//------------------------------//
// It Starts With a Stormy Night 
// Story: Love and Friendship Will Always Conquer Fear and Pain. 
// by Night--Mist 
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As the rain beat down upon the lush green grass, lightning danced through the night sky like a walts. Most ponies took shelter in their strong built homes as a ferocious storm tore through the land. All but one were safe from it's unrelenting wrath. A pony, with both wings and a horn slowly trotted through the storm, for everywhere he went, ponies turned him away. His name was Crimson Shield. He had a white coat a dark colored mane and crimson eyes that earned him the first part of his name. He had been trotting for hours to escape the storm, but sadly, no pony let him in. He would hear them say things like, "Get lost freak," or "I would not let an abomination like you set one hoof in my house," and sometimes even, "Outsiders like you don't belong here."

He had never done anything to anger these ponies, nor make them resent him so. He was born this way. About three months ago, his parents, one very much like him had lost their lives to a griffon attack. His mother gave him an amulet that she said was very special and that it made him special as well. 'But how am I so special when every pony I meet hates me?' The vanilla colored alicorn asks himself as tears stream from his face and he takes of in a gallop. He felt now was the time to make everypony happy. The orphanage in Manehattan pretty much threw him out, only giving him meals then making him go look for what work he could find so he would do to not be a bother to them. 

Now he would run away, the ponies of 'The Big Oat' will probably be relieved to see him gone. The police wouldn't look for him, nor would the orphanage send in news about a missing pony like him. 'Why would they come looking for me, I'm not like any other pony I've known.' Crimson tells himself as he gallops farther and farther from the city. He galloped for many hours as the storm continued it's dreary downpour and rumbling thunder. Thunder scared the little colt, but he had to bear with it. The one thing he promised his mother was he would stay alive as long as he could. He knew it would be many miles till he reached any sign of a pony town or city and had to keep walking.

As the hours turned into days, Crimson, only six years old, was out on his own, alone, with no pony to turn to. He did not spend much time in the big cities, for they were a foul reminder of where he used to live. When he made it to a smaller town, he felt it'd be better if he just stay on the outskirts, he thought he is probably going to get the same treatment here just like where he once lived. He looked for any place that served food that was near him, since he still had some money left to get him a bite to eat that he had earned. He had bought a cloak not to long ago to help hide his wings, so no pony might notice and soon found some nerve to trot in towards town, very weary of where he went. He found a place that served some cheap food. He bought the food for the go so he would not stay too long, fearing somepony he knew might just happen to be here, not knowing how far he was from Manehatten. Soon he made it back to the outskirts of town. He was about halfway done with his meal when heard a gentle voice say, "Excuse me."

The little Alicorn jumped dropping his food and sees a yellow pegasus with a pink mane looking at him. Before she could say another word though, he bolted off. "Wait," she said quietly, but he had already bolted for the forest that lay ahead. "I only wanted to ask if he wanted some company. Poor dear, he must not be fond of company," the mare says as she sits down after throwing away his half eaten meal. Meanwhile in the forest, Crimson was trying to find a place to hide, thinking ponies wanted to take his life for what he was. He wanted the mother he did not have anymore to be with him and he was scared. As  day gave way to the night, Crimson thought to himself, 'Why? Why did I have to be left alone? Why am I so different? It's not fair. It's not fair that all the other ponies get to be happy. Why did the griffons take my parents? I hate those creatures.'

He then has a memory.

*He saw his mother and father dying in front of him and he sees a male griffon, with a scar down his left eye all the way to his shoulder standing over their still bodies. The griffons were looking for him, but his parents wouldn't give him up and he was hiding not too far away, making sure not to move till they left. Once the griffons took off to look elsewhere, he went to his parents. He remembers his mother, still alive, saying to him before her death as she handed him an amulet, "Take this my son. It is yours, may it help you in your life, and please do what you can to stay alive, for us. We love you son, and we will watch over you."

"No mom...... mommy, please don't leave me," Crimson said.

"Please promise me you'll do what I say son," his mother says.

"Yes mom, but please, stay with me," Crimson pleads as his eyes start to water.

"Crimson, I will always be with you, even when you can't see me, I'll be there," his mother replies.

She nuzzles him before her body collapses on the ground. "Mom, Mom no ple-hease," Crimson says, but knew soon after it was futile as she stopped breathing. He placed the amulet around his neck and soon took off for he heard the griffons coming back, and he had to keep his promise to his mother. He soon told the ponies of Manehatten what happened to his mother and father, but no pony believed his story, for all were led to think the two races were at peace and there was no way they would attack any pony, even "a freak of nature" as they called him.*

That is everything that led him to running as far as he did from that city, but hopefully he wasn't heading toward griffon country. He then heard a twig break somewhere behind him. "H-h-hello? I-is s-somepony there?" He asks hoping it was a pony just playing a prank.

As everything went deathly quiet he started to tremble. All of the sudden, He hears a growl. he looks behind himself and see's glowing green eyes staring at him that belonged to a timber wolf. Once he saw this he took off as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn't know which way he was going. He only hoped it was away from the wolf. Then, if things weren't bad enough, his cloak got caught on a branch and when he was able to react, his cloak had given way and he tumbled into the side of a cliff. He sees more wolves surround him, and he thinks he has just failed his mother. He then crouches low and covers his eyes waiting for them to attack. they start to charge him. He didn't know why, but he wasn't feeling any pain as he heard them race at him. He was unaware that his horn was shining a crimson red aura and was protecting him from the wolves.

Back at Canterlot Castle, some moments before this occured, Luna sat on her balcony, overlooking Canterlot as her moons light bounced of the building. Night court had started a while ago, but as usual, not one pony seeked her audience, so she retired to her study and room. "Another night court and nopony visiting," she sighed as she stood up to return to her room, when suddenly she halted. She felt something, a magical presence, and it seemed to be from a pony in distress, a magical pulse that called to her, it disappeared as quickly as it arrived ”Wh...what was that?” she says quietly, she sits there waiting for the pulse to appear again. This time it came again and seemed to be from somepony trying to protect themself from a known danger, she clenched her eyes shut as she felt the raw magic wash over and through her body causing her to answer to it. She opened her eyes and they instantly went wide as she saw a crimson light glowing in the distance and pulsing as it did like a heartbeat, without another thought, she jumped off her balcony and flew toward it. When she arrived toward the boundry near the Everfree forest, what she saw both amazed and terrified her. Terrified her because timber wolves were trying to harm a helpless little foal, and amazed her, for the foal was producing a shield that not many unicorns could master till they were older, and it was protecting him.

Knowing the foal could not hold his shield up forever, she dove towards the scene and as she impacted the ground, her size was enough to scare the wolves off. Luna then turned around to see the foal look at her, trembling in fear. "Easy there little one," Luna says as she approaches him slowly.

He backs up, not wanting her to get near him. "It's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you dear," Luna tries to reassure the little colt.

Before she gets any closer, he bolts off once again for the treeline and heads towards the town once more, not being able to grab his cloak in the process. Before he gets very far, he see's her in front of him again outside the forest, not knowing how fast she really was. This time he had a clearer picture of her, it was a pony with blue fur that had 'wings' and a 'horn'. She was just like him, well aside from the fact her mane seemed sparkle like stars and move on it's own, without any wind. She had a cutie mark with a moon on it and he wondered what it meant. He then saw a crown on her head and realized she was royalty. He knew better then to run this time and quickly bowed in her presence as he was shaking. "What is your name little one?" the Princess of Night asks.

Crimson was too scared, and now he realized, too cold to speak. Luna saw the fear he had in his eyes, but knew better not to peer into his mind, she then made her way towards him slowly. As soon as she was close enough, Crimson up looked at her and she looked down at him. She then put a hoof on his back, but before she could ask again for his name, she noticed something. "Oh, my sister Celestia, your almost as cold as ice. You're coming with me little one."

Crimson thought he was about to get hurt, only to feel a gentle grasp on his neck as she picked him up in her mouth and placed him on her back. "Now hold on tight little one," Luna says.

Not wanting to disobey a royal pony, but still too shy to speak and trembling  a bit, he grabs hold of her as tight as he can and she soon takes off. He had no clue where they were going, but he didn't expect much, since they were different from other ponies, even though she was royalty. He didn't know her name, but she was the first pony who hadn't turned away from him, yet at least. Luna had taken to notice his horn and wings, but that was not something that she worried about, knowing she needed to get him to safety as they flew off.