"There are many who fear the night, for with the night comes the unknown. We are born to the day, and therefore we cannot comprehend the creatures that lie within the dark. But why should we dread the coming of the night? For what is the darkness but another shade of light, a scattering of stars to do the duty that must be accomplished by only one in the day? Our Princess watches over us all, as do the stars. Under their gaze, we need never know fear."

- Starswirl the Bearded, "On Astronomy", 86 E.H.

Twilight Sparkle might have had moments where her behavior could have best been described as 'obsessive', but she thought herself to be a patient pony most of the time. Sometimes. Maybe once in a while. Still, there were always times when things just didn't seem to go her way and she could only watch as her control over a situation slipped through her hooves like water through a sieve. This morning had done everything it possibly could to see that happen.

Twilight found herself pacing across the crystalline floor of her new castle, shooting glances out the window every few seconds to see if the pegasi with her books had appeared on the skyline. She looked out the window again. They hadn't.

She groaned and turned her gaze behind her to survey the empty shelves lining the walls of the cathedral-like room she was in. She felt a brief flicker of relief. Twilight still didn't know how or why the Tree of Harmony had known what to include when constructing the castle, yet she was thankful it had chosen to give her a library. The library was easily one of the largest rooms and its crystalline shelves soared toward the vaulted ceiling with all the imposition and regality that they deserved. There was only one problem—all the shelves were empty.

Twilight returned to the window. She propped her head on the sill and sighed. From this angle she was able to see the whole of Ponyville and the hills of the surrounding valley. The Everfree stretched into the distance and, if she looked hard enough, she could see the crumbling walls of the Castle of the Two Sisters. A niggling voice in her mind whispered for her to look downward. She tried her best to ignore it but, as always, her inquisitive nature got the better of her.

It had been two days since workers had torn out the remains of the charred stump. As Twilight looked out at the mottled patch of soil that filled the now empty clearing, she thought to herself that the view almost seemed worse in a way. At least when the remains of the library were still standing she could look at it and see a reminder of everything it used to be. She could imagine her home in its full glory and all the memories she'd made inside would play through her mind as fresh as ever. Now there was nothing.

Twilight crossed the room yet again and her mind told her that she was pacing. She replied that she was aware of that fact, thank you very much, and it would do well to keep its judgments to itself. She supposed she had been thinking too much about the past lately, though she couldn't help but feel it appropriate given the circumstances. After the battle with Tirek her life had seemed to take a new direction...again.

As a sign of condolence over the loss of her home, Princess Celestia had told Twilight that all the books that were still in her and Luna's old castle were to be considered her own. It had taken some organization (and a fair amount of coffee) but today was the day that the teams of movers were finally going to bring the books from their old home to their new one. At the old library, the volumes had been arranged by a primitive version of the Royal Cataloging Standard—an exceptionally outdated system that had been replaced centuries ago. Twilight shivered with anticipation at the thought of organizing them and putting them away in a much more efficient manner. Something about reshelving books always seemed to calm her down.

Through the window, the appearance of a vague airborne shape on the horizon broke Twilight from her thoughts. She began to make out pegasi in flight, towing something behind them. Her ears perked up in anticipation, but as the shape drew nearer her heart seized in her chest. Rather than the type of cart regularly used in pegasus transport, the fliers towed an empty chariot. The two pegasi pulling the chariot were adorned in Royal Guard armor and flanked by two sentries.

In spite of her pleas, the guard formation began their descent until they alighted on the grass in front of the castle's front doors. Twilight closed her eyes. Maybe if she didn't see them they wouldn't actually be there. She knew it was a futile effort but it was worth a try. It had been so soon since Tirek had been banished back to Tartarus that she didn't think the guards had decided to stop by for a cup of tea. Her heart started pounding and every muscle in her body tensed. It was a feeling she had come to know all too well. Pinkie Pie had started referring to it as her 'time to save the world sense'.

The halls of Canterlot Castle were as bustling as always. Guards changing shifts walked past Twilight in waves and couriers folded themselves against the walls with a quick bow as she walked past. Whenever Twilight had been to the castle before her coronation, they'd simply flown over her or pushed past her in their haste. Twilight wasn't sure which way she preferred.

Her curiosity was close to bursting. Whenever she was summoned to the castle, it never seemed to be for good news. Couldn't there be a time when Celestia and Luna just wanted to have her over for dinner? Then again, maybe that was all this was about after all. She looked at the stern-faced unicorn guard leading her down the hall at a brisk pace. She dismissed the idea.

To Twilight's surprise, she wasn't led to the throne room but instead to Celestia's private chambers. The guard held the massive door open for her and she entered, but he remained outside.

"Please wait here, Princess Twilight," he said. “Princess Celestia is in a meeting right now, but she said she'll be here in just a few minutes. Can I get you anything?”

Twilight shook her head in growing confusion. The guard nodded and left with a bow.

Twilight stood in the middle of the room for a few minutes and pawed at the rug before realizing that there was no reason why she should have to stay in a single place. She started wandering around the room and let her thoughts run free as she tried to think of what could have befallen Equestria this time. Had Tirek already managed to find some way to escape? Were Chrysalis and the changelings planning another invasion?

With every hoof-fall that passed outside the door, Twilight stopped her pacing and looked toward the doors, expecting it to be Celestia. Each time the door stayed closed. After half an hour had gone by, Twilight was starting to get anxious.

Twilight tried to distract herself by taking in all of the decorations around the room. Her eyes flitted around the room until they settled on the pictures above Celestia's desk. Twilight smiled and walked closer, memories from years past running through her mind. There were many times as a filly when her insistence had stretched Princess Celestia's personal tutoring sessions late into the night. She would yawn and fight the urge to close her eyes but the warmth of the fireplace and the familiar blanket of Celestia's room would lull her to sleep. There eventually came a time when Celestia started keeping extra bedding in her room for those nights when Twilight would drift off to sleep in the middle of a lesson. But when the nights came when Twilight was able to fight off sleep long enough, she'd always ask about the pictures.

The shelf above Celestia's desk had always been crowded with pictures and portraits, each as pristine as the day they were made and housed in elegant frames.

“They're memories,” Celestia would say. “Memories from a long time ago of ponies like you.”

If Twilight pressed her enough, Celestia would tell her the stories behind each picture. She'd tell of the pink pegasus with the tussled mane who could fly so fast that not even lightning could catch her. She'd tell of how the pony with the beard and bells on his hat once created a spell that turned all of the water around the castle to marmalade. The only picture she never spoke of was a small frame that sat separate from the others, directly on top of the desk rather than on the shelf above it.

“Princess Celestia?” Twilight would ask, pointing to the portrait of the midnight blue mare. “You've never told me about that pony. What's the story about her?”

Each time Twilight asked about her, Celestia would stop talking. After a moment, she'd tell Twilight in a very quiet voice it was time for bed and then say very little else for the rest of the night.

It had been more than a few years since the last time Twilight had been in the room, but it still had the same cozy feeling, the same smell of lilacs and of springtime. The only change she noticed was the new picture that had been added to Celestia's collection—the picture Twilight had sent Celestia after moving to Ponyville.

Twilight smiled at the picture as memories of the old faded away to bring forth memories of the new. Then she happened to look down at the surface of the desk and blink. She pulled herself from her nostalgia.

There was an unfinished letter on the desk with both her and Cadance's names on it. A flame of intrigue flared within her. She looked to the door and back to the letter. She swallowed. It wasn't really spying, was it? After all, if it was meant to be private, it wouldn't be sitting out in the open.

With one last quick look at the door, Twilight read the slanted, rushed words on the page.

I'm afraid this letter isn't a pleasant one. Something urgent has come up and I need you to come to Canterlot immediately. I've already made arrangements for members of the Guard to ensure your safety on your journey here. I know that your own guards would be more than willing to accompany you but I must insist they don't. It's not safe. I'll explain more when you arrive. I promise.

And my dear niece, I apologize. You were right about Twilight. It's another mistake of mine – one of many. Perhaps it's time she knows. I never intended –

Twilight jumped at the noise. She stepped back from the desk and developed an intense interest in the curtains.

A soft chuckle came from behind her. "Thank you for letting me into my bedroom, Twilight."

Twilight spun around at the sound of Celestia's voice and flushed red at the sight of her mentor.

“Princess!” Twilight trotted over to Celestia and the two hugged. All of the worries that had been plaguing Twilight were pushed to the back of her mind by Celestia's presence.

“I'm sorry I asked you to come here so quickly. I'm sure you're still getting used to the new changes in Ponyville,” Celestia said as they pulled away. She had a smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes.

“No, it's fine!” Twilight said. “Princess duties come first, I know that. What's wrong?”

It didn't take Twilight years of education to tell that there was something bothering Celestia. The white alicorn could barely keep her eyes open and she'd somehow found a way to make her ethereal mane look disheveled. It reminded Twilight of how dull and lifeless Celestia had appeared after losing her magic. It scared her.

Celestia sighed and glanced behind her to make sure she'd shut the door before speaking.

“Twilight, something's happening in Equestria. Something I haven't seen before,” Celestia said. She paused for a moment before continuing. “Last night, the stars attacked Luna. Don't worry, she's fine now,” Celestia quickly added at Twilight's look of horror. “But she'll need some time to rest.”

Twilight balked. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to find words. “Wait. The stars...attacked Luna? What do you mean? Aren't they just...well, you know...stars?”

“I just know what Luna told me,” Celestia said. She bowed her head. “Though she was still very weak so she may have been delirious. I don't know.”

Twilight listened to Celestia in silence. On the way to Canterlot she'd had all sorts of questions she'd been planning on asking Celestia but all of them had left her mind to be replaced with new ones. A knot formed in her stomach. What sort of enemy could have been strong enough to hurt a princess that was over a thousand years old?

“I have to ask a favor of you, Twilight,” Celestia said. “I need you to stay in Canterlot until we can figure out whatever's going on and take care of it. A few days at least, maybe more.”

“I know you care greatly about your friends, Twilight, and they can feel free to come here if they want. I just don't know if they'll be in danger if they do,” Celestia let go and wandered toward one of the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the western wall of the room. The dim light of the setting sun played a golden glow across her face as she stared at the sky. “To tell the truth, Luna's not the only one who's been affected. The past few mornings I've noticed it's been much harder than normal to raise the sun. I thought it was just a side effect of losing my magic but now I'm not so sure.”

Twilight's self-reassurance wavered even more. Even Celestia was at risk from this...whatever it was. She took a breath in, held it and forced it out.

"Don't worry Princess. If it's for the best, I'll do whatever you need. Just tell me what I need to do." Twilight perked up and held herself a little taller. Celestia smiled.

"I need you to get settled in. Tomorrow we'll find out what's going on and we will stop it," Celestia said.

"It's fine, Twilight," Celestia said, predicting what her student's words would be. "Trust me, this can wait until tomorrow morning. After all, we can't hope to find answers if we can't even stay awake."

Twilight frowned for a moment. She was used to attending pressing matters immediately, not waiting until it was convenient. Still, she nodded in understanding. Celestia looked to Twilight and saw her student's gaze had followed hers, staring out the window.

"I'm sorry Twilight, but I have many other matters that need my attention. I've had a room prepared for you and I'll make sure that you have something to eat, but I'm afraid I won't be joining you. And I'll see you first thing tomorrow."

Twilight looked at Celestia for a moment. It wasn't like her to simply brush off something as important as this until later. Then again, it wasn't like her to summon her to Canterlot without even filling her in completely on the situation at hand. Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that something about the whole situation just seemed...off.

"Don't worry Princess, I won't let you down," Twilight said. She hoped that her words sounded more confident than she felt.

The Royal Dining Hall proved to be anything but a relaxing place to enjoy dinner. Twilight sat by herself at the table, flinching as the light clatter of dishes echoed back from the cavernous walls. She smiled at the waiter who hovered by her side, but she said only a few words in greeting. She was exceedingly glad when she'd finished and one of the palace guards escorted her to the room where she would be staying.

“Is there anything else you need, Princess?” The guard bowed and held the door open for Twilight. She walked inside and smiled as she took in the familiar furnishings.

Twilight nodded and noticed her bag laying on the bed. She was grateful that she'd at least had the foresight to pack her most essential belongings before coming to Canterlot. Still, it probably wasn't that good of a sign that she'd exactly developed a plan for 'What to Do in the Event of Impending Doom'. As she started levitating her belongings out of the bag, Twilight thought it strange that she hadn't heard the guard shut the door.

Twilight cried out at the sudden bout of pain and fell to the floor. She spun onto her back and saw the guard rearing up to bring a blow down on her head. With a burst of magic, she surrounded herself with a magical shield and the guard's hooves crashed against the wall of force with a muffled thud.

The guard didn't listen. He rushed toward Twilight again, paying no attention to the shield. Twilight didn't have a choice. She fired a bolt of magic that caught him in the chest. He flew backward and crashed against the wall with a metallic clang from his armor. Twilight dispelled the shield and jumped to her feet. While the guard shakily climbed to his hooves, Twilight cast another spell. Binds of magical rope flew toward the guard and, before he could react, wrapped around his legs and brought him crashing to the floor.

It took only a few seconds before she heard the gallop of hooves racing toward her room. Two guards rounded the corner in the hallway and rushed through the open doors. They looked with confusion from the guard bound and groaning on the floor to Twilight and her rapidly bruising side.

“He just attacked me. Out of nowhere,” Twilight said, pointing to the guard on the floor. “I...I don't know why.”

By that time, others had started to arrive. Another guard made his way through the crowd of castle workers and guests that had assembled outside the room. Twilight flushed and looked to the ground at the curious gazes from the watching ponies.

“I'm fine,” Twilight said, rubbing her side. It's not as bad as getting punched through a mountain. “Just make sure he calms down, okay? From...whatever's wrong with him.”

She looked to the guard, still bound with magical rope but more or less silent. His nostrils flared. He glared at Twilight and growled. For the first time since he'd attacked her, Twilight noticed the guard's eyes. They were different from what they'd been earlier. His pupils were much lighter, almost white against his iris. Before Twilight had a chance to say anything, the other guards had taken their fellow soldier and dragged him off down the hallway, his growls still echoing down the corridor.

Only one guard remained. He didn't stand a chance against the assembled crowd. One by one they filtered into the room and questions started flying through the air. Twilight backed up and the guard did his best to calm them down.

The crowd, now fifteen or so strong, was having none of it. Their princess had just been attacked and they were out for answers. Their clamoring was only broken when a voice boomed from behind them.

The crowd immediately fell quiet. A blue alicorn walked past the gathered crowd with slowed steps and stood next to Twilight. She turned to face the crowd.

With quelled murmurs of assent, the crowd started to disperse until only the guard remained.

“You can go back to your duty too,” Luna said with a nod. “Thank you for your help.”

The guard returned her nod and left with a quick salute. After he was gone, Luna sighed and turned to Twilight.

The gardens of the castle had always been a relaxing place for Twilight. The cobblestone walkways meandered a serpentine path through a sea of flowers and hedges. Fountains bubbled merrily in the distance and carved statues of heroes from Equestria's past dotted the landscape. On evenings such as this, the breeze blew down the hills and brought the chill of the mountain peaks to the warmth of the summer night.

Luna had said very little on the way to the gardens, save for asking if Twilight was hurting and apologizing multiple times for what had happened. Now Twilight found herself walking with Luna on one of the paths she'd used to frequent so much as a filly, wondering if she should say something. Twilight looked to Luna amid the glow of fireflies and lanterns set along the path. The princess of the night seemed to be lost in thought.

After all the stress the day had brought, Twilight couldn't help but laugh. She noticed Luna looking at her with a questioning gaze. She cleared her throat and nodded.

“First of all, I don't know what brought about that attack but I apologize. We'll find out what that was all about.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, that was weird. I wonder if it had anything to do with what's going on.”

Luna stopped walking. “You've already talked to my sister,” she said. It was less of a question and more of a statement.

Twilight nodded. “She told me what she knew, but I don't really know where to go from here. I mean, if Celestia doesn't even know anything about what's going on, where should I start?”

“You could start with the pony who knows the stars better than anypony else,” Luna said.

"Oh," Twilight said. Then she thought about Luna's words for a moment and flushed red. “Oh! I'm sorry, Princess Luna. I didn't even think about you! I mean, it's not that I didn't think about you, it's just that everything's been so crazy...I mean, it makes sense...”

Twilight looked over to Luna. The blue alicorn was serene as ever but the faint traces of a smile danced around her mouth.

“Don't worry, Twilight Sparkle. I thought you might need some help and...well, I want to help. Hence our conversation,” Luna said. She gestured to the gardens they were standing in. “But I'll ask you first: what do you think about the situation?”

"I really don't know,” Twilight said. “I'm just confused. What exactly happened last night?"

Luna looked down at her hooves and back up at the sky. She was silent for a few minutes. "It's not easy for me to talk about this, Twilight Sparkle. I'm sure you understand," Luna took another moment to collect her thoughts before speaking again. "The stars and the moon are my domain. They are my charges. Yet last night was something unlike I've seen. They were angry and for some reason they chose to attack me."

Twilight frowned. "I don't understand. What do you mean? You make it sound like the stars are alive or something."

"Wait," Twilight said. "You mean the stars are alive? Like living, breathing, alive?"

"Yes," Luna said bluntly. "Well, I can't say much about breathing, but they're alive in their own way. Perhaps not in the way you'd expect, but they have a magic all their own, and all things that have magic have life. I'm surprised you didn't know that, Twilight."

Guilt crept through Twilight and she couldn't help but feel as though she'd offended Luna again. She mentally kicked herself. She was doing a fine job of making her way through this conversation.

"Twilight," Luna said suddenly. Her voice had grown sharper yet it retained an undertone of hesitation. "Are you familiar with the origins of the term 'lunacy'?"

Twilight nodded, a bit puzzled by the abrupt change in topic. She gave a large amount of thought on how to phrase her next words.

"Well, it was named that because of ancient pony astronomers. They thought that the reason why some ponies weren't...all there was because of...well...you."

“I didn't ask you to come out here just to visit, Twilight. I need to warn you about something. What Celestia's asking you to do may be more dangerous than you realize. I know she would never want any harm to come to you, but there are things that she just doesn't know about the stars—it's just not her realm.

“The stars have more power than she realizes, and more power than I can control. They have a way of making even the strongest fall to their will. Just...make sure to remember that."

Luna stopped talking and Twilight waited several seconds for the rest of her sentence. No further explanation came.

Luna was silent for a few moments, then shook her head. “I'm sorry, I need to go." She spread her wings and made to take off.

Twilight was at the end of her patience. "Wait, you're leaving too? Luna, this is important. If there's anything that can help me, I need to know. You can't just leave—"

To her credit, Luna didn't use the Royal Canterlot Voice. Instead, her voice was exceptionally level as she cut off Twilight. It carried eons of patience that were underlaid with a severity Twilight had never before heard from the princess.

Luna briefly regarded the sky. "We'll finish this conversation later. You've had a long day. Get some sleep."

With a mighty flap, Luna launched herself into the night sky. Twilight simply stood there in confusion as the princess of the night disappeared into the darkness, wondering and shivering in the crisp breeze.

As soon as Twilight returned to her room, she curled up on the bed and stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. The glow of the moon leaked into the room and cast beams of muted light over the ceiling.

Her thoughts turned to Ponyville. She wondered if her books had ever made it to the castle library. She wondered how her friends were doing and figured they were most likely wondering where their friend had vanished to. She made herself a mental note to send them a letter first thing in the morning informing them of the situation and offering an invitation to join her.

Twilight thought for a moment, then reached down into her still-unpacked bag and levitated her journal out of it. Unlike the one she and her friends had shared, this one was very simple: a plain brown cover, small, close-cropped pages. It was designed for work and, if the frayed binding was any indication, it had served its purpose well for many moons.

Twilight dipped a quill in the inkwell she'd brought along and started to write. The pages of the journal weren't filled with complete sentences, but rather streams of thought. Single words, short observations and ideas occupied every available margin. What she wrote now was no different, but it served as a way for her to get her thoughts organized. She needed organization.

She wrote of the meetings with Celestia and Luna, as well as their peculiar brevity. Directly underneath that she made a bulleted list with several things she needed to address. At the top she wrote simply “Find out what's going on” and circled it. After a moment of thought she underlined it as well.

After a few moments passed without anything else coming to mind, Twilight closed the journal and levitated it onto the dresser. She rolled over in bed, closed her eyes and did her best to shut down her mind. Her bruised side ached, her mind spun, and Twilight fell asleep to thoughts of letters and guards and stars.

The Astral Vow

by NorthernDweller

Chapter One