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// End of Prologue 
// Story: Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot 
// by Equimorto 
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The Moon shone bright in the sky, lighting his path towards the castle. He'd been travelling for almost a week at that point, only ever stopping to sleep, and given his schedule he should have actually stopped again a few hours before. But seeing how close he was for the capital, he'd decided to simply ignore rest and get there. He was carrying vital information, and a swift delivery was imperative.
Even if it meant harm to him. Something which would no doubt happen. Hours of ceaseless marching with the added weight of his armour on were bound to have consequences, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. He was at least very glad he hadn't had to deal with any attacks. Not from ill-intentioned ponies or other creatures, not from monsters or wild animals. He'd gone seemingly unnoticed, staying away from cities and villages, and as far as he knew no one had spotted him.
No until he'd gotten close to the capital, at least. There, of course, he'd been spotted. The guards were keeping an eye on him from the walls, he knew that even if he couldn't see them. Soon enough somepony would reach him and inquire as to who he was. No one was allowed to get near the castle without reason, it was not something the Crown could afford.
Sure enough, a guard descended from the sky to block his path. She wasn't displaying any obvious hostility, but he recognised the standard approach to unidentified ponies. Standing at an angle to block as much of the road as she could, wing ready to grab the sword at her side, legs prepared to spring into action. "Hey, you there!" she barked at him in a raspy tone. "Identify yourself."
He had to hold back a smile. It was always nice to see properly applied protocol. He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out a sealed letter from his saddlebags, and threw it towards the mare. "That should clear it up." He then watched as she carefully picked up the envelope and opened it, and the way her expression changed as she read its contents.
After that, it didn't take too long for him to reach his destination. The mare escorted him inside the city and past the guards, all of which simply gave a salute as she passed by them. He was getting tired of the walking, and almost ready to pass out, but there was one last thing for him to do. The reason he was there in the first place. The door to the throne room stood in front of him, and the mare nodded for him to walk in.
And so he did. The doors closed behind him with a heavy, metallic thud, and his eyes drifted towards the far end of the room, where Her Majesty sat upon her throne. "My Queen," he said in a low, respectful tone, kneeling and bowing his head. "I bring you the results of the tests conducted in the Empire, as you ordered. Your faithful subordinate wishes me to inform you that there has been a breakthrough in understanding the phenomenon."
Up on her throne, on the opposite side of the room, Nightmare Moon's expression shifted, moving to something almost similar to a smile. "Very well."