//------------------------------// // The Deep moon. // Story: Empire on the Moon // by Kingless knight //------------------------------// Alecia greeted them with smiles and waves. “Your daughter seems to be taking this like second nature.” Luna smiled with pride, watching her daughter. However, many of the nobles feared her worse than Celestia or Luna because one accidentally took her gaze and ran out of the room. Most of them were visited in the night by a mare in Red, a snake-haired monster of a pony with bat wings and eyes to match. Being chased by her in a never-ending desert as she cackled, taking glee in hunting, only for Luna to appear and vanquish this beast of a nightmare. Yet, in reality.  “I am your end, and your crimes shall be paid with your life!” Luna mocked, and Alecia answered. “Oh yeah? What about, ‘I’m the guardian of the innocent, and you shall not continue your reign of terror!’ ” they both laughed at their tacky acting. “That Fury form you take is perfect for the role of punisher.” Alicia smiled. “Took me a while to get it just right.” they giggled at their little pranks while Celestia was snoring.  Mean the General was currently doing the night shift with the newly formed night guard. “So, are all ponies on the moon part bat?” The stallion asked, which the general let slide because he wanted to talk about his home. “Yea, it’s so common that most ponies on the moon would be surprised at ponies without fangs or stuffy ears. The eyes are a bit rarer there’s no pegasi in the domes.” The soldier looked surprised at that. “I don’t know why or how but I think the bat gene became more dominant over the millennia, The good thing is most moon ponies can eat insects.” The guard pony nodded. “Kinda wanna visit.” Shadow Swipe sighed. “So how did you get married to a princess?” Shadow swipe mind went to the past. 20 years ago in the Deep moon He waited at the food line before an older pony ran him away. “Get out of the way, Galloping shadows, your clan is Pathetic.” Shadow Swipe glared at the older pony. “Don’t even dare.” He kicked the foal to the curve.  Shadow’s horn lit and in an instant, the older pony was turned to stone, some gasped but most didn’t care, these were all stocky built and their hooves were bleached with moon dust. “I presume he’s a criminal?” One of the ponies in pure white cloaks giving out bread nodded. “Can I have his rations?”  The Pony in white gave him three Sattels. “Thank you, Inquisitor.”  Then a Pony in red armor creeped out of the nearby shadows and swung a malet to shatter the newly formed statue. Shadow Swipe continued back to his home, the deep moon was ancient with graffiti and runes written all over. Shadow entered a cave the walls cowered in Hoof prints, he placed his own two under those much larger ones. “Shadow!” A little melon-red pony with a silver mane. “I thought the blood Mon got you!” He smiled warmly at her as she opened the Sattels, finding fried roaches, mixed with bread and an apple. Excitement roared from her eyes presenting it to her older brother. “Look! It’s an apple!” Shadow Swipe nodded, taking it with his magic and slicing it for her enjoyment. Harvest Moon teared up. “Harvest, what's wrong?” He asked worriedly. “It’s so sweet! I’m so happy.” He smiled and hugged the little filly. Shadow Swipe walked through the deep moon, his dreams were always the same. Then he saw a filly the same age as him walking toward him with a scythe and then he stared into her eyes as razed her scythe. “I couldn’t imagine such a beautiful mare.” The nightmare pony lost focus and tripped. “Are you alright?” He stepped to her. She jumped up, stepping away. “No! I’m here to punish you for killing a pony!” Shadow raised a brow at the notion. “I didn’t kill anyone.” She stood up turning into a shadowy mist form with white eyes. “View into my eyes and speak the truth!” He didn’t show any emotion looking into the eyes of the Alicorn of justice. Alecia grew frustrated. “I only turned him into stone, it was the inquisitor who shattered him. She sat down returning to her true form with eyes covered in a veil. “I apologize First Time on the Job.” Shadow gave an understanding smile.  Alecia looked at her surroundings, realizing it wasn’t anywhere in the Lunar Empire* “Where are we?” She looked around the carved doors, in a circle with a throne at the bottom without a single light possible to reach it. “The deep moon, the cradle of the moon ponies, now it’s the prison. Anyone who angers nightmare moon ends up here, including your descendants and their descendants. Like me.” She looked angered, her cutie mark glowed with the moon turning red while the Sun’s rays spread across her like fire. “This is unjust! You shouldn’t pay for the crimes of someone you don’t even know!” Shadow sighed, already having accepted his fate. “My family has been here since our attempted revolution almost eight hundred years ago. The minute war we were forced to dig deeper and deeper from the youngest colt to the oldest stallion, we built our prison.”  She teared up imagining such actions being done. “The Galloping Shadows! The clan formed from the army who revolted against nightmare moon!” Yelled at the ceiling with pride. “As punishment, we became the miners of the Lunar empire slaving away for centuries, the weak dying and the survivors becoming stronger and they protected the weak that came after. The strong rule and weak survived.” He spoke the words nostalgic but Alecia gasped, her jaws tightening in rage. “I promise, I will make this just!” She was pulled into a ball of darkness, Shadow swipe ran at her attempting to pull her away. His eyes shot open, and the first thing he felt was his younger sister using him as a pillow. After breakfast, he went to work and Harvest was brought to Ore finding class. Shadow Swipe joined the other ponies in the mines, for once in his short life he had hope that things could be better. He smiled. “We had the same goals.” The guard nodded, not certain what he meant, while Shadow Swipe hummed a tune walking to his room.  Ten years ago in the deep moon An older Shadow swipe sang with the other ponies in the mine. “The deeper we go!” They continued hitting the Rocks. “The closer we are!” “The further we got” “closer we are!” “No matter how long!” “She will be there”  They continued working until they filled up the carts. He went to the rations office, just to get attacked by his sister. “Hey bro, how’s the mining?” He shrugged, swiping away the sweat. “Not much work tough as always.” She nodded and then saw someone pushing in front. “Idiots.” She went bat pony who by guessing came only a few hours ago and was encased in ice by the unicorn. ”Being tough huh?” Shadow rustled his little sister's hair, before getting their rations. The ponies all went to the only bar in the deep moon. Which was named Moon Shine after the owner, for drinks and show. The Piano played, and the drinks were poured. “I’m telling you we should think about going to the top!” Moon Pie said. “It’s time we took our place back!” Everyone else rolled their eyes at him, the head of the rock farmers had gained an ego by being the youngest and most successful in his duties. Harvest Moon listened. “Please that would only happen if the queen herself came down and said we were forgiven of our crimes!” The entire bar erupted as only one didn’t laugh being shadow swipe. “Bro what’s wrong?” She asked as her brother was being too silent. “I’m just more optimistic, the newer idiots said there was a princess.” The others mumbled. Moon Pie jumped up, pointing at the Galloping Shadow member. “You see, the strongest of us believes it can be better!” He rolled his eyes at that. Then the song started as the crystal piano played. A wholesome dressed mare entered the stage, her coat white as ivory and her main green as sea foam. “Life down here has been hard for you, life has made you strong.” The entire crowd went silent, seduced by her angelic voice. “Let me lift the moon for you.” The tempo changed and she danced. “It’s a tough life, it’s a hard life, let me be there for you.” They clapped. “Hey ponies, strong ponies let me be there for you. Don’t worry and have some fun with me!” She went behind the currents.  Shadow drank from Ale while his sister got the moss water. “I didn’t know there were pretty mares like her down here!” Moon Pie said a bit tipsy playfully hitting shadow. “Maybe you should introduce yourself.” Harvest giggled while they laughed. The curtains retreated revealing two more mares, both white as Ivory as the first with pink manes dancing. While their older sister sang. “Hey ponies, drink your ale and sing a song!” She pulled her dress away revealing a blue one-piece and fishnet stockings. “Hey ponies, let’s have some fun tonight! Let me take away all the blues! Let us have some fun tonight! There’s No blues tonight!” They cheered the drunks singing along.  Then the ground shook and everyone ran out of the bar, after paying for the entertainment with gems. They saw the queen, and they all bowed except one. Shadow Swipe glared at the false queen, standing against her like a dam against a rushing flood, as fired her magic against he formed a shield blocking it until she stopped and he panted. Nightmare flew down and held him by the chin. “A physic perfect for soldiers.” She fired his petrification spell at her only for her to shatter out of it. “Truly worthy of my army.”  He was teleported away.  He found himself in a ritual room and in an instant he was assaulted with hot irons branding him with runes. An alicorn stepped out of Shadow Swipe biting the pain but his pain disappeared once he saw the eyes of the Alicorn's red eyes. “It is good to see you again.” He smirked and bowed. “How May I serve?”  He came to his room to find his wife asleep, her legs spread out. “Dear?” In a surprised expression of speed, she grabbed him and held him tight. “This is Fine.”