//------------------------------//
// Messages and Chaos: Part II 
// Story: Nocturnality 
// by Kotushk Fier 
//------------------------------//

	I awoke with a pounding headache. Note to self, don't faint on a stone floor. Second note to self... Stop fainting already, before I'm accused of being weak. Third note to self... I am weak... Fourth note to self, work on that weakness. Fifth note to self, stop making notes to self already.

I groaned as I picked myself up off the floor. I almost immediately noticed that the noise of the party above had faded. Perhaps everyone else went home or passed out? Either way, I needed to tell Twilight about Discord. I made my way gingerly up the stairs, wincing when I opened the door and light blared into my sensitive eyes. 

Once my eyes adjusted, I looked around the room. Books were strewn on the floor, and tables of refreshments had been emptied. The music booth where Vinyl worked her magic was empty as well. Making my way upstairs, I found that all the rooms up here were empty as well. OK, where was everyone? Scanning around for a clock, I found one and was shocked. I had fainted for the entire night! Discord's rise was imminent, buck, it may have already happened!

I rushed outside into the warm air, praying and hoping I was not too late. Making my way to the city hall, where the Princess of the Sun was set to make her appearance, I became uneasy at the lack of sounds on the air. With increased haste I finally arrived at city hall and opened the doors. What I found shocked me. Inside the infrastructure were dozens of life sized statues. Looking closely I could recognize some of my friends, including Berry frozen in the act of running in terror. I saw Twilight and her new friends in a bunch, seeming to stand defiantly against whatever had done this.

Feeling a touch of inspiration, I recalled all the spells I could perform. One in particular, taught to me by Princess Luna herself, stood out. I focused my energies on Twilight, feeling out the formation of stone encasing her. Shocked, I learned that instead of stone, they were encased in some sort of static energy. Right now they could probably all see me, but were unable to move at all. With some on the spot tweaking, I began to undo the magics that kept Twilight frozen. After about a minute and a half, I succeeded in fully freeing her, leaving her stumbling groggily as she tried to regain bodily control. 

Leaving her to sort out how to move her hooves instead of her tail, I began to work on her friends. Stretching the spell to encompass all of them, I freed them all within seven minutes. Spells used over greater distance tended to take longer, which was why Celestia and Luna usually started their rituals about an hour before they worked. Even with their vast power, they still needed a little time. 

When Twilight and her friends were free, I paused to recover. This was the most magic I had used in my life, and I still had a way to go. Twilight wanted to help free the rest, but I knew that she and her friends had more important business. I felt in my heart that they were destined to great things. I told them to track down Discord, before all of Equestria was his. Unfortunately there were no leads to follow...

"Ha, ha ho ho ho." 

We all heard a deep, resounding laughter. Looking around for the source, I noticed that one of the decorative ribbons had started floating overhead. Looking closely I could see a strange, lopsided face on one end, peering creepily at us.

"So, this must be Princess Woona's little apprentice. And he's freeing Celestiuck's little student as well. How precious. In return for touching my heart, I will tell you where I am. 'Under the sun these do dwell, although in the moonlight they grow well. A field of perfection, lit only by the light of the heavenly selection.'"

With these final words, the ribbon vanished in a tuft of smoke. Twilight was sitting there trying to figure out the riddle while her friends had already given up. Seeing Twilight stumped made me decide to try to figure it out. I knew she needed to find him quickly, but it seemed like this obviously night based riddle was directed towards me...