> We're the Foals Who Lived
>  by Maddie Koester
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Princess Celestia set the sun, and Princess Luna raised the moon, every pony in Equestria was celebrating.  All but a few, for there was tragic loss leading to this celebration.

Princess Twilight was pacing outside Friendship Castle. She was waiting for Princess Celestia, who had some important matters to discuss. Then all the lights on the street turned into small luminescent orbs and flew into the darkness. Twilight  could just make out a figure in the darkness: Princess Celestia.

"I see you got my letter," Princess Celestia said.

"Yes, what is it that you wanted to discuss?" Twilight asked,

"I'll get to that in a moment, my dear. But why aren't you celebrating? I must have passed a dozen parties on my way here," Celestia smiled.

"But is it too soon? Is she really gone, Celestia?" Twilight inquired.

"It certainly seems so," said Celestia. "We have much to be thankful for.  Would you care for a lemon drop?"

"No, thank you," said Twilight coldly. "The last time I was offered a 'lemon drop' it was a fire candy Pinkie Pie gave me. As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"

"My dearest Twilight, surely a sensible pony like yourself can call her by her name? All this 'You- Know-Who' nonsense - for nine years I have been trying to persuade ponies, and magical creatures alike, a to call her by her proper name: Queen Chrysalis." said Celestia.

Princess Twilight flinched, but Celestia, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. 

"It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Chrysalis's name." Celestia continued.

"I know you haven't, said Twilight, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Every pony knows you're the only one You-Know - oh, all right, Queen Chrysalis, was frightened of."

"You flatter me," said Princess Celestia calmly. "Queen Chrysalis had powers I will never have."

"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them." Twilight responded.

"Thank you, Twilight," Celestia responded.

"But about the rumors? Do you know what every pony's saying? About why she's disappeared? About what finally stopped her?" Twilight questioned.

It seemed that the purple alicorn had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss. It was plain that whatever 'every pony' was saying, she was not going to believe it until Princess Celestia  told her it was true. Celestia, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer. 

"What they're saying, is that last night Queen Chrysalis turned up in Sire's Hollow. She went to find the Glimmers. The rumor is that Sunburst and Starlight Glimmer are - are -" Twilight choked, as her eyes swelled with tears. "dead,"

Princess Celestia bowed her head. Twilight gasped, falling into Celestia's hooves and bursting into tears.

"Starlight and Sunburst... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it..." Twilight cried even harder.

"Shh...  I know, Twilight... I know what it feels like to lose some pony you care about," Celestia said heavily, her eyes glistening with tears.

"That's not all." Twilight's voice trembled as she went on. "They're saying she tried to kill their foals, Morning Shine and Eclipse. But - she couldn't. She couldn't kill those two, innocent, foals. No pony knows why, or how, but they're saying that when she couldn't kill Morning Shine and Eclipse Glimmer, Queen Chrysalis's power somehow broke - and that's why she's gone."

Princess Celestia nodded glumly.

"It's -it's true?" faltered Princess Twilight. "After all she's done... all the creatures she's killed... she couldn't kill two foals? It's just astounding... of all the things to stop her... but how in the name of Celest - er you - did Morning Shine and Eclipse survive?" 

"We can only guess, and my guess is the love that Sunburst and Starlight Glimmer gave off in protecting their foals created a forced field around them. And when Queen Chrysalis attempted to kill Morning Shine and Eclipse, the force field emitted a force of love so powerful that it eradicated Chrysalis from existence-" Celestia started.

Twilight gave her mentor a perplexed look.

"But we may never know," Twilight finished.

Princess Twilight conjured a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. Princess Celestia sniffed as she took a golden watch and examined it.

"Spike's late. I suppose he told you he too received a letter from me, but not every detail?" Celestia questioned.

"Yes," said Twilight. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"

"I am having Spike bring Morning Shine and Eclipse here. As they have no family left, I am making you their legal guardian." Celestia said.

"What?!" Twilight squeaked, panicked. "But I can't- Why me?! There has to be some pony-"

"Twilight," Celestia said firmly. "I have full faith in you. And it's what's best for them. But you have to promise me that you will tell them everything when they are older."

"But-" Twilight began.

"It would be enough to turn any the foals' head. Famous before they can walk and talk! Famous for something they won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off they'll be, growing up away from all that until they're ready to take it?" Celestia stated.

Princess Twilight opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course."

The silence was broken by the gentle flapping a dragon's wings. Spike landed with a small thump, caring two small bundles of blankets in his arms.

"Spike," said Princess Celestia, sounding relieved. "At last. No problems were there?"

"No, Princess- the house was almost destroyed, I got them out of there before every pony could start swarming around. They fell asleep as we were flying over Neighagra Falls." Spike stated.

Both princesses bent forward over the two bundles, and just visible were two foals, a two year old filly and a newborn colt. The filly, Morning Shine, was a light orange unicorn with cream colored 'socks' on her hooves and diamond on her forehead. She also had a deep lavender mane. And the colt, Eclipse, had was a light purple unicorn who also had cream colored 'socks' and a 'mask' around his muzzle. Like his sister he also had a deep lavender mane, but with turquoise stripes.

"Give them here, Spike," Twilight said calmly, as she carefully levitated the two foals.

"Could I - could I say good-bye to them?" asked Spike. 

He bent his head over Morning Shine and Eclipse and gave them both a kiss. Then, suddenly, Spike let out a ginormous, loud roar.

"Shh!" hissed Princess Celestia, "you'll wake the foals!"

"S-s-sorry," sobbed Spike, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Sunburst and Starlight dead - and poor little Morning Shine and Eclipse without getting to know there parents-"

"Yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Spike," Princess Celestia whispered, patting Spike gingerly on the arm.

Twilight opened the doors to Friendship Castle and carrying the two sleeping foals inside.

"Well, I best be off," Princess Celestia said, returning the light to the street lamps. "There will be a lot of parties I will be needing to attend to,"

"Good luck, Twi," Spike whispered, as Twilight shut the doors behind her.

Morning Shine and Eclipse had no idea what would happen next in there lives. They fell asleep not knowing they were special, not knowing they were famous, not knowing at this very moment ponies all over Equestria cheering:

"To Morning Shine and Eclipse Glimmer - The Foals Who Lived!"
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nearly nine years had passed since Princess Twilight had taken Morning Shine and Eclipse in, but Friendship Castle had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the beautiful crystal structure; and it crept into the front door. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Nine years ago, there had been lots of pictures of light orange unicorn filly, with an indigo mane with pink and blue stripes and purple eyes - but Princess Sparkling Radiance was no longer a baby, and neither were the Glimmer children. And the mantle held a multitude of photos the three foals playing together, and a big family portrait.

And Morning Shine and Eclipse led a perfectly normal life, until one fateful day...

“Rise and shine every pony!” Twilight said.

Morning Shine woke with a start. She rolled out of bed and went to nudge her younger brother awake. Eclipse responded by levitating his pillow and throwing it over his head.

“Every pony up!” Twilight said bursting in the room, causing both foals to be startled and Eclipse to fall out of bed.


Shine heard her trotting toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. The siblings walked out of the room to help their ‘aunt’ with breakfast, and Eclipse tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a dragon in it. He had a funny feeling he’d had the same dream before.

“Good morning Auntie Twilight,” the two said drowsily.

“Good, you’re up,” she smiled. “Morning Shine? Could you watch the hash browns for me please? I want to make sure everything is ready before we leave to the Canterlot History Museum,”

“Does every place that we go to have to have an educational purpose?” Eclipse groaned.

“All the more reason to go,” Twilight responded.

“Where’s Radiance?” Morning Shine asked.

“And Uncle Flash?” Eclipse added.

“Radiance is packing the essentials and Flash is-” Twilight was interrupted by a loud snore coming from upstairs. “I’ll go get him,”

Even though Flash was technically family, he always had a rather bad temper. And that temperament was normally taken out on Morning Shine and Eclipse, even if they didn’t do anything intentionally. Twilight would defend them though, and so would Radiance. A few minutes later Twilight came back down with a grumpy Flash, and a ready to go Sparkling Radiance.

“Morning Shine make sure those hashbrowns don’t burn! And Eclipse, stop slouching!” Flash Sentry barked.

“Dad, just because you didn’t get enough beauty sleep doesn’t mean you can take your grumpiness out on Morning Shine and Eclipse,” Sparkling Radiance retorted.

Flash grumbled as he picked up his morning paper and coffee. The five sat down and started eating when the Ponyville clock tower struck eight.

“Oh my gosh! It’s eight o’clock! We’re going to miss the train to Canterlot!” Twilight shrieked.

“But what about-?” Radiance started.

“No, time for breakfast! We’ll get something on the train!” Twilight shouted as she teleported everyone to the Ponyville Train Station with a ‘POP!’.

Half an hour later the five had arrived in Canterlot and headed to the museum. Flash reminded everyone ‘no funny business’ while they were there. But Morning Shine and Eclipse felt it was directed mainly towards them. They looked at each exhibit and all of them, except Twilight, were practically bored out of their mines. There were many ponies there, mostly adults and field trips on tour.

“And this is the exhibit of the Great Magic War, the final battle of Sire’s Hollow-” the tour guide started.
‘Sire's Hollow? Isn’t that where my parents, Eclipse and I lived?’ Morning Shine thought.

Morning Shine started walking towards that section of the museum when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Flash demanded.

“I overheard a tour guide talking about The Great Magic War. And I wanted to see the exhibit,” Morning Shine stated.

“I told you no funny buis-” Flash started.

“Flash,” Twilight stated calmly. “I’ll handle this,”

Flash stormed off. And went to find Radiance and Eclipse.

“I don’t think you’re ready for that exhibit yet, Morning Shine,” Twilight said.

“But Auntie-” Morning Shine started.

“I’m sorry Shine, but a no is still a no. Now come on, Sparkling Radiance found a endangered species exhibit,” Twilight grinned.

Twilight lead Morning Shine to the endangered species exhibit. But Morning Shine was still curious and turned her head around looking back longingly.

“What did you find Radiance?” Twilight asked.

“A massasauga, or Sistrurus catenatus, native to North Amarerica,” Radiance responded.

Twilight smiled at her daughter, and then saw her husband reaching towards the glass.

“Flash! Don’t tap that class! You’ll irritate the snake.” Twilight hissed.

Eclipse moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn’t have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid ponies drumming their hooves on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Eclipse’s. It winked. Eclipse stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren’t. He looked back at the snake and winked, too. The snake jerked its head toward Flash.

“I know,” Eclipse murmured through the glass, though he wasn’t sure the snake could hear him. “It must be really annoying.”

The snake nodded vigorously.

“Was it nice in Amarerica?” Eclipse asked.

The snake jabbed its tail at the sign again and Eclipse read on: This specimen was bred in the museum. “Oh, I see - so you’ve never been to Amarerica?”

As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Eclipse made both of them jump. “HEY, TWI! LOOK AT THIS!”

Flash, along with Twilight, Radiance, and Morning Shine, made their way back to the snake's enclosure. Ponies from all around gathered to see the snake and what it was doing. Eclipse in the process being shoved to the floor. Then the ‘oos’ and ‘ahhs’ turned into screams of terror. Eclipse sat up and gasped; the glass front of the snake’s tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. Ponies throughout the exhibit screamed and started running for the exits.

As the snake slid swiftly past him, Eclipse could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, “Amarerica, here I come… Thanksss, friend.”

The keeper of the exhibit was in shock.

“But the glass,” he kept saying, “where did the glass go?”

The director himself apologized over and over again, to Twilight. When they got home Flash pulled both Eclipse and Morning Shine aside.

“What did you two do?!” he demanded.

“I - I don’t know!” Eclipse stammered.

“Don’t lie! You did something!” Flash said, his voice level rising.

“Uncle Flash, we honestly don’t know!” Morning Shine protested.

“Flash!!” Twilight shouted her voice cutting through the castle corridor. “That is enough! They are growing unicorns, and so is your daughter! And growing unicorns have magical spurts that are unpredictable! I should know, I was a born a unicorn!”

Morning Shine and Eclipse backed away, trotted up the stairs, and closed their bedroom door behind them. But they could still hear their ‘aunt’ arguing up a storm.

“They have been living with us for nine years, Flash! They’re practically family! When are you going to start treating them like one?” Twilight finished, and marched to the library to leave Flash to ponder on his actions.
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Though Twilight knew the escaped snake incident was an accident, she still 'punished' Morning Shine and Eclipse by having them not study magic for a week. For the them it was relief, but alas more mischievous magic was to come.

It was an early morning in August, there was a horrible smell in the kitchen when Morning Shine and Eclipse went in for breakfast. When they stepped into the kitchen, they found Twilight using her magic to dye articles of clothing.

“What are you doing, Aunt Twilight?” Morning Shine asked. 

Twilight's lips tightened in concentration. 

“Dying your new school uniforms,” she said.

“Oh,” Eclipse said, “I didn’t realize it had to be magicked,”

“Don’t be silly,” replied Twilight. I’m dyeing some of your old clothes the perfect shade of 'pure-beck stone'. They’ll look just like everyone else’s when I’ve finished.”

Both foals thought it best not to argue. They sat down at the table and tried not to think about how lonely they were going to be on their first day at Astral Spell's Magic Academy — well they would be lonely, if it weren't for Radiance. Radiance and Flash came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from the new uniforms. Flash opened his newspaper as usual and Radiance opened her spell books. They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.

“Get the mail, Radiance,” said Flash from behind his paper.

“Okay,” Sparkling Radiance said absent-mindedly as she attempted to levitate the letters from behind her books, the mail dropped with a small thump.

“Get the mail, Shine.” Flash muttered

Morning Shine rolled her eyes and went to get the letters. Five things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Flash’s brother First Base, who was vacationing on the Isle of Flight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and three scrolls - one for each of the three foals in the house hold. Shine picked it up and stared at it, the only times she would get letters was when it was her birthday, or a get-well card. And her friends would come over if they wanted to talk. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:

Ms. M.S. Glimmer

Castle of Friendship

Ponyville, Equestria

The scroll was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink, tied neatly with a red bow. She looked at the other two scrolls, they were exactly the same with the exception for who it was addressed to. 

“Everything okay Morning Shine?” Flash shouted from the kitchen. “What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?” He chuckled at his own joke.

Shine went back to the kitchen, still staring at the scrolls. She handed Flash the bill and the postcard, gave the two other scrolls to their addressee respectively. The three foals opened the scrolls slowly. Flash ripped open the bill,  and frowned at the postcard.

“First Base’s ill,” he informed Twilight. “Ate a funny…”

“What do you three have?" Twilight inquired the foals, as she levitated them out of their grasp.

“Hey!” said the three, trying to snatch it back.

Within seconds Twilight's face was as white as Rarity's coat.

“F-F-Flash!” she gasped.

"Twilight? What's the mat-?" Flash's face went the same shade of white.

"What? Let us see!" Eclipse pleaded.

"NO!" Twilight shrieked, as the scrolls burst into flames.

Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Sparkling Radiance stared horror struck at the ashes.

"Hey, who wants a vacation?!" Flash said nervously.
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flash's idea of a last minute 'vacation' wasn't the greatest. The five ended up in a rundown old hut, near the edge of the ocean. As night fell, a big storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Twilight found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for the three foals on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Flash went off to the lumpy bed next door. The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Eclipse couldn’t sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Flash’s snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. Eclipse heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn’t going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And what was that funny crunching noise? Was a rock crumbling into the sea? Boom!
The whole shack shivered and Eclipse sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.

Boom! They knocked again. Morning Shine and Sparkling Radiance jerked awake. 

"Who let Pinkie Pie in?" Radiance asked drowsily.

There was a crash behind them and Flash came flying into the room. He was holding a spear in his hooves.

"Who's there? I worn you - I'm armed," 

There was a pause. Then - SMASH!!

The door was hit with such a force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed on the floor. A tall, lean purple and green dragon was standing in the door way. His green eyes beamed as he smiled at the five ponies.

"Spike!" Sparkling Radiance shouted, running toward the dragon and greeted with a tight embrace. 

"Spike what is the meaning of this?!" Flash roared.

"Can I not visit my friends?" Spike questioned, smirking.

"It's great to see you Spike," Twilight smiled. "But why here, now, and at this time?" 

"Celestia's orders, seeing is how these three..."

"Not another word, Spike!" Flash warned.

Spike rolled his eyes and made his way to Morning Shine and Eclipse.

"What's with the shocked faces? Who did you think it was? Prince Rutherford?" Spike smiled.

"Sorry, Spike, guess we were kinda zoned out..." Morning Shine said meekly.

"Don't worry 'bout it," Spike said glancing at the fire. "Let's get this place warmed up,"

Once the fire was started, Spike sat down on the sofa which sagged under his weight.

"Now, are you three ready to go to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns?"

"B-but, we're going to Astral Spell's Magic Academy, " Eclipse stated.

Spike looked at Twilight and Flash with a puzzled look on his face.

"I knew you three didn't answer your scrolls, but we're talking about one of the most excellent magic schools in Equestria!  Morning Shine, Eclipse, your father went there. I mean he wasn't one of the greatest, but he and your mother were some of the most powerful unicorns in the land! And Sparkling Radiance, your mother went there and look at her now, she's an alicorn! Don't you want to go to the school learned it all?" Spike grinned.

"You mean magic?" Sparkling Radiance asked. But we'll learn it at Astral Spell's Magic Academy too, won't we?"

Spike took a deep breath in, got up, and walked over to Twilight and Flash.

"You mean to tell me," Spike said in a low voice, "that these foals - these foals - know nothing about ANYTHING?

"We know basic magic," Morning Shine said, hoping it would turn the situation around.

"Radiance, I know you know your mom is famous. She is an alicorn princess," Spike said. "But Morning Shine, Eclipse you must know about your mom and dad. They're famous, you two are famous!"

"What? Our mom and dad, I know they were powerful unicorns and my mom was Aunt Twilight's student - but they weren't that famous... Were they?" Eclipse said, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"You don't know, you really don't know..." Spike muttered.

"Spike, I think you've said enough," Twilight said, her eyes especially weary. 

"You've never told them? Never told them how they came to be in your custody? I was there! And you've kept it from them all these years, Twilight?" Spike asked, clearly stunned.

"Princess Celestia told me to tell them when they were ready! I never expected Celestia would decide that day for me!" Twilight stated, flustered.

"Tell us what Auntie Twilight?" Morning Shine, who had a firm and unhappy look on her face.

"STOP!! I FORBID YOU!" Flash shouted.

"Ah, go boil you're heads, both you. Here, this belongs to you three," Spike said handing the three foals a scroll.

They reached for the scroll and it read: 

CELESTIA'S SCHOOL FOR GIFTED UNICORNS
Headmistress: Princess Celestia 

Dear Ms. and Mr. Glimmer and Ms. Sentry, 
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Please find an enclose list of all necessary books and equipment. 
Term begins September 1, we await your response no later than August 30.

Your's sincerely,
Princess Luna, Deputy Headmistress

Thoughts swirled in the foals minds, Morning Shine's and Eclipse's especially.

"Wh-What should our response be?" Eclipse stammered.

"Sweet Celestia, that reminds me," Spike said clapping his claw to his forehead. 

Spike took out a quill and parchment, and began scribbling. When he was finished he took a deep breath and lit the parchment on fire, sending it to Princess Celestia.

"Where was I?" Spike questioned aloud.

"They're not going," Flash said "It's too dangerous for them, especially for my own daughter! She's the heir to Twilight's throne! We swore when took Morning Shine and Eclipse in we would keep them away from all this-"

"You knew? You knew this whole time, and you kept this from us?! Morning Shine interrupted, angered with hot tears streaming down her face.

"Knew?! Of course we knew! And we only kept it from you to keep you safe!" Twilight said, her voice raised, eyes also glistened with tears. "When your parents were killed we only feared you'd suffer the same fate! Being killed with powerful magic-"

"Powerful magic? You told me they died in a train wreck!" Eclipse shouted, his face pale.

"TRAIN WRECK!" Spike roared. "How could a train wreck kill Sunburst and Starlight Glimmer? It's a scandal! Morning Shine and Eclipse Glimmer not knowing their story , when every foal in Equestria knows their names!"

"What happened?" Morning Shine said in low voice.

The adults in the room looked at each other and Spike took a deep breath in, attempting to calm his nerves.

"Well, I start from the beginning," Spike said staring into the flames. "It began with Queen Chrysalis, about twenty moons ago after she was dethroned by your mother - her throne was assumed by Thorax, a good changeling, but that's besides the point - started looking for followers. She got them too - some were afraid, others just wanted a bit of her power, and Chrysalis was getting herself pretty powerful, all right. Those were dark days - you may know that period as The Great Magic War - no pony knew who to trust, no pony dared to be friendly with strange mares or stallions... terrible things happened. She started taking over. Of course, some ponies stood up to her - and she killed them, horribly. One of the only safe places left was Celestia's school. Reckon Princess Celestia was the only pony who Queen Chrysalis was afraid of. Now, your mom and dad were some of the greatest ponies I knew. When your mother, along with her friends, dethroned Queen Chrysalis - she swore revenge on your mother. Then one night, nine years ago - you guys were just two and a newborn - she showed up at Sire's Hollow on Nightmare Night. She came into your house and... and..."

Spike suddenly pulled out a spotted handkerchief, and blew his nose with a sound like a fog horn.

"Sorry," he said, "It still hurts to think about sometimes... Anyway, Queen Chrysalis came and killed your parents. And the real mystery is - she tried to kill you two as well. But she couldn't do it. That's why you're famous, Morning Shine and Eclipse. No pony had ever lived after she decided to kill them, no pony except you two. And she killed some of the most powerful ponies of the time - the Splashes, the Nectars, the Gliders, and you we're both under five years, and you lived,"

Something very painful was going on in Morning Shine's mind. As Spike's story came to a close, she saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than she had ever remembered it before - and she remembered something else, for the first time in her life: a high, cold, cruel cackle. Tears began flowing vigorously across her already tear-stained face, she reached for her younger brother's hoof and squeezed it tightly. Spike watched them sadly.

"Took you from the ruin myself, on Princess Celestia's orders, and brought you to Twilight," Spike said.

"But what happened to Queen Chrysalis?" Eclipse asked.

"Good question, Eclipse. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night she tried to kill the two of you. That's why you and your sister are so famous. That's the biggest mystery, see... she was getting more and more powerful - why'd she go? Some say she died. Load of horse apples, in my opinion. Don't know if she had enough soul in her to die. Some say she's still out there, biding her time, like, but I don't believe it. Ponies and other creatures who were on her side came back to ours. Some of them came out of mind control spells. Don't reckon they could have done it if she wasn't coming back. Most reckon she's still out there somewhere but lost her powers. Too weak to carry on, because something about you two finished her, Eclipse. There was something going on that night that she wasn't counting on - I don't know what it was, no pony does, except maybe Princess Celestia - but something about you and your sister really stumped her, all right," Spike explained.

Spike was looking at the siblings with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes. But instead of being pleased or proud, Morning Shine and Eclipse felt very sick, the true reason why their parents died, the reason they were orphans, the reasons why this was hidden from them for so long... It was to much to take in all at once.

"Well, it's getting late if I'm going to take all three foals to get their supplies, I best do it now," Spike said.

"But- but..." Flash stammered.

"Flash, I think it's time," Twilight said quietly, tears swelling in her eyes.

Twilight spread out her hooves and embraced her three children, tears fulling streaming.

"Please, be safe," she whispered as she gave each foal a kiss.

Flash stood silently, trying not to let his liquid pride fall. He to hugged the three foals, but with a tighter embrace; a father not wanting to let his children go.

Spike, Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Sparkling Radiance stepped outside. Outside there was a giant wicker basket, big enough for three foals. The three stepped inside, and Spike placed a warm blanket around them. As they flew off into the night sky, Morning Shine and Eclipse dreamed about what would happen next in their lives.
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eclipse woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.

"It was a dream,”he told himself firmly. “I dreamed Spike came to tell me and my sisters we were going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my bed,"

Suddenly Eclipse felt rapid tapping on his head.

And there's Morning Shine waking me up, Eclipse thought. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"All right," Eclipse mumbled, "I'm getting up."

He sat up and realized he was in a giant basket, outside, in the middle of a meadow. His sisters were still asleep and Spike had curled himself around the basket, snoring loudly. And the tapping was a woodpecker.

“Shoo!” Eclipse hissed.

The woodpecker flew off and then started tapping on Spike’s head.

“Ow!” Spike grumbled, waking up. “Well we better get going. Time to get up girls,”

Morning Shine and Sparkling Radiance yawned and hopped out of the basket.

"Still got your letters?" Spike asked.

Eclipse took the parchment envelope out of the basket.

"Good," said Spike. "There's a list there of everything you need."

Eclipse unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:

CELESTIA’S SCHOOL FOR GIFTED UNICORNS

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One pair of protective gloves (leather or similar)

3. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Glitter Lotus

A History of Magic by Lily Dasher

Magical Theory by Nutmeg Song

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Coco Lily

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Nutmeg Fluff

Magical Drafts and Potions by Serenity Zephyr

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Snow Fruit

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope set

1 brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

"Can we buy all this in Canterlot?" Morning Shine wondered aloud, looking over her brother’s shoulder

"If you know where to go," said Spike, as they walked into the shining city of Canterlot.

Spike,being a dragon,was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all the foals had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary ponies. Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks?

"This is it," said Spike, coming to a halt, "Doughnut Joe’s. I’m sure your mother has brought you here multiple times,"

Actually, Twilight had only taken the three foals once to the famous doughnut shop. For a famous place, it wasn’t  very crowded. A few old mares were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry, one of them was smoking a long pipe. A little stallion in a top hat was talking to Joe.. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Every pony seemed to know Spike; they waved and smiled at him, and Joe reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Spike?"

"Can't, Joe, I'm on business," said Hagrid, bringing the foals closer.

"Good Faust," said Joe, peering at the Glimmer siblings and the future ruler, "are they - can they be - ?"

The shop had suddenly gone completely still and silent.

"Bless my soul," whispered Doughnut Joe, "Morning Shine and Eclipse Glimmer,... what an honor."

He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward the children and seized Morning Shine’s hoof, tears in his eyes.

"Welcome back, welcome back,"

Morning Shine didn't know what to say. Everypony was looking at her and her siblings. The old mare with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Spike was beaming.

Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Sparkling Radiance found themselves shaking hooves with everypony in the shop. A pale young mare made her way forward, very nervously. One of her eyes was twitching.

"Professor Mistral!" said Spike. "Morning Shine, Eclipse, Sparkling Radiance, Professor Mistral will be one of your teachers at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns,"

"I-I-I," stammered Professor Mistral, grasping Morning Shine's hoof, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you,"

"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Mistral?" Sparkling Radiance asked.

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Mistral, as though she'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it,right,M-m-morning Shine and E-e-eclipse?" She laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." She looked terrified at the very thought.

But the others wouldn't let Professor Mistral keep the famous children to herself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Spike managed to make himself heard over the babble.

"Must get going - lots to buy. Come on, kids,"

Spike led them through the shop and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds. Spike grinned at Morning Shine and Eclipse.

"Told you, didn't I? Told you were famous. Even Professor Mistral was trembling to meet you - mind you, she's usually trembling."

"Is she always that nervous?" Eclipse asked.

"Oh, yeah. Poor fellow. Brilliant mind. She was fine while she was studying out of books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience... They say she met vampires in the Everfree Forest, and there was a nasty bit of trouble with a hag - never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of her own subject,"

Vampires? Hags? Eclipse's head was swimming. Spike, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.

"Three up... two across... " he muttered. "Right, stand back, kids,"

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his claw.

The brick he had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"Welcome," said Spike, "to Dragon Alley."

He grinned at the foals’ amazement. They stepped through the archway. Eclipse looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall. The Celestia’s sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.

"Yeah, you'll be needing one," said Spike, "but we got to get your money first,"

Eclipse wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump mare outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Serpent liver, seventeen bits an ounce, they're mad..."

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several foals of about Eclipse's age had their muzzles pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand - fastest ever - " There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Eclipse had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon...

"Gringotts," said Spike.

They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was - a goblin.

"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Spike quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than the foals. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Eclipse noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing poniesin and out of these. Spike, Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Radiance made their way for the counter.

" Good morning," said Spike to a free goblin. "We've come to take some money out of Ms. Morning Shine and Mr. Eclipse Gimmer's safe. And money from Ms. Sparkling Radiance’s safe,”

"You have their keys, sir?"

"Got them here somewhere," said Spike, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter. “Got them,”

The goblin looked at the two tiny golden keys, closely.

"Very well," he said, handing the keys back to Spike, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin. Spike, Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Sparkling Radiance had followed Griphook into a long marble hall. Griphook held a door open for them. All three foals, who had expected more marble, were surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in - Spike with some difficulty - and were off. At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Eclipse tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering. They plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.

"I never knew," Spike called to to the foals over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"

"A stalagmite grows up and a stalactite grows down," Sparkling Radiance stated. "And don't ask me questions just now, I think I'm going to be sick,"

She did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Sparkling Radiance got out and had to lean against the wall to stop her knees from trembling. Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Morning Shine and Eclipse gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins.

"All yours," smiled Spike.

It was incredible. Did Twilight know about this? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to the Glimmer children, buried deep under Canterlot. Spike helped Morning Shine and Eclipse pile some of it into a bag. They left the vault, and made their way to Sparkling Radiance’s vault. And then traveled all the way back up to the city level.

"Might as well get your uniforms," said Spike, nodding toward Gypsy Lollipop's Robes for All Occasions.

Gypsy Lollipop was a squat, smiling unicorn dressed all in mauve.

"Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, dear?" she said, when Morning Shine started to speak. "Got the lot here - another colt being fitted up just now, in fact."

In the back of the shop, a unicorn colt with a pale, pointed muzzle was standing on a footstool while a second unicorn pinned up his long black robes. Gypsy Lollipop stood Morning Shine on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over her head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," said the colt, "Celestia’s, too?"

"Yes," said Morning Shine.

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at cauldrons," said the colt. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow,"

Morning Shine was strongly reminded of a younger version of Sparkling Radiance.

"Have you got your own broom?" the colt went on.

"No," said Morning Shine.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," Morning said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.

"I do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play, and I must say, I agree,"

"Sure, I guess," said Morning Shine, feeling more stupid by the minute.

"I say, look at that dragon!" said the colt suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Spike was standing there, grinning at Morning Shine and pointing at four large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.

"That's Spike," said Eclipse, finally saying something from the waiting couch. "He is a friend of the family,"

"I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?" the colt asked

"He's the Number One Assistant to Princess Twilight Sparkle," said Eclipse. He was liking the colt less and less every second.

"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage - lives in here in Canterlot and I heard he married a our kind. And even has hybridfreaks for children,"

“HOW DARE YOU!!” Sparkling Radiance snapped, finding her nerve to speak. “Spike is a brilliant, noble, dragon! He is very close to the princesses and yet you insult him! Spike has even saved the Crystal Empire, and is the Friendship Ambassador to the Dragonlands! And his wife is Rarity, the Element of Generosity, who has helped saved Equestria numerous times! And their children are magnificent creatures, and just just so happen to be our friends!!”

The colt starred gawking at a fuming Sparkling Radiance, smirked and said “Well, if he’s with you where are our parents?”

“My parents are Princess Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry, and if you haven’t already figured out I’m Princess Sparkling Radiance!” Radiance growled, as the colts jaw dropped.

“That’s enough out of you young colt,” Gypsy Lollipop said, glaring at the colt.

"Well, I'll see you at school, I suppose," said the drawling colt, as Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Sparkling Radiance left the store.

The foals were rather quiet as they ate the ice cream Spike had bought them.

"What's up?" said Spike.

"Nothing," Sparkling Radiance lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills. She cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote. 

When they had left the shop, she said, "Spike, what's Quidditch?"

"Blimey, I keep forgettin' how little you know - not knowing about Quidditch!"

"Don't make us feel worse," said Eclipse. He told Spike about the pale colt in Gypsy Lollipop's.

“And he insulted you, Rarity, and your foals,” Eclipse said.

“That little brat!” Spike growled.

“But Sparkling Radiance was able to get him to shut up,” Morning Shine added.

Spike looked at the blushing unicorn filly. “Thanks, little buddy,” Spike smiled pulling her into a hug.

"So what is Quidditch?" Sparkling Radiance asked.

"It's our sport. It's like - like soccer - everyone follows Quidditch - played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls - sort of hard to explain the rules."

They bought school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Spike, Morning Shine, and Eclipse almost had to drag Sparkling Radiance away from Curses and Countercurses by Professor Velvet Almond. Spike wouldn't let Eclipse buy a solid gold cauldron, either, but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Spike asked the stallion behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for the three foals, Morning Shine was disgusted when she found severed unicorn horns.

Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Morning Shine and Sparkling Radiance, together, now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. And Eclipse was walking a few feet away, trying to keep his new pet rat safe.

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as the foals and Spike made their way back down Dragon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Doughnut Joe’s, now empty.

"Got time before a bite to eat before your train leaves," he said.

He bought the foals a hayburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Morning Shine kept looking around.

"You alright, Morning Shine? Your very quiet," said Spike.

"Everyone thinks my brother and I are special," he said at last. "All those ponies in Doughnut Joe’s, Professor Mistral. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when I mean, the night my parents died,"

"Don't you worry, Morning Shine. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Celestia’s, you'll be just fine. Just be yourself. I know it's hard. You've been singled out, and that's always hard. But you'll have a great time at Celestia’s"

Spike helped the foals onto the train that would take him back to Ponyville, then handed them an envelope.

"Your ticket back to Canterlot, " he said. "First of September - Ponyville Station - it's all on your tickets. See you soon,"

The train pulled out of the station. The three wanted to watch Spike until he was out of sight; they rose in their seats and pressed their muzzles against the window, but they blinked and Spike had gone.
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Shine woke up bright and early and looked the alarm clock. It was eight o’clock.

“It’s the first of September!” She shouted, as she rushed over to her sleeping brother. “Eclipse wake up! We’re going to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns!”

Eclipse opened on eye and rolled over, throwing his pillow at his sister.

“Fine, I guess you’ll just miss out on the place Auntie Twilight and Dad learned most of their magic…” Shine said, knowing that just by the mention of her parents, Eclipse would give her his full attention.

Morning Shine started to trot out of the room when a blur of purple whizzed down the hall, towards Sparkling Radiance’s room.

“Wake up Radiance! It’s the first day of school!” Eclipse yelled.

But as usual Radiance was on top of things and was packing the last few essentials.

Morning Shine and Eclipse made their way to breakfast, when Twilight came bursting into the room.

“Mom? What’s wrong?” Sparkling Radiance asked.

Twilight breathed heavily and was frantically packing a suitcase.

“There’s an emergency in the Crystal Empire, your father and I need to leave immediately!” Twilight said with shrill panic.

The foals glanced a worried looks at the panicked purple princess. Flash came running in with an overflowed suitcase, and stuffed pancakes into his mouth.

“But what’s going on?” Morning Shine questioned.

“Thereb’s nom time to expwain!” Flash said with his mouth full.

“But it’s the first day of school!” Eclipse reminded them.

“Shoot!” Twilight Sparkle muttered, looking at a clock. “We have enough time to take you to the train station. No diddle dallying!”

And the royal family ran to the train station levitating multiple cases of luggage.

“Why can’t you just teleport us to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?” Sparkling Radiance asked.

“It’s a security precaution,” Twilight explained. “In order to get in you must take the train or be escorted in by royal guards. That precaution includes any nobles or royals,”

“Where’s your platform?” Flash asked, hastily loading the luggage on to a train cart.

“There’s only one platform, Uncle Flash,” Eclipse said looking at his ticket. “But the ticket says Platform 10 and 10/10… What? Wouldn’t that just be 11?”

Morning Shine looked at the ticket and saw that it, indeed said Platform 10 and 10/10. The whole group stared at the ticket, when the clock started to chime.

“Sweet Celestia! We should be in the Crystal Empire right now!” Twilight Sparkle shrieked. She proceeded to give each foal a kiss on the forehead, and teleported herself and Flash out of sight.

The foals turned and saw the puff of smoke left behind. Eclipse’s mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of the fact that his parental figures had just up and left them.

“We’re going to have to ask somepony for directions,” Morning Shine stated.

“But how? We can’t mention Platform 10 and 10/10 or ponies will surely think we’re crazy!” Sparkling Radiance pointed out.

Eclipse was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he and his sisters had ten minutes left to get on the train to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station. Spike must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Dragon Alley.

At that moment a group of ponies passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.

"- packed with ponies who don’t need to know about this entrance, of course -"

Eclipse swung round. The speaker was a plump unicorn mare who was talking to three colts, all with flaming red manes. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Eclipse's in front of him - and they had an owl.

Heart hammering, Eclipse pushed his cart after them, his sisters following his lead and pushing their carts after him. They stopped and so did foals, just near enough to hear what they were saying.

"Now, what's the platform number?" said the colts' mother.

"10 and 10/10!" piped a small filly, also red-maned, who was holding her hoof, "Mom, can't I go... "

"You're not old enough, Whinny, now be quiet. All right, Prancer, you go first," the mare said.

What looked like the oldest colt marched toward the middle of the platform. Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Sparkling Radiance watched, careful not to blink in case they missed it - but just as the colt reached the wall, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of them and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the colt had vanished.

"Farrier, you next," the plump mare said.

"I'm not Farrier, I'm Gallop," said the colt. "Honestly, mare, you call yourself our mother? Can’t you tell I'm Gallop?"

"Sorry, Gallop, dear." the mare apologized.

"Only joking, I am Farrier," said the colt, and off he went.

His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone - but how had he done it? The plump mare and the red-maned filly started heading to the barrier when Morning Shine got the courage to speak up.

"Excuse me," Morning Shine said to the plump mare.

"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?"

"Yes," said Morning Shine. "The thing is - the thing is, we don't know how to -"

"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and the three foals nodded.

"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier that’s disguised as a wall. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous,"

"Er - okay," said Morning Shine.

She pushed her trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid. She started to walk toward it. Ponies jostled her on their way to platform. Morning Shine walked more quickly. She was going to smash right into that barrier and then she'd be in trouble - leaning forward on her cart, she broke into a heavy run - the barrier was coming nearer and nearer - she wouldn't be able to stop - the cart was out of control - she was a hoof away - she closed her eyes ready for the crash.

It didn't come... she kept on running... she opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Celestial Express, eleven twenty. Morning Shine looked behind her and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Ten and Ten-Tenths on it. She had done it. Morning Shine turned around to see Eclipse and Sparkling Radiance barreling through the barrier.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks. The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. The three foals pushed their carts off down the platform in search of an empty seat. They passed a round-faced colt who was saying,

"Gran, I've lost my toad again,"

"Oh, Nettle," she heard the old mare sigh.

A colt with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.

"Give us a look, Leaf, go on."

The colt lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the foals around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

The foals pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. Eclipse and Sparkling Radiance headed in the train car, while Morning Shine loaded the luggage. She put Hedwig, their owl, inside first and then started to shove and heave the trunks toward the train door. She tried to lift it up the steps, with her magic, but could hardly raise one end and twice she dropped it painfully on her hoof.

"Want a hoof?" It was one of the red-maned twins she'd followed through the barrier.

"Yes, please," Morning Shine panted.

"Oy, Farrier! C'mere and help!"

With the twins' help, The trunks was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

"Thanks," said Morning Shine, pushing her mane out of her eyes.

"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Morning Shine's diamond-shaped birthmark.

"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you?”

"She is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Morning Shine.

"What?" said Morning Shine.

"Morning Shine Glimmer, "chorused the twins.

"Oh, her," said Shine. "I mean, yes, I am,"

The two colts gawked at her, and Morning felt herself turning red.

“Does that mean your brother, Eclipse is here too?” one twin asked.

“And Princess Sparkling Radiance?” asked the other.

“Were they the other two foals with you?” they both asked.

“I… uh…” she started.

Then, to her relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.

"Farrier? Gallop? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mom," With a last look at Morning Shine, the twins hopped off the train.

Morning Shine sat down next her siblings, and a window where, half hidden, she could watch the red-maned family on the platform and hear what they were saying.

"Where's Prancer?" said their mother.

"He's coming now." the filly responded.

The oldest colt came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black school robes, and Morning Shine noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter ‘P’ on it.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Prancer?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin.

"Once -"

"Or twice -"

"A minute -"

"All summer -" the twins joked, going back and forth.

"Oh, shut up," said Prancer the Prefect.

"How come Prancer gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there,"

She kissed Prancer on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up a toilet or -"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet," a twin replied.

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom," the other twin grinned.

"It's not funny," their mother stated.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Morning Shine leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.

"You know that orange coated filly with the cream markings and purple mane who was near us in the station? Know who she is?"

"Who?" the mother asked

"Morning Shine Glimmer!"

“And the two foals with her are Eclipse Glimmer-” one twin started

“-and Princess Sparkling Radiance!” the other twin finished.

Morning Shine heard the little filly's voice.

"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see them, Mom, eh please...."

"You've already seen them, Whinny, and the poor foals aren't something you goggle at in a zoo. Are they really, Farrier? How do you know?"

"Asked Morning Shine. Saw her birthmark. It's really there - like diamond," one of the twins explained.

"Poor dears -  wonder why they weren’t with Princess Twilight. Morning Shine was ever so polite when she asked how to get onto the platform."

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?" the other twin asked.

Their mother suddenly became very stern.

"I forbid you to ask her, Farrier. No, don't you dare. As though she needs reminding of that on her first day at school,"

"All right, keep your mane on," Farrier grumbled.

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the two colts clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.

"Don't cry, Whinny, we'll send you loads of owls," a twin waved.

"We'll send you a toilet seat," the other waved, also.

"Gallop!" their mother glared.

"Only joking, Mom," Gallop smiled.

The train began to move. Morning Shine saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.

Morning Shine watched the filly and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.

The door of the compartment slid open and the red- maned twins poked their heads in.

"Hey, Morning Shine, and I’m assuming you two are Eclipse and Sparkling Radiance," one twin spoke. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Leaf Shoot's got a giant tarantula down there,"

"Right," mumbled Eclipse, unsure if he wanted to keep talking to the twin strangers.

"Sorry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Farrier and Gallop Weasel. Well, we’ll leave alone then, you can join us if you like. Bye,”

"Bye," the three foals. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past. Eclipse decided he wanted go see the tarantula with the Weasel twins and Sparkling Radiance had stuck her nose into a book.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled mare slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Morning Shine, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to her hooves. Morning Shine went out into the corridor.

Not wanting to miss any of the unique treats on the cart, she got some of everything and paid the mare with some bits.

"Hungry, are you?" Eclipse asked coming back from the middle of the train.

"Starving," said Morning Shine, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.

"Do you know what these are?" Morning Shine asked Eclipse, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" She was starting to feel that nothing would surprise her.

"No," said Eclipse. "But there are cards inside, I learned a few things from the Weasel twins"

Morning Shine unwrapped her Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It had Princess Celestia on it. “It’s Princess Celestia,” Morning Shine told her brother. Suddenly the image of the sun princess had disappeared.

"She's gone!" Morning Shine explained.

"Well, you can't expect her to hang around all day," said Eclipse. "She'll be back,"

Sparkling Radiance had finally stuck her nose up from her book to help herself to some of the chocolate frogs, and then went to the restrooms to change into her robe.

When she left, Morning Shine decided to open a bag of Berry Pot's Every Flavor Beans.

"You want to be careful with those," Eclipse warned his sister. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor - you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and malade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. Gallop reckons he had a booger- flavored one once,"

Eclipse picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.

"Bleaaargh - see? Sprouts,"

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced colt Morning Shine had passed on platform 10 and 10/10 came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"

When they shook their heads, he wailed.

"I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up," said Eclipse.

"Yes," said the colt miserably. "Well, if you see him..."

He left.

“I’d feel the same way if I lost Scabbers," Eclipse said.

The rat was still snoozing on Eclipse's lap.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Eclipse stated. "I tried to turn him yellow, with a spell the Weasel twins gave me, to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..."

The compartment door slid open again. The toadless colt was back, but this time he had a Sparkling Radiance with him. She was already wearing her new robes.

"Hi, I’m back. Has anyone seen a toad? Nettle's lost one," she said.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Eclipse. “Do you want to see a trick?”

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." Sparkling Radiance smirked.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow," Eclipse said.

His horn grew orange, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" Sparkling Radiance questioned. “Where did you get it?”

“The Weasel twins,” Morning Shine told her.

“Well, that explains a lot,” Sparkling Radiance sighed. “They’re the biggest jokesters in the school! Anyway, we'd better go and look for Nettle's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And she left, taking the toadless colt with her.

Shortly after they left the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Nettle the toadless colt, or Sparkling Radiance this time.

Three boys entered, and Morning Shine and Eclipse recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale colt from Gypsy Lollipop's robe shop. He was looking at Morning Shine and Eclipse with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Dragon Alley.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that the Glimmers and Princess Sparkling Radiance are in this compartment. So it's you two, is it? Where the almighty Princess?"

"Yes, and Radiance is helping a colt find his toad,"growled Morning Shine.

She was looking at the other colts. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crab and this is Gargoyle," said the pale colt carelessly, noticing where Morning Shine was looking. "And my name's Malfoal, Draco Malfoal."

Eclipse gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snicker. Draco Malfoal looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? I heard you were hanging out with the Weasel twins...My father told me all the Weasels have red manes, freckles, and more children than they can afford," he sneered.

He turned his attention to both siblings. "You'll soon find out some ‘wizarding’ families are much better than others, Glimmer. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there,"

He held out his hand to shake Morning Shine's, but Shine didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," she said coolly.

Draco Malfoal didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Glimmer," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasels and that Spike, and it'll rub off on you,"

Both Morning Shine and Eclipse stood up, their horns glowed bright orange.

"Say that again," Eclipse said, his face redder than his aura.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoal sneered.

"Unless you get out now," said Morning Shine, more bravely than she felt, because Crab and Gargoyle were a lot bigger than her or Eclipse.

"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some," Malfoal said.

Gargoyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Eclipse. Eclipse leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Gargoyle, Gargoyle let out a horrible yell. Scabbers the rat was hanging off his hoof, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Gargoyle's hoof - Crab and Malfoal backed away as Gargoyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard hoofsteps, because a second later, Sparkling Radiance had come in.

"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Eclipse picking up Scabbers by his tail.

I think he's been knocked out," Eclipse said to Morning Shine. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No - I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep-"

And so he had.

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!" Sparkling Radiance stated, a frown spreading across her face.

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Eclipse.

"All right - I only came in here because I heard a commotion, and I wanted to make sure you two are okay,” she sighed glancing at Eclipse carefully.

Morning Shine peered out of the window. It was getting dark. She could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down. She and Eclipse pulled on their long black robes.

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately,"

Morning Shine's stomach lurched with nerves and Eclipse, she saw, looked pale. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. Foals pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Morning Shine shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Morning Shine heard a familiar voice: "First years! First years over here! All right there, Morning Shine?"

Spike's face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me - anymore first years? Mind your step, now! First years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Spike down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Morning Shine thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Nettle, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"You will all get your view of the castle in a sec," Spike called over his shoulder, "just round the bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more than four to a boat!" Spike called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

Morning Shine and Eclipse were followed into their boat by Sparkling Radiance and Nettle.

"Everyone in?" shouted Spike, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everypony was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Spike as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Hey, you there! Is this your toad?" said Spike, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Nettle blissfully, holding out his hooves. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Spike's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Spike asked.

Spike raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The door swung open at once. A tall, dark alicorn with a starry mane was standing there. She had a small smile across her face and Morning Shine smiled too as it was none other than Princess Luna.

"First years this is-," Spike started.

"Princess Luna!!" a bunch of the foals shouted.

“Thanketh thee, Spike. I shall taketh it from here,” Princess Luna winked.

A few foals snickered as she pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit a whole house inside. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Princess Luna across the flagged stone floor. Morning Shine could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here - but Princess Luna showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns," said Princess Luna. "The start-of-term banquet shall beginneth shortly, but before thee taketh thy seats in the most wondrous hall, thee shall beest sorted into thy houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while thou art here, thy house shall beest something liketh thy family within the school. Thee shall have classes with the rest of thy house, you sleep in thy house dormitory, and spendeth free time in thy house common rooms. The four houses are called Gryffindor ,Flufflepuff, Dragonclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While thou art at CSFGU, thy triumphs shall earneth thy house points, while any rule breaking shall loseth house points. At the endeth of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a most wondrous honor. I desire each of thee shall beest a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony shall taketh place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest thee all smarten thyselves up as much as thee can while thou art waiting,"

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Nettle's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear. Morning Shine nervously tried to make her mane look nicer.

"I shalt return when we are ready for thee," said Princess Luna. "Please wait quietly,"

She left the chamber. Morning Shine swallowed.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" she asked Eclipse.

"Some sort of test, I think. Farrier said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking," Eclipse explained.

“I think Mom was in Dragonclaw,” Sparkling Radiance added. 

Morning Shine’s heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But she didn't know what the test would question - what on earth would she have to do? She hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. She looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Sparkling Radiance, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. 

“Moveth along now," said a Princess Luna in her Royal Canterlot voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to starteth. Now, form a line, and followeth me, please,"

Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to lead, Morning Shine got into line, with Eclipse behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Morning Shine had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Princess Luna led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Morning Shine looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. 

She heard Radiance whisper, "It’s bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in CSFGU, A History,"

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open up to the heavens.

Morning Shine quickly looked down again as Princess Luna silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. 

Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Morning Shine thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing - noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, she stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Princess’ Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Flufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Flufflepuff are true And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Dragonclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands,though I have none,
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Eclipse whispered to Morning Shine. "I'll kill Farrier, he was going on about wrestling a troll,"

Morning smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but she did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Morning didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for her.

Princess Luna now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I calleth thy name, thee shall put on the hat and sitteth on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Rain, Glitter!"

A light blue filly with silver pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause -

"FLUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Glitter went to sit down at the Flufflepuff table.

"Confetti, Sleepy!"

"FLUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Sleepy scuttled off to sit next to Glitter.

"Grape Emerald!"

"DRAGONCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Dragonclaws stood up to shake hands with Jubilee as he joined them.

"Eclipse, Cherry" went to Dragonclaw too, but "Sparkles, Tropical" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Morning Shine could see the Weasel twins catcalling. "Twilight, Glimmering" then became a Slytherin. 

"Cupid, Music!"

"FLUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, Morning Shine noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Lightning, Cherry," a sandy-haired colt, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Her Royal Highness, Princess Sparkling Radiance!"

The whole room oohed and ahed as Radiance almost ran to the stool and Princess Luna placed the hat on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. 

The Gryffindor table erupted with applause as Sparkling Radiance went to join them. Many were patting her on the back, or trying to shake her hoof. A few were even trying to get her autograph. 

A horrible thought struck Morning Shine, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if she wasn't chosen at all? What if she just sat there with the hat over her eyes for ages, until Princess Luna jerked it off her head and said there had obviously been a mistake and she'd better get back on the train?

When Nettle Longflank, the colt who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Nettle. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Nettle ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to “Paradise, Love".

Malfoal swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoal went to join his friends Crab and Gargoyle looking pleased with himself.

There weren't many ponies left now. "Splice, Olivia" “Apple, Poison" "Glory, Ember" then a pair of twin fillies, "Firefly, Gypsy" and "Firefly, Lily,” then "Crush, Pineapple" and then, at last -"Glimmer, Morning Shine!"

As Morning Shine stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Glimmer, did she say?"

“The Morning Shine and Eclipse Glimmer?"

The last thing Morning Shine saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.

Hmm," said a small voice in her ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

Morning Shine gripped the edges of the stool.

"Better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Morning Shine heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. She took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. She was so relieved to have been chosen, she hardly noticed that she was getting the loudest cheer yet. Prancer the Prefect got up and shook her hoof vigorously, while the Weasel twins yelled, "We got Glimmer! And the Princess!”

She could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest her sat Spike, who caught her eye and gave her the thumbs up. Morning Shine grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Princess Celestia. Morning Shine spotted Professor Mistral, too, the nervous young mare from the Doughnut Joe’s.

And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Afternoon, Ash," a dark colt even taller than Eclipse, joined Morning Shine at the Gryffindor table. "Forest, Cherry," became a Dragonclaw and then it was Eclipse's turn. He was pale green by now. Morning Shine crossed her hooves under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Morning Shine clapped loudly with the rest as Eclipse collapsed into the chair next to her.

"Well done, Eclipse, excellent," said Prancer Weasel.

"Skies, Snow," was made a Slytherin. Princess Luna rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Morning Shine looked down at her empty gold plate. She had only just realized how hungry she was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.

Princess Celestia had gotten to her feet. She was beaming at the students, her wings opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," she said. "Welcome to a new year at CSFGU! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Friendship! Harmony! Magic! Peace! Thank you!"

She sat back down. Everypony clapped and cheered. 

"Is she okay?" she asked Prancer uncertainly. “I’ve never seen the princess act that way before,"

"She’s fine," said Percy airily. "Princess Celestia has an odd sense of humor that doesn’t show often. Potatoes, Shine?"

Morning Shine's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, hayburgers.

Morning Shine piled her plate with a bit of everything and began to eat. It was all delicious.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding - "

As Morning Shine helped herself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.

"I'm half-and-half," said Mystic. "My dad's an earth pony. Mom’s an unicorn"

"What about you, Nettle?" asked Eclipse

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's an unicorn," said Neville, "but the family thought I had no magical potential whatsoever. My Great Uncle Nectar kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me - he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Nectar came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Almond offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Nectar was so pleased he bought me my toad,"

On Morning Shine's other side, Prancer Weasel and Sparkling Radiance were talking about lessons. Morning Shine, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Spike was drinking deeply from his goblet. Princess Luna was talking to Princess Celestia. Professor Mistral was talking to a teacher with platinum and light cornflower blue mane, and violet eyes that had a smug look to them. 

It happened very suddenly. The mare looked past Mistral straight into Morning Shine's eyes. The teacher’s eyes widened at the sight of Shine and she quickly turned away. 

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Mistral?" she asked Prancer.

"Oh, you know Mistral already, do you? The mare next to her is Professor Lulamoon. She teaches Potions, but she doesn't want to - everyone knows she's after Mistral's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Lulamoon,"

Morning Shine watched Lulamoon for a while, but Lulamoon didn't look at her again. At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Princess Celestia got to her hooves again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well,"

Celestia's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasel twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Leach, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hoops. And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Prancer through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Morning Shine's legs were like lead again, but only because she was so tired and full of food. She was too sleepy even to be surprised that the ponies in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Prancer led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Morning Shine was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

“Here we are," Prancer said.

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat mare in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said. 

"Caput Draconis," said Prancer, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it - Nettle needed a leg up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Prancer directed the fillies through one door to their dormitory and the colts through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.

Morning Shine was going to tell her siblings good night, but she fell asleep almost at once.

Meanwhile in the colts’ dormitory, Eclipse thought he had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was with Professor Mistral, who kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Eclipse told the professor he didn't want to be in Slytherin; she got larger and larger; he tried to run but he got smaller and smaller - and there was Malfoal, laughing at him as he struggled - then Malfoal turned into Professor Lulamoon, whose laugh became a pitched cackle - there was a burst of green light and Eclipse woke, sweating and shaking.

He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"There, look,"

"Where?"

"Right there. See the colt with purple and teal mane?"

"And the filly with diamond on her forehead?"

Whispers followed the Glimmers from the moment they left their dormitories the next day. Ponies lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at them, or doubled back to pass them in the corridors again, staring. Morning Shine wished they wouldn't, because she was trying to concentrate on finding her way to classes.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at CSFGU: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The ponies in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Shine was sure the coats of armor could walk.

But the worst thing that they had encountered so far was Leach. Morning Shine and Eclipse managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. Leach found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the royal treasury. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Mistrall, who was passing.

Leach owned a pukwudgie called Mrs. Porgy, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Leach's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Leach, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Leach knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone, except perhaps the Weasel twins. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Porgy a good kick, but do that and you’d have pukwudgie stickers in your hoof.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Morning Shine quickly found out, than igniting your horn and saying words.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for. Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a “ghost”. Professor Snow was extremely old, and every student spread the rumors that Professor Snow had been teaching since the school first opened. Snow droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Clover the Clever and Starswirl the Bearded mixed up.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little unicorn who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Sparkling Radiance's names he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.

Princess Luna was again different, her classes were the only ones to be held at night. Morning Shine had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic thee shall learneth at CSFGU," she said. "Anyone messing around in mine own class shall leaveth and not cometh back. Thy have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Sparkling Radiance had made any difference to her match; Princess Luna showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Radiance a smile.

The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Mistral's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. Her classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire she'd met in the Everfree Forest and was afraid would be coming back to get her one of these days.

Friday was an important day for the trio. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.

"What have we got today?" Morning Shine asked Eclipse as she poured sugar on his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Eclipse. "Lulamoon's Head of Slytherin House. They say she always favors them - we'll be able to see if it's true,”

"Wish Princess Luna favored us," said Morning Shine. Princess Luna was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. Morning Shine had gotten used to this by now, but it had given her a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Hedwig hadn't brought Morning Shine anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble her ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Shine's plate. Morning Shine tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

Dear Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Sparkling Radiance,

I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?

I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.

Spike

Morning Shine borrowed Eclipse's quill, scribbled Yes please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.

It was lucky that the three had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to them so far.

At the start-of-term banquet, Morning Shine had gotten the idea that Professor Lulamoon had mixed feelings about her. By the end of the first Potions lesson, she knew she'd been wrong. Lulamoon didn't have mixed feelings about Morning Shine - she hated her.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Lulamoon, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, she paused at Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Sparkling Radiance's names.

"Ah, yes," she said smirked, "Our three celebrities,"

Draco Malfoal and his friends Crab and Gargoyle snickered behind their hooves. Lulamoon finished calling the names and looked up at the class. Her eyes were violet like Twilight's, but they had none of Twilight's warmth. They were cold and harsh, yet completely smug.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," she began. She spoke in a grand manor capturing the classes attention - like Princess Luna, Lulamoon had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish horn igniting, many of you will hardly believe this is magic - unlike Lulamoon’s amazing skills in the art of showbiz - Lulamoon doesn't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... Lulamoon can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as Lulamoon usually has to teach,"

More silence followed this little speech. Morning Shine and Eclipse exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Sparkling Radiance was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a ‘dunderhead’.

"Glimmer!" said Lulamoon suddenly. "What would Lulamoon get if Lulamoon added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Morning Shine and Eclipse stared at each other, not knowing which one  of them was supposed to answer. 

Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Morning Shine glanced at Eclipse, who looked as stumped as she was; Radiance's hoof had shot into the air.

"Why are you speaking in the third person?”  Morning Shine asked.

“Lulamoon does not have to explain herself, now answer the question,”

“I don’t know ma’am,” said Morning Shine.

Lulamoon's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything," she sneered.

“Says the self-centered teacher who can’t shut up about how great she is,” Eclipse said under his breath.

She ignored Radiance’s hoof, and made her way over to Eclipse.

"Let's try again. Glimmer, where would you look if Lulamoon told you to find her a bezoar?"

Radiance stretched her hoof as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Eclipse didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoal, Crab, and Gargoyle, who were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, ma’am," Eclipse muttered. 

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Glimmer?" Morning Shine forced herself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. She had looked through her books at home, but did Lulamoon expect her and her brother to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?

Lulamoon was still ignoring Radiance's quivering hand.

"What is the difference, Glimmer, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, Sparkling Radiance stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

"I don't know," said Morning Shine quietly. "I think Sparkling Radiance does, though, why don't you try her?"

A few ponies laughed; Lulamoon, however, was not pleased.

"Sit down," she snapped at Radiance. "For your information, Glimmer, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Lulamoon said, "And a two points will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Glimmer,"

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Lulamoon put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. She swept around in her long purple cloak dotted with stars, watching them weigh dried nettles (not the student Nettle Longflank) and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoal, whom she seemed to like. She was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoal had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Nettle had somehow managed to melt Mystic's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Nettle, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his forehooves and legs.

"Idiot colt!" snarled Lulamoon, clearing the spilled potion away with the ignition of her horn. "Lulamoon supposes you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Nettle whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his muzzle.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Lulamoon spat at Mystic. Then she rounded on Morning Shine and Eclipse, who had been working next to Nettle.

"You - Glimmer - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another two points you two have lost for Gryffindor,"

This was so unfair that Morning Shine opened her mouth to argue, but Eclipse kicked her behind their cauldron.

"Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Lulamoon can turn very nasty,"

As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Morning Shines mind was racing and her spirits were low. She'd lost four points for Gryffindor in her very first week - why did Lulamoon hate her so much?

"Cheer up," said Eclipse, "Lulamoon's always taking points off Farrier and Gallop. Let’s get Radiance so we can go see Spike,"

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Spike lived in a cottage on the edge of the castle grounds. A crossbow was outside the front door.

When Morning Shine knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and loud hissing. Then a mare's voice rang out, saying, "Opal! It’s just guests! Spikey Wikey, get the door please!"

Spike’s face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "Rares, can you get the cat?!"

He let them in, struggling to keep a angry Opal from attacking the three foals.

There was a big cozy living room, and there were stairs leading to the bedrooms. In the next room over a was a decent sized with a open fire heating a copper kettle.

"Make yourselves at home," said Spike, as Rarity came out from the kitchen.

“Hello, darlings! It’s so good to see you again!” Rarity exclaimed, embraces the three foals. “Does anypony want biscuits?”

The biscuits were soft and fluffy with raisins. Rarity had poured out some tea and handed Spike a bowl of gems.

“Rarity I thought you and Spike lived in the heart of Canterlot with all the nobles, why are you hear?” Sparkling Radiance asked.

“Well, with Spikey Wikey-” Rarity started.

“Could you not call me ‘Spikey Wikey’ in front of the kids Rares? It’s kinda embarrassing…” Spike interrupted trying to hide his reddening face.

“As I was saying, Spike would stay here for the whole school year as the heart of Canterlot is a ‘long commute’ for a dragon with wings…” Rarity explained. “And those nobles are just so snobby and rude, so-”

“So, as our kids got older, Rarity decided that the whole family would stay here during CSFGU school year and go to our home in the heart of Canterlot during the summer,” Spike finished.

“But isn’t Crackling Flames around our age?” Eclipse asked.

“He is, but his school isn’t that far from here,” Spike smiled. “Maybe on a Saturday you can catch him and say ‘hi’,”

The foals started talking about their first lessons. They were delighted to hear Spike call Leach ‘that old bat’, much to Rarity’s disapproval. Morning Shine told Spike about Lulamoon's lesson. At the mention of Lulamoon Spike and Rarity gave each other worried glances. But Rarity told Shine not to worry about.

"But she seemed to really hate me,"

"Rubbish!" said Spike. "Why should she?"

“Spike, now is not the time…” Rarity said through her teeth.

Morning Shine could tell that Rarity and Spike weren’t telling her something. But decided that she’d ask them privately later.

"How's life with Flash?" Spike asked Eclipse. "I’m not a huge fan of him in all, but he’s okay,"

“Spike!” Rarity fumed.

“What? I’m just saying,” Spike defended himself.

“But his biological child is right in front of you!!” Rarity pointed out.

As the married couple bickered Morning Shine wondered if Spike had changed the subject on purpose. Morning Shine picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under a tea cozy. It was a cutting from the Foal Free Press:

ATTACK ON THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE

Investigations continue into the attack on the Crystal Empire that happened on September 1st, widely believed to be the work of unreformed changelings or other dark forces.

The Crystal Army, lead by Prince Shining Armor, tried to halt the siege on the empire. But to no avail, help had to be called in from the other kingdoms including: The Changeling Kingdom, Yakkyakkistan, The Dragonlands, and Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Flash Sentry. While in the process of battle Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Flash Sentry vanished without a trace.

"We have sent search and rescue parties to look for them. All we hope for is that they return to us safely," said Princess Cadence.

Morning Shine read the article with her mouth agape. Thoughts swirled in her head. That’s why Auntie Twilight and Uncle Flash left in a hurry to the Crystal Empire… And they’re gone… Why do I always lose the people I care about? No, Shine they just disappeared, they’ll turn up soon and they’ll be okay. No, they’re gone! What have I done to deserve this?! Morning Shine started to cry and it caught Rarity’s attention.

“Morning Shine, whatever is the matter, darling?” Rarity asked with concern.

Everypony and dragon turned to look at Morning Shine who levitated the piece of parchment in front of them. 

"Were you two ever going to tell us about the this?" Morning Shine asked looking down at the ground, "Or were you going to keep if a secret? Like everything else major in our lives,"

There was silence Eclipse and Sparkling Radiance looked at the paper, while Spike and Rarity were hesitant to speak.

“Morning Shine,” Spike started, “we were going to tell you, honest. We just didn’t know how or when…”

“We know things like this can be hard, darling. We just wanted to keep you safe,” Rarity stated calmly.

“Keep me safe?” Morning Shine asked. “Does keeping me safe include keeping me from the truth?”

“Morning-” Spike spoke.

“No! I never wanted any of this! First learning of my parents demise and know this!!” Morning Shine said gesturing to the piece of parchment. 

“Darling, please-” Rarity begged.
“Why do secrets have to be kept from us?! WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP LOSING THE PONIES I LOVE?!?” Morning Shine screamed sobbing.

Morning Shine burst out of the cottage sobbing with rage and sadness. Spike and Rarity looked at each other with disappointment. And Eclipse and Sparkling Radiance left the cottage silently, tears streaming down their faces. 

As Morning Shine ran back to the castle she had wondered: How many more secrets were being kept from her? And did Spike and Rarity know something about Lulamoon that they didn't want to tell her?
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Shine never believed she would meet a colt she would hate, but that was before she met Draco Malfoal. Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn’t have to put up with Malfoal much. Or at least, they didn’t until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday - and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

“Typical,” Morning Shine said darkly. “Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoal,”

She had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.

“You don’t know that you’ll make a fool of yourself,” said Eclipse reasonably. “Anyway, I know Malfoal’s always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I think he’s all talk,”

Malfoal certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping helicopters. He wasn’t the only one though: Mystic Flier told it, he’d spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Everypony from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Nettle has never had a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother never let him near one. Privately, Morning Shine felt she’d had good reason, because Nettle managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with all four hooves on the ground. Sparkling Radiance was almost as nervous about flying as Nettle was. This was different from flying on your parents' backs as a young filly, and was something you couldn’t learn by heart out of a book – not that she hadn’t tried. At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all with flying tips she’d got out of a library book called Quidditch through the Ages. Nettle was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Radiance’s lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the post. 

Morning Shine hadn’t had a single letter since Spike’s note, something that Malfoal had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoal’s eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table. A barn owl brought Nettle a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke. 

“It’s a Remembrall!” he explained. “Gran knows I forget things – this tells you if there’s something you’ve forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red – oh …” His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, “... you’ve forgotten something …”

Nettle was trying to remember what he’d forgotten when Draco Malfoal, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hooves. Morning Shine and Eclipse jumped to their hooves.They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoal, but a very tired Princess Luna, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, even in her tired state, was there in a flash. 

“What’s going on?” Princess Luna asked. 

“Malfoal’s got my Remembrall, Princess,” Nettle explained. 

Scowling, Malfoal quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table. 

“Just looking,” he said, and he sloped away with Crab and Gargoyle behind him. 

At three-thirty that afternoon, Morning Shine, Eclipse, Sparkling Radiance, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps into the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day and the grass rippled under their hooves as they marched down the sloping lawns towards a smooth lawn on the opposite side of the grounds. The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Morning Shine had heard Farrier and Gallop Weasel complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left. Their teacher, Madam Hoops, arrived. She had a short, grey mane and yellow eyes like a hawk. 

“Well, what are you all waiting for?” she barked. “Everypony stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up,”

Morning Shine glanced down at her broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles. 

“Stick out your right forehoof over your broom,” called Madam Hoops at the front, ‘and say, ‘Up!’ ”

“Up!” everyone shouted. 

Morning Shine’s broom jumped into her hoof at once, but it was one of the few that did. Sparkling Radiance’s had simply rolled over on the ground and Nettle’s hadn’t moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like animals, could tell when you were afraid, thought Morning Shine; there was a quaver in Nettle’s voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his hooves on the ground. Madam Hoops then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows, correcting their grips. Morning Shine and Eclipse were delighted when she told Malfoal he’d been doing it wrong for years. 

“Now, when I blow my whistle, you kickoff from the ground, hard,” said Madam Hoops. “Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle – three – two –” 

But Nettle, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hoops’s lips. 

“Come back, colt!’” she shouted, but Nettle was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle – twelve feet – twenty feet. 

Morning Shine saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and – WHAM – a thud and a nasty crack and Nettle lay, face down, on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher and started to drift lazily towards off the grounds and out of sight. Madam Hoops was bending over Nettle, her face as white as his. 

“Broken hoof,” Morning Shine heard her mutter. “Come on, colt – it’s all right, up you get,” 

She turned to the rest of the class. 

“None of you is to move while I take this colt to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you’ll be out of CSFGU before you can say ‘Quidditch’. Come on, dear,” 

Nettle, his face tear-streaked, clutching his forehoof to his chest, hobbled off with Madam Hoops, who had her hoof around him. No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoal burst into laughter. 

“Did you see his face, the great lump?” 

The other Slytherins joined in. 

“Shut up, Malfoal,” snapped Gypsy Firefly. 

“Ooh, sticking up for Longflank?” said Mystral Aura , a hard-faced Slytherin filly. “Never thought you’d like fat little cry babies, Gypsy,” 

“Look!” said Malfoal, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. “It’s that stupid thing Longflank’s gran sent him,” 

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up. 

“Give that here, Malfoal,” said Morning Shine quietly. 

Everypony stopped talking to watch. Malfoal smiled nastily. 

“I think I’ll leave it somewhere for Longflank to collect – how about – up a tree?” Malfoal sneered. 

“Give it here!” Morning Shine yelled, but Malfoal had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. 

He hadn’t been lying, he could fly well – hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, “Come and get it, Glimmer!” Morning Shine grabbed her broom. 

“No!” shouted Sparkling Radiance. “Madam Hoops told us not to move – you’ll get us all into trouble,” 

Morning Shine ignored her. Blood was pounding in her ears. She mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up she soared, air rushed through her mane and her robes whipped out behind her – and in a rush of fierce joy she realised she’d found something she could do without being taught – this was easy, this was wonderful. She pulled her broomstick up a little to take it even higher and heard screams and gasps of the foals back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Eclipse. She turned her broomstick sharply to face Malfoal in mid-air. Malfoal looked stunned. 

“Give it here,” Morning Shine called, “or I’ll knock you off that broom!” 

“Oh, yeah?” said Malfoal, trying to sneer, but looking worried. 

Morning Shine knew, somehow, what to do. She leant forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hooves and it shot towards Malfoal’s like a javelin. Malfoal’s only just got out of the way in time; Morning Shine made a sharp about turn and held the broom steady. A few ponies below were clapping. 

“No Crab and Gargoyle up here to save your neck, Malfoal,” Morning Shine called. The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoal. 

“Catch it if you can, then!” he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back towards the ground. 

Morning Shine saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. She leant forward and pointed her broom handle down – next second she was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball – wind whistled in her ears, mingled with the screams of ponies watching – she ignited her horn – a foot from the ground she caught it, just in time to pull her broom straight, and she toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in her aura.

“MORNING SHINE GLIMMER!” 

Her heart sank faster than she’d just dived. Princess Luna was running towards them. She got to her hooves, trembling. 

“Never – in all mine own timeth at CSFGU –” Princess was almost speechless with shock, “ – how dareth thee – might have broken thy neck –”

“It wasn’t her fault, Princess –” 

“Beest quiet, Miss Firefly –” 

“But Malfoal –”

“That’s enow Mr. Glimmer, Ms. Glimmer followeth me, now,” 

Shine caught sight of Malfoal, Crab and Gargoyle’s triumphant faces as she left, walking numbly in Princess Luna’s wake as she strode towards the castle. She was going to be expelled, she just knew it. She wanted to say something to defend herself, but there seemed to be something wrong with her voice. Princess Luna was sweeping along without even looking at her; she had to jog to keep up. Now she’d done it. She hadn’t even lasted two weeks. She’d be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would Aunt Twilight and Uncle Flash - oh right, they’re gone… Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Princess Luna didn’t say a word to her. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Morning Shine trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking her to Princess Celestia. Princess Luna stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside. 

“Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, couldst I borrow Wood for a moment?”

Wood? thought Morning Shine, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on her? But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year colt who came out of Flitwick’s class looking confused. 

“Followeth me, thee two,” said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Morning Shine. “In here,” 

Princess Luna pointed them into a classroom which was empty. 

“Glimmer, this is Oak Wood. Wood – I hath found thee a Seeker,” 

Wood’s expression changed from puzzlement to delight. 

“Are you serious, Princess?” 

“Absolutely,” said Princess Luna crisply. “The filly’s a natural. I’ve never seen aught liketh it. Wast yond thy first timeth on a broomstick, Glimmer?”

Morning Shine nodded silently. She didn’t have a clue what was going on, but she didn’t seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to her legs. 

“She hath caught yond thing in her hoof after a fifty-foot diveth,” Princess Luna told Wood. “Didn’t even scratcheth herself. Canter Weasel couldn’t hast done it,” 

Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once. 

“Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Glimmer?” he asked excitedly. 

“Wood’s captain of the Gryffindor team,” Princess Luna explained. 

“She’s just the build for a Seeker, too,” said Wood, now walking around Morning Shine and staring at her. “Light – speedy – we’ll have to get her a decent broom, Princess – a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I’d say,” 

“I shall speaketh to Princess Celestia and see if we can’t bendeth the first-year rule. Faust knoweth, we needeth a better team than last year. Flattened in yond last match by Slytherin, I couldn’t behold Trixie Lulamoon in the visage for weeks…” Princess Luna peered sternly over at Morning Shine. “I wanteth to heareth you’re training hard, Glimmer, or I may changeth mine own mind about punishing thee,” 

Then she suddenly smiled. “Your father would have been proud,’ she said. ‘He was an excellent Quidditch player himself, at least that’s what I’ve heard from mine dearest sister,” 

“You’re joking,” Eclipse stated in disbelief. 

It was dinner time. Morning Shine had just finished telling Eclipse and Sparkling Radiance what had happened when she’d left the grounds with Princess Luna. Eclipse had a piece of baked potato pie halfway to his mouth, but he’d forgotten all about it. 

“Seeker?” Sparkling Radiance said. “But first-years never – you must be the youngest house player in about –” 

“– a century,” said Morning Shine, shovelling pie into her mouth. She felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. “Wood told me,” 

Eclipse was so amazed, he just sat and gaped at Morning Shine. 

“I start training next week,” said Morning Shine. “Only don’t tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret,”

Farrier and Gallop Weasel now came into the hall, spotted Morning Shine and hurried over. 

“Well done,” said Gallop in a low voice. “Wood told us. We’re on the team too – Beaters,”

“I tell you, we’re going to win that Quidditch Cup for sure this year,” said Farrier. “We haven’t won since Canter left, but this year’s team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Morning Shine, Wood was almost skipping when he told us,” 

“Anyway, we’ve got to go, Leaf Shoot reckons he’s found a new secret passageway out of the school,” Gallop said.

“Bet it’s that one behind the statue of Starswirl the Bearded that we found in our first week. See you,” said Farrier. 

Farrier and Gallop had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoal, flanked by Crab and Gargoyle. 

“Having a last meal, Glimmer? When are you getting the train back to the Princess of Friendship?” Malfoal smirked.

“You’re a lot braver now you’re back on the ground and you’ve got your little friends with you,” said Morning Shine coolly. 

There was of course nothing at all little about Crab and Gargoyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl. 

“I’d take you on any time on my own,” said Malfoal. “Tonight, if you want. Wizard’s duel. Horns only – no contact. What’s the matter? Never heard of a wizard’s duel before, I suppose?”

“Of course she has,” said Eclipse, bluffing, wheeling round. “I’m her second, who’s yours?” 

Malfoal looked at Crab and Gargoyle, sizing them up. 

“Crab,” he said. ‘Midnight all right? We’ll meet you in the trophy room, that’s always unlocked,” 

When Malfoal had gone, Morning Shine and Eclipse looked at each other. 

“What is a wizard’s duel?” asked Morning Shine. “And what do you mean, you’re my second?” 

“Well, a second’s there to take over if you die,” said Sparkling Radiance, catching the look on her siblings’ faces, she added quickly, “but people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoal’ll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway,” 

“And what if I ignite my horn and nothing happens?” Morning Shine questioned.

“Punch him in the face,” Eclipse suggested. 

“Excuse me,” Sparkling Radiance interjected.  “You can’t be serious about this duel right? You mustn’t go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you’ll lose Gryffindor if you’re caught, and you’re bound to be. What if Shine gets removed from the Quidditch team?”

“But, what about all the times Malfoal has insulted us, our family, and our friends?” asked Shine. 

“We just want a little justice,” said Eclipse. 

All the same, it wasn’t what you’d call the perfect end to the day, Morning Shine thought, as she lay awake much later listening to Gypsy and Peachy falling asleep. Eclipse had spent all evening giving her advice such as “If he tries to curse you, you’d better dodge it, because I can’t remember how to block them,” 

There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Leach or Mrs. Porgy, and Morning Shine felt she was pushing her luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoal’s sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness – this was her big chance to beat Malfoal, face to face. She couldn’t miss it. 

“Half past eleven,” Eclipse muttered. “Better meet Shine in the common room,” 

Eclipse crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. Morning Shine was there waiting for him. 

They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them: “I can’t believe you’re going to do this, Morning Shine,” 

A lamp flickered on. It was Sparkling Radiance.

“Radiance!” Eclipse hissed. “Go back to bed! You’re going to get a us caught!” 

“I’m going to get you caught? You are going to get yourselves caught!” Sparkling Radiance snapped.

Morning Shine couldn’t believe anyone could be so interfering. 

“Come on,” she said to Eclipse. 

She pushed open the portrait of the Fat Mare and climbed through the hole. Radiance wasn’t going to give up that easily. She followed Eclipse through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose. 

“Don’t you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don’t want Slytherin to win the House Cup and you’ll lose more points than you did in Potions class! What if they send us back home? We’ll have nopony to go to!" 

“We understand your concern Radiance,” Eclipse said. “But, you are not changing our minds. Now, please, go away,”

“All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you’re on the train home tomorrow, you’re so –” Radiance started. 

But what they were, they didn’t find out. Radiance had turned to the portrait of the Fat Mare to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Mare had gone on a night-time visit and Radiance was locked out of Gryffindor Tower. 

“Now what am I going to do?” she asked shrilly. 

“That’s your problem,” said Eclipse. “We’ve got to go, we’re going to be late,” 

They hadn’t even reached the end of the corridor when Radiance caught up with them. 

“I’m coming with you,” she said. 

“You are not,” Eclipse replied. 

“D’you think I’m going to stand out here and wait for Leach to catch me? If he finds all three of us I’ll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you and you can back me up,” Radiance shot back.

“You’ve got some nerve –” said Eclipse loudly. 

“Shut up, both of you!” said Morning Shine sharply. “I heard something,” 

“Mrs. Porgy?” breathed Eclipse, squinting through the dark. 

It wasn’t Mrs. Porgy. It was Nettle. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer. 

“Thank goodness you found me! I’ve been out here for hours. I couldn’t remember the new password to get in to bed,” Nettle explained.

“Keep your voice down, Nettle. The password’s ‘pig snout’ but it won’t help you now, the Fat Mare’s gone off somewhere. How’s your forehoof?” said Morning Shine.

“Fine,” said Nettle, showing them. “Madam Petal mended it in about a minute,” 

“Good – well, look, Nettle, we’ve got to be somewhere, we’ll see you later –” Eclipse started. 

“Don’t leave me!” said Neville, scrambling to his hooves. 

Eclipse conjured up a watch and then glared furiously at Radiance and Nettle. 

“If either of you get us caught, I’ll never rest until I’ve learnt that Curse of the Bogies Mistral told us about and used it on you,” Eclipse spat.

Radiance opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Eclipse exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Morning shine hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward. They flitted along corridors striped with bars of Luna’s moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Morning Shine expected to run into Leach or Mrs. Porgy, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed towards the trophy room. Malfoal and Crab weren’t there yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Morning Shine ignited her horn in case Malfoal leapt in and started at once. The minutes crept by. 

“He’s late, maybe he’s chickened out,” Eclipse whispered. 

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Morning had only just created a spark when she heard a voice – and it wasn’t Malfoal. 

“Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner,” It was Leech speaking to Mrs. Porgy. 

Horror-struck, Shine waved madly at the other three to follow her as quickly as possible; they scurried silently towards the door away from Leech’s voice. Nettle’s robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Leech enter the trophy room. 

“They’re in here somewhere,” they heard him mutter, “probably hiding,” 

“This way!” Morning Shine mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armour. They could hear Leach getting nearer. Nettle suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run – he tripped, grabbed Eclipse around the waist and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armour. The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle. 

“RUN!” Morning Shine yelled and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Leach was following – they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Morning Shine in the lead without any idea where they were or where they were going. They ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room. 

“I think we’ve lost him,” Morning Shine panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping her forehead.

Nettle was bent double, wheezing and spluttering. 

“I – told – you,” Radiance gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest. “I – told – you,” 

“We’ve got to get back to Gryffindor Tower,” said Eclipse, “quickly as possible,” 

“Malfoal tricked you,” Radiance said to Morning Shine. “You realize that, don’t you? He was never going to meet you – Leach knew somepony was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoal must have tipped him off,” 

Morning Shine thought she was probably right, but she wasn’t going to tell her that. 

“Let’s go,” said Shine.

It wasn’t going to be that simple. They hadn’t gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and Leech came bursting in. 

“I’ve got you now!” Leach said triumphantly. “STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS IN THE CORRIDOR!”

“This is it!” Eclipse moaned, as he pushed helplessly up against the wall. “We’re done for! This is the end!”

“Oh, move over,” Radiance snarled. She ignitated her horn, and shouted, “Stupify!”

Leach went stiff, as did Mrs. Porgy. Their frozen forms doppled over as the group of foals ran out towards the Gryffindor Tower. They didn’t stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Mare on the seventh floor. 

“Where on earth have you all been?” she asked, looking at their dressing-gowns hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces. 

“Never mind that – pig snout, pig snout,” panted Morning Shine, and the portrait swung forward. 

They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling into armchairs. It was a while before any of them said anything. Nettle, indeed, looked as if he’d never speak again. Radiance stood up, glaring at them. 

“I hope you’re pleased with yourselves. We could all have been expelled. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed,” Sparkling Radiance fumed.

Morning Shine and Eclipse looked at each other, the looks on their faces were for the other to understand what they were thinking.

“Do you think Leach will remember which foals snuck out of bed? And do you think he knows what house we’re in?” Eclipse asked.

“Yep. And if he remembers what we look like, he can figure out which house we’re in,” Morning Shine sighed.

“We’re doomed…”  Eclipse moaned as he buried his face into his hooves.
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malfoal couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Morning Shine and Eclipse were still at CSFGU the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful. Indeed, by the next morning Morning Shine and Eclipse thought that the close encounter with Leach was an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one. Little did they know, adventure was coming their way. And it was coming fast.

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. Morning Shine was just as interested as everypony else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of her, knocking her pancakes to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.

Morning Shine ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said: 

DOTH NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE. It enwheels thy new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I doth not wanteth everypony knowing thee’ve got a broomstick or they'll all wanteth one. Oak Wood will meeteth thy tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for thy first training session.

Princess Luna

Morning Shine had difficulty hiding her glee as she handed the note to Eclipse to read.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Eclipse moaned enviously. "That’s not fair..."

They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crab and Gargoyle. Malfoal seized the package from Morning Shine and felt it.

"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Morning Shine with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Glimmer, first years aren't allowed them,"

Eclipse couldn't resist it.

"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoal, a Comet Two Sixty?" Eclipse grinned at his sister. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus,"

"What would you know about it, Glimmer, you couldn’t even name the different brooms at the start of the year," Malfoal snapped back. "I suppose you were ‘taught’ by the Weasley twins. I bet they had to save up twig by twig!"

Before Eclipse could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoal’s elbow.

"Not arguing, I hope, foals?" he squeaked.

"Glimmer's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoal quickly.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Shine. "Princess Luna told me all about the special circumstances, Glimmer. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Morning Shine, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoal's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoal here that I've got it," she added.

The siblings headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoal's obvious rage and confusion.

"Well, it's true," Morning Shine giggled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Nettle's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team..."

"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. 

Sparkling Radiance was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Shine’s aura.

"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Morning Shine.

"Yeah? What’s up with that?" Eclipse asked.

“I-I… UGH!” Radiance marched away with a scream of frustration.

Morning Shine had a lot of trouble keeping her mind on her lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where her new broomstick was lying under her bed, or straying off to the Quidditch field where she'd be learning to play that night. She bolted her dinner that evening without noticing what she was eating, and then rushed upstairs with Eclipse to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last.

"Wow," Eclipse sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Morning Shine's bedspread.

Even Morning Shine, who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.

As seven o'clock drew nearer, Morning Shine left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. Held never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They reminded Morning Shine of the little plastic sticks foals blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high.

Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Morning Shine mounted her broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling - she swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever she wanted at her lightest touch.

"Hey, Glimmer, come down!" Wood called.

Oak Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate in his aura Morning Shine landed next to him.

"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what the Princess meant... you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week,"

He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.

"Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers,"

"Three Chasers," Shine repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball.

"This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"

"The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Morning Shine recited.

"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper - I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring," Wood explained.

"Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Morning Shine, who was determined to remember it all. "And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So what are they for?" She pointed at the three balls left inside the box.

"I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this,"

He levitated a small club to Morning Shine, a bit like a short baseball bat.

"I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers,"

He showed Morning Shine two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Morning Shine noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box.

"Stand back," Wood warned. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers.

At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Morning Shine's face. Morning Shine swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking her muzzle, and sent it zigzagging away into the air - it zoomed around their heads and then shot at Wood, who used it his magic to keep it in his restraint.

"See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team - the Weasel twins are ours - it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So - think you've got all that?"

"Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Morning reeled off.

"Very good," said Wood.

"Er - have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Morning Shine asked, hoping she sounded offhand.

"Never at CSFGU. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers-" Wood started

"- unless they crack my head open," Morning Shine added.

"Don't worry, the Weaslels are more than a match for the Bludgers - I mean, they're like a pair of pony Bludgers themselves,"

Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings.

"This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages - I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep. Well, that's it, any questions?"

Morning Shine shook her head. She understood what she had to do all right, it was doing it that was going to be the problem.

"We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."

He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Morning Shine were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Shine to catch. Morning Shine didn't miss a single one, and Wood was delighted. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on.

"That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Canter Weasel, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off studying in the Dragonlands,"

Perhaps it was because she was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all her homework, but Shine could hardly believe it when she realized that she'd already been at CSFGU two months. Her lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.

On Nightmare Night morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Nettle's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Morning's partner was Mystic Flier. Eclipse was working with Sparkling Radiance. It was hard to tell what either of them were thinking. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Shine's broomstick had arrived.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. “Saying the magic words properly is very important, to - never forget Wizard Stygian, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest,"

It was very difficult. Morning Shine and Mystic said the spell, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Mystic got so impatient that he that he set his feather on fire - Shine had to put it out with a water spell.

Eclipse, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long forehooves like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Radiance snapped. "It's Wing- gar -dium Levi- o -sa, make the 'gar' nice and long,"

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Eclipse snarled.

Radiance rolled up the sleeves of her gown, ignited her horn, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Radiance's done it!"

Eclipse was in a very bad mood by the end of the class.

On their way down to the Great Hall for the Nightmare Night feast, Morning Shine and Eclipse didn’t really feel like celebrating. Though, the hall was very festive.

A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.

Morning Shine placed her head in her hooves and closed her eyes. ‘It was Nightmare Night, again.’ She thought. ‘The day I lost my parents… and now it’s happening all over again with Aunt Twilight and Uncle Flash.’

Morning Shine started tearing up when she felt two pairs of hooves wrapping around her. It was Eclipse and Radiance, they were still upset with each other, but they knew how hard it was for Morning Shine, Eclipse too. Just then Professor Mistral came sprinting into the hall. 

Everypony starred as she reached Princess Celestia's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Queen Chrysalis -has returned - thought you ought to know!"

She then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

There was an uproar. It took several yellow firecrackers exploding from the end of Princess's horn to bring silence.

"Prefects," she rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Prancer was in his element.

"Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"

"Not again! I don’t want this to happen again! How did she return?!" Morning Shine panicked as they climbed the stairs.

"I don’t know," mumbled Radiance.

“I’m scared,” Eclipse whispered.

They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. And made it to the common room. The three sat down in, and Morning shine had grown very pale. Eclipse was rocking back and forth, and Radiance had look of horror plastered on her face.

“What are we going to do?” Eclipse asked, his voice higher than normal.

“I don’t know!” Radiance said shrilly. “For once in my life I don’t know!"

“Guys! Can we all get along please?! We lost our parents, some more than once. And I’m not about to lose you two as well! We have to stick together,” Morning Shine shouted, tears streaming down her face.

Eclipse and Radicance glanced at their sister and nodded silently.

“Why did she come back? What does she want?” Eclipse muttered.

“Revenge. Revenge on us, Eclipse. We destroyed her plans banishing her to who knows where! And Radiance isn’t safe either…” Morning sated. “We need to stop her, I can’t live through this nightmare again…”

“I have a plan,” Radiance smiled. “But it’s going to be dangerous,”

“We’re listening,” Eclipse said, wanting her to go on.

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” Radiance explained.

Radiance explained the plan to her siblings, there heads nodded in agreement. And Eclipse had few things to add. Morning Shine just listened, she looked out the window and could have sworn she saw a pair or bright green eyes. She blinked, but when she opened her eyes again, they were gone.
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Spike could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots.

The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Morning Shine would be playing in her first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship.

Hardly anyone had seen Shine play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Morning Shine should be kept, well, secret. Speaking of secrets, something else was being hidden from everyone in school. But that is something for a later time. Back to Morning Shine. But the news that she was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Morning Shine didn't know which was worse - people telling her she'd be brilliant or people telling her they'd be running around underneath her holding a mattress.

It was really lucky that Morning Shine had Sparkling Radiance as an adoptive sister. She didn't know how she'd have gotten through all her homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent her Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.

Morning learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.

Radiance had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Queen Chrysalis had returned, and the plan involved breaking the rules. The day before Morning Shine's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and Radiance, with help from Eclipse had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Lulamoon crossed the yard.

"What's that you've got there, Glimmer?"

It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Morning showed her.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Lulamoon. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor,"

"She's just made that rule up," Morning shine muttered angrily as Lulamoon walked away.

The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Radiance sat together next to a window. Radiance was checking Shine and Eclipse's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy, but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.

Morning Shine felt restless. She wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back, to take her mind off her nerves about tomorrow. Why should she be afraid of Lulamoon? Getting up, she told Eclipse and Radiance she was going to ask Lulamoon if she could have it back.

"Better you than me," they said together, but Morning Shine had an idea that Lulamoon wouldn't refuse if there were other teachers listening.

She made his way down to the staff room and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again. Nothing.

Perhaps Lulamoon had left the book in there? It was worth a try. She pushed the door ajar and peered inside.

Professor Lulamoon was sitting there talking to Leech.

"Lulamoon doesn’t know what Lulamoon’s going to do, Leach," Lulamoon was saying. "How is Lulamoon supposed to tell two children that Lulamoon knew their mother, and is responsible for her death?"

Morning Shine was too flustered with thoughts to think, she tried to shut the door quietly, but -

"GLIMMER!"

Morning's face was twisted with fury as she stood up quickly too shoo the young filly out. Morning Shine gulped.

"I just wondered if I could have my book back," Morning Shine quickly.

"GET OUT! OUT!" screeched Lulamoon.

Morning Shine left, before Lulamoon could take any more points from Gryffindor. She galloped back upstairs.

"Did you get it?" Eclipse asked as Shine joined them. "What's the matter?"

In a low whisper, Morning Shine told them what she'd seen.

"But it doesn't make any sense!" she finished. “Queen Chrysalis killed Mom and Dad, why would Lulamoon be taking the blame?”

Radiance's eyes were wide.

"What if Lulamoon is Chrysalis or another changeling?”, she said. "I know she’s not found of us but, being the Queen or an unreformed changeling would explain so much!"

"You make a good point, but what unreformed changeling would ‘know’ my mom personally?" questioned Eclipse. "I'm with Morning Shine though, Lulamoon wouldn’t take the blame if she didn’t do it herself. Plus, Princess Celestia and Princess luna would have known,"

“But the Princesses didn’t know when Queen Chrysalis disguised herself as Aunt Cadence, did they?” Radiance reminded them.

“You are right about that,” Morning Shine remarked. “But we won’t know for sure until we get more information,”

Morning Shine went to bed with her head buzzing with the same question. Nettle was snoring loudly, so you could hear him from the other dorm, but Shine couldn't sleep. She tried to empty her mind - she needed to sleep, she had to, she had her first Quidditch match in a few hours - but the expression on Lulamoon's face when Morning Shine had overheard her conversation was hard to forget.

The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.

"You've got to eat some breakfast,” said Radiance

“I don't want anything," Morning Shine stated

"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Radiance.

"I'm not hungry,” Morning Shine pressed.

Morning Shine felt terrible. In an hour's time she'd be walking onto the field.

"Morning, you need your strength," said Cherry Lightning. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team,”

"Thanks, Cherry," said Morning Shine, watching Cherry pile cherries on his pancakes.

By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.

Eclipse and Radiance joined Nettle, Cherry, and Afternoon Ash the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Morning Shine, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said Morning Shine for Princess, and Afternoon, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Radiance had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors.

Meanwhile, in the locker room, Morning Shine and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes.

Wood cleared his throat for silence.

"Okay, colts," he said.

"And fillies," said Chaser Solstice Twinkle.

"And fillies," Wood agreed. "This is it,”

"The big one," said Farrier Weasel.

"The one we've all been waiting for," said Gallop.

"We know Oak’s speech by heart," Farrier told Morning Shine, "we were on the team last year,”

"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it,"

He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else,"

"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you,” Wood said.

Morning Shine followed Farrier and Gallop out of the locker room and, hoping her knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers.

Madam Hoops was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. 

Morning Shine noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Pepper Ember, a sixth year. Morning thought Ember looked as if he had some griffin blood in him. Out of the corner of her eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Morning Shine for Princess over the crowd. Her heart skipped. She felt braver.

"Mount your brooms, please," Madam Hoops instructed.

Morning clambered onto her Nimbus Two Thousand.

Madam Hoops gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.

Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Solstice Twinkle of Gryffindor - what an excellent Chaser that filly is, and rather attractive, too-"
Leaf Shoot started to comment 

"SHOOT!" Princess Luna scolded.

"Sorry, Princess,” Leaf apologized.

The Weasel twins' friend, Leaf Shoot, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Princess Luna.

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Honey Flower, a good find of Oak Wood's, last year only a reserve - back to Twinkle and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Pepper Ember gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Ember flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc - no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Spring Belle of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Ember, off up the field and - OUCH -that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by the Slytherins - that's Silver Glider speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger - sent his way by Farrier or Gallop Weasel, can't tell which - nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Twinkle back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes - she's really flying - dodges a speeding Bludger - the goal posts are ahead - come on, now, Solstice - Keeper Skies dives - misses - GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.

"Budge up there, move along,"
Spike said, being followed by Rarity,”

"Spike! Rarity!” Eclipse and Radiance cheered.

Eclipse and Radiance squeezed together to give Spike and Rarity enough space to join them.

"We’ve been watching from the cottage,” said Spike, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as being in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet?"

"Nope," said Eclipse. “Shine hasn't had much to do yet,"

"Well, she’s doing a fine job of staying out of trouble, darlings,” said Rarity, levitating her opera glasses and peering skyward at the speck that was Morning Shine.

Way up above them, Morning Shine was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of her and Wood's game plan.

“Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be,"

When Solstice had scored, Morning Shine had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off her feelings. Now she was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once she caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasels’ wristwatches, and once a Bludger decided to come pelting her way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Morning dodged it and Farrier Weasel came chasing after it.

"All right there, Morning?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Pepper Ember.

"Slytherin in possession," Leaf Shoot was saying, "Chaser Glider ducks two Bludgers, two Weasels, and Chaser Belle, and speeds toward the - wait a moment - was that the Snitch?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as Silver Glider dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.

Shine saw it. In a great rush of excitement she dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Amber Walnut had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch - all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.

Morning Shine was faster than Walnut - she could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead - she put on an extra spurt of speed -

WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below - Pepper Ember had blocked Morning Shine on purpose, and Morning’s broom spun off course, she was holding on for dear life.

"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.

Madam Hoops spoke angrily to Ember and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.

Down in the stands, Afternoon Ash was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"

"What are you talking about, Ash?" said Eclipse.

"Red card!" said Ash furiously. "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"

"But this isn't soccer, Ash," Radiance reminded him.

Spike, however, was on Ash’s side.

"They ought to change the rules. Ember could have knocked Morning Shine the air,”

Leaf Shoot was finding it difficult not to take sides.

“So - after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating-"

"Shoot!" growled Princess Luna.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul..."

"Shoot, I'm warning you--"

"All right, all right. Ember nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinner, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession,"

It was as Morning Shine dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past her head, that it happened. The bludger came whizzing back and nearly hit Morning Shine. For a split second, she thought he was going to fall. She gripped the broom tightly with all four hooves. She’d never felt anything like that.

It happened again. It was as though the Bludger was only trying to hit her. But Bludgers did not suddenly decide to go after one individual player. Morning Shine tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal-posts - she had half a mind to ask Wood to call time-out - and then she realized that the Bludger was completely out of control. She didn’t have time to fly out of the way. The Weasel twins couldn’t reach her in time. It was zigzagging through the air, right towards her.

Morning Shine, without thinking, ignited her horn. And grabbed hold of the Bludger, the Bludger made her broom jerk left and right. It wasn’t going to stop. When suddenly another one came whizzing past. And Morning grabbed the other Bludger and held it tight, the strength of the Bludgers straining her magic.

Lee was still commentating.

"Slytherin in possession - Ember with the Quaffle - passes Flower -passes Belle - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his muzzle - only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - A no..."

The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Morning Shine and her Bludger problem. I was getting harder and harder to keep hold of the Bludgers, making her broom jerk back and for as shelf on for dear life.

“I don’t know what Morning Shine is doing," Spike mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say the Bludgers lost control but they couldn’t have..."

Suddenly, people were pointing up at Morning Shine all over the stands. The Bludgers made her broom jerk with all its might, with Shine only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. The Bludgers has broken free from Shine’s aura and the sudden motion had Morning Shine slip from her broom. She was now dangling from it, holding on with only hoof.

"Did something happen to it when Ember blocked her?" Cherry whispered.

"Impossible," Rarity said, her voice shaking. "Nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic - no foal could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand! Oh, this is the worst, possible thing!!”

At these words, Radiance seized Spike’s binoculars, but instead of looking up at Morning Shine, she started looking frantically at the crowd.

"What are you doing?" moaned Eclipse, gray-faced.

"I knew it," Radiance gasped, "Lulamoon - look!"

Eclipse grabbed the binoculars. Lulamoon was in the middle of the stands opposite them. She had her eyes fixed on Morning and her horn was barely ignited, muttering nonstop under her breath.

"She’s doing something - jinxing the Bludgers," said Radiance.

"What should we do?" Eclipse muttered.

"Leave it to me,” Radiance reassured him.

Before Eclipse could say another word, Radiance had disappeared. Eclipse turned the binoculars back on Morning Shine, she was struggling to get back on her broom, her horn was strained from holding on to the Bludgers for so long. It was almost impossible for her to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its hooves, watching, terrified, as the Weasels flew up to try and pull Morning Shine safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good - every time they got near her, the Bludgers would come flying at them still. They dropped lower and circled beneath her, obviously hoping to catch her if she fell. Pepper Ember seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.

"Come on, Sparkling Radiance," Eclipse muttered desperately.

Radiance had fought her way across to the stand where Lulamoon stood, and was now racing along the row behind her; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Mistral headfirst into the row in front. Reaching Lulamoon, she crouched down, ignited her horn, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her horn onto the hem of Lulamoon's robes.

It took perhaps thirty seconds for Lulamoon to realize that she was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off her into a little jar in her pocket, Radiance scrambled back along the row - Lulamoon would never know what had happened.

It was enough. Up in the air, Morning Shine was able to get on her broom. When a final bludger came hurtling towards her. With the last bit of magic she had left she grabbed hold of the bludger and made burst into a bright, shining orb. There were oo’s and aw’s from the crowd below. But nopony noticed the small flash of light from under Shine’s robes; or the glinting of the snitch in the orbs light, except for Morning Shine. 

"Nettle, you can look!" Eclipse said awestruck. Nettle had been sobbing into Spike's arms for the last five minutes.

Morning Shine was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw her clap her hoof to her mouth as though she was about to be sick - she hit the field on all fours - coughed - and something gold fell into her hoof.

"I've got the Snitch!" she shouted, waving it above her head with her strained, and the game ended in complete confusion.

"She didn't catch it, she nearly swallowed it," Ember was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference - Morning hadn't broken any rules and Leaf Shoot was still happily shouting the results - Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Morning Shine heard none of this, though. She was being made a cup of strong tea back in Spike and Rarity's cottage, with Eclipse and Sparkling Radiance.

"It was Lulamoon," Eclipse was explaining, "Radiance and I saw her. She was cursing the bludgers, muttering, she wouldn't take her eyes off you,"

"Rubbish," said Rarity, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to her in the stands. "Why would Lulamoon do something like that? Sure she hates all of us, but really had soft spot for your moth- oops..."

Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Radiance looked at one another, unable to say anything.

“Real smooth Rares,” Spike quipped.

“I should not have said that! I should not have said that!” Rarity muttered to herself furiously.

“What do you mean?” Morning Shine asked, her brows furrowing.

“Hey what’s that underneath your robe?” Spike questioned.

“Spike don’t change the subject! I-” Morning Shine started as she lifted up her robe to see a mark, a cutie mark. “-don’t have… anything? … I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!!!”

Morning shine started bouncing up and down like a foal on Hearths Warming. She bounced around so much that she made Rarity drop the teapot.

“Oops,” Morning Shine muttered.

“Nothing to worry about Darling,” Rarity said cleaning up the mess. “I’m so happy for you,”

“But what is it exactly? Eclipse wondered aloud.

Morning Shine looked at her mark closely. It was a shining light around an orb. To be honest she had no idea what it meant.

“I think it’s when you made the bludger turn into shining orb,” Radiance stated. “But I’m not entirely sure what the talent behind it is. Maybe Quidditch or light magic?”

“Well one thing's for certain,” Spike said, “Your parents would have been proud,”

Morning Shined smiled softly, and sighed knowing that they couldn’t see her right now. Neither could Aunt Twilight and Uncle Flash.

“Hey, I just realized something. You got your cutie mark before Malfoal!” Eclipse exclaimed.

That thought left a smirk on Morning Shine’s face. Wait until Malfoal saw her tomorrow. Boy, would he be jealous!
> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hearths Warming was coming. One morning in mid-December, Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasel twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Mistral around, bouncing off the back of her head. The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Spike and Rarity before they could fly off again.

    No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Lulamoon's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.

    "I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoal, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Celestia’s for Hearths Warming because they have no one to go home to,"

    He was looking over at our trio as he spoke. Crab and Gargoyle chuckled. Morning Shine, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them. 

Malfoal had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, and the fact that Morning Shine had acquired her cutie mark before him, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Morning Shine as Seeker next. Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Morning Shine had managed to stay on her broomstick with the bludgers flying at her. So Malfoal, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Morning Shine about having no family.

    It was true that Morning Shine wasn't going back to Friendship Castle for Christmas. Princess Luna had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Morning Shine had signed up at once, as did Eclipse, and Radiance. They did feel a little down, knowing that they wouldn’t see their loved ones, so Fallop and Garrier- er - Farrier and Gallop stayed behind to get them into the Hearths Warming spirit.

    When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Spike was behind it.

    "Hi, Spike, want any help?" Eclipse asked, sticking his head through the branches.

    "Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Eclipse," Spike smiled.

    "Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoal's cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to let the game keeper and his wife take you and your siblings in for Hearths Warming? I don’t he has the heart capable of doing that,"

    Eclipse dived at Malfoal just as Lulamoon came up the stairs.

    "GLIMMER!" she snapped.

    Eclipse let go of the front of Malfoal's robes.

    "He was provoked, Professor Lulamoon," said Spike, sticking his huge scaly face out from behind the tree. "Malfoal was insulting him and myself, because everypony knows that dragons are heartless creatures,"

    "Be that as it may, fighting is against CSFGU’s rules, Spike," said Lulamoon silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Eclipse, for reacting irrationally. And ten points from Slytherin,"
    
Malfoal was about to protest when Lulamoon cut him off.

“For provoking the fight, and insulting a staff member. Now move along all of you,”


Malfoal, Crab, and Gargoyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and sulking slightly.

    "I'll get him," said Eclipse, grinding his teeth at Malfoal's back, "one of these days, I'll get him-"

    "I hate them both," said Morning Shine, "Malfoal and Lulamoon,"

    "Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Hearths Warming," said Spike. "Plus, Lulamoon just took ten points from her house for Malfoal’s actions. Tell you what, come with me and see the Great Hall, it looks great,"

    So the three of them followed Spike and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Princess Luna, Professor Flitwick, and Rarity were busy with the Hearths Warming decorations.

    "There you are Spike. Put that tree in the far corner, would you?" Rarity asked.

    The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Hearths Warming trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.

    "How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Spike asked.

"Just one," said Radiance. "And that reminds me - Morning Shine, Eclipse, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be wrapping the rest of our gifts,”

    "Oh yeah, you're right," said Eclipse, tearing his eyes away from Rarity, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of her horn and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.

    "Gift wrapping?" said Spike, following them out of the hall. "Do you want some help?"

    "No thank you, Spike" Morning Shine told him brightly.

After the three were out of range Eclipse said:

“We’re not really wrapping gifts are we?” 

“No, we’re not,” Radiance confirmed. “We’re finding out about Lulamoon’s past, and how she knows our parents,”

“But what if the library doesn’t have the answers?” Morning Shine asked.

“It will, it’s the the Princess’ Royal Archives. We’ll be bound to find something,” Radiance said.

    Radiance took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Eclipse strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Morning Shine wandered over to the Restricted Section. She had been wondering for a while if Lulamoon wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and she knew she'd never get one. These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts.

    "What are you looking for, filly?" Madam Rain questioned.

    "Nothing," said Morning Shine.

    Madam Rain the librarian brandished a feather duster at her.

    "You'd better get out, then. Go on - out!" she shrieked.

    Wishing she'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Morning Shine left the library. She, Eclipse, and Radiance had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Rain where they could find Lulamoon in the books, if she even had any. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Lulamoon hearing what they were up to.

    Morning Shine waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but she wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Rain breathing down their necks.

    Five minutes later, Eclipse and Radiance joined her, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.

    Once the holidays had started, the three were having too good a time to think much about Lulamoon. The common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork - bread, muffins, marshmallows - and plotting ways of getting Malfoal expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.

    Eclipse - with help of Farrier and Gallop - also started teaching Morning Shine and Radiance - who rather read books curled up by the fire - magic chess. Shine played with chessstallions Cherry Lightning had lent her, and they didn't trust her at all. She wasn't a very good player yet and they kept shouting different bits of advice at her, which was confusing. 

"Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose him," is something that the pawns would frequently say.

    On Hearths Warming Eve, Morning Shine went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun. When she woke early in the morning, however, the first thing she saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of his bed.

    "Happy Hearths Warming," said Radiance sleepily as Morning Shine scrambled out of bed and pulled on her bathrobe.

"You, too," said Morning Shine.

"Let’s go get Eclipse and the twins," said Radiance, turning to her own pile, picking them up.

    Morning picked up her parcels, and walked to the common room - where the boys were already waiting. 

“Happy Hearths Warming!” Eclipse cheered.

“Good morning, ladies,” said Farrier.

“Ready to open presents?” Gallop asked.

“Aren’t we all?” Morning Shine replied.

Morning Shine picked up the first present, it was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was: To Morning Shine, Eclipse, and Radiance, from Spike and Rarity. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute, and two necklaces with brightly colored gemstones.

    “Who sent these?" Eclipse asked, pointy at some packages.

    "I think I know who that one's from," said Farrier, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. 

"Our mum. We told her you didn't expect any presents - since well… you know.. and - oh, no," Gallop groaned, "she's made you all a Weasel sweater,"

    Radiance had torn open the parcel to find a three thick, hand-knitted sweaters, one violet, one blue, and one pink and a large box of homemade fudge.

    "Every year she makes us a sweater," said Farrier, unwrapping his own. 

"And ours is always maroon," Gallop finished.

"That's really nice of her," said Radiance, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.

    The next present also contained candy - a large box of it. That the three foals ought to share.

    This only left one parcel. Morning picked it up and felt it. It was very light. She unwrapped it.

    Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. Radiance gasped.

    "I've heard of those," she said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavor Beans she'd gotten from the giant box. "If that's what I think it is - they're really rare, and really valuable,"

    "What is it?" Eclipse asked, now curious.

    Shine picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.

    "It's an invisibility cloak," said Radiance, a look of awe on her face. "I'm sure it is - try it on,"

    Morning Shine threw the cloak around herself, leaving her head exposed, and Radiance gave a yell.

    "It is! Look down!" Radiance cried.

    Morning Shine looked down at her hooves, but they were gone. She dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, her reflection looked back at her, just her head suspended in midair, her body completely invisible. She pulled the cloak over her head and her reflection vanished completely.

    "There's a note!" said Eclipse suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"

    Morning Shine pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing she had never seen before were the following words:

    Your father left this in my possession before he died.

    It is time it was returned to you.

    Use it well.

    A Very Happy Hearths Warming to you.

    There was no signature. Morning Shine stared at the note. Radiance was admiring the cloak.

    "I'd give anything for one of these," she said. "Anything. What's the matter?"

    "Nothing," said Morning Shine. She felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to her father?

    Before she knew it was time for supper. Morning Shine had never in all her life had such a Hearths Warming dinner. A hundred fat, roast haycakes; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce.

    Flaming Hearths Warming puddings followed the haycakes. Prancer nearly broke his teeth on a silver sickle embedded in his slice. Morning Shine watched Spike getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Princess Luna on the cheek, who, to Morning Shine's amazement, giggled and blushed, her crown topsided. And Rarity, who was fuming, took her drunken dragon husband home.

    
    The trio and the Weasels spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Morning Shine broke in her new chess set by losing spectacularly to Radiance. She suspected she wouldn't have lost so badly if Prancer hadn't tried to help her so much.

    After a meal of hay sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Hearths Warming cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Prancer chase Farrier and Gallop all over Gryffindor tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge.

    It had been Morning Shine's best Hearths Warming day ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of her mind all day. Not until she climbed into bed was she free to think about it: the invisibility cloak and whoever had sent it.

    Radiance, full of hay sandwiches and cake and with nothing mysterious to bother her, fell asleep almost as soon as she'd drawn the curtains of her four-poster. Morning Shine leaned over the side of her own bed and pulled the cloak out from under it.

    Her father's... this had been her father's. She let the material flow over her hooves, smoother than silk, light as air. Use it well, the note had said.

    She had to try it, now. She slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around herself. Looking down at her legs, she saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.

    Use it well.

    Suddenly, Morning Shine felt wide-awake. The whole of Celestia’s was open to her in this cloak. Excitement flooded through her as she stood there in the dark and silence. She could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Leech would never know.

    Radiance grunted in her sleep. Should Morning Shine wake her? Something held her back - her father's cloak - she felt that this time - the first time - she wanted to use it alone. Even though Eclipse was her biological brother, he was in the colts’ dormitory, where the fillies were prohibited to go.

    She crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole.

    "Who's there?" squawked the Fat Mare. Morning Shine said nothing. She walked quickly down the corridor.

    Where should she go? She stopped, her heart racing, and thought. And then it came to her. The Restricted Section in the library. She'd be able to read as long as she liked, as long as it took to find out Lulamoon’s past. She set off, drawing the invisibility cloak tight around her as she walked.

    The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Morning Shine lit her horn to see her way along the rows of books. The light looked as if it was floating along in midair, and even though Morning Shine could feel her horn supporting it, the sight gave her the creeps.

    The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, she held up her light to read the titles.

    They didn't tell her much. Their peeling, faded gold letters spelled words in languages Morning Shine couldn't understand. Some had no title at all. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood. The fur on the back of Morning's neck prickled. Maybe she was imagining it, maybe not, but she thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.

    She had to start somewhere. Extinguishing her light, she looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught her eye. She pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on her knee, let it fall open.

    A piercing, blood curdling shriek split the silence - the book was screaming! Morning Shine snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, earsplitting note. She stumbled backward. Panicking, she heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside - stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, she ran for it. She passed Leach in the doorway; Leach's pale, wild eyes looked straight through her, and Morning Shine slipped under Leach's outstretched hoof and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in her ears.

    She came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armor. She had been so busy getting away from the library, she hadn't paid attention to where she was going. Perhaps because it was dark, she didn't recognize where she was at all. There was a suit of armor near the kitchens, she knew, but she must be five floors above there.

    "You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library Restricted Section,"

    Morning Shine felt the blood drain out of her face. Wherever she was, Leach must know a shortcut, because her soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to her horror, it was Lulamoon who replied, "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them,”


Morning Shine stood rooted to the spot as Leach and Lulamoon came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see her, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into her - the cloak didn't stop her from being solid.


She backed away as quietly as she could. A door stood ajar to her left. It was her only hope. She squeezed through it, holding her breath, trying not to move it, and to her relief he managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. They walked straight past, and Morning Shine leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before she noticed anything about the room she had hidden in.


It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket - but propped against the wall facing her was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.


It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. Her panic fading now that there was no sound of Leach and Lulamoon, Morning Shine moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at herself but see no reflection again. She stepped in front of it.



She had to clap her hoof to her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She whirled around. Her heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed - for she had seen not only herself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of ponies standing right behind her.

But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, she turned slowly back to the mirror.

There she was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind her, were at least ten others. Morning Shine looked over her shoulder - but still, nopony was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was she in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?


She looked in the mirror again. A mare was standing right behind her reflection was smiling at her and waving. She reached out a hoof and felt the air behind her. If she was really there, she'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but she felt only air - she and the others existed only in the mirror.


She was a very pretty light purple mare. She had a dark purple mane with turquoise streaks in it, and her eyes - ’Her eyes are just like mine.’ Morning Shine thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Purple - exactly the same shape, but then she noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, thin, orange, firefly-maned stallion standing next to her put his hoof around her. He wore glasses, and his mane was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Morning Shine’s did.

Morning was so close to the mirror now that her muzzle was nearly touching that of her reflection. Then it hit her like a lightning bolt.

"Mom?" she whispered. "Dad?"

They just looked at her, smiling. And slowly, Morning Shine looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of purple eyes like hers, other muzzles like hers - Morning Shine as looking at her family, for the first time in her life.

The Glimmers and Bursts smiled and waved at Morning Shine and she stared hungrily back at them, her hooves pressed flat against the glass as though she was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. She had a powerful kind of ache inside her, half joy, half terrible sadness.

How long she stood there, she didn't know. The reflections did not fade and she looked and looked until a distant noise brought her back to her senses. She couldn't stay here, she had to find her way back to bed. She tore her eyes away from her mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.

"You could have woken me up," said Radiance, crossly.

You can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror,” said Morning Shine.

"I'd like to see our mom and dad," Eclipse said eagerly.


Morning Shine couldn't eat. Sh had seen her  parents and would be seeing them again tonight. She had almost forgotten about Lulamoon.


"Are you all right?" said Radiance. "You look odd,"


What Morning Shine feared most was that she might not be able to find the mirror room again. With Eclipse and Radiance covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They tried retracing Morning Shine’s route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.

"It's here - just here - yes!"
Morning Shine said triumphantly.

They pushed the door open. Morning Shine dropped the cloak from around her shoulders and ran to the mirror.


There they were. Her mother and father beamed at the sight of her.


"See?" Morning Shine whispered.


“I can see them! Eclipse said, awestruck.


“I don’t see anything,” said Radiance, confused

"Look! Look at them all... there are loads of them..."
Morning Shine said.


"I can only see you, and Eclipse," Radiance protested.

"Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am,” Eclipse suggested.


Eclipse stepped aside, but with Radiance in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family anymore, just Radiance in her nightgown.


Radiance, though, was staring transfixed at her image.


"Look at me!" She said.



"Can you see all your family standing around you?" Morning Shine asked.


"No - I'm alone - but I'm different -  I look older - and I'm an alicorn princess! Just like mom!"


"What?" Eclipse said confused


"I am - I'm wearing the crown mom used - and I'm signing a treaty with a far away nation,"



Radiance tore her eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Morning Shine and Eclipse.


"Do you think this mirror shows the future?" she questioned.


"How can it? All my family are dead - let me have another look-"


"You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time. Or even Eclipse,"


"You're only signing a treaty, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents,” Eclipse said.

"Don't push me -" Radiance snapped.


A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion. They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking.


"Quick!" Morning Shine ordered.


Eclipse threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Porgy came round the door. The three stood quite still, all thinking the same thing - did the cloak work on cats? After what seemed an age, she turned and left.


"This isn't safe - she might have gone for Leach, I bet she heard us. Come on,” Radiance said.


And she pulled Morning Shine and Eclipse out of the room.


The snow still hadn't melted the next morning.


"Want to play chess, Morning Shine?" said Eclipse.


"No,” she said.


"Why don't we go down and visit Spike and Rarity?" Eclipse suggested

"No... you go..." she said.


"I know what you're thinking about, Morning Shine, that mirror. Don't go back tonight,” said Radiance.

But Morning Shine only had one thought in his head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and her siblings weren’t going to stop her.


That third night she found her way more quickly than before. She was walking so fast she knew she was making more noise than was wise, but she didn't meet anyone.


And there were her mother and father smiling at her again, and one of her grandfathers nodding happily. Morning Shine sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop her from staying here all night with her family. Nothing at all.


Except -


"So - back again, Morning Shine?"


Morning Shine felt as though her insides had turned to ice. She looked behind her. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Princess Celestia. Morning Shine must have walked straight past her, so desperate to get to the mirror she hadn't noticed her.


"I - I didn't see you, Princess."


"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Princes Celestia, and Morning Shineas relieved to see that she was smiling.


"So," said Princess Celestia slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Shine, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."


"I didn't know it was called that, Princess,”


"But I expect you've realized by now what it does?" the princess inquired.

"It - well - it shows me my family”


"And it showed your adoptive  sister, Radiance, grown up and an alicorn."


"How did you know -?" Morning Shine started.


"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Princess Celestia gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"


Morning Shine shook her head.


"Let me explain. The happiest stallion in Equestria would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"


Morning Shine thought. Then she said slowly, "It shows us what we want... whatever we want..."


"Yes and no," said Princess Celestia quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family well, see them standing around you. Sparkling Radiance, who has always felt overshadowed by her mother, sees herself standing alone, the best princess of her time. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Ponies have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"


Morning Shine stood up.


"Princess Celestia? Can I ask you something? Morning Shine asked hesitantly.


"Obviously, you've just done so," Princess Celestia smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however,”


"What do you see when you look in the mirror?” Shine asked quietly.


"I? I see myself eating a very large chocolate cake,” the princess said.


Shine stared.


"One can never have enough cake," said Princess Celestia. "Another Hearths Warming has come and gone and I didn't get a single sclice. Ponies will insist on giving me books,”


It was only when she was back in bed that it struck Morning Shine that the sun princess might not have been quite truthful. But then, she thought, as she shoved Scabbers off her pillow, it had been quite a personal question.
> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Celestia had convinced Morning Shine not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again, and for the rest of the Hearths Warming holidays the invisibility cloak stayed folded at the bottom of her trunk. Morning Shine wished she could forget what she'd seen in the mirror as easily, but she couldn't. She started having nightmares. Over and over again she dreamed about her parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter.

"You see, Princess Celestia was right, that mirror could drive you mad," said Radiance, when Morning Shine told her about these dreams.

They had almost given up hope of ever finding Lulamoon’s past in a library book, even though Morning Shine was still sure she'd read the name somewhere. Once term had started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Morning Shine had even less time than the other two, because Quidditch practice had started again.

Wood was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits. The Weasels complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic, but Shine was on Wood's side. If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the house championship for the first time in seven years. Quite apart from wanting to win, Morning Shine found that she had fewer nightmares when she was tired out after training.

Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team a bit of bad news. He'd just gotten very angry with the Weasels, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms.

"Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Lulamoon's refereeing this time, and she'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"

Gallop Weasel really did fall off his broom at these words.

"Lulamoon's refereeing?" he spluttered through a mouthful of mud. "When's she ever refereed a Quidditch match? She's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."

The rest of the team landed next to Gallop to complain, too.

"It's not my fault," said Wood. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Lulamoon hasn't got an excuse to pick on us,"

Which was all very well, thought Morning Shine, but she had another reason for not wanting Lulamoon near her while she was playing Quidditch...

The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Morning Shine headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room, where she found Eclipse and Sparkling Radiance playing chess. Chess was the only thing Radiance ever lost at, something Morning Shine and Eclipse thought was very good for her.

"Don't talk to me for a moment," said Eclipse when Morning Shine sat down next to him, "I need to concen - " He caught sight of Shine's face.

"What's the matter with you? You look terrible," he said

Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Morning Shine told the other two about Lulamoon’s sudden, sinister desire to be a Quidditch referee.

"Don't play," said Radiance at once.

"Say you're ill," said Eclipse.

"Pretend to break your leg," Radiance suggested.

"Really break your leg," said Eclipse.

"I can't," said Shine. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all,"

At that moment Nettle toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower.

Everyone fell over laughing except Radiance, who leapt up and performed the countercurse. Nettle's legs sprang apart and he got to his hooves, trembling. 

"What happened?"  Radiance asked him, leading him over to sit with Shine and Eclipse.

"Malfoal," said Nettle shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."

"Go to Princess Celestia!" Radiance urged Nettle. "Report him!"

Nettle shook his head.

"I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.

"You've got to stand up to him, Nettle!" said Eclipse. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier,"

"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoal's already done that," Nettle choked out.

Morning Shine felt in the pocket of her robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog, the very last one from the box Radiance had given her for Hearths Warming. She gave it to Nettle, who looked as though he might cry.

"You're worth twelve of Malfoal," Shine said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoal? In stinking Slytherin,"

Nettle's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.

"Thanks, Morning Shine... I think I'll go to bed... D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"

As Nettle walked away, Shine looked at the Famous Wizard card.

"I don’t recognize this one," she said, "It must be a new-"

She gasped. She stared at the back of the card. Then she looked up at Eclipse and Radiance.

"I've found her!" she whispered. "I've found Lulamoon! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here and must’ve lost the card- listen to this: 'Trixie Lulamoon is particularly famous for her defeat of the dark changeling Queen Chrysalis in 2016, with the help of her best friend Starlight Glimmer. And her traveling magic shows.'!"

“Mom…” Eclipse whispered.

Sparkling Radiance jumped to her hooves. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd gotten back the marks for their very first piece of homework.

"Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Morning Shine and Eclipse barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.

"I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"Light?" said Eclipse, but Radiance told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself.

At last she found what she was looking for.

"I knew it! I knew it!" she shouted.

"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Eclipse grumpily. Radiance ignored him.

"Trixie Lulamoon," she whispered dramatically, "first came to Ponyville and boasted about her magic skills, when Twilight Sparkle outwitted her and proved her a phony. Trixie then returned wreaking havoc with the Alicorn Amulet, taking over Ponyville and making it her empire. She was again defeated by Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Trixie feeling humiliated takes an apology tour around Equestria. Meeting Starlight Glimmer, the newly crowned Princess Twilight’s student. Trixie then reveals that she partly became friends with Starlight to one-up Twilight, much to Starlight's horror. After Trixie expresses her own heartbreak over her and Starlight's falling-out, Twilight convinces Starlight to assist in Trixie's magic show—performing a trick previously only carried out by pony magician Hoofdini—and the two new friends make amends. Later, Trixie accompanies Starlight to Our Town when she is invited to celebrate its Sunset Festival, and she later teams up with Starlight, Thorax, and Discord to save Equestria from a changeling invasion. While inside the changeling castle, Trixie frequently teases and argues with Discord, the Spirit of Chaos. She later serves as a distraction for Starlight Glimmer and Thorax to find and destroy Chrysalis' throne. After Chrysalis is defeated, Trixie joins the ponies of Starlight's old village to celebrate the Sunset Festival and engages in further back-and-forth with Discord. The two remained best friends, Trixie even became fast friends with Sunburst during his visit to Ponyville, discovering that he shares her fondness of prestidigitation. She later helps him reconcile with Starlight when the latter feels neglected throughout his visit. But The Great Magic War lead to great disaster when-”

This didn't have quite the result she'd expected.

"When what?" said Morning Shine and Eclipse.

"That’s it… the page was torn out! What terrible treatment of a book..." Radiance mumbled.

She pushed the book toward them, and Morning Shine and Eclipse stared at the ripped. 

“But who would rip the page out?” Morning Shine questioned. “We were so close to finding the entire truth!”

“The only reason somepony would rip that page out is if they-” Eclipse started.

“- is if they didn’t want us to read the page!” Radiance finished.

The next morning in Defense Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites, Morning shine  and Eclipse were still discussing what they'd do about the missing page. It wasn't until Eclipse suggested that Lulamoon took the page when Morning Shine remembered that Lulamoon was refereeing the next Quidditch game.

"I'm going to play," she told Eclipse and Sparkling Radiance. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Lulamoon. I'll show them... it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win,"

"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," said Radiance.

As the match drew nearer, however, Shine became more and more nervous, whatever she told Eclipse and Radiance. The rest of the team wasn't too calm, either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the house championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years, but would they be allowed to, with such a biased referee?

Shine didn't know whether she was imagining it or not, but she seemed to keep running into Lulamoon wherever she went. At times, she even wondered whether Lulamoon was following her, trying to catch her on her own. Potions lessons were turning into a sort of weekly torture, Lulamoon was so horrible to Morning Shine. Could Lulamoon possibly know they'd found out about part of her past? Morning Shine didn't see how she could - yet she sometimes had the horrible feeling that Lulamoon could read minds.

Morning knew, when they wished her good luck outside the locker rooms the next afternoon, that Eclipse and Radiance were wondering whether they'd ever see her alive again. This wasn't what you'd call comforting. Shine hardly heard a word of Wood's pep talk as she pulled on her Quidditch robes and picked up her Nimbus Two Thousand.

Eclipse and Sparkling Radiance, meanwhile, had found a place in the stands next to Nettle, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried. Little did Morning Shine know that Eclipse and Radiance had been secretly practicing the Leg-Locker Curse. They'd gotten the idea from Malfoal using it on Nettle, and were ready to use it on Lulamoon if she showed any sign of wanting to hurt Morning Shine.

"Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Radiance muttered.

"I know," Eclipse snapped. "Don't nag,"

Back in the locker room, Wood had taken Morning Shine aside.

"Don't want to pressure you, Glimmer, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Lulamoon can favor Flufflepuff too much,"

"The whole school's out there!" said Farrier Weasel, peering out of the door. "Even - blimey - Princess Celestia's come to watch!"

Morning Shine's heart did a somersault.

"Princess Celestia?" she said, dashing to the door to make sure. Farrier was right. There was no mistaking the alabaster alicorn.

Morning Shine could have laughed out loud with relief. She was safe. There was simply no way that Lulamoon would dare to try to hurt her if Princess Celestia was watching.

Perhaps that was why Lulamoon was looking so angry as the teams marched onto the field, something that Eclipse noticed, too.

"I've never seen Lulamoon look so mean," he told Radiance. "Look - they're off. Ouch!"

Someone had poked Eclipse in the back of the head. It was Malfoal.

"Oh, sorry, Glimmer, didn't see you there,"  Malfoal grinned broadly at Crab and Gargoyle. "Wonder how long the other Glimmer's going to stay on her broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, little Glimmer?"

Eclipse didn't answer; Lulamoon had just awarded Flufflepuff a penalty because Gallop Weasel had hit a Bludger at her. Radiance, who had her hooves crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Morning Shine, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoal loudly a few minutes later, as Lulamoon awarded Flufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Glimmer, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasels, who've got no money - you should be on the team, Longflank, you've got no brains,"

Nettle went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoal.

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoal," he stammered.

Malfoal, Crab, and Gargoyle howled with laughter, but Eclipse, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Nettle,"

"Longflank, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than the Weasels, and that's saying something,"

Eclipse's nerves were already stretched to the breaking point with anxiety about Morning Shine.

"I'm warning you, Malfoal - one more word-" he started, teeth gritted.

"Eclipse!" said Radiance suddenly, "Shine-"

"What? Where?" Eclipse stammered, searching the sky.

Morning Shine had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Radiance stood up, her crossed hooves in her mouth, as Shine streaked toward the ground like a bullet.

"The Weasels are in luck, Glimmer’s obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoal.

Eclipse snapped. Before Malfoal knew what was happening, Eclipse was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. Nettle hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help.

"Come on, Morning Shine!" Radiance screamed, leaping onto her seat to watch as Shine sped straight at Lulamoon - she didn't even notice Malfoal and Eclipse rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of hooves that was Nettle, Crab, and Gargoyle.

Up in the air, Lulamoon turned on her broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past her, missing her by inches - the next second, Morning Shine had pulled out of the dive, her hoof raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in her aura.

The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.

"Eclipse! Eclipse! Where are you? The game's over! Shine's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" shrieked Sparkling Radiance, dancing up and down on her seat and hugging Gypsy Firefly in the row in front.

Morning Shine jumped off her broom, a foot from the ground. She couldn't believe it. She'd done it - the game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes. As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, she saw Lulamoon land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped - then Morning Shine felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked up into Princess Celestia's smiling face.

"Well done," said the sun princess quietly, so that only Shine could hear. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror... been keeping busy... excellent..."

Shine left the locker room alone some time later, to take her Nimbus Two Thousand back to the broomshed. She couldn't ever remember feeling happier. She'd really done something to be proud of now - no one could say she was just a famous name any more. The evening air had never smelled so sweet. She walked over the damp grass, reliving the last hour in her head, which was a happy blur: Gryffindors running to lift her in their auras; Eclipse and Sparkling Radiance in the distance, jumping up and down, Eclipse cheering through a heavy nosebleed.

Morning Shine had reached the shed. She leaned against the wooden door and looked up at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, with its windows glowing red in the setting sun. Gryffindor in the lead. She'd done it, she'd shown Lulamoon...

And speaking of Lulamoon… a hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen, it walked as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. Morning's victory faded from her mind as she watched. She recognized the figure's prowling walk. Lulamoon, sneaking into the forest while everyone else was at dinner - what was going on?

Morning Shine jumped back on her Nimbus Two Thousand and took off. Gliding silently over the castle she saw Lulamoon enter the forest at a run. She followed.

The trees were so thick she couldn't see where Lulamoon had gone. She flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until she heard voices. She glided toward them and landed noiselessly in a towering beech tree.

She climbed carefully along one of the branches, holding tight to her broomstick, trying to see through the leaves.

Below, in a shadowy clearing, stood Lulamoon, but she wasn't alone. Mistral was there, too. Morning Shine couldn't make out the look on her face, but she was stuttering worse than ever. Shine strained to catch what they were saying.

"... d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Tr-tr-trixie..."

"Oh, Trixie thought we'd keep this private," said Lulamoon, her voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about our relationship, after all."

Morning Shine leaned forward. When she listened in again, Mistral’s stutter was gone.

"Now we wouldn’t want that would we Trixie?" asked Mistral smoothly.

"No, we wouldn’t. Would we, your majesty?" Trixie said her voice dripping with venom.

"As clever as ever. You don't want me as your enemy, Bellatrix," said Mistral, taking a step toward her.

"Trixie doesn’t  know would she? Trixie’s not as loyal as she used to be Mother," Trixie, or Bellatrix said, her expression not changing.

"You know perfectly well what I mean," Mistral said, her teeth grinding together and her eyes glowing green.

An owl hooted loudly, and Morning Shine nearly fell out of the tree. She steadied herself in time to hear Lulamoon say, " -if you touch one hair on any of their manes, so help me Trixie will-"

"You will what darling?" Mistral said icly, her expression turning into a wicked grin as a flash of green fire surrounded her. 

And she let out a high pitch cackle. Her silver coat melted off revealing black cyton covered in holes; her mane fell out, being replaced with blue-green cobwebs. She sprouted insect wings, and her horn grew more crooked by the second. And her eyes, her eyes were a sickly green; looking as if they contained evil itself. It took Morning Shine every bit of will she had in her to keep herself from screaming. 

"You are weak. I only kept you around because I need an heir. I should have known you would start gaining affection for these ponies. But, I gave you the chance to prove me wrong and you failed. Heck you don’t even know who you are anymore, you keep referring to yourself in the third person. As long as you are my daughter, you will obey me. Understand Bellatrix?" Queen Chrysalis spat.

“This can all end now, the princesses are right outside that border,” Trixie started, her eyes flashing green. “We can finish this war before it even-”

"Very well," Queen Chrysalis cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie, Bellatrix,"

She morphed back into Mistral and strode out of the clearing. It was almost dark now, but Morning Shine could see Lulamoon, standing quite still but Morning Shine could see that she was terrified.

"Morning Shine, where have you been?" Radiance squeaked.

"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Eclipse, thumping Shine on the back. "And I gave Malfoal a black eye, and Nettle tried to take on Crab and Gargoyle single-hoofed! He's still out cold but Madam Petal says he'll be alright - talk about showing Slytherin! I've waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Farrier and Gallop stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."

"Never mind that now," said Morning Shine breathlessly, fear etched on her face. "Let's find an empty room, you might want to sit down for this..."

She made sure nopony was inside before shutting the door behind them, then he told them what she'd seen and heard.

"So we were right, Lulamoon did know our parents. But that’s not all, Professor Mistral is Queen Chrysalis! And she’s Lulamoon’s mother, making Lulamoon a changeling! I thought Lulamoon was the enemy, but it sounded like she didn’t want to do any of this… she wanted to protect us… Queen Chrysalis is planning to do away with us, that why our parents disappeared. But Lulamoon threatened to get the princesses-"

"So you mean we’re only safe as long as Lulamoon stands up to Queen Chrysalis?!" said Radiance in alarm.

"We’re dead. We need to put that plan into action, we need to leave," said Eclipse.

“You’re not going anywhere,” a voice said.