Chapter 1: Missing
Twilight Sparkle sat at her desk, as the sun began to set. She was re-reading the Legends of Equestria, and was and was anxious for Princess Celestia's arrival for the winter solstice. She closed the book. Spike snored contently behind her. She sighed, so much to look forward to, so much had been done, and she was certain that somehow, so much would go wrong.
She had no idea how right she was.
Twilight stood next to Rarity. The line of the six ponies lined up at the front of the Town Hall, in front of the rest of Ponyville while the mayor looked at the moon through the window, then looking back at her speech. Twilight sighed again, she knew something would go wrong, but she was hoping so much that it wouldn't.
The mayor picked up her speech. "Good day, everypony, I hope you are all feeling good as we remember the moon in which the spirit of Nightmare Moon was trapped in," she cleared her throat and continued. "And so we will, today, or rather, night, I should say. The Winter Solstice, as it is today-night!-is the longest night of the year, where Princess Luna raises the moon for the longest time, and then her sister, our Princess Celestia raises the sun. Tonight, we have our Princess Celestia here. Ponyville," she said. Looking at the crowd, and then the curtains of the balcony, as she had not so long ago when Nightmare Moon had returned the last time. "I present you with," her voice rose in excitement, "The Princess Celestia!"
Instead of hearing cheers, there were a few gasps, and a silence. A silence weighed down to the ponies by dread.
Princess Celestia wasn't there.
