chapter 2

As Twilight descended to the ground in front of the town hall of Ponyville, a small crowd of ponies trotted over to where she landed.

"Twilight, you look so pretty!" They exclaimed, trying to gain her attention.

"Please, you must listen to me; I bring awful news from Canterlot," She began, causing a couple more ponies to join the crowd.

"Princess Celestia has been murdered, no assassinated!" Twilight exclaimed. "A royal funeral will be held in the Canterlot statue garden in three days time. As much as I would like to stay and talk to all of you, I must leave."

Just like that, Twilight took flight, leaving the ponies below her shocked into silence.

Twilight then delivered the news to Cloudsdale and Appleloosa in the same matter, and didn't sleep although night had come and gone during her flight. Spike, on the other hand, slept and ate while on her back.

When she got back to Canterlot, she went to her quarters to bathe, eat, and finally, sleep.

After Twilight laid back in her bed and pulled the covers over her, she quickly drifted off into sleep, but was also quickly awoken.

She had a dream as she slept, but it was actually more of a nightmare. In this nightmare, she saw the Princess getting assassinated. She was walking with her sister when a flash of lightning changed Luna back into Nightmare Moon. When the lightning strike had gone away, Luna was back to her normal self again. Luna gasped, and her eyes widened in fear. Celestia placed a hoof on her shoulder to comfort her, but as soon as she made contact with Luna, Luna changed into Nightmare Moon and Celestia fell over onto the ground, dead.

Nightmare Moon hadn't even looked at Celestia, she didn't strike her or anything. It was as if she had a heart attack.

When Celestia's hoof was no longer touching Nightmare Moon, she turned back into Luna. Luna looked at her sister fearfully, and then frantically looked around the ballroom. She opened up a window that was across the room with her magic and then let out a fake scream. Two guards rushed into the room, and the dream began to fade away as Twilight woke up.

"Huh?" Twilight mumbled as she lifted herself up out of bed. "But Luna said that a pony killed her-" Twilight bit her lip and felt uneasy.

Suddenly, the doors to her room bust open and her friends came trotting into the room.

"What was that sugar cube?" Applejack asked her as they gathered around her bed.

"Um, nothing. I just had a nightmare, that's all," Twilight said.

"Are you sure? You look absolutely dreadful," Rarity commented.

"Gee, thanks," Twilight said bitterly.

Rarity let out a nervous laugh. "Twilight darling, you know what I meant."

"Can we just tell her what she needs to know and leave? I heard the Wonderbolts are here in Canterlot, and I will not allow another opportunity to talk to them pass by!" Rainbow Dash said, irritably.

Pinkie Pie pulled a book out of her saddle bag with her mouth and placed it on Twilight's bed. "It's from Princess Luna, she wants you to learn the spell on page thirteen for Princess Celestia's funeral. Isn't that so thoughtful of her? Always giving in the time when she needs to receive the most. And besides, look at the cover, it's so pretty! And giving pretty things to other people usually means that you're friends with that person and being friends with a princess must be super! Although, you're a princess and we're your friends so I guess-" Pinkie was cut off By Rainbow Dash, who put a hoof over her mouth.

Pinkie blushed and then let out an embarrassed giggle. "Sorry, I got carried away again."

"Ya think?" Rainbow Dash said, removing her hoof and rolling her eyes.

"Well thanks for the book guys, tell Luna I said thank you! I better get started on reading this so that I'll be prepared when the time comes that I will need to use it," Twilight said, trying to make them leave.

"But we thought that you might want somepony to talk-" Applejack started.

"You heard the pony! She wants to read! Leave the egghead to her books!" Rainbow Dash said, cutting off Applejack. She then flew out of Twilight's room and out into the streets of Canterlot.

"Oh my, why is she in such a rush?" Fluttershy commented quietly.

"I don't know, but I guess if Twilight wants to read her book, we should let her do so," Applejack said, smiling at Twilight.

"Thank you," Twilight said.

Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy left the room.

Twilight watched them leave, and once the doors were closed she jumped out of bed. She grabbed the book and shoved open a nearby window with her hoof. She sent the book out the window with her magic and let go of it. The book fell into a bush below the window.

"Oops," she said bitterly. "I refuse to read that spell. Luna probably has it rigged so that it will turn her back into Nightmare Moon or kill some other pony."

She shut the window and jumped back into bed.

Rainbow Dash flew over Canterlot, searching for him. Although she was looking for a Wonderbolt, Rainbow hadn't been all that honest with her friends. She had been seeing Soarin, one of the captains of the Wonderbolts, for the past three months. They weren't dating, but she was hopeful.

She noticed a large crowd of ponies and she swooped down to investigate.

"Dash!" a familiar voice called out.

She turned to where she thought the voice came from to see Soarin being bombarded by fans.

She smiled. "Let's go!" She tensed her legs and out stretched her wings.

Soarin did the same, and then he called out "Go!"

The two of them pushed off of the ground and took flight.

They shot upwards, both of them at an equal, but still their fastest pace. They looked over at one another and began to fly in circles around one another.

"I won," Soarin said, smiling.

"No way, I totally beat you," Rainbow Dash teased.

"Perhaps you did," Soarin said.

They heard voices below them, and looked down to see fans calling after Soarin.

"How about we race to my suite in the castle to settle it?" Rainbow Dash offered, smiling.

"Deal," Soarin said, and they were off.

They laughed and cracked large smiles as they raced one another, neck-and-neck.

Rainbow Dash glanced over at Soarin, and he glanced over at her. They slowed their pace for just a heartbeat, lost into the eyes that stared back at them.

Rainbow Dash looked away, blushing. Soarin looked away as well, biting his lip nervously. They picked up the pace and then folded their wings to their sides as they began to dive on to the balcony of Rainbow Dash's suite.

They landed on the balcony and then ran into the suite, collapsing on the floor laughing.

After a while, they ceased laughing and shared silence as they stared up at the ceiling.

"You know Rainbow Dash, you're pretty cool," Soarin said.

"Try awesome," Rainbow Dash said, cracking a smile.

"Or beautiful," Soarin said quietly.

Rainbow Dash giggled and turned away, blushing.

Soarin coughed. "Er, well, I'm hungry," He said, trying to change the subject.

"Of course!" Rainbow dash said, standing up. "Flying always makes a pony hungry, although...I'm not sure if I have any grub yet. I can check the cupboards."

"Alright, cool," Soarin said, standing up as well.

Rainbow Dash checked the cupboards, but fond them to be bare. She knew the fridge was empty, so she walked back over to Soarin.

"Heh, sorry. I don't have anything," Rainbow Dash said, rubbing her hoof behind her head.

Soarin shrugged. "I can always eat later. What do you want to do?"

"I don't mind. I didn't have anything planned, so you can decide," Rainbow Dash said.

Soarin thought for a moment. "I've got nothing. We could go talk on the balcony if you want?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Sure."

They walked out onto the patio and Soarin gasped.

"I didn't realize what time it was! I'm so sorry Dash, but Spitfire is gonna kill me if I'm late for another practice. We should talk again, seriously. Hit me up next time you're in Canterlot," Soarin said.

Rainbow Dash didn't even have time to say goodbye. After he finished that last sentence, he was already airborne and speeding away.

Rainbow Dash groaned and fell to the ground. "Later Soarin," she mumbled half-heartedly.

She picked herself up off of the floor and walked back into her suite, kicking the doors leading out to the patio shut as she walked by. She walked over to her bed and fell back onto it.

"At least he called me beautiful..." She whispered, cracking a goofy grin and feeling her cheeks get very warm.