//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Friendship is Lovecraft: Night Walk With Me // by Ponygon //------------------------------// “There lies a kingdom twixt dusk and dawn Where songs sung in darkness serve as light And every sweet dream that takes form, Comforts its subjects throughout the night.” “A sparkling river flows through its sky, An astral trail to the Nocturnal Throne Where glorious, serene, sits the Queen on High, A stalwart ruler, strong and solid as stone. “And wanderers through this night time kingdom, On recounting travails will oft remark That the subjects sing of the wit and wisdom Of this happy realm’s beloved Monarch.” “But envious things with thoughts of mischief Soon assailed the Queen’s high estate And left the subjects with nought but grief At the loss of their beloved potentate. “And travellers now to this sad domain Hear no sweet songs round that empty throne, And few of them return—all the timid remain— For only the courageous can escape back home.” “Now a shadow across moons long past, She waits for the stars to set her free From between two worlds with these four words: 'Night Walk with Me'.” Twilight frowned. This was not what she had expected. Sure, she hadn't expected a foal's fairytale, all light and fluffy about two royal sisters. She had, however, been hoping for something a bit more substantial and authoritative than this. Slowly, she looked up from the pages and sighed heavily. Behind her, through a large window that took up the entire wall, Twilight could see the moon in the starry night sky. The ponies out there would be having bad dreams. Twilight had ruled out the Mara. The dream powers of those demons weren’t related to the phases of the moon. So it had to be something else, a force that was dependent on the lunar phases. “Something here’s related to the Nightmare Plague, I know there is,” said Twilight sternly, as she flipped through the pages carefully. “All these books point to some incident that happened one grand gross years ago, but what?” She sighed, as she slumped on top of the open pages of the book. “Why is everything so vague? It’s just all mythology. No history, no scientific literature.” “Well, maybe they're not myths,” pointed out Spike. “Maybe they're facts.” “Oh come on,” said Twilight with roll of her eyes. “That's like saying Her Majesty really raises the sun every morning.” She knew better than that; Spike knew better than that. There was a cough from nearby and then a sudden flash of light as flames erupted nearby. “Spike!” screamed Twilight with a bit more volume than she'd intended. She winced at her own voice, as she looked around her, the hairs of her mane practically standing on end. There didn't seem to be anypony around, so that was a relief. “Spike,” she said quietly, “watch what you're doing. You could have set one of these books alight.” The small purple dragon thumped a fist against his chest, as he coughed. “Sorry, Twilight,” he apologised with smoky breath, as he bent down to the pick up a scroll. “Oh, it's a letter from Her Majesty!” “Want me to read it for you?” “Please,” responded Twilight, as her purple magic grouped all her borrowed books together. “Okay, then,” said Spike, before he cleared his throat. “My dearest, most faithful student Twilight,” he began, as he followed Twilight through the library. “Thank you for confiding your concerns with me. You know that I value your diligence and that I trust you completely…” Twilight smiled, as she put a book back onto the shelf. Sure, the librarian could do that, but she was a responsible mare. “…but you simply must take a break from your research,” continued Spike. “I think the pressure of your thesis may be getting to you.” “Wait, what?” spluttered Twilight, dropping a book out of her magical grasp. “It simply won't do for a young pony to spend so much time studying,” continued Spike. “The brightest stars burn out quickest, as I'm sure you know.” Well, Twilight had to admit, that was true. She picked up the dropped book quickly, thankful that the two of them seemed to be the only ones in that part of the Royal Library. “Now I know you like to make yourself feel useful, so I've come up with a new task for you. I'd like you to supervise the preparations for the Summer Solstice Jubilee in this year's location: Ponyville. And, I have an even more essential task for you to complete: make some friends!” Twilight couldn't believe what she had just heard. “That's absurd!” she exclaimed. “I have plenty of friends.” Sure, she could count them on one hoof, but that was plenty! “So, you're not going?” “Of course I will,” snapped Twilight. After all, she was not one to disobey a direct order from the Queen, even if it had been phrased as more of a suggestion. “It's just…” She sighed, as she noticed the look Spike gave her. “Didn't Her Majesty even read my letter? Ponies all over Equestria are having nightmares. No pony is getting a good night’s sleep.” “And don't you think some pony else would have noticed?” asked Spike curiously. “There's probably a government department that monitors this sort of thing. I'm sure they're all over it.” The unicorn shook her head. “I think I'll go see Her Majesty in person,” announced Twilight. “I’m sure I can help…” “After she told you to forget about it?” asked Spike. Twilight turned and was about to chide him, when she noticed the expression on his face. She recognised that look, combined with the sound of what Spike didn't say. “Oh, all right, Spike,” she called out after him. “I'll go to Ponyville and I suppose I could try to make some new friends.” “That's good to hear,” said Spike. “Who knows, maybe the ponies of Ponyville will have something interesting to talk about.” Twilight doubted it. With a name like Ponyville, Twilight wouldn't have been surprised if the residents were staunchly anti-Monarchist and potentially communist—Ponyville: founded by the ponies for the ponies. “Now that I think about it, doesn't Canterlot University have a campus in Ponyville?” asked Twilight. “Uh, I don't think that's…” “Yes, the botanical campus!” exclaimed Twilight suddenly. “They do some cutting edge research into the magical plants that grow in the nearby Everfree Forest. They’re all night blooming plants. I could study the amount of Cosmic Mana radiation they absorbed…” “Oh brother!” sighed Spike. This was going to be a long, painful trip. Well, at least Twilight would make some new friends. # “Those mares are crazy,” said Twilight, as she cantered through the streets away from Ponyville Town Hall. “I can’t believe Her Majesty would even consider holding the Summer Solstice Jubilee here. Since coming here, I’ve been stuffed like a bell pepper, smashed into, coiffed to within an inch of my life and nearly mauled by a bear.” Spike looked back, as he held on tight to Twilight. “Aren’t you being a bit harsh on them, Twilight?” he asked her. “Don’t forget, not every pony’s getting a good night’s sleep.” “Well, I suppose,” sighed Twilight dejectedly, her pace slowing as she thought of the terrified screams she’d heard the night before. She had to admit that Spike did have a valid point. “But all of them? The nightmares don’t affect every pony.” She sighed again. “Well, okay, I guess I shouldn’t really hold it against them.” Twilight had a sneaking suspicion there was a smug, satisfied smile on Spike’s face. She couldn’t hold it against him, though; wouldn’t she do the same thing? Besides, after much thought, she realised Spike was right. “What I wouldn’t give for a nice soak in a hot bath,” exclaimed Twilight. She smiled. “Yeah, a book and a good soak.” “A book?” exclaimed Spike. Twilight smiled. Yes, a good book. She’d go to the campus library. Already, she knew exactly what book she needed: Egremont Russet’s On the Varieties of Plants in the Everfree Forest. “Uh, how’s about we see what the town library has to offer?” asked Spike quickly. “Please Spike,” scoffed Twilight with an equine snort, “I’ve more important things to read.” She sighed. “It might not sound like it, but I need Egremont Russet’s book to determine which plants I need to study.” Maybe she was grasping at straws, but Twilight was sure the night blooming plants of Everfree Forest would help provide some clues. She’d able to read the levels of both fundamental magic particles: cosmic and earth. If that wasn’t a lead, she didn’t know what was. “But… uh… don’t you need to check out what the town is like?” asked Spike quickly. “See what the townsfolk are thinking? You know, for security reasons. You did want to go over…” “Surprise!” The explosion that accompanied the shout had nearly stopped Twilight’s heart. Now it thumped to the primal beat of the song of fight and flight. She would have run away as well, but it was as if some prankster had whipped the bones out of her legs. “Welcome to Ponyville!” exclaimed a bubbly pink earth pony, as she bounced into Twilight’s vision. “S-so much glitter,” gasped Spike faintly from where he’d hit the ground, a good five metres away from Twilight. “W-w— Sorry, what was that?” shouted Twilight over the ringing in her ears. “…so I thought since I know every pony in Ponyville, you must be new here and that means you must not have any friends…” continued the bubbly earth pony. There was something familiar about this pony. Twilight couldn’t quite put her hoof on it, but she recognised this pink burst of energy. If only she wasn’t so distracted by the glitter. How’d it get underneath that part of her body, anyway? If she hadn’t needed a bath before, she definitely needed one now. “You’re that pony I met outside the train station,” said Twilight. “Yes, that’s what I was saying,” said the earth pony with a nod of her head. “So, I saw you but I didn't recognise you at all, which in a town this small must mean you're new here. Which means that you don't have any friends here yet, so that made me very sad, so I thought… 'Hey, Pinkie Pie, you can take a break from overseeing the Jubilee preparations to throw this pony a Welcome Party…” Oh that figured. Twilight should have known this earth pony was a part of the Ponyville Jubilee Committee. She probably knew those other ponies. What were their names again? Apple Mac, Rainbow Flash, Charity and Fluttershee? No, that couldn't be it. Rainbow Flash was a stallion's name, surely? “No, silly,” chuckled Pinkie Pie. “It's Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy.” Twilight frowned. Had she said those thoughts aloud? Whatever, it didn't matter. She slowly rose back onto her hooves. “Well, thank you for the thought, but I'd rather not,” she said. “I've a bit of work to get done.” “Oh don't be silly, you don't want to go straight back to work just yet,” protested Pinkie Pie, as she turned Twilight around. “You're Her Majesty's protégé aren't you? Doesn't that mean you should also learn about cakes? Her Majesty is a cake connoisseur. If you're going to be Her student, you'll have to be just as knowledgeable about cakes as Her Majesty, and what better place to learn about cakes than at a party!” “Wait, how did you…?” began Twilight. “Come on!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie, as she dragged Twilight towards a building that looked as if it'd been lifted straight out of the tale of Hans and Gretel. “Let's not keep every pony waiting.” # “Well, looks like Pinkie managed to save our collective plots.” “I don't know. This don't feel right,” said Applejack, as she walked out of the alleyway, her gaze focused on the pink earth pony dragging away the Canterlot unicorn. “That's Her Majesty's personal student. If she ever finds out…” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Don't worry about it,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “She won't find out. Pinkie'll exhaust Twilight Snarkle in ten seconds flat; and before you know it—Summer Solstice Jubilee, then bye-bye Miss Snarklepants.” She still couldn't quite forgive the unicorn for saying she wasn't Wonderbolt material. “Well, you know how I feel about lying,” drawled Applejack, as she trotted quickly towards a large tree that grew in the middle of the village. “'T ain't right lying to her.” She yawned loudly, triggering off a yawn from the polychromatic-maned Pegasus pony beside her. “Besides, she might be of some help. Epona knows we could sure as heck use it.” The tree they approached had a door and windows set into its trunk. Above, in the canopy, a balcony stuck out of the greenery. It was a literal treehouse, a house carved into the plant without harming it one bit. A blue and white tape barred the entrance. The word, Gendarmerie, repeated itself across its length. “So, any luck, Rarity?” asked Applejack. The white unicorn mare turned to face her approaching friends. “I'm afraid not, darlings,” she sighed with a shake of her head. “Constable Crabtree hasn't found anything and I must admit, I haven't dug anything up myself.” First it had been Moondancer and now Sunset Shimmer. That was two ponies missing, vanished in the middle of the night. Applejack sighed exasperatedly. She always felt Cousin Crabtree was a bit misplaced, more prone to breaking down into tears than enforcing the law. If Rarity had become a detective instead of a fashion designer, she could have easily run rings around Constable Crabtree. “It's the most terrible thing,” said Rarity irritably. “Ponyville is such a peaceful little town and then some pony has to go kidnapping innocent ponies.” Rainbow Dash peered into the library through a window. She remembered finding the place like that the day before, when she was… Never mind what she doing near the library. Regardless, she found it like that, the books bent backwards, pages torn and some pony's blood on the floor. “If only I knew the meaning of that message,” said Rarity with a stomp of her hoof. “It's obviously got some arcane meaning, but I haven't the foggiest what. Thaumaturgy was never a strong subject of mine.” “What was it again?” wondered Applejack. How could Rainbow Dash forget it? Someone had scrawled an arcane circle on the floor in red. It encircled a small mound of dirt, on which sat a single page with words written on it in muddy red. “I think it was,” began Rarity, “'Night Walk with Me'.”