We were running. We probably had already outrun the wolf that was chasing us but we were still scared out of our wits. We had been separated but I could still hear North's yelling and Kora's powerful charges through the brush. We had only been in the forest for a few hours and we already ticked off some timber-wolves. Accidentally kicked them while they were sleeping. I looked up from where I was running and I saw a tree coming up. I opened my wings and flapped to slow my rapid movement towards a crash. I stopped as quickly as I could and leaned against the tree. I was panting heavily when I called out. “*pant pant* You* pant*guys *gasp * okay?!” I was about ready to fall over from exhaustion. I could barely hear them over the rush of blood in my ears.
“Bbbarely” I could hear the frightened shake in Kora's normally strong voice. I could also hear a faint sobbing that I assumed was North.
“Let's meet up and make a fire. I pretty sure we're far enough in so other ponies won't see the smoke.”
“Where at?” I could hear a little bit better now my heart had calmed a little. The voice was hoarse and obviously North's. He had appeared next to me. I heard him approach but I still jumped a little when he spoke. I could still hear the sobbing off in the distance. Someone, or someTHING, else was in this wood. Now we had to decide to go towards it or away from it. North seemed to already have made up his mind. He wandered towards the unfamiliar sobbing. I tried to silently call him back but to no avail. I silently cursed myself and followed him. If I couldn't get him to come back, I could at least protect him if something happened. What we found was not at all what we expected. Luna was crying. Next to her was a gem and on her other side was some sort of dark purple helmet. It looked like it would belong to a unicorn, or alicorn, with a long horn. Something about it didn't sit right with me. While I had made these observations, North had moved quite closer. I ran in front of him. Unfortunately, this drew attention to us. I quickly got in front of North, spreading my wings to make myself bigger. Luna snarled.
“Who dares spy on the princess of the night!?” she yelled getting to her hooves.
“Please, princess, we weren....” before I could finish, North had moved out from behind me and was standing in front of Luna. I was stunned.
“N..North?” She had a look of confused concern.
“Could one of you explain what's going on please?” My confusion was building.
“Remember when I told you that I was given my name by the pony who found me.” North looked at me expectantly
“Yeah.” I wasn't sure where he was going with it.
“I was the one who named him.” Luna said, though she still didn't look towards me. I felt my jaw drop “So North what are you doing out here?” she hid most of the voice from her voice but some slipped through. It was obvious she cared for North.
“My friends and I ran away because the orphanage is closing.” North's voice was still broken from his screaming earlier.
“I see. And you...” she finally looked at me and her eyes went wide as her voice trailed off.
“Yeah, I'm one of North's friends, My name is...”she cut me off.
“I know your name. I recognize you. You look like your father.” She dropped her face slightly. “I heard what happened, I'm sorry for your loss.” Every one of her words dredged up old memories I had long since buried. “How does it feel to be the last member of the Quill family, eh Raven?” The utterance of my true name was the final crack in the dam before it burst. I remembered every memory I had worked so suppress. The war against discord, seeing my parents weeping over a colt-sized coffin, the feeling of dirt under my hooves as I buried them next to my brother, the hunger of going days without a meal. Tears began to slowly stream down my face.
“And how do you know, huh?”my mental anguish plastered on my face “How did you know them?”
“Your father, he was a friend of mine. His words,” she smiled slightly at the memory “his words are what kept my sister and I looking.” her face grew sour at the mention of her sister. “I think I still remember the poem he wrote us.
Fret not, sisters of great spirit
Discord will fall and you will lead us
Any foe will tremble when they hear it
The coming of Luna and Celestia will for they must
Deliver us from this evil king of chaos and mayhem
All who are pure put their faith in them.” She finished smiling and bleary eyed. “His words sparked the town to give us spare food and a place to stay while we searched.” North looked between us.
“Laz, your name is...” he was very confused judging by the loo on his face.
“Raven. Raven Quill” I finished for him. It was the first time I had spoken my birth name in years. “You two have some catching up to do, I'll go find Kora. She's probably worried sick about us”
“It's okay, I made it here just fine without you two” she said, feigning being annoyed. She walked out from behind some brush with another mare. She immediately caught my eye.
“Ah, Aurora, did you find any firewood?”Luna asked the strange mare.
“A little, and this little one here offered to carry it. She said she was looking for her friends” she looked at North, who was now being cradled in Luna's arms as she sat on a log. The she looked at me. ”I'm guessing that would be you two,” She was gorgeous. She was a deep midnight purple, maybe a year younger than me. She had a mane that was similar to Luna's, only it was purpleish black with stars twinkling in it. It also seemed to faze. She was also an alicorn, which meant, in one way or another, she was royalty.
“North, Raven, this is my niece, Aurora Borealis” Luna introduced us. I bowed.
“Please don't, I'm not all that royal and I wouldn't want you to feel like you have to” she walked over to me and lifted my chin up so she was looking me in the eye. I blushed slightly. So did she. We were centimeters from a kiss. One that never came. She took a step back and awkwardly coughed and I settled for scuffing my hoof on the ground.
“I have a couple questions for you” I looked at Luna.
“Fine, what are they” she looked at me as though she didn't like where this was going.
“For starters, the day we left, we saw a notice that said you stole something and were being hunted or something.”
“That's not a question” she snorted
“Did you?” I rolled my eyes and asked. She sighed
“Yes.” she looked down.
“What did you steal?” Kora chimed in
“And why” I added.
“I stole two things. This helmet, and that gem.” she motioned to each item as she said it. “As for why” she sighed. ”I stole the gem because I figured I could sell it and get some sort of money after we fled Equestria. The helmet I stole because I was afraid.”
“Afraid?” North asked from her hooves.
“Yes. Before we turned Discord to stone, he gave me this. He knew he was going to be defeated but he told me that after my sister and I took power, she would overshadow me and all the ponies we governed were going to love and adore her and the morning sun, and hate and detest my beautiful moonlit nights. I was afraid he was right,” she looked down sullenly. Everyone got really quiet after that. Kora started a fire and we gathered around it. I looked up. I could see some of the night sky through the dry branches.
“I think you have nothing to be afraid of,” I said confidently.
“And what makes you think that,” Luna asked, I could tell from her voice she was genuinely curious.
“Because,” I looked over at her and smiled, “I love the night, so does North and so does Kora.” They both nodded when I mentioned them. “And I'd bet that gem that Aurora does too” I looked at Aurora. She smiled and nodded. “So long as we're here, somepony is going to love the night.” Luna looked at me.
“Thank you, but I don't think four kids like yourselves will make much of a difference”
“We won't always be kids.” for the first time I took my head out of the present and looked to the future. Would we always love the night? The question answered itself. I was a child of the night, I was born of it and it shaped me to the stallion I am. But where could I go with that. I yawned. That was a question for tomorrow. Now was a time for sleep. I heard a chorus of yawns around me before I passed out.