//------------------------------// // Prelude: The Order of the Night // Story: A Nightmare in Eidolon // by FolkloreBrony //------------------------------// Dear Reader, I wanted to start out this story by saying how much I appreciate the devotion and patience offered to me by the fans of my previous story, ‘Emerald Fires’. I’ve gone through a lot in the past two years trying to escape an abusive parental relationship, and that dragged me down until I eventually burnt myself out on that project. After some time I recovered, and through the emotional pain that I endured, it energized me to create this, the culmination of what would have been part of the third act of my previous story. ‘A Nightmare in Eidolon’ was a big part of the original idea I had for Emerald Fires back in 2014, and through the years I’ve changed and refined that vision into the story you are about to journey upon. And to those original fans who have stayed through all this; Thank you. I know I haven’t been reliable, and at this point, I don’t know if I will continue that first project. I want to, and I’ve been planning to, but I also have one or two more projects in me that I’m sure will be well received in the near future, so it might get lost in the ether. But until then, I hope this will be a sufficient way of saying I’m sorry, and that I can make it up to all of you. So, without further ado, sit back, relax, as I welcome you to the world of Eidolon. A Nightmare in Eidolon By Folklorebrony Edited By EverfreePony, Scaramouch, and Salty Alty //// Prelude-The Order of the Night //// The night was burning, flames taking everything the young filly held dear in plumes of ash. All that it had taken was a torch thrown through a window, and the tree had caught ablaze. The filly called out for anyone who was still caught inside, only to be met with silence. In desperation she rushed to the door, hoping to get inside and save her family, only to be blasted back by the raging inferno. Nyx had never been so terrified in her life. The world had seemed so peaceful only a short time ago. Nyx had left from a meeting with the Cutie Mark Crusaders at Applejack’s farm about an hour before, Celestia’s sun setting down upon the trees of the orchard. She remembered fondly of how the night had come over her like a blanket, Luna’s stars twinkled above her as she walked the cobblestone path back to Ponyville. It had only been a short while ago, but how distant a memory it was to her now. No stars smiled down upon her, only the shroud of a dark, ash-filled sky. Twilight. Spike. Where were they? Had they been inside when the fire started? Those thoughts drove her into a panic, shaking in fear, not daring to move at the thought of the angry fire. That was when she heard the voices. Somewhere close to the center of town lights started to flicker in the dark. Reluctantly and with a tremble in her step, she began to move towards the voices. Nyx wandered closer, hoping to find some release from this hollow feeling in her chest. Maybe her family was okay, maybe they were with these other ponies shouting about! Then she began to wonder about the cause of such an uproar. Was the town under attack? Was it burning as well? Were these ponies looking for their loved ones too? But as she got closer to the light, she realized that these were not the cries of terror or panic, but of anger and menace. Quickly she ducked into an alleyway, cautious in her step as she inched closer to the commotion, her eyes peering out from the dark. There she saw them coming out of the shadows like jackals, ponies carrying torches and clubs with them as they filed into the street, searching for something or someone. She dared not reveal herself to them now, a lump catching in her throat. These were ponies she knew and saw every day, yet something about them filled her with dread. The way their faces twisted into scowls and hateful looks, yelling and shouting at one another in a frenzy. Something was terribly wrong. Nyx was caught between two voices screaming in her head, one telling her to run, the other to stay and see what would happen next. Everything that was happening was like something out of her worst nightmares, dragging her down into this strange purgatory. But perhaps, just perhaps, they were just as scared and confused as she was. Maybe they could help her find her family. But that voice in her head, sending alarms that she was in danger, told her that these ponies were out for blood. “There she is!” Nyx flinched in fright as she backed away into the alley, trying to conceal herself in the dark. Had they seen her? What were they going to do to her? Nyx whimpered aloud, trying to keep quiet, but found it difficult in her terrified state. But no mob came, no thrawl of angry ponies reaching into the dark to grab her. She opened one eye to look out at the street again, this time captivated as the ponies rushed forward, scrambling into the adjacent alleyway. “It’s the mother of that monster!” another pony shouted. Nyx looked on as the crowd gathered at the alleyway entrance, before pulling back as they dragged someone along with them. The pony in question kicked and screamed as they pulled her, the mob uncaring as the mare was cut and bruised by the hard ground. Nyx was completely at a loss. How could they be so cold, so uncaring? What had this mare done to deserve such hate? Who even was she? Nyx wondered, taking a small brave step out from the darkness, hoping to catch a glimpse of this mystery mare. And she did, much to her grief. It was Twilight. It was her mother. Nyx watched as they kicked her in horror. Golden Oaks Library, her home, was gone, and now they had her mother! Nyx was so scared and confused, yet she felt herself becoming enraged by the scene. How could they do this to her? The mare they greeted every day on this very street, who had saved their town from many monster attacks, who defended Equestria against changelings, Discord, even Tirek! Even against… her. Nyx shook her head at the thought, watching from her hiding place as the ponies pulled Twilight by her mane, throwing her right into the middle of the mob. Nyx felt the air catch in her lungs as they beat and harassed her, demanding her to answer for crimes they deemed she was guilty of. Yet, despite all this, Twilight only pleaded with them, reasoning with them in an effort to cool their tempers. “Please! She’s different, I promise you!” Twilight begged the crowd, only to be hit again by a waving hoof, causing her to spit as her head whiplashed. “She’s a menace! The things I did under her spell!” one stallion screamed, his eyes filled with fire upon the mare. “The things I did. My children!” a mare wept through gritted teeth, caught between sorrow and rage. “I didn’t mean to...” Nyx whispered, clinging to the pile of trash. She listened to every one of them, shaking her head, trying to deny what she knew to be true. So many ponies had suffered because of her when she had become Nightmare Moon, but she was good now, wasn’t she? Yes, she knew she was, but these ponies wouldn’t care. The pain they felt had grown into a hatred that couldn’t be reasoned with, that refused to be dissuaded. “She protects that devil! She’s in league with her!” A mare pointed an accusing hoof at Twilight, gaining approving nods from the crowd. That’s when they lunged at her, others in the crowd backing away to make a large free space as they threw her around, slapping her across her face before shoving her to the ground. “She loves books so much, bury her in them!” they cried out, laughing, throwing stacks of books out of nowhere at the mare, covering her to her shoulders with the tomes. “Stop! Please! Leave her alone!” Nyx screamed, ignored by the crowd as if she wasn’t even there. She wanted to move, to try to save her, but her hooves were like lead. She was so captivated in her own fear that she couldn’t move, lost as if in a trance as the crowd threw their torches at the pile around Twilight, igniting it into a great bonfire. Nyx screamed as the pile lit up like a furnace, the flames rising high into the nighttime sky. She expected to hear Twilight at any moment to cry out in agony, but was met with silence. She couldn’t do anything, she was so weak, so useless. She could only watch as the flame rose higher, the ash and smoke circling above the fire into a single giant mass, taking the form of a large stallion that looked down on her, towering and imposing as its gaze trapped her in its embrace. The being stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, its form shimmering in the firelight like the finest silver. Nyx froze as it reached for her, the last thing she felt in this world being the cold, icy touch as its hoof ran down her face, taking her away. Nyx rose from her sheets with every intent to scream, but found the ability lost to her. The filly visibly shook as she regained a sense of her surroundings, realizing that she was still in her room at the castle. She looked around, thankful for all the posters, books, and plushies that now surrounded her. Nyx sighed and relaxed as much as she could, still shaking from the nightmare she had awoken from. Her mane was drenched over her eyes, shielding the tears that were running freely beneath. She couldn’t believe that she had been so stupid to not have realized that it had only been a dream. They had moved into the castle months ago, and the library was gone. Tirek had made sure of that. Nyx looked around her room at the individual items thrown about on the floor. Clothes and open-turned books littered the floor from the bed to her window, showing how lived-in it really was. To the right side of her bed however was her Twilight doll, the only one of her personal belongings to survive the library explosion. Nyx brushed away a tear and grabbed for the doll, pulling it close to her body as she lay back down upon her pillow. The doll had always been a thing of comfort for the young filly, and right now, it made the bad dreams feel just what they were; only dreams. That would be, of course, until she would fall asleep again and they would return to haunt her. She told herself again and again that that was all that they were, that they didn’t mean anything. She was safe, and so was her family. Yes, only a dream. Spike hummed as he cracked an egg against the pan, pouring the golden yolk inside onto the hot metal surface. He had gotten up early to get breakfast started for everyone, juggling between eggs, toast, hash browns and gravy. This, of course, was nothing too difficult for him. He liked cooking, though that was something he would rather keep to himself. Not that he thought it was girly, he knew better than that. But, if word got out of how good he was at it, and that he actually enjoyed it, he’d never be able to catch a break. No matter how good a cook you are, it’s always nice to have someone else do it for you. The bread popped out of the toaster just as Spike added a few spices to the eggs, catching the slices in mid-air as they flew out. He set them on a plate as he placed the eggs onto separate plates, covering the two that weren’t his with ceramic bowls to keep them warm. Satisfied that they were exactly as he wanted them, he took his own plate and sat down at the table, rubbing his claws together before diving his fork into the food and took a bite. As the flavors washed over his mouth his eyes rolled back, enjoying the textures rolling over his taste buds, sighing happily. Spike heard a door on the floor above close, followed by the slow hoofsteps of someone coming down the stairs. He spared a glance over his shoulder to see who was coming down for breakfast, watching as the castle’s youngest member shifted her way into the kitchen, her mane in a tangled mess and her eyes half closed with bags hanging underneath. “Morning, Nyx,” Spike said in a cheerful tone, taking a bite of his eggs. Nyx gave a soft grunt as she shuffled past him, heading straight for the cereal box sitting on the table. Spike watched as the filly grabbed a bowl that had been left out for her on the table and poured in the Chocolate Crunch, then turned to eye the coffee pot on the kitchen counter. Though her eyes were glazed over, she managed to levitate the pot over to where she was, not registering the weird glare she was getting from Spike as she poured the contents into her cereal bowl. “Sleep well?” Spike asked, raising an eyebrow as he chewed. Nyx just gave him a sharp glare, sitting down in the chair next to him as she took a slow bite from her breakfast. Spike gave the filly a funny look as he watched her partake in the strange meal, a little sad that she hadn’t noticed the plate of food he had cooked for her. She then sighed, shrugging her shoulders while she stared at the food in her bowl, almost mesmerized by the flakes of cereal swirling around in the black steaming liquid. As Spike took another bite she began to eat as well, her senses slowly being aroused by the heat that she swallowed. Shakingly, she reached for the shakers in the middle of the table, grabbing the sugar to put on her cereal. Spike recoiled from this, realizing what this was going to do to the girl if she actually ate that much sugar and caffeine. Quickly he grabbed the bowl and yanked it away before she could take another bite, earning a weak and mumbled whine. “Hey now hold on there, what are you tryna do? Turn yourself into a locomotive?” Spike half-joked, though he made a note to give a bit of concern in his tone. But instead of getting a response Nyx just stared at him, the dragon tilting his head. “Come on, Nyx, what’s bothering you?” he asked, his tone firmer this time. Nyx tilted her eyes downward, her eyes becoming a little watery. Spike looked at her deep in thought, knowing now that something was wrong. “It’s the dreams again, isn’t it?” he asked, putting his fork down. Slowly and reluctantly, Nyx nodded her head. This wasn’t the first time this had happened. In fact, it had all started after she had returned from a class field trip to Baltimare. He remembered that day and the ‘incident’ associated with it. That had been several weeks ago, and ever since then, she had been subjugated to these dreams almost every night. “Nyx, you really need to tell Twilight. None of this is normal.” Spike pointed his fork accusingly at the filly, his eyebrow drawn up as she shook her head. “I will, just… please don’t tell mom,” she said as she looked at him, giving him a sad face. Spike frowned. He hated having to lie to Twilight, telling her that everything was fine when they weren’t. Spike always tried to be honest with Twilight, and consciously lying to her wasn’t something he thought fondly of. But every time he brought this up, Nyx would argue the point again and again. He didn’t know why she wanted to keep it to herself, and he would do his best in the future to try and convince her otherwise, but as he thought about it, Nyx gave him those sad, pleading eyes she always gave him when she wanted something. He swore she could stop Chrysalis herself with those puppy eyes. He rolled his eyes and looked away, letting out a huff. “Fine.” He sighed, earning a genuine smile from the filly. He spared a glance at her again, noticing her eyeing the bowl of cereal he was still holding off to the side. “You’re not getting this back though.” Nyx pouted and let out a snort, looking around before finally noticing the two other plates of food sitting comfortably over by the stove. Her stomach growled at the thought of having the same thing that Spike was currently eating himself, levitating the plate over and lifting the covering bowl, the scent escaping into her welcoming nostrils. Spike looked down at his plate, feeling a little dejected, slowly chewing his food. The two continued to eat in silence, the early morning sun beginning to shine through the kitchen window. Spike then heard some noise coming from upstairs, knowing that Twilight would be coming down to join them soon. Spike casually looked over at Nyx, noticing for the first time how much of a mess her mane was. Spike, being the quick thinker and not wanting to draw any attention to the girl, quickly licked his hand and started running it through her hair, getting it straightened before Twilight could see. “Stop!” Nyx whined, batting him away with her hoof. Spike couldn’t help but giggle at her whining, holding back his snickers just as Twilight entered the room, looking in far better shape than Nyx had. “Morning Spike, Nyx. What are you two up to?” Twilight asked in a melodic voice, smiling at them both as she stood by the door. “Nothing!” they both answered at the same time, almost jumping out of their chairs, earning the odd look from the lavender mare. “O-kay...” Twilight said with a bit of skepticism, but left it at that. In one motion the mare moved from the coffee pot to her plate by the stove and right back to the table, sitting down and letting out a relaxed sigh. “So, Spike, what’s on the list for today?” Twilight asked, taking a bite from her eggs, smiling at the flavor. “Well a couple of things, I’m sure, let me check it over,” Spike chirped, pulling out a notebook of items containing the daily agendas for the past month. The drake began to meticulously scan over the writing, mumbling soft words to himself, every once in a while craning his head to the side to scribble something down. Then he came upon the list containing the current date, piercing his lips as he read over the material. “Well, there’s a few things to do today. Nightmare Night is in a few days, so we need to go over some festivity plans with Mayor Mare.” “Right! Gotta get things ready for the big night!” Twilight exclaimed, twirling her fork in the air before popping it back into her mouth. Spike nodded. “While we’re at her office, however, we need to discuss some renovations you’re wanting to do with Nightstone. Celestia’s approval letter came in yesterday morning, so we can finally go forward.” Spike smiled, looking up at Twilight. Twilight, on her part, was smiling excitedly. Nightstone Castle had been a blight on the town for almost two years now, something she was ready to rectify. All of this, of course, was a rather sensitive issue. Especially in light of the fact that the building was still an open wound for Nyx, having some unsavory memories of her time spent within its walls. But this had been a topic that she had discussed with the filly before, and they both agreed that something should be done with it. “We can stop by her office later. Royal privilege,” Twilight declared as she rolled the food in her mouth and swallowed, earning a giggle from Nyx. The princess gave a thoughtful look, then turned to ask a question, “Wasn’t there something Rarity wanted to go over as well?” “Huh...” Spike started flipping through the notebook, hopeful that Twilight was right. “Yes, she wanted to go over costumes and decorations.” “Wait, wasn’t that supposed to be at nine?” Twilight asked. “Yeah?” Spike looked at her curiously, before realizing where she was getting at. They both shot a look at the clock on the wall, the hand striking fifteen minutes to ten at that very moment. “Oh, no… I’m never gonna hear the end of it,” Twilight fussed as she started scarfing her food, trying to get as much as she could before she washed it all down with some coffee. Quickly she teleported away and left the two younger members of the castle looking at one another for a few moments, before teleporting back lugging around several scrolls and parchments in her saddlebags. “You better hurry up, young lady. Don’t want to be late for school!” Twilight whistled at Nyx, getting her attention. Nyx looked up from her food and nodded, taking one final bite before cleaning herself off with a napkin, leaping off the kitchen chair. Nyx ran past them in a hurry, heading for the door before feeling herself being held in a field of magic. “Wow! Where’s my hug?” Twilight exclaimed, pulling the girl back with her magic. Nyx looked up at Twilight curiously, the mare staring back with that loving concern that only a mother could give. “You’ll be careful, right?” Twilight asked, a slight sadness in her voice as she looked to her daughter for some reassurance, the girl giving her a hug. “I’ll be alright, mom.” Nyx nodded, Twilight placing a kiss on her forehead. Nyx gave her a reassuring smile, popping the piece of toast in her mouth as she ran upstairs to get her things. Twilight watched as her daughter ran out of sight, looking downward worriedly before departing for her duties as well. Nyx entered her room and retrieved her bags, stuffing them with a few books and papers she had taken out the night before to do some homework. She always found it rather fascinating to read up on the different materials, but the work itself was something she always stuck her tongue out at. Still, it was something that needed to be done for the struggle for good grades, and it wasn’t something she regularly complained about. Nyx was about to leave her room when her eyes locked onto an object on top of her bedside dresser, the filly stopping to stare at it as the air caught in her throat. Sitting there next to her books and quills lay her glasses, her face reflecting in their lenses. Nyx stood silently as she looked down at the spectacles, seemingly frozen in place. She stared at them as if they were an appendage that had fallen off, lying limp and unattended to. With a hesitance in her step she moved toward the frames, raising them in the air to inspect them in her magic. With a heavy sigh she slipped them on, her eyes changing from their natural cat-like appearance to that of any other regular pony. That’s what it felt like, right? To be normal? To hide away the one thing that gave her the most ridicule, the most scorn? Now with a newfound sense of security, the filly picked up her bags and headed out her bedroom door, ran down the steps, waved goodbye to Twilight and Spike as they tried to get ready themselves, and made her way to the castle doors to head out into the friendly town of Ponyville. Elsewhere, in another world both dark and unknown, an orb, dim and haunting in its glow, illuminated the face of a hooded mare. The figure stood in its light, peering inside at the images within that moved like licks of flame. But she was not alone. Twelve of them there were, standing proudly in a circle facing the orb of silver. Each of them were cloaked just as she was, the figures wearing robes of pale blue and black hiding their features under their hoods, pale as the sky of midnight. There, they watched the filly in the waking world with eyes cold and unsympathetic. They watched her and studied her, as a doctor may study some basic form of life under a microscope. The chamber that they were in was ancient, built long ago to accommodate for their purposes. Stone upon stone had been raised up in beautiful yet haunting fashion, pillars rising from the floor to pierce a ceiling etched with ivory, onyx and silver. The layout itself felt like the cathedrals of old, stained glass windows pouring the only natural light into the gothic structure. Banners of midnight blue and forest green hug from the rafters, showing a national symbol foreign to Equestria. It was here where they had lived for so long, watching a world that was no longer theirs go by. “She’s so young,” one of the shrouded figures said, a mare’s voice breaking the silence. Some in the group nodded their heads in agreement, but one looked at her with disapproval. “Of course she is, why wouldn’t she be? She’s only lived for six seasons now...” another spoke, a mare both arrogant and proud looking to the one who had spoken so. “But shouldn’t she be older? So innocent...” a third whimpered, rather discontent with matters. The second figure growled in annoyance, holding back her frustration. “Innocence has little to do with what we wish to accomplish here, or have you forgotten?” she asked, venomous bite in her words. The third figure frowned, stomping his hoof in defiance. “I have not, I was making an observation. Do not forget your place in this council,” he defended, quickly finding the courage to stick up for himself, and getting the mare to start yelling at him. “My place? If I may say so, there are no places. Or have you forgotten that this is an equal council save for the First Daughter and the Master?” She scowled, both members getting into each other’s faces. “Would you two stop fighting? It is unbecoming of us all,” the head mare growled, disappointed as her underlings squabbled. She stood at the forefront of them all and was the only one who had any defining features on their robe, a cord around her neck, a small flute hanging on its thread. “You shouldn’t be afraid to speak your mind, but I will not have this council devolve into such childish behavior,” she said, scolding them both, the two looking down at their hooves, mumbling to themselves in shame. The First Daughter sighed, content that she had silenced them for the moment. There were far more important matters currently on the line than pity disagreements. A terrible fear was growing deep within each and every one of them. The Father was ailing, and they were running out of options. But now they had found this foal, and they were certain that she was the answer to their problem. But, as she continued to watch the playback of the filly in the dream, she soon felt a presence. Her eyes lit up as she looked around the room, searching for what was coming. “The Master approaches,” she said, taking a bow. As the others followed her example, a fog began to descend from a short flight of stairs at the other end of the room. The cloud rose from the floor, sparkling silver as it took shape. There a stallion stood, steadily making his way towards the head mare, looking down at her for a moment before directing his attention to the orb floating at the center of the chamber. “First Daughter,” the mist spoke, its voice echoing through the room as if coming from another plane of existence, “have you found anything more? Anything useful?” The mare shook her head, looking up again. “Nigh, my Lord. We visit her nightly, and yet the outcome remains the same. We know not where she lives in the waking world.” “We only know that she seems to reside in a province, but which one we do not know,” the cloaked stallion added, stepping forward next to the mare. The stallion in the mist gave him a passing glance, then rolled his shoulders in a carefree manner. “It matters little. What we cannot learn directly we’ll have to learn by some other means. You have done well, but your sorcery can only get us so far.” “May I make a suggestion?” the stallion asked, earning looks from the others as if he had spoken out of turn. The specter did not give him the same treatment, however, simply turning to look at him curiously. “Perhaps we could interrogate somepony who knows her, or knows of her?” “Oh? And do you perhaps know of somepony who could give us what we seek? One who will not alert her of our approach?” the phantom asked, half expecting the cult member to have simply gotten too excited for his own good. But instead, the stallion nodded. “I have somepony in mind. One who does not have her interests in mind. One who would not alert her of your plans,” he stated as he stood proud, his Master before him giving him a serious look. “...Show me.” The stallion grinned as he moved over to the orb, lighting his horn as he manipulated it to search out for the desired target. Even the First Daughter herself had her curiosity aroused as he shifted between the dreams of sleeping ponies, smiling as the one he was looking for came into focus. The leader of the Order stared for a long moment at the particular stallion that he had in mind, sneering in disgust. “You want to interrogate… him?” she glared, before feeling the phantom place a ghostly hoof on her shoulder. “He… will do.” The mist shifted around the orb, surrounding it as he searched the dream for anything that could tell him where their target was. This, of course, proved far easier to find out than it had been for the girl. Far easier was it to find the title of a location in a city than it was finding it in a small town filled with no signs and next to no independent businesses. Soon he was exposed to street signs, bars, places of business, all pointing to one unifying title. Baltimare. The mist contorted into what could be construed as a form of smile, twisted and distorted as he glanced towards the cultists. Eyes flashed and the light of the orb went out, having served its purpose as the mist moved forward. “I think I would like to see this stallion myself.” “B-But, my Lord, you cannot step into the waking world alone. You would die!” the First Daughter cried in alarm, immediately concerned for her Master’s wellbeing. “That is why… I require a host,” he stated, murmurs rising among the Order. “A host, my Lord?” the second mare asked, looking at him, curious but caught a little off guard. “One of you, my most trusted servants, shall be the vessel for my spirit.” The ponies before him looked at each other in surprise, whispering to one another. They all were apprehensive for such a task, some even afraid by such a prospect. The spirit watched them all patiently, not wanting to rush them. He was confident that one of them would give themselves to him, their loyalty was not in question. But which one? “I’ll do it.” The specter turned, his eyes widening in surprise as the First Daughter stepped forward, presenting herself to him while holding herself together under her cloak. “You? So quick to volunteer?” the phantom asked, standing above her like a vulture over a corpse. “I… I… ” she stammered, shrinking back a little under his gaze. For a moment her composure faltered, wondering if she was making a smart choice. But soon a sense of assurance overcame her, quickly and without hesitation she fell to the floor to bow before him submissively. “I’m the First Daughter, it is only fitting. It… would be an honor!” She felt her chin being raised up from the floor as she opened her eyes, staring forward as her Master looked at her, calming her with a smile. She then felt his presence overwhelm her as he opened his mouth, light firing into her as her hood and mane were blown back, his form dissolving into the mist before being sucked inside of her. She began to convulse as his spirit began to take hold, hunching over into a ball as she held herself in pain. Drips of saliva fell from her lips as her body quaked, trying to hold itself together to accommodate the new being that was sheltered inside. A moment passed, the others holding their breath as her body relaxed, picking herself from the floor. She turned, her eyes opening as she looked at her fellow ponies, the irises flashing crimson as her gaze fell upon them, cold and content. “Guards!” The now possessed cultist moved aside, walking up a short stairway to an arched gate. There on either side two fumes of green fire ignited. She gave them little mind, her attention instead focused on activating the runes on the gate with her magic. The flames kindled themselves, and from the ashes, two guards arouse, clad in armor, their faces veiled by a turban cloth. Their armor shimmered silver in the light of the flames, ordained in beautiful forest green trappings that displayed exotic patterns of the Orient. The mare’s horn brightly lit the stones around her and the guards, just as the gate came to life. Bolts of blue and green magic snaked around the arch like lightning on a conductor, powering the devices constructed within it as the bolts smashed into each other in the center. The strikes intensified as the three ponies watched, growing outward into a portal that swirled and glowed, opening a gateway for them into the waking world. The members of the Order stepped forward to watch as the doorway was made into the land of the living. The First Daughter gave them a reassuring nod, turning to stare at her guards. Both stood at attention the moment they met her gaze, presenting themselves for inspection. Satisfied that they were prepared for the task at hand, she opened the portal into the alleyway of an unknown city street, stepping into the unsuspecting land of Equestria. Important messages in the Author's Notes. PLEASE READ!