Guard ponies flanked the entrance, their armor catching the starlight that spilled through the stained glass windows. Spears held steady. Eyes tracking the intruder with barely concealed tension.

Beyond him, the main hall stretched toward the throne room. Candlelight flickered in crystal sconces. Tapestries depicting the founding of Equestria lined the walls—scenes of harmony, unity, and the banishment of those who had threatened it.

One tapestry showed Nightmare Moon.

Another showed a forest overtaking a village, roots coiled around stone towers like serpents. Ponies fleeing. A white alicorn at the center, horn blazing with green light.

That tapestry had not been taken down.