It was Nyx who pointed it out first. "It's too quiet. There's no activity at all. But I know Ponyville has some nocturnal ponies, and a nightlife."
The Doctor nodded. "Yes, and the fact that there's no one around probably means something, don't you think?"
Nyx nodded, looking around with her sharp eyes. It wasn't long before she spotted somepony moving among the otherwise silent village. Indicating the mystery pony with a hoof, she and the others slowly approached the figure. On closer inspection, the figure was wearing a cloak, and a pair of wings could be seen shifting under it from time to time. The hood was up, making facial features impossible to make out. However, what caught everypony's attention was the pony's tail. Even in the dim lights of the street lamps, that prismatic display was unmistakable.
"The hay?" Scootaloo asked quietly. "Is that Rainbow Dash? But... what's she doing dressed like Zecora back when everypony thought she was a witch?"
The Doctor sighed. "Remember how I said she never perfomed the Rainboom? Well, she flunked out of flight camp, and ran off to the Everfree Forest, where she eventually came across Zecora. She studied herbs and remedies under the zebra, and is now under as much suspicion as Zecora herself. The ponies here call her the 'Rainbow Witch-Doctor'."
Applebloom frowned, then smiled. "Well, ah know just how ta fix that!" With that, she started walking towards the cloaked pegasus. The others followed her at a modest pace. When Applebloom was close enough, she called out, "Hey, there!"
"Gah!" Rainbow Dash jumped and whirled to face her. "A pony approaches me at night? Forgive me, you gave me quite a fright." There was a brief pause, then the pegasus punched herself in the face. "Stop doing that," she muttered. Looking up, she smiled. "Sorry. I'm not used to ponies visiting me at night. Everypony is usually indoors, asleep whenever I come here."
"Well, ah'm talkin' to ya now!" Applebloom said cheerfully. "Ah'm Applebloom!"
"Apple...?" Rainbow blinked a few times, before narrowing her eyes. "You're not one of those superstitious farmponies that own the apple orchard at the edge of town? I swear all of them have 'Apple' or something similar in their names."
Applebloom was about to reply when she was cut off by the arrival of the Doctor. "Distant cousin, actually, doesn't come around here much," he said as he trotted up, followed by the other mares.
Rainbow looked him over. "Say, don't you live with the local baker's assistant? That wall-eyed pegasus who occasionally does work for the post office?"
The Doctor blinked. "Well, yes, but..."
The pegasus turned her attention to Sweetie Belle. "You look like one of those rock farmers I occasionally do business with."
Sweetie's mouth hung open. "Rock farmer...?" she said incredulously.
Rainbow passed over Scootaloo entirely, instead becoming fixated on the tallest pony present. "And you... look suspiciously like Nightmare Moon."
Nyx's nostrils flared. "Do me a favor, and don't call me that."
The pegasus flicked her eyes between Nyx and the moon above. "But... you can't be Nightmare Moon. My teacher told me that when the Mare in the Moon fades away, that's when Nightmare Moon will return to try and reclaim her throne." She looked closely at Nyx, nearly squinting her eyes shut. "But you look a whole lot like the descriptions of her, down to the draconic eyes."
Nyx sighed. "Doctor, I don't think she's going to let us go without an explanation."
The Doctor shook his head. "It certainly seems that way," he murmured.
Nyx turned to Rainbow. "Alright, here's the story..."
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