A dark calm had fallen over Canterlot as the residents lay asleep, dreaming away. Only one mare was awake, walking through the green gardens outside the castle of Canterlot. Her pink, lavender, and yellow mane was ruffled and messy from sleep, and her eyes were half closed as she peacefully strolled.
Suddenly, the alicorn heard the sounds of hooves following her, and quickened her pace. As the steps neared again, she started to run, mane blowing behind her.
as she ran, she nearly ran into one of the many elaborate statues in the garden, and was stopped in her tracks. The mare turned and looked for her pursuer, awaiting her fate.
A shadowy figure walked out from the shadows, blue mane flowing and wings closing onto it's sides. The newcomer smiled warmly. The blue pony dipped her head in respect to the pink alicorn and said, "Greetings Mi Amore Cadenza."
Princess Mi Amore "Cadence" Cadenza let out a sigh of relief, and replied, out of breath, "Luna! Why are you up this late?"
Luna raised an eyebrow, causing the pink pony to blush with realization. "Oh," Cadenza sheepishly muttered, "Right..."
Luna smiled in an effort to break the quietness, causing both mares to relax a bit.
"Cadenza, the question is why is a pony of your stature awake at this hour?"
Cadence hesitated, then blew a bit of mane out of her face, followed by her answer "Well...I've been having horrible nightmares recently. Ones where my dear little Skyla...dies. Shining has had to comfort me more nights than not. The worst part is the two filles. Even being young, there is no love in their hearts. There is only hatred."
Luna had a sympathetic look , but it quickly changed to one of annoyance. "You realize
I cannot see your thoughts, correct?"
Cadence, who had been staring off into space with a blank look on her face, shook her head to clear her mind and thoughtfully looked at her surroundings. The pink princess let out an approving "ah-ha" and her horn illuminated around a small object about 10 feet away. As she pulled it towards her, Luna saw that it was a small stick.
"Cadence..." the dark princess started, but was promptly shushed by a pink hoof. After a few minutes, Cadence used her magic to throw the stick behind her, and proudly waved her hoof towards the ground near her hooves.
Luna leaned to see what the smaller pony was showing her, and her blue eyes widened, for there in the dirt was a crude drawing of 2 lanky fillies. Cadence was smiling expectantly at Luna, who raised her eyebrows before saying "It's like a picture, Cadenza..."
* My little pony, my little pony, ahhhhhh*
Sugarcube Corner was busy, but only one pony wasn't talking. She had her gaze intent on a large book, every few minutes blowing her lavender mane out of her face.
After about 30 minutes of looking at the book, she called "Girls, come look," and was immediately joined by five other mares.
Her horn glowed, and the books pages turned until they stopped on a chart.
The lavender unicorn pointed a hoof at the chart and somberly explained her call, "This is a chart of each villains activity over the past month. Here's Trixie, Diamond Tiara, Gilda, Nightmare Moon. Chrysalis, and Discord. Most have not been active the month, but Discord and Chrysalis have been EXTRA busy this month. "
The book was encased in magic and slammed shut, floating into the air and following behind the purple pony, who was darkly murmuring to herself.
Suddenly, the door to the small cafe was tossed open, and a beautiful, curly-maned alicorn entered. The lavender unicorn's face brightened and she ran up the the new pony, throwing her hooves around her.
Cadence laughed and hugged the unicorn back, exclaiming happily, "Twilight!"
The two ponies went through a quick hoofshake, ending in laughter.
The smile on Cadence's face abruptly melted away into seriousness as she magically pulled in a light blue bag which dropped into her hooves. Her purple eyes etched in fear. "Twilight, I'm sorry to cut our fun so short, but I'm here on official business." The bag in her hooves illuminated once more, opening and allowing the magic surrounded contents to float out, revealing that the bag had contained seven shined, new war helmets. Cadence adjusted a silver helmet that she had pulled on only seconds earlier. Her curled mane was pushed through the mane opening on the top, curling over the front edge and falling in her eyes. The pink alicorn reached up and pushed the mane to the side of the helmet, frowning until she had gotten her mane to stay in place.
"Twilight," Cadence started, "I have bad news. Princess Luna has been captured. I was speaking to her last night, but when I went to bed, she told me she wanted to make a few more rounds of the garden before she came back inside. She never returned, and has been nowhere to be found."
Twilight gasped, covering her mouth with her hoof, nervously.
The pink alicorn continued, "My Aunt Celestia and I have decided that it is up to you and your friends to save the princess of the night."
Twilight smiled slightly, "Celestia trusts us to save Luna?"
Cadence nodded, "I'm to come as well! Are you and your friends willing?"
A blue pegasus with rainbow mane flew forward, her voice cracking as she spoke, "Aw yeah, princess! You bet!"
Twilight smiled, "I'll take that as a yes. Girls?"
A pink maned earth pony with a high pitched voice piped up, "OF COURSE!! eee! It'll be SO much fun!
A blonde earth pony with a freckled face nodded, crossing her front hooves.
A purple maned unicorn with blue eyes stepped forward, "Why of course darling! These helmets are SO cute! I'll pack us all bags!"
"Fluttershy?" Twilight inquired of the last pony, a yellow pegasus with a lemonade pink mane.
"W...well...I," she paused and let out a small sigh, "ok...I'll come."
Cadence smiled gratefully, "Thank you, girls. Canterlot thanks you. I think leaving now would be the best bet."
The seven ponies trotted out of the giant gingerbread house of Sugarcube Corner, and started the quest to save the princess of the night.
