"Hi there Twilight. Thank you for letting me join this book reading club...oh...is it a club? I'm sorry if I thought it was a club and it isn't..." The yellow pegasus let her pink mane fall in front of her eyes as she apologized.
"Oh, really Fluttershy, there's no need to be sorry!" Twilight assured her friend, "I think it sort of is a club now."
Rarity joined them with a tray of drinks floating in front of her.
"Now, about this book. I can't wait to read the next chapter! I find it rather intriguing, all this poetry."
"I agree. Spike? Could you bring the book please?"
The dragon ran over to the ponies with his stumpy legs, and heaved the book onto a table.
"Here we go!"
Everyone sat down, waiting for Twilight to begin.
Though chaos has been banished
A new threat shall arise
Evil within the heart of night
Brings darkness to the skies.
If this Nightmare becomes reality
Then all hope will be lost
Unless Harmony is wielded again
Though not without a cost.
"That's pretty deep.." Spike commented.
"I uh...I think this is about...Nightmare Moon..." Fluttershy squeaked the last two words, causing Twilight to look at her with concern.
"Nightmare Moon doesn't exist anymore, remember?"
"Oh. Of course. Sorry..."
Rarity chipped in:
"Anyway, let's get back to the story shall we? This is about the rise of Nightmare Moon."
For many long years the Sun and Moon ruled
As equals they reigned over all
In daylight, their subjects would go 'bout their lives
Then rest come the start of nightfall.
Through the decades the princesses showed their true worth
In matters of greatness - and small,
But then came an evil of terrible might
That nopony could hope to forestall.
This evil I speak of came not from afar
But from one that all ponies held dear
The princess of night became jealous at heart
Her path of destruction was clear.
She transformed herself into malevolent spite
A creature for ponies to fear
"I am your Queen now, the night lasts forever!"
The shout for her subjects to hear.
Her sister of sunlight was stricken with grief
At what this dark torment had done
She reasoned with what had become of the night
But was left with no choice but to run.
She found the Elements, bright glowing jewels
And harnessed the power of sun
So wearing each gem in a crown on her head
Fought in battle for skies to be won.
The darkness of night faced the white heart of day
The war would come quickly, and soon,
Only the two sisters witnessed the conflict
As Sunlight defeated the Moon.
Harmony prevailed, and the sun became ruler
But these words she made sure were hewn:
'If envy returns, so will evil in darkness.'
Forever preserved in carved rune.
"That was weird." Spike huffed. Twilight looked surprised.
"How so?" she asked. "You seem...disappointed.'
"Yeah," replied the dragon, "It didn't really describe the battle, did it? And it was kinda hard to understand."
Rarity patted him on the head affectionately.
"Oh Spike, it seems intellectual works such as this are beyond a young dragon like yourself. I think we had better let Twilight explain."
The dragon looked annoyed, but his crush's display of fondness won him over.
"Okay then..."
The purple unicorn began her lecture.
"It's not really about the fighting, Spike, it's kind of a moral about being jealous and how it gets you nowhere."
"Oh. Right. I get it now." Twilight's number one assistant blushed a little, remembering the incident which had caused him to learn the same lesson. "But there are some things in there which are real hard to understand!"
"Yes...?"
"Well, like uh...here! 'In daylight, their subjects would go bout their lives.' What does bout mean?"
Fluttershy spoke up, though her voice was quiet.
"I think I know this...see that little apostrophe? It means that there's a letter missing. The real word is 'about' but they missed off the 'a' because it didn't fit with the pattern of the rhyme."
Twilight was impressed.
"Wow Fluttershy, I had no idea you knew so much about poetry!"
"Oh. I uh, like reading poetry. It's lovely. In fact, Zecora has some old books of songs and poems that I borrow."
Rarity suddenly stood up, half singing, half shouting:
"IDEEE-AAAAAA!"
Everyone else immediately looked up.
"We really should make this a club! We could call it...the Poetry Corner!"
"Oh, that's a wonderful idea. Will we be meeting again?" Fluttershy asked.
"Sure! Tomorrow at five! And let's invite Applejack, if she enjoys country music she should like this." Twilight called as her two friends departed, the meeting drawing to a close.
"Hey, what's this?" Spike looked up from the book as he was about to close it. "Nightmare Moon made a kind of prediction as well..."
If I should be defeated
Then surely I shall return
On thousandth year of longest day
Is when my freedom I will earn.
And lest I be defeated once more
By Harmony and Good
It will come at the hooves of six ponies, not one
Where my sister and I once stood.