The evening sun sunk down below the horizon, cloaking all of Equestria in the darkness and prosperity of the night. The air was rich, clear, and cool, and millions of crickets throughout the land chirped and buzzed as one large choir. The summer heat from the day-time still hung heavy all around, but was forcibly combated by the gentle breeze.
Ponies all over closed their doors, shut their windows, and turned off their lights, and eventually drifted off into a peaceful and bliss sleep filled with dreams, while others did the opposite and went outside for a night-time stroll, meet-up, or other late-night activity. Larger cities like Las Pegasus and Manehattan were always bustling busily every hour of the day and night.
Up in Canterlot, on the side of a large, circular, cobalt-blue tower jutted-out a very large balcony with golden hoof-rails, four black, cushony chairs, and a towering monument made up of two white, stone crescent moons with a golden rod protruding horizontally from the center of the two of them inwards and meeting symmetrically.
"Come, Blackstar. It's time."
From the arched, shaded cobblestone doorway stepped out a tall, slender mare with a shiny, dark-sapphire blue coat and a sparkling, shimmering, cobalt-blue mane that flowed of its own accord, not affected by the gentle breeze or the movement of its owner. She trotted out toward the edge of the balcony where the monument sat, which towered over the rest of the platform.
Trailing behind this mare was a young unicorn filly. She had a dark-purple coat and a neon-purple mane that was thick and curled forward at the edges. It sat part-way down her forehead but out of her eyes, and reached down to her neck. On her flank was her cutie mark; with 5 points, a dark-lavender star.
