//------------------------------// // Countless Moons // Story: Children of the Night // by Wolfen Spirit //------------------------------// COUNTLESS MOONS ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ I looked outside at the moon. I've heard stories, of the Moon Princess, and her sister the ruler of the sun. Most aren't even true. It's been over a thousand years since anypony have seen the Princess of the Night. But we have lived out her legacy. We, her children, The Children of the Night. Hundreds of ponies were here once, maybe thousands, under the rule of the night, now it's only a few of us left, the ones who survived. I'm proud to be her daughter. Oh I am sorry! I didn't introduce myself! I'm Nightly Red. I'm the only child who has seen the Night Princess. And now I'm going to tell you my story. ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ I woke up at the exact time I always do. 10:00 pm. Sigh. I wish I could sleep in. Just once I looked up at the moon. It was full tonight. I silently prayed to Princess Luna for the beautiful sky. I yawned. My adoptive mother always said that once every 100 years the sun would cover the moon. That was the only time we could sleep in. We weren't allowed to look at the sun in the case of that we would leave to see more of it and never return. I fell out of my bed. oww! I also wish I was invincible. "Night Moons!" I yelled at my dopey younger sister as she jumped on me, her hoof ending up in my mouth. She turned around and looked up at me innocently with the black eyes we all have, "It was all Eclipse's idea!" I rolled my eyes and got up, "Eclipse, get out from under my bed. Now please" My little brother slowly crawled out, his gray coat shimmering. He looked up at me, "I was just-" I cut him off quickly, hoping to save myself time from the lengthy explanation he always gave, "If your bored ask mom to tell you the story of how our tribe came to be." The young colt perked up and galloped off his crazy younger sister falling in step behind him, singing the stupid chant she always does. one pony, two pony, tree pony, any pony! one pony, two pony, sea pony, everypony! I laughed silently and got ready for the annual Night Celebration tonight. It happens only ONCE every TWO YEARS I heard faint voices down the hall, "No way Eclipse. You'll hear the story at the Night Celebration, and no buts!" My mother, Crescent Moon, was always strict about the yearly Night Celebration that the tribe hosted for each other. A whole night of fun and history I got my dress out that I only wear for important events. Actually this is my first and only time I'm ever going to wear it. I levitated it with my magic and I got dressed quickly. I then got my orange-yellow mane curled. I also curled my tail. This year I'm going to be telling the story. It's an honor only one out of fifteen young ponies get to have. No pony in my family have ever told the story. I trotted out of my room singing a lullaby. "Hush now quiet now, Luna will never forgeeeettt you. Hush now quiet now, our mother will heeelllppp you!" I heard a boyish gasp. I looked up and saw my little brother staring at me, black eyes wide. Then he laughed, "Girly girl, girly girl! My sister's a girly girl." I narrowed my eyes at him and he efficiently shut up. My mother came up to me with her black coat and her crescent moon cutie mark shining. She kissed my forehead. "I don't question the mayor's decision. You have the most beautiful voice." I nodded and focused on my magic. I needed to practice my transforming spell. If this was going to be the best performance I had to transform into Luna. No other daughter had done it before. Ever. My blue magic glowed around my horn. My tan coat shimmering into a dark navy blue. My mane and tail turning into my true mother's starlit hair. Or well that how the Elders said she looked. Drawing Moon drew a very realistic picture that is now my reference point. Wings started to take form. My cutie mark changed into the princess's. I heard my family gasp as they watched in shock. When I opened my eyes, I knew it worked. I looked at my hooves and glanced at my new mane. It was to much. I couldn't handle it. I turned back into myself. My family still openly gaped at me. I looked down but then glanced in the mirror and saw my eyes had turned into a deep dark green. Everything else was the same, my boyish short mane, my round stocky tail, still light orange. My coat was still tan. My eyes were, green.Not black, not dark gray a least, GREEN! Green. something about my eyes reminded me of.. something. What?! I thought as a strange image flew through my head. I was worried but my mother snapped out of the dead silence before I could panic. "We should get going," She handed my my cloak and i put the hood over my head as we headed out the door, towards town hall. ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ "Mother, did Princess Luna really used her magic to make us disappear from our families? Just like that?" I asked curiously on the way to Town Hall. My mom shook her head, "No it's a story that the first Children made up." I gasped ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ I looked around quickly. Stage fright got the best of me. I looked out of the curtain. Several young fillies staring at the curtain expectantly. Crap. I-I can't do it! Mom always said the stories were fakes! That the first Children made them up. I can't lie anymore. That's not me. I looked at the exit. I made a decision and ran. I can't! I just can't! I've been lied to! I was to involved in my thought to notice that somepony was following me. "RED!? Nightly Red. Stop. Please?" I turned around, tears streaming down my face. "Red. Here. You'll need these on your journey," She handed me a bag of bits, "Go. I can see you need to go figure out the real story. Ha. You've always been a strange filly. Always needing to know the truth behind things." She kissed my forehead, and with a glance at my green eyes she started to plead, "Just... Return. Please." I nodded, "Of course. This is my home. You're my family." She smiled. Then, my mother, my home, turned and trotted away. Without a single glance back.