Chapter 1

     Professor Celestia stood underneath a row of streetlights on Pony Drive. Her bright rainbow mane shone in the moonlight, as did her white coat. At midnight, everypony on this street was already asleep.

The shadow at Celestia’s feet twitched, and the professor smiled softly.

“I should have known you’d be here, Professor Luna,” Celestia said. 

     The shadow seemed to rise up from the concrete. It slowly morphed into a pony just a little smaller than Celestia herself, but with a much darker coat and mane.

“Do you have the filly?” Luna asked, her eyes scanning the street.

“Rarity is bringing her," Celestia replied. 

“Do you really think we can trust Rarity with such an important task?” 

“I would trust Rarity with my life Luna." 

     They walked down the street, and stopped at the only house with an untrimmed lawn or a crack in the concrete. It reeked of canned sardines and miniature blueberry pies. This was a very foul house indeed.

Luna turned her nose up at the repulsive house.

“The Tiara residence…” Celestia said. Her horn glowed bright, and the surrounding streetlights grew dimmer, and the light seemed to be sucked into Celestia's horn. 

“Do you think it wise to leave the filly with these ponies? I’ve watched them all day! They’re the worst kind of blank flanks imaginable!  They really are!” 

“They’re the only family she has.” Celestia said once the street was finally pitch black.

     There was a loud roar of an engine and the flashing of headlights. When Luna and Celestia turned around, they saw a motorbike roaring down the street at full speed. It screeched to a halt right in front of the Tiara's house, and a white mare slightly smaller than the two professors climbed off carrying a basket in her teeth. She wore a shiny purple helmet with a black visor, a thick leather jacket.

“Hello Professor Celestia,” Rarity said.

     Professor Celestia bowed her head in greeting. “Hello Dear Rarity. Are you borrowing that bike from Doctor Whooves?”

“Why yes! It's such a grimy thing. I didn’t want to take it, but we were desperate. I suppose we all need to make sacrifices at a time like this.”

“And the filly?” Luna demanded, unimpressed by Rarity's sacrifices. 

     Rarity nudged the basket she had been holding towards Celestia. Inside it was a sleeping yellow filly wrapped in a white blanket. Her breaths were soft, and her wings fluttered slightly in sleep.

Celestia placed a note on top of the filly, and set the basket on the Tiara's porch.

Luna and Celestia both turned to look at Rarity. 

“Are you not saddened Rarity?” Luna asked.

Rarity shrugged. “I barely know the thing. But if you insist Celestia, I’ll put on a sad face.” 

“That won’t be necessary,” Celestia said. She turned back to the filly. “Farewell my little pony. Farewell, dearest Fluttershy...”