Chapter One
Arrival
As Celestia's great yellow disk drifted below the horizon as a warm summer night descended upon the magical land of Equestria. Darkness spread over the rolling grasslands, lush forests, and sparse mountains like a blanket while lights flickered throughout the towns, cities, and heavens. The night sky slowly opened the multitude of eyes that filled its canvas like a grand painting, washing the land in a dim, silver light. Finally, a sliver of light peeked its head out from below the horizon to the east. It gradually aroused itself from its daytime slumber and dragged itself from the safety of the hills and mountains and drifted into the sky, forming the centerpiece of the artful mosaic as a silent and vigilant guardian of the night. It pierced the darkness and its terrors with a gentle luminescence.
The visage of a horned equine brooded defiantly on the Night Guardian's face.
A quaint hamlet was nestled snuggly in the rolling hills beneath the distant shadow of Canterlot Mountain, where a great citadel stretched into the heavens like a beacon of benevolent security and hope. The sides of the village opposing the distant castle were flanked by forest. Crickets, owls, night birds, and other nocturnal creatures beckoned the night with a peaceful symphony. The western woods were calm and serene beneath the moonlight, but the forest at the village's southern border was dark and foreboding. Thick shadows clung to the gnarled and thorned trees like a ghostly mist. An eerie silence suffocated the air.
The village proper, however, was all but silent. Paper and glass lanterns filled with wax and oil candles alike were strung between the buildings with long stretches of string and rope. An eight-spoked solar burst was emblazoned across the lanterns. The symbol adorned various banners that were scattered throughout the town. Many buildings were simple hobbles with thatched roofs and paneled windows. They were darkened and abandoned, yielding their light and occupants to the cacophony of merriment that filled the center of the town. Steamy fresh baked goods packed the stalls of the square and filled the air with their intoxicating aromas. Music from fiddles, flugelhorns, and other instruments intermingled with the scents, complementing the festive atmosphere like spices on a butter-lathered baked potato,
A massive tree towered over the other buildings on the far side of the square. Glass portholes dotted the trunk below the lowest branches. Bark and branches formed an upper balcony above the square while several roots constructed the staircase that lead to the wooden door. A red sign hung above the doorframe with the words Golden Oaks Library written in beautiful yellow calligraphy. The door was propped open with a small rock, allowing the pulsating tide of stomach-churning bass to spill out into the streets. Streamers, balloons, and tables of assorted sweets lined the walls.
The party guests and villagers trotted about with enormous grins and eyes the size of dinner plates. Hooves clopped against the ground as they meandered about the tree, the square, and everywhere in between. Their fur coats varied like snowflakes, ranging from dull greys, blacks, and whites, to vibrant neon hues and bright pastels. Long tails swished in excitement. Many of the equines were adorned with ribbed horns on their foreheads or feathered wings on their backs that matched their coat colors. Two such ponies sat on the steps of the tree-library as they watched the chaos of crowd.
"Some party, huh AJ?" said the first. The cyan mare sat on her haunches with her wings tucked snugly against her barrel. She had a lean athletic build with cords of sleek, defined muscles beneath the bright blue coat. A rainbow mane spilled down her shoulders like a waterfall of pure color. Sharp magenta eyes glanced at her companion.
"Ah reckon' so, sugarcube," replied the second. A faded brown Stetson rested on her head while a long golden mane flowed down her sunburnt orange coat. Her mane and tail were bound by small red bands that kept the thick locks in check. The mare's legs and flanks were lean and chiseled, like cast iron beneath soft felt. Vibrant emerald eyes and a warm smile met the gaze of the Pegasus.
"So whatcha think of the new unicorn? What was her name? … Twilight something?"
"She seems alright, Ah suppose," she said between a bite of an apple fritter. "Fer ah Canterlot pony, that is. Seems like an honest mare. A bit odd, but a good heart from what Ah can tell."
"Hmph…" the rainbow-maned Pegasus grunted. "I guess… She seemed kinda bossy though. She comes into town, tellin' everypony what to do like she owns the place! Who does she think she is?"
"Welp, she is the mare in charge of getting' the ceremony for the Princess ready. It's kinda her job to tell everypony what to do. She was real friendly-like with us though. Ya shoulda seen her, Rainbow. Most ponies can't stomach a full helpin' of Apple Family hospitality, but that gal toughed her way through the whole reunion. Never seen a non-Apple eat that many apple products…"
Rainbow Dash harrumphed. "Maybe you caught her in a good mood…"
Applejack drilled her friend with her emerald gaze before jabbing her in the ribs with a hoof. "She caught ya nappin', didn't she?"
"… That's irrelevant…"
Applejack snickered. "Don't worry, Rainbow. She's probably just stressed. Ah would be too if Ah had to deal with something like this." She waved her hoof towards the churning crowd.+
"Where is she, anyway? I haven't seen her since she chugged that whole bottle of hot sauce…"
"Can't say fer sure…" Applejack shrugged.
"Hey, AJ…" Rainbow poked her friend in the ribs. "Maybe she's up in her room having a private party." She waggled her eyebrows.
Applejack's jaw clattered onto the ground. "Rainbow! Don't you go startin' rumors like that! That gal's got 'nough on her plate as it is!"
"I was just kiddin', AJ. Geez…" she snickered and rolled her eyes at the Stetson-wearing pony.
"Ya better be…" Applejack harrumphed. "Ah would think ya'd be the last pony to be goin' 'round tellin' stuff 'bout other ponies. Don't ya remember what ya told me 'bout what happened during Flight Camp?"
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes onto her hooves. "Yeah… I know."
Applejack nodded. A warm smile curled up on her muzzle. "Don'cha worry 'bout a thing, sugarcube. Jus' give her a chance. Ah'm sure you'll think she's right dandy by tomorrow night! Now if you'll pardon me, I hear another slice of apple pie callin' mah name!"
The orange earth pony jumped up to her hooves and trotted into the tree-library. Rainbow Dash smirked before following her trail.
The festivities continued all through the night beneath the scornful gaze of the Mare in the Moon. As the hour of dawn approached, the residents of the village trickled toward a large, stone building in the square, opposite of the tree-library. Marble and granite masonry formed the Greco-Romane pillars that stood in the entryway. The ponies filed into a large chamber. Grandiose banners depicting the sigil of the solar burst hung from the walls and ceiling. At the far side of the room was a large balcony flanked by two banners. A wooden stand filled with an assortment of colorful birds was erected to the left of the balcony where a butter-yellow Pegasus hid behind a long pink mane. Suddenly, a bright light engulfed a portion of the balcony. A gray mare with a pair of horn-rimmed glasses and a mane tied in a tight bun stood in the center of the light. She addressed the ponies of the auditorium from her perch.
Meanwhile, high above the moonlit land, amidst the star-speckled sky, the Mare in the Moon sneered at the peaceful village. Four twinkling stars that patrolled the dark void adjacent to the moon flared brightly like a fire consuming a helping of oil. They drew closer to the great ghostly white sphere where the Mare seemed to cackle in anticipation. The stars flared once more like four strategically place bonfires.
The Mare in the Moon vanished in a flash of silver light.
A duet of dark ominous laughter followed by terrified screams rose from the town.
While an ancient evil terrorized the small pony township, the gloomy sky was all but dormant. Unnoticed by all except the most studious and observant, a shimmering blue light radiated from behind the edge of the now-faceless moon. It flared brightly with an azure fiery glow. The light launched across the sky from behind the moon like a comet. Streaks of crimson, orange, and a scorching yellow danced within the blue tail that stretched behind the object. A low thunderous roar reverberated from the object as it screamed through the atmosphere like a flaming banshee flailing its spectral limbs across a congregation of storm clouds.
The heavenly object tumbled across the sky towards the dark forest south of the town. It collided into the earth with a deafening cacophony that was muffled by the forest. Several long moments passed before the dense sea of smoke and displaced earth settled to the ground. An equally deafening silence proceeded. Small bonfires dotted the long gash in the earth that led to a large crater. A wide circle of fallen trees and foliage surrounded the crater like a morbid blooming flower, or the aftermath of an unfortunate yet inevitable end to a domino sculpture. Massive stones and fractured boulders, torn from their deep underworldly slumbers, lay strewn along the perimeter of the crater. Streaks of glowing hot glass speckled the landscape.
A dark writhing mass of corporeal shadows churned at the bottom of the crater.
Two ghostly blue eyes, brimming with a dark malice and terrifying intelligence, materialized in the darkness.
A deep amused chortle echoed through the clearing.
Interesting…