Twilight felt a touch winded after all the running she’d been doing, so she slowed her pace as she approached the library, late evening beginning to fall over the town. The sun still shone over the horizon, but darkness was not far away. She had to admire the cleverness of building the town’s library into a hollowed-out tree. It was actually pretty charming, and reminiscent of Star Swirl the Bearded’s famous tree-lab.

And just as she reached the door, a smooth voice piped up behind her, “Hey there, beautiful. What’s a cute filly like you doing in a town like this?” The voice was more than familiar, and it sent a sudden thrill of happiness through her body as she whirled around in excitement. Touching down was a bright pink coated pegasus, her mane in swirls of bright purple and pink, not unlike her own and a pair of unmistakable violet eyes with a big red stylized heart and a musical note for a cutie mark.. She had a wide smile on her face, and her forelegs opened wide.

Twilight didn’t even hesitate. “Cad-!” She stopped mid word, even as she hugged her oldest friend as close and tightly as she could. “Wait, It was… um…” She thought as hard as she could, as it had been a long time since Cadence had gone out into the world in disguise like this. She shook her head. “I can’t remember, but what are you doing here?!” Not that she minded, but Celestia had been insistent that Cadence had other duties…

Cadence giggled. “Love Beat, Twily,” she winked with that sparkling gaze of hers that was hard to not smile right back at. “And Auntie can clop off.” Her voice wasn’t venomous, but it was kind of angry. “I’m not going to spend one of my few free holidays of the year moping around Canterlot because Aunty got a bug up her butt about something.” She huffed, squeezing Twilight one more time before letting go. “So, I’m assuming Spike’s running errands?”

Twilight felt her smile broaden. Cadence would believe her, she just knew it! “Sort of, but we’ve got a bigger concern.” She turned to the door and Cadence fell right in step. They were a team, and that was worth a hundred of any other pony Twilight could name. “There’s an ancient pony prophecy you see, about the return of The Mare in the Moon, who is secretly the ancient conqueror Nightmare Moon!”

Cadence nodded, gesturing for her to go on as Twilight fiddled with t he library keys. “It says that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars would aid in her escape and…” She gulped as she undid the lock. “I think that’s going to be tonight! I just…” She winced, tucking the keys into her bag. “Celestia doesn’t believe me, I think. I need to find out something about the Elements of Harmony as quickly as I can, just in case I’m right!”

Cadence glanced down for a moment, then took a deep breath, nodding. “I agree. Between the two of us, I bet we can quickly sweep the library for any information it has… and hopefully if things go sour, we can find a solution between the two of us.” She grinned, holding up a hoof, and Twilight bumped it right back. “Love Conquers All, after all, and I am The Alicorn of Looooove.” She turned the word into a sexy little sound, and Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at it.

Gone, instantly, was the stress of worrying about it. She wasn’t alone, and that was… just… so wonderful that Twilight didn’t have words for it. She pushed open the door to the dark library. “Oh, poo!” she exclaimed, quickly trotting in. “You’d think they could have lit a lamp or something.” Twilight restrained her angry mutters as Cadence followed her in, and without another word called her magic into her horn, casting the basic candlelight spell and-

”SURPRISE!”

Only years of being used to Fleur De Lis’ antics prevented her from unloading an energy blast into the crowd. Cadence’s wings flared out, but she handled it much better than Twilight did, her smile not even wavering. The whole library was packed with all sorts of different ponies, none of whom Twilight had seen before, except for that one grey Mailmare who was hanging out near the punchbowl and- “Surprise!” Went the strange pink earth pony from before, her smile as broad as a pair of barn doors as she popped up mere inches from Twilight’s face.

The pink pony then launched into a rapid-fire barrage of words, Cadence merely looking on in astonishment, Twilight suitably impressed and annoyed by her sheer unadulterated energy. “Were you surprised? I hope you were surprised, I saw you walking into town and oh, yeah! I’m Pinkie Pie! And I know everypony in town, but I didn’t know you so I was all like-” she gave a huge, exaggerated gasp of air, not unlike the one she’d done earlier. “And so since I always throw parties for new ponies in town I decided I had to throw one for you, and I invited everypony and that wasn’t easy, and-”

She paused midstream, eyes alighting on Cadence, and smacked her forehead with a hoof. “And here I was thinking I’d seen all the new ponies in town and I missed you and I’m so very very sorry, but I guess we’re just gonna have to turn this celebration up to ELEVEN!” With that, and after dashing off in a puff of speed for a moment, she returned with extra big party hats and snapped them both on Twilight and Cadence’s heads before either could comment.

Twilight couldn’t restrain her laughter, and Cadence was not far behind with the giggles. The one who called herself Pinkie Pie beamed at them happily. “Wonderful! I can tell you’re both going to fit in just fine here in Ponyville, now I gotta get some more cupcakes because we’ve got another newpony, but don’t you two fret, I’ll be riiiiiiiiiiiiight back!” Off she went again in a puff of speed, leaving the door to the library flapping happily behind her.

Cadence shook her head in astonishment. “Please tell me she’s the one in charge of the celebrations here. I want to inflict her on the Princess.” Her smile was wickedly wide, her eyes a-sparkle. “I bet she could really liven up the Grand Galloping Gala.”

Twilight mused for a moment, then nodded. “Her name did sound familiar, but Spike has the list. Nevermind.” She sighed and glanced around the library at the raucous party already kicking off. “Theres no way in Tartarus that we’re going to get any good research done in this mess. We’re just going to have to wing it and see what happens, much as that scares me, personally.” She shivered a little, suddenly feeling cold.

Cadence wrapped a warm wing around her, as she had so many times before. “Don’t worry, Twily. We’ll get things sorted out, I promise. But I suppose we have a duty to meet everypony.” She heaved a gusty sigh, though Twilight was hardly taken in by the display. Giving Cadence a mock glare, she tapped her hoof severely… which eventually earned her a weary smile. “Okay, okay, so it’s not that bad. Look, I’m just happy I get to spend the time with you.”

That made Twilight blush, and she smiled. “Same.” It wasn’t a huge declaration, but it felt right. She squeezed Cadence’s hoof, and the two of them set off into the rallying party. More than anything right now, she wanted to learn the name of that odd Mailmare and find out if it really was Ditzy or not.

Sure enough, it was impossible to break through the ranks of new ponies to meet and get any research done. Instead, Twilight compensated by stuffing her right saddle bag full of contingency spells written onto scrolls. It wouldn’t be much against some kind of force that was the equal of Celestia, but it might buy her enough time to get away with Cadence to help and go find Celestia.

The pair of them walked in companionable silence towards the Town Hall as the moon rose high into the sky. The Sunrising ceremony might be a bit awkward with Cadence having snuck in, but Twilight was for once prepared to stand up for it. Cadence was her friend after all, and her very closest one. She wasn’t about to lose a good moment to spend time with her, especially given how… well…

She decided on the spot, that when Celestia did the Sunrising she was going to kiss Cadence. It was a very old Equestrian tradition to kiss your beloved during the ceremony, as a sign of your devotion to her or him being renewed. She knew Cadence felt strongly about her, even if the words were never spoken. Maybe… maybe this year would be the one, where she finally lost her fear of what might be.

The town hall was packed with ponies young and old, and Fluttershy’s bird chorus was waiting in the wings. Spike trundled over to her through the crowd, his eyes going straight to Cadence, and gave a long-suffering sigh. “Well, at least I know why you didn’t come back for me.” He socked Twilight in the foreleg and grinned, wrapping his talon around her shoulder. “You’re lucky I love you, you nut.”

Twilight smiled softly. “Yes, I am, Spike, and I love you too little brother.” She hugged him right back, until the music began to play from the bright and peppy bird chorus. The hall went silent as the Mayor stepped out onto the Town Hall stage and cleared her throat… and Twilight instantly tuned her out, casting her gaze upwards. The clerestory windows high above her head gave her a superb view of the moon, and the familiar mare upon it… and the face suddenly vanishing in a flash of light as four stars vanished behind the moon.

Her heart went cold as ice, the prophecy’s words echoing in her head. The stars will aid in her escape… She glanced around quickly, then turned to Cadence. “We’ve got to find Celestia, right now!” she whispered as quietly as she could. Cadence turned to her with a look of surprise, and Twilight pointed up at the moon. “The Mare in the Moon is gone! We’ve got to act quickly!”

Cadence’s eyes shrunk to pinpoints, and she gave a resolute nod. The music crescendoed behind them, and suddenly the town hall was filled with muttering sounds of worry. It was hard to try and worm her way to the back of the crowd, even with Cadence leading the way. The Mayor’s voice rose over the crowd, calling for calm. They were just about to exit when the doors when the doors suddenly slammed shut within inches of Twilight’s face. “Gah!”

A dark, sinister laugh filled the air, and the temperature in the hall dropped like they had been plunged into an icebox. “Oh, my dear, beloved subjects…” The voice oozed contempt and fury, and Twilight whirled to see the pitch-black figure poised upon the balcony. “It’s been so long since I’d seen your precious, little, sun loving faces…” She spat the words, her eyes narrowed like those of a dragon. She radiated aggression, anger, and a power that made Twilight’s mouth go dry.

“What did you do to our Princess!?” Rainbow Dash’s voice cut through the air, and she nearly took wing, only to be stymied by Applejack grabbing at her tail, barely restraining her from going straight at Nightmare Moon.

The dark figure chuckled richly, in a manner that sent a chill down Twilight’s spine. “I’ve got a number six, a number twelve, a number three and a number eighteen in my bag. Get them ready,” she whispered at Cadence, who nodded minutely. She knew all of Twilight’s best tricks almost as well as Twilight did. Oh-so-subtly, she took the scrolls from Twilight’s saddlebags and grabbed Spike’s limp form off her back. Cadence didn’t question her… They’d pulled this kind of dramatic exit before.

The dark mare’s voice turned silky smooth, almost seductive. “Why… am I not royal enough for you, my dears? Did you forget my legend so easily?” A trail of her enchanted mane reached out, lifting Rarity’s chin up to stare into her menacing gaze. “Did you not see the signs?!” she snapped, fixing her glare upon the rest of the room.

They needed time for Cadence to get set up so… Here goes nothing… “I did!” Twilight exclaimed, marching boldly to the center of the room. The dark alicorn’s gaze fixed on her, suddenly interested. “And I know exactly who you are. You’re the Mare in the Moon! Nightmare Moon!” Her proclamation sent the entire room into gasps of horror and fright, but she stifled her own fear. I am the student of Princess Celestia, and I won’t let you intimidate me! The defiance was silent, but it bolstered her nerves.

“Well, well… Somepony who remembers me. How intriguing.” Nightmare Moon sauntered over to the balcony, regally laying a upon it. “Then I suppose you know why I am here, little pony?” Her eyebrow arched challengingly.

It was not a pleasant experience, being held in that baleful regard, but Twilight held her head high. She wasn’t going to show this bitch one ounce of fear. “You’ve come back… to bring about Eternal Night.” The words quavered a bit, but she stared the dark being right in the eye. She’d learned her lesson from Hoity Toity a long time ago… if you didn’t stand up to ponies like this, you got walked all over.

There was a twinkle of something in Nightmare Moon’s gaze… almost like respect. “Yesss….” her voice hissed out, thick with desire. “Remember this day, little ponies. For it shall be your last. From this moment forth, the night will last FOREVER!” She loosed a torrent of mad laughter, lightning and dark power swirling about the room like an evil storm. As soon as it came, it ended, her gaze snapping back to Twilight. “But you… I sense something different in you. Something intriguing. Perhaps I can have a little fun, first…” Her gaze narrowed and her horn began to glow with a dense power….

“NOW!” Twilight screamed, and suddenly the air was full of colorful explosions of light and sound, the front doors of the town hall slammed open by a blast of force as Twilight spun on her hooves. Blinding flashes filled the air, and Nightmare Moon’s scream rent the air like wet cloth. “EVERYPONY OUT! NOW!” Twilight yelled, and the crowd obeyed. Within moments, the street was full of rushing ponies. Cadence was alongside her mere moments later, galloping with Spike in tow. “We need to get to the library! We’ve got to find something!” she yelled over the din, and Cadence nodded in grim silence.

There was little else to say, at least for now.

Cadence’s heart was cold with fear and fury. Celestia was utterly missing, and she had to suspect the worst. Twilight hadn’t merely been right - she’d been prophetic. There was no time for subtlety, and no time for hesitation. They had to find out more about these ‘Elements of Harmony’ as quickly as they possibly could. Between her and Twilight, with luck, they’d have the power to do something.

The door to the library was burst open before Twilight’s magic, and Cadence charged in behind her, slamming it shut. There was no telling how long Nightmare Moon would take to find them, nor how powerful she might actually be. Cadence turned to see Twilight already sifting through every book in the library, her eyes darting rapidly across the titles of every book, sometimes sifting through one before tossing it aside. Cadence took a moment to tuck Spike into a bed, and then darted back to aid in the search.

It was nearly ten minutes going through shelf after shelf in companionable silence before something happened… A whole group of somethings, actually. “Hey! Open up in there!” That was the brash and determined voice of the pegasus that had called out Nightmare Moon, just beyond the door. Twilight looked up in bewilderment, and minutely shook her head at Cadence. “We know you’re in there, and we know you know what’s going on, so open the buck up!”

Cadence contemplated her options for only a moment before throwing open the lock and the door with a touch of subtle magic. Five figures marched into the tree, each one remarkably distinct from one another. An earth pony with an apple cutie mark, must be one of the Apple clan. Rainbow maned pegasus, haven’t seen one of those in forever. Pink earth pony, yellow pegasus, white unicorn, too! What an odd assemblage!

The brash pegasus dashed forward at an astonishing speed, getting snout-to-snout with Twilight. “Hey! What in the heck is going on!? Who the buck was that, and how did you know so much about her?!” Her eyes narrowed, every inch of her body taut with aggression. “Are you some kinda spy?!”

Twilight’s jaw dropped, but before Cadence could rally to her defense, the Apple clan member whacked the pegasus over the back of the head and dragged her to the ground. “Hold yer horses, Sugarcube! She ain’t no spy… but she does know what’s goin’ on.” The earth pony gazed soulfully at Twilight, and there was the oddest tug of magic there.. “Don’tcha, Twilight?”

Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled, then met her gaze. “It’s a little complicated, but I’ll explain as best as I can. I read all about the prophecy of her return, and it spoke of objects called the Elements of Harmony.” The word pulsed in the air, and once again Cadence felt a strange, alien magic tug at the world around her. Why wasn’t Twilight reacting to it? Twilight’s tone grew nervous, even afraid, “They’re the only things that can stop Nightmare Moon, but I don’t know what they are! Where to find them! Heck, I don’t even know what they DO!” Her voice descended into a wail, eyes wide with fear.

A bright, perky voice cut through the tension. “Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide!” Cadence turned to stare, along with everypony else in the room, as the pink earth pony extracted the tome, brandishing it proudly.

Twilight stared, then snatched the book out of the air, nearly knocking the pink one down. “Where in the name of Celestia’s backside did you find it, Pinkie!?” She was already cracking the book open and swiftly sifting through the pages.

Pinkie giggled and bounced happily around the room, “It was under Eeeee!” She sing-songed, the other four mares in the room rolled their eyes expressively. This was, apparently, normal behavior for her.

Except….

Something wasn’t right here.

Why would there be a book that we so desperately needed, one not even Canterlot had, right here, in this small town library, shelved in a perfectly easy place to find it? The thought gnawed at her, and Cadence felt a wave of suspicion over so coincidental an event wash over her. What was this strange, subtle magic that was humming through the air? Why was Twilight seemingly oblivious to it?

“Okay, so… I’ve got good news, and I’ve got bad news.” Twilight’s voice startled her from her thoughts, and Cadence decided right then to keep a very close eye on her tonight. “The good news is, they’re relatively close. The bad news….” She gulped softly, and turned to the group. “Is that their last known location is in the Palace of the Sisters… in the middle of the Everfree Forest!”

What followed next was one of the most surreal experiences in all of Cadence’s life. Time and time again, dark magic tried to stay their path as they traveled through the Everfree Forest, one of the most dangerous places in all of Equestria. And time and time again, the individual courage, tenacity, and personalities of the five strange mares who had appeared as if from nowhere proved to be the perfect keys to overcome their obstacles.

Now, an ancient stone castle she had never seen before loomed large in front of her, like a titan out of legend. The subtle magics were buzzing around Twilight and her five new companions like rippling guitar strings. And no matter how much Cadence wished to, she hadn’t been able to intervene to help Twilight at all. It had been utterly maddening, as coincidence that was obviously not coincidence kept her out of the fray until the danger had been overcome.

“This must be it,” Twilight whispered, and the five friends nodded. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity. They were names that resonated. Names that Cadence was certain should mean something to her, but she didn’t know what. “Come on, girls! We’ve got to hurry!” Twilight scampered up the stairs, all of her usual anxiety and shyness around new ponies absent. Somehow, in a matter of hours, these five ponies had pierced Twilight’s tough shell and found the pony that Cadence had long known underneath.

She followed at the quickstep, more convinced than ever that even if she couldn’t help up to this point, she had to stay close to Twilight. The stairs were ancient, but so solid that Cadence felt no fear galloping up them. They carried the merry little band up to a grand hallway, ancient stained glass window frames empty eyes out into the world. Two thrones, side by side with tattered banners hanging above them, one blue, one bright gold. And there, in the center of the room, a dias.

Five stone spheres sat, stylized gems carved into their faces. “The Elements of Harmony,” Cadence whispered, as Twilight quickly began bringing them down from the dais, but… “One, two three, four, five…. Twilight, didn’t your book say there were six of these things?” Cadence felt her brow furrow, then a stroke of fear. Had some ambitious treasure hunter carried it away, long ago?

Twilight nodded sadly. “Yes, but it also said that when the Five are present, a spark will cause this Sixth to appear.” She paused, glaring at the five stones in a bit of annoyance.

“An what’n the hay’s that supposed to mean?” Applejack groused, and Cadence stifled a grin. She had to admit, even amidst all this strangeness, she’d come to nurture quite a liking for these five mares herself. They were all just so charming. It was almost strange how easily she developed a liking for them.

Twilight shook her head slowly. “I’m not sure but… I’ve got an idea. I’d stand back if I were you.” Her body took on an air of supreme concentration, closing her eyes, magic bursting to life around her horn. Twilight bit at her lower lip a little, and began weaving some kind of spell…

Applejack nodded. “Come on y’all. We’ll give her privacy so she can concentrate. Ya’ll comin’, Love Beat?” She arched an eyebrow at Cadence, obviously still unsure of what to make of her presence.

Cadence shook her head. “No, I’m going to keep watch, just in case. I know how Twilight can get when she gets wrapped up in a spell, and I want to make sure somepony’s here to watch her back.” She was worried though. Twilight was almost never this slow with a spell. What was she working on…?

Applejack tipped that hat at her with a grin and a nod. “Well, I reckon you might jes’ be a stand up pony after all.” With that mysterious comment, she vanished out the stone door.

Cadence exhaled heavily, happy at the very least that the thrumming, subtle magic had vanished from the air for the moment… only to hear a shriek of sudden fear. She wheeled about, seeing the five stone spheres being lifted into the air on a whirlwind of dark magic. “The Elements!” Twilight yelled and leapt at them…

“Twilight!” Cadence screamed and jumped after her, only to be caught up in a sudden explosion of white light and magic. Smoke billowed through the air, and Cadence fought off a coughing fit as Twilight did the same. “What in the….?”

A smooth, sly chuckle rippled through the air, and Cadence found herself staring down the ancient, smirking alicorn. The five stone spheres settled to the ground about her, her voice a purr. “How incredibly intriguing. A pegasus in disguise and a unicorn with the brains to find the Elements of Harmony. It makes me wonder what my dear sister has been up to lately…” The smile turned nasty, her eyes narrowing. “So just what do you two intend to do then, hmm?”

Twilight and Cadence shared a glance, the unicorn nodding minutely at the Elements, biting at her lip. “I’m faster, and I can dodge better,” Cadence said bluntly, and Twilight nodded. She didn’t look happy about it, but Cadence sure as heck wasn’t terribly enthused over what she was about to do. “Go for the Elements,” she snapped, “I’ll keep her occupied!” Cadence wheeled and felt a fierce grin split her muzzle, pawing a hoof at the stone floor.

“Hah! You’re… Joking. You’re joking, right?” Nightmare Moons’ voice was flat, dangerous. Cadence flared out her wings and flung herself across the room in a blur. Nightmare Moon’s eyes went wide, and she unleashed a blast of energy that Cadence banked around, the sheer, insane power of it sending a thrill of fear down her spine. Get caught by one of those, and she would be fried like an egg.

Cadence twisted about and kept to her head-on charge. She had to draw her off that dias... “You foal! You cannot hope to best me!” Nightmare Moon snapped, hurling herself at Cadence with a malevolent scream. Terrifying as it was, at least she’d gotten her attention. Okay, now what!? The thought surged through her panicked mind, and she threw herself into the tightest possible turn she could manage as another bolt nearly lanced through her, blasting a hole in the wall instead.

There was a sudden flash of purple light, and Cadence saw Twilight teleport into the midst of the five stones. Time. She needs time. Gotta keep her occupied! “That all you’ve got!?” she yelled, trying to grab the Alicorn’s attention, and was rewarded with another beastial scream and a blast of power. It took every ounce of her ability on the wing to drop to the deck, the energy arcing over her to shatter a stone column.

Bravado was all she had now, and she launched herself back to the air. “You’re not half the fighter Auntie Celestia is!” she jeered at Nightmare Moon, flapping her wings as hard as she could to circle around back to her. Another shot surged past, but Cadence was just too limber on the wing. “You’ve got seriously lousy aim!” she taunted again, as the glow around Twilight grew brighter and brighter. Just a little bit longer…

“Auntie?!” Nightmare Moon spat, then her eyes widened, the draconic pupils narrowing to slits. “So. That is her intention. But it will be all for naught!” She whirled into a cloud of inky black power, flitting through the air at impossible speeds. Cadence wheeled and tried to react, only to see Twilight flung away from the dais by a burst of power. “Now, DIE!” the Nightmare screamed, her horn unleashing a torrent of energy…. aimed straight at Twilight.

Suddenly, the subtle buzzing magic was back… and Cadence felt something snap inside of her. “NOT MY BELOVED YOU BITCH!” The words ripped from her throat, her concealed horn unleashing a bright violet and pink blast of power that slammed into the Nightmare’s own, blasting it from existence. A wave of backlash slammed into her, leaving her mind reeling with the feeling of the power she had tapped into and the pain of the insane spell she’d just cast.

Nightmare Moon screamed in frustration and slammed her hooves into the ground, a wave of power shattering the five spheres of stone. “HAH!” Nightmare Moon crowed as Cadence stumbled to her knees, stunned by her exertion. “Now your precious elements are worthless! None can stand against me now!”

Twilight slowly pulled herself to her hooves, and glanced over her shoulder… and a soft, tentative smile crossed her face. “That’s where you’re wrong, Nightmare Moon,” she said calmly, lifting herself up with a triumphant grin, “because the stones were never what was important… what was important were the spirits of the Elements!” Five mares thundered up alongside Twilight, each and every one of them fixing Nightmare Moon with a fierce glare. “And the spirits of the Elements are right here!” Twilight exclaimed, a massive wave of magic sending Cadence toppling into unconsciousness.

Cadence did not know how long she floated in silent darkness, only that the next thing she felt was a familiar pair of hooves shaking her, and… “C-C-... Love Beat! Wake up! Oh, Celestia, please!” There was a feeling of warmth as her vision swam back into being, showing her… a stunned, scared looking Twilight wearing a golden crown, inset with a huge, sparkling violet gemstone in the shape of her cutie mark. “Oh… Oh good.” Twilight’s voice cracked. “You’re okay,” she whispered, and embracing her as tightly as she ever had.

“What happened?” she heard her voice croak, rubbing at her eyes first before firmly returning Twilight’s embrace. “It’s okay, Twilight. I think I just got overwhelmed by… something.” She shook her head, mind still fuzzy and unfocused. What was that strange crown she was wearing? And what had hit her?

“The magic of the Elements of Harmony, no doubt.” Cadence’s blood froze, and she fought herself slowly up to a sitting position to look into the stern, disapproving stare of Princess Celestia. “They were especially potent upon their rebirth, not to mention the return of my sister, Princess Luna.” Celestia’s gaze was hard at first, but then it… softened, oddly. “I thought I told you to remain in Canterlot, Love Beat.” She hadn’t of course, but the implication had been there when she hadn’t been informed.

Cadence shook her head firmly, slowly regaining her clarity. She wasn’t going to accept that sort of logic, not after what had just happened. “You’d better be glad I was here, Princess Celestia,” she responded sharply, eyes narrowed and forelegs holding Twilight even more tightly. “Besides, I promised I would spend the holiday with Twilight, and I wasn’t about to break a promise.”

Celestia stared at her with a strange look, then turned her head to Twilight. “My faithful student, would you be so kind as to give me and Love Beat a bit of privacy? Go see to Princess Luna, and make certain she is recovering well.” For a fleeting moment, Twilight looked ready to snap at the Princess, something that utterly shocked Cadence, before Celestia’s gaze softened a touch. “Please, Twilight.” Her voice was pleading, and all too soft.

Twilight frowned, then nodded once. She trotted off with not much more than a warm, glorious smile for Cadence, leaving her alone in the grand stone hall with her aunt, and all too many questions. Celestia watched Twilight as she left the room, and sighed heavily. “Would that I understood what has happened here. Twilight told me that you actually deflected a blow from Nightmare Moon with nothing but your own magic.” Her eyes were sharp as she focused on Cadence. “You must understand how impossible that is, unless you…”

She trailed off for a moment, and Cadence hugged herself. She couldn’t answer that question, because she was all too certain what path it might lead down. Celestia simply tilted her head, her face neutral. “Twilight will, of course, be remaining here in Ponyville to continue her studies into the magic of friendship. And you have duties in Canterlot that you must see to.”

Cadence wanted to stop herself, but her emotions and heart were the ones in the driver’s seat right now, not her logic. “Try to separate me again from Twilight, and I will never speak to you again, Auntie.” Her voice snapped, brimming with a fear and anger she had no idea lived within her. “I nearly lost her tonight to some mad plan of yours,” she continued, her voice now carrying her away, along with her emotions, “and don’t try and deny it! This has your hoofprints all over it, Celestia!”

Cadence forced herself to her hooves and marched up until she was snout-to-snout with her aunt, feeling the fire raging in her heart in a way that it had not done so for a very long time. “I’m going to stay here, and protect the one I love, and there is no force in this world or any other that can stop me! Not even you!” Her rage seethed, the emotions boiling deep in her belly speaking of a truth she could not contain. The words spilled out from behind barriers long held up, and then gripped her soul in terror. Things were getting quickly out of control, and no doubt Celestia would swiftly move to stop them, and-

And Celestia was smiling. No. She wasn’t just smiling. There was a shimmer of withheld tears in her eyes, and a joy in her smile that shone as bright and warm as the sun. “Thank the Goddess,” she whispered, a long foreleg extending to embrace Cadence firmly, shocking her out of her anger. “I had feared… but no. Perhaps I ought to have known better, and trusted in you.” The words were mysterious and soft, and then Celestia laughed.

It had the sound of chiming bells to it, bright and joyful and unabashedly triumphant. “Very well. You may remain in Ponyville to act as Twilight’s personal assistant, alongside Spike. In disguise, since I’d rather not deal with the upheaval of an alicorn in Ponyville right now.” There was a sly look in Celestia’s eye, and Cadence instantly knew that her aunt was up to something again, and… and…

And now, she needed an explanation.

She gently pressed her hoof into Celestia’s chest, pushing her away for just a moment. “I cannot keep going like this without knowing what you’re doing, Aunt. Please. You must trust me.” She injected as much silent entreaty into her words as she could, meeting Celestia’s gaze. “I care just as much about Twilight as you do, and I know that there were far stronger magics at work here tonight than could have occurred naturally.”

Celestia looked away for a moment, and in that moment Cadence could see her aunt’s shoulders sag a little with a weight she had never seen before. “The world is faced with dangers it has not been confronted with for a thousand years and more, niece.” Her voice was soft, almost too soft, as she gazed into the bright moonlight. “There are threats that are imminent, and I have no idea when they will rear their heads. For too long, Equestria has been living on borrowed time. Even with the return of my sister, I have no hope of standing against them. And so I must prepare others to do so in my stead. ”

Cadence opened her mouth, and Celestia shook her head in denial. “Would that Shining Armor had not proven unsuitable to his task, perhaps I would not be scrambling for every advantage I could find. Tonight had to happen the way it did, Cadence. Had things proceeded in another way, had others taken the place of those five very special ponies…” Celestia’s head shook slowly. “I do not know what might have happened. And now, especially now of all times, I cannot risk uncertainty.”

Cadence felt her jaw drop a little, then she shook her head. “Wait! You mean you knew this would happen!?” She felt shock overtake her and grabbed at Celestia’s shoulder. “But Twilight said-”

“My most faithful student saw the signs, because I placed the clues in front of her. And because I had faith that she would be the mare you have so wonderfully helped me raise her into, she was triumphant.” Celestia’s voice was quiet and calm. “Just as once, long ago, I introduced you to young Shining Armor, in the hope that another ancient threat might be vanquished.” She looked Cadence right in the eye, and Cadence could feel the immense weight and pain in her voice. “I had thought he would be perfect for you. That his nature would ensure you two would ever be in sync with one another. When your mutual connection to Twilight drove him to the breaking point, though…”

Celestia’s eyes shut tightly, and Cadence felt herself astonished to see her aunt… crying. “Goddess, I had been so certain, and my certainty brought you and Twilight so very much pain.” She sniffled, just once, a gold clad hoof brushing away tears. “You must understand, Cadence. I know you loved him dearly, and so did I. But if he did not love you with the same and equal fervor, enough to see through every trial no matter how small and petty, any doubt in how he felt for you would have ultimately led to the destruction of you both. With what is to come, I could not risk being wrong, could not risk that he might be harboring doubts in his love for you, and so I removed him from the equation. I could not risk losing you both.” Her head fell, and a sob wracked her shoulders. “I have lost too many already to lose you two, now.”

Cadence felt herself almost unable to absorb all of this, and yet… if she was understanding Celestia correctly, then Shining had been sent away because… because of her. Because Celestia had needed her to… what? “Auntie, why have you done all of this? Why could you not just tell us what was going on!?” It was a question she’d stewed over for a very long time, but never once had she had the chance to ask.

Celestia took in a deep breath and exhaled softly. “I hate what I must be, Cadence.” Her voice was as bitter as poison, and eyes closing tightly. “Would that I did not have to send those I love into danger and peril. Would that I did not have to think with cold calculation about every action I take, or the things I must interfere with. Would that the world did not demand I sometimes act without feeling or emotion. I hate that part of me, Cadence. But no longer do I turn from it.” The tears ran slow down her cheeks now. “Too many heroes, too many brave ponies have given their final measure of resolve for Equestria to allow me to ignore it when need demands. I lost my sister once because I was too cowardly to do what I needed to do.”

With a shuddering breath, she continued. “You, Twilight, Shining Armor, and others you do not know of yet. You are my only hope to preserve Equestria and all of my little ponies. You are the heroes this time has given me.” She gave a little shudder, and without hesitation Cadence embraced her aunt tightly, trying to impart some comfort. “And so I must weigh necessary evil against the pleadings of my heart, and send those who I most dearly love into deadly danger and peril, and force new paths upon others in the hopes that their strength will be enough to do what I cannot. I must manipulate and maneuver behind the scenes, even though such actions sicken me. I can…” Celestia shivered and bowed her head to Cadence’s shoulder, her tears still falling. “I can but hope that you will forgive me. That Twilight will forgive me.”

For a few moments, Cadence sat and listened to the broken sobs of her monarch, her surrogate mother, and her friend. Whatever anger she felt in that moment was washed away by those tears, and silenced by those sobs. She could not bring herself to scream at her. Not now. “Of course I do, Celestia,” she found herself whispering, laying her head on Celestia’s shoulder, reveling in its softness. “I’ve never expected you to be perfect. I’ve only expected you to tell me these things, you silly pony.” In Celestia’s soul she felt that gentle, distant pain of loss and loneliness, but there was something else there now. A feeling of hope and bright joy.

The time for explanations was over. Now, she had to lay the foundations for the future. “But I wish a promise from you. I wish your word that you will not act in this way again towards Twilight or myself without consulting me. We both wish to protect Equestria as much as you do, auntie. Trust in us.”

Celestia drew in a shuddering breath and nodded firmly. “I give you my word, Cadence. Though I may not be able to tell you all the details, I shall not act directly without speaking to you first.” She silently crossed her chest with her hoof, and then with a whimsical smile stuck her hoof in her eye. “I promise.”

Cadence wasn’t entirely sure what the last part of that gesture was, but she was certain of the first. There was much they would still have to discuss, but Cadence could not allow her aunt’s pain to go on right now. This was to be a happy day, damn it. “So... Princess Luna, huh? You must tell me about her.” She asked, injecting a big dollop of good humor into her tone. “What did she do to earn your ire? Eat all of the cake?”

Celestia’s cheeks colored prettily, and she burst into sudden laughter. “Oh my goddess, no! She is my sister, returned to me after a thousand winters…” She beamed and wiped away the tears in her eyes. The massive joy that flared within her at the mention of Luna’s name... “And to see both you and Twilight like this on the very same day of her return, it is… It is almost too much.” Then Celestia did something Cadence had never seen her do. She giggled. For all of her tears, and all of the weight and pain in her soul, there was simply too much happiness to be let out as anything but a giggle.

Cadence stared for a moment, then felt her own giggle bubble up from her throat, and it was not long before they fell all over one another, laughing like schoolfillies. Then… Cadence had to say something, before the moment passed. “Celestia… What about you? What about...” It was a hard thing to speak of, but… but she would not be who she was if she couldn’t. “What about how you feel? Your needs? Is there anything I can do…?”

Celestia just shook her head, smiling faintly. “We shall see where the future takes us. For now though, nurture what you have found. We shall hope for more when tomorrow comes.” Kissing Cadence’s cheek, she helped her to her hooves. “Come. You must meet my sister, and I have a Sunrising ceremony to complete.”

Two hours later, when Twilight turned and pressed a passionate kiss against Cadence’s lips, as Celestia rose into the air along with a glorious swift sunrise, Cadence did not feel strange, nor compelled to turn away. She turned into the kiss, and silently swore that she would find a way past her fears and doubts, that she would find the means to bring this filly all of the happiness she deserved. Twilight deserved that true love that burned in her heart, and Cadence could feel her magic aching to reach out and wrap itself around Twilight and never let her go.

Somehow, she would make this work. Somehow, she would regain control over her estranged magic and emotions. Somehow, she would make certain that Celestia was just as happy as Cadence was right now. Somehow, she would repair what had happened between her and Shining Armor, and make sure that her little beloved was never without her brother again, nor he without the love he deserved from somepony special. Somehow, she was going to make sure that there would be a happily-ever-after for everypony. For Celestia. For Shiny. For Twilight. For herself. She wasn’t sure how she’d do it, but she knew with Twilight at her side, she could figure it out.

They were a team, after all.