"Armor, take Twilight and run!"  The blue unicorn commanded as the walls of the castle shook.

"Daddy, what's going on?  I'm scared."  A young purple foal cried to her father, using every last ounce of his magic to hold the door in place.

"There's nothing to worry about Twilight, dear.  Your brother will protect you.  Now get going!  Your mother and I will be right behind you."  The stallion still held the door in place as more and more guards came to their aid.

"I don't wanna leave you, daddy!"  The purple foal cried again.  "I don't wanna leave you!"  Tears streaming down her face, she clung to the stallion's hind leg.

"Twilight, I will come back for you.  For both of you, now get going!"  The door began to crack as a sinister voice echoed.

"Bring her to me..."  a demonic voice whispered as the walls began to crack.  Shining picked Twilight up and threw her on his back and made a run for it.

"Bring her..." it grew louder and louder as the door burst from its hinges revealing a monstrous entity of magic.

"Bring her!"  Twilight screamed.

---

The rooster crowed at the break of dawn in Ponyville, same as it always has while a certain baby dragon completed his chores before the resident librarian awoke.

"Twilight, you awake yet?"  the baby dragon tried to get her attention by shaking her out of bed, finally bringing her out of her slumber.

"Spike?"

"Haha, you like what I did to the place?"  Twilight looked around, still half asleep, at the beautifully cleaned library.  There wasn't a book or scroll out of place, the floor had been swept clean, and a hay and lettuce sandwich waited for the purple unicorn on her favorite desk.  "I got up really early to do this for you so you wouldn't have anything boring to do on your special day."

Twilight looked at him quizzically.  "My...what?"

"Geeze, and I thought I was lacking in the thinking department.  It's your birthday, egghead!"  A certain cyan pegasis flew around the room holding a copy of Daring Doo.  "I let myself in, hope you don't mind.  Happy birthday, Twilight!"

"Rainbow!"  Twilight finally was wide awake as she embraced her and Spike in a hug.  "Sorry if I've been a little off, it's just I had a hard time sleeping last night."  Spike and Rainbow looked at each other, and then back to Twilight.  Spike was the first to say anything.

"It was the dream again, huh?"

"What dream?  Did you dream about flying, cause flying is so awesome!"  Rainbow exclaimed.

"No, it wasn't about flying."  Twilight chuckled.  "But I was moving very fast."  She looked proud.  "Tell me you didn't plan some crazy party for me at Sugarcube corner again."

"Nah, no offence to Pinkie, but that place is getting old. I thought we could try a new place."

Twilight's ears popped up in excitement as she made a small "squee."  "Oh?  Where to then?"

"Well, get this, you remember that dude, Fancy Pants that Rarity met in Canterlot?  Well, it just so happens he is opening one of the fanciest places in town, called the Shining Mare.  He wants you to be the first guest of honor.  Well?"  Rainbow looked excited, but Twilight couldn't help feeling a twinge of despair.

"Canterlot?  Now?"  She said with a fearful look in her eye.

"Well, why not now?  Seems as good a time as any, and you may never get a chance like this again.  It'll be fun, Twi, come on."  Rainbow smiled as Twilight tried to force a chuckle.

"You're right, I'm being silly.  Tell the others I'll be on my way soon."  And with that, Rainbow dashed out of the library and into the horizon.

"Twilight, don't."  Spike sounded concerned.  "This dream happens every year just before your birthday, I don't want it to mean what I think it means."  Spike hugged Twilight's front legs.  

"Maybe it won't really happen."  She said to assure him.  "Remember what Princess Celestia said, my element won't betray me as long as I stay who I am."  It was true, the element of Magic was the wildcard of the Elements of Harmony, only able to be used when all five are present.  However, something happened the night Twilight got her cutie mark, the person she was had changed.  She became something else, or rather something came from her and became something else.

"I'll be fine, Spike."  She patted Spike on the head with her left hoof.  "If anything happens, I'll come straight home."  She kissed Spike on the forehead.  "Hold down the fort til I'm back, I won't be all night!"  And with that she was gone.

"I love you, Twilight."  Spike muttered.  "Dear sweet Celestia, Twilight is like a sister to me, please don't let me lose her."

Maybe it wouldn't happen, maybe those dreams weren't warnings at all, but just tricks played on her by the strain she had endured from fighting the Changlings and Queen Chrysalis.  

"Bring her..."