//------------------------------// // The Beginning // Story: Night Wing // by Gravity012 //------------------------------// Two Months Later Night Wing ‘Just hold on Luna!’ I raced down the hallway with Luna in my magic. ‘We're almost there!’ I burst through a door and into a large empty room. Celestia was waiting there with a large stack of towels. “OOOOOOHHH!” Luna yelled out as I set her on the bed. Doctor Healing Touch barged in behind me along with Nurse Lavender. I had asked for them specifically to be there for the birth. “How far apart are the contractions exactly?” Healing asked calmly. ‘About two minutes apart.’ I answered as I held Luna’s hoof. “Aaaah! It hurts!” Luna clinched down hard on my claw. Yep! I can tell! I thought I heard a few cracks in my poor claw. “I’m here! How far along is she!?” Midnight rushed in and shut the door. “She is very close.” Healing turned to Lavender. “Get the towels ready Lavender, I’m going to apply a small numbing spell to our friend here.” Lavender took the towels from Celestia’s grasp as Healing leaned over Luna. His horn began to glow as he touched it to Luna’s stomach. “I am applying a simple numbing spell your highness, as well as checking the health of your foal.” After a moment of standing there he pulled back. I could see Luna’s muscles relax slightly as she sighed in relief. “Good news, your foal is perfectly healthy. In fact she should be born any moment now!” “She!? We’re having a girl!?” Midnight asked excitedly. Suddenly Luna tensed up again, and Midnight was picked up from the ground by his neck. “You did this to me!” Luna screamed as she pushed hard. “Lavender! Come help me, it’s coming now!” Healing and Lavender ran over to Luna’s back end while Celestia tried to pry Midnight out of Luna’s magic. “Aaaaaah!” Luna yelled loudly. I, having no interest in watching child birth, moved over to yank Midnight from the air. I flicked Luna’s horn with my talon and he dropped like a rock. Then I received a punch in the beak. My wing rubbed my now cracked beak as I sat on the floor, wondering how I got there. “AAAAAAH!” Luna screamed one final time, then her whole body relaxed as she panted loudly. “Whaaaaaaaaaa.” A soft cry filled the room and Lavender carried something over to Luna. She was looking at it with amazement. Luna reached out to grab the small bundle, and hugged it to her chest. “She’s beautiful.” Luna whispered. I peaked over Luna to see into the blankets, dragging a half conscious Midnight with me. When Midnight saw his child he snapped fully awake. In the blankets was a beautiful black hippogriff. The front half was covered in black feathers with dark blue tips. The back half had dark blue hair, and dark blue tail with a single black stripe in it. Luna wiped a little blood from the child’s beak as tears filled her eyes. “What are we going to name her?” Midnight hugged Luna tightly as they stared intently at the newborn. Luna’s eyes sparkled as she spoke a simple name. Yet a name that would be remembered for centuries. “Sapphire Tip.” One Week Later Rich Soil I stood outside the window on Princess Luna’s balcony. I watched as the beautiful Princess slept, Her beauty only ruined by that wretched griffin prince. And the one other body that lay between them. The horrible spawn of Princess Luna’s unwanted marriage. I turned to my best friend, who appeared beside me suddenly. “What to do. What to do.” I shook my head slowly. “What do you think Friend?” He turned to look at me, his dead eyes boring into mine. “The anssswer is obviousss. Remove what bindsssss them, and they will fall apart.” My friend whispered, and yet I heard every echoing word clearly in my head. “Of course. It’s so simple. Thank you my friend, our work is almost complete.” I looked through the window at the small lump between the two parents. “I shall free you Princess.” No emotion was present on my face as I charged my horn and began to form a large black spike in front of me. Then, when it was done being created........I launched it. Midnight Glory My feathers tingled. I rolled slightly trying to fix them. I frowned as they continued to tingle. Why......tingling. My sleepy mind forced open my eyes as I looked around the room. Nothing. I checked on the baby before I relaxed for a moment and my eyes closed once more. Still tingling. My eyes looked toward the balcony, thinking maybe the door had blown open. CRASH! Time slowed as something flew through the air toward the bed. toward my child. I didn’t know what it was in my sleepy state. I just knew it was dangerous, and was heading at my child. With a heave I threw myself in front of the object. Night Wing “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” I jerked up as a scream echoed through the castle. I kicked the covers off my bed and kicked open my door. “KKKEEEEEEEEAAR!!” I screeched at the various guards in the hall. ‘With me!’ They where all already moving, having heard the scream as well. We arushed through the castle until we reached Luna’s mahogany door. I kicked it open without a second thought, and froze up at what I saw. Luna was sobbing on the bed as she help Saphire protectively to her chest. The bed was covered in blood, and she was leaning over a form I recognized all too clearly. I took one glance at the broken window and connected the dots. The stone floor around my feet shattered as it froze instantly. “KEEEEAAAARR!” I shattered what remained of the window in a shower of sparkling glass. It fell to the ground, tinkling in the night as I soared through the air. I circled the castle twice before seeing a form running off into the forest. AAAAAHHH!! I screamed in rage internally, as I dropped like a rock from the sky. Wind whistled by me and my eyes narrowed as I drew closer to my prey. Time slowed when my feet connected to their back. We both hit the dirt and rolled. I was instantly back on my feet, and though I didn’t have my blades on I was far from defenseless. I swung a wing out and threw several feathers at the pony, my magic hardening them into small blades. Three of the five connected with their side as they stood. A dark, distorted voice spoke from under their hood. “Well, well, well. If it issssn't the princesssses little pet. Come to play have you?” The feathers were pushed from his skin by a black aura. “Hahaha, a shame this will be over quickly. I will enjoy removing yet another impurity from the princesses lives.” Suddenly he stopped what he was doing and turned his head to the right. “What?” He fell silent again. “What do you mean friend?” I cocked my head in confusion. What is he going on about? I growled in my head. “CAAAAW!” My voice cut through the night. ‘Surrender now, and I may make your death les-‘ I didn’t get to finish as I was slammed into a tree. “Shhh, shh, shh. Don’t interrupt me while I’m talking to my friend.” The pony looked at the ground in thought. “Yes, yes my friend. That will work wonderfully.” The crazy pony looked at me with a large grin on his face. “We will turn him against the princesses, and let them wipe him from existence.” As he approached me his aura dissipated and I fell to the ground in a daze. “Don’t worry poor little bird. This will only be excruciating.” His grin seemed to grow even more as his horn touched my head. It seemed to absorb the light around it as he cast something on me. Then, it was over. He back away from me cackling like an idiot. “Rise. RISE, my minion. Go, and make the princesses realize that you’re vermin were not meant to be!” I just sat there staring. Dear god. He’s insane! “Well!?” He yelled at me. “Shoo! Go do my bidding! Or are you too stupid to understa-“ My talon wrapped around his throat. Then he vanished in a dark cloud of smoke. My claw collapsed on the empty air. Luna cried for three days straight. Celestia had to take care of Saphire, as Luna was too distraught to do anything. I finally had enough on the fourth day. I had to do something. “Chirp?” I quietly asked through her door. She hadn’t left her bed the whole time. We had to pry Midnight’s body from her grasp. We had him preserved until the burial. “Chirp?” This time a bit louder. I heard the sniffling die down slightly before the door creaked open. I quickly entered and shut it behind me. I slowly walked up to Luna and sat beside her on the bed. We had lifted her off the bed to change the sheets, but as soon as they were changed she ran back and buried herself in them. She was in that same position from that day. She hadn’t eaten or drank anything and, judging by the smell, she hadn’t bathed either. She looked horrible. ‘Luna. You need to come out.’ I rubbed her shoulder soothingly. ‘Please. You need to eat and drink, and your daughter needs you. Midnight’s family are here, they want to see you. Celestia wants to see you, I want to see you.’ I nuzzled her gently. She didn’t respond, and I sighed. ‘Maybe later then. Do you mind if I sit with you?’ “Leave me alone Night.” ‘Not until you come out Luna.’ I firmly wrote. Luna sighed and she sank further into her bed. “If I promise to come out in the morning will you leave. I just want one more night alone.” I could hear the pain in her voice. I looked out at the darkening sky and hesitated. ‘If you promise. And I will make sure you keep that promise.’ I leaned over her to look into her eyes. “I promise Night. Now please, leave me alone for one more night.” She turned her eyes away from me and I stood from the bed. I quietly made my way out the door and shut it behind me. I never even noticed the books scattered around her bed. I was dreaming, that much I could tell. The second thing I noticed was fear. Overwhelming fear consumed me. I don't know why, but I turned around and looked at the moon in my dream. There, there was the source of my fear. A baleful blue eye had replaced the moon and was staring blankly at me. As it met my eyes it suddenly vanished, and then the dream was over. I slept fitfully the rest of the night, have nightmares about all seeing eyes in the sky. And somehow, I knew who that eye belonged to. Luna. With a gasp I shot up from my bed. Only, I wasn’t in my bed. I was in a cave. A bright light from behind me made me turn around quickly. There stood the tree of harmony, silent in its vigil. A glow emanated from its trunk that soon morphed into a familiar shape. A shape I hadn’t seen in forever. Before me stood the human women that could only be Harmony. “Hello Night Wing, it’s nice to see you again. I only wish it could be under better circumstances.” ‘And where were you?’ I practically growled. All the stuff that has happened recently, and she decides to speak up now? “I can’t interfere with the way things happen Night. That’s why I have you.” She frowned a little. “Unfortunately, some things must remain the same. Things concerning the future of a certain pair of sisters.” ‘What are you talking about?’ “Come now Night, you are dreaming. You don’t have to write on your wings here.” “I-I asked what you were talking about.” I stuttered as I heard a voice I had forgotten. “You should know quite well my dear Night.” She pointed to the sky, and I followed her finger. Above us was the large Equestrian moon. And on it was the Mare in the Moon. “No. I-how could I forget that!?” I started panicking. Luna, alone on the moon, for one thousand years!? “I can change it! I have to!” My gaze snapped down to Harmony against my will. “You will do no such thing.” I tried to speak in return, but my mouth wouldn’t move. Harmony started pacing “If you do that, then think of what that will mean for the future. Villains that were defeated won’t be, disasters that were stopped will not be stopped. And a certain purple princess and her friends won’t exist.” She spun around to face me. “While it is true the show you watched is not the exact way things will really happen in this world, that moment, the banishment of Luna, is pivotal in the development of this world.” “Forget your development! I won’t let my family suffer anymore!” I managed to force out. Harmony just hung her head sadly. “Then I’m afraid I must stop you. I apologize for this, I truly do.” Suddenly white tendrils shot from the crystal tree behind her. They impacted my head, and all I knew was darkness. I woke with a loud yawn, not remembering having any dreams through the night. I heard a loud commotion outside, and turned to my door as it creaked open. I turned to see my fellow Lunar Guard members watching me. They all looked sad, and the normally cheery, fun loving Lotus spoke in a sad voice. “We tried to stop her night. We really did.” I jumped up and tossed open my balcony doors. Outside Luna stood on a stage with a manic look on her face. She held the assassin in the air on her right side, and a large battle axe on her left. “Today, I have my vengeance!” Luna swung the axe down, and with a solid thunk the whole crowd started screaming.