They were sitting around the inside of the Golden Oaks Library, chatting amiably with each other as Twilight flipped through the yellowed pages of the massive tome that lay at her hooves, surrounded in an intricate spiral of runes.

Fluttershy watched her friend read from the book with unease slowly rising in the pit of her stomach.

Something isn’t right here. she thought as she looked on. Why is Twilight so concerned about this book? She only just got it in, she hasn’t even re-read it! That isn’t like her.

“Are you sure that this is a good idea?” asked Fluttershy, halting her friend’s amiable conversation in its tracks.

“I’m sure, Fluttershy.” said Twilight, smiling reassuringly, “This book has so many spells that I’ve never heard of. Spells to change shape, spells to heal the sick, there’s even a spell that can open portals to other worlds! And I’ve been dying to see the other you’s from Canterlot High and see how Sunset Shimmer’s doing.”

The others shared looks of excitement at the idea of meeting their much-talked-about human counterparts. That idea calmed Fluttershy somewhat, but the unease was still there, just numbed for the moment.

She allowed herself to think upon what it would be like to see her human counterpart, taking comfort in the distraction and allowing her imagination to soar at the possibilities, although she had a strong suspicion that her doppelganger would be, in fact, just like her.

Still, it never hurt to dream.

Sadly, her dream was cut short when the whistling started. It was low at first, but it quickly gained in volume until the very walls were gently vibrating with the sound.

The Bearers clutched their hooves to their ears to try and drown out the noise.

Then Twilight screamed, loud enough to penetrate the hooves and the strange humming. Fluttershy opened her eyes and gasped as she saw the tome’s pages begin to fly out of the book, every single letter on every single page glowing like a jack-o-lantern.

The humming distorted and twisted until it became a raging cacophony of screams, roars, howling and hissing.

There was another scream and Fluttershy watched in horror as Twilight’s eyes were filled with glowing yellow light.

Fluttershy awoke with a screech that startled the nest of birds that slept on the beam above her head into wakefulness. The yellow pegasus sat bolt upright, her fur soaked with sweat and her fear-filled eyes darting around the room, searching for invisible monsters.

After a minute her breathing slowed and she was able to think clearly. The memory of that day was still blazing brightly in her mind: the tome, the humming, Twilight’s reaction, it was all so terrifying.

Fluttershy heaved a shuddering sigh and got out of bed, she hoped that a nice glass of warm milk and an oat cookie or two might help her get back to sleep.

She headed down the stairs, wincing at every creak, and entered her small, darkened kitchen. She pulled the fridge door open and took out the milk, letting the rectangle of the fridge’s internal light illuminate her way to the counter and cupboards.

There was a window that divided the cupboards from the counter, a smallish one that looked out onto her backyard and the outlying thicket of the Everfree.

It was dark outside, the full moon was hidden behind some clouds and the only illumination came from the fireflies that danced in the still air.

It was beautiful to Fluttershy, even though it was filled with shadows.

She fluttered up to the highest cupboard and took out a cup and a packet of cookies, then she set them on the counter. She chanced another look outside and started when she saw that the glass had been fogged.

Fluttershy looked over at the thermostat that lay next to the window: it was only 79% outside; Could it be coming from in here? It is kind of cold.

Furrowing her brow, she looked back up and reached out to wipe away the condensation, but it wasn’t on the inside.

The fog spread slightly and then a large, dark shape gently tapped the glass on the other side, wiping the mist away and giving Fluttershy a clear look at the face that lay on the other side, a green-furred face, with a flat-topped head, a sloping brow and the pair of piercing silver eyes that lay under them.

Eyes that were now gazing directly at her with a mix of confusion and interest.

Fluttershy screamed as loud as her lungs and throat would allow.

The monster drew back, emitted a muffled snarl, and turned away, disappearing into the blanked of shadows beyond her line of sight.

Fluttershy, whimpering and sobbing at the same time, pulled herself into a ball and huddled in the corner farthest from that window, her wings wrapped around her shuddering body; there would be no sleeping this night, that much was certain.

Elsewhere, far beyond Ponyville, Princess Luna was staring down at the little town with a mix of confusion and worry.

There were dark storm clouds rolling in over the little hamlet, clouds that pulsed and swirled with the potential of powerful bursts of lightning and torrents of rain.

I didn’t hear anything about the weather pegasi making a storm when I read this morning’s paper. mused the lunar princess as she watched the clouds swirl and break apart in the chilly wind, which had also come suddenly and without warning.

Outside of her window the courtyard was littered with fallen leaves.

Nightmare Night is almost upon us. thought Luna, smiling with anticipation, for that night was the night when she got to visit Ponyville, and many other towns in Equestria, the night when she got to scare the adults and mingle with the foals, who loved her much more than their older counterparts, who didn’t judge her for her past mistakes.

Luna frowned: lately it seemed as though Celestia had noticed her dislike of the older generation’s distrust of her, and she had set up several meetings and parties to break the barriers that lay between her and the others. She had even gone to the extreme of announcing the first annual Lunar Ball.

Luna had protested this, but her sister would have none of it. “You have to get out there and face your subjects sometime.” she had said, “Or you’ll just make them distrust you more.”

“But why must I face the obnoxious aristocracy?” she had asked, “They only tolerate me because I am a princess.”

Celestia had put a hoof to her chin for a moment before smiling and saying, “What if I summoned the Bearers to lighten the mood? I’m sure that they would love to see you again.”

Luna had smiled back at her sister, “Would you really?!”

Celestia had chucked and said that she’d arrange it. This gave Luna a far more positive outlook on the Ball, but she was still wary of it.

“How interesting could it be, even with the Elements there?” she thought, remembering the incident at the first Gala that they’d been invited to, the one that Celestia had, after her laughter had died down, told them not to “liven up” again.

She was startled out of her thoughts when something large and shadowy passed by her window. She looked out and saw a bat, large and black with deep red eyes, pass by, wheeling through the air before fluttering out of sight.

“That didn’t look like any of the bats that I’ve seen before.” Luna thought, feeling a shudder pass through her.

There was something about those eyes, it was like they had been staring right at her.

She shivered again and resolved to keep the window closed for the night.

“Maybe I should put a barrier around it, just to be safe.” she thought for a second before she let out a soft chuckle.

“Good Faust, Luna, are you really so foalish?” she taunted herself aloud, “Frightened of a bat, one of my favorite animals, what is wrong with me?”

Still chuckling to herself, she turned and headed for bed.

She didn’t see the bat return and perch upon the small terrace that led to the window, affixing her with its red, unnatural eyes.