//------------------------------//
// Cogneato Comes To Ponyville 
// Story: Engineering in Ponyville 
// by Cogneato Switch 
//------------------------------//

(Occurs during S1E01 & S1E02 Friendship is Magic)

Below the tall towers of Canterlot there lay several small hovels. In one of them was a cozy one-room home. Though the floor and walls were almost completely bare, a bed, desk, chair, and trunk decorated the room. At the desk was a pink Earth pony with light and dark brown hair. His cutie mark was a pink cogwheel and a yellow cogwheel fitting together. He sat on a stool with a pencil in his mouth, trying to sort out some calculations.
Somepony on the other side of the frontdoor rustled and an envelope emerged through the mail slot. It fell to the ground with a flit and prominently displayed the intended recipient, “Cogneato”. The pony spun around in his stool. “What is this?” he mused to himself as he grabbed the envelope. He brought it back to the desk and opened it up with a knife. As he silently read the letter, his eyes went wide. He dashed out of the workshop.

“A transfer!” Cogneato cried out as he threw the letter on the table in front of him. His Earth pony friend, Anaville, picked up the letter to inspect it. She had a brown coat, silver hair, and a hammer and anvil cutie mark.  Together they had been eating donuts at a cafe in Canterlot. “What is she thinking?” Cogneato continued, clearly dismayed at the news.
Anaville finished reading it. “Directly from Princess Celestia too!” she commented, surprised.
Cogneato shook his head. “I can’t believe it. I’m going to move to the middle of nowhere!” He took a big bite from his donut. “What does she expect me to do out there?” he continued with his mouth full. “I’m not a farmer, I’m an engineer!”
Ana looked down at the paper. “Where is… Ponyville, again?”
“It’s one of the towns near here.” Cogneato pointed out the window. “It’s known for its fresh produce. You can see it from the towers. I’m sure I’ll be working the fields!”
Anaville glanced out the window as if looking for the foreign town. “This is rotten timing too. Tonight’s Moon Dancer’s party at the university, and you know what that means.”
“Can’t we go a year without having to replace both the floor and ceiling of a house?” Cogneato waved his hoof while eating the last of his food.
“Well, it looks like you won’t have to this year. You’ll be in Ponyville! The letter says you have to be there tonight, though she doesn’t say why.” She inspected the letter more carefully. “You’re supposed to meet some Mayor Mare.” Anaville looked at the clearly agitated Cogneato. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. There’s probably plenty of work for an engineer like you.”
“I doubt that!” Cogneato rolled his eyes as he thought about all of the complexities of a farm plow. “Does the Princess even look at the cutie marks of the ponies she sends out?”
Anaville shrugged helplessly. “I’m sure she has her reasons.”
“I’m going to go ask her. Maybe she could send someone else instead?” Cogneato got up up from his seat and tossed some bits onto the counter for the shop owner.
Anaville recognized the look of determination in Cogneato’s eyes when he got an idea in his head. “Good luck!” she called out after her friend as he walked out the door, “she’s probably busy getting ready for the Summer Sun Celebration.”

Celestia, being the supreme ruler she was, could generally be found in one of a few places. The first place Cogneato checked was the Great Hall. Generally open to the public, the Great Hall was the home of many ceremonial events as it could hold the most ponies. It seemed unlikely that she’d be there, but it was the easiest to check. Cogneato peeked his head in and looked around. The blue carpet and large stone pillars did indeed make the Hall great, but there was no sign of the princess.
Next he checked all the parts of the Party Hall. This hall had several floors and areas and was best known for its use for the Grand Galloping Gala, but was often rented out to members of the upper crust for private concerts, garden parties, and the like. Glancing through windows and parting bushes quickly revealed to Cogneato that their ruler was not at any of these parties.
The next place on his list was the Hall of Princesses. Known for its stained glass panels of history, this area was often a place where Princess Celestia would go to meditate on her decisions and responsibilities. Thus, it was often closed to the general public. As such, it was no surprise to him when, coming up the steps to the hall, two armored guards stopped him.
“What business do you have with the Princess?” one asked.
“I’ve got a letter!” He pulled the letter in question out of his saddlebag and thrust it toward the guard. “I want to know why I’ve been sent to Ponyville.”
The guard looked down at the letter and back at Cogneato. “I’m sorry but she’s not accepting visitors today” he responded, pushing the letter back.
“What?” Cogneato stuffed the letter back in his bag. “She just sent this! She can’t expect me to follow her orders without understanding why!”
“I think she does,” said the other guard. “In fact, very few ponies in Equestria question her.”
“Well I do!”
“Good for you,” the first guard commented dismissively. “Now move along.”
Cogneato turned and walked back down the steps.

A few hours later, on the far side of the hall, a grappling hook appeared over one of the rear walls. After some grunting, Cogneato tumbled over the top of the wall and onto the ground behind the hall. Dusting himself off, he looked around. There were surprisingly few guards around on this side. He quickly found a back door and entered into the Hall of the Princesses.
The Hall was beautiful and had several stained glass windows illustrating the history of Equestria. Cogneato stood in awe as he had never actually been inside before. He’d had numerous opportunities to visit during special occasions and guided tours, but he had never bothered, even though they were open to the general public. On one side of the hall was the door that led outside. A long, red carpet stretched across the floor leading up to a throne, which was currently empty. Beside the throne on either side were hung several large intricate tapestries, framing the place where the Princess often sat. Suddenly he heard an echoing thud from across the hall. Somepony else had just come in! He dove behind a pillar along the wall and watched carefully.
A figure cloaked in black walked down the carpet towards the throne, but then stopped halfway. Cogneato ducked back behind the pillar. After a moment, he peeked out again. The cloaked figure was now pointedly looking at his pillar. He ducked back again, hoping the pony hadn’t seen him.
“Are you trying to hide?” the pony asked, incredulously.
Knowing he was caught, Cogneato stepped out into the open. “I was just here to see the Princess,” he said matter-of-factly.  “What are you doing here?” he asked, attempting to shift the focus to her.
“I’m also here to see the Princess,” the mare said proudly. “I am, after all, her number one student!” She pulled back her hood to reveal her orange and red mane.
Cogneato recognized her from the university. “You’re Sunset Shimmer!”
“That’s right,” she revelled in delight at the sound of her name. “I’m glad that some ponies are beginning recognize me.”
They both looked at each other awkwardly, knowing that they both had snuck in here. Cogneato decided to break the ice. “So, where is Princess Celestia?”
“How should I know?” she asked defensively.
“Well, didn’t you say you were her number one student?”
“Yes, but… ergh,” she stammered.  “The Princess keeps me in the dark about a lot of things, and I think she’s done it again.”
“What do you mean?” Cogneato’s curiosity was piqued.
“Celestia has a way of keeping information to herself and sharing it only when it suits her plan.”
Cogneato wondered if that’s why his letter was so cryptic. “But why is she having me move to Ponyville?”
“What was that?” Sunset looked behind her and started to listen carefully.
“I said, why-” suddenly Cogneato’s mouth was shut by Sunset’s magic as she continued to listen. Steps outside the hall were heard. Sunset grabbed Cogneato and hid with him behind the pillar, still keeping his mouth shut.
A door opened and a pony slowly walked down the carpet, the sound of hoofs echoing through the hall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a spearhead of one of the guards. Then Cogneato felt his whole body suddenly shift with magic.

A moment later, he and Sunset Shimmer were no longer in the castle. Cogneato was dizzy from the teleport, but his traveling companion didn’t seem phased.
Cogneato shook himself off. He looked around and realized he was at a library near his home. “Thank you for saving me!” he cried. “I don’t know what they would have done if they had found me.”
“Don’t mention it,” Sunset said. “Seriously, don’t mention it. We’ll both be in big trouble if anypony finds out.”
“Yes ma’am! Your secret is safe with me.” Cogneato bowed low. “But, what is Princess Celestia up to?” he asked returning his thoughts back to his mission. 
Sunset shook her head. “I don’t know, but something is about to happen, and soon.” She looked up at one of the bookshelves. “The Princess has a plan and I intend to find it out.” She then levitated one of the books out of the shelves and started to read it.
Cogneato stood there for a moment, wondering if she was going to talk to him anymore.  She didn’t.
“Well, I’d better get going then.”
Sunset didn’t respond.
“Right. Thanks for the rescue. Another time, then.”

Cogneato quietly left the library and wandered the streets. The setting sun painted the city in an orange glow. He thought about what Sunset Shimmer said and wondered about Celestia’s plan for him. Was she actually putting his skills to good use or was he going to end up plowing fields of … he shuddered … celery? He shook his head. No, he must have faith that Celestia knows what she’s doing. Even though he doesn’t understand it now, he should follow her orders and hope for the best. Satisfied with his resolution, he smiled as he trotted on home.
When he arrived, he noticed that his door was open. “What?” He dashed inside to find the place covered in boxes filled with his belongings. The drawers to his desk were removed and placed on top of it. The culprits of the mess were two worker ponies in the middle of the room. One was a light brown Earth pony with a black mane sporting a corrugated box cutie mark, and the other was a darker brown unicorn with a white mane and a red dolly cutie mark. Cogneato watched in horror as one of them upturned his desk drawer. Erasers, pens, and pencils, previously organized in the drawer, fell haphazardly into a moving box.
“What are you doing?” he cried out, waving at them to stop.
They looked up, unconcerned. “We’re packing the room up. All this has to get to Ponyville by tomorrow.”
Cogneato slapped his hoof to his forehead. Celestia didn’t waste time when it came to moving ponies around her kingdom.
“I’m sorry,” the other one said. “We thought you had already left. It is a few hours away.” He picked up another drawer.
Cogneato’s eyes went wide. “Wait, that’s my-” he cut himself off as he watched the pony dump his hammer, screwdrivers, and other equipment into the same box.
Cogneato gritted his teeth at him. The pony frowned. “Sorry.”
Cogneato shook his head. “Could I just get something? Then I’ll be out of your mane.”
The workers shrugged. “Sure.”
Cogneato walked over to a trunk and opened the lid. He stuck his head in to the trunk to search for something. When he reemerged, he had a hard hat on with a flashlight affixed to it. He then walked back out the door.
It was quickly getting dark outside. The sky was a deep blue and the Mare in the Moon was bright in the sky. Cogneato trotted around his home. In the back was a vehicle he had created in his spare time. It was a sort of sled with pedals that had rotary helicopter blades on top. He switched on his helmet, got on board, and started peddling. Slowly the blades started moving and soon enough they were moving fast enough to lift him. Once he rose above most of the buildings, he leaned forward and headed towards the edge of Canterlot.
It was clear that the Princess wanted him to go to Ponyville, but he still had no idea why. The only other pony who might have an answer for him is the one who was meeting him there, Mayor Mare. In hopes she would shed some light on the issue, he traveled across the night sky to Ponyville. His silhouette was seen flying over the nearby snow-covered mountains and down into the valley.

After several hours, he set down near the outskirts of town. Despite it being late at night, the houses were filled with light and the loud thumping of music. Cogneato had nearly forgotten that tonight was the Summer Sun Celebration. He rolled his eyes when he remembered. Parties were never his thing. He was tired from his journey, but he didn’t have anywhere to stay right now. Instead he walked through the commons in the center of town, looking for Mayor Mare.
Although it was dark, he was pretty sure he had found the town hall. It was the tallest structure in town and had a large banner up for the Summer Sun Celebration. Stepping inside, Cogneato found dozens of ponies dancing and talking over loud music. He walked around trying to find someone who might be the mayor, but every pony was a stranger to him. Near the sound system, his eyes came upon the only familiar face there. He didn’t know her real name but at function like these she went by DJ Pon-3. She had performed at several functions in Canterlot and must have come out to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration.
Cogneato walked over to DJ’s stand. It had two spinning records on it and several audio cables coming out the back of it. She had a huge smile and bobbed her head to the beat. Cogneato could scarcely be heard as he yelled over the music.
“Do you know where the mayor is?”
DJ didn’t seem to hear him as she kept bobbing her head.
Cogneato yelled louder. “Do you know where the mayor is?”
DJ didn’t stop bobbing her head, but pointed across the room. Cogneato looked in that direction and saw a brown pony with silver hair, glasses, and a scroll cutie mark. He was certain this was Mayor Mare.
“Thank you!” he yelled at DJ Pon-3, who continued to dance.

The music was quieter in this corner and the mayor was talking to another pony. Cogneato waited for a lull in the conversation before speaking up. “Are you Mayor Mare?” he asked loudly.
Mare spun around. “Why yes, I am!” she confirmed. “And who might you be?”
“I’m Cogneato, I just came in from Canterlot.”
“Oh, you’re Cogneato!” Mayor Mare smiled with excitement. “I’m so glad you made it. I was worried you might have gotten lost!”
Cogneato was relieved to have finally met the mayor, but it was also clear that now was not the time to have the sort of conversation he wanted. Feeling his exhaustion from his trip, he settled on a different approach. “So do you know where I am sleeping tonight?” he asked. “I’m very tired.”
The mayor looked concerned. “Are you sure? The Summer Sun Celebration Ceremony is going to be in a few hours. Princess Celestia will be there.”
Cogneato’s ears perked up, but he immediately remembered his exhaustion. “I’ll come back for that. I just need a little nap.”
Mare nodded. “Alright, let me show you to your new home.” She led him through the front doors.

Outside the music from inside could still be heard and Cogneato’s ears were ringing. As they walked across town, Cogneato ventured to quell his curiosity. “So, do you know why Princess Celestia asked me to live here?”
“Oh yes!” she said matter-of-factly. “She asked you because I asked for you.”
“What?” Cogneato was confused. “I don’t even know you. How could you have asked for me?”
“Well,” she began, “Princess Celestia asked Twilight Sparkle to move to Ponyville, so we need your services.”
“Who is Twilight Sparkle?” he asked, exasperated. The name sounded familiar but he couldn’t place it. “And why do you need me?” All these unanswered questions were driving him crazy.
“Twilight is one of Celestia’s students, and we need you because of your special talents.” Mayor Mare stopped outside of a house. “And here is where you’re staying!” She grandly opened the door to a dark room. In the corner were dusty several wooden crates covered in old cobwebs. A plain straw bed sat in the corner next to a fireplace. An old red and green holey oval carpet covered the wooden floor.
Cogneato’s head was spinning. “Why is Twilight Sparkle special?” He would also ask about what she needed from him but he was a little afraid of what the answer might be. For now, he assumed it had to do something with his skills in engineering.
Mayor Mare looked at him face to face. “You do seem tired from your trip.” She patted him on his back. “Why don’t you go to sleep and we can talk about it in the morning.”
“Fine.” Cogneato grunted. “But I still want to attend the Celebration.” He doubted that he would be able to talk to the Princess that night, but it was certainly worth a shot.
“Okay, see you in a few hours!” she said and trotted back to the hall.
Cogneato tiptoed past the dust in the room and flopped onto the bed. He mentally noted that he needed to wake up in three hours and fell right to sleep.

As if an alarm clock went off in his head, he woke up after three hours on the dot. He considered this sleeping habit to be one of his special talents, though he told very few others. He quickly sat up and rubbed his eyes. It was still dark but the sun would be up soon, just in time for the ceremony. He trotted back to town hall down the moonlit streets. The hall was filled with the chatter of ponies as they waited for the ceremony to begin. There were also several of Celestia’s guards on duty, standing at attention. Soon Mayor Mare took the stand.
“Fillies and gentlecolts,” she began. “As mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!”
Ponyville cheered. It was a great honor for Celestia to have chosen Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration. Cogneato wondered why Ponyville was chosen as the Mayor continued her introduction.
“In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year! And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria......Princess Celestia!”
On a balcony above the stage, curtains drew back and a spotlight was focused, but there was nopony there. Cogneato was surprised, but not shocked. It seemed Celestia came and went as she pleased. Perhaps this was part of her plan?
“Remain calm, everypony, there must be a reasonable explanation!” Mayor Mare said, trying to maintain her composure.
High above, a black cloud gathered, and a dark armored alicorn mare appeared on the balcony. “Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun-loving faces.”
“What did you do with our Princess?!” somepony cried out.
The dark mare cackled. “Why, am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?” The alicorn gracefully flew down to the stage. “Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?”
Legend? Signs? Cogneato wondered if this is what Sunset Shimmer was onto in Canterlot. Perhaps she had read the legend and knew how to defeat her. Too bad no one else studied the legend.
“I did.” A young purple unicorn in the front declared. Cogneato thought she seemed familiar.
“And I know who you are,” she continued. “You're the Mare in the Moon – Nightmare Moon!”
Everypony gasped. Even Cogneato knew of Nightmare Moon. Everypony did. When he was a colt, sometimes he had bad dreams. At the time, he was told that it was Nightmare Moon who caused them. Of course as he got older, he stopped believing in Nightmare Moon. Could she be telling the truth? he wondered.
“Well well well, somepony who remembers me.” Nightmare Moon seemed amused. “Then you also know why I'm here.”
The young unicorn knew what was going to happen, but could only sputter.
Nightmare Moon laughed. “Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!” She continued to laugh maniacally.
“Seize her!” Mayor Mare yelled. “Only she knows where the Princess is!”
Several guards darted at her, but were thrown back by a lighting bolt. “Stand back, you foals!” Nightmare laughed and disappeared into the same black cloud that made her appear.
“Find her!” Mayor Mare ordered the guards. “We must find Princess Celestia!”
The guards and almost everypony else left the hall. Cogneato came bounding up to Mayor Mare. “What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know!” Mare was clearly on the verge of panic, but was still managing to hold it together. “What are we going to do without the sun? This is terrible!”

“There is nothing to be afraid of,” a voice from behind them said coolly. Cogneato spun around and looked into the hall. Most of the ponies had left, but some were still standing, unsure of what to do. However, about a dozen of them were wearing dark blue hooded cloaks, and they slowly approached the stage. The look of them sent a shiver down Cogneato’s spine. Mayor Mare didn’t like the look of them either. As they filed onto the stage, one of them approached the podium.
“There is nothing to fear!” she declared. “Nightmare Moon isn’t evil. She is Celestia’s sister, Princess Luna!”
This sent a murmur over the rest of the ponies in the audience. Nopony had ever heard of Princess Luna before. “What do you mean?” Mayor Mare stepped forward. These ponies seemed like they were up to no good. “Nightmare Moon has taken the princess and put Equestria in eternal night!”
“Let me tell you the tale of Princess Luna,” the cloaked pony began. “Over a millennium ago, a great enemy, whose name was Chaos, lay waste to the land. The two most powerful ponies in the land were able to defeat him, but Equestria was still in ruin.
“The sisters discussed how to restore harmony. The younger princess, Luna, wanted to divide the land, allowing each to have a place to rule. The elder sister, Celestia, forbade it. Instead they divided the kingdom by time. Celestia would use her powers to raise the sun in the day and Luna would rule by night. They thought they could maintain balance for their kingdom and all their subjects.
“However, the ponies relished and played in the elder sister’s day, and shunned and slept through the younger one’s night. Luna became resentful of Celestia until one fateful day, Luna demanded to keep the moon up until all ponies celebrated her night as they did the day. Celestia refused, and banished her to the moon.
“Luna, was unable to leave the moon, but still sought to have us remember and celebrate her. She had no choice but to speak to us in our dreams. I’m sure all of us have been visited by “Nightmare Moon” more than once.”
One at a time, the cloaked ponies stepped forward and spoke. 
“Most ponies do not listen to her.”
“But we do.”
“We have heard her calling.”
“And we honor her.”
“We are…”
“The Children Of The Night!”

“That’s an interesting theory,” Mayor Mare started, delicately. “I’m sure Nightmare Moon appreciates your dedication to her, but right now we need to decide what to do about Princess Celestia.” The speaker for the Children Of The Night glared at Mare, who shifted uncomfortably. “If the sun doesn’t rise, then we won’t be able to grow any food.”
The speaker shook her head. “The time for playing in the sun has passed. Nightmare Moon has returned and has asked us to praise her and shower her with gifts,” she leaned forward on the podium, “or feel her wrath!”
Cogneato was scared but Mayor Mare stood fast. “Praising Nightmare Moon is irresponsible! We need the sun and we need food!”
The speaker’s unseen eyes seemed to focus on the Mayor. “Children, remove this heathen from the hall!”
Mayor Mare looked at Cogneato and they both ran out of the hall before the Children could get off the stage. The crazed cultists of Nightmare Moon seemed bent carrying out the orders that they dreamed, believing it was from their true princess.
Outside, many other ponies were spooked and running around, yelling. The panic in the streets saddened Mayor Mare, but she needed some time to think before trying to calm everypony down. “I suggest we not go to your house,” Cogneato offered. “The Children of the Night might decide to visit you there, and the townsfolk are probably not very happy with you right now.”
“I completely agree,” she replied. She then led him to his new home and shut the door behind them. Inside, things were much quieter and less hectic.
“This is quite the pickle we’re in,” she stated with concern.
Cogneato was exasperated. “Could you please tell me what’s going on? Who is Twilight Sparkle?” Cogneato demanded.
Mayor Mare took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll tell you everything I know. A few weeks ago, Princess Celestia decided on Ponyville to be host of the Summer Sun Celebration.”
Cogneato thought it odd that such a small town would be host to such a big event.
“I was told she’d send an important somepony to help with the preparations, but didn’t tell me who until yesterday.”
Cogneato nodded. “And that somepony was me?”
“No, it was Twilight Sparkle.” Cogneato frowned. “The princess sent her number one prized pupil to Ponyville to oversee the preparations.”
Cogneato blinked. It seemed their ruler had more than one “number one” student.
“Celestia herself told me that she has great potential and asked me to make Ponyville her home. Of course, I did my research.” Mayor Mare thought back to the yearbooks she had rifled through. “Students from the School for Gifted Unicorns are notorious for causing a great deal of property damage.”
“Tell me about it!” Cogneato understood all too well what it was like to put together a dorm room after it had been torn apart by a failed homework assignment. “Wait, are you saying…”
“So” she continued “I asked her to send the best engineer she had to help keep the town in one piece. She obliged and you were sent here.”
Cogneato was floored and amazed. “Really, the best?” He wanted to be sure he heard that right.
Mare nodded. “Those were my exact words.”
Cogneato’s face lit up. He was the best engineer Celestia knew! He smiled as he thought of all of the projects he’d worked on, keeping the school together. He was also relieved. This meant he certainly was NOT going to be working the farms but instead doing what he does best: engineering! Beaming with pride, he said, “I won’t let you down, ma’am!” He saluted.
“Well I’m glad you’re onboard for taking care of Ponyville,” Mayor Mare said, “but right now things are a mess.” A pony ran by the window, calling out in a panic. “Without Celestia, the Equestrian government will fall to pieces, and the Children of the Night have taken over Town Hall.”
“Alright, first thing’s first. Where is Celestia?”
“Nightmare Moon has her!” Mare declared.
Cogneato thought for a moment. “Really? Did we actually see Celestia get taken?”
The mayor frowned. “No, but she was supposed to be on the balcony.”
“Did you meet her earlier in the night?”
“Well,” Mayor Mare hesitated as she thought back. “Now that you mention it, I didn’t. I expected to see her at the party at Town Hall but she never showed up.”
“Is it possible she never arrived?”
“No!” Her eyes darted back and forth as she thought about it. “The guards, they said…” it was clear from her face that she never saw Celestia in Ponyville.
Cogneato thought back to the ceremony. “What about that unicorn, that was Twilight Sparkle, right?” Mare nodded. “How did she know about Nightmare Moon?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “But she seemed to know a lot. Should we find her?”
“Yes, I think so. Where is she now?”
Mayor Mare blinked. “I have no idea. I last saw her in the hall, and she left in a hurry. Maybe she’s at the library?”
Cogneato shook his head. “The library? Why there?”
“Princess Celestia asked for it. She said Twilight feels most comfortable around books.”
Cogneato thought it strange, but then, Sunset Shimmer also seemed to reside in a library in Canterlot. “Let’s go to the library then!”

The door to the Golden Oak Library opened. It was dark inside and nopony seemed to be around. “Hello?” Mayor Mare called in. “Is Twilight there?” They both stepped inside and closed the door. Mare waited by the door and scanned the walls, trying to see in the dark. Cogneato stepped further into the room, but tripped over some books, letting out a yelp.
“Who’s there?” came a voice from the dark. A moment later, a short green flame appeared, lighting a candle which, in turn, lit the room. A foot away from Cogneato was a tired-looking purple baby dragon with green spikes, holding the lit candle.
“Oh my goodness it’s a dragon!” Cogneato jumped high into the air and ran for the door.
“Calm down, it’s just Spike,” Mayor Mare soothed. “He’s Twilight’s assistant.”
Cogneato skidded to a halt in front of the door and turned to the mayor. “Twilight Sparkle’s assistant is a dragon?”
“Yup,” Spike said, stifling a yawn. “What can I do for you?”
“We were wondering,” Mare began, “if you knew where Twilight was?”
“She’s out, somewhere.” Spike yawned again. “I was asleep.”
“Do you know where?”
“Nope.” Spike shrugged and started walking towards his bed. “I’m going back to bed.”
“Wait!” Cogneato called out. “Do you know how Twilight knew about Nightmare Moon?”
“Oh yeah.” Spike stopped and turned around. “She read it in a book.” The little dragon yawned again and scratched his stomach. “She tried to tell Princess Celestia about it too, but-”
“When?” Cogneato cut him off, but he seemed to be thinking hard about something else.
“Well, just yesterday.”
The pieces were coming together in Cogneato’s mind. His eyes glazed over as he was lost in thought. After a moment, he yelled out “I’ve got it!”
“You do?” the mayor stepped closer.
“Tell me in the morning,” Spike said, settling back down to sleep.
“Celestia must have known about Nightmare Moon,” Cogneato explained. “After all, she’s constantly keeping an eye out for threats to Equestria.”
“But couldn’t she have missed this one? Nightmare Moon was just an old mare’s tale until now.”
Cogneato smiled. “I thought so too, but as Spike just told us, Twilight herself told Celestia about Nightmare Moon.”
“She could have dismissed it.” Mare didn’t disbelieve him, but was simply arguing against him so he’d prove his point.
“No, there have been too many strange occurrences. First Twilight was suddenly moved to Ponyville, on a day’s notice, to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. I’m guessing everything was already more or less finished?”
Mayor Mare nodded. “Of course! Before Princes Celestia assigned anyone, I was personally handling things.”
“Then she doesn’t even show up to the Summer Sun Celebration.”
Mare shook her head. “I could have sworn the guards told me she was ready.”
“But why Ponyville? If she knew of Nightmare Moon’s return, why would she have chosen Ponyville? And why send Twilight?”
Mayor Mare looked down at an open book that was on the floor. “The Everfree forest?” she exclaimed in surprise.
“What’s that?”
“Look.” Mayor Mare grabbed the candle as Cogneato moved closer and looked at the book. “The elements of harmony… the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now the Everfree Forest.”
“What’s the Everfree Forest?” Cogneato asked.
“It’s a wild forest near here, it’s not safe though.”
“That can’t be a coincidence.”
Mayor Mare looked at the book some more. “I would guess that Twilight Sparkle has gone into the Everfree forest to find these “Elements of Harmony.” Perhaps they will help her defeat Nightmare Moon?”
“We can only hope that Celestia knew this would happen.”
“But what about the Children of the Night?”
“I don’t know.” Cogneato shook his head. “I don’t think Celestia was prepared for this.”
Suddenly Mayor Mare looked at Cogneato with determination. “Or maybe she had faith that we would take care of things.”
“What? Us?” The engineer was anxious at the thought of dealing with a crowd.
She nodded. “Yes, this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with unhappy citizens in Ponyville, and Celestia was quick to move you here too.”
“That’s true,” he said thoughtfully. “Then let’s solve this problem, together.”
They both smiled at each other in agreement.
Cogneato switched into engineering mode. He started pacing around the library. “So what do the Children of the Night want?”
“They want to praise Nightmare Moon.”
“Hm… and how do we praise Princess Celestia?”
The mayor thought for a moment. “We have holidays, parades, and festivals.”
“Okay. Could we do the same thing for Nightmare Moon?”
Mare looked at Cogneato with shock, but then slowly understood. “Yes, I think we could. That would certainly satisfy the Children of the Night.”
Cogneato nodded. “Serving the Children of the Night, at least for now, is sure to restore order and peace to Ponyville. We must have faith that Twilight Sparkle will find the Elements of Harmony and stop Nightmare Moon.”
“Alright, I know what to do to calm Ponyville.” Mayor Mare confidently trotted out the door.

Mayor Mare and Cogneato both stepped into the Town Hall.  The audience was much fuller than before. Evidently, several of the panicked ponies from outside had decided to seek answers from the Ponyville government. However, the Children of the Night did not seem to be faring well.
“... and offerings of food and bits will be collected daily.”
The audience grumbled and were visibly upset, but were still too scared to speak out against the Children. Mayor Mare walked directly towards the side of the stage, followed closely by Cogneato. As she did, ponies backed up, making a path for her. When she stepped onto the stage, the grumbling stopped.
“So the heathen is back!” the speaker scoffed. “Are you ready to embrace our new Princess of the Night?”
Mare sighed, gathering her composure, and stepped forward. “Yes.”
The audience gasped. The Children of the Night on stage were also aghast. Some whispered to each other in astonishment.
“What?” The speaker sounded skeptical.
“For too long we have forgotten about the princess of the night. Nightmare Moon, or rather, Princess Luna, deserves our attention and praise.” The Children of the Night nodded in agreement but the audience seemed uneasy. “Long ago, Celestia and Luna ruled over Equestria together as sisters, sharing equally the day and the night. As the Children of the Night have reminded us, we too must celebrate day and night.”
Mayor Mare looked directly at the speaker of the Children. “I would like to dedicate a day, er, night, to praise our new princess of darkness. I propose a dance be held, games be played, and food be cooked and shared on this night.” The audience began to smile. They were still scared of course, but the idea of such a holiday did sound appealing. “What say you, Children of the Night?”
The speaker looked at the mayor, and then looked back at the other Children on the stage. “One moment,” she said and quickly they huddled together. As they discussed one of them popped their head up. “Could we dress up?”
Mayor Mare nodded. “Yes, we can encourage all ponies to wear costumes.”
Another popped her head up. “What about candy? Could we have homemade goodies to eat?”
“Standard with every holiday!”
“And what about the children?” another spoke up. “Can we teach the children to fear and respect Nightmare Moon?”
Mayor Mare looked confused. “You want to scare the children into respecting Nightmare Moon?”
They all nodded. That explains the creepy outfits Cogneato thought.
The mayor shrugged. “As long as nopony gets hurt,” she conceded.
The Children of the Night broke the huddle and returned to their lineup. The speaker stepped forward. “We accept your proposal for a holiday, and we shall call it Nightmare Moon Night!” The ponies in the crowd cheered at the resolution. As if on cue, the town hall suddenly filled with light as the sun rose into the sky.
“They did it!” Cogneato cried. He knew Twilight Sparkle was the one who saved Equestria from eternal night. Mayor Mare smiled widely, looking Cogneato in praise. The Children of the Night looked at the sun, looked at each other, and then began to move towards the exit from the stage.
“Wait!” Mayor Mare called out. “What about Nightmare Moon Night?”
The Children stopped and the speaker turned around. “But the sun is up. Nightmare Moon…” she hesitated to think what must have happened.
“Even if Celestia has returned,” Mayor Mare offered, “we can still celebrate Nightmare Moon Night. Here in Ponyville, we respect all holidays and celebrations, for everypony.”
This statement from the mayor really struck a chord in her. “Really? We will be accepted even if we praise Nightmare Moon?”
Mayor Mare nodded her head. “Yes, we will welcome you.” Cogneato found himself nodding in agreement. The speaker looked out to the crowd of ponies. Some of them hesitated, but eventually they were all nodding as well.
She looked at her fellow Children, and looked back to Mayor Mare. Then she pulled back her hood, revealing her sky blue mane and lemon yellow fur. Her cheeks were were streaked with tears from her magenta-colored eyes. “Thank you, Ponyville, for accepting us.” The other Children also took off their hoods too. They all looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders. 
“Let us take a recess until tonight,” Mare suggested. “We shall convene after the sun has gone down.”  She looked over at the Children of the Night. “Then we shall plan our very first Nightmare Moon Celebration!”
The crowd and Children cheered. “Praise Celestia!” Cogneato jumped up and down in excitement. He looked over at Mayor Mare and blushed. “And Luna too!”