Back on the farm everyone had gone back to sleep.
Well... all except Soarin.
No matter how comfy or warm his bed was, he just couldn't get to sleep. Sighing, he decided to go for a walk. Leaving a note so no one would worry, he went down stairs and slipped out the door.
Not knowing the land, Soarin decided to just let his hooves take him where they wanted to take him, letting his mind go over how complicated his life's gotten all of the sudden.
After a while he found himself on to of a hill that over looked the whole farm. It was beautiful. Not a signal cloud in the sky, and you could every star and the moon shone bright.
"Wow..." Soarin said to himself. "I never knew night could be so beautiful."
Suddenly two rainbow streaks zoomed out of the Everfree Forest and were going towards Whitetail Wood.
Not thinking of the dangers or consequences, Soarin ran as fast as he could to follow them.
Up in the sky, Rainbow and Spectrum were putting all they had into their wings to beat the other pony.
Half way to Whitetail Wood, Rainbow put in a extra boost of speed slightly overtaking Spectrum and kept the lead until they got there.
She was about to fly over the center of the wood when something shot at her wings knocking her out of the sky, screaming in pain.
"RAINBOW!" Spectrum cried forgetting the race and went to help his daughter. Wrapping himself around her, he turned so his back was facing the ground and ended up crashing into it.
After a few seconds after he thought everything was alright, Spectrum opened his wings to see a knocked out Rainbow blood coming from her right wing.
Getting up, and placing Rainbow on the ground, Spectrum looked around to see if he could find who did this.
Suddenly out of the trees Soarin came running to see if everything was alright.
"YOU!" Spectrum yelled pointing his hoof at him anger on his face.
"Is Rainbow alright Sir?" Soarin asked staying where he was ignoring the threatening look on Spectrum's face.
"She's fine." he said checking on her. "Of course she would be better if you hadn't knocked her OUT OF THE SKY!" he said turning back to the Wonderbolt.
"AND HOW COULD I HAVE SIR?" Soarin asked stepping forward. "YOU BUSTED MY WINGS REMEMBER! Besides that looked like a unicorn's magic to me."
'How right you are Wonderbolt...
This put a stop to the two stallion's arguing as they looked around them to find the owner of that voice.
"Who are you!" Spectrum Dash cried. "Why did you shoot down my daughter?"
'Is that any way to talk to your Princess, Captain?" the voice asked. 'And if you must know... I 'Shot down your daughter' so I can talk to this young Wonderbolt here.'
Then out of the shadows stepped a white Alicorn, her armor catching the light of the moon her draconic eyes on them both, her fangs showing as she grinned.
"Who are you?" Soarin asked backing up a bit while Spectrum bowed to his Princess.
"I am Nightmare Moon." she said loving the fear that was coming off of the young stallion. "But there's no need to tell me who you are Soarin Skies. I already know all about you."
"And... And how is that?" Soarin asked looking over at Spectrum for help.
"I live here you fool!" Nightmare Moon said stomping her hoof. "I was here when you met Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, I was here when Spectrum Dash smashed your wings, I was here when you came by earlier when you and that orange pony were telling Rainbow's friends who I was.
"I am trapped to stay inside the boarders of these woods. To have to put up with those loser ponies who keep visiting my forest and never getting the idea that I don't want them here. Only after do I scare them do they get it into their heads to stay away."
"Then why do you always let Rainbow and Scootaloo come here?" Soarin asked challenging the Mare of Darkness in front of him.
"They are Shadowbolts," was all she gave. "My children are loyal to me. Out of all the ponies on this retched planet... Shadowbolts are the only ones I leave alone.
"Well... that was until Rainbow Dash turned traitor and decided to move into the light, just to be with you!" she said opening her wings prowling forward and showing her fangs.
"You... You don't scare me witch." Soarin said now backed up to the trees.
Rainbow Dash was starting to come around. Slowly she opened her eyes, her wings feeling like they were on fire.
She looked up and saw Nightmare Moon making her way to Soarin, and her dad not doing anything to stop it.
Quickly she got up and sprinted to come in between Soarin and the Alicorn.
"I already told you," Rainbow said strongly to Nightmare Moon "I wont let you hurt him!"
"Rainbow Merriam Dashery," Spectrum Dash said. "Get back over here right this second."
"NO!" Rainbow said back anger on her face.
"Don't take that tone with me young lady," Spectrum said turning slightly red. "I'm your father, and I say get back over here now."
"And I'm your daughter, old man," Rainbow said back opening her wings as far as they could go, and stomping her hooves. "And I say no!"
"ENOUGH!" Nightmare Moon cried now in the air winds bringing in storm clouds with bolts of lightning and thunder clapping around her. "If you are quite finished... I'd like to destroy you now!" she said opening her white with power eyes as lightning hit the center of the field starting a fire.
Suddenly two new ponies arrived at the scene.
"Mum" "Dad" Rainbow and Soarin called out together.
"Firefly?" Spectrum Dash asked shocked at seeing her there.
"We have to get out of the borders of the woods," Fire Blitz said strongly kneeling to let Soarin onto his back.
"Come on," Firefly said doing the same for Rainbow and together the three grown ups took off, avoiding blast after blast from the enraged Nightmare Moon behind them.
They were on course back to the Everfree when Rainbow cried.
"No! Head West, towards the apple farm."
Not knowing why they should, the three flying just followed her instructions, landing at the farm's gate.
As soon as Rainbow and Soarin were off their parents, the front door opened and a small orange something came running out and battle hugged Rainbow, tears slightly in her eyes.
"I thought I'd never see you again!" Scootaloo said rubbing her face onto Rainbow's chest. "After Pinkie bounced all around the living room I thought you were... That you were..."
"Hay, hay..." Rainbow said trying to ignore the pain Scootaloo's hug was causing her, patting her head gently. "You can see I'm alright can't ya?"
Sniffing Scootaloo nodded and turned as everyone else came out to greet the new guests.
"Uncle Blitz?" Spitfire asked tilting her head a little in confusion.
"Hello sweetheart," he said holding out a arm and wing showing he wanted a hug, that Spitfire quickly gave him. "I knew I was right when I told Lightning you two were alright." he said grinning to himself.
"One point to you then huh?" Spitfire said smiling as they departed. "So what's the score now?"
"295 to 1," Fire Blitz said with pride, loving the laughs he got from it.
"Um... not to split up the reunions and everything," Applejack said smiling a tired Apple Bloom on her back "But would y'all all like to come in out of the cold and say what's going on?"