//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Children of the Night // by Jedi-narwhal //------------------------------// Celestia woke with her eyes wide open, feeling the energy she felt earlier coming from Luna's room. “I can feel this...dark force coming from the forest, but its eerily familiar...” She jumped from her bed and quickly made her way to the window, looking far into the distance, she could see small spots of light coming from the forest. Her mind quickly pieced the puzzle together, “What is my sister doing in the Everfree Forest?” She said aloud as she gazed at the moon, more questions rising in her mind, “According to what I know of the lunar cycle it should be a new moon tonight, not a full moon...” Celestia made her way to the door only to find it tightly locked. Her eyes narrowed, “Why am I locked in my room? Her actions are suspicious...I cant believe that Luna is behind all of this..” Using her magic, she enveloped the door with a golden glow and the large, double doors unlocked but did not open. Walking to the door, she put a hoof on the handle and pulled and pushed the massive door, revealing that it was sealed from the outside. Celestia took a deep breath and paced around the large room once, “Clearly my sister does not want me involved with what she is doing, and I intend to get to the bottom of her schemes!” Her mind resolved, she stood before the door, turned around and gave the doors a mighty buck, hurling large chunks of wood and making a exit. “I guess I don’t know my own strength...” Looking down the hall she saw that they were empty; the royal guards that patrolled the halls at night were nowhere to be seen. Making her way to Luna's room Celestia used her magic and threw open the door and wandered into the room. Piles of parchment and deep purple armour were scattered all across the room, using magic Celestia picked up one of the papers and examined it: It had a massive emblem of the crescent moon with a fearsome Alicorn with “We are the Night! Darkness Forever!” Written across it. Celestia stood in the room stunned. “I knew my sister was resentful of the night, but I never imagined that she would go this far...” Quickly dashing out of the room she made her way to the balcony and jumped into the air and stretched her wings and began to make her way to the Everfree Forest, the source of the lights on the horizon. “I am coming to put a stop to you sister, no matter what you're planning...” Celestia said she approached the castle, she stopped in mid-flight. Her eyes grew wide as she watched the young fillies working the garden and laying brick work for the castle. Slowly she floated down right to the garden, though no pony even noticed that she had arrived. Celestia approached one of the ponies working the garden, trying to get his attention, “Young one? Can you hear me?” She put a hoof to his chin to look into his eyes, but they were glazed over. The young pony took his gaze back to the work he was doing, “These are not your subjects Celestia. They are my future army.” A dark feminine voice came across the castle grounds. The dozens of fillies working stopped and turned to Celestia, putting their gaze on her. Three sets of hoof-steps echoed in the courtyard of the castle, Nightmare moon and her two newly minted guards followed on both sides of her. “Luna! What are--” “Foolish foal! I am not your young, weak sister you once knew. I am Nightmare Moon! I will take what is rightfully mine, namely your precious Kingdom of Equestria!” Celestia simply starred at the large Alicorn before her, looking over the changes her younger sister had gone through, she had turned into a menacing figure. Looking over the two guards, she gasped. “What have you done to those ponies!?” Nightmare Moon grinned, turning to both of them as she spoke, “Like my handy-work? They have been imbued with the power of the moon, as long as I exist to channel the power they are 10 times stronger than any regular pony. They are the perfect subjects for me to rule over: they are completely obedient and will never--” Nightmare moon sneered at Celestia, “Throw tomatoes at my face.” A cold wind passed through the castle garden, causing Celestia to shiver slightly, “You are threatening Luna! We wont let you harm her!” All the young ponies slowly shuffled, making a barrier between Nightmare Moon and Celestia. She took a few steps backwards, seeing Nightmare Moon's magic flowing through them, Celestia tried to reason with Nightmare Moon, “Enough of this nonsense Luna! We were meant to rule Equestria together!” “No Celestia! Even as young foals when we were carried away into the night to fulfil our purpose as stewards of the Sun and Moon they always imparted their knowledge to you first! Don’t you remember?” Nightmare Moon's words stuck Celestia hard. Her eyes went wide with the memory of that cold winter night and both of them were warmed by the moonbeam that shone on them that night and carried them away. “Its been so long, I had almost forgotten that night. I cannot let you and your army go free Nightmare Moon! I will stop you with everything I am and protect my kingdom!” Celestia shouted and stamped a hoof to the ground, causing a small rumble to echo in the night. “That’s not my sister, that’s not my sister...” She repeated to herself, trying to focus her mind on the task ahead of her. Her eyes widened in shock as the mob of foals along with Nightmare Moon and her guards simply disappeared in a thick layer of blue smoke. “You may have power of the sun Celestia, but I rule the night!” Nightmare Moon's evil laughter echoed through the night, Celestia raised her head and a brilliant light shone from the tip of her horn, illuminating the surroundings again. Quickly looking left then right, Celestia found no trace of Nightmare Moon or the brainwashed foals.