//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15. Moonstruck 
// Story: What Moonlight Made Her 
// by Storybelle 
//------------------------------//

Moon Shadow groans and lets her head fall on the table. They’re in the Jolly Orange Café for brunch and it’s far too noisy for a Sandmare who can’t sleep. She’s fairly sure most of her blood has turned to caffeine at this point, the only reason that she’s still going. She was half certain that her cat spoke to her this morning before she realised that she’s now so tired she’s on the verge of hallucinating. But she has heard nothing from Celestia since the princess had vanished from the cemetery yesterday. And that worries her far more than she’d ever say. 
 
“I think we should get Moon Shadow some coffee,” says North, eyeing the top of Shadow’s head. Despite also being nocturnal, the pegasus looks bright-eyed and pretty. Shadow only manages another groan, this time in agreement. 
 
“What’s up with you?” Midnight asks, perusing the menu. The chaos around them is pretty standard for midday; Canterlot nannies and their charges, young society ladies chatting loudly at the next table, an elderly mare sipping her tea. The noise doesn’t seem to bother anyone but Shadow. “You’re acting more and more like Icarus every day.”
 
“Can’t sleep,” Shadow mumbles into the tabletop. Oh, and she also has a problem of trying to save Equestria from power hungry tyrants, who also are pretty keen on killing her. You know, normal stuff.
 
Well, Grogar and the Mare are. She has no idea about Nightmare Moon. But hey, she probably has her own agenda. Eternal night and all that.
 
“Oh?” says North, leaning over to place a hoof on Shadow’s forehead. She’s not sure why - she’s tired, not sick. “Why’s that?”
 
“Just…can’t,” says Shadow, pathetically as North removes her hoof with a frown. “Had a few bad dreams and now I can’t doze off properly.”
 
“Maybe you should see a doctor,” suggests Midnight. Not an entirely unreasonable suggestion, as her mother is a nurse at Canterlot Royal Hospital. “Get something to help you sleep. I always thought sleeping during the day must be pretty hard anyway. I don’t know how you do it.” Shadow shrugs weakly. She’s been on a nocturnal schedule for so long that she’s pretty certain at this point she wouldn’t ever be able to sleep at night. She’s even not sure she’d want to. It has it’s disadvantages but she’ll never get tired of looking up at a clear sky full of stars or watching the sun rise over the castle. 
 
Suddenly she picks up her ears. Oh. Idea.
 
“Drugs!” she says, excitedly and then realises she just shouted ‘drugs’ very loudly in a busy café. The mare at the table next to her has already turned to shoot her a nasty look.
 
“Uh, I mean…” she says, sheepishly lowering her voice. “I could get some herbal remedy or something that could give me dreamless sleep, couldn’t I?” Midnight snorts in amusement.
 
“Why herbal? Get the good stuff,” she says, plopping her menu down onto the table. North turns to frown at her.
 
“Herbal really would be better. I have some other things you could do to help you sleep better, Moon Shadow,” she offers and Midnight rolls her eyes. Thankfully, Pumpkin pops up before they can start bickering.
 
“Hi guys!” she chirrups. “What can I get you?” All three mutely stare at her in a waitress’ apron.
 
“Uh…is this another disguise, Pumpkin?” North asks, finally. Pumpkin shakes her head and snickers.
 
“No. Lychee has exams and another waitress called in sick so I’m filling in. Now, what do you want?” she asks, flourishing a quill and notepad as though she’s been doing it all her life. Which she probably has. Pumpkin probably walked across the cafe floor for her first steps.
 
“I’ll have blueberry pancakes and the Very Berry smoothie,” says Midnight. “And can I get butter and syrup on the pancakes?”
 
“You sure can,” Pumpkin says, scribbling away. “North?”
 
“I’ll have…the dandelion yogurt and a fruit salad. And an herbal tea, please.” Midnight rolls her eyes yet again at North’s healthy choice of brunch but thankfully, North doesn’t see.
 
“We have Raspberry, Pear, Elderberry, Lavender and the House Specials!” says Pumpkin, waving a hoof at the board near the door. All three heads swivel to look and then back again.
 
“Pumpkin, Lychee and Peaches?” snorts Midnight. “That’s not all one tea is it?”
This time it’s Pumpkin who rolls her eyes.
 
“No, they’re herbal teas named after us. Duh,” she says, as if it were obvious and perfectly normal to create speciality teas after your three daughters. Maybe it is if your parents have spent their whole lives in the restaurant business.
 
“I’ll have the Peach tea,” North decides. Pumpkin chews the end of her quill.
 
“You know, the Spiced Pumpkin tea is better,” she says, hopefully. North gives her a sceptical look.
 
“You just want her to get it because it’s named after you,” says Moon Shadow bluntly, still resting her chin on the table.
 
“It is better, I swear!” protests Pumpkin. All three friends simultaneously pull a face. Pumpkin is good for many things but not in tea.
 
“It’s Spiced Pumpkin herbal tea,” says Midnight, with an arched brow. “Really?”
 
Pumpkin relents and writes down peach tea. “Okay, Shadow, what can I get you?”
 
“Coffee,” Shadow moans, ears flat back against her head. “Lots and lots of coffee.”
 
“That’s not food,” scolds Midnight, forehead creasing in concern. “You’ll feel better with some food.”
 
“I’m too tired for food,” grumbles Moon Shadow. North whisks the abandoned menu - Shadow hadn’t bothered to even look at it -  away from her and scans it quickly.
 
“She’ll have Cranberry Joy’s Pink special,” North decides. Moon Shadow raises an eyebrow.
 
“What is that?” she asks, only a little bit afraid. Cranberry Joy, Pumpkin’s mother makes delicious drinks but sometimes her creations can verge on a little too outrageous. It’s no wonder that she and Tea Leaf are friends
 
“Everything’s pink?” Midnight hazards a guess. 
 
“It’s toast with raspberry jam, strawberry yoghurt, Mom’s special wake up cocktail, (non-alcoholic) and pink waffles with pink syrup and whipped cream!” says Pumpkin, all in one breath. Midnight looks back down at Moon Shadow and grins.
 
“What I just said. Pink,” she says, gleefully.
 
“Do I want to know what’s in the syrup?” Moon Shadow asks, finally lifting her eyes up to Pumpkin’s face. The orange mare hesitates.
 
“Uh…no. It’s got a lot of sugar in though!” she says and North groans.
 
“Well, that’ll make everything better,” she says, sarcastically. “On top of exhaustion, let’s give her a sugar crash!” Midnight pokes Moon Shadow in the ribs with a hoof.
 
“It might get her moving a bit quicker,” she teases and follows Shadow when she tries to wriggle away.
 
“Get off!” growls Shadow, not in the slightest bit in the mood for teasing. Another pony across the café waves urgently to get Pumpkin’s attention.
 
“Waitress!” she calls desperately. “My foal tipped her applesauce on the floor!” The three at the table immediately give Pumpkin a sympathetic look.
 
“Oops,” says Pumpkin blithely. “Oh well. Coming! I gotta go get a mop. I’ll bring your drinks by in a bit.” With that, she trots off to clean up the floor and probably stick a foal in the sink. Presumably, the little filly isn’t usually green judging by the way her mom is panicking.
 
“It won’t get stuck in her mane,” Midnight says calmly, watching Pumpkin deftly swoop the foal out of her highchair. “Trust me; Stronghold tipped his bowl over his head when he was a colt. Came right out with warm water.”
 
“I suppose she’s used to foals,” North says thoughtfully. “She does have two younger sisters. We’re only children after all.”
 
“What’s your excuse, Mids?” Moon Shadow asks, slyly looking at her best friend. “You have a baby brother.” Midnight rolls her eyes again, a well-practiced move.
 
“He’s only three years younger than me,” she says, with the slightest shudder. “I didn’t really have much time with him as a foal. I definitely don’t have much experience with foals now.”
 
They all turn to watch the filly throw the sauce that was in her hair directly into her mother’s face. 
 
“Thank Celestia,” comments Midnight, speaking aloud for all of them.
 
Moon Shadow slumps onto the table again. She’s not hugely into the idea of foals, no matter how often Tea Leaf hints at grandfoals. They’re sticky and smelly and noisy. Besides, how would she raise it? She can’t go out to the dreamworld with a foal strapped to her back. Sandmares usually are childless for a reason. And poor Glory died suddenly, leaving her three children without a mother.
 
Sighing, Moon Shadow turns her head and looks straight at a broad chest.
 
A very broad chest. Wow.
 
There’s an Earth stallion serving drinks to the table next to theirs. He’s broad shouldered, with a thick grey coat and dark brown hair that is verging on a bit too long. He must be new: waitresses are always leaving because they got an acting gig or a role in the ballet corps. It’s no Big Apple or Las Pegasus but Canterlot is well known for its theatre and dancing.
 
He places down the last cup and smiles, turning to go back to the kitchen. Moon Shadow tries to not fall out of her seat following his rump all the way.
 
She turns back to find both her friends smirking at her.
 
“What are you doing?” Midnight asks in a sing-song voice.
 
“Nothing,” says Moon Shadow, trying to keep her cheeks from showing her embarrassment. The evil grins on her friends’ faces only increase in size and amusement.
 
“It didn’t look like a whole lot of nothing,” says Midnight. “What do you think, North?”
 
“So not ‘nothing’,” agrees North. The pegasus likes to pretend that she’s above their usual childish teasing but there’s a devious glint in her green eyes.  “Somepony was leering.” Moon Shadow’s face flushes all the way up to her ears.
 
“I was not!” she splutters. “That sounds awful! I might have been looking…” Midnight gives an explosive snort of laughter, one so violent that her glasses threaten to fall off the top of her head.
 
“That was far from looking,” she giggles. “Geez, when have you ever looked at a stallion like that?”
 
Moon Shadow resists the urge to slam her head on the table. Maybe if she does it hard enough, she’ll pass out and avoid this humiliation.

“I was only looking,” she growls. “It’s not a crime.” Midnight and North share a knowing look over her head.

“If you say so,” Midnight says gleefully. Luckily for Shadow, Cranberry Joy, Pumpkin’s mother, arrives with their drinks and disrupts their conversation.

“Hello, girls!” she says cheerfully, carefully lowering the tray down onto the table. “How are we all today?”

“Tired,” Shadow snarls. Luckily, Cranberry is Tea Leaf’s best friend and not at all put off by Shadow’s prickly demeanor. 

“I bet my wake up cocktail can fix that!” Cranberry says, placing a tall glass of something very pink in front of Shadow.

“You may die if you drink that,” North says flatly, looking concerned at all the sugar the drink may contain. But Shadow has already pulled the cocktail towards her and inhaling it as fast as she can through the glittery swizzle straw.

“Definitely going to die,” North says darkly, pulling her own tea towards her. Shadow licks cream off her muzzle and sighs contentedly. 

“It was delicious, that’s all I care about,” she says and then mournfully looks at her empty glass. “Can I order another?”

“How about some tea with your meal?” Cranberry says, eyebrows furrowed with concern. “Your mother may have a few words to say if I fill you up with sugar.”

“I am an adult,” Shadow mumbles defiantly, in case a few ponies had forgotten. Midnight pats her gently on the head.

“I know, dear,” she says, in bemusement. Behind them the foal throws her bowl of applesauce at the window and they watch in silence as it slides down the glass.

“Uh…” Pumpkin says nervously, looking down at the soiled rag she has in her hooves and then at the applesauce dripping down the window. “I may need a mop?”









Brunch has been delicious in the end. It didn’t make up for her lack of sleep but it certainly helped. Even helping wipe up leftover applesauce under the delighted eyes of a stroppy foal can’t dampen her spirits. 

The sun is still high in the sky but she hopes that maybe she can manage a short nap before work. She has the name of a local apothecary from Midnight, that may be able to supply her with a short term sleep remedy. And as it promises to be mostly herbal, North had been placated too. Just a quick mouthful or two and then she can slip into a much needed, dreamless sleep, free of horrifying teeth and terrifying mares.
It won’t take her long to reach the apothecary and then dash home so she enjoys the leisurely stroll. Summer is starting to take hold, with flowers blooming everywhere and everypony filled with the sort of good cheer that comes from long, warm days and all the good things that it brings. The Sugar Rose cafe will start selling their ice cream milkshakes again. The local pool will stay open late for evening swimming. There will be plays and open air theatre and concerts.

And once again the heavy weight settles on Shadow’s shoulders. She can’t help it. It fades so briefly these days before it returns, darker than before. Because she has to fight to ensure all of those lovely summer things go on as normal. So violinists can perform in their first big concert and foals can practice jumping off the driving board. So she and her friends can go to the park on a warm afternoon and only get up to get ice cream from the cart. 

Often she envies Twilight Sparkle. Twilight has no idea right now of the destiny she has and as far as she can tell, she won’t for a good while. Not nearly until the event is upon them. And surely that will be scary in itself. ‘Oh hey, we’ve got like a day until a scary tyrant comes down from the moon to enslave us all, it’s up to you to stop it!’ Celestia is putting a lot of faith in Twilight and that her student will take up the challenge. A lot of ponies wouldn’t be able to. But Shadow doesn’t have any doubts about Twilight. The mare is bright and confident in her abilities. Nightmare Moon doesn’t stand a chance.

So long as Shadow can hold up her end of the bargain. It’s no good Twilight defeating Nightmare Moon if Grogar and the bogey mare follow her to reign terror.

“Miss?” A young stallion is suddenly right in front of her face, looking at her with concern. “Are you alright?” His marefriend is standing behind him, as though she’s wary of the strange mare in the street. To her surprise, Shadow realises that she’d stopped walking, standing frozen in the road.

“Yes,” Shadow says, a blush rising in her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, I was lost in thought.”

“You looked awful,” the mare says bluntly, now that she knows Shadow isn’t some strange maniac. “You were all pale and grey and your eyes…” She gives a shudder. Her coltfriend shoots her a warning look before turning back to Shadow.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he presses, face soft with polite concern. “You really don’t look so well. Do you need us to get someone?”

“I’m fine,” Shadow says, embarrassed that she’s causing a scene. A few ponies have slowed down to discreetly watch them, wondering if something interesting is going on. “Really. I’m only going to Bridle Street...” But then to her horror the world spins beneath her. The stallion’s face morphs to one of outright worry.

“You are not fine,” he says firmly. “We can take you to Bridle Street. Where are you going?” There’s a funny taste in Shadow’s mouth and the sun that had felt very pleasant before now feels too warm on her back. She wonders if all of that sugar when she was so tired was such a good idea after all.

The stallion asks her again and this time his marefriend steps up and rests a steadying hoof on Shadow’s shoulder. But Shadow now can’t remember the name of the apothecary so she gives them the only other place she knows on Bridle Street. But then her knees go from beneath her and the last thing she sees is the mare shouting for help as the stallion tries to catch her. But it’s no good and at last, Shadow slips into deep, quiet oblivion.








The train station is dark when the final train pulls in. The driver stretches with a sigh of relief. It’s been a long, hard journey from Los Pegasus, their previous stop. He presses the button that will allow him to speak to the weary train passengers.

“Mares and gentlecolts,” he announces. “We have reached our final stop. Please take all of your belongings with you and we hope you enjoyed this Equestria Express train to Canterlot Central station. Have a very good night and we hope you’ll travel with us soon.”

The few who have made the long trip from Los Pegasus and beyond begin to stir themselves. A business pony home from a work trip rubs his eyes and begins pulling down his bags from the rack. A few mares look worse for wear after their long party weekend. One still has a bright pink streamer in her mane. Slowly the passengers gather their belongings and spill out onto the platform, widely yawning.

A lone mare lingers behind the rest. She tugs her bag onto her back and looks out of the window. Her fellow passengers have exited the station, looking for a late night cab to take them home. She can’t help but hesitate. It’s been years since she set hoof in Canterlot. Has she made the right decision?

A station employee wanders into the car and starts when he sees her.

“Are you alright, miss?” he asks, surprised to see somepony still on the train. He was only doing a final sweep for left behind luggage or other belongings. Everypony else has departed quickly, desperate for their warm beds, but this mare is staring out of the window with a haunted look in her bright green eyes.

“I’m fine,” she says in a low, clear voice. “Do you know how far the castle is from here? I’m afraid I can’t quite remember how to get there.” 

“Oh! Well, I suppose it’s about fifteen minutes from here, if you walk,” he says. “Are you sure you don’t want directions to a nice hotel? The castle will be mostly closed at this time of night.”

“It’s alright,” she says, stepping away from the window and giving an enigmatic smile. “I’m expected there.”

“Oh,” the stallion says again. “I’m sure you can try to hail a cab. Might be safer for a young mare this time of night. Gosh, invited to stay at the castle! Have you come far?”

“From Neighpon,” she says briefly. “For work. Is the main street best to flag down a cab?” 

“It is, although if nopony is left, take the sign for Rosemont Crescent. There’s usually a few cabs lingering outside of the tavern there.” She thanks him politely and squeezes past him to get to the door. The night air on the platform is fresh but she merely shakes herself and sets off. The cool temperature will help keep her awake. She packed not long after she posted her reply to Celestia and it’s been a good few days of travelling. She walked to the train station from her rural home and then it’s been stops and changes and waiting for delayed trains. She’s eaten hayburgers from train cafes and oatbars on cab rides. But now she’s finally here. 

She’d be lying if she said there weren’t nerves in her stomach. Those same nerves are urging her to find a hotel room to sleep in so she can catch a train home tomorrow. Anything to take her away from this place. It’s been over two decades since she set hoof in the capital. Two decades since she clung her to her mother’s leg, watching her sister be buried. She went home with her parents to Neighpon after the funeral and has never once thought about returning.

But she’s not selfish enough to ignore the plight of a young mare. So Wisteria raises her head and sets off for the castle.