(Author's Note: Next chapter! Woot!

Also, special thanks to my first reviewer, XStrawberryDuckFeathersX, for not only giving me a lovely review of the prologue, but also for helping me correct a couple of things in it. I have a tendency to miss out words when writing... or write a completely different word from the one I intended to write O.o' Seriously, one time I was writing an essay for Philosophy about the goodness of God, and I wrote 'food' instead of 'good'. I have no idea why... I'm only glad I noticed it before handing it in. That would have been embarrassing.

Anyway, this is the next chapter of my story. I hope you enjoy!)

Chapter 1: Outcast

The Royal Canterlot University library. The greatest collection of books in all Equestria. At least, that's what Twilight Sparkle kept trying to remind anypony who came in looking for a book.

She was only an assistant librarian, working part-time between her studies, but she took her duties very seriously. Twilight took everything seriously and never cut corners. Her motto was "If you're going to do something, you might as well do it right." Which is probably why, when Mr Bookworm had asked her to do a little tidying up, she had ended up completely reorganizing the library. Now, having finished this task, she had decided to take a break and started reading a book she found on one of the shelves when she had been cleaning. Completely absorbed in her reading, she didn't notice the two unicorns walking up behind her.

"Twilight? Psst! Twilight!"

Twilight made a irritated noise. She hated it when her reading was interrupted. She found books far more interesting than other ponies, and better company too. Even so, she politely turned round to face the other unicorns

The first unicorn was white with a pink mane. Twilight recognised this particular pony as one of her classmates, a quite popular pony by the name of Twinkleshine. Twilight knew this particular unicorn quite well, not because they were friends, but because Twinkleshine had a tendancy to always bother Twilight while she was trying to work.

The unicorn next Twinkleshine, a blue mare with a hourglass for a cutie mark, Twilight felt a little more warmth towards. This unicorn was called Minuette - though was often referred to by her friends as Colgate - and was one of the only students at the University that Twilight considered her intellectual equal. Minuette, like Twilight, actually enjoyed studying, and spent quite a lot of her time in the library. Minuette wasn't particularly gifted when it came to magic, but she did have a strange ability: she always knew exactly what time it was without looking at the clock. Twilight didn't really have any friends, but if she could, she would have liked Minuette to be her friend.

Of course, that would mean having to put up with Twinkleshine all the time as Minuette and the white unicorn were never far apart.

Twilight forced a smile as she looked at the two unicorns. "May I help you?" she said with awkward politeness.

Twinkleshine, apparantly ignorant to Twilight's annoyance, began her speech. "Twilight, I was just talking to Minuette about tonight and I was wondering..."

Twilight sighed inwardly. Once Twinkleshine started talking, it was difficult to get her to shut up. She glanced at Minuette, who was looking back at her apologetically. One day, Twilight was going to ask the blue unicorn why she hung out with Twinkleshine. I mean, did the two even have anything in common? Twilight didn't know a lot when it came to friendship - it was one of the few things she didn't know everything about - but she felt that there had to be some similiarites between friends. Otherwise, what would they talk about? What would be the point?

"Twilight, are you listening?"

Twilight snapped of her daydream. "Huh?"

"Your dress!" Twinkleshine repeated, her face full of annoyance.

Twilight blinked. Her dress? She wasn't wearing a dress. "What dress?"

"Your dress to the Ball, of course!" Twinkleshine sounded exasperated. "What kind of dress are you wearing?"

Twilight was still none-the-wiser. "What ball?"

Twinkleshine gave a loud, and somewhat rude sigh. She turned to Minuette. "Colgy, I thought you told her."

Minuette's ears flattened against her head. "Sorry, it must have slipped my mind," she said in a soft, quiet voice.

Twinkleshine sighed again before turning back to Twilight. "I got us tickets for the Grand Galloping Gala in a few months time. Big party. It's gonna be great!" the white unicorn gave an excited squeal as she clapped her front hooves together, her face the picture of child-like joy.

Twilight, however, didn't share her enthusiasm. "Sorry, Twinkleshine, I can't go," she said, her tone severely deadpan.

Twinkleshine's expression turned from delight into a comical gape. "Why not!?" she whined.

Twilight sighed. "Well, if you must know, I've got quite a lot of work-"

"Work!?" Twinkleshine practically screeched.

Twilight continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "And then I've got to study for the big test next term."

Twinkleshine still looked horrified. "But... I bought us tickets so we could all go together!"

Starting to feel somewhat uncomfortable, Twilight turned away. "Again, sorry," she mumbled quickly before walking off, taking her book with her.

Twinkleshine began to shake. She put a hoof to her forehead and looked up dramatically. "This is too much for me, Colgate, too much..."

Minuette, having developed a sixth sense when it came to Twinkleshine's moods, just managed to catch Twinkleshine as the white unicorn gave a dramatic faint. Minuette gave a sigh. "Must you always be such a drama queen?"

Twinkleshine was too busy pretending to be unconscious from shock to answer her friend's question.

Queen Celestia stared out the castle window, her face grim as she saw the first flash of lightning. Back in the days of old, the weather would have never been like this. The sun would be shining, the sky would be clear and cloudless, a perfect stretch of numerous shades of blue. But now, the weather of Equestria was almost always bleak. The pegasi who would have normally kept the sky clear were all out on the battlefield, fighting a war they couldn't possibly understand. Many would die.

And it was all her fault.

Celestia quickly shook her head at this thought. No. She shouldn't think this. Her actions, though horrible, had been justifiable. If she hadn't done it, things would be even worse than they were now. Celestia tried to remind herself this as she looked at the sky. You couldn't even see the sun anymore these days. Even though she rose the sun everyday, it's golden beams were always trapped behind a curtain of grey cloud.

The doors to the throne room swung open.

"Your majesty! Your majesty!"

Celestia turned her head as a unicorn knight came running in.

"What is it?" she asked. She guessed already by the sweat on his forehead and the fear in his eyes that anything he had to say was surely bad knews.

When the knight had finally caught his breath, he looked up at his queen. "I bare news from Ponyville."

Celestia's eyes widened."Ponyville..." she repeated. No. No, they couldn't have. It wasn't possible.

"Your majesty..." the knight paused for a second. "The enemy. They are attacking Ponyville."