Luna’s POV
I allowed myself a moment to enjoy the warm sun my sister had conjured up today before pulling a simple brown cloak over myself. Every time we had to come around the county to make royal announcements it threw off my sleep, and I had knew I would need weeks to get back to sleeping during the day.
I let my sister proclaim in the royal voice to the peasants. I never liked speaking with the commoners that much. They always were so quick to judge.
I let myself wander the markets and browse. I let them think I was a unicorn by keeping my wings tight against my side. I enjoyed one thing about commoners at least. They knew how to haggle.
I was looking at some apples wondering if I could tempt my more righteous then thou art sister with one when I felt a collision with my leg. I looked down to see a small unicorn hiding behind my legs.
“Stop! In the name of Celestia!” I saw a trio of royal guards coming towards us. I looked down and saw crumbs all over the little foals face. I could only guess she had been stealing from the royal banquet and had gotten caught.
I looked in her eyes and saw her pleading, “Please don’t let them take me!” I could only be shock at how scared she was. I honestly think that she thinks they are going to kill her.
I looked at the stallions coming towards us and knew that I had to stop this. I tried to go meet them halfway, but the little girl wouldn’t let go of my leg and her crying was starting to get hysterical.
“You! Unicorn! I hereby order you to give up that little street trash now!” I felt ashamed for having such mean guards. I had to talk to Celestia about our recruiting.
“Halt guards! You are not to touch this filly!” I kept my voice an octave higher than usual, and avoided the royal voice to not frighten the child. Besides I was curious just how our guards acted when we weren’t around.
“Out of the way wench! We have business with your little brat, and unless you have some ‘compensation’ for the food she stole then I think we’ll just take her now.
I couldn’t hide my shock. These guards just proposed I give them sex to make them ignore a theft. It was official. I. Was. Mad.
I pulled back my hood and let them realize just who they were dealing with. I got a dark pleasure at their faces, and let them proceed to grovel.
“Please dear princess! We were merely jesting! We simply were-“
“You were merely trying to hurt a young filly for no other reason than for trying to eat! If we couldn’t stand to lose a few pieces of bread then we would be the poorest princesses in the world! I don’t know your names, but if I ever hear of any behavior like this again… I will.
They all took off screaming. I looked down at the small filly and took stock of her. She was small, and by that I mean smaller than was normal for someone her age, and she was so skinny I could count individual ribs. She was pure black with an emerald green mane that hung around her face like a curtain. Even though she was safe now she was still freaking out.
“Please. Please. Please. I don’t wanna go! I don’t wanna die!”
“It’s all right little one. I have sent them away. It will be all right.” I could see her getting more distraught, and I had no idea what to do.
“NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO! I won’t go! I WON’T GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I felt only a brief spike of energy before it happened.
Magic was pouring out of the filly like an explosion. I couldn’t even see around me from the sheer heat the expending of magic was producing. I could hear the people around us screaming, and I knew it was not going to stop unless I made it.
I forced my way through the storm and kneeled next to the filly. I erected a spell to block the magic coming out of her, but I knew I might only get one chance. I touched my horn to hers, and suddenly everything went quiet.
I looked around to see the market in ruins, and fires burning all around the area. I looked down at the little filly and found her crying into my legs.
“It was an accident.” She began to hiccup and sob at my feet, and I knew at that moment I couldn’t bring myself to be mad.
“Sister! What happened here?! I leave you alone for five minutes and you get into trouble!” I let out a groan. This wasn’t going to be pretty.
A few hours later…
Luna’s POV
“I just can’t do it!” I couldn’t believe my sister! She not only wanted to punish the little filly, she wanted to make me punish her myself! That poor little girl didn’t do anything wrong!
“I know it’s harsh, but she destroyed a major chunk of the marketplace. I wish it was different, but she would be punished even more severely after we left if we did nothing.”
“Still! I don’t see why we must be so cruel to her!” How was giving the girl twenty lashes a light punishment? I could maybe see it if she was a healer, but the poor girl didn’t even seem to know how to tap into her own magic.
My sister sighed, “One day Luna you must grow up. I take no pleasure in this, but it must be done. It is going against our own desire that keeps us from the darkness of Sombra and Discord.”
I groaned and left before my dear sister really got going on the whole light vs. dark malarkey. I went to where the filly was being kept to see just what my opinion of her really was.
She was just like she was after the incident. Her face was tear streaked, and she looked far too skinny for the size she was. At the sight of me she started crying and tried to bury her head in her hooves to avoid my gaze.
“Why do you cower child?” I wasn’t that scary looking right…Right?
“I just wanted some food.” She was so quiet I barley could hear her, “Please don’t be mad. I didn’t mean to, but some boys stole my food that morning, and I couldn’t find anything else.”
“Was there not any charity giver around? They are supposed to be stationed in every town for just such a problem.”
She looked at me curiously, “What’s charity?”
I didn’t even have a chance to bluff her, “Charity is- Charity is when- It occurs when someone-.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m probably gonna be dead tomorrow anyway.”
“Why?”
“I’m a freak. I don’t look right, I can’t find anything I’m good at, and I’m so ugly not even the pleasure fillies will take me in. I probably will be stoned by nightfall.”
I knew right then I wouldn’t punish her. No girl should even know what death is at her age. I had some things to discuss with my sister… but first I needed a name for this filly.
“What is your name?”
She looked at me strangely again, “Don’t got one. No one ever thought I needed anything other than street trash.”
“Well then I just will have to give you one… let me think.” I tried to come up with a good name for the little girl, but nothing stood out. I looked at her, and noticed she had a cut on her flank in the shape of a crescent, almost like a message.
I looked at her with a smile, “You are Crescent. Come with me”
1000 and some years later…
Crescent’s POV
I awoke with a bolt and let my fear take hold for a moment. I had always hated that memory.
I looked out at the skyline of Canterlot. So unchanged for so many centuries, and I knew just what I was going to do when I got there.
I allowed my thoughts to grace the night, “Watch out Celestia… little Crescents coming home…and this time I won’t be the one who loses everything!” I allowed a small chuckle I had turn into a mad cackle. Call me cliché but I really am somewhat crazy. Being over 1000 and with no real childhood for most of your life will do that to you.
But soon I would be home, and I would get the happy ending that a hero deserves.