Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie made their way through the shadows in silence. Peeking out at the moon from a building across the road from the clock tower, Twilight crept toward the tower, with Pinkie close behind. Pinkie suddenly stopped and then bounded in front of Twilight, revealing a very twitchy tail. Pinkie's face was panicked and she pointed her hoof to her tail. Twilight quickly remembered that Pinkie didn't know that she knew what it meant: something was going to fall, whispering "Your Pinkie Sense. Quick, to the clock tower!"
They hurried to the clock tower in the center of Ponyville and stepped inside the large glass door. Twilight glanced out the window just in time to see Nightmare Moon falling down and landing next to the building they were just at. They stayed silent and still for the next few minutes, watching with baited breath as Nightmare Moon investigated where they just were. Time stood still for the two mares as they waited, until Nightmare Moon flew off again. Twilight went over to Pinkie, whose tail had stopped twitching and unzipped her mouth.
"You're probably wondering how I knew about your Pinkie Sense, huh?" she asked. Pinkie nodded, showing in her eyes the confusion at how she knew about the Pinkie Sense and how she knew what exactly what a twitchy tail meant. "In the time I come from, the six of us have been friends since two days before Nightmare Moon returned and used mystical stones to turn her back into Princess Luna. Later I found out about your Pinkie Sense and didn't believe it could be real because I couldn't find any scientific proof of how it could happen. Then I finally accepted that some things can't be explained so easily and trusted your Pinkie Sense like everypony else in Ponyville."
Pinkie sat in silence for a moment, processing what she had just learned. "So you're a time traveler?"
"Sort of. I'll get into the details once all six of us are all together at Applejack's."
"That explains a lot more, too! Like how you knew the layout of Ponyville and why you weren't initially afraid of Nightmare Moon!"
"You're right; I guess it does. Let's go before Nightmare Moon comes back looking for us."
"Okay!" Pinkie exclaimed as she zipped her mouth closed again.
Finally exiting the clock tower, they continued their journey southeast toward the Carousel Boutique, being extra careful this time. Instead of moving uncovered, Twilight covered them with the tablecloth from the bakery that Twilight had enchanted so that, from above, it showed only the grass under them. As they neared one of Ponyville's restaurants, Twilight suddenly stopped and pulled Pinkie behind the restaurant. Peeking around the corner, she confirmed what she thought she'd seen just moments before: Nightmare Moon was looking for them in the grassy knoll across the river. Incidentally, she was also blocking their path to Rarity's boutique.
"Nightmare Moon is blocking the way to Rarity's," Twilight whispered. "We'll have to go around to the windmill first so we can get to the pet shop."
Pinkie nodded again and they waited until Nightmare Moon was looking the opposite direction before sneaking from tree to tree. After the first few trees, they looked back toward where they last saw Nightmare Moon, but as they hid behind the next building, the view was too obscured by the other trees. They made their way slowly once more toward the windmill, keeping a careful watch on the skies and on their surroundings
The rest of their short journey to the windmill, aside from shaking in their hooves over fear of Nightmare Moon finding them, was uneventful. They hurried into the windmill and closed the door to catch their breath.
"All right, we're almost there. At least the windmill doesn't have a giant glass door we have to worry about. Let's wait a few minutes and then hurry to Fluttershy's pet shop."
"Um, there's going to be a problem, Twilight."
"What is it, Pinkie?"
"If we don't want to get wet, the only way across the river for us non-pegasi is the bridge, which is way out in the open."
"I can fly," Twilight replied and tried spreading her wings, quickly remembering that she didn't have them anymore. She hung her head, saddened at the loss of the wings she'd grown used to. "Or used to where I come from."
Pinkie's eyes widened and she started bouncing. "You were a princess?"
"Yup. Once we get to Princess Celestia she can help bring things back to the way they're supposed to be."
Once again they headed on their way southeast along the trees, soon coming to the bridge.
"Pinkie," Twilight whispered, "see if you can climb this tree and check for Nightmare Moon."
Pinkie nodded and disappeared into the branches. From below, Twilight could see only the rustling leaves, so she kept watch on both sides of the bridge as she made the tablecloth float up to the top of the tree. Pinkie, with the higher perspective and the tablecloth obscuring her presence, looked as far across Ponyville, seeing no sign of Nightmare Moon anywhere. Satisfied, she descended once again and relayed that the coast was clear. In silence, the two crept silently along the side of the bridge, making sure their hooves made as little noise as possible.
Twilight stopped for a moment. "I just realized that Fluttershy's going to be scared out of her mind with Nightmare Moon galloping about like this. She'll probably have her door locked. How will we convince her Nightmare Moon's not near?"
"When this whole thing started I taught her a secret knock which only the two of us know that will mean that it's safe. Except since I'll be doing it in front of you, then you'll know too, but I guess that's okay since you already know so much about us and--"
Twilight put her hoof to Pinkie's mouth. "Let's just hurry before Nightmare Moon comes back." Pinkie nodded and they continued, Fluttershy's pet shop not too far away. Having cleared the treeline, they hurried to the pet shop's front door. Twilight nodded, and Pinkie started the knock. The knock sounded rhythmic, almost song-like as it progressed. Twilight looked to the sky, hoping the sound of the knocking wasn't within Nightmare Moon's range of hearing, but found herself smiling. Leave it to Pinkie to create something so good out of this chaos, she thought.
For a few seconds after Pinkie had finished the knock, nothing happened. Then, slowly, the door opened a little and a soft voice came from the darkened interior.
"Hurry inside, Pinkie."
Pinkie and Twilight hurried inside, closing the door behind them. Twilight's horn glowed with soft light, illuminating the room a little. Fluttershy hurried behind a piece of furniture.
"I thought you said it was safe!" Her voice came out quieter, her voice wavering in fear.
"It is safe. This is Twilight Sparkle. She's a time traveler who has to find Princess Celestia to bring things back to where Nightmare Moon was defeated long ago and she knows about you and me and Rarity and Applejack and Rainbow Dash and also my Pinkie Sense. I trust her."
Fluttershy peeked out from behind the furniture and slowly made her way toward them again.
"It's okay, Fluttershy. I'm here to help. Where I come from, the six of us defeated Nightmare Moon before her eternity of night lasted very long. We just need to find Princess Celestia so she can help us again. We're meeting up in Applejack's barn so we don't have to worry about being seen by Nightmare Moon."
"Oh, it'll be good to see her again! It's been so long since I've seen anypony other than Pinkie."
"How long has it been?" Twilight asked.
"Since the Summer Sun Celebration when she showed up," Fluttershy answered.
Twilight found she wasn't surprised that Fluttershy had stayed where she knew it was safe. She frightened so easily, after all.
"It's a good thing I have a safe way to Sweet Apple Acres," Fluttershy said.
"You do?" Twilight and Pinkie said in unison, there mouths agape.
"Mhm. I asked my digging animals to dig tunnels to several places in Ponyville, but I've been too frightened to use them. Pegasi don't do well underground, and there's always the risk of a cave-in."
"Where's the entrance to these tunnels?" Twilight asked excited that they didn't have to keep their eyes on all flanks anymore.
"Mine is right outside the back door. I've avoided using it since I never know when it's safe to come out."
"We should make sure it's safe, and then we'll go."
Fluttershy asked an owl if he could go on the roof to see if it was safe and return to tell them the answer. The owl nodded and flew out a window that Pinkie had opened. After a minute or so, the owl returned, confirming that it was safe to go out. Opening the back door, Twilight exited first, extinguishing the glow of her horn. Pinkie nudged Fluttershy out, who hurried to lift a large rock right next to the door, which turned out to be a fake rock. Pinkie took her place, and they descended underground, Twilight leading, her horn shining a light down the tunnel, Fluttershy behind her, and Pinkie taking the rear.