Princess Luna cried out as she brought a hoof to her head. She winced in pain as she staggered to and fro, attempting to regain her balance. She opened an eye to find that her vision was blurry. What in Equestria was that?
She had been passing from mind to mind, checking in on the dreams of her subjects across the realm, when she found herself in the mind of a familiar stallion: Sky Streak. She had been surprised to find that he was awake, but as she prepared to speak to him, she had felt the crushing oppression of darkness that surrounded him. She could sense his terror like a horrible stench in his mind. Desperate to help, she had called out to him: “If you want to rid yourself of the darkness, you must fill its space with light.” For a moment, she felt his fear subside, giving way to a small sense of hope in the midst of the ever-present darkness.
But a sudden blast of light and magic had rocked her mind, expelling her from Sky’s thoughts and leaving her shaken from the encounter. Steeling her resolve, she once again reached out to him…only now, he was not there. She could find no trace of his dreams, thoughts, or even his presence. It was as though he had vanished from Equestria altogether.
Or worse.
A lump formed in her chest as a growing sense of dread fell on her. We had all assumed he would be safe here in Canterlot. Were we wrong?
She opened her eyes to find that her vision had cleared. She reached out to the other guests within the palace: Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy. They were all present and fine, sleeping peacefully. But that was small comfort to the Princess of the Night. Her thoughts were devoted to the well-being of the young pegasus whom she could not find.
She began to pace along the walkway, fretting. I should go check on him. I must make sure that he is alright. But as she spread her wings to take off, she saw it: far to the northwest, on the very edge of her sight, rose a column of black. It blotted out her beautiful stars; a blemish on her otherwise perfect night.
Alarmed, she quickly raced for the telescope in the rotunda. Turning it to where the blackness ascended from the earth, she gained a better view of what it was. It was a pillar of black smoke, coming from an area near the Painted Forest. And from the look of things, it was no small fire that was producing the smoke. No, this was a full-fledged fire. Out-of-control and spreading.
And then, she put the pieces together.
Oh, no.
She was in the air in a flash, moving as fast as her wings could carry her to the balcony outside Sky’s quarters. As she landed, she forced the doors open with her magic. Stepping inside, she found the room dark and quiet. The lights were off, and the curtains swayed gently in the breeze.
But there was no pegasus in the bed. In fact, the bed was still completely made, looking as though it had not seen anypony sleep there in days. Luna’s heart dropped like a stone. No…please, no.
She burst into the hallway, surprising several of the nearby guards in the dimly-lit hallway. “Have any of you seen Sky Streak?” she asked breathlessly.
“Erm, no, Your Highness,” a gray unicorn responded. “At least, not since earlier this evening. Last I saw, he was walking the hallways shortly before those tremors we felt.”
Tremors. Something stirred in her mind. She brought her thoughts into alignment, trying to understand what it meant. Suddenly, she heard a voice from many months before:
Well, it was the legendary three-headed beast that I’d read about. Lion, goat, and serpent heads. Breathed fire. Caused earthquakes and started storms.
Her mind became a whirlwind as she realized the disaster that was unfolding. She quickly reached out to Rainbow Dash in her sleep.
Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash, wake up!
There was a disgruntled groan. It’s still dark out, Dad. Wake me up later.
Rainbow Dash! I need you! Sky Streak is in danger!
The voice of the multicolored pegasus lost all sound of grogginess in an instant. What?! What’s going on? Hey…who’s there? Who’s in my head?
It is Princess Luna. Meet me atop the palace. I have need of your speed like never before.
She withdrew from Rainbow’s head and focused again on the unicorn before her. “I need you to inform my sister that I am taking Rainbow Dash with me to the northwest on an errand of utmost importance. If she needs to ask me anything, she will know what to do,” she commanded.
The unicorn bowed his head as he acknowledged her order. “As you wish, my Princess.”
She hastily retreated through Sky’s room and leapt from the balcony as her wings lifted her upon the wind. As she ascended to the tower, she felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes. How could we have been so blind?
She found Rainbow Dash waiting for her at the pinnacle of the palace. “What’s going on?” she asked, looking worried.
“Rainbow Dash, do you know where the Painted Forest is?” she asked as she lighted upon the pitched roof of the tower.
“The Painted Forest? Isn’t that west of Cloudsdale?” Rainbow replied.
Luna nodded. “It is, and I need you to get there as quickly as you can. I fear that Sky Streak’s life is in danger.”
Rainbow’s eyes grew wide. “What? But why do—”
“Rainbow Dash!” Luna shouted. “We do not have time for questions. Just make for the Painted Forest. I believe it is on fire. Just look for Sky when you get there. I will be there as quickly as I can.”
Rainbow recoiled in surprise, then recovering her composure, nodded and darted into the night sky, leaving her trademark multicolored trail behind her.
Luna! What has happened? asked a voice within her mind.
I do not know for certain, sister, she replied, but I fear that Sky Streak is in terrible danger. I believe that the Chimera may have lured him away during the evening.
Celestia was silent for a moment. How? she asked at last.
I believe it may have been those tremors we felt earlier tonight. Sky Streak did warn us that the Chimera could cause earthquakes. And if it was threatening Canterlot with those earthquakes, he may have seen no other option than to go and face it alone, Luna surmised.
Do you know where he may have gone?
Luna’s gaze was suddenly drawn to an eruption of color in the night sky. A growing ring of color bathed the land in a soft glow of many-hued light. The beauty of the scene was overshadowed by the weight of dread that had descended upon her mind. She stared at it for a moment, lost in a mix of emotions.
Luna?
She jumped upon hearing her name. Collecting her thoughts, she nodded as Celestia’s question returned to her. There appears to be a great fire near the Painted Forest. I believe that he may have fought the Chimera there.
Celestia sighed. Are you on your way there? she asked.
I have sent Rainbow Dash ahead of me. She eyed the fading remnants of the sonic rainboom for a moment. I will be leaving shortly.
Then you must hurry.
Luna waited a moment before responding. Sister, there is one other thing.
Yes?
I found him during the night. He was awake when I did so, and he was surrounded by a horrible darkness. When I spoke to him, there was a surge of some kind of magic that expelled me from his mind. And when I tried to find him again, I could not. I do not know where he is.
Luna thought she heard Celestia stifle a sob, but she couldn’t be certain. Go, my sister. Every second counts now.
Spreading her wings, she took to the clear skies above Canterlot. As she passed through Shining Armor’s barrier, she felt the coolness of the night take full hold. With a burst of magic and a great flap of her wings, she soared like a meteor through the air, making for the Painted Forest with all the speed she could muster. With each passing second, she clung to the hope that Sky was alright, though hope seemed to fade with the approaching dawn.
Time seemed to draw itself out. Minutes felt like days. The dawn almost looked like it retreated at times. All the while, the slumbering lands of Equestria passed beneath Luna in blissful sleep, while she frantically flew in an increasingly-hopeless race against time. It was as though Equestria had fallen under an eternal dread nightfall. I once desired a night without end. Is this what would have been?
The tower of smoke she had seen from Canterlot had grown to an immense size by the time she arrived at the edge of the forest. A crowd of ponies had already gathered and were attempting to quench the flames, though success was slow in coming. A few rain clouds above held the expansion of the fires in check. They all stopped their efforts, though, as the Lunar Princess descended into their midst. They bowed in unison.
Luna held up her hoof. “Do not stop on account of me, my subjects. We must put out this fire. I will gather more rain clouds to assist you shortly. But first, there is another matter which requires my attention.”
Turning around, she walked into the disaster, leaving the ponies to their work. She was astounded by the magnitude of the destruction around her. Trees were uprooted and broken, craters pockmarked the landscape, and, of course, there were the many fires that still smoldered throughout the decimated woods. Is this what the Chimera is capable of?
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to her. “Princess Luna! Over here!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
Luna turned to face the pegasus, who was sitting on the ground, trying to catch her breath. “I got here as quickly as I could,” she gasped. “I gathered together a few storm clouds to try and put out the fires, then I started looking for Sky.”
“But you have not found him yet?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head mournfully. “Not yet. But it’s hard to find anything in this mess. What could have caused something like this?”
I wonder. “We must keep looking,” Luna replied. “But if you want, you can gather more clouds to help fight the fires.”
She looked at the princess with renewed resolve. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do, Princess.”
Luna nodded. “Then do both. Gather the rain, but keep an eye on the ground. If you see something, let me know.”
“You got it!” she replied as she took to the air.
Luna trudged through the debris, moving fallen trees and piles of rocks gently, hoping so spot a light blue leg, or a feather, or something to work with. The rain fell harder as Rainbow Dash assembled the clouds, but Luna refused to give up. There just had to be something here.
To the east, the clear sky could be seen as a small gap between the horizon and the clouds. It was glowing a bright shade of red as the dawn approached. Luna found herself gazing at it longingly, wishing that the rising of the sun would bring hope to an otherwise hopeless situation. I may be the Princess of the Night, but even I can appreciate the hope that accompanies the coming of the dawn.
Suddenly, there was a crash as a mass of debris collapsed off to her right. She regarded it for a moment, then started in the other direction when Rainbow Dash called out to her. “Princess Luna! There! I see something!”
Luna quickly cast her eyes up to where the pegasus lay across a cloud, leaning over the edge and pointing frantically to the place where the trees had collapsed. Galloping as fast as she could, she reached the place and spotted a silver and blue tail sticking out from underneath a pile of tree trunks. Heedless of anything else around her, with the raindrops mingling with her tears as they ran down her face, she grabbed the trees with her magic and flung them away. Rainbow Dash landed right in front of her as they both beheld the limp, unmoving body of their friend.
“Sky…” Rainbow managed.
Luna pressed her head against Sky’s chest, hoping against hope to hear something. And, to her amazement, she did. Her heart leapt in her chest.
“He’s breathing! He’s still alive!” she exclaimed. “Sky Streak! Sky, can you hear me?”
The pegasus lay silent, showing no sign that he had heard the princess’ question. “Sky, it’s Rainbow,” the mare echoed. “Are you there?”
Still nothing.
Luna’s expression became cloudy. She placed a hoof against Sky’s forehead and closed her eyes, diving into his mind.
Only, there was nothing there.
She stood alone in utter blackness. There were no thoughts here. No visions, memories, imagination, or consciousness. It was more than being unconscious. It was as if he had no presence here at all.
Luna opened her eyes, returning to the world of Equestria. Rainbow Dash was looking at her pleadingly. Her mane and tail were soaked, and her ears drooped, making her look like a lost, sad little filly. “Princess Luna, what’s wrong? Is he alright?”
“I do not know. Sky’s body is…it is an empty shell. His body lives, but it is as if his mind is gone. His spirit has left his body for some reason. I—” Her voice cracked. “I am afraid that as far as I can tell, this is all that is left of Sky Streak.”
“But…but…that just can’t be true! Sky Streak isn’t gone! He just CAN’T BE!!” Rainbow protested.
“Perhaps he isn’t,” Luna admitted, raising her head to the rain clouds above. The red glow of the sunrise reflected off their surface, casting the landscape in a foreboding red hue. “There is some powerful magic at work here that not even I understand. But even if Sky’s spirit is not here, it may still be out there. And if his spirit returns to his body, then he may yet return to us. But we cannot be certain.”
“What do we do now?” Rainbow asked, vainly trying to wipe the rain and tears from her face.
“I will take Sky’s body back to Canterlot. At least we can look after him there, so that if he is revived, he will be in a safe place. I ask that you stay here to help these ponies put out these fires. After that, please return to Canterlot. There will be much that needs to be discussed,” Luna explained as she magically lifted Sky’s limp form onto her back.
“Alright,” came the reply, followed by a short sniffle. “I’ll be along when we’re done here.”
“Very well. Thank you for your help, Rainbow Dash,” Luna said, nodding to her. The forest had taken quite a beating from the look of things. It may have been that up to half of the forest was destroyed. Luna cringed at the thought of what the Chimera could do to the more populated areas of Equestria.
As she took off, bearing her burden, she again looked to the east, where the sun had at last begun to peek above the distant hills. Its bold red glow seemed to be more a harbinger of danger than a signal of a new day. Luna tilted her head back towards Sky and whispered.
“Even the night has its lights, Sky Streak. Follow them to the dawn.”