Chapter 1:

The Alicorn Temple At Night

It has been a few weeks since Twilight have saved Flash from his corruption and stopped the Dark Master from being freed, while she and her friends have all been trying to recover and rebuild the temple after it's attack, they all need time to process what happened to all of them.

It was right now around midnight for Twilight and her friends and all the other alicorns at the temple, they had all gone to sleep after Celestia has lowered the sun and Luna raises the moon.

Twilight has gone to sleep in one of the bed chambers near a window, where she could enjoy the night sky view. But for some reason, Twilight's nerves of the moon growing closer to the sun grew more and more as each day and night passes.

Twilight was fast asleep, trying to wait for tomorrow. But she's been having strange visions whenever she sleeps, dark visions of terrible places that house the forces of the Dark Master.

As she kept trying to sleep, back in the real world, Spike came in, knocking on the door and entering the chamber along with Sunset Shimmer, about to tell Twilight something.

"Twilight Sparkle," Spike called out, which woke Twilight up.

Startled, Twilight turned to the window near her and saw the moon shining in the night sky before Spike flew in next to her and saw the moon himself.

"Hey, Twilight, some night, huh? Beautiful," Spike commented, looking at the night sky and admiring the quiet sound of night and the beauty of the moon.

"What is it you want, Spike? And why is Sunset Shimmer here?" Twilight asked, being annoyed by Spike waking her up and confused about why Sunset is with him.

"Why would I want something, Twilight? I'm just about ready to begin the best day ever now that the evil pshyco-He Alicorn is gone," Spike said with a hint of relief in his voice, referring to somepony they know.

"What? Flash? What do you mean, Spike?" Twilight asked, knowing who Spike is talking about and getting worried for Flash leaving the temple.

"Whoa, there, Twilight. Calm down. I've never seen you this awfully tense before," Sunset said, sensing some tensity within her friend.

"She hasn't been sleeping much. Maybe you should listen to Voltwing tell one of his stories, Twilight. That'll put anypony to sleep." Spike joked, thinking Twilight should hear one of Voltwing's stories so she can some more sleep.

"Guys, tell me what happened. Where's Flash?" Twilight asked, really wanting to know about Flash's whereabouts and where he is now.

"Okay, Twilight. Are you ready?" Spike asked as he and Sunset got themselves ready to tell Twilight what happened tonight as a flashback of where Flash went begins…

( Flashback )

"I got up to get some fresh air. And I asked Sunset to accompany me in case I run into the Stallion Of Fright around here," Spike explained.

In the flashback, it shows Spike and Sunset walking around the statue in the training room at night with caution to get some fresh air, trying to collect their thoughts after all that's been happening…

"But Io and behold there he was. Sneaking out into the garden…," Sunset explained further.

Suddenly, Sunset and Spike came to a stop and saw Flash running off as the gates opened up for him and Flash ran through them. After Flash was gone, the gates closed back up. Sunset and Spike weren't sure what was going on, but they know they might need help as the flashback ends…

( End Of The Flashback )

"Bbbbbbrrrrrrrr, he gives me the creeps, Twilight. You hear my teeth?" Spike said, shivering from the thought of Flash running off to the garden at night and biting his nails in fear.

"Come on, you two. We need to find him. Celestia says it's dangerous for him to be outside the temple at night," Twilight said as she headed out to the garden to find Flash.

But Sunset got in her way and reminded her, "Whoa there, Twilight. In case you haven't noticed, it's dangerous for any of us to be outside the temple at night, including you,".

"Yeah, and besides, Celestia also says you still have to wait for your full powers to return. Because you're weak," Spike teased, covering his mouth, and began to snorkel.

"Powers or no powers, there's no time to argue. Come on," Twilight said firmly as she ran off to find Flash with Sunset following behind her.

"Ahem, you two will be helpless without me so…uh…I'll go with you," Spike said, clearing his throat before following the two Alicorns into the training room where Sunset and Spike last saw Flash before he ran off.

When they arrived at the training room, they saw how different it looked in the nighttime than in the day. Standing above them is the Alicorn Statue and flying around it are moths fluttering around the head of the statue.

Seeing the statue like this has got Twilight wondering about it as she looked at the statue with curiosity and bewilderment as she was starting to recall seeing something that looked like the statue in one of her dreams. But yet, she couldn't quite put a hoof on it.

"Twilight, are you okay?" Sunset asked, noticing the look of Twilight's gaze at the statue.

Shaking her head, Twilight got back to reality and said, "Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, I just couldn't help but wonder about that statue,".

"Well, we have another thing to worry about than a statue. Come on," Spike reminded her of their mission of searching for Flash and the three continued on, leaving the training room.

But Twilight still can't stop having the strange feeling that whenever she looked at either the night sky or the statue, it's almost like something was watching over them…

Twilight, Sunset, and Spike made their way to another door on their right.

The gates opened up and Twilight, Sunset, and Spike entered another room as they closed back up again. In front of them, they see Cliffbore and Applejack sleeping on the floor snoring and grunting.

They have entered the room where their friends and mentors were sleeping, they still didn't have proper rooms yet with all the repairs being made, so they had to share some rooms to save up space for now. Not to mention it was a bit loud in here with all the snoring they were making.

"Quiet, we mustn't wake them," Twilight ordered in a whisper.

"You got it," Sunset said quietly with a nod of her head.

"What?! I can't hear you two with all of this snoring!" Spike shouted with his voice being barely audible from all the snoring being heard.

The three friends began tip-toeing quietly as they managed to pass Cliffbore and Applejack without waking them up from their sleep…

Next, they tip-toed past Marina and Gaia and their pupils, Rarity and Fluttershy. Fluttershy and Gaia were sleeping in a nest while Marina and Rarity were sleeping on the ground.

"Yes, yes, of course…," Marina mumbled in sleep, shaking her body a little.

"I would so gladly make a new dress for you…," Rarity also mumbled in her sleep, moving around a bit to get comfortable.

Twilight, Sunset, and Spike kept tip-toeing until they reached Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie sleeping with Voltwing and Storm Heart. Storm Heart and Rainbow Dash were sleeping on clouds while Voltwing and Pinkie slept on the ground snoring.

"In the truth…oh, my friend," Voltwing mumbled in his sleep, moving his leg a little while Pinkie was just sleeping and snoring,

After passing them, Twilight, Sunset, and Spike then managed to sneak past Celestia, Luna, and Inferno who appear to be the only ones sleeping peacefully and not either snoring or mumbling in their sleep. Yet, Twilight, Sunset, and Spike kept sneaking past them until they finally reached the gates that lead to the garden.

As the gates opened up, Sunset and Spike entered it but Twilight stopped for a bit and looked back, feeling a bit ashamed of herself for not telling the others about Flash heading into the gardens at night. But she knows that if she wants to know why Flash is outside at night, she will have to talk to Flash herself.

So, having made her choice, Twilight follows Sunset and Spike through the gates as they close behind her…

Author's Note: In the next chapter of the story, we'll finally find out why Flash is leaving the temple.