1 year before Nightmare Moon's return...
As Skye walked into town disguised in her pegasus form, the streets were bare and not a single door was open. She frowned slightly. 'Huh...that's strange.'
As she walked past Sugarcube Corner, somepony whispered urgently to her, "Hey, get in here before she sees you!"
Skye's face remained neutral as she stopped and stared at the place. She didn't move from the spot though.
"Oh, for pony's sake, get in here!" Another voice whispered. Before Skye could react, a rainbow blur pulled her inside the shop.
"What in the name of Equestria...?!" Skye exclaimed.
She got a look at the ponies in the shop. There was that Apple farmer from Sweet Apple Acres, the unicorn fashionista from Carousel Boutique, the crazy pink party planning pony that worked for the Cakes, the wanna-be Wonderbolt that worked on the weather team, and the shy yellow pegasus that lived in a cottage near the Everfree. She didn't know any of them and they didn't know her. On her little 'mist trips', she'd explored the town without them noticing, but she never got their names.
"Well, excuse me for savin' your flank back there! And keep your voice down or she'll hear you." The rainbow-maned pony retorted quietly.
Skye raised an eyebrow. She didn't bother lowering her voice. "First off, could you introduce yourselves? Secondly, who are you hiding from? And lastly, why are you hiding from her?.....Actually, no. My last question is why is the pink one smiling at me a mile a minute like she's found the holy Allmother?"
Everypony blinked.
Then, the pink one spoke so quickly that her words merged together. Despite that, Skye's hearing, developed more than the average pony because of her injury and life in the Everfree, could still understand it.
"WelltoansweryourlastquestionI'mPinkiePieandIlovemeetingnewponiesandsinceI'veneverseenyoubeforeyoumustbenew!That'swhyIwassmilingbecauseIliketothrowthese'WelcometoPonyville'partiestoanyponywho'snewintown!"
Skye instantly responded, her face still emotionless. "I'm sorry. I don't like parties all that much so I'll have to decline. And you still haven't told me the others' names, who you're hiding from, and why you're hiding."
The other four slackjawed. Nopony had ever declined a party invitation from Pinkie Pie before.
Pinkie frowned and pouted as the silence stretched.
The unicorn fashionista then cleared her throat and began talking in a sophisticated-sounding Canterlot accent. However, it didn't sound as posh as other Canterlot ponies' accents. "Where are my manners at? I'm Rarity, dear. I run Carousel Boutique, the purple and white building that looks like a tent. I have to say, though, I absolutely adore your manestyle. When she leaves, I'm sure I have a nice dress that would-"
"No, thank you. I'm fine as I am."
Rarity frowned, but she didn't continue.
The Apple farmer and the rainbow-maned ones stepped up next. They exchanged a brief glance (or was it a glare?) before the rainbow-maned one spoke.
"Name's Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer in Ponyville. Weather team captain as well. Might've heard of me before." She boasted as she hovered in the air.
'I can see humility is something you need to learn, Rainbow.' Skye thought as the Apple farmer spoke next.
She tipped her Stetson hat and smiled. "Well, howdy partner. The name's Applejack. Ah live with my Granny, little Apple Bloom, and Big Macintosh at Sweet Apple Acres. Nice to meet ya'."
Applejack stuck out her hoof to shake.
"Charmed." Skye said curtly, ignoring Applejack's attempt to hoofshake with her. She turned to the yellow pegasus who was hiding behind her mane. "And you are...?"
The pony squeaked, hiding behind Rarity. "I'm Fluttershy."
Skye flicked her left ear. "Nice to meet you too, Fluttershy." Sarcasm was found in the undertone of her voice, but if anypony heard it, they didn't express it.
"Now that we've introduced ourselves, who are you, dear?" Rarity asked.
"Name's Snow Dusk." Skye said.
"Silly, that's not how you introduce yourself!" Pinkie said with a giggle.
"Yeah, I mean like, where do you live? You gotta give us more than your name." Rainbow said.
"Very well." Skye sighed as she rolled her eyes. "I guess you can say I live on the outskirts, so I'll come here once in a while. There. Happy?"
"Eh, better than nothing." Rainbow shrugged.
"Do tell, where exactly do you live, dear?" Rarity asked.
"The Everfree." Skye said blatantly.
Five pairs of eyes widened.
"Ya' kidding, right?" Applejack asked uncertainly.
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Skye said.
The silent answer was 'no'.
"So, um, have you...met somepony named Zecora by any chance...?" Rainbow asked nervously.
"Hmm, Zecora, Zecora...Oh yeah, sometime ago arou-"
Skye felt a magical aura grip around her and fling her into the streets. Her eyes flashed with a sky-blue magical aura before she hit the ground, teleporting her onto four hooves.
"Whew, close one. That could've been nasty. But what the hay was that about?!" Skye muttered to herself. She looked back at Sugarcube Corner, frowning.
Then, she walked towards Town Hall. She continued for about a minute before stopping. Her ears pricked up as she heard the sound of hooves digging into the ground. She turned to see a figure wearing a brown hooded cloak.
"Um, excuse me. I have to ask. Do you know why nopony's around?" Skye asked.
The figure removed their hood, revealing a familar zebra face. Zecora smiled as she recognized her. "Ah, I did not expect to see you in Ponyville! As you can see, things are not run of the mill. This is what happens when I come; stores are locked, others more than some. Since no open store is to be found, I try to find the herbs I seek in the ground."
"Well, that explains it. But why are they afraid of you?" Skye asked Zecora.
"That I do not know, but they are all gone when I show."
Skye lifted into the air. "Well, thanks for that infomation, Zecora."
And with that, she flew away towards the Everfree.
************
5 minutes ago, Sugarcube Corner...
"Whew, close one. That could've been nasty. But what the hay was that about?!" They heard her mumble.
Then she walked off.
"You guys saw that, right?" Rainbow questioned.
"Ya mean how she was this close," Applejack put her hooves an inch apart from each other for emphasis. "To-"
"To making the worst kind of faceplant, but teleported at the last minute?" Pinkie interjected quickly.
"Yes, that was quite peculiar. But if she's as bad as Zecora, I'd rather not try to find out how." Rarity said.
"But the point is that a pegasus teleported. Doesn't that mean anything to you guys? What if it's some sort of forbidden magical ability that could endanger Ponyville?!" Rainbow nearly yelled.
"Quiet down, Dashie. Zecora might hear you and put a curse on you! Or worse, try and make you into stew!" Pinkie hushed.
"Pinkie, dear, I don't think Zecora will eat any of us. That would be cannibalism, and most gruesome." Rarity said disgustedly.
Then, they realized that there was one pony not in on the conversation. Fluttershy was hiding behind one of the few tables in the shop as she shivered with fright.
"Oh dear...Fluttershy dear, whatever is the matter?" Rarity asked, walking over to the cowering pegasus.
"Y-You know h-how I c-can s-sometimes 'sense' h-how an animal is feeling or s-saying?" Fluttershy asked shakily.
"Sugarcube, what does that have to do with anythin' 'bout that strange Snow Dusk pegasus?" Applejack asked questioningly, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, AJ's right. What's that got to do with anything?" Rainbow agreed.
"If anything, that pony was downright rude." Pinkie proclaimed.
"Though I share their opinion, yes dear, you have mentioned to us from time to time that ability of yours." Rarity confirmed.
By then, Fluttershy had stopped shaking and stood up. "Well, um, you see, I can do that because it conveys its emotions through its eyes and expression. It, um, sort of works for ponies too, but I'm better with animals."
Fluttershy hesitated and closed her eyes. She shuddered slightly.
"Well, dear?" Rarity urged.
Fluttershy opened her eyes. "This pony, Snow Dusk, well, um, she's...different from other ponies. I can usually look into a pony's eyes or examine their behavior to figure out what they're like." She started shaking slightly again. "Her? She was like a blank slate. When she looked at me, her eyes were ice-cold and you all saw how cold and unfeeling she was. I've never seen somepony who was so emotionless before. The way she keeps herself from showing emotion, even in the slightest way? It scares me."
...
Pinkie broke the awkward silence that followed. "Maybe she's Zecora's spy and can't reveal anything! Or maybe she was cursed by Zecora to not be able to feel anything! Or, or! She's secretly another pony who lives in the Everfree alone and she's also an enchantress that's against Zecora, so they're trying to gain control of everypony in Ponyville to prove who's better!"
Fluttershy squeaked and hid her face behind her hooves.
With exception of Pinkie Pie, who was beginning to list off more bizarre ideas about Snow Dusk, everypony was silent, each thinking of the strange new pegasus, Snow Dusk. One question burned in each of them.
'Who is she?'
************
2 moons prior to Nightmare Moon's return...
"On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in their escape, and they will bring about nighttime eternal..."
"Not this again..." Skye whispered.
Her eyes shot open. Her breath came in short pants. Her blood iced as she recalled what this meant. She steadied her breathing and closed her eyes.
'After all these years...'