Luna didn’t like the dark. Tia said she should get used to it, but it was still scary. She shivered under her covers and tried to sleep.
She heard a noise and opened her eyes. At least, she thought she did. It was so dark now that she could not tell if her eyes here open or closed, and it was so quiet she couldn’t tell if the noise was even real or not. It wasn’t long however before every glimmer of light, and every creak in the floorboards, seemed to be getting closer and more malevolent.
She wanted to get up and go to her sister’s room, or her parents, but she couldn’t move from the covers. And she dared not scream or shout; else her sister would tease her again… Tia wasn’t afraid of the dark. She wasn’t afraid of anything.
Luna tried to shut her eyes tightly and be brave. Was this really her destiny? To be princess of… this? She didn’t want to be in this scary room anymore, but she didn’t want to be a coward either. She let out a dull whimper in the dark.
“Are you okay?” she heard a deep voice and jumped in terror. She could just make out the figure of a pony in armor standing at the doorway to her room.
“Yea.” She lied.
“Are you scared?” the guard asked.
“No!” Luna said, a little too loudly. She turned away and shut her eyes again. She heard the guard trot to the side of the bed.
“It’s alright to be afraid of the dark.” The guard said.
“…Well… I guess a little.” Luna said. She turned to face the colt again. She recognized him now; he was one of the Knights of the court, and one of her friends.
“… Can you tell me a story?” Luna asked, now knowing who she was talking to. It was not an outlandish request. He had done it before.
“It’s very late Princess.” The Knight started.
“Please?”
The colt sighed and leaned against the wall, “Fine.”
Luna giggled and lit the lamp by her bed with her magic. In the flickering light he saw the knight armed with very little. His coat was pitch black, as well as his armor. The metal did not even reflect the light of the lamp. He was simply black. It was as if he was just a moving hole in the wall.
“Which one?” he asked.
“The one about the lonely pony!” she asked excitedly. The colt sighed with a smile, tired, but amused.
“Your sister didn’t like that one very much. She had me stop telling it.” He said. “I thought you didn’t like it either.”
“Well… Mom and Dad said it wasn’t a story for little fillies...” she started guiltily. “I just said what I thought they wanted me too.”
“I can understand that.” The black colt responded with a nod. “Well, if you promise not to tell on me, then you have a deal. I’ll tell you the story I couldn’t tell you before. and you will get to hear a story Celestia will never hear.”
Luna nodded in excitement and hid the bottom of her face under the covers as the Knight cleared his throat and started,
“Once upon a time there where two brothers in a town called Babylponyia. One was perfectly white and had brilliant colors in his mane. He was born an Alicorn and he was so tall, and so strong, and so intelligent, that the people in his town made him a ruler, and he took the mark of a crown on his flank. He could fly faster then eagles, and lift mountains with his magic!”
“Wait, I thought Tia and I were the only Alicorns.“ Luna said skeptically.
“Ponies like you and Tia are rare, but every once and a while, another can pop up.” Knight explained. “It’s very improbable, but sometimes a pony can be born an Alicorn even when their parents aren’t.
“What about the other brother?” Luna asked.
“I’m getting to that.” The Knight replied. “His brother, younger by just a few seconds, was born without any colors. He had a dirty dark mane and coat, and he was an earth pony. There was nothing wrong with him. He was just… normal. And as he grew up in his brothers shadow, he became sad.
Now, that doesn’t mean he wasn't happy for his brother. When his brother learned to fly for the first time, he smiled, laughed, and congratulated his sibling. When the older brother used his magic for the first time, he celebrated. And when the golden crown appeared upon the ponies flank he bowed in reverence and loyalty to his brothers power.”
“What was the little brothers cutie mark?” she asked.
“Do you want me to tell the story or not?” Luna quieted down and snuggled deep into her covers once more as the Knight continued.
“But as the years passed he continued to grow sad. When he was young, and the fillies and colts got their cutie marks, he was left out. He never earned his cutie mark. He had no talent. Nothing to call his own. No magic, no wings, he didn’t have any idea what he was suposed to do with his life.
It was then that Babylponyia became under attack. There was another Alicorn called ‘Isis’ that wanted to control all of Equestria.”
“Did they ask mommy and daddies help?” Luna asked
“This was a very long time ago.” The Knight explained. “But Isis was so strong with her magic, she might have been even stronger then them anyway.”
“Nuh uh.” Luna said in distrust.
“Look, it’s my story, I get to tell it my way.” The knight said indignantly.
“Mommy and daddy are better at magic then anyone else in the whole world!” she said.
“Fine!” The Knight got out of his slouch. “Story over, the end, I guess you can tell the rest of it to yourself.” He began to turn.
“No!” Luna said in dismay. “I’m sorry, I’ll be quiet I promise.” She said with regret. The Knight sighed with a smiled once again and continued the story.
“Well, When Isis came to take over Babylponyia, The Alicorn brother met her on a dirt road, and challenged her.
She was young, and confidant, with an appearance that she could change at will. When she faced the Alicorn, she was black, with a green mane.”
The Knight coughed and changed the pitch of his voice, “You are no match for my magic! I have defeated all manner of beasts, even…” The Knight paused, “A Draconequus.”
“Is this a real story?” Luna asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, as real as you can get.” The Knight looked offended.
“But… Tia said the Draco… Dracone… er, she said they weren’t real.”
“Well, if you listened to everything your sister said I wouldn’t be telling you this story now would I?” Luna shrugged and grunted. “I can stop if you think it’s getting unbelievable.” He suggested. He saw the panic in her eyes and he laughed. “I’m just kidding… now, where was I…
Right! The Brother was afraid. He was strong, but nowhere near as strong as that manner of beast.
But just like you, he didn’t believe her, ‘I’ll blast you back to where you came from!’ he said, and shot a blast of magic from his horn! Isis did the same, and their magic seamed equal, but only for a moment, and then the Alicorn brother was blasted back, his magic was far too weak.
‘You may be strong, but lets see how fast you are!’ The Alicorn brother said. He flew up and around Isis, ready to attack and fling her across to the other side of Equestria!
But Isis flew, gave chase, and quickly overtook the Alicorn brother, sending him down the rocky road below, hard. Without magic and wings, he had nothing to fight on with, so, in despair, he stayed down.”
“He gets back up doesn’t he?” Luna said anxiously. “He wins in the end right?”
The Knight shook his head. “No. It’s not that kind of story Princess. He was too weak, and unable to beat her… not by himself.”
“He gets help from the Townsponies then?” she asked. “His friends save him right?” She remembered the other stories her parents had told her of magic and friendship…
“His friends were all gone.” The Knight said with sadness. Luna shivered at the comment. “They ran away when they saw him losing. All of his friends abandoned him. It was just him, her, and the shadows of the night. And he was too weak to go on.”
“I don’t like this story anymore.” Luna said, scared.
“Well of course not! I’m not finished yet!” The Knight said in exasperation.
“Well, what happens then?” Luna asked.
“Before Isis could harm the Alicorn, a voice rang up from all around, ‘I have come for my revenge Isis.’ Said the voice.
'Whos there?' Isis asked back into the void.
'You pretend not to know me… my name is Avarice! And I am a Draconequus, here for revenge!'
Isis was scared, and cast a spell of light, dispelling all shadows from the dark road… but there was nothing there. No tricksters hiding in the shadows that she could see. ‘I didn’t do it.’ She said in a panic. ‘I was lying! I never met a Draconequus before!’
‘You disrespect the Draconequus name,’ the voice continued. ‘and for that… for that I’m going to get you Isis. You can run, and you can hide, but eventually, I will hunt your down, I will find you...’ The voice said, licking his lips. ‘and then,’”
The Knight suddenly tickled Luna, “I’m going to gobble you all up!” Luna squealed, laughed and pushed him off.
“Isis ran!” The Knight continued. “She ran and ran, and she still heard the voice behind her as she ran all the way out of Equestria… never to be seen again.
The Alicorn brother was scared too, and bowed before the awesome spirit, begging for mercy...
But then, he heard laughter. He then saw a shadow creeping out of the ditch… it was his dark brother! His coat was so dark that not even the light spell had been able to show he was there. The brothers laughed together, and a big party was thrown for the brother of black, the savior of the town. He did with words what his brother could not do with magic AND wings.”
Luna smiled. “What happened then? Did he ever get his cutie mark?”
“Well, after that happened, the Brother in black figured that he already had a cutie mark. His mark was a shadow, and that’s why no one could see it.” He smiled. “Do you want to know the moral of this story?” Luna nodded. The Knight took a deep breath.
“Darkness can be scary.” He started. “And the scariest kind of darkness is the one inside you. Loneliness, lies, fear… But the answer isn’t to pretend it isn’t there. Your darkness is like your shadow, you can never run away from it. But if you can accept your darkness… then you can turn it into something good.”
“That’s… confusing.” Luna said. “But I like it.”
“I thought you might.” The Knight said. “Now, I have a trick to show you.” He blew out the Lamp. Luna could still see him, just barely, as a shadow in the darkness. “Close your eyes, say my name, and open them, knowing that I’ll still be here for you.”
Luna closed her eyes and quickly muttered, “Knight Night.”
And when she opened them, she could see nothing but shadows.