//------------------------------// // Lost Forever // Story: Empty Darkness // by GigaBowser //------------------------------// Chapter 3 - Lost Forever Luna's ear perked up. Her eyes shot open and she rose her head up. Quickly, she took status of her surroundings. She and Sweetie Belle were still curled up next to one another, exactly where the two of them had fallen asleep. She saw Sweetie's chest rise and fall slowly as she slept softly, having fallen asleep after a long, painful cry. Their firewood had burnt down to a blackened crisp, the fire having long since gone out. Luna carefully draped a wing over top of the tiny foal, keeping her out of sight. Her eyes swiveled quickly through the endless darkness that surrounded them. A monotonous array of swirling nothing met her gaze. Her breath was held and her muscles were tensed, ready to pounce. A shining blue aura began to surround her horn. Fwoosh! The air around her powerful kinetic blast shimmered and the ambushing creature was sent flying back, letting loose a cry of shock. Instantly she was on her hooves, her horn still glowing as she picked up Sweetie Belle in a telekinetic grasp and placed the awakening unicorn on her back. "Uwahh?!" Sweetie cried out in terrified confusion. "Hold on!" were Luna's only instructions before she gave a powerful flap of her wings, propelling them both backwards through the fog and away from the three creatures she had detected. Two more concussive blasts came from her horn, sailing into the darkness and disappearing form sight. Though she couldn't follow their trajectories, the two yowls of pain that rang out into the air informed her that she had hit her targets. There was no time to stick around, though. She quickly made an about face and raised her hooves, poised to dash off in the opposite direction. However, she instead let out a cry of surprise and quickly fell to the ground, just barely ducking underneath the leaping form of yet another creature. Luna had to remind herself not to roll away, and instead scrambled to her hooves while turning to face this new aggressor. It also turned around, standing its ground and glaring menacingly at her. Sweetie gasped in shock while Luna merely gazed at it, observing it. It was a lot larger than the creatures they had seen previously. This one appeared more like an Equestrian wolf, though it was as tall as she was. It stood on powerful-looking limbs, each ending with a massive set of razor-sharp claws. Its teeth were just as sharp, and it also had a pair of large canine fangs that looked like blades. Its growl was low and rumbling, and its eyes were glowing a dim yellow. It too was pitch black aside from the eyes, and its fur looked almost razor sharp. In fact, its tail looked like a sharpened weapon. Luna deftly leapt back as the wolf jumped forward and made a swipe at her. She lit up her horn and sent it back slightly with a kinetic blast. It shook off the blow and padded up towards her again, tensing its muscles and getting ready to leap. Her horn was already lit and ready to send it back again. A second low, rumbling growl made her pause however. She shot her head back, as did Sweetie, and saw that a second wolf had approached her from behind. They were surrounded. Sweetie Belle began to whimper in fear. Luna kept her horn aglow as she frantically whipped her head back and forth, trying to keep an eye on both of the large creatures at the same time. Neither of them immediately pounced. It seemed these ones had caught onto the fact that she could repel them with her horn's magic. They instead began to circle around her in opposite directions; predators circling their prey. Luna danced on her hooves, trying to keep them both in sight. It was impossible, however. They were exactly opposite from each other, making it so that she could not keep both of them inside of her field of vision at once. All of her escape routes were cut off, as she could not fly in this fog. One of them made a move towards her, but she faced it down and intensified the glowing of her horn. It backed off accordingly. Luna kept her breathing even, facing off against her two combatants. She was hesitant to simply blast one of them with her horn, as the other one would no doubt seize the opportunity and jump her from behind. Worse, she knew there were more than these two wolves out there in the darkness. The other wolf made a more brazen attempt at her, so she pushed it back slightly with her magic. She was only barely able to react in time to avoid the swipe of the other's claws. Sweetie screamed, but the two remained unharmed. Another blast was sent forth from her horn, impacting the second wolf straight in the gut. It was sent flying back, colliding directly with the first wolf and leaving them both in a crumpled heap on the ground. Luna was already running. Her hooves pounded against the dirt as she fled from the scene as fast as she could. "Watch my back!" she called out to the filly riding atop her. Sweetie didn't respond, though Luna could hear her heavy, panicked breathing. The alicorn knew she had to escape. She had to put distance between herself and these ravenous creatures. If she could subdue or defeat them she would, but at the moment she had no idea how to put these things completely out of commission. They were only vulnerable to basic 'pushing' spells, and there seemed to be a lot of them prowling in the darkness. Indeed, yet another black wolf was approaching to her right, intending to intercept her. She continued galloping straight ahead as fast as she could, keeping her vision forward and pretending she didn't see the wolf. She watched it through her peripheral vision closely and, when it was less than a yard away, she suddenly turned her head towards it and sent it flying with a concussive blast. "Luna!! Run faster!!" Luna shot a quick glance behind her. Two wolves were chasing her; one was nearly within striking distance, while the other was a little further behind. She panted as she ran, thinking frantically. This wasn't good. She needed to lose these things, and quickly! They could probably smell her, and so the dark fog wasn't enough to conceal them. She would have to time this just right. After one more glance back, she set her plan into action. She leapt into the air just slightly and used a flap of her wings to turn herself completely around. She landed on the ground again, skidding backwards slightly with her horn already glowing. One of the wolves was leaping at her, though this made her smile. With one powerful shot from her horn, the wolf was intercepted in midair and sent flying backwards directly into the one running behind it. The two wolves tumbled over each other and eventually rolled to a stop. Luna didn't see if they got up after that, as she was already long gone. She continued running for a few more tense moments, seeing no new danger. "Did we…Did we lose 'em?!" Sweetie called to her over the wind rushing past. "I sure hope so…" Luna replied. She kept running nonetheless, just in case there were other wolves still keeping up the chase. Her eyes scanned the darkness ahead of her, but she could see no new threats. Sweetie was still breathing heavily. "What're we gonna do, Luna?" she yelled, "How do we beat those things?" Luna frowned. "The only way so far that I've seen," she spoke, "is you need to knock one into the other. Kinetic magic isn't strong enough to knock them out unless you throw them at something hard like a wall or each other." She began to lower her speed, but only to a brisk gallop. Danger was gone, but only for the moment. Luna knew it could reappear at any time. "The important thing is to keep them away from us by pushing them back…" She could feel the filly shivering on her back, and she could only imagine what kind of mind-numbing fear she was going through. "Are they gone…?" It certainly seemed that way, though Luna couldn't stop her frantically beating heart. "Possibly," she replied, still galloping ahead, "If you see anything chasing us, then you send them back. I will watch the front." There was a fairly long pause. "But…Luna…" Sweetie's voice could barely be heard, "I dunno how to do that…" Luna felt her stomach drop. "…What?" she said as she turned her head back slightly. Sweetie's concerned eyes met her gaze. "I…I can only levitate stuff, and I'm not very good at it. I haven't taken magic class yet." The alicorn returned her eyes to the front, trying to hide her frustrated expression. She had forgotten just how young her companion was. "It's…That's all right, Sweetie Belle…" she replied stoically, "I will protect you." "I-I'm sorry…" Luna turned back and smiled. "No, do not be sorry. It is beyond your control. It would be unwise of me to get angry at such a thing." Sweetie was about to reply, but her words died on her tongue as she saw Luna's expression. She barely had time to turn around and see the wolf in midair, teeth inches from her face, before Luna bolted forward. "Rrgh!!" Luna let out a pained grunt. Sweetie screamed in terror as she stared down at the dark wolf that had managed to sink its teeth into part of Luna's tail. The princess did not let the pain affect her speed, though she was now frantically swinging her tail back and forth, trying to dislodge it. "Goawaygoawaygoawaygoaway!!!" Sweetie cried out. As she was holding onto Luna's neck tightly so as not to fall off, she had nowhere to go to escape. She couldn't even back away from the ravenous creature in the slightest, and her heart was pounding as it stared up at her with those empty, glowing eyes. "Sweetie, hold tight!!" Luna yelled loudly. The filly barely had time to react before Luna leapt into the air in a curving motion, making a 360-degree circle in the air. Her tail trailed behind her movements and the wolf came along with it. They were brought to the center of her vision, and she was quick to take advantage of the small window of opportunity. A moment later, Luna's hooves hit the ground on her original trajectory and she continued fleeing, while the wolf tumbled to the ground after taking a direct hit from her spell. "There's more coming!!" Luna grimaced at those words. She was quickly becoming exhausted. Her body was weak from the lack of food and she was expending so much energy to flee across these barren plains. If this kept up, then she would soon no longer be able to run. Luna panted heavily as she tried to pick up the pace. Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, was holding on for dear life. She had a death grip around the alicorn's neck, trying desperately to keep herself from being thrown off by her wild movements. Her head was turned back, keeping a terrified eye on the pursuing creatures. She wasn't sure when the tears had started falling, but she couldn't stop them now. She had never been more terrified in her young life. Not even the return of Nightmare Moon had frightened her this much. "Lunaaaa!!" she whined desperately, severe panic beginning to overtake her. She had to hold on tightly as Luna swiveled herself around once more. The princess let loose a growl as she reoriented herself to be facing the oncoming creatures. Sweetie watched for a moment, then blinked in confusion. They were still moving in the same direction. Another moment later, she noticed the powerful flaps of the alicorn's wings beside her. Luna was flying backwards. One of the wolves was to her right now, and so she swerved to the right so suddenly that Sweetie let loose a cry of surprise. She fired a small but powerful magic shot at the wolf before it could even react, sending it back to the left. Then, moving as swiftly as she possibly could, she returned herself to the center. The wolves were lined up perfectly now. Quickly, she lit up her horn with such a ferocious intensity that Sweetie had to shield her eyes. "BEGONE!!" Luna exclaimed before sending out a huge blast of kinetic energy that glowed like the full moon. The wolves' eyes shot open in surprise briefly before they were both impacted by the powerful force. The front wolf was knocked into the other one with such tremendous force, and they were both sent even further back by the power of the magical wave. Sweetie watched in awe as the magic continued to push back into the darkness, not dissipating in the slightest. Luna let out an exhausted sigh, righting herself in midair and resuming her forward gallop. She was panting as she ran, and her horn appeared to be steaming just slightly. "…Wow…" was all Sweetie could say. Luna was completely spent. What little energy she had left was being dedicated towards running. She had intended that blast to knock out all of the wolves that were trailing them, so she had to believe that they were in the clear now. They had to be, as she was hardly in a condition to fight back any further. Her mission was now to find a place to hide. "Prin- I mean, Luna…! That was incredible." Luna allowed herself a proud smile. "Thank you, Sweetie Belle." "I think they're all gone!" "Good…" Luna was lighting her horn, guiding her way blindly through the misty darkness. Her chest was burning as she panted, and she desperately wanted to just lay down and rest. Not nearly as much, however, as she wanted to eat something. *** Sweetie Belle hung on tightly as Luna continued to gallop away. Her heart was still racing after the alicorn's impressive spell. She had never before witnessed magic as powerful as that. It was absolutely incredible to see. She could only hope that she would one day be able to cast magic like that. A low grumble reached her ears, and for a brief moment she was frightened. She calmed herself, however, when she realized what it was. "Are you hungry too?" she asked. Luna let out a strained breath. "I just…need to get us somewhere safe…" Sweetie Belle frowned. The pains in her stomach were agonizing for the young foal, but she was trying not to complain. She could tell that Luna already had enough on her mind without having to hear her whine about food pains. "There's….nothing here…" Luna murmured. Sweetie cast a glance over her shoulder, still wary of those evil-looking wolves. She saw nothing chasing them, which was a huge relief. When she turned back to the front, her eyes shot open wide. "Luna! Watch out for the trees!" "What trees? ACK!" The princess was barely able to slam on the brakes, stopping inches before the first tree. She blinked as she gazed up the length of the gnarled, aged bark and then looked beyond it at the multitude of trees that lay further ahead. "What is-" Sweetie was suddenly thrown forcefully from the princess' back, sailing through the air with a startled cry. Something had impacted the alicorn's side, dislodging her forcibly. The filly struck the ground and rolled a couple of feet, grunting and crying out in pain. She lay there, dizzy for a brief moment, before her ears picked up a truly horrifying sound. Luna was screaming. Terrifying, blood-curdling cries rang loudly through the air. The princess screamed out repeatedly in anguish, the intense pain clear in her voice. Sweetie Belle was shocked. She tried to focus on her surroundings, but all she saw was darkness. As soon as the filly tried to stand up, however, pain shot through her rear-right leg and she fell back onto her rump with a cry. She cast her head about frantically, ignoring the pain and trying to find Luna. The princess in distress was nowhere to be seen, and her cries were so loud that it was difficult to figure out where they were coming from. "Luna!!" she exclaimed, both invigorated and terrified. She unsteadily got to her hooves once more. She could hear deep, vicious growling sounds beneath the princess' loud cries. Luna needed help! She tried to focus on the direction the sounds were coming from, as she was otherwise blind as a bat. She turned to the left, but then began to back up frantically. She let out a cry of terror as she stared up at the menacing creature that towered over her. The huge wolf was crouched and ready to pounce, glaring at her with vicious, hungry eyes. Her blood ran cold as she stared wide-eyed at the predator. She carefully moved her hooves and slowly backed away. "N-n-n-n-nice d-doggy…" The dark wolf was emitting a very low, rumbling growl that shook Sweetie's heart. It was baring its razor sharp teeth, drool dripping as it stared at what would probably be an easy meal. The tiny unicorn began to heave panicked breaths. "L-Luna…?" she spoke, completely afraid to speak loudly lest she cause the creature to leap onto her and tear her apart. She gulped, sweat pouring down her face. Her young mind could barely process what was happening. There was no way to escape from this creature that she could see, and Luna's pain-filled cries told her that nopony could help her. It was going to attack her, and she was going to die. "Help…" she squeaked before pain shot through her back hoof again and she collapsed to the ground on her stomach. The wolf approached and stood over her, showing all of its teeth and seemingly grinning in victory. Tears were streaming down her face as so many thoughts ran through her head. She thought about her happy, carefree life in Ponyville that she would never return to. She thought about her friends, her family, and especially her wonderful sister whom she would never see again. There was the cutie mark she would never get, and the life she would never get to live. She hiccuped as her breath caught in her throat. It's not fair… was her only thought. She never even got to learn how to use magic. The wolf raised one of its large paws into the air, its razor-sharp claws standing out against the churning fog. Three perfect weapons sharper than most knives. Before the strike came, her heart nearly stopped on its own. Would it hurt? Would she die quickly? Why did this have to happen?! The wolf swiped its claws down at her. "Go away!!!" Sweetie shut her eyes and waited for the mortal blow to come, but it never did. Instead, she briefly felt tingly all over her entire body, and then the wolf cried out in surprise. There was the sound of something tumbling on the ground. Realizing that she was still in one piece, and unharmed to boot, Sweetie cautiously opened her eyes. The wolf was lying sprawled on the ground many meters away from her, barely visible through the darkness. She blinked, wondering what had happened. Luna's awful cries told her that the princess had not intervened. It was then that she realized that a part of her was still feeling tingly, and it felt quite warm too. Her eyes crossed as she looked straight up at the tiny horn on her forehead, which was faintly glowing white. "Did I…just…" The wolf's growl recaptured her attention. It was back on its feet and glaring menacingly at her. It stepped forward a few times and crouched into a pouncing position. The terror from before returned, making her heart pound in her chest. To make matters worse, a second wolf had appeared behind the first, also standing and ready to attack. Go away… These wolves couldn't be here if she wanted to stay alive. They had to leave. Go away. Sweetie knew she had to force them back. She had to force them away. Go away! They were approaching her, ready to attack. They were already attacking Luna! Sweetie grit her teeth and stared at the approaching wolves, fear battling with resolve. They had to go away!! The area around her brightened as she felt a surge of energy flow through her body and into her horn. Sweetie could feel her emotions being pushed through her and out into her magic. She wanted so badly for the wolves to just go away, and so she used that determination. She latched onto that desire and forced it out. The glow intensified until it was sent forth from her horn as a shimmering wave of magic. The wolf in front didn't have time to react before the force hit it, sending it flying back. It crashed directly into the second wolf's snout, causing it to let out a loud cry of pain. The two both tumbled over each other violently, disappearing into the darkness. Sweetie Belle's heart swelled with pride as a huge smile appeared on her face. She had just used kinetic magic! She'd learned a spell! So much wonderful, happy energy was filling her up that she felt like dancing and singing. In her darkest moment when she'd needed it the most, she had learned how to perform the spell that would be most useful to the two of them. Another tortured cry from Luna brought her back to reality. Luna's voice had grown much weaker. She had been reduced to letting out sputtering whines of torment. Sweetie immediately set herself into action, dashing towards where she thought the sound was coming from. The swirling darkness was confusing, and she got turned around a couple of times. Eventually, however, she came upon the princess. Sweetie Belle gasped in horror as her eyes shot open wide. There was only one dark wolf attacking Luna, but she was fiercely losing the battle. The wolf had mauled her across her entire body, coating her fur with blood and nearly making her entirely red. She was in bad shape, as lashes and gouges covered her body and a pool of blood was forming beneath her. Her horn was glowing faintly as she tried to call up a defensive spell, but ultimately could not. Sweetie had to keep herself from throwing up. The wolf saw her but it ignored her, not seeing her as a threat. She knew she had to act fast. Luna wouldn't survive much longer if she didn't do something. But was it already too late? Luna was barely fighting back now. She had lost so much blood and seemed to be completely out of energy. With tiny tears in her eyes, Sweetie grit her teeth and aimed her horn directly at the vicious beast. It was not difficult at all to call forth the energy needed for the spell at all. Luna was in trouble, and Luna needed her. The wolf was sent flying back a few meters from Sweetie's kinetic spell, partially disappearing into the darkness. It regained its footing quite easily, however, and glared back at the filly that had attacked it with rage in its eyes. Sweetie cantered forward until she was standing next to Luna, who was panting heavily as she lay upon the ground. The beast stood before them, silhouetted and hidden by the darkness that surrounded it. Only its yellow eyes stood out, shining through like a beacon. It gave one low, rage-filled growl and crouched down. It was ready to attack, but so was Sweetie Belle. The spell coursed into her horn and gathered power, the glow around it intensifying. Already, this spell was becoming like second nature to her now. It was as if she'd been casting it all her life. The glow got brighter and brighter, and Sweetie barely noticed the duller, blue glow coming from beside her. The wolf began to leap towards them, but Sweetie's spell was ready. She would make this wolf go away!!! A powerful, shimmering field of energy coursed forward, distorting the air around them. In a split second the wolf had disappeared, having been hurtled yards upon yards away by the spell. A huge smile, a mix of amazement and pride, found its way onto Sweetie's face. In front of her, Luna groaned in agony as she rolled herself onto her stomach. Her wings spread out from her sides, looking notably undamaged. "Get on!! NOW!!" Sweetie didn't need to be told twice. She mounted herself onto the princess' back as quickly as she could, barely managing to get a firm grip before the Princess took off into the air. They flew fast, but at a low altitude, quickly leaving the horrific scene behind them. Sweetie glanced again at Luna's wings, which were picture-perfect aside from a few ruffled or missing feathers. It was so strange to see, especially since Sweetie could feel her hooves getting covered in the princess' gushing blood. She grimaced and shivered, wondering how the princess was flying at all. She could hear Luna heaving ragged, painful breaths as she shot forward through the darkness. The alicorn was pushing herself beyond her limits. Sweetie couldn't even imagine the pain she must have been going through. The filly had glanced back a couple of times, but could see no more wolves chasing after them. Presently, she had her gaze trained to the front. She was keeping a lookout for obstacles, as she wasn't entirely sure that Luna could see properly. For a few tense minutes, there was nothing but darkness. "Luna!! Trees!" Luna groaned loudly as she slowed herself down, enduring the pain. She glanced around at the trees that were now surrounding her on all sides, each one completely barren of leaves and climbing up into the darkness above so she could not see the tops. She panted a few more times, her breath sounding incredibly forced and abnormal, and then galloped towards one of the trees. With one final flap of her wings, Luna propelled the two of them straight up towards one of the branches of the trees. She didn't land; she collapsed onto the fairly high tree branch on her stomach, her legs dangling in the air beneath her. Finally able to lay still, she clenched her eyes shut and let out a long, loud cry of immense pain. She wailed out into the empty air until she finally ran out of breath and lay panting on the thick branch. Sweetie climbed off of her back carefully. She stood upon the branch and gazed at the princess with concern in her eyes. "Luna…?" she spoke quietly, "Are you gonna be okay…?" Luna simply lay there panting. Her breath was coming in ragged, irregular pants, and it sounded like she was in pain with every inhale. She didn't reply, but a faint glow appeared around her horn. "L-Luna…?" Sweetie watched for a few agonizing minutes as Luna lay upon the branch. Her horn continued to glow, but she never moved. Sweetie didn't know what to do or what to say. So much worry was rushing through her. She could feel it in the put of her stomach, and it felt so horrible. For all she knew, Luna could be dying in front of her and she couldn't do anything. Then suddenly, Luna took in a huge, loud gasp of air. Sweetie's eyes shot open as the princess began to take deep, clear breaths. After a few of these, Luna angled her head slightly so she was looking up at the filly. "Punctured lung," she explained as Sweetie grimaced, "Fixed it…" "Luna, are you okay?" Sweetie spoke, stepping closer to the princess. Luna still did not move. There was still blood leaking from all over her, dripping to the ground below. When she spoke, she spoke slowly and sounded incredibly weak. "I…I am hurt," she spoke simply, "I have taken a lot of damage…" Tears welled up in Sweetie's eyes. "Luna…Please…" Luna simply lay there panting. "Luna…Don't leave me…Please…" Sweetie sniffled, "I…I can't do this without you…" She offered the filly a weak smile. "Do not worry, Sweetie Belle…I will be okay." Sweetie's ears perked up. "You will?" Luna nodded slowly. "I will mend myself…with a healing spell…" she continued. After that, the faint glow returned to her horn, and Sweetie understood what it signified. "So…You'll be all better?" she asked, hope filling her voice. Luna let her eyes drift closed. "I do not have much energy left…" she spoke weakly, "It may take a long time…" Relief flooded over Sweetie Belle. She sat on her haunches on the tree branch, heaving a sigh of relief. She raised her hoof and wiped the tears away from her eyes, sniffling slightly. "Thank goodness…" she murmured, "I…I thought I'd…lost you…" Luna let out a dry chuckle. "I can't be gotten rid of that easily." "I just…I don't know what I'd do without you…" Sweetie shivered at the thought. She didn't even want to consider the possibility. "I'm just glad you're okay." Luna didn't respond. Sweetie gazed at her and saw that the glow had vanished from her horn. "Luna?" The alicorn inhaled sharply, her eyes opening once more. "Ah…" she muttered, lighting her horn with the glow of magic once again. Slowly, she craned her neck and gazed up at the filly once more. "Sweetie…I need your help." Her eyes opened wide. "My help?" "I…I can't let myself fall asleep while I do this," she explained, "If I lose consciousness, then the spell will be interrupted." She paused and glanced away, "If I fall asleep, then…I might die." Sweetie gasped in utter horror. "But," Luna quickly reacted, speaking in a reassuring tone, "it's okay, Sweetie Belle. All I need you to do is keep me from passing out while I cast my healing spell." "Oh? Um…Okay…" Sweetie said uncertainly, "Wh-what should I do…?" Luna suddenly groaned loudly in pain, gritting her teeth. "Augh…" she moaned, "Just…talk to me, Sweetie. Keep a conversation with me. Just don't stop talking to me…and I'll be okay." The dim glow from her horn was now encompassing her entire body. It was so faint that it was difficult to even see, but it was there. Sweetie could see that even this faint amount of energy was causing her a lot of strain. Intense worry was filling her up, casting her into doubt and anxiety. She bit her lip and said, "Um…Uh…I dunno what to talk about…" "Anything you like, Sweetie Belle," Luna replied, still sounding incredibly weak, "How about this? Pretend as if you and I have never met. We shall introduce ourselves to each other." "Oh, um…Okay…" Sweetie figured that the instructions were simple enough, but she still felt very anxious. She was afraid that she would somehow do something wrong. "Hello there," she began, "Uh, my name is Sweetie Belle! What's yours?" Luna smiled, gazing up at her with very tired eyes. "Why hello, Sweetie Belle. My name is Luna. I am…I am the Princess of the Night and the Goddess of the Moon." Sweetie Belle pondered for a moment, thinking about what she would say if she had never even heard of Luna before. "Really? Wow, that sounds neat. What do you do?" "I rule Equestria alongside my wonderful coregent and dear sister, Princess Celestia. I use my magical abilities to raise the moon into the sky at night, and then when the night is over, I lower the moon to make way for the sun." "Wow, that's amazing, Luna!" Sweetie replied, now feeling much more comfortable, "That sounds like a difficult job." "Ah, tis not difficult at all. After all, tis what my cutie mark shows. But young Sweetie Belle, I am more interested in you. Tell me a little bit more about yourself, if you would be so kind." "Oh, okay! I live in Ponyville! It's such a pretty town, and everypony that lives there is so nice and friendly. You should stop by some time! Umm…I go to Ponyville Elementary School, where Miss Cheerilee teaches us class. She's the best teacher in the whole world, Luna. I have so much fun when she's teaching us, and she's just so nice!!" "She sounds wonderful," Luna replied with a smile, "Tell me more. Who do you live with?" "Well, sometimes I live with my mom and dad, but usually I stay with my sister Rarity! She has her own place in Ponyville which is actually a fashion boutique! Rarity's a really good sister, even if she can be kind of a stick in the mud sometimes. Don't tell her I said that; she hates mud." Luna giggled. "I have lots of friends in Ponyville too! My two best friends and I are in a club called the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and it's our solemn duty to find out what our special talents are! They're Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, my two best friends in the whole world!" "They all sound lovely, Sweetie. I'll have to meet them some time." "Y…Yeah…" Sweetie paused and hung her head slightly, her mouth falling into a frown. "What- Ahk…What's wrong?" She sniffled. "I'm sorry, Luna. I just…Talking about my friends and family…I just realized how much I miss them…" "Oh…Well, Sweetie you're not alone. I miss my sister too. I miss everypony I knew back home…" "I…" she choked up, "What if I never see them again?" "Don't talk like that, Sweetie. You have to believe that you will. You have to know in your mind that we will find a way home and that we will see our loved ones again." "I…I just dunno, Luna…" Luna paused, her glow still as dull as it was before. "Sweetie…" she spoke, "Tell me what you would do if you were home right now." Sweetie looked up. "Huh?" "Pretend you were back home in Ponyville. Tell me what your day would be like. Tell me all of the fun things you would do." Sweetie sniffled again, trying to hold back her tears. "Um, well…" she said, "If I was at Rarity's place, then she would have to wake me up. Heh, I can never wake up on my own, but once Rarity tells me to get up, I don't sleep in. We go downstairs and she makes breakfast. I tried making breakfast once, but…I dunno if I'll try that again." "Oh dear…" Luna said bemusedly. "Yeah…Heehee…Then I'll go walk to school. I try to sit next to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo if I can. Miss Cheerilee doesn't have a seating plan, so we can sit wherever we want. Mostly though, I just try to stay away from Diamond Tiara." "Oh? Who is that?" Sweetie scrunched her nose and pouted. "She's this really mean bully. I dunno why, but she's always picking on me and my friends. Well, that's not true; I do know why." There was a pregnant pause. "It's…because we're blank flanks." "Blank…flanks?" Luna said, momentarily confused. "Oh…You mean because none of you have your cutie marks." "Yeah…" "I've…never heard that name before. That's terrible…" "They're so mean. They pick on anypony without a cutie mark. I really wish I had mine, Luna. I want it, just so they'll leave me alone…" "Oh, Sweetie…" Luna interjected, "You shouldn't speak like that." "Huh?" "Well, I just mean to say that is not a very good reason to want your cutie mark so badly. A cutie mark is something that is special to you as a pony. It will become a part of who you are once you have it. You shouldn't be trying to rush it just so that bullies will leave you alone." "I know. I'm really looking forward to it too, and I'll be so happy once I get it…but mostly I just want Diamond Tiara to stop…" Luna paused once again. "Sweetie…" she began, speaking slowly and clearly, "I want you to understand something, okay? This Diamond Tiara is not behaving as she should. She is wrong in her ways, and you should try to not let anything she says get to you." Sweetie didn't reply. "I…I have had my own bullies too, Sweetie." "Y-you have…?" She nodded. "From long ago. They would anger me, and push me to do things that I would not normally have done. I have many regrets because of what they did to me, and every day I think back and wish I had handled them in a better way." "I…Luna…" Luna smiled softly, the glow around her intensifying just slightly. "Be happy with who you are, Sweetie. A missing cutie mark does not mean you are incomplete. Nay, it rather means that you are still on your way, and can still enjoy the excitement of the journey. You mentioned that you were a part of the…Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Sweetie looked up, smiling slightly. "Y-yeah…" "My, what a charming name!" "Heehee…Thanks. Apple Bloom came up with it." "You say you are dedicated to finding your cutie marks? Tell me about what the three of you do." "Actually, it's four. Apple Bloom's cousin, Babs Seed, joined us too. Well, usually we meet at our clubhouse and we all decide what we're going to do for the day. We try all sorts of things to get cutie marks, and we usually don't say no to an idea, even if everypony thinks it's a bad idea. We've been mountain climbing, scuba diving, ziplining…" "My, it sounds like quite the adventure!" Sweetie beamed. "Yeah. Even when we mess up and we don't get our cutie marks, it's still a lot of fun. It's mostly fun because I'm hanging out with my best friends." "That sounds wonderful, Sweetie Belle. What an excellent idea." "Yeah…" Sweetie skewed her mouth slightly. "It's still kind of disappointing when we fail so many times, though. I mean, we've tried almost everything there is, and still no cutie marks. We do usually have fun, but sometimes I can't help but go home in a bad mood…" She let her gaze drop. "Rarity and Applejack sometimes tell us that we should stop focusing so much on our marks. I don't think they like it when we crusade…" Luna had her eyes closed as her horn glowed fairly brightly. Sweetie was concerned that she had fallen asleep, but then she spoke up. "No, Sweetie Belle. I think you should continue crusading with your friends. It is a wonderful idea, and such an enriching way to play with your friends. However, do keep this in mind…" She opened her eyes and gave the filly a meaningful gaze. "Do your best to keep disappointment far from you. While at the end of the day, you might all still be without your marks, but do not dwell on it. Instead, remember the good times you had. Think about all the fun adventures you have had that day. Talk about them. Laugh about them. While you may be crusading for your cutie mark, remember also that you are crusading with your friends." Sweetie paused for a moment. She drank in Luna's words, gazing into her deep blue eyes as she was deep in thought. For a moment, no words were spoken. Then, she broke out into a warm smile. "Thanks, Luna…" she said in a heartwarming tone, "You're right. Being with my friends is what's important. It's the most important thing in the world to me…" She hefted a sigh. "That's why we gotta get out of here…" "Indeed," Luna said with a nod. Sweetie took a moment to gaze at the rest of her body. Some of her wounds had closed up, and much of the blood had faded from her fur. There was still a lot of damage across her body, however. Sweetie again gazed at her folded wings, which were impeccable as ever. "Luna?" she spoke, "How come your wings didn't get hurt?" "Hm?" Luna replied, gazing up at her. "Oh, my wings. Well, Sweetie, it's one of the most important things for a pegasus, or even an alicorn, to remember while in combat. If one is being engaged on the ground, protect thine wings. That creature was upon me, but I kept my wings closed the entire time and tried to keep it away from them. After all, I could not much use them on the ground, but I could definitely use them later." "Wow…" Sweetie mumbled, "That's really smart." Luna chuckled dryly. "I am from a different time, young Sweetie Belle. A time so far off from yours. Things were not as…simple as they are now." "Could you tell me about it?" Luna blinked. "What?" "Tell me about long ago. Tell me about what Equestria was like before you w-" Sweetie suddenly stopped herself, gazing around anxiously. "Before you…um…" Luna simply closed her eyes. "Please…" she spoke simply, "I do not wish to hide from my past, Sweetie. It is a terrible event, yes, but it is one that has happened and it is one that I cannot change. You may speak freely of it." "…" "You wish to know what life was like before I became Nightmare Moon." "Well, um…Sorta…" Sweetie mumbled. She gazed back up. "But you don't have to talk about the…um…Nightmare Moon stuff if you don't wanna. I mean before all that…" Luna chuckled and smiled warmly. The glow surrounding her had increased some more. It was gaining more strength, and more of Luna's wounds were disappearing. "Well, my young friend…" she said, a hint of nostalgia in her voice, "there is so much to tell, yet it is so unclear where to begin. Equestria was a fantastic, magical place back then. It seems like such a different world than today. Oh, how I wish I could go back, just for a day…" Sweetie Belle sat and listened, enraptured by Luna's fantastic words. She smiled in wonder as Luna wove stories for her, painting wonderful artwork of a magical land from so impossibly long ago. A few hours passed by. Sweetie wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep, but eventually both ponies were slumbering softly atop the tree branch. Luna's spell had fully healed all of her injuries, but the stories had not stopped. Sweetie listened intently to every word as Luna carried on and the hours drifted past. When she had finally had her fill, she continued to chat with Luna about life in Ponyville. Laughs were had, a few tears were shed, but both ponies were there with one another, listening to every word. It was only when utter exhaustion had set in, that the two best friends finally gave in to the warmth of sleep.