A/N: Updating again! Thanks for the reviews, make me smile! If any of you are interested, I have made a Fiction Press account and published a story on there. I'm under the pen name MapleTreeway. Here's the Website Address: www (dot) fictionpress (dot) com. Just eliminate the spaces and you are good to go!

Big Macintosh talked with Twilight all through the night. Both were talking in hushed voices as not to wake Applejack, who was flat out tired. They talked about Zecora's death, the future, the past – anything really.

So when Big Macintosh yawned, Twilight said, "You should go to sleep Big Mac. It's the darkest of night out there and you need your rest."

"Nah, it's alright. What if Claire and Ashton come through here?" the Stallion said.

"Then I'll defend us with magic. Don't worry about it."

"But-"

"No buts go on and sleep! We are leaving first thing tomorrow, so it is highly serious that you need to get your rest. Now go."

Big Macintosh couldn't argue with that and walked to the campfire and lay down next to it. After a few minutes, he fell asleep.

Twilight sat out and watched a shooting star cross the sky. As far as she knew, it couldn't get any better than what it was already. She sighed and closed her eyes while swaying slightly.

"Are you at peace with yourself, my dear Twilight, now that you can talk?" a familiar voice said.

Twilight's eyes shot open and looked wildly about, whipping her head back and forth. "Who's there? Show yourself, I am not afraid!"

The voice chuckled and replied amused, "Of course you're not, your never afraid. So why don't you come outside for a moment?"

Twilight stepped outside the cave and looked about and saw nothing but black. Pitch black, with a wisp of… white?

Her eyes grew large and she was about to scream for help when a pony gagged her. "Nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide; how do you feel now?" a male's voice asked.

Twilight kicked and shook her head to get free, but soon another pony kicked her in the hind quarters very hard. The Unicorn gasped at the pain and was kicked at again under she was forced into unconsciousness.

When Twilight awoke, she looked around once and knew exactly where she was.

The Palace.