A moment later, the castle gates slowly closed behind Ye Ziji.
He walked along the path leading outside the castle, toward the Everfree Forest.
An eternal shroud of night still enveloped everything, with only the massive, tranquil moon in the sky casting down its frost-cold luminescence.
Ye Ziji was in no hurry.
He stepped forward on his front hooves, strolling at a leisurely, relaxed pace, a faint, irrepressible smile playing upon his face.
Clearly, he was extremely satisfied with the outcome of that thrilling psychological battle.
In his mind, he replayed the scene right before his departure.
After riding a turbulent rollercoaster of emotions—from rage to bewilderment, and then to embarrassment and indignant shame—Nightmare Moon had ultimately chosen the clumsiest possible way to defend the last shreds of her dignity.
She had whipped around, turning her back to him as though looking at him for one second longer would completely shatter the regal majesty she had painstakingly built up.
“Understood!” she had said, trying her hardest to maintain a commanding tone, though she couldn’t hide her embarrassment.
“Go and make haste! Do not keep us waiting!”
With that, she had turned her head completely away and shut her eyes tight, adopting an air of deep contemplation that signaled she refused any further communication with Ye Ziji.
Yet the slight blush at the base of her ears and the taut lines of her body betrayed every bit of the flustered mortification in her heart.
Whenever Ye Ziji thought back to that image, the smile on his lips deepened.
“Heh, surprisingly cute.”
He chuckled softly, shook his head, and muttered inwardly:
*It seems a thousand years of isolation really made her a bit high-strung.
This isn’t some terrifying, solemn Queen of Eternal Night; she’s clearly just a tsundere princess who’s gone too long without affection and fears being lonely~*
This revelation caused Ye Ziji’s perception of Nightmare Moon to shift slightly.
He no longer viewed her as a purely evil villain to be defeated.
In his eyes, she was more like a complex, contradictory filly who possessed immense power yet harbored an intensely fragile heart—a challenging and thoroughly intriguing “target of affection.”
Carrying this newfound buoyant mood, Ye Ziji stopped in his tracks.
He stretched his body, and the tip of his horn lit up with a familiar azure glow.
A potent surge of wind element magic gently lifted him, rendering his body as light as a feather.
In the next second, he vaulted into the air, tracing an arc across the eternal night sky as he sped toward the distant town that still flickered with specks of light in the darkness.
Time to check on the Mane Six.
Soon, the eerie, grim silhouette of the Everfree Forest was left far behind.
As the distance closed, the scattered lights of Ponyville grew clearer and larger in his field of view until the town finally came fully into sight.
Above Ponyville, he slowed down, circling high in the sky to observe how the town had fared since his departure.
The situation was far better than he had anticipated.
The four elemental creatures he had summoned earlier were still loyally executing his orders.
A filly forged of pure flame trotted gracefully along the perimeter streets on tireless patrol; the light and warmth radiating from her body not only dispelled the physical darkness, but also chased away the fear in the ponies’ hearts.
A giant blue water serpent coiled gently above the flowerbeds in the town center square and the farmlands cultivated by the ponies, shedding droplets of water from time to time to nourish the plants wilting from panic and the lack of sunlight, keeping them alive and thriving.
Meanwhile, by the edges of town at the White Tail Woods and the quarry, a wooden golem made of vines and timber, alongside an earth golem formed of stone and soil, were diligently gathering materials and carrying armfuls back toward Ponyville.
What pleased him even more was the state of the ponies.
The streets might not be as lively as before, but warm, bright light shone through every window.
There were no panicked shrieks, no chaotic stampedes.
Though the ponies could not frolic in the streets as usual, they stood fast in their homes or at their posts, waiting patiently.
Under the eternal long night, the entire town of Ponyville demonstrated a touching and unyielding sense of order.
“Not bad.”
Ye Ziji gave a slight nod, feeling quite satisfied with the conduct of Mayor Mare and the townsfolk.
He gently reined in his wind element magic.
His body drifted down like a feather, landing lightly and silently upon Ponyville’s central square.
His arrival instantly broke the square’s tranquility.
Several night-watch ponies were the first to spot him; after a momentary freeze, wild joy erupted on their faces as they shouted at the top of their lungs, “It’s Mr. Ye Ziji! He’s back!”
The shout was like a stone cast into a placid pond, sending excited ripples outward in an instant.
Soon, lights in the surrounding houses flared up, doors flew open one after another, and many ponies poured out of their homes, swiftly gathering around the center of the square. This chapter was taken from novelping.com without permission.
Their faces were painted with the thrill of survival and heartfelt gratitude.
“Thank you, Mr. Ye Ziji!”
“If not for you, we wouldn’t have known what to do!”
“You’re our hero!”
Faced with this sudden wave of sincere, fervent gratitude and praise, Ye Ziji remained calm—he had experienced this far too many times before.
Just as he was about to say something, a steady, commanding voice came to his rescue in the nick of time.
“All right, everyone! Settle down, everyone!”
Mayor Mare squeezed through the crowd of ponies.
She gave Ye Ziji a grateful and respectful smile before turning to address the gathered townsfolk:
“Mr. Ye Ziji has just returned and must be very tired. Besides, these are extraordinary times. Please, return to your posts and stay vigilant! Do not let your guard down!”
Persuaded by the Mayor, the enthusiastic ponies, though reluctant, obeyed the order and dispersed one by one.
Before long, only Ye Ziji and the Mayor remained in the square.
“Thank you so very much, Mr. Ye Ziji.”
Mayor Mare turned and bowed solemnly to him.
“If not for your timely aid and the marvelous elemental creatures you left behind to help us maintain order, I fear Ponyville would never have remained so calm and secure.”
She paused, raised her head, and looked at him with utmost sincerity.
“You must have returned for something important, yes? Please, speak freely. So long as it is within Ponyville’s power, we will do everything we can!”
In the face of Mayor Mare’s earnest offer of recompense—one so sincere it was nearly impossible to refuse—Ye Ziji merely gave a slight wave of his forehoof, declining her goodwill with a faint smile.
“You flatter me, Madam Mayor. I did not do this to seek any kind of reward. I simply did what I believed was right and necessary.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the ponies who had dispersed but were still peeking out from afar with eyes full of hope.
He turned back to the Mayor, his tone turning earnest.
“If you truly feel the need to do something in return,” he said, “then please continue leading everyone, protect every single resident of Ponyville, and ensure they hold onto hope and order until the dawn arrives. That is the greatest reward you could give me.”
These words left Mayor Mare completely stunned.
She had assumed he might request some material reward, or at least accept Ponyville’s lavish gratitude.
Never had she imagined that all he asked for was the peace and well-being of Ponyville itself.
This noble mindset—casting aside personal favor in favor of the safety and harmony of the entire community—struck a deep chord within her.
For a moment, she was at a loss for words.
A feeling beyond mere gratitude, an emotion called reverence, welled up in her heart.
*What a truly…
magnificent stallion.*
Just then, Ye Ziji’s attention was drawn to two figures slowly approaching from the edge of the square.
They were the wooden and earth golems sent out earlier to gather materials.
They had just completed a round of work and were returning to the town center on standby, waiting for Mayor Mare’s next directive.
However, it was evident that the magical sheen enveloping their bodies had grown faint and dim; clearly, their duration was nearing its end.
Ye Ziji glanced at them, then turned back to the Mayor, who was still looking at him with admiration, and offered a confident smile.
He casually raised a forehoof and snapped his hooves crisply.
*Snap!*
With that sharp sound, an invisible wave of magical power rippled outward with him at its center.
At the edge of the square, the dim wooden and earth golems suddenly burst with brilliant radiance.
The textures across their bodies grew sharp and defined, and their movements regained their previous fluid strength.
At the same time, the flames upon the fire filly patrolling the perimeter surged several inches higher, burning hotter and brighter.
The giant blue serpent coiling over the farmland glowed with a softer, purer blue light, exuding an even richer aura of vitality.
“I have refreshed their duration,” Ye Ziji said with effortless ease to the dumbfounded Mayor.
“For the next three days, they will continue to protect Ponyville. Rest assured.”
Having said that, he gave the Mayor no chance to voice further gratitude.
He merely waved a hoof casually once more, turned, and strolled at a leisurely pace toward the carousel-shaped building not far away that maintained its elegance and charm even under the eternal night—Rarity’s Carousel Boutique.
Ye Ziji gently pushed open the wooden door of Carousel Boutique, adorned with its golden bell.
*Chime!*
The crisp ring announced the arrival of a guest.
Yet the bustling, fervent atmosphere inside swallowed the soft chime, drawing hardly any pony’s attention.
The sight before him was vastly different from the elegant, artsy boutique in his memories.
At this moment, Carousel Boutique resembled a busy, makeshift community workshop.
Mannequins originally meant for showcasing gorgeous gowns were piled high with cut fabric.
Bolts of cloth and rolls of yarn in every color were stacked like small mountains in the corners.
The air was thick with the scent of fabric fibers and a faint tang of tension born from frantic work.
Right in the center of the shop, by a large makeshift workbench, suppressed voices filled with grumbling and bickering drifted over clearly.
“I just don’t understand!”
Twilight Sparkle’s voice was fraught with frustration and bewilderment.
The horn on her head glowed with purple light as she struggled to manipulate a needle, trying to stitch two pieces of fabric together—with disastrous results.
“Princess Celestia clearly entrusted me with the monumental task of studying the Elements of Harmony and saving Equestria! But—here I am, stuck playing assistant to Rarity! Untangling these… blasted balls of yarn!”
Beside her, her loyal assistant, Spike, was laboring to separate a tangled mess of yarn.
Hearing her outburst, he could only sigh helplessly:
“Come on, Twilight, at least we’re safe right now. Besides, we’re helping everyone, aren’t we?”
“But Spike, that’s not the same thing!” Twilight retorted agitatedly.
“Shh… lower your voice, Twilight,” Fluttershy coaxed gently in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s hum.
Using her forehooves and mouth with practiced dexterity, she skillfully stitched a pale yellow blanket with fine, even stitches.
“Being able to sew warm blankets with our own hooves so everyone can brave the chill of this long night is a very, very important deed too~”
“Fluttershy is right, darling,” Rarity’s voice chimed in right on cue.
She stepped over with graceful strides, magically levitating a freshly completed blue blanket embroidered with exquisite patterns.
A tired yet satisfied smile graced her face.
She displayed the blanket to Twilight before continuing in a tone blended with comfort and exasperation:
“And, my dear Twilight, believe me when I say that if you hadn’t sewn that fine velvet blanket earlier into a…”
Rarity drew out the word intentionally, searching awkwardly for a term that wouldn’t hurt any pony’s feelings.
Right at that moment, the “Element of the Parting Shot” delivered a fatal blow.
“Into a rag, you mean?”
Spike looked up, blinking his large green eyes, delivering the deadpan remark as if simply confirming an objective fact.
The air froze solid in that instant.
Twilight was completely petrified.
Her face flushed bright red, shifted to an ashen lividness, and finally drained of all color.
She stared in disbelief at Spike, then at Fluttershy, and then at Rarity, before finally looking down.
Her eyes locked onto the “artistic disaster” at her hooves—the giant rag—and she hung her head, radiating an aura of total despair.
“Urgh… ugh…”
That devastating follow-up from Twilight’s closest, most trusted number-one assistant carried enough lethal damage to make her very mane droop limply.
Rarity offered a helpless smile, implicitly confirming the description, before finishing her sentence: “Otherwise, darling, I would never, ever have had the heart to relegate you to such ‘tedious’ grunt work.”
Amidst the awkward, dead silence—
“Ahem!”
They finally noticed the figure standing at the doorway, quietly watching the whole scene.
“Ye… Ye Ziji?”
Fluttershy was the first to spot him, covering her mouth in surprise.
In an instant, every pony’s gaze locked onto Ye Ziji.
Shock, confusion, indignation—a myriad of emotions flickered across their faces.