Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
HASBRO and its logo, MY LITTLE PONY and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2018 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.
Cover design by Christina Quintero. Cover illustration by Franco Spagnolo.
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Little, Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group
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Visit us at LBYR.com
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First Edition: April 2018
Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
Library of Congress Control Number 2017959123
ISBNs: 978-0-316-47571-6 (pbk.), 978-0-316-47572-3 (ebook)
E3-20180213-JV-PC
Contents
COVER
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
EPILOGUE
Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash stood glaring at the Schoolhouse. Snips, Snails, Twist, Pip, and every other young pony had rushed down the steps, excited that school was done for the day. But the three fillies they were waiting for had apparently vanished without a trace. Despite being grounded, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo had broken strict instructions to stay put and were now Celestia-knew-where.
“I simply cannot believe this,” Rarity muttered.
“We shoulda seen it coming.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “We woulda done the same thing.” She and Rarity both turned to look at Applejack, who seemed as if she was fit to be tied.
“Y’all thought it was bad when Celestia banished Luna to the moon?” she growled. “Just wait till ya see what I do to my little sister.”
The Everfree Forest was big. Scootaloo knew that, but she’d never really appreciated how big until she spent an entire night walking in it. She squinted in the dim light of sunrise, trying to see beyond the trees ahead. They had to be close to Ponyville by now… right?
Then again, the sooner they were back in Ponyville, the sooner she’d have to face Rainbow Dash, Aunt Holiday, and Auntie Lofty. And they would not be happy with Scootaloo for sneaking out of school without telling anypony. She racked her brain for a way to explain: Funny story, but Princess Luna appeared to us in our dreams and said we were destined to protect the Livewood from anypony trying to steal the Helm of Shadows… Nah. The only thing funny about that was how crazy it sounded. Not for the first time, Scootaloo wondered if Luna had made a mistake. It had happened before.…
“Hold up, y’all,” called Apple Bloom.
“What’s wrong?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking around nervously. Scootaloo couldn’t blame her. After meeting a peryton, being stalked by Timberwolves, and getting bespelled by Auntie Eclipse in the same night, they were all a little on edge.
“We need a plan,” Apple Bloom said. “Which is why I’m callin’ a special meetin’ of the Cutie Mark Crusaders to order!” She banged her hoof against a nearby rock and gestured to a hastily made agenda, constructed out of sap-covered leaves stuck on a tree trunk.
Scootaloo shared a smile with Sweetie Belle as they walked over to join their friend. Apple Bloom could hold a meeting anywhere.
“First item of business…” Apple Bloom continued. “We’re Defenders of the Livewood now! That’s a big responsibility. We gotta be prepared for Auntie Eclipse’s next attack.”
“Shouldn’t we just tell Princess Twilight Sparkle what happened and leave it to her?” Scootaloo asked. She didn’t like thinking it was up to them alone to protect Equestria from the creation of another Nightmare Moon. That was the kind of thing you couldn’t mess up. And when it comes to messing up, Scootaloo thought, the Cutie Mark Crusaders don’t have the best track record.
“Princess Luna said our matching cutie marks mean we’re the only ponies who can keep the Livewood safe,” Sweetie Belle reminded Scootaloo. “We’ll definitely need help from our sisters and their friends, but this is up to us.”
“And Applejack will finally see that we’re just as brave and ready for adventure as they are!” Apple Bloom grinned.
Scootaloo wasn’t sure her friends had thought through this all. Keeping the Helm of Shadows away from three powerful Unicorns was going to be dangerous, if not impossible. So she skipped ahead to the next thing on the agenda.
“Lubby Mom and Amble Mrrr?” asked Scootaloo, squinting as she tried to read Apple Bloom’s leaf chart.
“Lilymoon and Ambermoon,” Apple Bloom translated, then shrugged. “It’s kinda hard to write usin’ tree sap.”
“I hope they’re okay,” Sweetie Belle said with concern.
“Me too,” Scootaloo agreed. She was worried about her friends. The Moon sisters’ family had always creeped her out, but now that she knew Blue Moon, Lumi Nation, and Auntie Eclipse were using dark magic, that was another whole level of scary. The Crusaders had to find some way to warn Ambermoon and Lilymoon about their dangerous relatives. It was obvious the two sisters had no idea what their family was up to, but Scootaloo wasn’t convinced that would protect them from Auntie Eclipse.
“We’ll make sure Twilight knows that Ambermoon and Lilymoon are on our side,” Apple Bloom said. “She’ll be able to keep ’em safe, no matter what their family tries! Now, agenda item number three—”
But Scootaloo never found out what three was. Because just then, she heard the spooky croak of Auntie Eclipse’s laugh.
