Night had fallen over Equestria, shadows swallowing the landscape. Staring from her bedroom window, Luna's eyes were ashen, sunken, hunted even. She looked exhausted, hunched against the wall, staring through the glass at the dark land that unfolded before her like an unrolled scroll.
"Luna?" The door cracked open a little, letting a spear of light fall in.
She whirled around, heart leaping right out of her chest. "Tia? Thank goodness, it's just you..."
Her sister trotted across the room, eyes glowing with amusement. "Who else?"
Luna cast a glance over her shoulder, past her billowing tail, and back out of the window. "No-one." She breathed.
~
The sound of wind chimes rattled through the streets of Ponyville. Spots of rain began to darken the dusty ground. Small voices began to grow from the darkness, those of confused pegasi. High up in Cloudsdale, ponies ran back and forth, some glided higher, some peered through the cloud layer. The rain was not of their creation. It was just... happening.
Twilight was turning over and over in her bed, restless. "N-nightmare... moo... moon." She moaned.
Her hooves churned as if she was running in her dreams. She tossed around more, until her blankets when flying and landed over Spike's bed. The dragon raised his head sleepily. "Twi?"
Her eyes flashed open. "CELESTIA!" She wailed, then looked around wildly, panting.
"What's going-" He closed his mouth as Twilight galloped past him and down the steps into the library.
She pulled a scarf from a hook and whirled it around her neck, then disappeared into the night.
The street was silent besides the whispers of leaves in the trees. Twilight breathed roughly, looking around, breath billowing around her. She shivered against the cold. It was Summer, but she felt as if she was flank-deep in snow.
From somewhere ahead, behind Rarity's boutique, came the sound of quiet hoofsteps. Twilight's eyes widened and she stepped forward into the light of the full moon.
"Who goes there?" She said, legs trembling.
"PINCHY KNEE, PINCHY KNEE!" That was Pinkie Pie- what was she doing behind Rarity's boutique?
Twilight peered around the corner, to see the pink pony creeping along the wall, her front legs wobbling all over the place.
"What are you doing?"
She looked up with a gasp, then sighed with relief. "Twilight! I got a pinchy knee- that mean's something scary is going to happen!"
"Scary? Oh come on Pinkie, go back to bed. It's late."
"Then why are you out here?"
The lavender pony turned to stare at the moon, the faint mare shape in it seemed darker that night. "I had a dream... about NightmareMoon, and somepony..."
"Somepony? Who?" The pink pony blinked, looking furiously down her nose at her knees.
Twilight shook her head slowly. "No-one."