//------------------------------//
// Episode 3: Preparations 
// Story: Swing Into Action 
// by Golden Flare 
//------------------------------//


Time Before The Summer Sun Celebration:
00 Day(s), 16 Hour(s), 33 Minute(s), 48 Second(s)


Yulo woke up bright and early this time, not only to be ready for Moon Dancer's party, but he could hardly sleep after what he was told by Celestia, and if what she told him was true, Yulo may have to gear himself up for the most dangerous Duel of his life. Regardless, he grabbed his Deck and Duel Disk, and made his way to the west castle courtyard, on the way there, he saw Twilight on her way back to her personal study, Yulo felt bad for the poor Unicorn, sure studying is great, but spending time with friends can be just as good or even better. Sadly, Twilight doesn't see things that way, Yulo tried to get her out of her comfort zone at dinner, but she made it plainly clear that she had no time or interest in friends.

As Yulo watched, he saw three other Unicorns he knew to be Moon Dancer's friends, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Minuette, approach Twilight, "There you are, Twilight!" one of them spoke, "Moon Dancer is having a little get-together in the west castle courtyard, you wanna come?"

Twilight responded with, "Ooh, sorry girls, but I have a lot of studying to catch up on." with that, Twilight ran off in a hurry.

Twinkleshine sighed, "Does that pony do ANYTHING except study? I think she's more interested in books than friends."

"Ease up, ladies." Yulo said, making them gasp, "I want her to have friends too, but it's her choice...unfortunately."

"I-I-It's Yulo!" Lemon Hearts stuttered out.

"W-What are you doing here?" Minuette asked.

"Moon Dancer invited me to her party." Yulo simply answered.

"WHAT?!?" they all shouted.

Yulo cleaned his ear with a finger, "Easy with the volume, please!"

The girls looked embarrassed, "Sorry!"

Yulo sighed, "Let's get a move-on, Moon Dancer's probably waiting for us."

They nod and they all head for the west castle courtyard to Moon Dancer's very first party.






Time Before The Summer Sun Celebration:
00 Day(s), 16 Hour(s), 22 Minute(s), 31 Second(s)


A good ten minute walk later and Yulo and the girls arrived at the courtyard, where Moon Dancer just finished her preparations.

"Hey, Moon Dancer! Look at this spread, huh?" Minuette commented.

"Thank you so much for coming." Moon Dancer said.

Yulo smiled, "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Of course!" Twinkleshine began, "We wouldn't miss one of our best friend's parties!"

"Is Twilight coming?" Moon Dancer looked at her guests expectantly.

The girls looked any where but Moon Dancer's direction while Yulo rubbed the back of his head, not knowing how to break the bad news to her, but she took the hint and frowned.

"Oh...okay." she said, dejectedly.

"Hey! We'll still have fun, right?!" Minuette offered with a nervous giggle.

"Sure..." Moon Dancer walked away, utterly depressed.

The group looked sad at Moon Dancer's defeated expression, but Yulo stubbornly refused to give up.

"...I'll go talk to her, you three keep the food fresh."

"What could you possibly do?" Lemon asked.

"I'm gonna help my friend the best I can."

Yulo ran after Moon Dancer to try and cheer her up while the girls did what they were told and kept the food fresh by keeping away from any animals or insects.






Time Before The Summer Sun Celebration:
00 Day(s), 15 Hour(s), 59 Minute(s), 47 Second(s)


Yulo had spent over twenty minutes trying to find Moon Dancer and after asking around he found out she went home, he made his way to a small, humble house and knocked on the door.

"...Go away." was the response he got.

"Moon Dancer, it's Yulo."

"I said go away."

"No. I'm your friend, I care about you, and whether you like it or not, I'm coming in."

Yulo grasped the doorknob and opened the door, allowing himself into the darkened home.

He barely even registered the bawling mare pounding at his chest, "I thought I told you to go away!"

Yulo just took the hits and held her close as she struggled, "Go on. Hit me, yell at me, I don't care what you do, all that matters that whatever you do helps you feel better."

"Even if it means knocking you on the head and giving you a migraine?!" she challenged.

"...Yes."

Moon Dancer just sat there, unresponsive. And then, her bottom lip quivered and hugged Yulo back as she cried her eyes out.

"It's okay, Moon Dancer...you're gonna be okay..."

"It's not FAIR! I thought she was my friend..."

Yulo took the initiative and stroked her mane, "You have other friends, ones that are waiting for you to come back to your party."

"I bet they probably left already...and I don't blame them..."

"I'm willing to bet that they're still there, waiting for their best friend..."

The two just sat in the middle of the room, Moon Dancer wailing and Yulo consoling her. After at least half an hour, Moon Dancer finally calmed down enough to talk.

"...Thank you...thank you so much..." she said as she sniffled.

"It's no big deal." he said.

"No, it's a very big deal. I thought nopony truly cared for me, but you...you proved me wrong. And I'll always be grateful for that."

Yulo frowned a bit, "Are you gonna be okay?"

Moon Dancer wiped a tear away, "No. I don't think I'll be okay for a while. But...I think I may...in time."

Yulo smiled, then blushed as Moon Dancer nuzzled into him.

"Again...thank you..."

His blush died down as he held her close. But the warm moment was not to last as a flash of light appeared in front of Yulo, revealing a rolled up scroll.

"A magically sent letter?" Moon Dancer asked.

Yulo narrowed his eyes, "And I have good feeling who it's from."

He plucked the letter out of the air and opened it up, reading aloud;



Dear Yulo,
I have just sent my faithful student, Twilight and her assistant, Spike the Dragon to Ponyville to oversee the preparations for this year's location for the Summer Sun Celebration. I want you to follow them and watch over everything, and if everything we talked about falls exactly into place, then you may need to step up and fight for Equestria's freedom. I'll have a Pegasus-drawn chariot ready for you just outside of Canterlot, please finish your business here and head out before sundown.

Yours Truly,
Princess Celestia

P.S. If you wish, bring Moon Dancer with you, she may be a good travelling companion.



After Yulo finished reading, he looked at Moon Dancer, who seemed to be confused, "What does she mean by, 'fighting for Equestria's freedom'?"

Yulo sighed, "Well, since you might come with me, I might as well tell you what's going on..."

Yulo explained to her everything that he and Celestia talked about last night, with few interruptions about Nightmare Moon not being real and an old pony's tale, and once he finished, Moon Dancer voiced her own recap.

"So tonight, Nightmare Moon, who is apparently real, is going to free herself from the moon..."

"Yeah..." Yulo said.

"...And she has one of those Number cards..."

"Uh-huh..."

"...So we may be facing a Duel for the fate of Equestria against an evil goddess hopped up on the card's power?"

"That's pretty much the gist of it."

"...You do realize that sounds science-fiction, right?"

"Yeah, but it's the truth."

Moon Dancer sighed, "...Okay. I guess I have no reason not to believe you, but if I'm going, I'm staying away from Twilight."

"Fair enough." Yulo started heading out the door, "Now c'mon, the girls are waiting for us." He stopped when he noticed she wasn't following. "Moon Dancer?"

"...Moony."

"W-What?"

"I...I want you to call me Moony from now on." she blushed.

"...O-Okay then."

The two left the house, depression forgotten, all that matter right now was making it back to the party and to their friends.






Time Before The Summer Sun Celebration:
00 Day(s), 15 Hour(s), 11 Minute(s), 09 Second(s)


The two made it back to the courtyard, where the girls were still waiting for them, after a brief explanation, they all calmed down and enjoyed the party that Moon Dancer prepped for them. An hour had passed when Moon Dancer broke the news to them about leaving for Ponyville soon with Yulo for "important business", as the two called it, but the girls could tell something was up, yet they didn't question it. After the party was finished, Yulo and Moon Dancer made it to the aforementioned chariot and rode over to Ponyville, where Yulo's greatest challenge awaits him.

But even after they left, the girls chatted amongst themselves about the two's behavior.

"They were acting really weird when they told us they were leaving." Minuette said.

"Yeah, but..." Twinkleshine began, "why would they act weird? It's just a short trip, right?"

"...They're hiding something." Lemon Hearts said, resolutely.

"Like what?"

"Yeah." Minuette added.

"I don't know..." Lemon said, "...but we're gonna find out once they get back."






Time Before The Summer Sun Celebration:
00 Day(s), 13 Hour(s), 58 Minute(s), 39 Second(s)


The chariot ride took over twenty minutes to reach its destination: Ponyville. Where a great danger would rise and Yulo would have to stop it. The Pegasi, as Celestia once explained to Yulo, slowed to a stop in the middle of a meadow just outside of town, which confused the two travelers.

"Why are we stopping here?" Yulo asked one of them.

"The princess had strict orders that you two were to remain hidden from Twilight Sparkle and young Spike for the time being, so she told us to land here." one Pegasus guard spoke.

"So you two are walking the rest of the way." the other added.

Yulo shrugged, "Eh, we need the exercise anyway."

The guards nodded and flew off, leaving Yulo and Moon Dancer to themselves.

"Let's press on, Moony."

"Yes, let's."

Yulo and Moon Dancer began their trek to Ponyville to watch over Twilight and Spike, and to be ready for the inevitable danger of Nightmare Moon and her Number card.






Time Before The Summer Sun Celebration:
00 Day(s), 05 Hour(s), 32 Minute(s), 41 Second(s)


After several hours of watching Twilight oversee the preparations and failing to make friends, much to Yulo's chagrin and Moon Dancer's mild amusement, they walked around town for a while as Twilight was hiding from her surprise party by Ponyville's resident "super-duper party pony" Pinkie Pie. Once the time had come to watch the sunrise, everypony, and Yulo, made their way to Town Hall, all while avoiding Twilight, to see Celestia raise the sun for what Yulo heard to be the thousandth year she's did this.

Man, she needs a vacation. he thought.

The mayor of Ponyville, ironically named Mayor Mare, began her speech about Celestia, when Yulo, Moon Dancer, and even Twilight noticed the craters forming the shape of a mare disappeared.

"Yulo..." Moon Dancer whispered.

"Yeah, I saw. Be ready for anything." he said.

"...Princess Celestia!" Mayor Mare declared.

The curtain pulled back to reveal...nothing. Nopony was there on the balcony. Yulo narrowed his eyes in anticipation as Moon Dancer clung to him in fear while everyone else murmured to each other in worry.

"Remain calm, everypony. There must be a reasonable explanation."

"Hold for it..." Yulo uttered.

"She's gone!" a white Unicorn, who Yulo heard her name was Rarity, said to everyone, making them gasp.

"...Yup. She's here."

A yelp from the crowd confirmed Yulo's statement as a dark blue mist came up to the balcony and took form as the Alicorn mare from Yulo's dreams.

"Nightmare Moon."

Moon Dancer said nothing, she just continued to cling to Yulo for dear life.

"Oh, my beloved subjects, it's been so long since I've seen your precious little, sun-loving faces." the dark mare said.

Yulo grit his teeth at the condescending tone she gave when she spoke.

"What did you do with our princess?!" a Pegasus with a rainbow-mane, who Yulo heard to be Rainbow Dash, demanded as she tried to rush her, but was held back by an orange pony that Yulo knew was Applejack.

The mare chuckled, "What? Am I not royal enough for you?" she narrowed her eyes, "Don't you know who I am?"

Pinkie Pie started randomly guessing her name, only ending when Applejack shoved a cupcake into her mouth.

Yulo wanted to slap the snot out of the dark mare when she approached Fluttershy, making the latter cower, "Does my crown no longer count now that I've been imprisoned for a thousand years?" she then approached Rarity, "Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?"

"I did!" Twilight declared, "And I know who you are!"

Shut up, Twilight, shut up... Yulo thought to himself.

"You're the Mare in the Moon: Nightmare Moon!"

The crowd gasped as Twilight said that, making Yulo pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Well, well, well, somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here." Nightmare remarked.

"You're here to...to...!" Twilight gulped as she couldn't finish her sentence.

Nightmare cackled, "Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night...will last...FOREVER!" she then laughed manically as she believed victory was hers to savor.

"Wait."

Nightmare stopped laughing as a shadowy spirit formed next to her, making the crowd tremble in fear.

"What are you talking about?" Nightmare asked the spirit.

"I sense it..."

"Sense what...wait. You mean..."

"Yes. Another Number."

Yulo heard what it said and tried to make himself and Moon Dancer as small as possible while making their way to the balcony.

"Who dares to shelter a Number card from me?!" Nightmare bellowed, "I am your princess! And I demand that you give me the Number!"

The crowd shivered in fear and confusion, not knowing what she's talking about.

The spirit turned to see Yulo and Moon Dancer behind Nightmare, "We meet at last...Number Hunter."

Nightmare turned to see them as well, not knowing what creature Yulo is, "So. You are the ones hiding a source of power from me."

Yulo clenched his fists, "Give up while you still can."

Nightmare was about to laugh at the sheer absurdness of his demand, but the spirit beat her to speaking, "Fool. You think just because you collected one Number card that you can best us?"

"No. But I can at least try."

"Obstinate youth!"

"Thanks for the compliment, but I'm still not backing down!"

The spirit growled at Yulo's insolence.

"Foolish child." Nightmare interjected, "You really believe you can defeat me?"

Yulo said nothing, instead he stood defiant.

She smirked, "Very well then. I'll humor you." she then scowled, "Meet me where the Elements of Harmony were last used, my castle and throne that were supposed to be mine and mine alone."

Yulo nodded in confirmation.

Nightmare's mane swirled up a tornado to mask her and the spirit's escape, "If you fear for your life, do not follow me. But if you wish to meet your untimely end in battle, seek me out. I've waited a thousand years to return and take back what was rightfully mine, I can wait a few minutes for you to make your choice."

With that, they disappeared into the tornado as it vanished in a flash of light, leaving Yulo and Moon Dancer themselves as the crowd panicked and rushed out the doors. Yulo and Moon Dancer left the Town Hall and looked around for any source of Nightmare Moon and the spirit form of the Number card. Moon Dancer lit up her horn and gasped.

"What is it?" Yulo asked her.

"Nightmare Moon left us a trail of magical energy to follow."

"...She was serious about her challenge."

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Heh, not really. But what choice to I have?"

Yulo and Moon Dancer ran off in the direction of what the ponies of Ponyville knew to be the Everfree Forest, following the trail of magic residue to face the Mare in the Moon in a dangerous game of Duel Monsters...