//------------------------------//
// How It Could Have Ended: A Moonless Night 
// Story: The Red Sun Rises: Outtakes 
// by The Atlantean 
//------------------------------//

	It turns out that the expected assault never came. Nightfall came, and no word of enemy movement was reported. Every moment without battle was a moment of anxiety.
Luna had chosen to remain in the building with Crimson. After her entourage arrived, she still didn’t move from her spot in front of the map table. She had some very interesting points to add to the defense plan, and the soldier accepted them for consideration.
At about twenty-one hundred hours, Crimson and Luna walked outside to show her the supplies. They got there and she nodded. It was an efficient system that the colonel had put in place.
They had turned around an hour later to go back to the headquarters when the hairs in Crimson’s mane stood on end. His soldier’s instinct kicked in and he jumped between the unseen threat and Luna. He raised his repeater with his wing, stared down the sights, and looked for any movement in the silent city before him.
It came from the left. An arrow whizzed towards the two and was instantly deflected.
"FORCE FIELD!!!" Luna yelled.
Crimson looked at the projectile. "Whoa. That's a heavyweight arrow. Would've killed you right then if you didn't know it was coming."
Luna paid no attention. She used her magic to pick up the would-be assassin and pull him over. He grunted multiple times as her magic faltered enough to make him hit the ground.
"Ensign Arctic Breeze." Crimson recognized him as the stallion with the faulty information. "An assault on the ruler is punishable by death in Atlantis. Lucky for you, this is Equestria."
"Moon-flanked daughter of a bitch!" Arctic Breeze snarled at Luna.
The Princess of the Night smiled at him. "Why thank you for looking at my rear to identify me. I'm sure it looks hot, but you look at a princess's face to talk to them." She turned to the colonel. "Put him in the prison, where he can't do something like that again."
"Yes, ma'am." Crimson whistled, and several ponies galloped over. "Escort Arctic Breeze to the prison, and keep him under high guard."
The soldiers saluted, and the traitor was moved out. He saw this failure as his one missed chance to go down in the history books permanently. Next time, he won't screw up.