//------------------------------//
// Nightmare: Part 1 
// Story: Exiled unto Dawn 
// by ObCom 
//------------------------------//

The snow storm had appeared out of nowhere, lashing the road and making it hard for the one traveler to see. High speed winds sailed through the dense woods. If the traveler had been persuaded by superstition, she would have curled up in a ball in the first visible cave and waited until morning to resume her march. Just because she soldiered on did not mean she did so willingly. 
Within the folds of her cloak, Twilight Sparkle kept warm through an ingenious combination of a simple heat spell and her own rage. The multiple snowflakes that landed on her evaporated in an instant, leaving her in a perpetual steam cloud that only served to sever her from the real world. Nevertheless, she pointedly kept her eyes forward, refusing to even look back at the road she had walked. It would inevitably point skyward, to Canterlot, the place that she had just been politely exiled from. Just the thought of the city was enough to make her jab the ground a little harder with her staff, incidentally pushing all of the snowflakes away for a brief second before they swarmed her again. 
“For my own protection,” Twilight muttered to herself. She hadn’t intended for the words to sound so venomous, especially when they had been spoken by her beloved mentor, but since she was alone, she saw no need to apologize or correct herself. “I was born in Canterlot. I know all of the dangers of living there. Does she think the time I spent under her personal tutelage excluded me from being a target?” Twilight’s staff crackled with energy. Instead of releasing the charge, Twilight twisted the spell and fired a brilliant, purple lance into the heavens. She was surprised to hear that she had let forth a terrifying shout in the process and felt her face heat up. 
Shaking her head, she said, “I just want to get this over with and go home. That is, if I can still call Canterlot my home. The Princess made it sound like I would never return.” A flicker of light caught her eye and she stopped walking. Squinting, she saw the lights again. “This must be the end of the road,” Twilight said and readjusted her pack. “Ponyville. I hope I don’t have to get too comfortable here.” 

Ponyville was a name that Twilight had barely heard whispered in Canterlot’s cold, stone walls. On the rare chance that the little town was brought up, it was usually at the cost of its dignity. There were the rumors and stereotypes that the Canterlot nobles joked about while eating their fine cheeses and sharpening knives at frequent dinner parties. Twilight, being the reclusive, impatient, ill-mannered scholar that she was, did not care for much of what the nobles said. But after being subjected to their views for so long, Twilight could not help but harbor the old stereotypes in the back of her mind. 
As she approached the gates, a tired and cold guard got to his feet. Unlike the resplendent armor of the Canterlot guard, the man approaching her was wearing a heavy tunic with a chainmail shirt underneath. His chest was emblazoned with a strong looking horse, a symbol that Twilight saw as fitting but demonstrative of a lack of originality. The man looked like he was freezing, which perplexed Twilight. After a lifetime of living in the high altitudes of Canterlot, she thought the night would have been pleasant. She only kept the heat spell active because the prospect of hauling a wet cloak was not appealing. He stood, looking Twilight up and down, undoubtedly coming to his own conclusions. “What’s your business here, traveler?” he finally asked. 
“I am Twilight Sparkle, the envoy from Canterlot.” 
The guard’s eyes widened, but his frozen face betrayed little emotion. “Ah, been told to expect you. Right this way, m’lady.” The guard turned on his heel and unlocked the gate. 
Twilight’s eyes, on the other hand, widened because of the guard’s ineptitude. As she walked through the gate, which the guard reluctantly locked behind her, she wondered why she hadn’t been challenged. For all the guard knew, she could’ve been an assassin who just happened to know a little tidbit of information. Or maybe the guard had received an accurate description of her, another part of her mind whispered. Now that reason had prevailed, Twilight felt the accumulating stress melt away and she looked around her temporary home. 
Ponyville was much more airy than Canterlot. She stood on a wide avenue lined with cobblestones and illuminated by torches. The wall prevented most of the snow from coming in, but what got through was not enough to smother the feeling of warmth that radiated from the town. Twilight set off in search of a place to finally sit down. Celestia had acquired a room in the town’s library for her, a small attempt at repaying Twilight for having to be there in the first place. Unfortunately, Twilight had no idea where the library was, and arriving at night was not the best way to find people for directions. She looked at the different signs hanging off of the buildings as she walked past. Considering that she was on the main street through town, she was bound to find an inn. 

Applejack only ever needed one pint to warm her up. She would nurse the cup, taking sips when she had to. A seat by the fireplace didn’t hurt either, a faint steam rising from her leather armor and cloak. No, she was a simple girl. She didn’t have to drink the rest of the patrons under the table like a very specific pair that she was pointedly ignoring. She stretched her legs closer and failed to restrain a yawn. Yup, time to get goin’, she idly thought and emptied the rest of her cup. Groaning, she sat up and was reaching for her crossbow when the door opened. It’s too late for a regular to just get here. Curious, she turned to look over the padded backrest of her chair. 
In the doorway, attracting the attention of everyone present, stood an irate, young woman. No one had given her more than a moment’s notice and they had soon returned to their own activities. Applejack kept her eye on the new arrival. She saw how the woman had scanned her surroundings for a split second before walking to the bar, where she ordered a glass of wine and carried it to an empty table. 
Applejack leaned back in her chair and sucked her teeth. Of course she was curious. It wasn’t often that Ponyville was visited by some sort of mage, a fact that was apparent through the woman’s staff. Applejack looked at the chair next to her, which contained her silent companion, Fluttershy. “So what do ya think?” Applejack asked. 
Fluttershy looked up from her glass of wine. As Applejack had expected, Fluttershy had only taken a few sips of her drink after the hours they had been there. “Oh, um,” Fluttershy began, turquoise eyes darting around the room, afraid to have ignored something Applejack had been talking about. When Applejack motioned to the traveler, Fluttershy managed, “Oh. She looks a little… mad.” 
“Y’think she’s up to no good?” Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow. 
Fluttershy shook her head but her pink hair stayed in place. “No, I don’t think so. Or, at least, she doesn’t mean to be.” 
“Doesn’t mean ta be?” Applejack asked, unsure of what Fluttershy said. In response, Fluttershy merely pointed to the newcomer, who was receiving a welcome party from a certain Rainbow Dash. “Ah dangit,” Applejack said and hauled herself out of the comfortable chair. 

The inn had carried a sense of warmth that the rest of the town did not posses. To begin with, there was a roaring fire. Twilight looked over the crowd for a bit, trying to find someone eying her with malice but finding only indifference. The blonde woman by the fireplace looked at her the longest, most likely out of curiosity. Twilight walked to the barkeep and ordered some wine. After a long journey through raging winds, she felt like she owed that much to herself. She carried her wine to an empty table and opened her pack to retrieve a book. 
When she looked up again, she was beset upon by a woman with a curious set of hair. “Hey there, how’re ya doin?” the woman asked from the other side of the table. Twilight could see the glow on the woman’s face and decided to ignore her. “I’ve never seen ya in here before, but I bet ya heard o’ me. Rainbow Dash, at yer service,” she said, extending a wavering hand across the table. When Twilight didn’t respond, Rainbow said, “Hey, what’cha readin?” When her hand touched the book, Twilight slammed her hand down on the tome and raised the other to Rainbow’s face. Within her palm was a small fireball, usually ineffective at that strength, but more than enough to blind the merry Rainbow if Twilight fired. 
All of the joy in the tavern was gone. Twilight repressed a shiver, afraid of what the locals might do if they saw any weakness. She didn’t doubt her abilities to fight off a drunken mob of farmers, but if she was going to stay in the town, she didn’t want to burn any bridges on her first day. The shock was gone in Rainbow’s clouded eyes, replaced with something else. Anger? Excitement? Twilight didn’t want to stay to find out. She levitated some coins out of her pack and placed them on the table. In a rush, she scooped up her book and left the inn in as dignified manner as possible. 

“Oh, she’s not getting’ away that easily,” Rainbow snarled as soon as the newcomer was gone. She was almost out of her seat when Applejack had gotten close and punched her back. 
“Pinkie,” Applejack said, not slowing down to apologize. “Give her a knife show.” 
Pinkie hopped off of her stool, barely containing her giggles. She positioned herself in front of Rainbow and pulled out three throwing knives. Without warning, she threw them into the air and started juggling. “It sure has been a weird night, huh Dashie?” Pinkie asked innocently. 
“Not now, Pinks!” Rainbow yelled. Applejack had slipped through the door, which meant Rainbow had to go if she wanted vengeance. She put a hand on the table to get some leverage, but a knife landed between her fingers. 
“Silly Dashie,” Pinkie said, effortlessly adding a new knife to her routine. “You know this takes a lot of concentration. Why, if you keep moving like that, I might throw a knife out of the window!” 
Dash tried to glare at Pinkie, but maintaining eye contact with that smiling sprite was enough to make her anger drain away. With a groan, she leaned back in her seat, resigned to watching the show. 

Applejack knew her plan had succeeded when Rainbow hadn’t stormed past her with daggers drawn. She didn’t know why she had done what she did in the tavern. The beer might have played a small part, Applejack thought, even though she knew it was a lie. Perhaps she just needed a good reason to punch Rainbow. She chuckled at the thought. But Applejack knew that it all came back to curiosity. Who was this newcomer? Applejack ruffled her cloak, hating the fact that she had to get away from a warm fire. 
Fortunately, the mage hadn’t gotten far. She wasn’t walking at a fast pace, as if she was sure no one would follow her out of the tavern after her spectacle. Applejack tailed the mage to the fountain at the center of town before speaking. 
“Y’all have a strange way of sayin’ hello,” she drawled. 
The mage turned around, alarmed. Applejack maintained her easy smile, even though she was wondering if she would be dodging a spell soon. The mage relaxed when she didn’t see any weapons. “Right, that. I’m just a little tired from the road, I guess.” 
“Travelin’ makes ya want ta throw fire into someone’s face?” Applejack asked. She kept her tone light and walked closer, but she saw the mage wince at her words. 
“It’s been a stressful day, to say the least.” 
“We all have those. Name’s Applejack,” she said and extended her hand. 
The mage let out a breath and took Applejack’s hand. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, envoy from Canterlot.” 
Applejack let out a low whistle. “That’s a bit of a walk,” she said. Twilight nodded and shifted her weight. Noticing the stretching silence between them, and Twilight’s piercing gaze, Applejack asked, “Do ya have a place ta stay?” 
“Oh, yes. I’m to stay in the library, but I don’t know where that is,” Twilight said. Her voice tapered off at the end. 
“The library? That’s not too far. Here, let me show you,” Applejack said and headed in the direction Twilight had been wandering in. 

They had walked in silence, although Twilight could tell Applejack was brimming with questions. There had been traders on the road who talked of Canterlot as if they had found some magical paradise. Considering that they were only out for money at the end of the day, Twilight couldn’t blame them for sucking the coffers dry from underneath some idiot noble. With a sigh, Twilight tried to keep herself grounded in the present. After all, she didn’t know why Applejack had followed her out of the inn. 
“Alright, here we are,” Applejack happily declared. Twilight looked at the library. It was a tree. Inside, a few candles still burned, and Twilight had the odd notion that it must look better during the day. She turned to Applejack, unsure of what to do next. 
“Uh, thanks? To be honest, Twilight had been expecting some sort of trickery. Applejack was armed and potentially dangerous. The fact that the journey had ended outside of the library and not in some dark alley surprised her. Unsure of what to do, she levitated a few gold coins into Applejack’s hand, who looked at them with a raised eyebrow. 
“You don’t have ta pay me,” she said and tossed the coins back. 
Twilight caught them before they hit the ground. “But I thought th—” she began but Applejack interrupted. 
“No charge. It wouldn’t a been very nice if I just let ya wander the streets on a night like this. Although if ya really want ta give me your money, I s’pose we could get a drink sometime,” Applejack said with a wink. 
“What? But I almost burned someone.” 
Applejack waved that aside. “She had it comin’. But it’s late, and I should really get home myself. See ya tomorrow.” 
“Uh. Sure,” Twilight said to Applejack’s back. She was taken aback by the ranger’s hospitality and she hoped that life outside of Canterlot wouldn’t become a game of shadows. Before she could think too much about her time in Ponyville, the trials of the day had finally caught up with her. She was too tired. Everything could wait until the morning. 

Just because Twilight was ready for the day to be over didn’t mean the day was done with her. The inside of the giant tree was full of runes that prevented the numerous torches from burning down the library. The runes were old and faded, she noted with a frown. She resolved to fix them later. The building had the welcoming smell of old books, as was to be expected. What Twilight didn’t expect was the person snoring at the librarian’s desk. 
She examined the youth as she approached. He couldn’t have been more than thirteen years old. His head was pillowed by his folded arms and he was busy accumulating an impressive puddle of drool. She frowned when she didn’t hear anyone else. Surely there was a proper librarian around? Twilight cleared her throat, but the youth didn’t stir. “Wake up,” Twilight said. 
The kid blinked and picked his head up with visible effort. “Huh? We’re closed,” he slurred and was already trying to go back to sleep. 
“Then you did a terrible job locking the doors.” 
“Waitin’ for someone. Mayor’s orders,” he grumbled. 
“What a coincidence,” Twilight said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “I am Twilight Sparkle, envoy from Canterlot.” 
That got the boy’s attention. He bolted upright in his seat, his face suddenly wrought with nerves. “Ohmygosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to be so rude, it’s just so late and I’m not used to staying open so late!” Twilight had the feeling that he was going to rant, so she held up a hand to stop him. 
“Who lets a boy stay up this late? Where’s the librarian?” 
“Oh, that.” The boy looked down and idly brushed some drool off of his purple sleeve. “Mr. Breezy used to be the librarian, but he got crushed a few weeks ago when the archives fell on him. I’ve been running the library ever since.” 
Twilight stammered an apology for bringing a potentially touchy subject up. “I was told that there is a room available for me?”  
The boy shook off his anguish. “Oh yeah, I have the key right here! Let me show you the way!” 
Twilight had to admire the boy’s energy. Back in Canterlot, most of the youth were too afraid or apathetic to be of any use. She found herself warming to the spirited boy. 
“Here’s your room,” he said once they arrived at the top of the stairs. He unlocked the door and opened with an unnecessary flourish. The room must have been cold, because the youth shivered. Twilight didn’t feel a thing with her heat spell active. “Would you like me to stoke the fireplace?” he asked. 
Twilight shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I just want to get some sleep,” she said and headed into the dark towards the bed shaped lump by the window. 
“Oh, alright. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Sweet dreams!” the boy called before closing the door. Twilight had already disposed of her cloak and pack before realizing that she hadn’t asked for the boy’s name. She shrugged. If he was going to be around tomorrow, she could ask then. For now, she only wanted to sleep. 

A tall woman encased in ebony armor walked towards the border. Her eyes shone with malice, each step full of rage. Her body was hunched over, though she felt no chill. Behind her, the stars followed as dutiful as an army. In her hand, she clenched a sword, one full of cracks lined with blue magic. When she walked over the border, her tireless march ceased. Her porcelain features cracked into a mockery of a smile, and she laughed.