//------------------------------// // Ch. 1 From Where it Began // Story: Reaper // by CherryTune //------------------------------// In a dark room somewhere in the Castle of the Two Sisters sits a stone chest. A light purple seal ripples as the chest begins to shake. With a bright flash a dark spirit breaks free from a fracture in the barrier and erratically flies around before exiting through a spiral staircase. From its escape a powerful dark energy pulses throughout the castle, throughout Equestria, all the way to an ancient burial grounds. The energy triggers another seal at its center to crack. Luna wakes up from a nightmare in a sweat. She breathes heavily and runs to her mirror. She looks to see if she had turned to Nightmare Moon. To her relief she is still Luna. She rushes out of her room to find Celestia. As she heads out of her room she bumps into a young mare in her night guard. “oh sorry Luna, I wasn’t expecting you awake. I was just about to place your new linens next to your door.” The mare said. “Oh you are fine Moonlet. Please place them at the foot of my bed. And thank you.” Luna replied. “Will do Princess.” Moonlet says. Luna runs to the throne room to find Discord talking to Princess Celestia. Discord turns to Luna and says “Well good morning Princess Luna, I thought you’d be sleeping by now.” “I would be, but by your presence I gather you felt a powerful dark energy aswell.” Luna replied. Celestia looked over at Luna and asked “So you felt it too? Discord came to me to inform me that he sensed a disturbing magic just moments ago.” “It’s a shame really, I was having such a delightful tea party with Fluttershy.” He said floating on his back filing his nails. “I am afraid that this is something much worse than we might initially asses. “Luna said “The energy was much like the energy that influenced me to turn to Nightmare Moon in my moment of weakness.” She continued. “Then we should waste no time, inform Cadence and Twilight we’ll need them here as early as possible.” Celestia said. Celestia wrote a letter to Cadence informing her of the possible danger and immediately received a letter back stating she’d be there by early morning. Celestia then wrote a letter to Twilight Sparkle saying she needs her in Canterlot as soon as possible and that Cadence will be there by morning. She then turned to Luna and said “Luna are you alright to cover the night? After you raise the moon perhaps you can take it easy?” “I’ll be alright sister, I have many friends to talk during the nights since you approved the return of the night guard.” Luna replied. “Very well, should you need anything, remember I am always here for you.” Celestia said. Discord over heard and raised an eyebrow and in his typical fashion floated over put his arms around both of them, pulled them together and said, “Oh how sweet! I want to let you know that I am also here for the both of you!” Celestia and Luna both nervously laugh. Celestia says “That is very sweet of you Discord.” Then politely removes herself from his arm. Luna responds with “That is quite generous, I will consider your offer.” She too politely removes his arm from her shoulders. Discord folds his arms and says “Well then, I guess my sincerity is not just lost on Princess Twilight either.” Discord flashes away. As night falls and Celestia lowers the Sun, Luna raises the moon. “Have a good night Tia.” Luna says. “You too Luna.” Celestia replies. Luna patrols the halls of the castle nodding at her new night guards as she passes. Her patrols in the dream world showed no nightmares and a few disturbances that were quickly remedied. She makes her way to the fountains in the gardens where her new friends Moonlet and Cherry Tune would take their breaks. Moonlet was a dark blue unicorn with gold striped legs and face, while Cherry Tune was a pink Pegasus with a cherry red main, purple headphones, which she didn’t where on duty, and a banjo she’d play at the fountain. Luna was early to the garden this time as her usually busy night in the dream world would usually keep her passed most of their breaks. She sat at the waters edge and looked at her reflection. She lost herself thinking about if she’d could ever turn into Nightmare Moon again. She shook her head knowing that fighting off Tantibus removed all her guilt and made her even stronger as Princess Luna. She continues to look into the water when she catches a glimpse of a black smoky figure hovering above her. She turns quickly to look in the sky but whatever was floating above her vanished. Her heart was beating faster when Moonlet said “Hi Princess Luna!” Luna jumped, startled by Moonlet. “Oh, you scared me Moonlet.” Luna said. “I didn’t hear you walk up.” She continued. “My apologies Princess, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” Moonlet replied. “I brought you some food! Daisy sandwiches!” She said. “Thank you Moonlet, and I thought I said you can dispense with the princess and call me Luna.” Luna said. “I’m sorry, but you’re a princess and I am just a unicorn. Not even a part of the royal guard. Just the regular guard.” Moonlet said. Cherry Tune fell out of the sky with a thud right next to Luna. “Owie!” she said. “This armor is messing with my flight patterns.” She moaned. “Or it’s because you’re clumsy” Moonlet said. Luna laughed and asked “Are you okay Cherry?” “I’m okay princess. Thank you.” Cherry Tune replied. “You too with the proper form of address.” Luna said annoyed. “Yeah, we’re not exactly important ponies. What if someone saw us and we got in trouble for insulting royalty.” Cherry said “You are important to me.” Luna said. “Awwww!” Cherry and Moonlet said in unison. Luna rolled her eyes and said “That’s enough, how about those sandwiches and Cherry did you bring your banjo?” “You know it!” Cherry responded. Cherry Tune wasn’t necessarily good at playing the banjo but Luna enjoyed the company and would also play the banjo much more poorly then Cherry. Moonlet would always make the best food and Luna would love to share Celestia's pancake faces with Moonlet. From the first moment Luna told Moonlet of the pancake faces Moonlet would make sandwich faces for her. After their break they continued their patrol and Luna went to monitor the dream world again until Cherry's and Moonlet's next break. She reviewed the dreams as they floated past and she caught a glimpse of a smoke figure darting around in ponies dream. She entered the dream to see if it had anything to do with the smoke she saw earlier. The smoke turned out to be a fillies nightmare about the Pony of Shadows so she banished the dream and consoled the young filly. Cadence arrived early morning before the sun could rise. She met Celestia and Discord in the throne room and Luna arrived shortly after. Twilight walked through the main doors and they discussed the dark energy and the stone chest in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Discord and Twilight go to the castle to locate the box and Luna retires for the day. End Chapter