Palette was almost done unpacking when there was a knock at the door. It looked like Sugar Berry kept true to her word.
Sugar smiled as the unicorn opened the door. “Hey there.” She couldn’t help but notice Palette’s quick progress on the house. “Woah, this is looking good. Oh, let’s go. I have some friends that are waiting on us. They just can’t wait to meet you.” Sugar nudged Palette in the right direction, closing the door behind them.
The unicorn gulped and went where she was told. She wasn’t too sure about this. Meeting new people always made her nervous. Sugar had just kind of attached herself to Palette and she was just so kind that she didn’t really mind.
Finally, the two reached their destination and waiting for them was a pegasus pony. Her coat was a dark grey, which made her bright blue eyes pop. Her wild, three-shade purple mane was pulled into a ponytail that tangled slightly as the wild blew it. There was a bored expression on her face as she looked at the other two mares.
“You’re late. Was wondering when you were going to show up.”
Sugar kept her sweet smile on, even with the harsh tone in the pegasus’s voice. “Sorry, Will-o. I was showing Palette here around a bit. She won’t always have me as a guide. Hey, where is Honey? I thought she was going to meet us here.”
“She got caught up at work. She said she will try to join us later.” Her eyes went to the blue unicorn that was hiding Sugar. “Are you going to introduce yourself or what?”
Palette jumped slightly from suddenly being spoken to like that. “I-I’m Palette. It is nice to meet you.”
She looked at the other curiously. “Will-o-wisp. And we’ll just see how the night goes. Let’s go. I want to get a good table.”
Palette looked down at the ground as Will-o lead the way. They were at a sort of café slash restaurant. Palette loved the feel the place gave out, till she heard Will-o groan.
“Crap, they got the good seats. As usual.” She sighed and went over to a different table.
“Well, what do you expect? The children own the place.” Sugar shrugged as she sat at the table. She noticed when Palette looked confused at her words. “Oh yea. I forgot that you are new around here. They are called a lot of different things; Children of the Moon, Citizens of the Moon, Lunar Republic. Take your pick. They are the ones that founded Hollow Shades.”
Will-o sighed. “You are missing a big detail, Sugar. You know about the whole Princess Luna trying to take over, right?” She didn’t even wait for Palette to nod. “Well, at first, she needed supporters for her cause. But when Nightmare Moon fell, they hid away. They fled to the Everfree Forest and made Hollow Shades. Eventually, other ponies came to Hollow Shades and it became a bigger community. Though, the ones that still worship their ‘queen’ are the ones in charge pretty much. You can tell who they are by the crescent moon jewelry they wear.”
Palette just nodded, not like she would be about to see that anyways. She didn’t understand how there were ponies that still worshiped how Luna had been. She guessed at least they had something to believe in and they weren’t hurting anypony.
Then she heard a big groan come from Will-o-wisp. “Is something wrong?” She heard Will-o getting up.
“I’m leaving. Just talking about it all has made me sick. I’ll meet with you later.” Will-o stormed out. Palette could of sworn she heard someone giggling and Sugar Berry sighing.
“I am so sorry about that. Will-o didn’t mean to be mean or anything. It is just how she is. The Lunar Republic doesn’t really treat her kindly either and it really gets to her.”
Palette shook her head. “It is fine. I understand.” She then stood up. “But I think I will follow her lead. I still have some things I need to do.”
The pink mare looked at her with a confused expression. “Will you be okay getting home by yourself? Do you need any help?”
The unicorn blushed with embarrassment from the question. “I’ll be fine. I need to do it on my own anyways.” With that, she left herself. In her head, she groaned loudly. She hated any sort of fighting like that. She felt the light of the moon on her as she walked.
She remembered being there when Nightmare Moon showed up and hearing the story of the defeat from Twilight. How do they worship her? What was the appeal of her? She tried to enslave Equestria. She shook her head. Those ponies made their choice.
She soon made it home. After the long day, all she wanted to do was curled up and sleep. Wait a minute, what if she saw Dawn tonight? She had so many things to ask her, though at the same time she didn’t want to know anything. Maybe Dawn moved onto somepony else. She didn’t even know what Dawn wanted anyways.
Palette laid her head down and closed her eyes. “Not like I could do anything anyways…I’m useless…” As Palette felt her mind drift off to sleep, she felt a gentle wing cover her like a blanket. Palette didn’t have to look up to know this place.
It was the place from her visions. In this place, she could see. She looked up to see what the most beautiful sight to her was. It was the alicorn, Dawn.
“Do not talk of yourself that way, my child.” Dawn smiled down at Palette. Her beautiful golden eyes shone from behind her beautiful multicolored mane.
The unicorn looked away. “I’m sorry…but you know I can’t do much…”
The alicorn sighed. “You have so much potential, my dear. I wish I knew how to cheer you up, but you know as well as I that I do not have much time here. I have some details on what I need you to do. I will tell you what I can, but some of it you will need to find along the way.”
Dawn used her magic to show a mirror in from of them. On the mirror, a white unicorn showed up. Her mane was wild and made of a vibrant blue. But there was something about her. “She looks like…”
“An alicorn, yes.” Dawn looked at the unicorn with longing eyes. “That is Aurora. She used her magic to give herself, as she puts it, a royal appearance. She is what I need you for. She has been powering up her magic to take over Equestria. She has been hiding away for over a thousand years, growing her strength.”
“Um, my magic is for painting. Do you really think I can take her on?”
Dawn shook her head. “She is not your task, but your target. Your job is to find her.” She mirror changed again. This time there was a pale green unicorn, but it was a little filly. “This is Spectra. She was a student of mine. When I had to hide away, I sealed her away as well. I know she is the only one who can fight Aurora. She may be small, but her magic surpasses even my own.”
“But how am I-“
“I am sorry.” Dawn stood up, taking her wing off Palette. “It seems that my time is up. I have to go.”
“But Dawn! There is still too much that I don’t know.”
Dawn leaned down to Palette and touched her horn to the blue unicorn’s smaller horn. “Rest now. All in due time.” Her horn lite up a beautiful gold as she made the mirror disappear and made Palette fall asleep.
She looked at the younger unicorn as she started to fade away. “I am sorry….This must be such a burden on you…Please, find her and you will be spared. Don’t let the dark destroy the light.”