//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Come Little Children 
// by BlueEyedMelloon 
//------------------------------//


"Come Little Children"
By: Blue Eyed Melloon
Chapter Three

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Come little children, I’ll take thee away, into a land of enchantment.
Come little children, the time’s come to play. Here in my garden of shadows.







Night had fully waxed, with the full moon shining large and white in the sky. Princess Luna stood upon her balcony, twinkling hair a facsimile of the stars above. It swayed and moved with abandon, powered by magic and her status as a royal princess. Tonight was the night. Months of planning all came down to now.

The night ruler took a deep breath, closing her eyes as the spell worked its way from her horn. A deep blue aura expanded from her body. It took the form of a soft moonbeam that wove its way into the windows surrounding Celestia’s tower. As the soft light fell upon the guards at the sun princess’s door, they began to yawn and waver in their posts. The faint dust in the air shimmered as, one by one, each guard fell into a deepening sleep.

From another window, the moonbeam fell upon Celestia herself. Though asleep already, she felt herself falling farther into slumber, and briefly wondered why she was suddenly exhausted. Her breathing became slower, and her heart rate slowed as a deep sleep overtook her.

Luna waited after finishing her spell for an alarm or a sign that something didn't go right. But no bell rang out, there was no shouting. Everyone was as they should be, and where they would remain until the sun hit their muzzles. As an extra precaution, Luna drew herself into the dream realm, seeking the dreams of those under her slumber spell in the grey expanse. The guards were none the wiser, and as she walked the misty plane between their dreams, she cast out her thoughts for her sister. Celestia would know if Luna dove into her dream, so when she discovered the wavering cloud that was the sun princess, Luna barely poked her head inside. 

"Goodnight, sister." the young princess whispered, and from her dream, Celestia smiled. Luna was watching over her dreams, a reassuring thought.

Satisfied with her spell, Luna withdrew from the dream realm and into her body, spread her great blue wings and sprung from the balcony, gliding down the side of the tower before pulling up just above the ground, gaining momentum with the move. Her mane and tail flowed behind her, and the starlight glinted silver off of her crown, chestplate and elaborate shoes. She soared through the streets, and as she flew, cast another spell that encompassed all of Canterlot. Another moonbeam fell to earth, but this time, she did not know where it was going. This spell was designed to find her ponies that were worthy of her attention. The alicorn slowly glided down streets, and at first, nothing happened. Fear gripped her chest. Perhaps this was not going to work.

Then the beam materialized into something more than a wisp, and fell softly upon a window. Luna paused to look within the ramshackle bedroom. A filly was fast asleep in her bed, clutching a stuffed bear and smiling through her dreams. Luna gazed upon the filly for a moment, and was satisfied that she would be acceptable. This filly would be one of her own. Relief replacing fear like a cool bath on a summer day, she smiled. Yes, this was happening. She flew on, watching the beam land wherever it chose to, motes of dust sparkling like her mane and tail. 

She noticed a pattern to the spell’s choices. It chose only foals, those young ones that were in poverty or orphaned. She took note of this. Perhaps this was what her colony could be, a family to those who had none. This inspired her to find a particular building. She flew above the rooftops, hooves moving below her as if she were walking on the air even as her wings flapped gracefully up and down.  When the desired location came into view, she landed, trotting several paces to slow her inertia. The orphanage was a dreary place; few ponies had enough bits for themselves, let alone to donate to parent-less foals that had no means of income. The gates were overrun with weeds, and the siding of the building was broken in several places. Luna aimed the spell toward the building, and watched as windows began to glow in soft light as the appropriate foals were chosen. Once the spell was done choosing her followers, Luna began to whisper, foals all over town began to stir. The time had come.