Author's Notes:

This is a three part chapter, so I will also be releasing the other two along with this one. I felt the short little interval before reaching to the main part of Chapter IV felt rushed, so here I am fixing it for all of you to make it much better.

Lamps lit the streets with their pale yellow light, the air cooling as Luna’s moon glimmered its fragile illumination down upon the earth. In the center of a small town, known to the locals as Ponyville, stood a lone oak tree amongst the thatched roofed homes. This tall oak had been converted to the town library and served as the residence of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

A flicker of light resonated from the first floor windows. Inside the main area was an open space, a round table sitting in the center of this larger room with a wooden pole supporting a timber pony head resting on top of the pillar. Sitting feet away from this countertop were bookshelves filled with a large number of these paper tomes. Orange flames glimmered against the objects as it lit up the dark library. A chair sat a comfortably warm distance away from an open chimney, wood crackling as the blistering fire shattered their structure.

A dark blue aura glimmered around a book as it floated a few inches away from a filly’s muzzle. Her moderate opal blue eyes darted across the pages, a weary smile on her lips. Her dark blue violet mane and very dark cornflower blue coat gained a brighter shade of color from the warm fire, shifting slightly as she sighed. After the bath she took a while ago, the warm water that kept her cozy had left her coat wet, the cold air wrapping around her like a tree stuck in winter.

Although she was happy to stay next to the fire and keep warm while gathering more information from this book, she realized what time it was, looking out the window to see the moon high in the night sky. She heard a hooting noise, turning to smile at a light grayish amber owl.

“I know. It’s really warm, huh Owlowiscious?” Her mother had told her that he had flown into her window one night, helping her keep things in order and alphabetize the books and everything, much to Spike’s dismay. However, he grew attached to the owl after he and Twilight had saved him from another dragon. Since then, both had become best friends.

She leaned back in her chair and looked out the window to see the moon again, remembering that it was slowly ascending up in the starry sky, knowing how late it was. Watching the moon leisurely rise towards its peak, she recalled earlier today that her mom told her she wouldn’t be getting back until two hours after dinner. Right now, it had been a half hour since she was scheduled to return.

It was a worrisome thought, but she didn’t think much about if she was hurt. Knowing her mother, she would be alright. Yet that tinge of concern still stuck with her, hoping that her mom would get home soon. It wasn’t like her to be late. Turning back to her book, she shook off the thoughts and continued reading. It wasn’t until a few moments later did she feel her gaze resting on a frame atop of the fireplace’s shelf. In the frame was a picture of herself with her brother, a small dragon and her mother’s number one assistant Spike, by her side. Behind her was her mother, Twilight Sparkle with her Aunt Cadance to her mom’s right. To the left of the two alicorns was her Uncle Shining Armor. Bright smiles were worn by her family members, including herself.

She smiled as she remembered how far she had come. It began with Twilight finding her in the Everfree Forest. At that time, she had no idea she was Nightmare Moon’s reincarnation and didn’t realize she was incomplete. Yet after regaining her full power and recovering all her memories, she had returned to this state; a filly with the same amount of power when her mother was this old thanks to Luna taking the energy away from her. Although she was still quite weak with her magic, she had gotten progressively better. Even with these hurtful recollections, she had forgiven Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in the end. Even forgiving her mother and the other Element Bearers for what they did to her with the Elements of Harmony. She was even able to get her uncle to forgive her, although that had taken more time and a horrible dream from her own conscious to get Shining to absolve his uneasiness with her during Hearth’s Warming Eve. Everything seemed to have resolved itself with her family, but she wondered if the public would ever be able to exonerate her of her past actions.

Her ears flicked as she heard the door click open, turning her gaze to face the pony coming in. She smiled when she saw her mother walk through the door, closing it behind her and locking the entryway. She got up from her chair and quickly trotted over to her adoptive parent figure. She heard Owlicious hooting once more, giving his welcome before flying back upstairs as she watched him go up.

Turning back to face her mother, she smiled. “Hey Mom.” She murmured as she wrapped her fore legs around her chest. “How was the guide? Did Princess Celestia and Princess Luna enjoy the tour of what you remodeled of the Royal Sisters’ Castle?” She blinked her eyes once before taking another good look at her mom. Her eyes were a slight tinge of red, the frown on her muzzle depicted a trace of fear. “Mom… are you okay?”

The little filly watched her mom’s gaze focus on her, the frown disappearing in a smile as she spoke in an unusually quiet voice. “Oh… everything is alright, Nyx.” In truth, Twilight knew she was lying to her daughter. That creature back in The Royal Sisters’ Castle was still possibly there. The fact that it was there or coming this way as she thought didn’t sit well with her. Twilight trotted over to the middle of the room, letting go of Nyx and standing next to the round table as she looked at the windows around her. A raspberry aura encased the curtains, shutting the blinds over them.

“Did Celestia and Luna not like what you did with the castle?” Nyx inquired as she watched her mom walk up the stairs after moving the drapes across the glass. The magenta aura surrounded the fire, the flames disappearing in a flash of smoke. She tilted her head, never recalling her mother ever being this quiet before. Still tilting her head a little, she slowly followed her mother up the stairs. Opening the door to her mom’s room, she scanned the area before seeing the alicorn close the window next to her bed. “Mom… did something happen?” She flattened her ears as she watched her mom close the balcony window.

“Please, no more questions Nyx.” Twilight murmured, lowering her head to the floor as her eyes gazed at the ground.

“But mom… what ha-”

“I said, no more questions!” Twilight’s voice rose as she looked over to her daughter, her eyes glazed with annoyance and fear as she scolded her child.

Nyx shrunk to the ground as she backed away, tears brimming the edge of her eyes as she wondered what she had done wrong. Did she say something wrong? Why was her mother upset?

Twilight stepped back, blinking her eyes as she realized what she did. Moving over to her daughter, she wrapped her wings around her child and murmured. “I’m sorry, Nyx. I didn’t mean to yell at you…” The creature, plunged back into her thoughts, hearing that terrible scream again. This thing was something she didn’t want her daughter to know about, terrified that it would do something to her. Breathing in, she softened her tone. “It’s just… something I can’t tell you.”

The two alicorns ears perked up as they heard a noise, looking over to the source to see a young light mulberry drake resting in his bed, Twilight replacing that frown with a sad smile. ‘I’m glad Spike didn’t wake up.’ She thought, returning her attention to the filly. “Well, it’s time to go to bed, sweetheart.” She kissed her daughter’s forehead, running a hoof through her mane as she made her way to her own bed. Getting into the covers, she pulled the sheets over her body. Twilight wondered if she could get any sleep with the close encounter she had with that monster. ‘Just… hopefully I won’t have to see that monster ever again.’

She felt a pressure by her stomach, looking down until smiling as she saw Nyx crawl up next to her chest, nuzzling her neck as the little filly murmured. “Is… is it alright if I sleep with you?”

There was a time when she would have told Nyx to go to her own room, but after the confrontation she had, along with feeling of nearly being killed, she felt having her daughter by her side would help keep most of her nightmares away. “It’s alright, Nyx. You can sleep with me tonight.” Twilight murmured, returning the gentle nudge as she wrapped her hooves around her child. “Goodnight, Nyx.” Twilight whispered, closing her eyes as she snuggled up with her daughter.

“Goodnight, Mom.” Nyx murmured, closing her eyes as well and wrapping her hooves around her mom, snuggling up close. Hopefully, Twilight wished that this night would remain uneventful. That wish was all she could ever ask for.

As the moon’s light still gleamed from its highest point in the sky, another place echoed with the sounds of doors shutting and fences being closed. In the middle of a farm just outside of Ponyville stood a large structure. The front of the building was pentagonal in shape, with a square steeple structure atop of the large red barn, an anemometer perched at the highest point with an apple decoration as the finishing touch.

Applejack trotted along the fenceline as she kept a wary eye out, her pupils gazing across the apple trees and the fields in the distance. Reaching over to the chicken coop, she opened the door. Inside, the fowls were asleep, heads tucked away as some fidgeted a little in their sleep. Silently counting how many there were in her head, she sighed, glad that all of them were accounted for. Closing the door, she locked the entryway, double checking to make sure the door was fastened tightly before moving on.

She had already secured her farm animals inside the barn earlier, making sure that all the windows were closed and that the front door was tightly secured. The creature that she and her friends had encountered earlier unnerved her with the sheer violence it caused. Killing the poor guard right in front of her had been far more than unsettling, something she wished she never saw. ‘That poor mare. Ah’d never wish somethin’ that terrible upon another pony like that.’ It was a gruesome sight indeed. And indeed, she hoped Twilight would be better tomorrow. It was too close of a call for her friend, an experience she hoped would never happen to her.

Bringing these worries to the back of her mind, she looked around the farm, seeing that she had locked everything down. Assured that everything would be alright for the night, she whistled at the apple orchards to her right, calling, “Winona!” Applejack scanned the trees, hollering again. “Winona! Here girl!” A bark echoed from inside the orchard, a smaller four legged being running from within the trees. She smiled as she watched her moderate tangelo brown collie running up to her, yapping some more before panting as she jumped up, resting her paws on Applejack’s shoulders and licking her muzzle and barking, once more. “Good girl.” Applejack murmured, petting her back before ushering her over to the house. The canine quietly woofed and trotted off towards their home, Applejack following not far behind.

Although she was quite worried about that monster showing up, she hoped it would stay in its own little area. ‘That varmit there is somethin’ else… Ah just hope nopony else meets up with that dangerous critter.’ But she believed nothing would happen tonight. Otherwise that creature wouldn’t have run back into The Royal Sisters’ Castle after the barrage of magic it received from what Princess Celestia and Princess Luna told them.

She walked up to the door, opening it and letting Winona in first before stepping through. Inside, the living room lights were on, the kitchen lit up as well. Winona quietly circled around in a bed laid on a wall of the living room floor, lying down and shutting her eyes. Closing the door behind her, she locked it, turning the porch light on and nodded to herself.

“So, lockin’ everythin’ up huh?” Applejack turned to the voice, smiling as she saw her grandmother sitting in a rocking chair next to the stairs. Her light lime green coat darkening a little in the artificial light, rocking back and forth as she spoke in a crackled tone, her light brilliant orange irises’ glimmering with a sense of weariness. “Ah’m glad yah got all our livestock nice and tightly secured, but that hasn’t been done since Ah was about yer age, and when the timberwolves were practically our next door neighbors.”

“Oh, it’s nothin’ really, Granny Smith. Just a little precaution incase fer tonight.” Applejack said, moving through the open doorway into the kitchen. Really, she was just making sure their animals were safe, something that she didn’t feel was too big of a deal.

“A little precaution, hmm?” Granny Smith rubbed her chin, leaning forward as she called into the kitchen. “Whatcha mean by that, youngin’?”

“It’s nothin’ ta worry about.” She assured, poking her head from the corner of the kitchen. That, Applejack thought, was more or less true. The castle was still quite far from their property, so really there was not a thing to worry about. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being a little nervous. Making her way back, she moved up to the door inside the room that led back outside, locking it as well. She heard a chair squeaking behind her, turning to see a brilliant amaranth red stallion sitting at the dining table, reading the local newspaper, his moderate sap green eyes darting across the pages.

“Hey, Big McIntosh?” Applejack asked, watching the stallion glance in her direction, his eyes meeting with her own, his brilliant orange mane moving a little from the swaying motion. “Is Apple Bloom upstairs?”

“Eeeyup.” He murmured, bringing his focus back to the newspaper in his hooves. Happy to hear that her sister was inside, she brushed her temple with a hoof, her bangs swaying from the motion. Moving to the back of the house, she locked another door before making her back to the living room.

“Applejack?” She turned to face her grandmother, an eyebrow was raised as she lifted her right eye a little. “You seem more worked up than a cat tryin’ ta cover his own droppins’ on a marble floor. Everythin’ alright?”

Applejack sighed once more before saying, “Yes, Ah’m fine. It’s just… well…” She began, her eyes darting across the floor. If there was ever a moment where she wished she could tell the truth, this would be it. But after what Princess Celestia and Princess Luna said, they needed to keep this information on the low for a while. “Ah can’t tell yah. Ah wish Ah could, but now is not the best of times.” Without waiting for a reply, she quickly ascended the stairs. Reaching the top, she shook her head, moving to the door that sat next to the rails of the stairs.

Opening it up, she scanned the dark room, her pupils expanding a bit as her eyes adjusted to the shadowy living space. Moving her gaze over the bed, she noticed a bulge, walking up to the side of the decently sized bed and lifting the covers a little. She smiled as she saw a pale, light grayish olive filly underneath the bed sheets, her brilliant amaranth red mane sticking up in a couple spots. “Goodnight, Apple Bloom.” Kissing her forehead, she quietly stepped out of the room and closed the door softly, the latch faintly clicking.

Seeing that everything was locked down for the night, she made her way to the far end of the hall, opening her door and closing it behind her. Unbraiding her hair, she put the braids up on a counter to her left, her eyes moving up to the mirror that was perched above the wooden structure. Looking at herself, she chuckled, moving a hoof to her bangs as she brushed them out of the way. “Ah’m overthinkin’ this. Everythin’ will be fine fer the night.” Assuring herself of this, she turned the lights off and tucked herself in bed. With yawn, she closed her eyes and let the peaceful sleep take her. There was nothing to worry about, she thought, seeing as how they handled beings like Discord and King Sombra. But in truth she hoped she was right, expecting that this critter wouldn’t put up too much of a struggle. ‘Well… let’s hope Ah’m right.’

Lights shone across the small field of flowers, the river crossing under a bridge reflected the artificial light as the water rippled down the stream. The silent flapping of wings echoed next to a building with grass growing over the top, birdhouses perched across the front of the building with windows excreting the light from inside the cozy looking cottage.

A shadow streaked across the areas the luminescence touched as Fluttershy sped back and forth from birdhouses established over the river’s bank, guiding birds that slept outside into her cottage. “Alright little ones. It’s time to go in for the night.” She murmured, smiling as she tried to keep the idea of the monster she encountered today coming over to where she lived, possibly killing all her animals and even herself, buried in the back her mind.

This fear itself was something she was hoping would never come true. Yet that lingering dread was constantly floating by her side. This felt like Nightmare Night all over again, except at least the trick-or-treaters weren’t out for her head.

Guiding the birds in, she scanned the outside for any remaining animals, nodding before walking through the archway, closing the door behind her. Locking it tight, she looked around the building, smiling as she saw birds chirping and fluttering from perch to perch. A few of the rodents scampered around, some laying on the small circular beds, ones Fluttershy made sure were comfy. A bear sat on his back, snoring loudly as her gaze moved over his sleeping form. She felt pressure on her right fore hoof, looking down to see a white rabbit standing on his hind legs, crossing his fore legs and raising an eyebrow at her as he pointed to the other animals.

“Oh, I’m sorry Angel. It’s just that… well, there’s a… uhm.” The best way to tell him, Fluttershy thought, would have to be composed and not reveal much. “It’s just that I thought it might be best if everyone else here would sleep tonight. Just this once is all.”

Angel rolled his eyes, knowing that she wasn’t telling the whole truth. However, he didn’t persist in his questioning, hopping away over to his bed. Seeing that her bunny was at least complacent with her answer, she decided it would be best to address everyone else. “Now I know you’re all wondering why I brought you all inside the cottage.” Fluttershy began, making her voice heard, even though her tone still held its softness. “But I can’t fully explain to you why at the moment, because a friend of mine told me to keep this quiet for the time being.”

One of the birds chirped, Fluttershy turning to one of her feathered friends. Hearing his question, she said, “I really am sorry. My friend told me that nopony else is allowed to know what has happened.” She did answer to the best of her ability, of course, without giving away the real problem as to why.

A beaver chittered his question, Fluttershy darting her eyes as she realized why he would ask this. “Well. For how long you’ll be in the cottage, I’d say only for today, if that is alright with everyone here.”

The animals looked to one another, nodding or shrugging before going their separate ways. Glad that the animals had calmed down, she exhaled, happy that everyone was relaxed and composed. Taking this opportunity, she went ahead and moved into the kitchen. Unfurling her wings, she flapped up into the air a little, opening covers and pulling drawers out. Food, she knew was a good substance to help any animal relax. Making various dishes ranging from simple salads to assorted nuts and acorns, she flew out into the living room, putting down bowls of food for the residents of her house, flying up to the bird houses and pouring some bird seed into feeders for them. Content with her work, she put everything she had taken out back into its rightful spot. Before heading upstairs, she turned off the lights in the main living space, finally making her way up to the second floor of her cottage.

Yawning as she landed at the top of the stairs, she giggled, realizing how tired she was. Yet, seeing that she was this sleepy, the thought of that monster resurfaced, making her wonder how much sleep she would get tonight. “O-oh. Don’t be silly, Fluttershy. You’re as safe as everyone else here.” Her reassurance fell a little flat, making her shiver a little as slowly walked over to her room with unsteady hoofsteps.

Opening the door to her right, she walked in, cracking it behind her. The window was the first thing she moved to, closing the curtains to hide her room from any unwanted attention. Feeling a little more comforted, she moved to the right of her door, turning off the lights in her room before making her way to her bed. Lifting the bed sheets at the right side of her bed, she made herself cozy, closing her eyes and trying to get some sleep.

She hastily opened her eyes as the door creaked open, squealing in fright as she pulled the sheets over muzzle as she watched a large figure come in. Fluttershy shakily sighed as she realized the gentle huffing of the darkened animal was the bear. The larger mammal plopped on the wooden ground next to her bed, moving his gaze up to her own. Smiling, she patted his head gently, murmuring, “Thank you.”

Fluttershy wondered if he had picked up on her nervous emotions, explaining the reason why he had come up here in the first place. Feeling more secure now that the bear was up here, she closed her eyes with a happier notion, the darkness of sleep quickly taking her into its grip as she lost consciousness. Yet a thought came into her mind as she fell into this state of slumber, hoping that everypony else was doing alright. She hoped they were getting a good night’s rest as well, and wished them the best of dreams.