairs. She probably had about ten minutes.

It wasn’t fair.

She was just a filly. And why was Scootaloo the strong one? Everypony knew Rainbow Dash was supposed to be unbreakable. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow winced at a muscle spasm in her fatigued left wing.

She slumped against the wall and slid down it until she was huddled on the floor, her head in her hooves. Rainbow Dash cried as quietly as possible.

Tummy Aches

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaWAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa!!!”

“Oh, please be quiet Mister Dragon.”

A small, lavender unicorn with a dark purple mane picked up a rattle, and shook it in front of a crib. As soon as she did so, the ear splitting shriek that had been emanating from the bed intensified. The filly immediately dropped the toy, and covered her ears in a futile attempt to lessen the pain of the noise. She unconsciously grinded her teeth as the wailing continued.

“Please, Mister Baby Dragon,” begged the filly. “Stop crying.” The child was on the verge of shedding tears herself. “Are you hungry?”

She received no reply. The crying simply continued. Still, desperation taking hold, the filly ran into her bathroom, and opened her medicine cabinet. Tossing out toiletries and bottles of vitamins with complete disregard, the unicorn rummaged through the cabinet until she found what she sought:

A plastic bottle full of baby formula.

The filly smiled wildly when she caught a glimpse of her prize. Closing her eyes and sticking her tongue out in concentration, she grunted as her horn began to spark. Her snout scrunched in focus, and sweat began to bead her forehead. With a final spurt of purple sparks, she opened her eyes to see the bottle floating in front of her, surrounded by a purple aurora. Clapping her hooves together and squealing in excitement, the child was momentarily distracted from the wailing by the satisfaction of casting her spell correctly.

Now, with the bottle of formula in tow, the filly stepped out of the bathroom, and cautiously inched her way across her bedroom and towards the crib, careful not to break the spell.

“Here you go, Mister Dragon,” she squeaked as she arrived to the crib. “I’ve got a nice bottle of milk for you.”

She carefully neared the bottle to the source of all the noise: a small, purple reptile. The baby dragon was tossing and turning in its crib, his eyes were shut, and his mouth was wide open as he released a loud, guttural cry. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he seemed completely oblivious to his surroundings.

Still, the filly neared the bottle to the infant’s mouth, with the hopes that it would silence him. But before the unicorn could even try to feed the dragon, one of his flailing limbs lashed out, and knocked the bottle away. The filly gasped as her spell broke. The bottle landed and opened on the other side of the room, spilling its contents all over her carpet.

The child stared at the carpet miserably, and her lower lip began to tremble. She buried her face in her hoofs, and tears threatened to leak from her eyes.

“Twilight Sparkle?”

The filly raised her head towards the voice that had called her, and gasped in shock.

Before her, stood Princess Celestia.

“Princess!” Twilight scrambled onto her small legs, wiped nose, and bowed down. “I’m sorry your Highness, I didn’t hear you come in,” she sniffled.

“Please young Twilight, rise.”

Twilight did as she was instructed, and looked up towards her mentor. The unicorn was surprised to see concern wrinkling the Princess’ gentle face.

“Why are you crying, Twilight?” asked the Princess as she placed a hoof on the child’s cheek.

Twilight sniffed loudly, and hung her head in shame. “I’m sorry, Princess. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

Celestia lifted Twilight’s head up. “I’m not mad Twilight. I’m just worried.” The Princess gave the filly an encouraging smile. “Now, what’s the matter?”

“I can’t get Mister Baby Dragon to stop crying.”

Celestia looked up at the crib, which was rocking from the force of the baby’s howls. She approached the crib, and her horn began to glow.

The baby dragon rose from the bassinet, his body encased in a white glow. The Princess floated the dragon towards her, and began rocking him slowly. The infant stopped his crying, and blinked in confusion. When he saw the Princess smiling towards him, he laughed and began sucking the tip of his tail. Celestia looked down towards Twilight, who had been staring at her in wonder.

“You see my young student? You need to be gentle when caring for a child.”

Looking back to the baby, Celestia saw that his eyelids were beginning to fall. Before long, he was snoring quietly, still sucking on his tail. The Princess carefully placed the dragon back into his crib, and tucked him in.

“Twilight, do you know why I placed you in charge of this baby dragon?”

“Uh…because you didn’t want to take care of him?” offered Twilight.

The Princess laughed. “No, my student. It was to teach you patience. In order to raise an infant, one needs to be caring, gentle, and above all else patient.” Celestia glanced at the being sleeping peacefully in the crib, and smiled warmly. “Learning a new skill is the same. When you try to learn something, patience, above all else, is the key. You need to persevere if you ever wish to learn.”

Twilight stared at dragon with new found reverence. “Wow.”

Celestia hummed in agreement. “Now come, I wish to speak with you.” The Princess turned around and exited the bedroom, and Twilight hurried after her mentor. The two exited the filly’s quarters, and found themselves walking through one of the castle’s many corridors. The walls were adorned with colorful tapestries depicting the country’s rich and extensive history. The windows were all made from stained glass, and whenever light passed through them, the hallway’s marble floor became a kaleidoscope of swirling colors. Twilight couldn’t help but marvel at the scene whenever she strolled through the castle.

“So, Twilight,” began the Princess, snapping Twilight out of her thoughts. “How are you finding the castle? Are you comfortable?”

Twilight nodded vigorously. “Oh yes, Princess! Everything is great!” The filly frowned slightly. “There is just one thing…”

Celestia gave a frown to match Twilight’s. “What is it, my student?”

Twilight sighed. “It’s just…I miss my mommy and daddy.” Twilight stopped when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked up to see Celestia looking at her with a sad smile.

“Twilight, you don’t have to stay here. You can leave the school, and return to your family whenever you like.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in horror, and she shook her head as hard as she could. “Oh nonononono! I love it here, Princess. The castle is so much fun! It’s just…whenever I think of mommy and daddy and Shinning, my tummy feels sick. But I don’t want to go! Please don’t send me away.”

Celestia gave a small chuckle. “Don’t worry my young student, I will not send you away. You are just feeling homesick. You’ll feel better when you return home for Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

At the mention of the holiday, Twilight squealed and beamed at her mentor, causing Celestia to laugh. The two resumed their stroll. “So Twilight, have you named your little roommate yet?”

Twilight looked down at her hooves sheepishly. “Um…not yet.”

“Yes, I gathered. Well, you might want to hurry. I don’t think a full grown dragon will appreciate being called ‘Mister Baby Dragon.’” Twilight couldn’t help but blush in embarrassment when the Princess giggled at the name she had called the baby.

“Okay, Princess.”

As the two continued on their way, Twilight told Celestia all about her classes in magic kindergarten. The Princess was delighted to hear how enthused Twilight was with her studies. It warmed her heart to see a filly so happy. When Celestia asked Twilight whether she had made any friends yet, the child deflated slightly.

“Don’t worry, Twilight. I understand that you are new and still a little shy. Give it time; I’m sure you’ll make many, many friends.”

“Do you really think so?”

Celestia smiled at the filly. “Of course. You are an intelligent, kind-hearted filly. I’m certain you’ll be very popular.”

“Thanks, Princess.”

The two finally arrived to their destination: Magic Kindergarten, classroom one. “I must leave you now, Twilight. Enjoy you class.”

“I will, Princess.”

Celestia bent down, and nuzzled her student affectionately. “I know you will,” she whispered.

Without waiting, Twilight opened the door, and practically galloped to her seat at the front of the class. Before long, other students began to enter into the classroom, and the room was soon filled with the chattering of dozens of young voices. However, silence soon constricted the students when the door behind the teacher’s desk swung open, and an older mare walked through. The mare was a unicorn with a grey mane, which was tied in a bun, and a chalkboard with a golden star for a cutie-mark.

“Good morning class,” she said, as she smiled to her students.

“Good morning Mrs. Starshine,” droned the students in response.

“I hope you all had a pleasant day yesterday. Now, just to keep things fun, I thought you could all use a pop-quiz.”

The students all groaned in dismay.

“Yes, yes, I know. Nopony likes pop-quizzes,” agreed the teacher as she handed out sheets of paper to her students. “But we’ve got to take them. Besides, you’re such a smart group of kids that I’m sure you’ll all do wonderfully. Now, the moment everyone is done, we could do something that’s really fun, like arts and crafts. How does that sound?” The students all nodded, and murmured excitedly among themselves. “Great, I’m glad you all agree. You’ll have ten minutes to finish. And remember, no hooves, only telekinesis.”

As soon as the teacher started the timer, the students all began to grunt and groan as they did their best to levitate their pencils. Twilight clenched her eyes shut like she had earlier that day, and poured all her concentration into making the pencil levitate. Before long, she opened her eyes to see it floating in front of her, incased in a very familiar glow. Twilight looked around, and was proud to see that she was one of the few foals to actually get her writing utensil to float. Not wasting another minute, the filly looked down on her paper and began answering the questions.

Or at least she tried.

Twilight squinted as she read, and re-read the first question: ‘Please name one of Starswirl the Bearded’s three Laws of Magical Force. ‘

Twilight stared blankly at the page. Remembering the lesson on good test taking skills she had learned the first week of class, Twilight moved on to the next question with the hopes of returning when she had time to think. But when she read the second question, her mind remained blank. Twilight read every question on the sheet, and while there were one or two she was able to answer, most of them were a complete mystery to the filly.

“One minute remaining,” announced the teacher.

Twilight panicked, so much so that the pencil in front of her waivered a bit, before she was able to get it under control. Doing the only thing she could think of, Twilight filled in random answers for the questions she left blank. She had just finished answering the last question, when her paper floated from her desk in a grey glow, and settled itself on the teacher’s desk.

“Times up!”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. She had almost not been able to finish. Now with the weight of the dreaded quiz off her shoulders, the filly went on to enjoy the rest of the school day. Arts and crafts made way for story time, and eventually it was time for everypony’s favorite activity: Nap time. For the rest of the day, minus when the foals were asleep, sounds of laughter and joy could be heard coming out of the classroom. After a few hours the bell rang, and the students all filed out of the class, talking excitedly among themselves.

Twilight stood from her desk, and was about to follow her classmates out the door, when she heard a cough from behind.

“*Ahem* Miss Sparkle, would you mind staying here for a few minutes so that I could speak with you?”

Twilight titled her head quizzically, but nodded. She approached her teacher, who was sitting at her desk, examining a sheet of paper. She did not look pleased.

“Miss Sparkle, do you know what this is?”

Twilight shook her head.

“This is your pop-quiz. You only got three out of your ten questions correct.” The elder turned the sheet around to show the filly. The paper was covered in red marks and crosses. “Miss Sparkle, this is unacceptable.”

Twilight tried to shrink as much as she could to avoid the teacher’s reproachful gaze. “I-I’m sorry,” she whimpered.

Mrs. Starshine sighed. “Twilight, you are a very fortunate unicorn. You hold more raw power than all your classmates put together, and certainly more than any other student I have every taught. But raw magic isn’t enough. You need to apply yourself, and start studying more magical theory. Now I know that this must be very new to you, and that this is much more advanced than what you’re accustomed to in regular kindergarten. But this is the Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and you need to start preforming at a higher level.” The teacher’s gaze hardened. “I will not give you any special treatments just because you are Celestia’s personal student. Understood?”

Twilight nodded weakly.

“Good. Now go enjoy your weekend.”

The filly made her way out of the class. As she left the classroom, she was stopped by a group of three colts, who had been pressing their ears on the door classroom door. They all scampered back, and tried to look nonchalant when the lavender unicorn walked out.

“What are you doing?” asked Twilight.

“Uh…nothing…” mumbled one of the children.

Twilight was about to say something, when she heard a familiar voice.

“Good afternoon, my student. How was class?”

Twilight spun around to see Celestia standing over her. She, along with the other children, bowed down. “Hello Princess!” cried the purple filly happily. “It was great. I had a lot of fun.”

“I’m glad. Now say goodbye to your friends, we have some lessons to review.” Twilight followed the Princess down the corridor, and outside the academy. The two made their way through the cold, snow blanketed courtyard back to the castle, and spent the next few hours reviewing Twilight’s exercises in the Princess’ quarters. Once they were done, the Princess invited the filly to some supper in the dining room. That night, Twilight fell on her bed with a small smile, and a full tummy. The baby dragon was asleep, and a warm flame crackled in a fireplace in a corner of the room.

‘You need to start preforming at a higher level…’ The teacher’s words rang in Twilight’s head, and her smile was replaced with a frown.

“Stoopid Teacher,” she grumbled.

She stood from her bed, and sat at her desk. Levitating a quill, the filly began scribbling on a sheet of parchment.

‘Dear Mommy and Daddy

‘I am having fun at Celestia’s scool for gifted unicorns. It is very very fun. Celestia is very nice. She always smiles alot and is always hapy to see me. Mrs. Starshine is a stoopid meanie. She said Im not smart enouf for the school. Maybe Im not smart enouf. I failed a pop-quiz today. And that made me very sad. Some of the other kids were taking about how easy it was. But it wasnt. They make me feel dumb. I miss you alot. Please say hi to shinning for me.’

As Twilight looked down at the letter she wrote, her tummy began to tighten, and she felt sick. She didn't know why, but writing letters to her family made her sad. She liked doing it, but she always felt sick afterwards. She remembered that Celestia said it was something called ‘Homesickness.’ But that didn't make any sense. How could she catch ‘homesickness’ if she wasn’t home?

Pushing these musings out of her mind, Twilight rolled up her letter, picked it up with her mouth, and scrambled out the door to take it to the castle’s post offices. The office was a small kiosk on the first floor of the fortress, and behind the desk stood an old, grey unicorn.

“Hello, little lady,” said the stallion with a smile. “How can I help you today?”

“Can youf mail thif letter,” mumbled Twilight, with the parchment still in her mouth.

The mailpony chuckled. “Why sure, sweetie. Just give it over here, and I’ll have it sent in a jiffy.”

As soon as she handed the parchment to the stallion, his horn began to glow, and the paper was ignited in a blue flame, before disappearing. Twilight stood sat in front of the post office’s desk, waiting expectantly while the kindly old stallion smiled and wiped the counter. Before long, a loud ding was heard, and a pink flame erupted over the counter, depositing a sealed envelope and a package.

“I think this is yours, little lad-” before the stallion could even finish, Twilight *squeed*, snatched the letter and package in her mouth, and hastily made her way out of the office, towards her quarters. She slammed the door behind her, causing the dragon to stir sleepily in his crib, and hopped on her bed to rip open the envelope.

‘Dear Twilight,

Hey kiddo, we’re very happy to hear from you. Things haven’t been the same without you here around the house. Shinning says hi. He’s being a major pain in the flank, as usual…’

Twilight giggled as she imagined her angst riddled, teenage brother giving their parents untold amounts of trouble.

‘…Hey, sweetie. That was your father writing the first part, and let me just say that he isn’t much better than that brother of yours. Even though we miss you, we’re both thrilled that you are having fun there at the academy. Though, we are worried about your grades. And don’t call your teacher stoopid stupid. Us not being with you is no excuse to use such language, young lady.

‘NEVER say you’re not smart enough to do anything, Twilight. You are one of the most intelligent mares in the world. It only took you a few months to go from doing no magic at all, to being one of the most advanced unicorns in your class! We know it can be frustrating and scary being in a new place, but if you just work hard, we know that you can do great things. You are doing a very brave thing for you age, Twily. We know you must miss us, but don’t worry, in a few weeks it’ll be Hearth’s Warming Eve, and you’ll be back here in no time! We love you so much, sweetie. Never forget, we’ll always be proud of you no matter what.

‘Love,

‘Mommy and Daddy.’

By the time Twilight was done reading the letter, her tummy was aching tremendously. She missed her mommy and daddy, and just the thought of them made her want to be sick. She sniffled quietly.

‘Mommy and daddy are right!’ she thought. ‘I’m gonna study hard, and be the most smartest pony in my class. Then I won’t feel so dumb.’

These thoughts helped ease her stomach pains slightly, but she still felt somewhat queasy. She was about to tuck herself into bed, when she noticed a short footnote on the bottom of the letter.

‘P.S. We packed you a little surprise in the package. Try not to eat them at once or you’ll get a tummy ache.’

Twilight glanced at the brown box on her bed in surprise. She had completely forgotten about it. Shredding the wrapping paper in excitement, the filly practically ripped the box open, and gasped. Inside was a container full of her mother’s famed oatmeal cookies. Over a baker’s dozen of them! But best of all, next to them was a very familiar sight. Twilight levitated the stuffed toy, which had been placed next to the cookies. There was a small note pinned to its front:

‘Thought you’d like Smartypants to keep you some company. –Mommy’

Twilight squealed happily, and hugged the toy tightly before attacking the baked treats inside the box. Despite her mom’s warning, Twilight devoured every single cookie. Far from giving her a tummy ache, she now felt better than ever. The filly wiped the crumbs off her bed, and tucked herself under the covers. With a small smile on her muzzle, Twilight closed her eyes, and snuggled with Smartypants. She took a deep breath, and sighed contently.

He smelled like mommy’s shampoo and daddy’s cheap cologne.

Of Shining Armor, and oatmeal cookies.

Of story-time, and being tucked in at night.

He smelled like home.

Twilight spent most of the weekend reading books and studying, determined to make her parents proud, and show her meanie teacher that she was smart enough for the prestigious school. On the few occasions that the wasn’t reading up on her lessons, Twilight spent her time with Celestia, or taking care of the baby dragon in her crib, who had been oddly placid the last few days.

On Monday morning, Twilight trotted to her class with a spring in her step. There was another quiz scheduled that day, and she had spent her entire weekend studying. She was confident that she would teach this stupid quiz who was boss, and show her teacher how smart she was.

Twilight got to the classroom super-duper extra early, and sat down at her desk full of self-assurance. Miss Starshine was surprised to see the filly so early, but said nothing. After about ten minutes, the first other student entered the class. Before long, fillies and colts began trickling into the room, accompanied by their distinct chatter. The students fortunately settled down fairly quickly though, and waited in anticipation for their teacher to finish scribbling on the blackboard.

When she was done, Mrs. Starshine turned around and smiled to her class. “Good morning, class.”

“Good morning, Mrs. Starshine.”

“As always, let’s try to get the quiz over with quickly, shall we? Pull out a sheet of paper and a pencil, and solve the five questions on the board. You have ten minutes. Good luck. And remember, you’re only allowed to use your magic to write.”

Twilight levitated the paper and pencil with ease, and looked at the questions on the board with a confident grin on her face. That grin quickly turned into a look of dismay as the filly read the questions in front of her.

She…

She didn’t know the answers.

What was happening? She had spent the entire weekend studying the material. Yet, when she read the questions on the board, she had no idea what they were talking about.

Twilight looked around frantically at the other foals, in an attempt to glean any idea on how they were doing. She was shocked to see that not only were they all scribbling away on their papers happily, but they were doing so with absolutely no hint of stress or frustration on their faces.

“Eyes on your own paper, Miss Sparkle,” scolded the teacher.

Twilight snapped her head back to her paper, and blushed in embarrassment when some of the colts behind her snickered at her misfortune.

The purple unicorn stared at her blank paper miserably. ‘Why can’t mommy and daddy be here?’ she thought sadly. ‘They always know everything. They could help.’

At the thought of her parents, Twilight’s previous tummy ache struck back with full force. The filly felt like she was going to be sick.

“Time’s up. Pencils down,” announced the teacher. She began collecting all the quizzes from her students, smiling approvingly to each one as she glanced at their work. When she finally reached Twilight, the educator lifted the filly’s blank paper, and widened her eyes in surprise. She glanced down at the purple unicorn, and shook her head in disappointment. Twilight sank into her desk, and gripped her tummy.

For the rest of the school day, a dark cloud seemed to surround the filly. She had spent all her free time studying, and for what? She still did terribly on the quiz, the teacher still scolded her after class, and worst of all, she still managed to let down her parents again.

Twilight collected her things, and sullenly marched out of the classroom. She was about to head back her room, and prepare for her lessons with Celestia, when she noticed the colts from Friday standing in front of her.

“You’re Twilight, right?” asked one of the children. An amber coated unicorn, Sesame something-or-another. Twilight couldn’t really remember the names of anypony in her class.

“Uh…yeah,” answered the filly uncertainly.

“Why was Miss Stawshine tawking wit you afta cwass?” asked a younger colt with a green coat.

Twilight blushed and looked at the floor in embarrassment. “N-no r-reason.”

“Is it cuz you didn’t do good on your quiz?” asked the third colt, a blue unicorn.

“No!”

The first colt tilted his head quizzically at the purple filly. “I thought you were The Princess’ preso- perina- special student?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I thought she only took in smart ponies.”

Unbeknownst to the colt, his seemingly innocent question struck Twilight’s feelings harshly. “I am smart!” cried the filly.

“No you’we not,” said the younger colt. “We heawd you tawking to Mrs. Stawshine. We heawd her caw you dumb.”

“She didn’t call me dumb!” insisted Twilight.

“But that test was so easy,” drawled the first colt. “You must not be very smart if you didn’t do good.”

Twilight felt her tummy hurt more than ever before, and she had to blink away tears lest she start crying in front of the oblivious colts.

“It’s not fair!” cried the third colt as he stomped his hoof, completely unaware of Twilight’s anguish. “Why does a stoopid dummy face like you get to be Mrs. Princess Celestia’s special students? I’m smarterer than you but I don’t get to be special!”

Twilight shook in grief. “S-s-shut u-u-up!”

“You’re just a big dumb filly,” concluded the colt.

Unable to handle the teasing, Twilight scattered. She fled through the hallways of the academy, her tears blurring her vision as she ran, turning passersby into nothing more than hazy silhouettes. She burst forth from the school’s entrance, and was hit by the cold winter air. She didn’t care. She continued galloping as fast as she could through the frigid wind and icy snow, her breath turned to mist as she panted.

Finally, she made it across the courtyard and into Canterlot Castle. Without even stopping to catch her breath, the filly ran to the staircase that led to her room, scrambled up the stairs and into her bedroom, and slammed the door behind her.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaWAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa!!!”

The dragon within the crib was wailing again. Twilight shakily made her way to the bassinet, her leaking eyes mirroring those of the infant inside.

“P-p-please b-be quiet, b-baby dragon,” she croaked.

The dragon paid no heed, and instead intensified his cries. Twilight winced at the noise. “P-p-please…” she whimpered.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaWAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa!!!”

Unable to handle the noise any longer, Twilight grabbed her Smartypants doll, and locked herself in the bathroom. Once the door was shut behind her, and the noises of the weeping baby had been muffled, the filly collapsed on the floor, and sobbed. She hugged her doll tightly, and tried to remember her home. But rather than bring her comfort, the thoughts of her family only served to make the pain in her tummy more intense.

Twilight didn’t know how long she stayed curled up on the bathroom floor. After a while her tears had dried up, and her eyes hurt too much to cry. The filly stood up and wiped her nose. Moving to the sink, she splashed water on her face until the dried streaks on her cheeks vanished. Sullenly, the filly looked at herself in the mirror.

Her eyes were bloodshot, and her mane was completely disheveled. Yet those were only minute details compared to the look of utter misery she wore.

‘Maybe they’re right,’ thought Twilight sadly. ‘Maybe I am too dumb.’ She shut her eyes to keep more tears from welling up.

“I’m sorry mommy. I’m sorry daddy,” she whispered hoarsely. “I’m sorry I’m not smart enough…”

‘NEVER say you’re not smart enough to do anything, Twilight.’

The words from her parent’s letter suddenly resonated in her head.

‘You are one of the most intelligent mares in the world.’

Twilight opened her eyes, and looked at her-self in the mirror once more.

‘Never forget, we’ll always be proud of you no matter what.’

The look of anguish was replaced with one of determination.

‘We love you so much…’

“No…” whispered the unicorn. “No! I’m not stoopid!” Twilight turned away from the mirror. Her tummy was no longer hurting, and was instead burning with determination. “I’m not dumb!” she cried. “Mommy and daddy are right. I’m gonna show those stoopid colts. I’m gonna study harderer than ever! And then I’ll be the bestest student in the class, and I’ll win all those dumb colts’ admi- admar- admiratie- all those stoopid colts’ll like me!”

Twilight burst forth from the bathroom, and rushed towards her school materials. The dragon had, surprisingly, ceased his cries, and had resumed his slumber. Not taking note of this however, the filly found her class textbook, and practically attacked it.

The mare spent the rest of the night reading; studying under the flickering rays of candlelight. She was determined to prove to her teacher, her classmates, her parents, and, above all else, herself, that she was not only intelligent, but also worthy of being a part of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. The filly recalled that the only other time she had studied so voraciously was shortly after going to the Summer Sun Celebration for the first time. When she first realized that her calling was magic. And so, the filly read nonstop throughout the night, pausing only to go to the restroom.

The next day, Twilight went to class exhausted. She poured all her willpower into staying awake, and succeeded in not passing out in the middle of the class. Needless to say, naptime was a much welcome respite. For all her trouble however, Twilight still struggled in class. Rather than discourage the filly, this only strengthened her resolve to study harder.

Twilight spent the rest of the week engrossed in her books. Reading, eating, and marking the days of her calendar until Hearth’s Warming Eave, were only punctuated by her lessons with Celestia.

“What’s wrong, my student?” inquired the monarch during one class. “You look exhausted.”

Twilight gave a loud yawn. “I’m fine Princess. I just studied a lot last night.”

Celestia smiled warmly to her student. “I’m happy to hear that. Just don’t try to push yourself to hard, alright my student?”

Twilight nodded, and gave the Princess a tired smile.

“Good. I take it your excited about going home for Hearth’s Warming Eve?”

Twilight nodded excitedly. “Oh yes, Princess! I miss my mommy and daddy a lot! I can’t wait to see them again and open presents and play with Shinning and cuddle next to the fire with my favorite book and-” Twilight stopped suddenly, and looked up to the Princess sadly. “But…I’m still going to miss you though.”

Celestia’s heart wrenched at these words. She lowered her head, and nuzzled the filly affectionately. “I know, Twilight,” she whispered. “I’m going to miss you too. I am also rather jealous. My New Years in going to be much less fun than yours.”

“Why?”

“I have to travel in a few days, and shall not for a few weeks. But don’t worry, I’ll be back by the time you return. Now come, we have much to cover today.”

The two continued their lessons, and when they were done, Twilight returned to her room to continue studying.

The days rolled by. The air continued to get colder, and blizzards started to assault the fair city of Canterlot. Celestia had long since departed, leaving Twilight on her own with no one but her books, the castle staff, and the baby dragon for company. Still, the filly didn’t mind. She was too engrossed with her studies, zealously reading for hours and hours on end, with the hopes of proving her worth to the class. She continued counting the days till her departure though. She could practically already feel her parent’s warm embrace when they hugged for the first time in months, and taste the succulent New Year’s feast her mother would no doubt prepare. It was by far her favorite holiday, and the decorations which hung all over the castle served to cheer her up further. Even the baby dragon, who Twilight had still failed to find an adequate name for, was unusually tame these past few days. The tummy aches were now but a distant, unpleasant memory.

Finally, the day came. The day in which Twilight could finally prove herself. The day where all the studying would pay off. That day, the class was having an exam, one of the last ones before the holidays. As Twilight made her way to her class, she felt her chest swell with confidence. As she neared the kindergarten room however, her self-assurance slowly drained away. She couldn’t help but remember the last time she was this confident. Not more than a two weeks ago, after she had received her parent’s care package. She was so sure she was going to so well, yet when the moment of truth came, she still failed. Twilight was outright terrified by the time she made it to her class, and had to force herself to calm down, lest she start hyperventilating.

Twilight sat down at her desk, again. She pulled out a sheet of paper and pencil, again. She looked around to see that she was the first one in class…again. And, like in every other day, students eventually began to file into the class, and find their seats. Mrs. Starshine cantered in behind them, apologizing profusely for being late, and wrote the word ‘EXAM’ on the board.

“Today’s the day, isn’t it class?” she said cheerily as she pulled out a stack of papers from her desk. “I know how much you all can’t wait to take this here test.” She giggled at her own joke, prompting a few nervous chuckles from the students. Twilight was practically sweating bullets. “Oh come now, don’t be so frightened. It’s just a test. It isn’t the end of the world.”

Mrs. Starshine began passing out the exams, giving smiles of encouragement to all her students. “Now don’t worry about this test. It’s much more difficult than what you’re accustomed to. I would be very surprised if one of you was able to answer half of the questions. As such, it’ll be graded on a curve. So just relax, answer what you know, and when you’re done, you can treat yourself to one of these chocolate chip cookies I baked for you.”

The teacher placed a plate covered in warm cookies on her desk. The aroma of melting chocolate permeated throughout the class, causing the children’s mouths to water, and their eyes to widen at the delicious sight.

“Now,” continued the teacher, oblivious to the stomachs growling throughout the class. “As usual, you must use your magic to levitate your pencils. Begin.”

Twilight levitated he pencil immediately easily. She reluctantly looked down at the test with dread, expecting to find the same gibberish she inevitably always found whenever she took an exam. Much to her surprise, and, eventually, delight, she actually understood the first question. Not only did she understand it, but she knew exactly what the answer was. Twilight was momentarily stunned. Surely this couldn’t be the first question of the test? It was too easy. Still, not one to question good luck, the filly answered the question and moved on, fully expecting its simplicity to be a fluke. Yet when she read the second question, she found it even easier than the first.

Twilight looked around her class in confusion. The other students appeared to be struggling with the exam, as evidenced by the frustration that wrinkled their brows. Not wanting to be scolded again by the teacher for letting her eyes linger, Twilight glanced back at her test, shrugged, and began scribbling down answers. The lavender unicorn’s face quickly broke into a large smile as she breezed through the exam. In no time at all, Twilight stood up, and approached the front desk with her sheet levitating next to her.

“Yes, Miss Sparkle?” asked the teacher.

“I’m finished.”

“Excuse me?”

Uh…I-I’m done?”

Mrs. Starshine stared at the filly in disbelief, before seizing her exam. Looking over the sheet of paper, the educator shot Twilight a delighted smile.

“Well done, Twilight! But are you sure you don’t want to go over it for mistakes?”

Twilight shook her head.

“Well, in that case, I think you deserve two cookies for being the first one done. Now let’s just hope you got them right, eh?” added the teacher jokingly. Twilight didn’t care, and stretched her face with a wide smile. Levitating two chocolate chip cookies, the filly practically skipped back to her desk, while the rest of the class stared at her with a mixture of envy and incredulity. Twilight glanced at the three colts who had teased her. Her aggravators were gaping at her, unable to comprehend what had happened. The purple unicorn’s grin widened, and she munched on her cookies happily, eliciting a loud, satisfied moan from her lips.

“Time’s up,” announced the teacher after about twenty minutes. After collecting the exams, the students were all allowed to play around the classroom with the toys and trinkets that littered the floor. As Twilight built a tower of blocks, she glanced over to see one of her bullies giving her a jealous glare. Twilight just stuck her tongue out at him.

The bell eventually rang, as it every day, and the students all left the class and headed home. Twilight was just about to follow suite, when familiar voice called out from behind.

“Miss Sparkle, can I speak to you for a moment?”

Twilight gulped. Why would the teacher want to talk to her? Hadn’t she done well on the test? But rather than giving her a stern look, Mrs. Starshine was smiling proudly at the filly.

“Yes, Miss?”

“I just wanted to congratulate you, Twilight!” The teacher was practically beaming at her student. “I am thoroughly impressed. I have never had a student at your level able to do so well on this test! But it’s not just that. You’ve improved tremendously in all your schoolwork! I am very proud of you.” The teacher levitated a sheet of paper off her desk, and presented it to Twilight. On it was an ‘A+++’ stamped in blue ink.

“I’ve just started correcting them, but you could keep it if you want,” explained the teacher. “Seeing as how you’re the only one who answered all the questions, I think it’s safe to say that you did the best in the class. You’re a very special filly Miss Sparkle, keep it up.”

Twilight stared at the paper in shock before squealing happily, and trotting out of the classroom, much to her teacher’s amusement. The filly made her way back to the castle, eager to write a letter to her parents telling them all about the test. As she waded through the snowy courtyard, the filly stuck out her tongue to catch falling snow flakes. She scrunched up her muzzle as a couple landed on her nose, causing her sneeze loudly and send a spray of snow all across the garden. She couldn’t help but giggle at the sight though. Nothing could ruin Twilight’s day now.

She continued on her way back to her quarters, when her ear twitched at the sound of a few voices coming from the other side of the yard. The unicorn peered over a snow covered hedge, only to see three familiar colts talking amongst themselves. With a smug smirk, Twilight marched up to the group.

“Ha! In your face!” she yelled as she shoved her test results up to them. The youngest of the group, the green coated one, was about to congratulate Twilight, but was cut off by one of his older companions.

“Shut up!” shouted the blue one. “You…you just got lucky.”

“Nuh Uh.”

“Yuh Hu.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“Your just jealous,” said Twilight. “What did you get on you test, huh?”

The three colts flushed in embarrassment. “W-w-we did good,” muttered the amber unicorn.

“Liar,” accused Twilight. “Mrs. Starshine told me nopony else finished the test. You guys are the dumb ones.”

“Oh yeah?” asked the blue colt, who’s eyes were starting to water. “Well…well…well I’d rather be dumb than a teacher’s pet!”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Hey! I’m not a teacher’s pet.”

“Yeah you are. You were the only one in class to finish the test. That makes you a teacher’s pet.”

“No,” said Twilight nervously. “That…that just makes me smarter.”

“It makes you a freak! That was, like, grown up stuff on that test! And the only one who could do it was you. That makes you a freak, and everypony knows it.”

Twilight winced. She was confused. The horrid colts had teased her because she wasn’t smart enough for their class, and now they were mocking her because she exceeded in her studies? That made no sense.

“But…but…I…I studied and…I’m not a freak,” whimpered the filly. “N-no one thinks I’m a f-f-freak.”

The navy blue unicorn nodded. “Yeah they do. Why do you think you don’t have any friends?”

That stung Twilight. It was true, despite Celestia’s assurances the filly had not made any friends yet. And now these colts were telling her that everyone in her class was calling her a freak behind her back?

Twilight felt her eyes begin to water. She shivered as the cold winter air nipped at her coat. “You…you’re lying…Mrs. Starshine s-s-says I’m s-special.”

“Yeah, cuz you’re a teacher’s pet.”

Twilight could feel tears flowing down her cheeks freely now. Dropping her test into the snow, she turned around and ran back to the castle as fast as her legs could carry her, occasionally tripping and falling into the icy sleet. The filly rushed up the stairs and into her bedroom. The baby dragon was wailing again, but she didn’t care. She just ran into her bathroom, her sanctuary, and locked the door behind her.

Once that was done, the filly sat onto the floor and wept. It was a scene she was all too familiar with. And so, with no Smartypants to comfort her this time, Twilight stayed on her bathroom floor, crying. Once the tears had all dried up, as they always did, she lay there with her eyes closed, whimpering. She could hear the baby dragon shrieking, calling for her, through the door. She covered her ears to try to block out the wailing, but it proved futile. Celestia had been wrong. She didn’t make any friends; everypony thought she was a teacher’s pet. But now the Princess wasn’t even here to comfort her. Even her parents, the smartest ponies in the world, had been wrong. She wasn’t special, she was just a freak.

At the thought of her parents, Twilight’s tummy began to feel sick again. She tried to think of anything else, but it was no use. Soon, her tummy hurt more than it ever did in her life. ‘Just think of Hearth’s Warming Eve,’ she thought desperately. ‘Soon, I’ll be with mommy and daddy again. Away from this stoopid castle and those dumb colts.’ With these comforting thoughts, her pains receded into a dull ache. Twilight shakily stood up, wiped her nose with her hoof, and, without even bothering to clean herself, walked out of the bathroom.

Fortunately for her, the dragon’s cries had subsided into quiet whimpers. Twilight tried to comfort the dragon with some toys or milk, but it was no use. The infant continued to toss and turn uneasily within his crib. Giving up, Twilight dragged herself to her room, crawled under her covers, and fell into a restless sleep.

For the next few days, Twilight forced herself to go to school despite her wishes to stay locked in her room. The castle seemed emptier, the staff more distant, the air colder, and the skies greyer. Even the dragon was ill-at-ease, as he continued to stir and whimper in his sleep. Still, Twilight marched herself through the stony corridors to the classroom. She had long since abandoned her desk at the front of her class for one in an unobtrusive corner in the back. The colts had spread the slanderous teasing across the classroom, and soon the rest of the students had joined them in their teasing, completely unaware of just how much they were hurting their victim’s feelings. Mrs. Starshine, who was utterly unaware of the student’s teasing, expressed concern about Twilight’s behavior, but got no answer out of the sullen filly.

Twilight spent most time writing to her parents, and studying. Reading provided some small escape from the mocking jeers of her classmate, and the only real compliments she received anymore were from her teacher, prompting her to do her best in class, as she found Mrs. Starshine positive feedback to be comforting. Needless to say, this did not help with quell the accusations that she was a teacher’s pet.

But the only things that truly brightened up her day the most were the letters she got from her parents, and thoughts of Hearth’s Warming Eave; the latter especially helped ease the pain in her tummy, which as-of-late had been almost constant. The hope that she may leave the dreary castle and the taunts of her classmates, if only for a few days, was enough to nearly put a smile on her face.

These hopes however, were soon shattered one Monday morning, only a few days before the end of classes. Twilight was reading in her room, as she had taken to doing recently, and the baby dragon was still stirring in his crib, when a knock came from her chamber doors.

“Just a minute,” she called out. Clamoring from her desk, the filly made her way to the door, and opened it to reveal the old, grey stallion from the castle’s post office.

The elder’s eyes widened, as did his smile when he saw who opened the door. “You’re Miss Sparkle?”

“Uh…yes?”

The stallion chuckled. “Well I’ll be. It’s good to see you again, little lady.”

Twilight smiled. The old mail-pony had been very friendly to her ever since she arrived to the castle, helping learn the eccentricities of Equestrian mail service, as well as giving her directions when she got lost on her first day living in the castle. “It’s nice to see you too, mister.”

“Call me Stamp, that’s what my friends call me. Not very clever, I know. But hey, it works.” Stamp pulled out a letter from his saddle pack, and presented it to Twilight. “This just came in. I think it’s from you’re parents,” explained the post officer as he handed to the delighted filly. “I thought you’d want to read it straight way,” he added with a wink.

“Oh thank you, Mister Stamp!”

“No problem, kiddo. I’ll see you later. Happy Hearth’s Warming!” With that, Stamp returned to his duties, leaving Twilight with her letter. The filly excitedly jumped onto her bed, and opened the envelope.

‘What could it be,’ she thought as she unfolded the parchment. She gasped. ‘Maybe they sent me a list of Hearth’s Warming Eve presents we’re going to buy! Or maybe it’s a list of things we’re gonna do when I get back!” Twilight couldn’t take it any longer, she just had to know what awesome presents her parents were planning to get her. Almost tearing the paper in excitement, Twilight’s eyes hungrily scanned the letter. As she read however, her ears folded back, and her smile was replaced with a deep frown.

‘Dear Twilight,’

‘I am so, so sorry to be writing this on such short notice, sweetie. There’s been an accident, honey. You’re uncle Dusk has become very ill. You’re father, Shinning, and I had to travel to Canterlot immediately. I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to come back home for Hearth’s Warming Eve or New Years. We promise that as soon as uncle Dusk feels better, we’ll all do something together as a family, okay? Please be strong sweetie, for daddy and me.

‘Love,

‘Mommy’

Twilight stared at the letter in front of her, unable to process what she had just read. She turned the letter around, hoping to find a part of the message she may have missed. When she found none, she let the letter fall from her hooves. That’s it? Twilight looked down at the parchment in her bed, and noticed that some portions of the parchment were stained with tears. She brought her hoof to her face, and found it wet.

Twilight spent the rest of the night crying silently in her room. The next day, she wandered through the uninviting castle in a dreamlike state. Her tummy hurt nonstop, and she was constantly nausea. Now, rather than bring her cheer, the Hearth’s Warming Eve decoration strewn about the castle only served as a bitter reminder of the fact that she won’t see her mother or father. Even her teacher’s praise seemed empty and hollow.

Worst of all, the baby dragon had decided to resume its cries, leaving Twilight exhausted and frustrated.

The last day of school came, and Twilight stood on one of the castle’s balconies, watching the students leave the build and rush into the embrace of their parents, ready to go home for the holidays. Despite all the teasing and name-calling, Twilight had never felt more loathing towards her bullies then at that moment. Why was it that they, her tormentors, the colts that made her life miserable and had humiliated her constantly, why was it that they were allowed to go home and spend time with their families, while she was condemned to the castle

It wasn’t fair.

Her anger and frustration was all that kept here from breaking down again. She had decided that mommy and daddy wanted her to be a grown up filly now. ‘Be strong,’ said the letter, and so she resolved herself to not cry anymore. But whenever she the thought of her parents crept its way into here head, her tummy would ache, and she would have to blink away tears that threatened to flow, like they did so many times before.

Twilight spent Hearth’s Warming day curled up in her bathroom, stroking Smartypants and trying not to vomit. The dragon’s crying made her quarters unlivable, and every day she felt a little more tired, and little angrier. Still, out of sheer force of will, the foal managed to keep any tears from shedding on that day.

The days rolled by, and sooner than Twilight would have liked, New Year’s reared its unwelcome head. The sun had set, and the filly sat in the castle’s dining room, eating her supper. As Celestia’s personal student, she was lavished with all sorts of luxuries. This feast was no exception, as the castle’s chefs seemed to have gone all out on the New Year’s feast, providing succulent roast vegetables, seeped in all manner of rare and exotic spices. The desserts themselves were spectacular affairs, and they tasted just as good as they looked.

But when Twilight ventured a morsel, she savored nothing. It was dry, empty, and tasteless. The filly lowered her silverware, and pushed her plate away. Her tummy hurt too much to eat anyways. Besides, she didn’t want this feast. She wanted her mommy’s cooking. She wanted her daddy’s cheesy jokes, and Shinning’s constant eye rolling. She wanted mommy’s burnt roast peppers, and daddy’s eggnog, which he would let her have a sip of if she promised not to tell mommy about it.

She wanted her family.

Twilight turned her head, and looked out one of the dining room’s windows. The fireworks had already started over the city. Every year, daddy would drag her and her family up to Stargaze Hill in the middle of Canterlot Park. Mommy would complain about it being too cold, daddy would ask her why she didn’t bring her coat, and mommy would say that he didn’t give her time. The two would bicker for a while then. Shinning would whine that his hooves hurt, and that fireworks were stupid. She would shiver and yell at Shinning for hogging the blanket. And everypony else on the hill would stare at them like they had gone insane. It happened this way every year, like clockwork.

But then, when the fireworks started, they would all stop their squabbling, huddle under the only blanket they brought, and watch the fireworks together. All their troubles would be forgotten, and for a few fleeting moments, none of them would have a care in the world. They did that every year. Every year…

…except this year.

Twilight didn’t realize that she was shaking. A small sob escaped her lips, and her vision had gone fuzzy. She pushed herself from the table, and rushed back to her room. She needed Smartypants, something to help her remember her parents, and make her forget the colts’ teasing. She rushed into her quarters, and was greeted by the shrieks of the baby dragon, who had been crying nonstop for the past few days.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaWAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa!!!”

Twilight shut her eyes and covered her ears; the crying was giving her a headache.

“Please, Mister Baby Dragon. Stop crying. Please, please, please.”

The infant only began to scream louder, and Twilight’s headache intensified. “Please…”

All her frustration, the memories of her bullies, her parents, not being able to go home for the holidays, the fear of her own inadequacy, the constant teasing and jeers…all that boiled into anger, and came pouring out.

“SHUT UP!!!” shouted Twilight. She marched up to the crib, all her fury and aguish etched on her face. Tears continued to stream unrelentingly, but she didn’t notice. She was too angry to notice.

“SHUT UP, YOU STOOPID DRAGON!!! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!” Twilight stomped her hoof on the floor. “If you hadn’t hatched, then I wouldn’t be at this dumb school! Then all those stoopid colts wouldn’t be mean to me, and I’d be with mommy and daddy and Shinning, and we’d sit on the hill and watch fireworks and…and…I HATE YOU!!!”

Twilight broke down. She collapsed onto the floor, and wept. Her tummy was a raging in pain, and her eyes were sore from all her crying, but she didn’t care.

The little, purple dragon had stopped crying. The baby poked his head over the bassinet, and stared at the sobbing purple pony in front of him. He climbed out of the crib and, walking on his arms and legs, approached the curious lavender mass.

Twilight looked up at the dragon in front of her, who was staring at her curiously. Her eyes were red, and her cheeks streaked with salty tears.

“I’m sorry Mister Baby Dragon,” she sniffed. “I’m sorry I was mean to you. I’m just really sad because I’m all alone. Mommy, daddy…even Princess Celestia, they’re all gone.”

The dragon tilted his head, before walked up and nuzzling the filly’s cheek. Twilight’s eyes widened. She looked at the baby dragon, who seemed to be smiling back at her. The infant shakily tried standing on his legs, before falling backwards and rocking back and forth on his back, as he sucked the tip of his tale contently. The site caused Twilight to titter, and the sound of the filly’s laughter prompted the dragon to giggle as well. He rolled back onto his feet, and curled up next to Twilight, before nuzzling her side and giving her a smile.

Twilight returned the smile, and stroked the dragon’s back affectionately, her hoof passing over the green spines protruding from him. “You sue are really spiky, Mister Dragon…spiky…spike.” Her eyes widened.

“Spike,” she repeated. “Excuse me, Mister Dragon. Do you like the name Spike?”

The dragon gave a tired, reserved yawn, causing Twilight to giggle again. “I’ll take that as a yes.” She curled herself around Spike, and cuddled against him before closing her eyes.

“Good night, Spike,” she whispered before falling asleep. Her breathing was gently, a small smile graced her face…

…and her tummy aches were gone.

Nothing Wrong

“Are you sure you’re ok with me leaving you here? I could take you along, you know.” a goldenrod earth pony sternly asked the pony in front of her.

A grey pegasus saluted in return, grinning. “Don’t worry, Carrot Top! I can take care of myself!”

She didn’t seem convinced. She stared directly at the young grey mare’s eyes. Only one of them happened to stare back, the other slowly drifted off to the side. Her tone grew darker as she spoke. “Derpy, when I get back, if this house isn’t like it is now...”

“I get pie?” The pegasus interrupted, smiling weakly, hoping that as the answer.

Carrot Top blinked, trying to comprehend the inner workings of her friend’s mind. “...I’ll be back tomorrow morning. Please try not to destroy anything while I’m gone, please?”

She got a second salute in response. “Yes sir!”

The orange-maned mare forced out a smile, fearing the absolute worst. “Alright...bye, Derpy...” Shaking her head, she threw her saddlebags over her back and walked out into the snow outside, leaving the house and on her way to her destination.

The pegasus, now alone in the house, started humming off-key as she wandered around the empty household. She flopped onto the couch in deep thought.

“Hm...what to do now?” She closed her eyes, contemplating her options. Opening her eyes, she clapped her hooves together and sat up.

“Ooh! Food! I’ll make food for myself! That’s a good idea!”

Hopping up and flapping her wings, she hovered to the kitchen and opened the fridge door and scanned its contents.

“Hm...cookies, cake, carrots, muffins, chocolate, oh! Leftover soup! That’s easy to heat up for a midnight meal!”

Taking the container out of the fridge, the pegasus dropped it on the counter.

“Ok, Carrot Top usually heats soup on the stove for...10 minutes at 300 degrees...So it would take 5 minutes at 600!”

Bounding up and down, Derpy zipped over to the stove and turned the knob. With the fire lit, she slid the container over the flame and left it there to heat up.

“I can totally take care of myself!” the mare boasted to herself, eyes shut in pride as she left the kitchen.

“What time is it until New Year’s?” she wondered aloud. Turning her head, one of her golden eyes glanced at the clock. “11 o’ clock? Maybe I have time to get some things to celebrate!”

So the pegasus scavenged the home for anything her friend had left behind for her. She searched through every nook and cranny for anything fit for a celebration. After a few minutes, she managed to gather a pair of glasses with the new year as the frames, a party horn with a plastic coiled strip, and a blue striped party hat. She placed her findings on the ground and examined it.

“Hm...It’s a start, but there must be something more...” The mare put on the party hat in place of a thinking cap and put a hoof to her chin with furrowed brows. “Where else would Carrot Top hide her things?” Suddenly, a goofy grin found her way onto her face as an invisible light bulb went off over her head. “Ooh! I know!”

Derpy started making her way upstairs, only to freeze halfway up.

“Oh! Wait!” The pegasus did a complete 180 and rushed back to the kitchen.

Galloping back as fast as her hooves could carry her, she slid into the kitchen and hastily grabbed the container off the stove. “Whew! That was close! Now I can enjoy my soup!” Wings flapping, she made her way to the dining room and sat down with her meal in front of her.

She smiled to herself before sloppily slurping the soup she served. “Mmm...This is so good!” She rubbed her belly, satisfied by the food. Derpy grinned, ready to down more of the heated meal as she brought her mouth to her food once more.

When she finally finished licking her bowl dry save for her saliva, she patted her now full tummy. “Mmm! That was delicious!” Derpy exclaimed. Putting the bowl in her hooves, she was on her way back to the kitchen when she sniffed the air. Something smelled odd, yet familiar to the mailmare. She scrunched her nose as she tried to identify the scent.

“Is that smoke?” Derpy pondered. She continued to sniff, looking for the source. Letting her nose lead, she started wandering around the house.

The search eventually led her to the kitchen, as she finally found the origin of the smoky scent. The pony’s gold pupils shrank as she realized what she saw.

“The kitchen’s on fire!”

Carrot Top knocked on the wooden door, waiting for somepony to answer. She felt nervous. Not because of the place she was going, but of the place she left. She was hoping with all her might that everything was ok.

A magenta earth pony opened the door to greet the pony outside. “Ah! Carrot Top! Come in! Come in! Happy New Year!” She gestured for her to come inside.

Carrot Top flashed a smile while she made her way in. “Hello, Cheerilee. Happy New Year to you too!”

The teacher started to point at various areas in the house. “The food and drinks are over there, and karaoke is over there. Have fun!” And with that, she walked into another room.

The pony glanced around the scene. Many ponies were either eating or mingling, each one enjoying themselves in their own way. The mare began to feel guilty that she left her friend at home.

“Hey, it’s Carrot Top! Over here!” A group of ponies called. She looked over and saw several of her friends huddled in a group. Without hesitation, she waved to them before joining them.

“Hi girls! Happy New Year to you all!” The mare greeted.

“Well Happy New Year to you too!” A plum pony replied, handing Carrot a cup filled with cider. “Come on, drink up!”

Carrot Top smiled at her friends, tentatively taking a sip of cider. “I’m sure Derpy’s fine...” she thought to herself.

The young grey mare screamed in panic at the blazing inferno in front of her. She started hyperventilating, her hooves bouncing up and down in fear.

“Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no this is bad this is bad this is very very very very very very very bad!” Her heart was now pounding as fast as it could pound as Derpy desperately tried to find a solution.

The fire’s origin was the stove that was accidentally left on. The open flame had set ablaze several foods and wooden utensils that were sprawled on the counter. It continued to grow out of control by each passing second.

Derpy tried to get to the sink to try extinguishing the blaze with water, but it was of no use. The fire was much too close to the sink, making approaching it extremely impossible. Derpy needed to find another solution quickly, or she would have burned the whole house down.

“Oh no no no no no no no no no! Carrot Top will smother me for this! Wait! Smother... Smother! That’s it! I’ll smother the flames! ...But with what?” Before she could finish the thought, the flames licked her coat, causing her to flee upstairs in a panic.

"Eeek!"

“...That’s when he pulls it out. And then he says to me. “Hey, why do I have to pay you? So that’s when I said ‘What, did you think I was doing this for free?’”

The group crowded in the corner started laughing at the end of the story.

“Oh, Berry. You always tell the best stories.” A blue unicorn complemented.

“I know, don’t I always?” Berry chuckled, chugging down another cup of cider.

Carrot Top was laughing, but it seemed to come out forced and awkwardly. She brushed the sweat off her forehead before looking around.

A lavender pegasus turned to the apprehensive partier. “Hey, Carrot Top. What’s wrong? Aren’t you having fun?”

“I-It’s nothing, Cloud Kicker,” The pony replied. “I-I just feel a little nervous is all...”

“Nervous? About what? Come on, relax! It’s New Year’s Eve! Live a little, will ya?” Berry interjected, giving Carrot Top a playful jab in the shoulder.

“Alright, alright...” was her only response, followed by another sip of cider. She just couldn’t focus on having fun when her primary concern was on the house, and how much damage Derpy could be doing to it.

“Gotta find something. Something. Something. Anything. Oh this is very bad. This is very very very bad bad bad bad bad!” The wall-eyed pony yelled to herself as she grabbed the bed sheets from Carrot Top’s bed and brought them downstairs.

“Gotta put it out. Gotta put it out. No no no no no no no this is very very bad!” She screamed as she placed the sheet over part of the blaze and started pressing down on it. Derpy winced in pain, but her adrenaline forced her to keep going to put out the kitchen fire.

“Oh no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no! It’s still going! Gotta find something else! Anything anything else!” Derpy rushed up to Carrot Top’s bedroom and grabbed the pillows.

Flying back to the kitchen, she slammed the pillows down onto the blaze in a desperate attempt to put the fire out.

After several minutes and several burned bed sheets and pillows, the fire was out, and Derpy could rest.

“That... that was too close.” Derpy slowly placed all of Carrot Top’s bedroom items back where they were before.

“...She won’t notice...I hope.” She smiled sheepishly. It was a long shot, but it might work.

She sighed in triumph. She did it. She walked to the living room and yawned. She looked at the charred kitchen. She winced as she got a sponge that wasn’t burned to clean up.

“And so that’s why I can never eat daisies again.” Carrot Top finished.

Each of her friends widened her eyes in surprise as they expressed their own interest.

“I never knew that about you...”

“There is no way that’s true!”

“That explains everything.”

Berry slung her hoof around Carrot Top’s shoulder. “You know, you’re a really, really good storyteller. Hah.”

Carrot Top could tell she was intoxicated. Everypony could tell she was intoxicated.

“Er...thanks a lot, Berry.”

“Hey, come here, you. Gimmie a kiss. I love ya...” Berry slurred out as she puckered her lips.

Carrot Top slowly pushed her away. “Er...maybe later.”

Cloud Kicker stepped up to her. “Are you sure you’re ok?”

Carrot Top sighed. “Well, it’s just...Derpy’s in the house alone...I just hope she doesn’t destroy the house.”

The plum pony, now hiccupping, interjected again. “Ah, come on. Stop your worrying! It’ll all be fine! *HIC!* Ahhaa...”

“Whew...It’s done...” Derpy wiped the sweat off her forehead before falling onto the couch. Outside, the shouting of ‘Happy New Year’ could be heard throughout Ponyville. All the exhausted pegasus could do was put the party horn in her mouth and weakly blow as she lost all her energy and passed out.

“Derpy, I’m home!” The front door opened, and the grey pegasus’s friend entered with a smile.

“Huh? What?” Derpy slowly awoke, eyes barely able to keep open.

“Well, I must say I’m impressed. You managed to keep the house in very good condition! I think you deserve a reward.” The pony yawned. “R-right after a quick nap.”

As Carrot Top walked up to her bedroom, Derpy smacked her lips and managed to smile. The thought of a reward made her feel warm with happiness. But memories of last night slowly came back to her as her eyes widened with fear.

“...Derpy? What in the name of Equestria happened to my bed?”

“I can explain!”

Lavender

Everywhere he turned, he was met with a white world that started nowhere and led right into eternity.

It was cold, so very cold. He could no longer feel his claws or spikes, nor could he muster the strength to belch flames or cry out for help. Not crying-out for aid would have helped him much, as his voice would have been drowned out by the vicious roar of the icy winds that now tore at his every scale, numbing everything save the one thing that pained him the most: his heart.

With one final step, he collapsed. Teeth chattering, he quickly curled up into a ball to try and retain some warmth. Wrapped around his neck was an orange scarf, knitted by hoof and tenderly cared for by an angel, or so he told himself. It was about the only thing that was keeping him warm as the creeping iciness claimed his senses.

Instinctively, he wrapped his claws around the orange scarf, wishing the warmth of its maker could come and save him. He couldn’t help but cry as he remembered how he had ended up in this predicament; how he had lost the one he loved above all else…

Lavender

Spike breathed deeply as he followed Twilight, boxes upon boxes of decorations for Heart Warming’s day tightly held in his claws. He didn’t need to worry much about exerting himself, for he had put on a couple of extra inches since last year’s celebration. Around his neck rested a bright orange scarf, one Twilight had diligently made by hoof over the expanse of several weeks, just for Spike. It was by far the best gift he’d received, one he promised himself to treasure for as long as he could.

At that thought, he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. The notion of growing up terrified him more than anything else.

It’d already been a year since the Crystal Empire incident, and he had put on a few extra inches since. Normally, every youth dreamed of the day he or she grew to adulthood, had his rite of passage, earned their place in society, found someone they loved, got married, and had children. For many, it was a dream. This wasn’t the case for Spike. For the young drake, growing old only held dread, as every year he put on brought him closer to seeing his worst nightmare become a reality. . .

Nearly a year ago, inside the Crystal Empire Palace, a door had opened to something terrifying, both in its reality and its sheer inevitability. To this day, it remained more terrorizing to Spike than every villain he and the six elements had faced so far, every situation he and the six had endured, and every uncertainty than he and the six had faced.

He could still recall the vivid images in his mind’s eye: Twilight, eyes full of hate and indifference, no longer loving him, sending the ‘monstrous dragon’ away from her home and her life, what few belongings he owned scattered across the ground, dirt and mud soiling everything. Hot tears streaming down his face as he desperately tried to understand why Twilight would turn so cold towards him, why she had stopped loving him. Him pleading on his knees with her, begging for an answer as he weaved promises of change into a tapestry that would have made the most hardened of souls do a double take at its magnificence.

None of those things had done anything in that vision. He had only seen Twilight’s gaze grow the colder towards him as she had kicked him off of her and, without a single hesitation, shattered everything he had ever known, everything he had ever cared for with a single look that spoke loud and clear: ‘you’re too monstrous for me to love anymore. Leave and never come back.’

Then, the door had slammed shut, and Spike had faced Twilight’s door, now shut tight with tears streaming down his face. The vision had faded then, and he was embraced by she who loved him above all else just when he felt his most shattered. Despite himself, he had begged Twilight for a promise: promise to never send him away. He had continued to cry nonetheless, for deep down, he knew Twilight couldn’t keep that promise.

Spike choked back a slight sob, eye somewhat watery. Without Twilight, he was nothing.

He quickly shook his head, sucking back the growing anxiety. He snuggled close to the scarf as he looked at Twilight, who cantered ahead of him, books floating next to her beautiful dark lavender hair, her lips rosy and moist. Once again, he swallowed a lump. The longer he waited, the higher the chances that he would lose all will, or worse, lose her. He had to tell her how he really felt today.

But, how could he?

He slowed his pace, closing his eyes as regrets poured into his mind. For nearly three years, he’d been foolishly seeking the affections of the wrong mare.

Rarity had been, in his opinion, the single most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes upon. Her flawless coat, eyes that shone like the gems he adored so much, and lips that glistened in the light like flawless crystals; all features that had made her the one mare he’d seek to the ends of the earth.

Or so he had told himself.

Yet, as the years passed, she rejected his love time and time again. It wasn’t till he was a bit older that he realized that Rarity was, in many ways, unobtainable.

At first, his heart could not take the truth, wishing it desperately to be false. He attempted to change who he was, what he was, yet the mare he believed to have loved so much continued to remain just beyond his reach.

When she finally fell in love, not with him, but another stallion, Spike felt as if his world had been utterly shattered. He had been left without something to love, something to strive and improve upon: a heaven to aspire to.

He fell into sorrow, feeling broken, almost as if he had lost the very will to keep on living.

But no matter how low he had fallen into his own sorrow, Twilight had been there for him, to comfort him at night, to ease his sorrow at day, when not even when the closest thing to a mother he had, princess Celestia, could be there for him.

Twilight had been there. She’d always been there, and would always…

Spike’s lips curled upwards ever so slightly as he recalled their childhood together. Twilight’ favorite game growing up had been princess and monster. Twilight had naturally taken the role of the titular princess, always in distress and in need of a rescuer. Her brother, Shining Armor, took the role of the brave knight in silver armor, ready and willing to march into the maws of Tartarus itself to save the princess. Spike, at first at least, had played the role of terrible monster, jealously guarding the princess that had caught his fancy.

Spike couldn’t help by giggle at the memory. It had been a silly game in hindsight really, one that casted him in a rather bad light at first. Still, he had enjoyed it, as it had been innocent and carefree.

Then Shining left for the Guard Academy, and Spike graduated to the role of knight, Smarty Pants taking the role of the monster.

To commemorate his promotion, he had fashioned himself a suit of cardboard, which he had diligently painted silver. He even had made himself a small sword out of wood with which to fight the monster. Sure, he had been nervous in his first ‘mission,’ but once he had gotten into the rhythm, he had become the perfect ‘gentledragon.’ From that day on, Spike became Twilight’s ‘shining drake in silver armor,’ protecting her from all manner of foul imaginary beasts, and even a few not so imaginary ones. Spike’s brow slightly hardened as he recalled how a group of four bullies jealous of Twilight’s role as the princess’s protégée had terrorized her. Without hesitation, he had charged them all, caring not how much they beat him. He was reminded of his stand against the three Diamond dogs, except that he had succeeded against the bullies. Sure, he had come out of it with a few scrapes and bruises, but the bullies had been turned away, and never bothered Twilight again, not when she had a brave knight protecting her well being. Spike recalls how he had held her in his arms, and how he had hugged her, attempting to ease some of her pain. Though she had been weeping, being held in the arms of her brave knight brought a wide beam to her lips. She had then rewarded her brave silver knight with a kiss on the cheek before she had embraced him.

He couldn’t help but sigh at the memory. Back then, it’d been little more than a simple peck on the check. Now, he realized it had been more than just that. He should have known then that he and Twilight were meant to be. He closed his eyes, realizing the path life had taken. Now, instead of being together as they should have been, he was afraid of what he felt and what it could do to the two of them. That was the reason he had shut his emotions away and they stayed close for nearly seventeen years. That’s why he had sought Rarity’s affection, because in his young foolish mind, he had still longed for the one unicorn he told himself he couldn’t be with for reasons he himself didn’t fully understand, and that’s why Rarity’s final rejection had opened his eyes to the truth.

Now, he was ready to finally speak that truth. He had to before it tore him apart and drove him further away.

The pair entered the library, and after some hot chocolate to ward off the cold winter chill, the two started decorating. It took them nearly two hours, the pair conversing about many things, most trivial, some holiday related, and a few about what the coming year held. The last bit of conversation held the most weight, as Twilight spoke of what the future held for them all. It had been only a matter of time before the conversation veered towards Rarity, and Spike’s recent heartbreak with her. The sudden shift had caught Spike somewhat unprepared, and had found suddenly thrust with emotions he wished he could put behind him.

Naturally, Twilight had been there to comfort the young drake when his emotions finally got the better of him. Spike was brought to an embrace by his dear friend and mentor, taking in the softness of her coat and the warmth of her body, both of which had soothed him. Spike again recalled their childhoods and just how close the two been before they had started to drift apart. Twilight continued to comfort spike, running a hoof down his head as he whispered kind words, of how which was how she would never leave him.

Finally, spike was unable to hold back his feelings any more. He lets go of his childhood friend, and in the most sincere tone he can muster, begins to tell her how he feels about her; how he has always felt, and all the events that led him to realize it.

The talk lasted but a few minutes, Spike bringing up their childhood, his longing, and his mistakes. It all ended with Spike, looking deep into Twilight’s eyes, as he whispers words he should have said long ago yet never had the courage to utter until now:

‘Twilight, I love you.’

Twilight, for her part, looked on at spike with a mix of surprise and terror. She had then taken a step back, shaking her head as the words had sunk in. Her eyes watered at the truth, yet she found herself torn.

Spike’s eyes had widened as Twilight had taken a deep breath and looked at him with a slightly cold gaze. Before he had a chance to speak again, she let out a sigh and gazed at him with eyes that spoke louder than words ever could. In then, the young drake could see Twilight’s reply to his confession in her lavender tone.

His heart shattered.

Twilight had slowly closed her eyes and turned away from him, her once welcoming warmth all but gone as everything became as cold as the snow outside the library.

Spike, despite holding back his tears, could feel his body slowly lose its will to stand as realization struck him. Had had made attempts to get Twilight’s attention by walking up to her and placing a claw on her shoulder, but she made neither motion nor reply, instead sitting there, looking down at the floor, as if to avert her gaze. Spike almost left as if he was some monster who had foolishly fallen for his captive maiden, and just like a monster, how could the maiden ever love him back?

He quickly backed away, horrible images of Twilight not only rejecting him, but rejecting his very existence, playing in his mind, creating a sense of paranoia that he couldn’t control. He had grabbed hold of his scarf, its warmth the only comfort in the now chilling air. Before rationality could kick in, he turned around and walked towards the library door. He whispered an apology too soft for anyone but himself to hear before he had opened the door and stepped outside. He no longer had a home, a person to care for him; he had ruined both. The small hopeful part of himself had expected an embrace to come, signaling that all was well, but none came. With a sigh, Spike had closed the door slowly, stepping into the chilling air of winter. He didn’t wait long; soon as the door was closed, he took off, his sprint fueled by his sorrows. Where exactly he headed he didn’t know nor care. He felt like weeping, but held back his tears for as long as he could; instead closing his eyes as he raced away from the library, away from Ponyville, out into the fields that were white, untouched by anypony. From a distance, all anyone would have seen would be a small blur of Lavender against the otherwise pristine white: something that didn’t belong, nor ever would.

Finally, after what felt like hours of running, Spike let himself stop before finally weeping freely. He stood there, watching the sky darken, pondering what he had done. The thought of being without home and without someone to love hit him like a bag of bricks. He felt like collapsing, but some part of him wished for him to stand. He just stood there, pondering of the course his young life had taken.

He never saw the blizzard coming. By the time it hit, it was too late for him to turn back.

* * *

Everywhere he turned, he was met with a white world that started nowhere and led right into eternity.

It was cold, so very cold. He could no longer feel his claws or spikes and could longer muster the strength to belch flames or cry out for help. Not that screaming for aid would have helped him much, as his voice would have been drowned out by the vicious roar of the icy winds that now tore at his every scale, numbing everything save the one thing that tortured him the most: his heart.

Though he tried to make his way back to Ponyville, the white made it all but impossible to tell just where he was going. Soon enough, he himself wasn’t even sure where he was heading. He could be walking further away for all he knew. Every step, sapped what was left of his strength, his vision dimming as the cold started to claim his every bodily function.

Instinctively, he wrapped his claws around the orange scarf, wishing the warmth of its owner could come to save him. Then he remembered, and couldn’t help but cry.

He looked on at the white world before him, what little senses he had slowly going dark. One last time, he reached a claw towards the emptiness, hoping to see anyone that could help. He called out Twilight’s name, voice softer than a whisper.

He dropped his arm, vision all but gone, and warmth all but taken from him. Within seconds, Spike succumbed to the iciness around him, his lavender form slowly being buried in the white.

* * *

Twilight sat on her haunches, utterly stunned by Spike’s revelation. She tried to muster the will to say anything at all, but found her voice silenced by her own inner turmoil. Instead, she closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. She’d waited such a long time for Spike to say that phrase with more than just the usual connotation that came with being close friends; she’d seen his eyes, had felt the intensity of his words.

She should have seen the signs. Growing up, the pair had been inseparable. Yet, something happened to them. Was it them simply growing up? Had it been the realization that they were far too different to be together? Or had it simply been a heinous case of miscommunication?

Whatever the reason, she and Spike had drifted apart, becoming mere friends rather than what their hearts told them to be. Seventeen years the two wasted, hoping one or the other would finally make their move, and all of that time, she had wasted.

Now, all Twilight could do was stand there like an idiot. Her mind told her to move, speak, do anything other than just sit idly by. Foolishly, she turned around, not knowing what to say or do. She just sat there, destroying everything, breaking the heart of he who was most precious to her. The world seemed to become a blur, the color lavender spinning all around. If only she could swallow her fears and reservations, embrace the one who had never left her side, who had watched her when she was sick, who had experienced all of her joys, had been there to provide a strong shoulder to lean on when things got bad. She cried as she berated herself. She was about to lose her chance at true happiness. She had to act; she had to do something.

Suddenly, the sound of the door softly shutting perked her ears, snapping her out of her daze and forcing her to turn around to face an empty room.

Spike was gone.

Twilight sat there, facing the door for what felt like hours, her mind racing at a thousand miles. She felt weak, she felt broken, and above all else, she felt like scum. Her insecurity had caused her to lose Spike, he who would hold her when no other pony would or could. Her knight in silver armor. . .

She closed her eyes, getting ready to weep. Then, she heard a racket coming from somewhere in the room. Twilight turned to face Pewee, Spike’s pet Phoenix, whom he had saved from three dragon bullies two years earlier. He was in great distress, pointing at the window in desperation. Twilight quickly raced to it and saw why Pewee was so riled-up. Outside, a fierce blizzard raged, one that seemed to have come out of nowhere. It was so strong that it made visibility all but impossible.

Twilight’s eyes widened in absolute horror. Spike… he was outside in that storm, with nothing on him but a scarf she had made for him. She felt her stomach grow cold; Spike was out there, in that storm, all alone.

Without even thinking, Twilight magicked her door open and raced into the storm, Pewee following closely, providing not only light, but warmth from the terrible blizzard. She ran as fast as her hooves would allow. She wouldn’t lose Spike.

* * *

Spike stood in a white void, all of his pains mysteriously gone. He saw nothing to tell him where he was, or why he was there; only a white oblivion that stretched on for eternity.

He looked down at his own body, and nearly jumped out in fear. His coloring was missing, instead being almost as white as his surroundings. He closed his eyes, realizes what was happening. He’d heard stories, but never once believed then until now.

He was dead.

As he stood in the middle of the great nothing, he couldn’t help but feel as if he should weep, yet found no real way of doing so. That was the real tragedy of it: he felt nothing. Was he doomed to spend an eternity floating in absolute nothingness? Was this what many ponies called ‘purgatory’?

Spike closed his eyes and thought about the only thing he really cared about: Twilight. Instantly, he felt a new emotion fill his body: love. It brought some color back to him, but not quite enough to fill the nothingness around him.

Concentrating, he thought of his past experiences with Twilight, starting with his earliest childhood memory of meeting her for the first time, then following a progression as the two grew up under Celestia’s care. Finally, he found a memory he had all but forgotten about, one that filled him with more hope than he’d ever dared to imagine. To his great surprise, the image materialized before him.

He was now a full meter taller, his features more developed than before. In his claws, he held a bundle, one that shifted with life. He could hear faint breathing and feel the warmth from it. He approached and looked right into the protected bundle, wrapped in a piece of cloth he instantly recognized as the scarf he had been wearing around his neck, only expanded to serve as a blanket. He looked on at the infant held in his claws: her lavender tone, her mix of coat and scales, her beautiful purple eyes, her green spikes and light purple mane, and her light amethyst eyes. She was so beautiful, almost like an angel.

A new figure stepped into the light, one that Spike instantly recognized as Twilight, now looking a bit older than before, but just as beautiful, if not more so. She approached the baby, looking at her with eyes that showed great love. She turned to face the dragon, and the two brought their heads together in a loving nuzzle.

Had Spike been able to weep, he would have.

As the memory faded, a new section of the void opened up, one that led to a bright, almost blinding light. It beckoned to him, filling him with warmth and security. A light that made him feel just as safe as Twilight had.

Slowly, he made his way towards it.

Then, he closed his eyes and stopped. He knew well what the light meant, and what would happen should he choose to go to it. Instead, he turned from it, looking down the white abyss, his will pushing him towards a new conclusion, a new goal. As he willed it, a new hall appeared, this one colored Lavender. It was one that filled him with pain and anguish, yet also filled him with hope. It was the one path he had to choose, and he knew it.

He did a double take on the white light before heading down the Lavender path. He had too much to accomplish before he was ready to face that light once again.

* * *

Spike slowly woke up to a bright white light. For a second, he felt as if he had taken the wrong path, but slowly, his vision started to sharpen, and he saw rows upon rows of books, as well as the light wood coloring of a place he was very familiar with.

Slowly he tried to stand, but found his body was far too numb to properly react. That didn’t last long, as feelings returned to him, and a dull, cold pain caused his senses to attempt to cope. The more sense he regained, the sharper the world looked. It didn’t take long for him to fully regain his feelings again, at which point he slowly stood from his sitting position, and came face to face with Twilight. Spike noted her face, paying extra attention to the damp marks running down her eyes, then to the rest of her body. It was then that he noticed the tell-tale sign of a struggle against the elements, for her hair was frizzled and somewhat frozen-looking, and her lips a slight blue hue.

Carefully, Spike tried to speak, but his words were cut off when Twilight, breaking into fresh tears, tossed herself over him in a tight embrace, one that warmed the two up in ways no fire ever could. They stayed like that for some minutes, Pewee looking on with a cheerful face.

The pair broke off, Spike looking deep into Twilight’s eyes; those beautiful amethyst eyes, so full of life and spirit. He felt tears swell in his own as he opened his mouth to speak. Instead, he only found a hoof pressed to his lips as Twilight gave him a teary understanding look.

Spike smiled, fully understand Twilight’s motion. The two brought their foreheads together. Neither of them had to say the words; they’d done so long ago. They shared an understanding that went beyond mere phrases, and instead became a sensation, something the two treasured above all else.

That Heart Warming’s eve, Spike and Twilight received the greatest gifts of all: each other.

Spikes and Stones

The golem swings. Several tons of solid granite—lovingly spiked with obsidian, diamond, and just a hint of adamantanium—meet my chest. Plumes of snow explode as I burst through the drifts—one, two, three, I count before stopping when my back finds a solid rock to crack into. The rock, that is; my scales took it on like a champ. The armor protecting my chest, not so much. I can feel the mithril moving against itself, which is generally not a good thing when it comes to plate armor.

I let out a snort of emerald fire, flash-fried snow becoming steam before being carried off by the bitter wind. Grunting, I put a knuckle on the ground to force myself back up—

—before falling right back down. A whimper escapes my throat as I clutch my chest—claws tangled in the scarf I’m wearing—to which the golem responds with something that sounds like gravel being dragged down a chalkboard.

I try to open my eyes, only to realize that tears have frozen them shut. Desperately, I scratch at the ice, freeing them in time to see the golem plod over. It’s only a little larger than me, and I’m not exactly big myself. No real dragon would have trouble taking down a midget golem.

It raises a sandstone foot as I raise my arms and cower.

The problem is, I’m not a real dragon, and I don’t think I’m going to get the chance to become one.

I’m finally going to be a proper dragon, and I’m definitely not going to let some rock-for-brains creature take away my chance to become one.

I grab the foot as it descends with all the weight of a twenty foot-tall mound of sentient stone behind it. I know I’m not strong enough to stop it, so instead I offer a little guidance. With an earth-rending crack it crushes the rock beside my head into dust. I’ve been told my snout is a little long, but I can think of better ways than a golem-prescribed facial to fix that problem.

Drawing in as much air as my lungs would allow, I let loose with a searing burst of flame and smile in satisfaction as its slagged foot becomes one with the earth once more. Before the golem could process that it still had another foot to work with, I—

—roll away as it tries to stomp me again. And again, and again, and again. I can’t tear my eyes away from the shattered stones the golem leaves in its wake. Can’t help but see a reflection of my head in the rocks, webbed by cracks in a cruel facsimile.

The wind whips across the mountain, briefly shrouding it in a white veil. I’m blinded but, then again, so is the golem. I scramble away from the dull thumping where the monster’s foot is still trying to find something soft and purple. In a few seconds all of the world’s sound is swallowed by the snow, leaving only the thumping of my heart. I gasp, trying to regain control of my lungs as they suck up icy daggers of thin air.

I let out a pitiful ember of fire. So cold. The wind dies down as quickly as it came and everything hangs still, sober, silent.

So I decide to make some noise.

My claws easily eat through the straps on broken the plate armor. I pull it off and begin to hammer it with my fist. The clanging clarion call shatters the silence, and the mountain responds with a rumble; I think I just triggered an avalanche somewhere. The mountain’s guardian isn’t far behind, its thumping steps clear even with the soft blanket of snow to mask them.

Wisps of snow curl around its body as it steps out from the icy fog. I look up at its burning ruby eyes; I’m fifteen feet tall and still only come up to its chest, never mind it being roughly ten times as heavy.

I settle into a low stance. It’s going to need every pound to take me on.

With a roar the golem stampedes towards me with an awkward lop, courtesy of a freshly-shortened leg. I watch it draw back its left arm, the one studded with gems, while its right arm, barely a quarter the size of its superior, hangs limply.

I throw my chest plate like a discus and grin as the metal embeds itself into the golem’s brow, cracking its head back. It stumbles forward—

—and I lunge, madly trying to rip one of its faceted eyes out. I can feel my claw dig into the flaky rock before finding something hard. The squeal of my claw stripping off a layer from the ruby makes me cringe and the golem bellow in pain. I leap backwards just in time to avoid a retaliatory punch.

The creature screeches at me. A scar runs along its face, deep and long, and its eye is fractured.

Suddenly, I feel confident.

Experience tempers my bravado. I retreat a few steps and slip the ruby eye into a pouch. Even with it inside the bag I can feel its steely gaze.

A finger the size of a small tree trunk probes the new hole. It takes several seconds for the golem to understand what’s happened. Golem’s generally aren’t expressive things, being made of stone, but from its single scarred eye I could see a fury that would outmatch even the most explosive of volcanoes. What little hesitation it had possessed was long gone now.

I’ve waited a long time to finish what I started.

Instinct takes over. In a moment, so is the fight.

I crawl, defeated by my own stupidity. The pain blossoms in me like a vile flower, every shallow breath wracking my body with a fresh wave of agony. A shadow looms and I look up to see my end. I pray to Celestia and the Greater Dragons that it will be a swift and painless one.

I just wish I could tell Twilight how much I love her one more time.

I can’t wait to tell Twilight about this.

I rip my hand out from the fallen golem’s back and clutch my prize. A purple gem, only a little larger than an apple, ebbs with the power that had given life to a mass of stones. A Wyrmstone.

I swallow it whole.

My body feels like it’s burning, but not in pain. With a wet tearing sound I feel something sprout from my back and a shadow falls over me. An experimental flap of my new wings sends snow rushing into the sky. I aim towards the heavens and release an inferno that burns away the clouds. I pick up a nearby boulder and toss it as easily as I would have a pebble mere minutes before.

I’m no overgrown lizard with a pile of trinkets anymore. I am a dragon. My roar shakes the very foundations of the mountain.

His roar shakes my bones.

The golem tumbles in the snow, tossed like a ragdoll by a grumpy child. My teacher lands, the air warping as the heat from his maw escapes. He puts himself between me and the creature.

Even a golem can recognize when it doesn’t stand a chance. Tucking itself into a ball, it lets gravity take over and rolls down the side of the mountain.

Several seconds pass before he looks down at me, the disappointment in his eyes all too obvious, and the weight of failure settles over me like a lead blanket. I remember when Twilight would give me that same look, except the difference is that back then I felt like I had failed her. Now I feel like I failed myself, and it’s even worse.

His sigh is hot enough to melt the ice off of my body. Gingerly, he picks me up in a hand that’s at least three times larger than I am and takes off.

I land, prize in tow, at the entrance to the cavern. Music and the chatter of fifty or so dragons winds its way out to greet me, soon followed by silence as my presence is recognized. The sea of scales parts before me as I make my way to the head table, the golem’s jewel-spiked arm making a fresh scar in the well-worn floor.

The Greater Dragon, my teacher, looks down in stoic silence. I lift the golem’s arm up and present it. Proof of my passage into maturity and a gift to the one that guided me to finding it.

He takes it and, with little more than a twitch, snaps it in two. He takes half, mounts it on the wall alongside the hundreds of other arms lining it, and gives the rest back to me.

The crowd erupts in cheers and the occasional ball of fire, claws that could put a hole through a foot of solid basalt slapping me on the back. The dragon whelps form around my wings, poking and prodding at its leathery purple membrane as they talk about what it would be like to get their own.

The music starts up again with renewed vigour. A wiry drake begins to drunkenly sing a two-thousand year-old bawdy song about an Elder Dragon whose beard had been burnt off by his irate nest mate. The dragon in question, with a good-natured smile on his face, stroked his hair, as if to remind the listeners that it had been only a temporary setback.

With a wave my old teacher motions for me to take a place beside him, the one reserved for dragons that have passed their last trials. Within seconds of me sitting down a stack of gems, charred meat and a more-than-ample supply of boiling mead is placed at my feet.

I lift the cauldron of mead up in a toast, which the cavern joins in on, and take a long draw from it. Sticky juice flows down my chin as I put the vessel down and, in traditional dragon manner, I expel a sickly-sweet belch. Again, the other dragons join in on it and dust falls from the roof as the cacophony echoes a thousand times.

My whistle wetted, as Applejack would have said, I decide it’s time to whet my appetite. I’m just glad Fluttershy isn’t around to see me eating meat; I don’t think she’d ever talk to me again. It’s mostly mutton from the mountain sheep that live along the cliff face, but there’s also the occasional bit of boar when a dragon decides to make the trip down to the forest.

I finish off with the gem pile, the likes of which would probably make Rarity faint from the sight of seeing flawless specimens eaten like so much popcorn. Emerald dusted with crushed sapphire, or sapphire dusted with crushed emerald? I devour both. A hollowed-out diamond filled with still-cooling lava tops it off. As I bite into it I can’t help but think of it as being an especially angry pimple; it’s only been a few months since I moved out of my adolescent phase.

The night drags on until the sun’s light peaks into the cave. Some of the revellers have gone off to their alcove to sleep off their excess, most sleep it off on the floor. The whelps are curled up around my feet, having nodded off one by one as I told them stories about my time in Equestria. I’m fighting to keep my own eyes open as I stand up, carefully avoid the dragon minefield, and stagger deeper into the cave.

I reach into a hole, one among a thousand, and pull out a roll of parchment and a quill. With a level of delicateness learned over countless snapped feathers and ripped paper, I write.

I don’t really know how to start this, Twilight. I’m sorry I left without telling you again but, you know, it’s one of those dragon things. Besides, I don’t think the costume would fool these guys.

Don’t worry, though. I’m not hanging around with some jerks like last time. In fact, one of the adult dragons took me on as his student! How crazy is that? It’s not exactly the same, but I think I’m beginning to understand why you’re so nutty about impressing Celestia (no offence).

Speaking of impressing, I kinda tried to fight a golem. Just a little one, I swear! Even then, though, it didn’t turn out too well… Don’t worry, I’m fine; the bruising has almost healed and it only hurts when I take a really deep breath. Actually, that probably made you worry more. And no, my teacher didn’t make me fight the golem. It was a dumb decision on my part and he actually saved me in the end. He’s tough, but really cool and smart. I bet you’d like to talk to him since he’s, like, super old! He says he was a baby dragon like me when Luna did the whole, you know, Nightmare thing. And he’s not even the oldest! One of them is almost three-thousand! He’s got this really big beard (you know how cool I think beards and moustaches are). One time I asked him how a dragon grows a beard and he told me ‘Very carefully’. I think something may have happened to it before since the ends were black.

Oh, but I’m just writing junk now. Anyways, I really, really miss you, Twilight. When I was fighting that golem, I thought… well, let’s just say I didn’t know if I’d get to write to you again, so I’m doing it now, just in case.

Twilight, I love you. You know, in that brother sort of way or something, not that yucky kissy-romance stuff (is that the kind of love I had for Rarity?). I just wanted you to know.

Anyways, I’d better get going. I hear my teacher calling; we’re going to practice fire-breathing today! Even if it hurts a little, it’s still my favourite thing to do.

Love, Spike

P.S. I’ll write again soon!

I put my fire-breathing training to good use and watched as the edges of the paper curled up in green fire and turned to ash. An instant later it weaved its way through the cave.

I yawned and, after a few hearty pounds, softened the rock enough to make for a good bed. I’d need to be rested up for flying back to Ponyville tomorrow, especially if I wanted to make it in time for the new year celebration.

Welcome to the Broken Promise

“Loushy, shtup-hic…”

How could they be closed tonight of all nights? It was new-years, for Celestia’s sake!

Berry Punch sat on the corner near her favorite store, the sign on its locked door reading, “Closed for the holidays.” Across the street, a lone lamp burned brightly to illuminate the cold cobblestones which were covered in a shallow layer of powdered fluff. Icy winds blew through the desolate streets, sending snow dancing through the air like confectioners sugar.

She should have remembered to get here before tonight. But, unintentionally of course, she’d burned through most of her stock the evening previous. A bunch of friends had shown up for the holidays, on their way to visit family, and she’d insisted on showing them a good time before leaving Ponyville.

By the end, she’d barely had enough to make it through today. But, how could she have expected such a short notice event? And how could she have expected a place like this to be closed on what should have been the busiest night of the year for them? Now here she was, miles away from home with nothing to show for it, and the next train back home wasn’t leaving until tomorrow morning.

After she was finished with her garbled tirade against the injustice of it all, Berry stood up on her hooves. Then she sat back down, deciding to wait until the streets stopped heaving quite so dramatically.

Okay, maybe she’d hit it a bit too hard today. She had admittedly attracted more than a few disapproving looks on her way here, and not many ponies had wanted to sit near her on the train. It hadn’t gotten much better in Canterlot, as even less ponies had wanted to talk with her and the one who had had been in a decided rush to get her away from him.

Berry Punch shook her head, lips flapping, until the cobwebs were banished to a less used portion of her head. She was going to feel this one tomorrow, she just knew it.

When she stopped, finding that while it had banished the cobwebs the streets were spinning even worse now, Berry Punch decided that she’d better get going. She needed to find someplace to spend the night and wait it out. Freezing on the streets wasn’t going to do her much good; she needed someplace warm to brood and bemoan her fate.

She stood up, desperately fought the desire to lie down and cradle her aching head, and stepped off the sidewalk. A cart whistled past her nose, the strong gust of the near hit sending her crashing to the hard, cold cobblestones. Eyes spinning, Berry heard the steady clop of hooves approaching her, and a large, black shape filled her vision.

“I’m f-hic-fine,” she groaned, struggling to stand up. The ensuing headache put her back down to the cobblestones, moaning in pain.

Berry felt a hoof rest on her back. “Come on,” the figure sighed. “Let’s get you inside.”

She really needed to stop drinking this much. It almost sounded like the mare was talking underwater. Still, Berry didn’t complain as she was helped her to her hooves and pulled along. Though she did note her sense of depth wasn’t much better than her hearing. Even standing, her new friend looked to be almost a foot taller than she was, maybe even a few dozen pounds heavier too.

Down some darkened streets and through a more-than-a-bit-worrisome amount of darkened alleys they trotted. Berry might have felt nervous, but she really didn’t think too much of it. If this was some sort of set-up, she didn’t have much of value on her right now. Her tabs usually covered things until she could pay later, so she rarely had any reason to carry much cash on her at any given time.

Soon, they were far from where anypony with a lick of sense would dare to wander. Berry tried to work past the haze clouding her eyes, trying to read the street signs when they left the alleys for short forays into the lights, but the constant pulling of her new buddy made focusing very difficult. Plus, while her newfound friend seemed to be going at a mere stroll, Berry had to run to keep up with her brisk pace, further churning an already unsettled stomach.

Years passed, Berry trying to both keep up and slow down so she could catch her breath. But the mare pulling her along was merciless. She had no pity in her heart, not caring to listen to Berry’s mumbled protests, and often increasing their pace when Berry had the audacity to question it. So she quickly learned to keep her mouth shut. It helped keep her friend at a gentler pace, and it also helped her not throw-up, which was a good bonus.

Finally, they appeared to have reached their destination: a brick wall, standing in about the five hundredth alleyway they’d gone into tonight.

“You won’t tell anyone about this place, will you?” asked the blur. Berry tried to keep it together, but even as close to losing consciousness as she was, she still managed a frown.

“I guess not,” she grumbled, turning to find someplace with a few less crazies in it. “You’re a riot.”

A hoof fell on Berry’s shoulder, and, to her shock, she couldn’t budge. It was like being chained to an anchor; had she been standing on something less firm than concrete, she might have sunk up to her knees under the pressure.

There was a sigh. “I know this looks odd, but humor me a while,” gurgled the blur.

Berry turned her head a little too quickly, wanting to yell at this lunatic for both wasting her time and possibly getting her lost, and fell to the ground under the waves of dizziness.

The blur sighed again and a hoof went under her chest, lifting her off the ground and back to her hooves in another shocking display of strength. When Berry could keep on her hooves again, her associate turned to the blank wall.

“Very funny,” she grumbled. “But we both know you know who it is. Open up. Or I’m coming in my way.”

With a malicious hiss, a patch of bricks dissolved away, revealing a massive door of blackened wood, a brassy doorknob glinting by the spare light from a faraway streetlamp.

Berry’s eyes went wide. The blur opened the door without touching, she must have been a unicorn or something, and a firm shove sent Berry stumbling inside. The noise in here was incredible. Blurs of motion swept throughout the room, voices argued and laughed in equal measure, and Berry smelt an all too familiar aroma.

Oh, sweet mercy.

She staggered to a long, stationary blur, and was rewarded when she could see it was lined in stools. She hopped up on one, tapping a hoof on the counter to catch the attention of the more mobile blur at the far end.

“Got anything to drink?” she asked cheerily, tapping a little louder.

It turned around from a conversation it was having with a large, blackish-blue blur at the end of the counter and walked towards her.

Colors of every hue screamed into her eyes: red, blue, green, orange, and most any others she could think of bombarded her in dizzying array.

Berry set her head on the counter, closing her eyes so she wouldn’t lose her lunch. They really should have chosen a more muted outfit. That much chaotic color was playing havoc with her headache, which wasn’t helped by all the noise.

“Why yes, we do,” he said, voice sounding as though he could barely keep in the laughter. “And what will we have?”

“Water,” interjected Black Blur, seeming to almost materialize next to her.

Berry scowled, until she felt that hoof resting on her shoulders once again, the weight of the touch sending a very clear message. Black Blur wasn’t going to hear any arguments.

She scowled at her friend and grumbled, “Yeah, some water would probably be good.”

When she turned back, a glass had been set before her. She grasped the rim firmly in her lips, tilting it back to allow the admittedly lovely tasting water to slide into her mouth as Black Blur nodded approvingly before leaving her alone to wander amongst the other guests.

Then something changed. First, the cold water was running over her teeth in refreshing rivers and quenching her thirst. Then, it suddenly tasted like grapes and then something else, something much better.

Berry’s eyes widened, and the bartender leaned in close, the wild colors of whatever mask he was wearing forcing her to close her eyes against a splitting headache.

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” he whispered in her ear with a snicker.

Berry nodded, guzzling down her drink in a flash. It was as delicious as she’d imagined it would be. She set it down on the counter immediately after she was finished; however, before she could let go of the glass to demand more, her nose suddenly felt wet, and a delicious smell once again assaulted her nostrils.

The bartender chuckled and Berry smiled, lifting the glass again to take a deep draft. Now that was service. Never even having to let go of the glass once, Berry reveled in the sounds of the bar, keeping her eyes closed as she enjoyed her drink.

Some group of revelers was having a very good time by the sound of it, three high-pitched voices howling some very bad karaoke. But, they sang with gusto, and it appeared nopony minded their squeaky, raspy voices, so Berry wasn’t going to be the one who ruined the party.

She did open one of her eyes to take a quick glance around, though. A nearby pair of bluish blurs seemed to be enjoying their conversation with each other, though they both had some very weird forms of address. Little Blue had this very long title she always used, as did Big Blue. His voice roared in laughter with the might of an ox whenever Little Blue said something. Strangely enough, Berry also swore she could hear Big Blue let out a few bleats as they talked, though that might have been the little white smudge near what must have been Big Blue’s legs.

Shrugging, Berry closed her eyes again so she could focus on what she really wanted to explore more thoroughly. Maybe everything would make sense after a few more sips. Someone sat on the stool next to her, but Berry didn’t open her eyes, still too busy enjoying herself. Then she sensed whoever it was lean in close.

His voice was like a nails on a chalkboard, and his breath smelled worse than the grave. “Hey, sssssweetheart,” he hissed in her ear. “You come here often?”

She dutifully ignored him, instead focusing even more on her drink.

Apparently, he didn’t like being ignored. “No need to be rude, ssssssweetie. I don’t bite.” There was a chuckle, and a hoof wrapped about her shoulders, pulling her closer to the offensive stench of his breath. “Often.”

That was enough. Berry set down her drink, and glared cross-eyed at the black-and-red blur sitting next to her. “Buzsh off, bushter,” she slurred.

He was a stubborn jerk; she had to give him credit for that. The strange pony just pulled her closer, laughing. “Loossssen up. We’re all jussst here for a good time.”

She was going to yell at him to let go, but the blackish-blue blur at the end of the bar stormed towards them.

Her voice thundered with the authority of a goddess. “She said no,” Black-Blue snarled. “Now leave her be or I’m going to get cross.”

Dead silence screeched throughout the bar. Berry could feel the hoof about her shoulders flinch and pull away as quickly as possible.

“H-hey, take it eassssy,” said Black-Red. “I don’t want any trouble.”

Her savior leaned closer to him. “Then you better find someone else to bother. But just know I’m keeping an especially close eye on you from now on.”

Berry’s guest quickly made tracks, hissing a short apology as he slid of the stool. Her new friend sat next to her as Berry lifted her glass to take another drink, and both conversation and laughter were soon roaring once more.

Black-Blue snorted as she sat down next to her. “He gets worse every time,” she grumbled. “They just don’t come with class anymore.”

Not letting go of her glass, Berry gave a shallow nod. However, a hoof was suddenly shoving her head towards the counter. Her eyes snapped open, and she felt the glass mushing against her face as it was unrelentingly pushed into the glass and the hard, unforgiving countertop.

The liquid burned as it shot up her nose, and Berry coughed and gagged as the second blur that night displayed strength no pony should be able to possess.

“Let go of the glass,” demanded her newest attacker.

Berry snapped open her lips immediately, and the pressure holding her head down eased, letting her snap her head up and try to sneeze the offending fluids from her aching snout, coughing and hacking. As she tried to recuperate, her first buddy, Black Blur, walked over towards them, leaving a small group of variously colored blurs to play with some form of fireworks, each spouting great flames as they laughed raucously. Kind of dangerous in such a small space, but no-one seemed to make much of a stink about it.

“And you wonder why ponies don’t like you much,” sighed Black Blur. “Can’t you ever play nice?”

Berry glared at her. “This psycho tried to drown me!” she shouted.

“Even fish would tell you to slow down, you ungrateful imbecile,” retorted Berry’s assailant.

She swung a hoof in the jerk’s direction, but hit the floor instead of Black-Blue. As Berry tried to peel her face from the linoleum, she heard she heard Black-Blue give a superior snort.

“She doesn’t belong here. Why made you think this was a good idea?”

Berry wanted to take another swing, but it seemed an earthquake was ripping through the establishment right now. So, she decided to stay on the floor until it passed.

Black Blur sighed. “You’re always complaining about how no-one but us want to talk to you. So, I thought a new face would cheer you up for once.”

“I’m perfectly fine by myself,” countered Black-Blue. “I don’t need new faces, just someone with a hint of intelligence to talk with.”

Another sigh, and then Black Blur leaned in close to help Berry back onto her stool. Berry thanked her as she set her head on the counter, trying to counter the waves of dizziness threatening to send her back to the floor by remaining perfectly still.

Maybe smelling her breath, Black Blur snapped up straight. “I thought I told you to just give her water,” she growled.

Berry heard the bartender chuckle. “I did give her water.”

“You know what I meant.”

“She didn’t have to drink it.”

“I don’t care. Give her water.” A loud banging noise split Berry’s head open as she heard Black Blur growl again. “And make sure it stays water this time. Maybe give her something hot if you must insist, but nothing stronger than tea.” Another loud bang. “No more tricks.”

The bartender sighed. “Oh pooh, you’re no fun at all, my dear.”

Black Blur gave a snort and Berry heard the steady clop of hooves moving away from the counter. Her previous glass was replaced by a large mug, steam rising plentifully from the top. Berry took a cautious taste, stretching her tongue into the mug.

Hot chocolate.

When Berry tried to lift it so she could drink, she felt a hoof tap the back of her head. Black-Blue was still sitting next-door. Berry put it back down, and the bartender put a long, crazily looped straw in the glass. Berry sipped at the drink, the thin straw meaning she never got more than about one mouthful at a time.

Berry brooded on the unfairness of it all. Black-Blue and Black Blur were both apparently determined to keep her from enjoying this place anymore.

However, the headache once pounding in her brain was soon replaced by a remarkably pleasant sensation. Maybe it didn’t taste as good as her previous drink, but Berry had to admit this stuff did hit the spot. It took the edge off her stomach, and while her head still felt full of cotton, at least now it also felt warm and fuzzy too.

She was kind of starting to like this place. Some of the guests weren’t very pleasant, but the bartender really knew how to make some good stuff. Maybe she’d come here more often when she had time. A delicious drowsiness forced Berry’s head on the counter for what must have been the hundredth time that night.

To her surprise, the others in here were growing remarkably quiet.

“It’s almost time,” announced the bartender. “Everybody ready?”

Berry heard various murmurs of agreement, and then, in one voice, the whole place entered the countdown. She settled her head against the counter, finding it more than comfortable enough to close her eyes and try to catch a few winks before it was time to leave.

“10!” they began.

Black-Blue snorted next to her. “Oh hip-hooray,” she grumbled. “How the tension kills me.”

Berry ignored the party-poop.

“5! 4! 3! 2! 1!”

A massive cheer ripped through the bar, roars and squeals and yips and barks and bleats melding into a wild rumpus. Berry just smiled.

“Happy New Years everybody,” she muttered to herself, before drifting into delicious blackness.

Berry moaned. Yep, she was regretting it: a splitting headache and a deep-seated sense of nausea. She opened her eyes, trying to mumble for somepony to get her something to wash the terrible flavor out of her mouth. Chocolate didn’t taste very good in the morning, especially combined with all the other, less pleasant things competing for space on her tongue.

However, the sight of two massive green, slitted eyes staring down at her nearly made her heart stop. The creature looking at her smiled, exposing a pair of very sharp fangs as it waved a hoof which looked like it had been mauled by a rampaging drill.

“Finally awake, hmm?” it giggled.

Berry fell out of her stool, but was dashing for the door not a second after hitting the floor. When she reached for the knob though, all she got was one long fang stabbing her in the hoof. She withdrew it sharply, yelping in pain, and wheeled to find the bartender smiling at her, a brassy knob jutting from his lips.

“Looking for something?” he asked, rubbing his snake-like tongue against the newest addition to his already mismatched body. He held a rag in one set of talons, wiping a familiar glass which he held in the other paw. A long draconic tail curled about another glass, wiping the inside with the tuft on the end.

Another snort made Berry shoot a look to the end of the counter, where a black and blue alicorn sat at her stool, her mane and tail resembling the most gorgeous starry sky captured into a flowing veil which floated about her body.

A few seats further down, looking quite thoroughly dejected, sat a black and red unicorn with a curving horn and dressed in strange armor. He grumbled softly, head cupped in his crossed forelegs as he hissed darkly to himself.

“Just let her out,” said Nightmare Moon, not looking away from the counter.

Discord smiled at her, giving a little snicker. “Not until you two kiss and make-up.” He shrugged. “Or you disintegrate her where she stands, makes no difference to me.”

Berry could feel her stomach threaten mutiny. Nightmare Moon grumbled and glared at Discord. “No. Besides, Chrysalis has to get home to the kids, so just put the knob back before we have an issue, you mismatched moron.”

Berry tried to firm her knocking knees, gulping against the lump in her throat. “H-how do I know you w-won’t follow me out and j-just... y-you know... ”

Nightmare Moon snorted again and put her head on the counter with a tired groan. “Just get out of here before disintegration sounds like it might be fun.”

A hoof on Berry’s shoulder caused her to yelp and spin to find Chrysalis keeping her from leaping into the air.

“C’mon, let’s go,” said the changeling with that fanged smile again. “Moony’s not often in a good mood after New Years.”

Nightmare Moon sat up straight, murder in her eyes. “I told you not to call me that!” she shrieked, horn sheathed in red magic as her eyes glowed white.

The door opened, and Berry found herself shoved through it to land unceremoniously in a deep snow drift. She heard the door slam, cutting off a loud scream of fury, and a dull thump thudded through the snow Berry was buried in. However, after a brief moment of violent shaking, there was silence.

“Poor Moony. I really need to stop teasing her like that one of these days,” snickered Chrysalis, and Berry felt a hoof heave her out of her frigid prison.

They were in the middle of the woods, ancient maples, prickly pines, and old oaks surrounding them in stately splendor. Berry shook the snow from her body, glancing about quickly to see if Nightmare Moon had followed them. To her horror, planted firmly in the side of a nearby oak was the door, smoke pouring from the seams between the black, mahogany planks.

Bolting away from the thing, Berry found herself running in place barely three steps away. When she looked back, Chrysalis’ crooked horn was glowing and that smirk played on her lips.

“Let go of me!” wailed Berry, her legs churning pointlessly. “We’ve got to get out of here! That door isn’t going to hold forever!”

Chrysalis shook her head. “We’re fine. She isn’t coming after us; that would break the rules.”

The tendrils holding Berry in place only dissolved when she finally stopped trying to run. “The rules?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Her captor looked back at the door, which suddenly shattered into a billion pieces. As each piece struck the ground, it shattered into a billion more pieces, and kept doing so until nothing remained but an unmarked tree.

“The Broken Promise is one of many strange creations of magic, older than even myself,” muttered Chrysalis. “Those with true darkness in their hearts, and who then find themselves unable to fulfill it, find themselves caught forever within its walls until something should bring them back to this plane so that they can accomplish their goals.”

“B-but, that means... ”

“Poor Sombre can never leave, short of a miracle or a plan he hasn’t told us about yet,” continued Chrysalis, almost as though Berry wasn’t even there. “Hasn’t quite gotten used to the way things work, but Moony will keep him in line.” She giggled. “At least he didn’t try hitting on her again, though I think that was the most fun I’ve ever had at a Hearth’s Warming Eve party.” A hoof came up to her chin, as though she might be thinking deeply on something. “Discord might be able to get out again, but that depends on a few factors he has very little say in.” A frown crossed her lips. “And poor Moony’s just given up even trying. I hate seeing her like that; she was such a great legend for me to have grown up with.”

Chrysalis sighed, the hoof on her chin moving to the back of her head, which she rolled on her shoulders. The vertebrae crackled loudly, and she glanced at Berry with that little smirk again adorning her fanged maw. Berry found her heart sinking. She knew too much, there was no way Chrysalis could let her go now.

Yet, as the changeling walked towards her, Berry couldn’t even summon the will to run. There’d be no point. She’d be a smudge within two steps.

Now Chrysalis was standing before her. She reached out a hoof, and Berry flinched. But it just rested on her head, rubbing playfully and messing up her mane a bit, before Chrysalis strolled right past her.

Berry froze, gawping after her, and Chrysalis smiled as she approached the edge of the wood. Maybe, just maybe, she could survive this.

“The Broken Promise only happens a few times a year,” said Chrysalis. “It’s the one place where we all can get together and share some good stories. And it’s where I get to meet my greatest role model and talk with her like I had never even hoped I could do when I was growing up as a filly.”

Then Chrysalis’ face changed, a deep scowl replacing the once smug smile, and Berry’s heart sank again. Maybe not.

“So, imagine what will happen if you tell anyone else about it. The last thing we need is for some meddlesome do-gooders wrecking our favorite spot. You caught me in a really generous mood last night, and I thought it might be fun to bring someone new for Moony to visit.” Another smile, this one causing Berry’s stomach to turn cartwheels. “Don’t make me regret that, or you’ll live to do so as well. My children are very hungry lately, and while love is delicious, we can make do with other emotions too, ones much slower and less pleasant to extract.”

With a dramatic flash, the changeling was gone, and Berry was alone. She staggered, leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree and struggling to keep herself from vacating last night’s drinks all over the place.

It couldn’t have been real. It had to be something she’d had last night. That was it. This had just been a really, really weird dream. She must have drank something a bit past-its-prime and then wandered around before passing out.

Speaking of which, where was she anyways?

Thankfully, the edge of the forest wasn’t too far from where she must have stumbled in, but the snow was much deeper out here than in Canterlot, so it took Berry a great deal of time to make it out of the woods. When she passed the final tree, her breath caught.

She’d been in the Everfree. Not more than a few miles from Ponyville.

Berry glanced back into the woods, but no vengeful alicorn tried to blast her into dust. No changeling queen smiled at her either, and no mismatched monster tried to pursue her.
With a shiver, she set for home. Okay, that was it. This had to stop. She desperately needed some help, and she couldn’t lie about it to herself anymore. Maybe Twilight could give her some advice, help her start getting her life back on straight. That sounded good. She could do this. She was going to break this habit.

And that was a promise.