Princess Celestia stood on the balcony, her horn glowing a warm gold as she set the sun. A shining tear rolled down her cheek and dropped on the white stone as the sky turned from baby blue to blood red. "Sister," called Luna from behind her, "Are you ready to go?"
Celestia bit her lip and blinked the tear away and turned toward Luna saying, "Of course let's be off then."
Luna looked at her and tilted her head. "Oh, Tia," she said putting her hoof on Celestia's. "Twilight and her friends will be fine."
Celestia looked at her, the sky turning purple, "I know Lulu, but I a just so worried about them in the Everfree, alone."
"Tia, they aren't alone. They have eachover and they will be fine," Luna said and then turned back to the doorway inside. "Now come on," she said, flashing her teeth "We have a party to get to."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was a madhouse. This is what ran through Twilight's mind as she looked over the crowd of ponies and the flags that bore solar ecilpses and the chaos of it. There were all kinds of ponies there; earth ponies, pegausi, unicorns, even the occasional zebra. "Come on Dusk Shimmer," said a quiet voice behind her. She turned and saw a gray earth pony behind her.
"Glade, right," asked Twilight, smiling slightly.
"Mmm hmmm," murmured Glade walking forward and into the crowd of ponies.
"This ain't what Ah was expectin'." said Applejack all while looking at a caramel apple stand.
"Yeah, I was expecting altars, shrines, maybe a few pony sacrifices," whispered Twilight to Applejack.
"Well, it is cetainly not that," weighed in Rarity who now stood next to Twilight.
"What are we talking about?" said Pinkie who butted her head in between the two mares.
"Yeah, what," said Pink Mist who suddenly popped up next to Pinkie.
"Oo, oo, oo," said Pinkie, "Is it about parties?"
"Or about griffens?" said Pink Mist.
"Actually-" said Twilight only to cut off by a silky voice from behindher saying, "Oh, Misty. I hope you aren't scaring our new family."
Twilight turned and gazed at a gray unicorn with a thick black mane. He reached out a hoof and introduced himself as Twilight shook it. "Hello, my name is Vladimer and you are?"
"Tw, I mean Dusk Shimmer," stumbled Twlight her violet eyes locking with Vladimer's green ones.
"Well, it is my pleasure to meet you. Is this your first reunion?" asked Vladimer.
"Yes it is," she said pulling her hood back to let the night air kiss her as it had suddenly felt very hot under the cloak.
Vladimer nodded and took Twilight's hoof and asked, "Would you care to walk with me then, look around a bit?"
Twilight nodded and the two ponies walked out into the crowd.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Would you care to dance?" a toffee colored stallion asked Applejack who was standing by one of the fires talking with Rainbow Dash.
"Sure," she said and grabbed his out stretched hoof to led to the center of the dance floor.
A song had just ended and suddenly from the speakers there came out blasting 'Alive' by Manella. Not normally a pop pony she wasn't sure what to do, but led by the stallion she was led through an elaborate dance. She was thrown into the air and caught, did somersaults, barrel rolls, and cartwheels so often that soon a small circle was formed around the pair.
Applejack was laughing and lost in her own world where there was only her, the music, and the toffee stallion. But all good things come to an end and soon the song ended. Panting heavily she asked, "I didn't catch ya name, what is it?"
"Just call me the Doctor," as her and the interesting earthpony made their way off the dance floor and over the table with to mugs of cider.
"Doctor who?" she asked.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rarity sat by one of the fires; now happy she had the huge cloak t keep her warm, although it was a bit itchy. Okay, really itchy. No, check that. Really, really, really itchy. Like when she got fleas from the diamond dogs. So although the cold was bitter she ripped the cloak off and moved closed the fire and sat down next to a , a...
Rarity screeched and jumped into air at the sight of the changling sitting next to her. "Ch-ch-ch-changling!" she screeched. But instead of what she expected to happen, no ponies jumped up and screamed or did the changling run away. Instead it rolled it's eyes and murmured, "Not this again," just loud enough for Rarity to here.
"Hey, you," it shouted motioning at her with it's hoof, "Relax I'm reformed. I'm not going to steal your soul or something like that." It scooted closer to its friend and said something quietly, making them to erupt in laughter.
Another pony walked past her and met Rarity's shocked eyes. Looking between the laughing changling and the surprised unicorn and smiled saying "Relax; Swift may be a bit blunt and headstrong she is still family."
"Family?" Rarity choked out as she stared at the black changling. It, Swift had blue wings and eyes that also had no pupil.
"Yeah," he said, "She married into the family; even has a cute pony/changling colt."
He looked her up and down saying, "You new, I don't think we've met."
"Purity," said Rarity extending her hoof.
The blue pegasus took it and replied, "Cloud Jumper. Hey you want get a drink?" he asked motioning to the cider stand that stood a few fire pits away.
Looking between Cloud Jumper, Swift, and the cider she answered with one word."Yes."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vladimer gritted his teeth and rubbed his head while Dusk was turned away. No, not Dusk. She was somepony else; a spy. His king cackled again; the same horrible sound every time, like the endless shattering of glass mixed with the clap of thunder.
"Are you okay?" asked Dusk who had turned back to him, her eyes wide with concern; what an actress.
"Yes, fine," he said, pushing the laughter way, and the headache that was pulsing at his temples. "What do you do, Dusk?" he asked as casually as he could all while the Shadow whispered in his ear what to say. He revised some of it of course for calling her a flea-ridden, coal dusted, prancy was not what would get answers. It would get him kicked; possibly killed.
"I work at a library," she said with a sip of apple cider; possibly spiked apple cider, thought Vladimer as his tossed the flask in a bush with a small burst of magic.
He nodded and Dusk spoke up saying, "So, Pink Mist is you sister."
Vladimer gritted his teeth at the subject of, ugh, his sister. But he put on a forced fake smile and nodded.
"Well, she seems nice, if not a bit talkative," Dusk said after she blew a strand of hair out of eyes.
"Oh, she's nice; annoying, but nice," he said, but annoying didn't cover it. Annoying was a rag compared to the blanket that was his sister's personality.
"She reminds me of Pinkie Pie," said Dusk as she started on a another glass of cider
"Who?" he asked, confused. The name sounded familiar, but he wasn't sure.
"The pink pony I arrived with." she said, "I should probably go find her. Bye Vlad."
Dusk walked off, but Vladimer wasn't thinking about that. Instead he was thinking about the fact she had come here with a pony named Rosewood, not Pinkie Pie.
The Shadow King laughed again, and Vladimer laughed with him gaining some very odd stares.