Chapter 1: The First Two Nights

Strange Encounters
The First Night

December 1st: I looked up at the skies observing the stars and the moon that Princess Luna provided me tonight. Hopefully this kind of weather will continue…The only thing I noticed was the usual, same stars, and same moon. Although…There may have been something out of the ordinary, but it may have just been me hallucinating and my lack of sleep. I’ll look into this new event tomorrow.

Stella Starlight, a dark purple unicorn with black glasses and a telescope for her cutie mark got up from her chair on her balcony and put down her quill, and then she yawned loudly before looking back into her telescope looking at the beautiful night sky again.
“I could’ve sworn I saw something…” She shakes her head and goes back into her room, closing the door to the balcony, heading to her bed.
“I just need some sleep, then I’ll see if I see whatever I saw tonight” Stella said before her eyes shut slowly.

The Second Night

December 2nd: Apparently what I saw the other night was no hallucination. I made certain I received plenty of sleep the previous night and observed the skies at the same time. What I saw was a comet, now, for those who may be reading these observations, you may already know comets do not behave like this…But there’s something different about this comet. It’s red and I just felt something extraordinary about this. I shall see if this comet will be in the same place at the same time.

As Stella put down her quill, she stared up at the sky, tracing the path the comet took with her quill.
“That isn't a comet, that’s something else…something phenomenal…” She breathed quietly. The next day held nothing for her to perform, so she decided to stay awake and stare at the night sky for a few hours.
Stella’s eyes began to droop, as her clock struck 2 o’clock in the morning. She yawned loud, closing both of her eyes and stretching. Once her eyes opened and she saw something red in the sky.
“Oh…The sun…” She said, her brain shutting down slowly. After a few seconds, her brain turned on again
“Wait, that’s not the sun..!” She exclaimed silently, not forgetting the time it was. She promptly raced to the railing of her balcony and stared at the red comet, taking her journal and writing in it

December 2nd 2:00 AM: The Comet, it’s just stationary, as if something is watching me…This is incredible! This is amazing…This is…! Wait…I hear something, a voice...
Indeed, Stella’s ears perked up, trying to hear the faint voice. She knew it wasn't her fatigue; she hasn't gone that insane. Stella continued to stare at the red object.
“S…S…St…” a deep faint echoing voice said. Stella looks around, curious as to where the voice came from.
“Who are you, where you and WHAT are you?” she said, continuing to look around wildly. She then looks up at the object, tilting her head to the side slightly.
“Is it you…?” She asked cautiously
“Yes…It is I…The ‘Red Comet’ you perceived me as” it said to her
“Well, who are you?”
“I am an embodiment of Star Swirl the Bearded”
“S-S…” Stella was speechless as she stared awestruck at the red figure in the sky.
“Hoh, I see you are surprised why I would choose somepony as humble and as quiet as yourself. You are, surprised aren't you?” Star Swirl asked. Stella promptly nodded and, did not know if he saw her or not, so she quickly added:
“Yes, sir, I am surprised…” she said, almost forgetting the basics of breathing. Star Swirl chuckled quietly and his embodiment slowly descended down towards Stella and stopped right next to her. Then, the orb flashed slightly and took shape of a stallion, about the same height as Stella. His mane looked similar to Mayor Mare’s mane and he had a beard going down to the bottom of his neck. His coat remained the same red color as it was when he was the orb. Stella immediately bowed instinctively despite the fact that he was not royalty. Star Swirl chuckled at this.
“You do not need to bow to me; I am just a frail old stallion…Here to deliver a message to you.” He says, looking down at the mare. Stella rose almost immediately.
“You aren't just a frail old stallion; you’re an inspiration to me! You’re an inspiration to magic!” She exclaimed. Star Swirl held up a hoof and requested her silence. She became silent upon his hoof rising.
“Now, Stella Starlight, I need you to listen VERY carefully, if you do not, something terrible may befall Equestria and change your very lifestyle for the rest of your life…” Star Swirl said darkly. Stella gave her full attention at his shift in speaking.
“You know the mare Twilight Sparkle and her 5 other friends. Well, they need your help defeating an evil that may change Equestria forever…It is an unknown being that cannot be destroyed by The Elements of Harmony. Inside of you, Stella, is a power that equals, if not surpasses, my own. You may not know of this power at this very moment, but when the time comes, this power will awaken inside of you.” Star Swirl closed his eyes and paced for about a minute, Stella following him with her eyes. “You may not know this, but we are related…we have a connection in this world.” He stated, facing the opposite direction of Stella. She jumped up, opening her mouth to protest.
“But, how could I be related to someone as inspirational as you?! I haven’t done anything to help anypony! I’m just an astronomer!” She cried. Star Swirl shook his head.
“Little did you know; the stars you were observing had a pattern in it…If you read carefully and between the lines, you will discover this pattern and you will understand your destiny…” He said, his figure slowly fading.
“I don’t have much time left Stella, just remember these words: Remember the pattern, as that is the key to your true potential.” With that, Star Swirl’s figure faded completely, leaving a scroll. Stella picked it up and opened it. All it said was: Remember the pattern, as that is the key to your true potential do not forget these words Stella Starlight. Never forget them. Stella rolled up the scroll and walked inside, looking at the clock. Strangely, it read 9 o’clock PM, December 2nd. Stella looked around in her room and rushed to take out her Star Log. She opened it and began to read it.
“Read between the lines, Stella, read between the lines…!”