As Twilight tried to focus on her research, she couldn't stifle a yawn. Sleep had eluded her, leaving her feeling sluggish and stuck. The two books she had been poring over, both dated to the Battle of Everfree, were written in Magnesian - a language that had evolved into the modern pegasus dialects. Unfortunately, Twilight didn't understand Magnesian, and had to rely on a translation spell that severely limited her reading speed. She had spent over four hours trying to get through less than twenty pages, and her efforts had left her with a throbbing headache.
To make matters worse, Twilight was also grappling with the past nights unsettling nightmares and sleep paralysis. Although she could only recall bits and pieces of her dreams, they had left her feeling uneasy. She wasn't prone to nightmares, and it had been ages since she last experienced sleep paralysis during her time as a junior magister
Peering out of her window at the library, Twilight noted that the tree had an excellent view of central Ponyville. The town hall, marketplace, and train station were all within view, but her gaze was drawn inexorably to the looming presence of the Everfree Forest. It seemed to stare back at her, sending a chill down her spine. The events of the previous evening had left her feeling uneasy; the town was perilously close to the forest and vulnerable to attack.
Had Celestia not considered the risk of holding the event here? Twilight wrestled with the question, but quickly dismissed it as absurd. Surely the Imperatrix was well aware of the dangers posed by the forest, and would not have taken such a reckless risk.
As if on cue, a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. "Twilight, the council sent an escort. It's time to check in with them," Spike's voice echoed through the room.
"Zacherle damn it," Twilight muttered under her breath, realizing she had completely lost track of time and nearly missed her meeting. "I'm coming now!" she shouted. "Just let them know I'm finishing up some research, I'll be down in ten minutes."
"I heard you, egghead," a second husky voice responded, near Spike's location. "I'll be waiting up here, thank you."
With a heavy sigh, Twilight set her book aside and made her way towards the door. She hadn't been making any progress on her research anyway.
As Twilight opened the door, her gaze fell upon a blue pegasus mare standing next to Spike. With her short, rainbow-colored hair and uniform bearing the insignia of the Cloudsdale Weather Force, the mare cut an impressive figure. Twilight couldn't help but take a moment to admire her, finding her quite handsome.
"Thought you were gonna take a few minutes," the mare laughed, looking up at Twilight. "Name's Rainbow Dash. I'm here to offer protection for the remainder of your stay." Her confidence was palpable, and Twilight couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at the idea of being shadowed by a bodyguard.
"I wasn't given an escort yesterday," Twilight murmured, feeling a bit put off by the idea of having a bodyguard and the potential distractions it might bring. "When did the council decide to send you?"
Rainbow Dash's expression suddenly grew more serious as she explained, "The Mayor heard about yesterday and sent me on her own behalf this morning. The council is currently deliberating on how to react to the timberwolf attack."
Despite the gravity of the situation, the blue pegasus couldn't resist a bit of boasting. "Don't worry, I'm the best flier in Ponyville. I'll get you out of dodge in ten seconds flat," she declared, striking a pose straight out of a Daring Do novel.
Twilight studied the pegasus once more, her mind working. "You're with the weather force, so why are you taking orders from the Mayor? Aren't you supposed to take orders directly from Cloudsdale?" she asked pointedly.
"I'm doing this as a volunteer. Ivory asked me to help you," the pegasus responded, looking up at Twilight with a small smile.
"Okay," Twilight sighed slowly, not seeing a rational reason to dismiss the rainbow pegasus. She grabbed her side bag, "I'm ready to go to the town hall."
***
The town hall lobby had a more rustic and humble feel compared to the other ones Twilight had seen. The space was adorned with an agrarian design, except for the mural of Celestia, which was displayed behind the reception desk, flanked by two entrances and the council chambers.
The mural depicted Celestia with fiery hair, surrounded by a council of ponies who were chatting and smiling with her. However, the artist had taken artistic liberties, as Celestia's hair only blazed that intensely during battles. If that had been the case, the surrounding area would have been superheated to the point where the ponies would have been set ablaze.
Rainbow Dash looked at Spike and Twilight, looking a bit excited, and asked, "Flutters said that you know the Imperatrix?"
"Oh yeah, I'm actually her student," Twilight replied, smiling warmly at Spike. "And she practically raised Spike too."
Spike grinned in agreement, happy to be included in the conversation.
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in awe. "Wow, I can't believe I'm meeting the Imperatrix’'s student!" she exclaimed, before quickly trying to play it cool. "So, what's she really like? Does she really have that awesome flaming hair?"
Twilight thought to herself. "Well, she only has flaming hair when she's mad, or trying to look intimidating. And it's the worst time to approach her. The room usually heats up like a sauna," she explained, noticing Rainbow Dash's curious expression. "But most of the time, she looks like a regular pony, just taller."
“I’m surprised that you’re so nonchalant about it,” the pegasus seemed a bit uncertain of what to say next, “like she’s literally a goddess.”
Twilight wanted to state that Celestia wasn’t any more divine than the average pony, in fact being religious herself. But Celestia had told her not to interfere with ponies' beliefs, so she merely remained quiet.
Rainbow Dash redirected the conversation with a slight smile, "So, what's she like as a pony? I mean, I've only heard stories and seen headlines about her."
Twilight responded bluntly, "She's motherly. I practically grew up in her palace since she sponsored my education, so she's like a second mom to me."
Spike chimed in with a grin, "And she's incredibly kind. She's patient and always willing to listen when we need anything."
Just as Rainbow Dash was about to speak, the doors to the council chamber burst open and an irate pink unicorn stormed out.
"Eleven votes for and two against the proposal," Mayor Scroll's voice echoed through the hallway. "We'll take a five-minute break, and then we'll start planning for the Summer Sun Celebration."
Rainbow Dash took this as their cue to approach. Twilight and Spike followed the cyan pegasus as they made their way towards the council chamber.
Upon entering the room, they found themselves in a modest space, with a circular table surrounded by 13 seats. The table was flanked by two banners, one representing the Equestrian Commonwealth and the other representing the Everfree Dominion.
Seated around the table were 12 ponies, including Rarity, Applejack, and the Mayor. As Twilight turned to the left, she noticed some observer chairs, but they were mostly empty, save for a tired-looking Fluttershy.
Twilight turned to her escort and asked, "Do you know where I should go?"
Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, just head up to the council. I'll stay here with Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash waved at Fluttershy, who, after a brief pause, managed a tired smile and waved back.
Twilight glanced over at Spike, who gestured that he preferred to sit in the observer section. She nodded in agreement and walked up to the council table.
As she approached, she noticed that the council had broken off into groups. Applejack, Rarity, and the mayor stood together, all three looking irritated.
"The nerve of that mare!" Rarity complained, not noticing Twilight's approach. "Can't she put her petty rivalry aside for once in her life?"
"Calm down, Rara," Applejack tried to de-escalate. "We both knew that she’s fixin’ to make herself a nuisance. Don't pay her no mind."
"Hey," Twilight greeted awkwardly. "What's going on?"
Rarity quickly turned around, forcing her scowl into a smile. "It's good to see you, darling," she said, taking a deep breath. "Don't worry about it. We just had a... heated conversation with a colleague."
The mayor looked at Twilight, looking guilty. "One of the council ponies has a bad history with me and keeps using meetings to grandstand. I'm so sorry that you had to wait."
"Don't apologize," Twilight reassured the mayor. "You've got nothing on Canterlot politics, honestly. At least you just have the twelve of you." She looked around the room, then asked, "Where's the governor?"
"Oh, Governor Inkwell doesn't oversee decisions in person," the mayor explained. "She tends to act more as a liaison between us and the Imperatrix."
Twilight raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Wouldn't that cause a delay in your response to yesterday's attack?"
"Governor Inkwell delegated the Ponyville Council to make decisions on behalf of Everfree as a whole," Rarity interjected, gesturing to her superior to start preparing for the next meeting. "Given that we're the only organized town in the dominion, we sent the militia to deal with the problem. If it escalates, we will call on Canterlot. You don't need to worry about the intricacies of Ponyville's politics right now," the elegant mare added with a genuine smile.
Twilight glanced back at her bodyguard who was engrossed in conversation with Spike and Fluttershy. It appeared that Fluttershy had perked up after talking to her. Twilight then turned her attention to Applejack, who still had stitches in her shoulder.
"Have you considered the possibility that it might be wise to inform Celestia of any potential risks during the upcoming celebration? We don't want any disasters," Twilight said, frowning at the two ponies in front of her.
"I reckon I understand yer concerns," Applejack drawled, "but we live on the frontier, and we're used to dealin' with things like this. Besides, you wouldn't be tellin' the Imperatrix anything she don't already know." The orange pony locked eyes with Twilight, causing the purple pony to look down. "I made a foolish mistake yesterday and got myself hurt while tryin' to do the militia's job for 'em."
Twilight furrowed her brow as she glanced at the orange pony before turning to Rarity.
"My dear, we're not preventing you from informing the Imperatrix," the white unicorn said with a smile. "However, we've already decided to mobilize the militia, and I've convinced this lout to stay by my side until we're confident that the farms are secure," Rarity added, casting a teasing grin towards her fiancé.
"Alright," Twilight said, letting out a sigh as she abandoned the subject. "Why did the mayor send me a bodyguard?”
"Well, it's more of an excuse to make sure Rainbow doesn't spend the next two weeks runnin’ around distractin’ the militia ponies," Applejack snarked, "If anythin', it's to yer convenience, sugarcube."
"Yes," Rarity interjected, "she requested to investigate the Everfree Forest. We thought it would be more productive to have her aid you and Spike instead."
Twilight let out a sigh. "But isn't she part of the weather force? Can't you have her clear the clouds or something?"
Rarity smiled. "She's much too skilled at that. We'd only be able to distract her for an hour or so."
The Mayor's watch ran, signaling the end of the break, Twilight perked up. "The break has concluded, everypony please return to your seats," the mayor announced. Then, she turned towards Twilight and asked, "Could you please grab a seat from the viewing area?"
Without a word, Twilight got up and fetched a seat from the viewing area. She placed it beside the table and took a seat. Looking around, she saw 12 more ponies sitting at the table, each with a name tag in front of them. Only four of them, including Rarity and the Mayor, had broaches representing their party affiliation.
As Twilight settled into her seat, the Mayor glanced around the table. "Let's get started," she said, eyeing the empty seat. "We have twelve presents, with one absence." Then, she turned towards Roseluck and added, "Since you're the only other member of the RWPE, you'll be representing the statement that Lily Valley requested."
The red-maned pony nodded, looking slightly nervous.
"Good, then we can get to the agenda. First, we can formally welcome our esteemed friends from Canterlot," the Mayor said, addressing Twilight and waving at Spike in the viewing area. "With Rarity and Applejack's assistance, we've created a planning committee to oversee the Summer Sun Festivities, and you've already met most of them," she added. "Rarity is the main supervisor, Applejack is in charge of food and refreshments, Fluttershy will compose the music, and Pinkamena is acting as event coordinator."
Twilight looked around the council, trying to spot Pinkamena. "I don't think I've met Pinkamena yet," she said, seeking clarification.
"Indeed. Currently, she's procuring supplies in Rockville, so she should be back in about two days," Rarity replied, offering a small smile to the purple unicorn.
"Great. Now that that's been dealt with, we can move on to the RWPE's statement," the mayor announced, turning her attention to the nervous red-maned pony. The pony stood up and took a page off the table in front of the empty seat.
"Ahem... as a delegate representing the people of Ponyville and the free ponies of Everfree, I vehemently denounce Mayor Ivory Scroll's decision to allow a delegate from Canterlot," the earth pony said, her nervous demeanor not matching the content of the speech. "This affront to the autonomy of our dominion is a flagrant violation of the Non-Intrusion Act of 952, and cannot be tolerated. Consequently, the RWPE will be boycotting the Summer Sun Celebration, and we urge all those who believe in the sanctity of Everfree's autonomy to refrain from providing any assistance to the planning committee," she concluded, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment at the excessive language she had just used.
"The Non-Intrusion Act only bans Canterlot from overridin' the mayor in times of peace," Applejack interjected, "both the mayor and the council agreed to this, and anyone 'cept Miss Valley would be able to tell."
Roseluck stood in silence for a few seconds, then spoke up. "Miss Valley's position has been made abundantly clear. I'm not here to contradict her."
At that moment, Twilight heard Rainbow Dash shouting from the viewing area. "Maybe Miss Valley should come and give the speech herself instead of throwing you under the bus!"
The mayor quickly turned to stare at the cyan pony. "Rainbow, as a member of the Cloudsdale Weather Force, you are required to remain neutral in Equestrian affairs. I respectfully request that you refrain from interrupting our meeting any further."
Rainbow Dash sat down in a huff, while Fluttershy looked mildly annoyed with her.
***
The mayor soon moved on to a discussion of the intricate details of the Summer Sun Celebration. Almost every representative pitched in with ideas, except for Roseluck who remained silent throughout. As the hour ticked by, Twilight was surprised by the versatility of the plan, as previous celebrations had always been rigidly planned. As the meeting drew to a close, Twilight looked up at the council members.
"Thank you all for your assistance. For the most part, I approve of the plan, although I would like to make a few adjustments to better match Princess Celestia's preferences," she announced formally.
"Of course, darling," Rarity responded with a smile. "We are versatile enough to adapt to quite a lot of changes."
As the council meeting came to a close and the ponies began to pack their belongings, Rarity approached Twilight with a request. "Twilight, could I ask you a small favor?" the elegant unicorn inquired. Twilight looked up and replied, "Sure, as long as it's reasonable."
"It's just that Fluttershy would like to ask you a few questions. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes of your time," Rarity explained. Twilight glanced over at the stands and saw Fluttershy chatting with Rainbow Dash. "Okay," Twilight said, making her way over to the viewing area.
Twilight approached Spike and the two ponies, who redirected their attention to her. Fluttershy looked hesitant, and Twilight could sense that she had something important to say.
"Rarity said you wanted to talk to me. What's going on?" Twilight asked, trying to sound gentle.
Fluttershy nodded and glanced at Rainbow Dash. "I'd rather speak to you alone, if that's okay," she said softly.
Rainbow Dash interjected with a snarky comment, "Can't trust your best friend, huh? The betrayal." She then walked away, gesturing for Spike to follow. "We'll be outside. Don't try to run away, egghead," she teased, trying to lighten the mood.
Fluttershy and Twilight climbed the stairs to the balcony, where Fluttershy finally spoke up.
"Twilight, there's something Rarity and I omitted yesterday," Fluttershy said, looking out over the railing. "The timberwolves were at Sweet Apple Acres because they were running from something. They only attacked Applejack because she was in their way."
Twilight's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?"
Fluttershy hesitated. "We weren't sure how you would react. Rarity thought it would be better if I explained it to you privately this morning, after you had some time to process it."
Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes for a moment, Twilight asked, "Do you know what they were running from?"
The yellow pony shook her head and replied, "No," looking visibly exhausted.
Twilight observed the pony more closely and noticed dark circles under her eyes and unkempt hair.
"Are you feeling okay?" Twilight asked with concern.
"I didn't sleep well," the yellow pony replied with a grimace. "I kept having nightmares. But I'm not supposed to sleep at night, so maybe my brain is trying to adjust my sleep cycle."
Twilight empathized and shared her own experiences. "I've been having nightmares too," she said as she approached the mare and rested her hooves on the railing. "What were your nightmares about?"
Fluttershy struggled to recall her dreams. "I don't remember it clearly," she said slowly. "But I do remember feeling something staring at me, and I couldn't move. When I woke up, something was sitting on my chest, and it whispered something, but I couldn't understand what it said."
Twilight was taken aback by the revelation. "I had the exact same nightmare," she said in disbelief.
Fluttershy's ears perked up at Twilight's words, and she turned to face her.
"I was in a castle," Twilight continued, "and when I woke up, the creature was sitting in the corner. When did your nightmares start?"
"About three days ago," Fluttershy replied, "but they got much worse yesterday."
Twilight felt a chill run down her spine. "That's the same day I found a curse on the library and dispelled it," she said. "Before that, I recovered a book in Canterlot."
Fluttershy looked at Twilight with her ears slightly pulled back. "Do you think we're cursed?" she asked, with a hint of fear in her voice.
Twilight considered Fluttershy's question. "I think whoever set up the curse in the library is trying to spy on us," she said. "The books affected by the curse all relate to Nightmare Moon."
As soon as Twilight mentioned the name, Fluttershy gasped audibly and began to mutter a short chant in Vesperine. Twilight waited patiently until Fluttershy had finished before responding.
"Do you think this is related to that demon?" Fluttershy asked fearfully.
Twilight pondered for a moment before answering, "I'm not entirely sure, but that's the only connection I could find so far."
After taking a deep breath to calm herself, Fluttershy asked, "You mentioned that it's coming from a few books, what exactly are you reading?"
"I'm mainly focusing on books from the decade around Celestia's battle against Nightmare Moon," Twilight explained. "I'm studying the magic Celestia used during the battle, but I needed more primary sources to contextualize it better. Only one book explicitly references Nightmare Moon, while the others were written in the aftermath or prelude to the battle." She decided to omit the part about the prophecy for now.
Fluttershy fell silent for a moment before sharing her own discovery. "I found something a week ago in the Everfree Forest," she said. "It was a ruined building largely consumed by thorns, but it made me feel melancholic whenever I looked at it."
Twilight's expression turned grim as she asked, "Do you remember where it was?"
Fluttershy panicked, "Are you planning on going there? What if it makes the curse worse?"
Twilight interjected, "What if there's something more dangerous going on? I can try to dispel any curses if I find them, and I don't want anyone to get hurt."
Fluttershy nodded as she looked down at the plaza below. "You're right. I don't want anypony to get hurt because I panicked. What do you want to do, Twilight?"
"I need you to guide me there, and then I'll check for curses," Twilight replied.
They left the balcony and made their way downstairs. As they approached the door, they saw Spike and Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash smirked at Twilight and Fluttershy as she approached them. "There you are! I was worried you actually ran away," she teased.
Twilight felt a bit awkward, realizing that she had forgotten about the escort. "Um, Fluttershy needs to show me something. I'll meet both of you at the library," she said.
"No can do, I'm here to keep you out of trouble," Rainbow Dash continued to smirk.
Twilight turned to Fluttershy, who nodded in agreement. "I found some ruins that Twilight thinks may be related to her research, but it probably won't be that interesting," Fluttershy tried to dissuade Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash's interest was piqued. "Now I'm more interested. What if you run into a manticore or something? I'm not missing out on that," she exclaimed.
Twilight let out a long sigh. "You can come, but please stay out of the way," she said firmly.
Rainbow Dash just smirked at them both.
Spike turned to Twilight with a request, "Do you mind if I just go to the library instead? I'm not really excited about digging up bones."
Twilight felt a wave of panic. She couldn't risk leaving Spike alone in case he was also a target.
"Why don't you go and visit Rarity and Applejack instead?" Twilight suggested. "They both have sisters, and you don't have many friends your own age. It could be good for you."
Spike paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Okay, I'll go," he said, "but maybe you should try to make some friends of your own."
Twilight grimaced, recalling the last time Spike had said something like that. "The last time you said that, I woke up on Lyra's couch with the worst hangover of my life," she reminded him. "Regardless, I'll pick you up by evening."
***
The group left the town hall and made their way towards the Everfree Forest, crossing a bridge to reach the town outskirts. Twilight couldn't shake the feeling of wildness emanating from this side of the river, as though some kind of enchantment lingered here.
As they walked, they found themselves surrounded by gnarled oak trees. Eventually, the road turned into a footpath, and they began wading through tall grass.
"Be careful of snakes," Fluttershy warned. "They like hiding in the tall grass."
To be safe, Twilight opted to walk behind Fluttershy, trusting her to navigate the treacherous terrain. However, this proved to be an awkward arrangement when they approached a steep hill, and Twilight stumbled. Luckily, Rainbow Dash was quick to catch her.
"Maybe you should give us more space to maneuver," Rainbow suggested with a grin, referring to Twilight's close proximity.
Feeling her face flush with embarrassment, Twilight retorted, "Or maybe you could just fly up and save us all some time."
Rainbow chuckled, "Then who would have caught you?"
Twilight felt her face turn red with embarrassment and remained silent, hoping to hide her blush.
After climbing up the hill, they came face to face with a wall of giant trees, their vines choking into the ground and barely contained by the surrounding fence. As they approached, Twilight couldn't shake the feeling of being watched by unseen eyes lurking within the forest.
Fluttershy's nervous voice broke the silence, "This is the Everfree Forest. Please stay close to me. We've had a few ponies get lost in here."
Fluttershy unlocked a small door in the fence, which was barely large enough for a pony to crawl through. She slipped inside, motioning for the others to follow her.
Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash, unsure if she wanted to continue, but the cyan pony reassured her with a soft smile. "Don't worry. Nopony has ever been hurt in here with Fluttershy. I'll follow you in."
Twilight eyed the door for a moment before taking a deep breath and crawling through.