//------------------------------// // Good Stories // Story: Crescent Moonbeam Ep 1: Introductions // by GlitterBit //------------------------------// Crescent and Fluttershy walked down the path back towards Twilight’s castle. It was late afternoon now as they reached the castle. Fluttershy knocked on the door and Spike opened it shortly. “Come on in guys.” Spike stepped aside and let them in. He stepped over next to Crescent and whispered to her. “Twilight would like to see you in the study first.” Spike pointed to the side room where Twilight had met her last night. Crescent nodded and felt a little worried. She wondered if Twilight might have read the letter already and it had said something. Spike smiled at her and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing much.” He said before walking after Fluttershy. Crescent smiled and waved to Fluttershy as she headed off to the study. She took a deep breath and braced herself. Twilight probably just wanted to talk about the tea and her friends before it began. The hospital would never have sent sensitive information along through the mail. Part of the reason why the agreement why she had to tell her mentor about why she’d been admitted in the first place. She took another breath and opened the door. “Hi Crescent! Guess who came to visit you.” Twilight said pointing to a pony sitting across from her. The stallion had a greying mane and silver framed glasses. He had a dark grey coat beneath a white medical jacket and alert blue eyes. He smiled warmly at Crescent. Crescent stopped dead halfway through the door. “Good afternoon miss Moonbeam. How are you today?” Dr. Silver Remedy asked. “I’m fine doctor Remedy.” Crescent muttered. Silver Remedy cocked an eyebrow. He watched Crescent walk in and take another one of the seats in this room. So the hospital had sent someone, apparently Twilight was going to learn her story sooner than Crescent had planned. She adjusted her glasses and fussed with her mane. Twilight looked confused. “Aren’t you happy to see Doctor Remedy again? It seemed like you’d liked him when he watched over you?” Twilight asked. Silver Remedy watched Crescent quietly. “No, no, no. I’m happy he’s here. He’s one of my favorite people from Canterlot Mental. It’s just something else…” Crescent wandered off and looked down at the floor. Silver Remedy sighed. “Crescent you haven’t told her have you?” He said. “Oh no. She told me. How she’s been in Canterlot Mental since she was little and just recently managed to be released. Now she’s looking for a fresh start and wants me to be her Mentor. Keep an eye on her and work with the hospital to make sure everything’s alright.” Twilight assured Silver Remedy. Silver Remedy spared a glance at Twilight then looked over his glasses at Crescent. “No offense Princess, but is that all she told you?” He asked. Twilight blinked. “What?” Twilight asked back, then turned to Crescent who was studying a far stack of books intensely. “We had an agreement Crescent. You would tell your Mentor what they were getting into.” Silver Remedy said giving Crescent a stern look. “Technically we agreed that I had to tell them, we never set a time when I had to. I was going to tell her after she realized it was likely to happen again.” Crescent countered. She turned and looked back at the two other ponies in the room. Silver Remedy was giving her a hard stare and Twilight was beginning to look worried. “Crescent why don’t you tell the Princess before her imagination begins filling in the holes and makes matters worse.” Doctor Remedy suggested. “It’ll be alright Crescent.” Twilight reassured moving closer. Twilight laid a hoof on Crescent’s. “I promise I won’t stop being your mentor.” She said. After another look at Silver Remedy, who nodded slowly and smiled, and a deep breath Crescent began. “Like I said I’ve been in Canterlot Mental for a long time. And you can’t just be subjected to hospitalization for anything, you or your guardians have to agree to it.” Crescent began taking a deep breath. “Which usually means most ponies tend not to-” “Crescent focus on your story. I’m certain the Princess is aware of our laws and most of the consequences they produce. Please continue.” Silver Remedy interrupted. Crescent gulped and continued. “Well it usually takes something serious before you’re admitted. For me it occurred when I was around four.” Twilight looked very surprised at this, but Crescent continued. “I’d always talked to ponies or creatures that weren’t there, but my parents had always written them off as imaginary friends. I’d had a little more trouble controlling my magic as well than most other fillies.” Crescent smiled as she remembered. “This one time I got a magic surge while my mom was setting the table and I accidentally turned all the plates into flowers. We ended up eating them instead.” “Crescent?” Silver Remedy raised an eyebrow. “Sorry doctor Remedy.” Crescent muttered. “Well anyways it continued much like that until my delusions began getting bigger. I started having entire conversations with nothing but air, I’d play games with nopony, or invite friends over that neither of my parents could find anywhere.” Crescent said. “It got bad. Especially whenever I had nightmares. I’d wake up and my brain would drag the nightmare with me. I’d wake up screaming then continue screaming as I saw the things of my nightmares in the room with me.” Crescent shook herself at the thought. Twilight reached out a reassuring hoof. Crescent breathed out and continued. “The nightmares are what got me admitted in reality. My parents were worried about the daydreams, but were willing to deal with those. What really convinced them was the night I nearly destroyed our house.” Twilight’s eyes widened and Crescent found it very hard to keep talking. Silver Remedy nodded slowly. “Go on Crescent. It’s in the past. You’ve conquered this. You’re safe here.” He said. Crescent breathed out a few times before beginning again. “It was night time and I’d gone to bed as usual. Before long I found myself in the forest near our house. I was going along picking Bluebells for the flower vase we had at home, when I heard something in the bushes behind me.” Crescent said. Twilight and Silver Remedy listened quietly. “When I turned around to look at whatever it was I came nose to nose with a timberwolf. Now i’d never met a timberwolf, and I don’t think they’re native to the forests around Canterlot, but I’d heard of them in stories and I immediately recognized it. I screamed and dropped my basket, at the same time I woke up and there in my room was a pack of timberwolves. I could hear them breathing, smell their breath in the air around me.” Crescent explained. “So I panicked and did the only thing I thought would do any good. I summoned as much magic as I could and tried to blast them away.” Crescent ran a hoof through her mane and looked down at the floor. “As you probably know, timberwolves don’t disappear when you blast them, they reform. I kept blasting, they kept reforming, and I made more and more holes in my house. When my parents came running to see what was up I barricaded the door with my magic so that they wouldn’t get eaten by the timberwolves.” Crescent grimaced. “And that was much pretty how it went as I destroyed more and more of the house trying to fight off the imaginary timberwolves. Eventually I lost control of my magic when a timberwolf pounced on me and I feinted. When I woke up my parents told me that they’d found me crying and shivering on what was left of my bed in what was left of my room. I’d also managed to destroy most of the downstairs as well. The following day they took me to the doctor who diagnosed me with schizophrenia. The doctor suggested a stay at Canterlot Mental since they specialized in mental rehabilitation.” “That’s how it started.” Crescent finished. She looked over at Silver Remedy. “Do I have to tell her anymore?” Crescent asked. “Do you feel she needs to know anymore?” Silver Remedy responded. Twilight sat quietly. Crescent sighed. “Maybe a little bit.” She thought for a second and adjusted her glasses. She looked over at Twilight and smiled weakly. “There were a few other times like that while I was in the hospital. I usually didn’t manage to do nearly as much damage because the attendants would stop me whenever it looked like I’d lost it again.” She ran a hoof through her mane. “Of course not all of them were because I was scared. Some of them I was just plain loopy. One time I was quietly stacking blocks on top of each other when I found myself the subject of a magic suppressant and being carted back to my room. I was confused until they showed me a recording from one of the ponies present.” Crescent smiled then stopped and coughed in her throat. “I’d been stacking the attendants on top of each other apparently. Not blocks.” Twilight looked like she was trying to suppress a grin. “Good job Crescent. I’m proud of you. Well that takes care of everything I think I’ll be going. You have our contact information and the brief on your responsibilities Princess?” Silver Remedy asked, standing and heading for the door. “Yes doctor I have them. Have a good evening.” Twilight said. “You too, and good luck Crescent. I sincerely think you’ll do well here.” Silver Remedy said as he trotted through the door and left. Crescent turned to Twilight who was smiling. Crescent shook her head and looked again. She tilted her head and adjusted her glasses. “Are you smiling?” Crescent asked confused. Twilight hugged her. Crescent sat there surprised for a second before she managed to hug Twilight back. “You sure you want to do this? I mean yes it’s been awhile since my last incident, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen again. Are you okay with that?” Crescent asked. Twilight pulled back from the hug, still grinning. “I’m more than okay with it. You seem to be making good progress.” She smiled. “Not only do you seem to be in control of yourself you’re learning to trust ponies. You don’t need to share secrets you don’t want to, but it’s good to have somepony to talk to about them. Twilight said. Twilight stood up. “Now I think we can have tea, don’t you?” She asked Crescent as they walked out of the study and back towards the throne room. Crescent was smiling and nodded as she followed Twilight. “I’ll definitely need tea after telling you that story.” She said. The pair walked through the door to an explosion of confetti. “Pinkie!” Twilight shouted as she found a party hat shoved on her head. Crescent had taken a step back and slipped on the confetti. Pinkie carefully placed a party hat on her head too. The room was decorated in streamers and a cake had been placed in the center of the table with the usual tea settings out around it. A punch bowl and set of cupcakes also sat on the table. Starlight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were all present and dressed in party hats as well. Party music began in the background. Crescent heard Twilight muttering something about hidden party cannons before Pinkie helped her up. “Welcome to your recovery party!” Pinkie shouted grinning. “I figured somepony who’d just gotten out of the hospital would enjoy a good old fashioned party! So I rushed over to Sugar Cube Corner for the cake and then scoured the castle for some of my party cannons, so I could have it ready for when you came back. Then I found out that we’d be having tea, so I decided I’d surprise everypony instead!” Pinkie explained. The other ponies chuckled. Crescent stood very quietly where she was looking stunned. The music played on through the silence. Pinkie leaned in close to Crescent. Crescent looked around the room and a wide grin grew larger and larger as she did. A party for her, all for her, she was genuinely out, and she wasn’t going back. Crescent pulled Pinkie into a tight hug and all the ponies cheered. “Thank you so much Pinkie! This is the best party I’ve ever had!” She said nearly crying. The party went well, Twilight invited them to stay for dinner and so the party continued. Eventually everypony left giving their farewells. “See ya Crescent.” Rainbow Dash said as she flew off. “See you around Sugarcube.” Applejack waved as she left. “You must come by the boutique one day darling. I promise you’ll find a dress you’ll absolutely love.” Rarity said. “You’re welcome to come by for tea. I promise Discord will be better next time.” Fluttershy invited as she left. “It was great meeting you! Come by Sugar Cube Corner whenever you feel like it!” Pinkie grinned as she bounced along down the road. Starlight yawned. “I’ll be going to bed now. It’s nice to meet you Crescent, though I guess I’ll be seeing you around anyways.” She smiled as she walked off to her room. Spike yawned and rubbed an eye. Crescent was sitting on the floor grinning widely. Twilight smiled and spoke. “We should follow Starlight. If you’re going to start your job tomorrow you’ll need some sleep at least.” Twilight walked off, Spike stretched and followed her. Crescent yawned and stood up stretching. She walked back to her room humming the party tune to herself. When she reached her room the mess from her saddle bags was still on the floor. She put most of it back in her saddle bags before she settled in for the night. She took her glasses off and wrapped herself back up in her blanket. “I’m here and I’m staying.” She said to herself, smiling. Then she drifted of to sleep.