The Princess of the Day paced back and forth within her chambers. It had been almost two full days since her sister had departed to check upon the status of her protégé, and she still had yet to receive any word from her regarding her status. The younger sister had even failed to fulfill her obligations in the raising and lowering of the moon, which had only ever happened once before. Staring out upon the setting sun she searched the skies, hoping at any moment to see the familiar outline of the mare appear against the crimson sky, but she never appeared.
Of greater concern was how the pearl alicorn had been unable to enter the dreamscape since her last encounter with her sister there. No matter what she may try, it was as though there were some force which had created a barrier which she simply could not break through. The diarch shuddered at the thought of the untold horrors which could be befalling her citizens if some form of malevolent force meant them harm. She had sent word to her most faithful student in order to determine her opinion on the matter. Granted, it would be understood if she were too preoccupied with the current tragedy befalling her friend in order to respond, but it had never stopped her before…
The mare sighed as she realized that she was most likely reading far too much into the matter. The diarch took a small sip of tea and allowed for the soothing liquid to warm her from the inside. Using a hoof to rub her sore shoulders, she returned her gaze to the window. The last hint of the sun was disappearing behind the distant hills, giving one final golden ray of light which reflected off of the bright walls of the brilliant capital city. Then, as she finished setting the sun she waited for a moment hoping her sister might take over. When no such moment arrived, she gave a small sigh and allowed for the moon to begin its slow journey through the night sky. Looking at the path it would take, she noted the lack of stars in the sky as a cold breeze crept in from the doors to the balcony. A silence had befallen the kingdom, returning an old fear to her mind: what if this time she didn’t have the strength to defend her kingdom? What if-
The feeling of a presence in the room made the diarch stop and turn to see if perhaps her assistant or a guardpony had entered her room, perhaps delivering news of her sister or assistant? Yet the door to the royal chambers remained closed and the room was entirely silent. Returning her attention back to her tea, the princess finished off the last of it and decided that the worry and stress of her present situation was surely playing tricks on her mind. Slowly sliding into her bed, the Princess of the Day closed her eyes and allowed for the world of dreams to wash away her worries.
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The elder sister stood alone in the center of an empty field, surrounded by rolling hills of yellowed grass. No other object blocked her vision for miles around her in every direction as the pale gray sky offered its light to the land. The mare trotted through the tall grass as she made her way to an unknown destination. The air was silent, without the sound of birds, insects, or small animals running through the tall blades. The entire world around the one alicorn was frozen in time. Yet, she felt something. A familiar presence that she had not known for hundreds of years.
‘Sombra…’ the ruler hissed.
Whipping herself around she barely dodged the hideous black mist as it flew past her alighting itself in on a nearby mound. From the dark smoke, a figure emerged. The scarred body of a gray stallion with the remains of a shattered crown upon his head. Slowly, the monster turned towards the princess, and its cold red eyes met with her own. The lips of the thing slowly curled up into a sinister smile at the sight of the fear in the ruler’s face.
‘Oh, Celestia,’ the king laughed, ‘it really has been far too long…’