//------------------------------// // 2 Canterlot by Night // Story: On a Blood Red Moon // by Bronyxy //------------------------------// The next hour went by in a blur. Twilight knew a chariot with two or maybe even four charioteers was currently on its way from Canterlot, specifically at Princess Luna’s request to escort her, Ponyville’s librarian, to the seat of power in Equestria as her personal guest. She had no reason to worry, did she? It wasn’t like Spike could be right about Luna holding a grudge; could he? Most ponies, especially fillies, would have spent the intervening hour engaged in choosing what to wear, or at the very least refining their personal grooming. Twilight was not most ponies, and instead, her imagination rose to the occasion, giving her plenty of increasingly unrealistic kidnap and revenge scenarios to consider, until she was almost sick with worry. She started to pace in a clockwise direction around the table in the centre of the room, and the more she fretted, the more she felt the need to keep focused on following the same circular path, fully aware that time was running away, which only served to increase her apprehension. “Oh Spike, what am I going to do?” she repeated for the umpteenth time. Instead of giving his mistress platitudes as he had done every time before, this time he glanced out of the window at something that had caught his eye. “Too late to worry now Twi, they’re here” he called out, “Wow – and wait ‘til you see the chariot!” Twilight broke away from the circular path that threatened to wear a groove in the floor, and went over to join Spike at the window. Immediately outside the Golden Oak library stood Princess Luna’s personal chariot, with two fearsome looking ponies shackled to the front. Twilight’s heart skipped a beat at their frightening appearance. Along with everypony present at the recent Nightmare Night, she had seen a pair of these bat ponies pulling this same chariot when Princess Luna had arrived, but she had never actually met one, or even seen one close up. What struck her most was not their colour, nor the strange bat like shape and texture of their wings, but the yellow eyes that seemed almost to glow. Suddenly, the one nearest the library turned his eye, the vertically slit iris stopping when it pointed directly at her, freezing her blood on the spot. “Hey, I think he’s seen you, Twi” said Spike cheerfully, giving the bat pony a friendly wave. “No kidding” replied Twilight, wishing that her dragon had not been quite so eager to attract attention. “I think they’re waiting for you” Spike continued giving his commentary. “But I’m not ready yet …” she protested, “What should I wear …?” “Uuh, Twi” said Spike, “It’s a bit late for that now. Go as you are – you look fine.” “Fine … ! Fine …!” Twilight flustered, “I’m meeting royalty; fine isn’t nearly good enough!” Spike opened the front door and waved at the bat ponies. “She’s on her way” he announced. The nearest bat pony nodded his head in acknowledgement. “What did you go and say that for, Spike?” demanded Twilight, ripping what few clothes she had from her closet for closer inspection before throwing them unhappily onto the floor, the inspiration she craved completely eluding her. “I think Princess Luna just wants to see you” Spike reassured, “I’d get going if I were you.” Twilight wanted to have a meltdown; she felt she owed it to herself right about now, but she was intimidated by the thought of the two scary looking bat ponies outside the front door waiting for her. Defeated, she hung her head, stepped reluctantly over the scattered piles of clothes, and headed for the door. “Have a nice time, Twi!” the baby dragon called out after her, “Don’t worry; I’ve got everything covered here.” Twilight muttered something most unladylike under her breath; Spike’s cheerfulness was really starting to get under her skin this evening. She also knew that his idea of having 'everything covered' meant comic books and ice cream, making her heart sink. She tried to focus on the strangely gothic appearance of the chariot, but it was the two ponies tasked with pulling it that kept drawing her attention, especially the way their yellow eyes seemed to glow in the dying light of dusk. Keeping a careful distance, she greeted the two charioteers and then climbed up into the seat, before letting them know she was ready to proceed. The chariot lifted off effortlessly into the picturesque dusk sky, and Twilight watched as the scenery below took on altogether a different tone and texture from what she had seen on those rare occasions when she had flown before, always in daylight. Windows in houses shone with lights on inside as their occupants went about their business, completely oblivious to the bat ponies drawing Princess Luna’s royal chariot in the darkening skies above them. She scanned over the sides of the chariot and saw small concentrations of lights all nestled together in groups, reflecting the houses of close knit rural communities, and wondered how bright a city like Canterlot must look from the air. Twilight took stock of her situation; she still didn’t know what Luna wanted of her, but she felt both unprepared and apprehensive. Her insecurities festered in her every thought; on the one hoof she wanted the journey to be over so her worries would stop plaguing her, but on the other, she didn’t want it to end so she wouldn’t have to face whatever waited for her. This dichotomy itself just caused her further angst, and soon she was no longer able to make out the scenery below as darkness claimed the sky and the last vestiges of light faded away. She marvelled at how the charioteers seemed so completely at home in the darkness, and considered that they owed much to the unique vision gifted them by those scary yellow eyes with reptilian irises. Soon the moon rose in all its glory, bathing the landscape in its silvery beauty and restoring her sense of self-reference. It was as if the moon had deigned to join the night sky, like a true monarch accompanied by her ladies-in-waiting and the other members of her Court, represented by the stars, all fussing around and attending to her every need. Twilight watched, mesmerised, as the different constellations emerged, each in their turn, to give character to every single corner of the night sky, and suddenly felt a change as her senses told her they were descending. A quick look forward showed her that they were over Canterlot and she flinched at the garish brightness from such a concentration of lights; streetlights, shops, houses and of course, in the distance, Canterlot Castle. The castle appeared to have been lit to emphasise its fantastical architectural features, making it look even more breathtaking by night than it did by day. Twilight was now so overwhelmed by what she could seem that all her nerves about the evening evaporated, replaced by wonder and awe. The chariot turned gently and aligned itself for where the charioteers knew their Princess would be waiting, making such minor changes to their yaw and glideslope as their passenger would never notice. They approached over the city, Twilight’s eyes growing bigger as the castle assumed its true size, and they made their final descent over the castle walls into the courtyard beyond. They touched down with ne’ery a bump, and once having slowed to a safe speed for ground manoeuvring, turned to pull up alongside a private reception area where a midnight blue pony awaited them. Once they had stopped, Twilight dismounted to meet her hostess, her fears suddenly all coming back and trying to force their way back into her head at once.