//------------------------------//
// Shining 
// Story: Something Sweet to Bite Too 
// by Knackerman 
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Canterlot had changed a lot over the past year. Where once the streets had bustled with the upper crust of society, and those that envied them, now instead a guard could be seen on every corner. As Dash had flown into town she had seen what looked like an entire legion spread across the rooftops and gazing out from under awnings. There was no skulking in shadows here, the guards were clearly meant to be a comfort for those left behind, and a threat to those who had taken their lost citizens. Despite this, the azure flyer could tell that they were all on edge, citizens and soldiers alike. Even in broad daylight, what was left of Canterlot society scuttled quickly from building to building, as if the very idea of being caught out in the open was a terrifying prospect. It was supposed to be Nightmare Night in a couple of days, but there was none of the festive cheer she remembered from years past. A few half-hearted decorations hung in the front windows of what shops that weren't boarded up and abandoned. Rainbow Dash half suspected the cobwebs she was seeing weren't really decorations at all, but the result of hasty abandonment and no one left behind to dust. A particularly grim thought seized her as she passed a window with a pony skeleton grinning in the darkened window. Was it really a decoration, or had things gotten so bad that they weren't even bothering to clean up after the dead?

She tried her best to dispel such grim thoughts as she drew near the Palace. If she flew up grim faced and haunted eyed, she might be mistaken for a pony who was a threat to the Princess. Fortunately it seemed the guards on the palace gate had been expecting her. They lowered their lances and let her pass without challenge as she came in for a landing. A white unicorn, dressed in the livery of a captain, greeted her saying, "Rainbow Dash, Princess Celestia extends her greetings and heart felt apologies for not being able to meet you herself. The Princess is busy coordinating the sunset and moon rise. If you'll follow me, I will show you to the quarters where she will receive you." He turned abruptly, and began to lead the way up the stairs to the main hall, all regimental precision and accuracy. Rainbow Dash didn't have much of a choice but to follow close behind.

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is this all about?" she queried as she trotted to keep up as they moved through the Palace halls. "The Princess's letter only asked for my presence and didn't really say much else. I've kind of got a busy schedule and I don't like leaving my post anymore than I absolutely have to." Not that it mattered much anymore, she had to admit bitterly to herself. Even Sweet Apple Acres had gone fallow, the once regimented and ripe fields given over to a tangle of scrub and weeds between untended trees. Watching a crop of apples fall rotten to the earth hadn't done much to lift her spirits when apple bucking season came and went. 

The blue maned unicorn looked back over his shoulder, "I'm afraid even I am not privy to everything the Princess desires, miss. As busy as she has been over these past months, however, I'm sure she wouldn't schedule something frivolous when she could be seeing to the needs of the citizens of Equestria." Saying this, he lead Rainbow Dash out a wide set of double doors and through one of the gardens towards a few distant towers. It seemed Celestia wasn't going to be receiving her in the Palace proper.

"No of course, I didn't mean to imply this was a waste of time or anything like that..." Rainbow Dash's voice trailed off as her eyes fell on the crest her escort had on his flank. The emblem of his cutie mark looked familiar. In fact, Dash realized that there was something very familiar about this stallion in general. It occurred to her that this was probably the longest conversation she'd had with a cute colt, let alone anypony else, in months. She felt like she ought to be nervous, but there was something almost comforting about his presence. "Hey, do I know you? I mean, have we met before?"

His perfect step faltered at her question, but instead of answering right away he quickly lead her down one of the winding paths and into a nearby ivory tower. The interior seemed to be a large library, much larger than the one back in Ponyville. "I don't think we ever met formally," he said at last, removing his helmet. "My name is Shining Armor. This tower we're in now has been in the care of my family for many generations. I believe you were a close friend to its previous occupant. My younger sister Twili. I mean,Twilight Sparkle." That was it! How had she not noticed it from the start? Sure he was a much larger pony, and his coloration was different, but he carried himself much as Twilight had. He even spoke the same way, though Dash had just thought that a result of living in Canterlot. 

"You're Twilight's brother!? Oh my gosh! Twilight never told us she had a brother!" Dash flew excitedly around the unicorn. "And you're the Captain of the Guard too? Oh wow, it's great to meet you!"

Shining Armor chuckled, "And it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Rainbow Dash. Though I had hoped when we met it would be under happier circumstances."

Rainbow's wings drooped a little and she landed gently on top of a nearby stool. "Yeah, I hear that. Things have been pretty rough all over. If you don't mind me asking, how are Twilight's folks holding up?"

"Better with time," Shining said with a heavy sigh. "When it first happened they were as distraught as everypony who had lost somepony. Mom seems to have found some measure of solace with her work. Her research team has been analyzing soil samples brought back from around Ponyville for the Princess. It's been slow going, especially with the continuing disappearances, but she says her research has proven invaluable. They're close to uncovering not only the cause of what happened last year, but perhaps what happened to the Canterlot citizens as well, or so she thinks. Father..." The unicorn shifted uncomfortably, "he hasn't given up hope that Twilight will just bound back into our lives, as if she's just off on some grand adventure and will be home any day now. I wish I shared his confidence, but I worry that it might be unhealthy for him at this point."

Dash nodded. It was an incredibly seductive thought that Twilight had somehow saved everypony in Ponyville by casting some incredible spell only she would be capable of at the last possible minute. She had been the Element of Magic for crying out loud! If any pony could, maybe zap everypony into some other dimension or shift them forward in time or something, it'd be Twilight. For weeks Rainbow Dash had thought something just like that must've happened. Now though, she knew she had probably just been trying to distract herself from her own grief and shame. Dash was angry with herself for giving up on Twilight like that, but when the days started stretching into cold and lonely months, she had to come to terms with the fact everypony might not be coming back this time. Instead of dwelling on that, she said, "It's good to hear they're doing alright at least. Until we know for sure what happened, I can understand wanting to hope," Dash's voice faltered and she gave herself a little shake. She wasn't going to dissolve into tears today. Not in front of Twilight's brother. "I can understand wanting to hope for the best, you know? But sometimes you have to prepare for the worst."

"Agreed, Rainbow Dash. Most regretfully agreed," said Princess Celestia as she strode into the tower. The gloom that had descended over the pegasus and the unicorn almost, but not quite, melted away as they bowed low before their monarch. "Come, come, there's no reason to keep up appearances here. I consider you both loyal and trusted friends, do not bow when we are in private like this." There was a slight trace of annoyance in her voice, though it was drowned beneath love and understanding. As Dash rose she could see that Celestia looked exhausted. Though she was still radiant and her glow literally lit the room, there were wrinkles around her eyes that Dash didn't remember being there before. The monarchs feathers were slightly ruffled and her mane seemed less lustrous than she recalled.
"Forgive me, your majesty, I meant no offense," said Shining Armor hastily.

"Ditto, what he said your highness, er, your majesty." With a tiny twinge of fear, Rainbow Dash realized she had been dreading this moment. She hadn't actually had to directly interact with Celestia since Ponyville had burned to ashes. She had always half expected to go to sleep one night and wake up in the dungeons beneath Canterlot. Dereliction of duty, she had heard, could carry some steep penalties. But worse than that was the thought of having to face Celestia like this, away from the crowds, away from her duties. She had to at least partially hold Dash responsible for what had happened, for her not being their in Equestria's hour of need. Dash could see the grief that weighed Celestia down like an invisible sheet of lead. Grief that Dash felt responsible for, even if by some miracle the Princess didn't. Yet, Celestia still considered her a loyal friend? That eased Dash's thumping heart a bit, though she still found she couldn't shake off the tension of the moment.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I called you both here. As you may have already guessed, from the secrecy I have employed, it regards matters that are dire to Canterlot. No, rather to all of Equestria." Neither pony would dare to interrupt. "As you are already aware, my sister Luna, and a sizable chunk of the population of Canterlot along with the entire population of Ponyville disappeared last Nightmare Night. There were many who thought, at the time, that Luna had resumed her persona of Nightmare Moon and spirited part of the citizenry away for some nefarious purpose. Some even going so far as to suggested she had devoured them in some obscene gluttonous ritual to regain her dark powers. I have never believed this, nor can I ever think that my sister would be capable of such evil. Nightmare Moon sought to bring about eternal night, this is true, but she wanted to rule the ponies of Equestria, not destroy them. While my advisers have suggested I should not rule out my sisters collaboration with a third party, I consider her as much a victim in this as the rest of the missing."

Celestia moved gracefully to a telescope and gazed through it at the moon she had recently raised. Giving the nod of a craftsman admiring work well done, she continued, "Others in the remaining nobility have begun to look outside for a cause of the disappearances. The oldest are pushing for war with our neighbors outside of Equestria. Such a war would be as costly as it would be pointless. The younger nobles would prefer we impose some sort of sanction on their suspected perpetrators, but I fear they're only considering their own potential personal gains in this time of crisis. Though I must listen to both parties daily hurl accusations and demands, I fervently believe that this is an internal problem that does not involve an outside force. At the very least, not one that would require an act of war or a breaking of treaties." Celestia gazed at Dash and Shining, her face stern, "However, make no mistake. I do believe we are under attack by a creature or creatures of terrible dark power, who intend great harm to Equestria and it's citizens. I also believe that my sister, Luna, is likely the key to both understanding and undoing their dark plans."

"Pardon me, your majesty, but we've never found any evidence that supports what you're saying. There were never any signs of a struggle being put up by those who vanished here in Canterlot," said Shining Armor, as tactfully as possible. "Granted there was not much evidence that could be gathered from Ponyville after the fire, but here in the city there were no signs of forced entry and no witnesses. I admit we have continued to lose more citizens both here and in the countryside around Ponyville since then, but the number of refugees reported in neighboring towns and cities go some way to explaining where a few of our wayward citizens may have gotten off to."

"But not enough to account for the vast majority. Such is their power captain," intoned Celestia gravely, "We may be dealing with forces that go beyond the physical and magical worlds. It is possible we are dealing with something truly supernatural in origins." 

"What, you mean like ghosts and stuff?" asked Rainbow Dash, trying to hide the sudden thundering of her heart with brash words. "That's foal stuff. Old pony tales. Nopony really believes in ghosts!" She paused, the tower seeming to her ears to have grown eerily quiet, "Right?"

"Ah, but what if the 'ghosts' believe in you, my poor, simple pegasus?" asked a haughty voice from the towers entrance. Another unicorn, dressed in resplendent if mildly tattered robes and matching hat entered the room. Her purple cloak was covered in sparkling stars, though here and there the stitching had torn allowing one or two points to droop. The flashy costume was bad enough, but the thick leather bound book that poked out of her saddle bag was almost too much. She might as well have had the word 'wizzard' stitched onto her hat. "But the Great and Powerful Trixie agrees that there is a more likely explanation than ghosts!"

"Trixie!? What are you doing here!?" shouted Dash in genuine surprise.

"I invited her," said Princess Celestia simply. "Trixie Lulamoon may not be as great as she boasts, but she has been assisting me with research that I fear, were I to attempt to conduct on my own, would not have been accomplished for some decades. With...with my most faithful student among the missing I needed to reach out to another pony devoted to the study of magic. The last few months have been hard on all of us, but I believe we are drawing close to the answers we seek. My new apprentice may be brash, but she has been indispensable to me."

"Hmmph, Trixie is still of the opinion that it was likely all a spell cast by your amateurish 'most faithful student' that backfired and caused all this in the first place. If it weren't for her we likely wouldn't be in this mess right now," said Trixie with her nose in the air. Under her breath she added, "On the other hoof, it beats busting my flank on the rock farm."

"Twilight was twice the unicorn you ever were Trixie!" shouted Dash, her wings flaring angrily. "And a hundred times a better pony!"

"Careful, Miss Lulamoon," spoke Shining Armor, purple sparks flickering around his horn, "That is my sister you're talking about."

Trixie flinched, but only for a moment, and then resumed her posture from before, "Trixie was merely trying to lighten the mood. Trixie extends a most heartfelt and magnanimous apology if either of you are so easily offended."

"Thank you, Trixie. I'm sure that will be most appreciated while you and your companions are in the field," said Celestia with a rueful smile.

"Whoa, whoa, time out. What's all this about working in the field?" asked Rainbow Dash, still agitated by Trixie's accusations and subsequent non-apology. "No offense, Celestia, but I've got a job. We both remember what happened the last time I took a day off."

"I have to agree with Rainbow Dash. As you know, the coordination of the Royal Guard is a time consuming job. Even now, I believe I'm late for a meeting with my subordinates in the Night Guard," said the noble unicorn as he took out a small pocket watch.

"You and I both know that the Night Guard has suffered the most, either through desertion or darker reasons, over the past year. There's barely a Night Guard left to speak of, and in two days time I fear nothing you could say to them will matter anyway," said Celestia, gazing wistfully at the moon "We may all very well be dead." The stunned silence that followed the Princess's grim summation lasted for a full minute before she continued. "The force I fear we are up against is one of the most twisted and brutal I have known in all my long years of life. It has not been this powerful since it first surfaced, and I believe that it went after my sister specifically so that there would be no way to stop it." She turned now and looked at Rainbow Dash directly. "One of my greatest regrets about my sisters banishment is that even after you and your friends returned her to her old self with the Elements of Harmony there was still a gulf between us that only time and patience could mend. Time that has been stolen from us as surely as our lost friends and relatives. I wish fervently that I had the chance to speak with Luna now about the entity I fear we are about to face."

"What her majesty is trying to say is that Trixie, in her magnificence, has come across the most likely source for all our woes. Hold your applause, please," said Trixie, pausing in case there were going to be any applause before continuing. She was only mildly annoyed that none seemed forth coming. "*Ahem. Anyways, by combing over ancient tomes of truly obscure arcana, Trixie has been able to identify bits and pieces of what Trixie believes to be an ancient ritual that predates the founding of Equestria! You didn't recognize it in your fruitless searches for evidence Captain Armor, because your untrained eye did not know what to look for! Don't feel too bad, however, my unfortunate Captain of the Royal Guard, for the spell work involved is subtle and powerful in the extreme! It effects the very soil of the earth, tainting and robbing the soil of its life. Fortunately it is only able to be worked on a single night of the year, when the stars are in proper alignment with the axis of our world. That night enshrined by more simple ponyfolk as Nightmare Night."

Celestia continued where the more flamboyant Trixie left off, "The spell in question, or a side effect of it, could be what is responsible for the disappearances. If this is true, then there's still time to reverse the curse on the night of the alignment. If we are to stop another catastrophe, worse than what befell Ponyville, we must be prepared to act within the coming days. But to be prepared, I need a small team to escort Trixie to Ponyville where we believe the ritual was first performed and the most sacrifices were taken. It is my hope that while exploring the ruins there that we will find a way to undo the spell work and finally find out what exactly happened to all our lost loved ones. It may be dangerous, but with Shining Armor's talent for shield spells and Rainbow Dash's intimate knowledge of Ponyville's layout, it is my hope that we will succeed before our time has run out."

"Why now? If something terrible is going to happen in just two days, why are we only just now getting started?" asked Rainbow Dash, still trying to process everything she'd been told.

"Well lets see how quickly you can translate high unicorn into the modern vernacular using nothing but some smudged old scrolls and a few runes inscribed on broken stone tablets!" shouted Trixie in a huff. "It might take the Great and Powerful Trixie, an accomplished practitioner of the magical arts, a mere year but Trixie is sure you'd have no trouble translating a dead language in ten seconds flat!"

"If this is truly your will Princess, I can have a squad put together and ready to deploy tonight," said Shining Armor, donning his helm. "There's no reason for us to waste a moment of our time-"

"No!" shouted Rainbow Dash, louder than she had intended. The others stared at her, surprised by her panic. "That is, erm, no, it wouldn't be smart for us to search at night. We might miss something important in the dark. Besides, it could be dangerous. Wild animals from the Everfree Forest are much more active at night and their range has expanded with Ponyville gone. Heading out there tonight, we might as well coat ourselves in ketchup and mustard ahead of time."

"Trixie supposes she may need time to prepare cantrips and scrolls for when we arrive," said Trixie doing some quick calculations in her head before looking up. "And Trixie does value her beauty sleep. Yes, we should start at dawns light at the earliest!"

"Very well," said Shining Armor, "Permission to prepare for the mission to Ponyville, your majesty?"

"Permission granted, Captain. I regret I will not be there to see you off in the morning, but somepony has to raise the sun." said Celestia, rolling her eyes. "Trixie, you are dismissed as well. Do try to get along with everypony. Please?" Trixie and Shining Armor both bowed low before exiting Twilight Sparkle's former dormitory. "Rainbow Dash, a moment before you leave."

The pegasus swallowed hard. This was it, the moment she had been dreading. Alone with the Princess, the tension she felt made her stomach lurch. She fidgeted under Celestia's gaze, "Y-yes your majesty?"

"I couldn't help but notice your discomfort when it was suggested that you and your companions explore Ponyville tonight. You presented many good reasons as to why the mission should wait, but I feel that you were less than forthcoming with your true reasoning." Celestia moved closer to the tiny blue flyer, her eyes gentle. "Tell me, has your sleep been trouble as of late?"

For a moment she considered lying, but this was Celestia! The kindness and understanding radiating from her eyes made Dash feel ashamed for even considering it. "M-maybe," tears welled up in Rainbow Dash's eyes unbidden as the word choked out of her throat. She hadn't wanted to tell anypony, afraid that they would realize how badly she had cracked up. Part of her thought that she'd be buying herself a one way ticket to a nice padded room and a cozy straitjacket. It was only now she realized how desperately she needed to tell somepony, anypony, just to get all the horror off her chest. "In my dreams, Ponyville is burning. It's always burning, but it's the middle of the night and there are things...ponies, my friends moving around in the flames. It's just so terrible. I know it's just a nightmare but it feels so real when I'm having it. I'm terrified of falling asleep. I work as hard as I can to stay awake as long as possible without sleeping. I just don't think I could handle going to Ponyville tonight and maybe finding out it was real. I know that sounds crazy, it can't possibly be true, but you guys were talking about this maybe being a supernatural problem and the nightmares just never let up. The things I've seen in my dreams aren't something I could bear to live through while I'm awake too."

Celestia drew her wings around the crying pegasus and nuzzled her mane comfortingly. "Shh...it's alright my child. I know of the terror that you speak of, for I too have shared these nightmares."

"R-really? But how?" asked Dash, wiping the tears from her face with her hooves.

"Of that I am not certain, but it is not just my work that keeps me in this state of perpetual exhaustion. Like you, I dread sleeps embrace and find no comfort there. I too dream of Ponyville burning, of terrible fates for it's citizens, and for my own faithful student and her friends." Celestia brushed one last tear from Dash's eyes with one wing, and let the single droplet run along the edge of her feathers to the waiting floor. "I choose, however, to take one small comfort in that terrible dream. Though I can raise the moon as well as the sun, Luna possess other gifts I have never been able to emulate. One such gift is her ability to walk through other ponies dreams. I choose to believe that these nightmares, horrible as they are, are her cry for help. That means my sister still lives. I believe that it is only the entity that holds her that twists the dreams she sends into such terrible nightmares. I have sought to find other messages from my sister hidden among the nights terrors, but so far my efforts have been in vain."

"Do you really think it's Princess Luna trying to contact us? If she's alright, do you think that means, maybe the others are still okay too?" asked Rainbow Dash, a flicker of hope behind her tearful eyes.

"That I do not know, but we will find out. I will tell you something I have not told Shining Armor, Trixie, or any of my other advisers. It is my hope that if we can find traces of this ritual, we may also find the trail of the one who took Princess Luna. Fate willing, she will be safe, and we can free her from whatever tortures she has had to endure." The serious look on Celestia's face melted away as she saw the worry working it's way back into Rainbow Dash's eyes. She smiled comfortingly and said, "But fret not about that just now. The night is long and the quest that lies ahead is fraught with peril. You should accompany me on my nightly rounds. I would certainly welcome the company and we can stave off sleeps dread embrace together. Perhaps while telling stories to one another of our lost friends over a few cups of warm cocoa?"

"That actually sounds really nice Princess," said Dash, brightening, "Count me in!"