//------------------------------//
// Prologue. 
// Story: Ghosting 
// by Lucy_Marigold 
//------------------------------//


10:00 AM, September 1st, 2 S.E.


The Everfree Hive.


The lavender coloured mare shifted awake, opening her fanged maw with a yawn. Twilight Sparkle moved the veil of purple hair from her face before smiling. The young changeling greeted her friend with another yawn. “Good morning Chrysalis.”

Queen Chrysalis rolled her eyes, shifting her gaze away from the book in front of her. She sat by the nearby desk. Her mug of coffee steaming as the green changeling responded. “Good morning, Sparkle. I got the reports from Thorax today.” 

Twilight shifted up, running a hoof through her hair before levitating the stack of papers over to her. “Now this is interesting.”

“Hmm. Agreed. I’d of thought our love supplies would have risen since August but according to our records, things have been slightly declining. It’s more concerning than interesting.” Chrysalis took a sip of her coffee, sighing.

“In decline? That’s not good.”

“Not at all.” 

“The summit’s in a few days.”

“I know.” 

“Hmm.” They devolved into silence as Twilight read over the report again. There was a small knock on the door. Twilight glanced up before somepony entered the room. Rainbow Dash trotted in, accompanied by Bee. 

“Good morning, My Queens.” Bee chimed, smiling. 

“Hey Rainbow, come look at this report.” The lavender queen indicated, waving over her friend. The undisguised Rainbow Dash walked over, grasping ahold of the report before frowning.

“Now I ain’t no lover collector but that don’t seem right, Twi’.” She muttered. “What coulda caused it?”

“There’s been reports of strange magical activity in Canterlot recently. I think it’s been putting a bit of a damper in ponies spirits.” Bee spoke up, withdrawing another report. 

“Magical activity?” A smile appeared on the queen’s face.

“Oh don’t you start,” Chrysalis grumbled as RD chuckled. “We’ll ask Celestia when we see her in a few days, alright?”

“Okay…”






???

“Mother. Somethings wrong.” A teenager stated as she entered the room. She held a clipboard firmly between her dark grey fingers. She pushed her glasses back up to her face. “You know my ongoing research in magical and scientific anomalies?”

A middle-aged woman lowered what she was reading down to her desk, running a hand through her wavy lavender hair. “Yes?” She said, raising an eyebrow. 

“Well, my machine got a spike in magical energy. Near Canterlot High.” The young teenager held up her clipboard before passing it over. 

“Magical energy? It’s not us is it?” The elder one questioned. 

“No. Definitely not. Although part of the magical signature is rather familiar, it’s unlike anything I’ve seen.” 

“Now this is interesting.”