//------------------------------// // A View Like None Other // Story: Three Hundred and Fifty // by Void Chicken //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle stood in the early afternoon sun. In front of her was the entrance to a tube, large enough for a pony to fit in, its black interior falling away to unknown depths. A steady roar emanated from within. Apple Crisp and Spot Light stood behind her. "See you at the bottom!" Sweetie Belle shouted, then jumped in. She slid down the tube, swept along by the water running through. Occasionally, an opening revealed flashes of the outdoors. Sweetie Belle yelled in delight. Soon she reached the bottom, where she flew several feet through the air before splashing into a large pool. Sweetie Belle swam to the end, where her mother waited for her. Shortly afterwards, the sound of Apple Crisp's voice preceded her arrival, and the earth pony splashed down as well. Finally, Spot Light exited the water ride. The trio climbed out of the pool and shook themselves off. Twilight shielded herself with her foreleg from the thrown water. "Worth the wait?" Apple Crisp asked. "Worth the wait!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "Definitely," Spot Light added. "Where are we going next?" Twilight chimed in, "I'm in the mood to sit by the wave pool." She began to walk. "Aww, c'mon, Mom, you can't go to Horseshoe Rapids and just sit around!" Sweetie pranced in front of Twilight. "Let's go for a swim!" "I'll be fine watching you three, thank you." As Twilight walked away, Sweetie Belle motioned for her two friends and whispered into their ears. "Hey Apple Crisp, Spot Light... I have an idea..." --- Twilight lay on her back by the pool, where the park's workers busily pushed the water with their magic. The sound of foals playing drifted past her ears. She looked up into the empty sky, deep in thought. "Five years..." "Hey, Mom!" Sweetie Belle called. Twilight looked over to her daughter, who was half-submerged, with her forehooves propped on the edge of the patio around the pool. "Can you come here for a second?" Twilight got up and walked to the edge. "What is it, Sweetie Belle?" Sweetie extended her foreleg. "I just need a hoof getting out." "Sure, here you go." Twilight smiled. Twilight reached down, hooking her foreleg around Sweetie Belle's. At that moment, the adolescent filly braced her hind hooves against the underwater wall and pulled as hard as she could. Twilight toppled forwards, then vanished in a purple flash. She re-appeared standing at the edge again. "I saw what you were trying to do, young mare, and it won't—WOAH!" Twilight Sparkle fell in the pool. Behind where she had been standing, Apple Crisp and Spot Light bumped hooves. "Cannonball!" Apple Crisp called, jumping in. Spot Light dove in after her. The three teenagers popped up around Twilight and got to work splashing her. Twilight raised her foreleg in a futile attempt to block the incoming water. "All right! All right! You got me!" She laughed. "Stop it!" "I don't know," Apple Crisp said. "Spot Light, what do you think? Should we make her ride the Mega Horseshoe Splasher?" Spot Light looked at Apple Crisp. "Me? Um, yeah. We should." "I got the hind legs if you got the forelegs, Spot Light." "Sweetie Belle!" Twilight playfully called. "Help me, they're taking me away!" Sweetie Belle pretended to be fascinated by a group of colts on the other end of the pool. "Sorry, Mom, I didn't catch that." She waved dismissively. "Have fun on the Mega Horseshoe Splasher." The grown foals dragged Twilight out of the pool and towards her destiny. --- The door opened on the rented studio, and Apple Crisp entered with her two friends. A few ponies were milling about, practicing their roles. The room was just big enough to fit one scene's worth of space. Support pillars blocked the most convenient paths through the room, and it all smelled of wood. Some dirty windows provided a view of the building across the road. Props and backdrops had been wedged in any free corner. "All right," Apple Crisp announced. "I hope you've all had a fun day; I know I have. I'm going to entertain myself with some paperwork and bills, then we'll be going over The Equestrian Guard. Until then, practice whatever while we wait for our slow-ponies to show up." Apple Crisp took the mail and entered her office, which was made up of spare backdrops propped up against the corner. Spot Light went to an empty spot on the wall and began projecting patterns. Sweetie Belle took a copy of the script and sat herself down on the mostly-upholstered couch. Her magic suspended the paper in the air, and she began to page through it. Sweetie Belle found the section she sought. She hummed a few bars to warm up, then cleared her throat. "We—" Apple Crisp ran into the center of the studio. She spit out a letter. "Hey! Hey guess what? I got a big surprise for all of you!" The assorted ponies looked at her. "You see, I wrote a few places asking for sponsorship, and one of them said yes! Somepony from there saw one of our shows and had the place agree to host us for a night for free! Part of an upcoming stars event they have going. It's only one performance, but this could be our big break! And we got the best place ever!" Sweetie Belle interrupted her. "Where? Where are we going?" "We're going to play at Earthshine!" Apple Crisp jumped up and down, her hooves clacking against the wooden floorboards. Sweetie Belle scratched her chin, searching her memory for that name. Spot Light piped up. "Earthshine Amphitheatre? You got us Earthshine? We're going—?" Apple Crisp shouted, "We're going to perform on the moon!" --- The train sped noiselessly across the Equestrian landscape. Within, excited teenagers and their chaperones anticipated the farthest trip of their lives. Outside, the moon moved up the sky, awaiting its latest visitors. The walls of a stone-lined tunnel whisked by outside the window. Once it passed, Twilight looked out the window at the moon, trying to wrap her mind around the idea of traveling there in the immediate future. Sweetie Belle could hardly remain in her seat. "We're going to the moon can you believe we're going to the moon you said we could go to the moon and now we're going to the moon I never thought I could go to the moon!" She stopped to take a breath. "How are we going to the moon Mom will the train fly up there or maybe Princess Luna will go poof and we'll be there?" Apple Crisp laughed. "Our time traveler's not used to the idea of the moon, huh? I've never been, myself. You been up there, Spot Light?" Spot Light looked into Apple Crisp's eyes for an instant before diverting his gaze. "Oh, uh... twice. First time I was too little to remember. Spent two weeks. Doctors say infants shouldn't for that long, but you know. I was all right, I guess. Second time was, um, eight years ago now. Spent about six hours there. It was okay. I fell down a lot." Apple Crisp threw a foreleg around Spot Light's neck. "I guess I'll just have to hold you up, then." Spot Light looked at the filly's leg. "Okay." Apple Crisp suddenly disengaged and pressed her face against the glass. "There's Manehatten! We're almost there!" Sweetie Belle was at the window in an instant, pushing Apple Crisp into Spot Light. "Manehatten! That's where the moon is, right? I mean, that's where we're getting to the moon! Where's the moon getter going thingy? Is that it glowing?" The train glided into Manehatten Grand Central Station. Sweetie Belle was the first out the door. She bounced in place. "Where is it? Where's the moon? Where do we go to the moon at?" She squealed in delight. "Easy there, Sweetie Belle," her mother said. "The moon will still be there if we walk." A saddlebag hit Sweetie Belle in the face. "And somepony needs to carry the costumes she forgot to give the movers in her excitement yesterday," Apple Crisp added. Sweetie Belle sheepishly levitated her cargo onto her back, then immediately forgot herself again. "The moon!" Spot Light levitated a map of the city in front of himself. "That's right. I remember now. It's by the north ports." Apple Crisp loudly whistled towards the train. "All right, get your flanks off the train already and remember your stuff! Props team, get the dungeon models because we're not going back if you forget them. We have a moon to walk to!" --- The ocean water lapped around the immense platform floating on the north edge of Manehatten. Upon it was the way to the moon. The sign above the entrance carried an image of the Moon and the words "Manehatten Lunar Transport" in large, glowing blue letters. The smell of salt filled the air. The foals and their escorts milled around in the lobby building. The building held a tall ceiling, with a glass roof to capture the moonlight. While the granite floor was well-lit by lamps on the bottom of the support pillars, the upper half of the cavernous room stood in the darkness of the night. Twilight Sparkle, curious, made her way out the other end of the lobby to the open platform. When she saw the lunar transporter, she froze in her tracks. Two tall cyan crystals stood on either side of a crystal slab. Magic circles had been drawn on and around the transporter. Six hovering gems slowly orbited within. Behind it, two more transporters just like it stood in the moonlight. Twilight found herself breathless. "It's the apparatus..." A unicorn came up to Twilight. "I'm sorry ma'am, you need to head back—oh, High Magician Sparkle, I didn't recognize you." She bowed slightly. "How may I help you?" High Magician Sparkle didn't take her eyes off of the transporter. "Can... can I have a closer look at... those?" "Certainly, Magician Sparkle." The worker motioned to the nearest transporter. "Your performing friends are our next scheduled trip, so it should be safe as long as you don't accidentally activate it." "I'll be careful." Twilight walked towards one of the towering gems, one of the combination focusers and stabilizers, she recalled. The temporal apparatus had required six; this device only had two. The magic circles she stepped over were engraved into the stone flooring, instead of being magically drawn. They lacked many of the complex patterns the apparatus possessed. Twilight reared up and placed a forehoof on the stabilizer. Her eyes closed and her horn illuminated. She moved her hoof up and down. "This is a much simpler device. It's missing... quite a bit. It's incomplete, actually." She studied the magic fields some more. "I see. There's another one of these up there. That's why. Two transporters, linked to each other, instead of one mobile one. Is that a safety cutoff they added? But no temporal capability. Only has to do the easy part." Twilight sighed and opened her eyes, looking up the familiar column. "Had to get my hopes up, didn't you?" "Mom?" Sweetie Belle had come up behind her with a few of the other performers. "Isn't that the thing we got here with?" Twilight dropped back onto all fours. "No. No, there's nothing here I don't already know. What are you doing out here, Sweetie Belle? Is it time to go up?" Sweetie Belle bounced. "Yeah! See I'm jumping because that's how you get around on the moon!" She demonstrated repeatedly. One of the facility's workers yelled, "Listen up, everypony! My name is Night Shine and I'll be explaining what we'll be doing today. Despite there being three transporters, two of them are reserved for emergency use at any given time, so we'll only be using number two tonight." He pointed at the transporter in the back left. "The most important thing to know is that the moon has less gravity than the earth. Normal walking or running won't work like you're used to. "Anypony with wings: don't use them until you are comfortable with the new gravity. Anypony with a horn: the flow of magic is different up there, so don't use large-scale magic until you have plenty of practice. "The transporter can only accommodate about a dozen ponies at a time, so you'll be going up in trips. We will wait about two minutes between transports, so you have that long to get off the pad once you are on the moon. Otherwise the safety forcefield will give you a rather unpleasant ride. Now, unless there are any questions that have to be asked down here, I'd like the first ponies to head to transporter number two." "Ooh! Ooh! Me me me me!" Sweetie Belle jumped so high that Twilight suspected she was already experiencing the lower gravity. "I think my daughter will explode if she isn't one of the first up, so I'll be taking her, if you don't mind," Twilight told Night Shine. "As you wish, Magician Sparkle." Twilight Sparkle, Sweetie Belle, and an assortment of other adults stepped onto the transporter's crystal slab, their hooves clattering against the smooth surface. Night Shine stood just outside the transporter. "Everypony, keep all four hooves on the floor and don't move around too much until the transport is complete. See you when you get back." His horn illuminated and the transporter hummed to life. Power crackled up the pillars and the floating crystals spun faster and faster. Twilight Sparkle held one hoof around Sweetie Belle, not heeding the worker's instructions. Purple swirling energy obscured the view outside. The floor shifted and everything went black. There was a little over a second of pitch-black silence and the sensation of falling, then a whoomph noise and the return of the light. Twilight's could feel weight on her hooves again, but substantially less than normal. The swirling energy subsided and the transporter spun down. "Mom... Mom! Lemme go!" Twilight realized she had Sweetie Belle in a death grip. "Sorry, Sweetie Belle, I just got a little nervous and..." She looked up. The sun hung just above the horizon, but no blues or oranges were painted across the sky here. Instead, the stars shone through the blackness of the day. Around her, the other two transporters sat idle, and beyond them were a series of brightly-painted stone buildings. The place smelled faintly of spent fireworks. A pony softly landed just within the transporter. "Fillies and gentlecolts, if you could clear the pad for the next arrivals. Bounce on all fours, just like this. Nice and gentle. Take your time, but don't be too slow." She pushed off of the surface, following a shallow arc away. Twilight crouched, then pushed. She found herself readily rising up and away, then falling again. She tilted forwards in midair, and flailed at the steadily approaching ground. Her forehoof hit the ground, slipped, and Twilight Sparkle experienced the most drawn-out faceplant of her life. A pony touched down near her and extended her forehoof. "Here you go. You must be Magician Sparkle." She helped Twilight to her hooves with surprisingly little effort. "It's okay; a lot of ponies miss their first time." Twilight stood up, feeling the air catch her mane and tail hair and slowly let them fall. "Thank you. I hope Sweetie Belle is having better luck getting used to this." She looked around for the filly. Sweetie Belle jumped down from the nearby roof, landing gracefully on all fours. "I'm on the moon can you believe I'm on the moon! This is the best place ever!" Twilight turned towards her. "Yes, Sweetie Belle, we're here." Around the transporters, the workers helped the new arrivals get used to the gravity, with varying degrees of success. Transporter number two came to life again. A force dome grew from its center to encompass the device and the crystals whirred. Energy blocked the view inside and the now-familiar whoomph signaled the arrival of the next set of ponies. The force dome dissipated along with the swirling energy, and the transporter again idled. Spot Light pushed off with his two right legs, landing on his left legs and springing off again. He landed next to Sweetie Belle. "Still remember. It's quicker to move like this, just a little harder to get the hang of." He turned around to see his remaining friend struggling to cover any ground. "Oh geez, I gotta get Apple Crisp." Fortunately, he was able to rescue her before the next transporter activation. Soon enough, the entire troupe was assembled at the terrestrial transporter station. Apple Crisp stood unsteadily, using Spot Light to prop herself up. "All right, listen up!" she announced. "Enough horsing around. Let's get our gear to Earthshine, then you'll get some free time before rehearsal. And we'll need a lot; a lot of our stage motions will need to be modified for the gravity. Whoops." She stumbled. "Let's get moving." The collection of teenaged foals and their chaperones began hopping their way out of the area. Spot Light pointed into the sky. "Apple Crisp, Sweetie Belle, look." The three foals looked up. Twilight followed their gaze. Suspended in the sky was a blue and green orb, mostly lit by the sun. Clouds wrapped around its surface, breaking across the green of Equestria like water around a ship. A bright spot of light glinted off of the ocean. "It's so small." Twilight put her hoof over her mouth. Sweetie Belle stared, wide-eyed. "It's beautiful." Apple Crisp whistled. "What she said." Twilight tore her eyes away from her home world. "You should go practice your play, Sweetie Belle. I'm going to have a look around the moon. I've never been here before, after all." Twilight left the group and hopped her way among the stone buildings. All the bouncing made her feel like a school-filly again. She noticed that the buildings were painted in bright colors, and large signs advertised the wares of the shops gathered around the transporter. These markets offered rocks, items carved from rocks, books, posters, fashion wear, novelty items, and more. All of it was moon-themed, and most of the shops were closed. What shops remained open advertised prices considerably higher than what comparable items would have cost in Equestria. Twilight eventually reached the edge of the garish tourist trap of a city. She reached the edge of the shimmering dome covering the entire area and met a heavy-looking hatch, sitting open. She made her way through a tunnel, apparently made of the same material as the large domes, past another hatch, and towards her destination. --- The guard pushed open the large basalt door. Beyond, the room was built of the same dark stone. Thin stone pillars supported the reduced weight of the solid ceiling. The sun had not noticeably moved in the previous hour, and it still projected long shadows across the smooth floor. Beyond the pillars, spots of bright light on the landscape contrasted with the absolute darkness of the areas in the shade. "Your Majesty, High Magician Twilight Sparkle is here to see you." Princess Luna nodded. "Send her in." Twilight bounded across the dark throne room. "Princess Luna!" Luna stepped off of her throne, gracefully glided to the unicorn, and embraced her. "Twilight Sparkle. It has been a long time." Twilight looked up into the Princess's eyes. "How have you been, Princess Luna? You never came down to visit. I was starting to wonder." Luna looked away. "I fear that if I were to return to Equestria, I would be tempted to shout at my sister again. I would stay here in preference to quarrelling with Celestia." The unicorn moved herself into Luna's view. "But why are you arguing? What happened?" "It is merely a heated disagreement of ours. My sister will see things my way in time. Until then, I am content to wait." Twilight looked out the archways at the starry sky beyond. "There has to be something I can do. I've helped you before and it's always gone so well." She looked back to the Princess. "I know, I can sit you both down over some hot, relaxing tea and you two can talk it out. What's your favorite blend?" She paused. "What's Princess Celestia's favorite blend? Is it still the one with the lemon and ginseng?" Luna shook her head. "I am sorry, you do not have the power to end our quarrel. Trust me, Twilight Sparkle, Celestia will see reason, even if it must be driven through her thick skull!" Her wings ruffled. "We have spoken enough of this!" Twilight fell backwards onto her haunches. Luna took a deep breath, then exhaled it. "Let us speak of happier things, Twilight. How have you been these past years?" Twilight pushed herself back up, then nervously cleared her throat. "Oh, well, the apparatus broke—I guess you knew that already—but Sweetie Belle got her operation." Luna smiled. "Hearing of Sweetie Belle's safety is excellent news indeed!" "So Sweetie Belle lives with me now in Canterlot. She joined up with a performance troupe and she got her cutie mark in singing! And she's getting so good with her magic, I know she'll be great at it!" Twilight clapped her forehooves. "Oh, she's performing at the Earthshine Amphitheatre in a few days, which is why I'm here." "I shall be sure to attend. In addition, Twilight, you sound as if you are a proud parent." Twilight turned red. "Well... I've been her mother since we got here." She stood tall. "And I am proud of her. Sweetie Belle's growing up into a beautiful young mare. I can't wait to see her on stage on Broadneigh once she's old enough. Look at me; I'm being the proud mother again. What about you, Princess? What about all this?" She waved at the lunar architecture. "How does it work? What's the moon really like?" "You are forever the curious student, I see. Very well, I shall indulge you. The moon is an inhospitable place, unfit for life. I alone am able to withstand the environment unaided. For instance, the days here are exceedingly long, and the nights equally so. It would become lethally hot and lethally cold were it not for our diligent use of magical protection. The domes you see covering the colony are what makes pony habitation possible. "The domes are constructed of special layered minerals, infused with magic. They block harmful radiation, withstand micrometeor impacts, and resist breaks and tears. They keep us cool in the long days, and warm in the long nights. They are truly a triumph of modern magic. Although most ponies still flee to Equestria at night, wishing to escape the darkness..." A smile flashed across Princess Luna's face. "...as usual. Twilight, are you feeling all right?" Twilight Sparkle rubbed her horn. "Yeah, my horn's just been feeling funny since I got here." Luna nodded. "I understand. The flow of magical power on the moon is different than that on the earth, and your body is simply getting used to the new sensation. You will adjust to the different magic, provided you remain long enough. Until then, I recommend that you not perform any of your more advanced spells. The consequences of a faulted cast could be..." She looked out over the airless landscape. "...dire." Twilight followed Luna's gaze, then her face went white. "I... I see. I'll be careful." She shook a very unpleasant thought from her head. Twilight looked at the earth hanging in the sky past one of the arches. "Oh, I remember something I wanted to ask. Isn't the moon always opposite in the sky from the sun? But it looks from here like it's at an angle or something. And how do you raise the moon while standing on it?" Luna chuckled. "Ah yes, that question. The explanation behind this phenomenon is somewhat complicated. You see, Twilight..." --- Sweetie Belle bounded through one of the rear hallways of the Earthshine Amphitheatre. Carrying a script in her mouth, she hummed a show tune. The brilliant light of the low sun poured in through the spacious windows, bathing the hallway in its glow. Along the walls sat props new and old, costumes, backdrops, armor, and faux mystical artifacts. Sweetie Belle passed a doorway before a colt's head popped out of it. "Psst. Sweetie Belle." She stopped and turned around to see Spot Light. "Mmm?" she asked. "C'mere. I need to ask something." He looked left and right. "In private." Sweetie Belle bounced into the closet and spit out her script. "What do you need?" Spot Light looked at her. "I uh, need advice. I mean, you're a filly, so, uh... shoot I'm ruining this." Sweetie Belle just tilted her head. He shook his head. "Let me start over. The thing is... me and Apple Crisp... I mean..." He shook his head. "We've been friends for a long time, but I want to not be friends, you know what I'm saying?" Sweetie Belle's ears dropped. "Aww, why don't you want to be friends with her anymore?" "No no no. Augh, if I'm screwing up this badly with you, how am I ever supposed to say anything to her?!" He took a deep breath. "I have a crush on Apple Crisp! I mean she's pretty, she's nice, her mane has this lovely bounce to it—not to say that you're not pretty or nice," he added quickly. "But, you know, I just like her. Like, like-like her." Sweetie Belle smiled. "That's so sweet, Spot Light. So what are you going to do?" He threw his hooves up. "I don't know! That's why I'm asking you! What do fillies like? What do I get her? What do I say?" She scratched her chin. "Um... flowers! Flowers are always good. Wait, do they have flowers on the moon?" Spot Light turned in circles. "But how many? If I get too few she'll think I'm being cheap. If I get too many she'll think I'm trying to use my money to buy her affection. Same with chocolates or a big teddy bear or—" Sweetie Belle interrupted him. "What about, uh, taking her out to dinner? After that you can go for a nice walk through the, uh..." She looked out the window, shielding her eyes from the intense glare of the setting sun. The desolate, meteor-blasted landscape outside the dome was almost entirely pitch black, with peaks of brightness catching the remaining light. "You really should have picked a better time to ask." "And it's going to be awkward every time I see her or talk to her until I figure out what to do!" "Ooh! I know!" Sweetie Belle hopped a foot in the air. "I can ask her what she wants! That's a great way to find out!" Spot Light stuck out a foreleg. "What? No! You can't just ask her! She'll find out I have a crush on her and then it'll be even more awkward until I do something!" "Relax, Spot Light, she won't suspect a thing. Trust me, I'll find out just what you need to win her heart!" Sweetie Belle picked up her script and bounced away. Halfway down the hallway, she looked down at the script in her mouth, shrugged, and dropped it next to the props. The pages landed next to a fake crystal ball. As the filly bounced off, the bright light of the sun refracted through the ball and onto the papers. A thin wisp of smoke slowly rose into the air. --- Sweetie Belle found Apple Crisp attempting to balance on her hind legs in the reduced gravity. She stood in the grass that served as Earthshine's viewing area. The amphitheatre itself was built of white stone, lined with dark wood. Thin scaffolding, only possible in the lower gravity, held the catwalks above the stage. Below, the closed dark blue curtain obscured the view of the stage. The front of the stage was faintly lit with the light reflected from the Earth. The very top of the structure caught the light of the sun setting behind it. Apple Crisp took a tentative step, then slipped on the grass, landing on her rump. She pushed herself to her hooves. Meanwhile, a white glowing grid began to inch its way up the dome covering the theatre and the park that served as its viewing area. "Shoot, I almost had it that time." She looked at the approaching unicorn. "Hey Sweetie Belle, what's up?" Sweetie Belle nonchalantly edged towards Apple Crisp. "Oh, you know... the usual... reading the script... practicing my singing... wondering..." Apple Crisp raised an eyebrow. "Wondering? Wondering what?" "Well..." Sweetie Belle watched the artificial light climb the domes. "Let's suppose—hypothetically—that somepony was interested in you—had a crush I mean, and also hypothetically. What—hypothetically—kind of thing would you like—hypothetically—as a gift from him... hypothetically?" Apple Crisp just looked at Sweetie Belle. "Spot Light?" she asked flatly. Sweetie Belle grabbed Apple Crisp's front. "Nooo, you weren't supposed to find out! He's going to kill me!" The earth filly sat down, disengaging Sweetie Belle. "It's all right; I've wondered about him for a while now. Not quite what I had in mind to find out for sure, though." She looked up at the stars shining steadily overhead. "Me and Spot Light, huh? Can't say I haven't thought about it. But I'm so used to having to work for every bit I have, and now a rich stallion wants to be my special somepony? I picture myself with him, then a voice in the back of my head tells me that I'm just after his money." She sighed. "I don't know what to do, Sweetie Belle. What do you think?" "I think you'll make an adorable couple!" Sweetie Belle smiled and closed her eyes. Apple Crisp smiled back. "You think so? Maybe I could—wait, what's that?" A slowly rising black cloud occluded the white grid above the amphitheatre. Orange light briefly lit up the black landscape beyond. Apple Crisp stood up, then turned to a nearby filly. "Get a moon worker and tell her the theatre's on fire! Hurry!" As the filly bounded away, Apple Crisp turned looked at Sweetie Belle. "Is anypony in there?" Sweetie Belle frantically searched her memory. "Um um um I only saw Spot Light." Apple Crisp sucked in air through gritted teeth. "We have to get him out of there! Sweetie Belle! Come with me; I might need you." "O-okay!" The two hurried towards the burning building. --- "...are you satisfied with this explanation, Twilight?" Twilight Sparkle grinned and clapped her forehooves. "Yes! It's so obvious in hindsight! I feel kind of embarrassed I didn't think of it myself." Princess Luna nodded. "It is quite understandable, Twilight. Few ponies even think to ask. Are there any other inquiries I may answer to sate your curiosity?" Twilight looked around. "Hmm... oh, what's that?" She pointed to a dome. "That is how the moon's colonies are lit after the sun sets. A similar spell to some of the more sophisticated forms of lighting on the earth." "No, no, no. What's that?" Luna narrowed her eyes. "The theatre is on fire. I must attend to this at once. Pardon me, Twilight." Princess Luna opened her wings, took to the air, and vanished in a dull blue flash. Twilight stood dumbfounded for a second. "A fire? The theatre!" She leapt towards the exit. "Sweetie Belle!"