> The Ever Night Forest > by Angieheart > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > May the stars guide your path > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Moonbeam." the Healer called. "Yes, Healer?" Moonbeam replied. "I need you to gather some Fool's cap, do you remember where it is, Moonbeam?" the Healer asked. "Of course Healer, its to the right of the Lunar-field you can't miss it." Moonbeam replied with a small smile "No, I need the ones by Night Rock" Healer replied "My apologies Healer, I'll return with them before dawn brake."Moonbeam replied." "Good, may the stars guide your path." the Healer replied." "And may they guide yours, Healer." Moonbeam replied." ******************* Moonbeam left the tribe at moon rise. Most of the night tribe awake at sunset and know when the moon rises and it takes about one moon cycle to get there and another to get back, so she had no time to waste. She knew the Fool's Cap would be the ripest when she got there, so she had to make it at least half way before light brake. She was nearly there before light brake, but what she didn't know was that she was being hunted. ~ Moonbeam noticed it was almost daybreak, so she decided to make camp. She found a tree with a wide leaf spand so when day light came she would sleep in the shade; around the tree grew a patch of long grass that would make a nice bed for the day. With everything in order, she lied down and went to sleep. A good fifteen minuets later... Moonbeam heard a deep growl. She coked an eye open and saw a pair of red preying eyes through the thicket. She gasped then got up and sprinted at full gallop. She didn't care where. Her only worry was getting some distance between the beast. Then she herd a blood chilling howl, and blinked back tears while she ran, heart about to burst in her throat, her mind only thinking speed. She ran into something and to her horror was stuck in a thorn bush. She flailed and struggled but didn't realize she was stuck in enchanted thorn bushes. As the thorns dug into her skin, Moonbeam cried out in pain as the fresh wounds bled. Adding that the beast was just heartbeats behind, the experience overwhelmed her, and everything went black. > In hope of being found > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Moonbeam didn't know how long she was out for, but there was warmth on her left shoulder from the sunlight through the trees. Since she wasn't facing the sun, she knew that she faced either north or south and her left or right was east or west. She was also glad daybreak was nearly over, and then hopefully some of her tribe mates would come looking for her. Her wounds pained her and she wanted to cry out in pain, but alas she was too weak. "Please great lunar goddess spare me. spare me please, I don't want to die here." Moonbeam wept. Why didn't the great lunar goddess just spare her this pain? Her eyes felt heavy. The only thing keeping her alive right now was the hope of being found. "Philomeana." Celestia called. Philomeana chirped on her perch in the study. "There you are. I was getting worried." Celestia replied. Philomeana squawked and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know your over ten millenniums old." Philomeana squawked and tipped her head towards the window. "All right you can go but be back by midnight?" Celestia asked while opening the window. Philomeana flew out the window, southeast towards the Ever Free Forest. She heard a small cry of pain, then looked down and saw a mare trapped below in the thorny thikit. Philomeana flew down to the trapped mare. Celestia had put up the thorny branches a long time ago to keep out intruders and to keep in wild creatures. The unfortunate mare was snared completely, but Philomeana fortunately was there. *Moonbeam's P.O.V* Moonbeam glanced up to see a small bird that looked like it was made of fire. "Who are you?" Moonbeam weakly asked. Philomeana gently pressed her head against Moonbeam's forehead. In moonbeam's mind Philomeana said: Hello young one, my name is Philomeana. I am a phoenix. I live in Cantorlot with the princesses' in there castle. My master is princess Celestia. I ask of you to not struggle against the vines. I will return with help to get you free and teat your wounds. "Okay." Moonbeam replied weakly. ~ Philameana flew off back to the castle. Just hold on a little longer. Philameana prayed. Before she knew it, Philameana was on the ledge of princess Celestia's balcony. Philameana flew in but she wasn't in her chambers. Philameana feverishly searched most of the castle with no success. When she went to the dining hall, she thankfully found both princess Celestia and Luna there. Philameana rarely spoke so when she did it was screechy and high pitched, but a mare's life was on the line so formalities could wait. "Celestia, Luna!" Philameana began. "What is it Philameana?" the princesses said in unison. "A mare, she's hurt in the enchanted thorn vines!" Philameana replied. "I told you sister, those vines would someday get someponie killed!" Luna hissed at her sister while running through the halls to her balcony; completely forgetting she could teleport. She took off with Celestia and Philameana close behind towards the enchanted vine field. "She is down here!" Philameana called. She descended down towards Moonbeam. "That's odd" Celestia replied "Only creatures born in the Ever Free Forest wold get stuck." Moonbeam looked up and saw Philameana and two ascended unicorns. Healer said there wonderful mother was once a unicorn before the queen and king ascended into the celestial beings the beautiful moon and the proud sun. Once a pony acceded there life span wold extend a hundred millennium fold and wold gain the strength of a earth pony, the speed and wings of a Pegasus, and the horn and magic capabilities of a unicorn. They where beautiful. The ascended unicorns landed by her side. The white ascended unicorn made a sort or magic blade she cut the thorny vines carefully from the trees they grew to. Then she cast a spell on the separated vines there was a small flash and the vines crumbled to ash. With the weight off her wounds they started to bleed. It hurt horribly. She let out a weak cry of pain. "I'm sorry my little pony." Luna replied quickly raping bandages tightly around her wounds making the bleeding slow down. "Celestia we have to get her..." she din't hear the rest then slowly everything faded to black. Moonbeam woke to a steady beeping sound and there was a clear tube going into her forehoof. She looked up to see a pink coated unicorn mare with a hot pink mane & tail with lime green steaks in them, her eyes where also the same line green color. she wore a light green pair of spectacles, a green bracelet with a circle pendent, and a white collared shirt. "Your awake!" The mare said "Hold on I'll get the doctor" The nurse shot out the room like her tail was on fire. "I assure you nurse Hart trail that's most serenely unlikely." A male voice said "But it's true doctor Stable-steal." Nurse hart trail replied "If this is a joke" Doctor Stable-steal sentence was cut short "It's not a joke! She opened her eyes and looked at me." Nurse Hart trail replied "Look!" She brought a stallion in and gestured at moonbeam. "I'm sorry I doubted you nurse Hart trail." doctor Stable-steal replied and walked over to Moonbeam's bedside "Those antibiotics work wonders" Dr. Stable-steal replied he levitated a clipboard and began writing things down."Vitals are looking better, hart-rate stronger, recovery is extraordinary! Stable-steal exclaimed "I must tell the princesses at once! Nurse bring her to a room for the night." He called while dashing out the door. "I haven't seen him excited about a patent's recovery like that when Twilight Sparkle was in here after a spell casting accident. The nurse mumbled. She walked over to moonbeam and asked her a basic question "What's your name?" "I am Moonbeam." She replied then she let out a tired yawn "Well moonbeam I'm going to move you to a room for the night then you can get some sleep and in the morning I fill finish my questions. Sound good?" the nurse asked. "yeah" It was a short walk to her room but moonbeam din't see it because she was already asleep. "Poor mare. she has a long recovery ahead of her" nurse heart trail whispered while clicking the bed into place. turning off the lights as she left. > No such thing > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- That morning a new doctor entered her room. "Hello I will be your doctor for this morning. Your sheet was not completely filled so lets get that out of the way before you eat." The new doctor continued where they left off on the list of questions. Moonbeam's reply to the last question is where every thing went downhill. Moonbeam's reply set the doctor off the edge;"The Ever Night Forest" was her reply "What did you say?" The doctor asked. "The Ever Night Forest." Moonbeam repeated. The doctor looked up from the clipboard."There is no such thing as The Ever Night Forest." "I am telling the truth! I was born and raised in The Ever Night Forest." Moonbeam said in dismay. "There is no such thing." The doctor replied with a twinge of anger. "But there is! I live there! My family lives there! My entire tribe lives there!" She exclaimed. "Please believe me." Moonbeam was on the verge of tears this stalion was calling every thing she knew as a lie. The doctor lost his nerve with Moonbeam "LIAR! there is no Ever Night Forest! You where not born in a tribe! Tribes have not been around science Equestria's founding!" He hit moonbeam hard on the head with the clipboard. "Tell me why your so dam important that the princesses and there prized bird left there pathetic castle to save you!" and struck her again. Moonbeam covered her head with a fore hoof in an attempt to protect her head. "Stop!" Moonbeam cried the doctor hit her again it was even harder then the last two strikes combined. "Tell me!" The doctor ordered. "I don't know who your talking about! Please stop!" Moonbeam begged as tears flowed freely down her face. She tried to brake the telekinetic grip on the clipboard with her other hoof; it was no use her grip was to strong. The attacker pulled back the clipboard readying another strike. Moonbeam closed her eyes knowing her fiat putting her other hoof over her head. At that moment the door burst open; there was a loud thud, and the clipboard fell to the floor. Moonbeam lowered her trembling hooves to see the first nurse was there along with a guard pining down the attacker. Nurse Hart Trail looked at this attacker knowing it was a suborn news reporter trying to get all the details of why the princesses had saved her when Moonbeam did not know herself; she heard the rumors about a reporter using illusion magic on medical staff to ask questions about celebrities to injured relatives in the hospital using force to get answers if they where suborn, this enraged her but kept her voice alarmingly calm. "Your so desperate for a story you beat an injured mare for you're cut rate gabby gums article. You even have the nerve to stretch the truth to it, add some cheap crap about how they beat her up for some lame excuse, and then took her here to make them look like heroes. I've seen you're work like the time you integrated photo finish's protege getting attacked by an anonymous nurse questioning her about the new fabric she was working on. Why I bet when the princesses them self's hear what you did to there personal guest and all the other ponies you have hurt for your paper not even the elements of harmony could save your sorry flank by turning you to stone. Oh, not to mention the amount of warrants in you're name or all the charges by the victims them self's and let me tell you something about celebrity's they have dam good lawyer's, hurt someone close to them and you're screwed. You're paper will be ruined and will probably shut down putting meany good ponies with loving family's out of work and you know Cantorlot, its hard to get jobs here. And when there hungry foals ask why they can't eat or not having a home any more, you guessed it. It will be you're fault. Well all we need to do know is get one of the victims to confirm if it is you but if it isn't you're still screwed because you attacked the princesses personal guest not one but both princesses personal guest." The nurse said and smirked at the attacker reporter whom looked like he was scared out of his wits, should be the nurse thought before turning away. Nurse Hart Trail went over to moonbeam's bedside and she frowned. "I'm so sorry." Nurse Hart Trail apologized as she levitated a roll of bandages and started to rap them around the middle of her forelegs where the injuries where the worst but Moonbeam cold not stop shaking. "Please try to hold still." Nurse Hart asked looking up to see Moonbeam utterly terrified of what just happened. "It's okay your safe now" the nurse cooed gently stroked her back until shaking subsided. Then continued to bandage the new wounds. When the nurse was finished. she addressed the guard. "This situation will be told to the princesses as well as all medical security staff and I want one guard out side her door at all times, just in case he has more tricks up his sleeve." he nodded. "Good, now I'll get you some food. Sound good?"- Moonbeam nodded. Moonbeam barely ate any of the food that was given to her; It has been about two hours since the incident. Even thinking about what happened gave her a bad scare. She missed her tribe so much. It comfort Moonbeam that she had her star pendent necklace. It was said that all the members of the tribe have one, to most of them it means that they are all stars in a growing constellation. She reached down to feel the delicately engraved star of her tribe but felt nothing; she looked down it was gone, all of it even the rope. This unnerved her, that necklace was the symbol of her tribe and she lost it. "It's gone!" Moonbeam pained mind screamed. "No"Moonbeam whispered, tears fell silently down her face, unaware that there was a certain fire colored bird in her window. Philomeana, utterly concerned for what was upsetting the poor mare and flu over to her bed noticing the new bandages made her even more worried. Moonbeam's crying subsided. She pressed her head against Moonbeam's forehead. Why are you crying? Are you in pain? Why are your forelegs bandaged? "I am crying because I lost my necklace. It was made by my parents and it's very dear to me, and my legs are bandaged because a stallion attacked me." Moonbeam replied barely above a whisper Was this stallion detained? "yes" Moonbeam croaked and touched the spot where her necklace normally was. What does your necklace look like? "It was a grey stone pendent in the shape of a small diamond delicately engraved in the diamond was a star in the center with thin lines all around it, some branch off like tree branches. The rope is a modest tan color." That sounds like a beautiful necklace. "Thank you"Moonbeam said For what? "For helping me."she replied That was no problem at all. Philomeana looked out to the sun and realized she was late. I am sorry I must be going I will see you soon. "That's okay. May the stars guide your path." Philomeana had not heard that phrase in a millennium, maybe even longer. Only the true followers of Luna said that phrase. They formed a tribe long ago maybe twenty years after discord's defeat. It was a small tribe, but to Luna it felt like a kingdom. Celestia dis banded the tribe in fear it would tear the kingdom apart. When Celestia took away that small tribe her miniature kingdom it pushed her over the edge, Celestia has over a billion subjects that bask in her glorious light and she could not even have a few to love and cherish in her night. That anger and jealousy turned her into Nightmare Moon. Some of the tribe members rebelled against Celestia gathering more followers and forming the Lunar clan. There rebelling burst into internal war in Equestria. Before the war she went there with Luna, the tribe was well constructed there they had all the pony's you would expect to be in a well constructed city, from farmers to advanced magi. It was sad; all those deaths just to have a clan to savor the night, and rest in the day. with these thoughts swirling around in her mind she left the room without saying a word.