Nethe

by KwirkyJ

1 – Portents

Princess Luna,

I'm sorry to wake you early and I don't mean to alarm you, but I need your help in Ponyville.

Last night, my friends and I decided to spend the night in the Everfree Castle. We thought it would be fun to make some hot cider and camp out overnight in the frosted ancient halls.

Rainbow Dash said she saw 'some ghost-like things', but we all dismissed it – you know as well as anyone she likes her pranks. Of course Fluttershy got scared and Applejack told her off, but Rainbow maintained that she was telling the truth.

I'm writing you now because the sun's up and we can't find Fluttershy or Rarity anywhere. It's not like them to wander off. We searched the entire castle, the surrounding woods, and the path back to down, and nopony has seen them in Ponyville all day so they haven't returned. None of us are as good with animal tracks as Fluttershy, but Applejack's pretty sure that they weren't carried off by anything. Well, there weren't any tracks... nor blood.

I'll be sending a letter to Celestia immediately after this one, but I think I need your help more. I checked in the library for anything – even ghosts. I found one lead, about the winter solstice. It said that the barriers between this world and 'a spirit world' are their thinnest at the solstice, and that you (The Princess of the Night) were the guardian. It's over a thousand years old, though...

I'm getting scared. The solstice is tonight! Nopony knows where they went, and it's cold enough to be dangerous outside.

Please help,
Twilight Sparkle