Inside Fluttershy’s cottage.
Under the warmth of the hearth and the quiet atmosphere, a faint trickle of spring water finally seeped from Ye Ziji’s dried-up source of magic.
Though the magic was scarce, it had finally begun to flow once more.
He could feel a sliver of strength returning to his body, nourished by the food.
Slowly opening his eyes, his dark, ink-black pupils reflected the dancing flames of the fireplace.
He saw the white rabbit named Angel, having finished his own portion of breakfast, dozing at the edge of his blanket, his small body rising and falling with his breath.
As if sensing Ye Ziji’s gaze, Angel’s ears twitched alertly.
Ye Ziji did not speak.
He simply extended a forehoof and, with an extremely slow and gentle motion, gingerly touched Angel’s fluffy ear with the tip of his hoof.
There was no threat in his movement, only a pure, tentative gesture of goodwill.
Angel snapped his eyes open.
After giving Ye Ziji a wary look, he did not hop away as expected.
Instead, he merely turned his head with a haughty huff and changed his position to continue sleeping, as if saying, “Fine, since you’re a pitiful, injured pony, I’ll let you touch me just this once.”
Having reached a delicate peace with the cottage’s “other master,” Ye Ziji withdrew his hoof.
Although he was still very weak, he could at least do one thing—cast a single elemental spell.
He immediately mobilized the tiny sliver of magic he had just recovered.
He would use this meager power to secure the most crucial thing of all: mobility.
“Hum…”
The tip of Ye Ziji’s horn glowed with a faint but pure light.
A wisp of cyan wind and a shimmer of pale blue water drifted from the tip of his horn like two living serpents, intertwining and spiraling.
Under Ye Ziji’s control, they slowly sank into his body.
The wind element turned into an invisible, refreshing breeze, clearing away the muscle bruises and clogged channels caused by forcing his power earlier.
The water element transformed into the gentlest rain, nourishing his damaged internal organs and repairing his exhausted cells.
A soft, cyan-blue halo enveloped Ye Ziji’s entire body.
The pain and exhaustion within him quickly melted away.
His body, which had been limp from exhaustion, grew firm again, and his breathing shifted from weak to deep and powerful.
In the kitchen, Fluttershy was washing dishes when she was drawn by the magical glow coming from the living room.
Peeking her head out, she happened to witness this very scene.
She watched the cyan-blue light swirl around Ye Ziji, his pale complexion returning to a healthy flush at a speed visible to the naked eye.
She had never seen such highly efficient healing magic before.
Her mouth hung open in shock, her eyes filled with wonder and curiosity.
A few seconds later, the light faded.
The glow at the tip of Ye Ziji’s horn went out, his magic empty once more.
But this time, his body was completely rejuvenated.
He stood up and flexed his hooves.
Now, aside from the mental fatigue of depleted magic, his physical condition was back to its peak.
He then turned to Fluttershy, who stood dazed at the kitchen doorway, and lowered his head to her in a solemn, elegant, standard Eastern bow.
“Thank you very much for your rescue, beautiful, kind Fluttershy.”
“My name is Ye Ziji. I am a pony from the distant East. Due to some… accidents during my journey, I ended up near your home after exhausting my strength. I will always remember your kindness.”
Ye Ziji looked at Fluttershy, his eyes holding the calm relief of surviving a disaster and a deep, heartfelt gratitude.
“Oh… h-hello, Ye Ziji.”
Fluttershy was flustered by his solemn thanks and formal introduction.
Her cheeks flushed bright red, and she nervously toyed with her mane, not knowing what to do with her hooves.
“Y-You’re welcome… I just did what I should have. I-I’m just so glad you’re okay.”
Looking at the butter-colored pony before him, blushing and flustered over a single formal expression of thanks, Ye Ziji couldn’t help but relax.
Her shy, kind nature made it impossible for any pony to remain on guard.
He couldn’t help but chuckle softly and shake his head.
“How sweet.”
He wanted to say something more to lighten the atmosphere, but out of the corner of his eye, his attention was drawn to the unchanging, deep night sky outside the window.
The high-hanging moon, emitting a cold radiance, was like an ominous brand seared into his eyes.
Recalling his previous encounter with Nightmare Moon, a dark premonition quickly rose in his heart.
“Fluttershy,” Ye Ziji’s tone turned solemn, “can you tell me… is today the Summer Sun Celebration?”
“Huh?” Fluttershy blinked, apparently not expecting him to ask this.
She nodded in confusion.
“Y-Yes, it is. Today is the annual Summer Sun Celebration.”
Following Ye Ziji’s gaze, she also looked out at the icy night sky, her clear eyes filled with confusion and unease.
“But… it’s so strange.” She absently scraped the floor with a hoof.
“Usually by this time, Princess Celestia would have raised the sun already. I don’t know what’s wrong today, but it’s stayed night this whole time…”
Hearing this, Ye Ziji’s heart sank.
*So Nightmare Moon has indeed succeeded.
The eternal night has fallen.*
Alarms blared in his head.
If the plot had already started, then according to the original timeline, Fluttershy should be with Twilight Sparkle and the others right now, preparing to head into the Everfree Forest as an indispensable member of the team.
But here she was, in her cottage.
“Since it’s the celebration,” Ye Ziji looked at her and asked the most critical question, “why aren’t you attending?”
Fluttershy looked a bit embarrassed at the question, lowering her head as her voice grew even softer.
“I… I was originally going to go with Angel. We were all ready to head out… but then, you suddenly fell from the sky, right in front of my door…”
She looked up at Ye Ziji, her eyes free of any blame, filled only with pure concern.
“You were so badly hurt and wouldn’t move. I… I couldn’t just leave you there. So… I took care of you first.”
“As for the celebration… I, I think the little birds should be fine on their own… I hope.”
Ye Ziji fell silent.
He listened quietly to Fluttershy’s explanation, but a storm was raging in his mind.
*So that’s how it is.*
*This is where the problem lies.*
Because of his sudden, accidental appearance, he had not only startled Nightmare Moon but had also caused Fluttershy—a key figure who was supposed to participate in the main plot—to stay home.
Without Fluttershy’s kindness and her ability to communicate with animals, Twilight Sparkle and the others’ adventure in the Everfree Forest would become far more difficult.
More importantly, they were missing the Element of Kindness!
Without Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, even if Twilight Sparkle and the others found the Elements of Harmony, they wouldn’t be able to use them!
He had originally thought he was just a bystander who had stumbled into this play, but now he realized that from the moment he stepped foot in Equestria, the river of destiny had drifted off its original course because of him.
Now, the original script had gained a new variable due to his intrusion, and this single variable was enough to alter the course of the entire story.
At this thought, Ye Ziji let out a helpless, complex smile.
Well, things had just gotten interesting.
With a sigh, Ye Ziji’s wry smile vanished instantly, replaced by a cool decisiveness.
He couldn’t just sit and wait for doom.
If his existence was a pebble that disrupted destiny, then he had to correct it himself.
After pondering for a moment, he decided to try his luck in Ponyville first.
Perhaps Twilight Sparkle and the others hadn’t set off yet, or at least hadn’t gone far.
Bringing Fluttershy back to the team was currently the highest priority.
He turned back to Fluttershy, a warm smile gracing his face as if none of his intense calculations had occurred.
“Fluttershy, my body has mostly recovered. Thank you so much for the porridge and your care.”
Ye Ziji paused, then asked in the curious tone of a traveler,
“Since it’s the annual festival, why don’t we go check out the Summer Sun Celebration together?”
“I’ve never seen what a holiday in Equestria looks like, so maybe you could introduce me to it.
Besides…” He paused before adding, “your friends might be waiting for you right now.”
Hearing this proposal, concern instantly washed over Fluttershy’s face.
Her gaze instinctively swept over Ye Ziji.
“But… are you sure you’re alright? Earlier, you looked…”
“I’m perfectly fine!”
Ye Ziji cut off her worries.
To put her at ease, he deliberately moved his body around, stretching his limbs and even taking two light, nimble hops.
His movements were fluid and coordinated.
“See? Completely healed. It’s just my magic that hasn’t recovered yet.”
Seeing that Ye Ziji could indeed move freely, Fluttershy finally felt a bit relieved.
She thought about it.
Going to check on the celebration seemed like a good idea, and it didn’t feel right to leave a guest from so far away to face this strange night alone.
She nodded and softly replied, “Al-Alright, then. Let’s go together.”
She turned, intending to call Angel, only to find that the rabbit had already eaten and drunk his fill.
He was fast asleep in his cozy little bed, letting out soft, tiny snores.
Fluttershy smiled helplessly, deciding not to disturb him.
Thus, the two ponies stepped out of the cozy cottage, one after the other, and made their way toward Ponyville.
Along the way, the eternal night hung like a massive shroud over the land.
Deprived of sunlight, everything around them felt chilly and dark.
Fluttershy nervously kept close to Ye Ziji’s side, looking up at the cold moon from time to time.
As they approached Ponyville’s central plaza, the lively music, bustling chatter, and festive joy they had anticipated were entirely absent.
In their place was a stifling scene of utter chaos.
The plaza, which should have been adorned with streamers and balloons, was now a complete mess.
Colorful confetti was trampled into the mud by panicked hooves, and spilled juice pooled on the ground.
A few lonely balloons drifted in midair, swaying helplessly in the night breeze.
There was no laughter—only sporadic weeping and panicked shouting echoing from the distance.
Quite a few ponies were running around like headless chickens, their faces frozen in terror.
Even more ponies had locked their doors and windows, shivering inside their homes.
The entirety of Ponyville was plunged into an apocalyptic panic.
“What… what’s going on?” Trembling at the sight, Fluttershy instinctively shrank behind Ye Ziji, her pink mane drooping.
“The celebration… the celebration isn’t supposed to be like this…”
Ye Ziji remained silent.
He merely watched it all, his dark eyes solemn.
He had expected this scene, but seeing it with his own eyes still brought a heavy weight to his chest.
The return of Nightmare Moon had dealt a terrifying psychological blow to these peace-loving ponies.
Furthermore, this panicked, fearful state seemed to have been going on for some time.
Now, he could be one hundred percent certain that Twilight Sparkle and the others had already departed.
And they were too late.