//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: The Pony Version's Better: Maiden in the Moon 
// by Sunset Reed 
//------------------------------//


The Pony Version’s Better
Maiden in the Moon part 1



“Twilight! What did you do!?”
The voice echoed twofold. Eleven sets of eyes locked onto her, all of varying hues and twice repeated, save one set. These violet eyes mirrored hers, confused and helpless. Before purple hooves lay a scrap of parchment. 
“Problems halved, Hopes be salved”
Twilight continued to drop her eyes and followed the path towards herself. White light blurred the edges of her vision. A second piece of parchment held her attention. Familiar. This was the first spell she had ever cast.
“Lost in these old recessions? Measure thyself by new dimensions”
The white overtook her, and drained the parchment from her sight. Ahead a pony face, her own face, stared back, and was gone. Twilight squinted, and waited. Would she never see that face look back at her again? Was she supposed to become different? She didn’t feel different.


Chapter 1


“Ugh…I don’t feel any different.”
“The aspirin should kick in soon Tania, and it sounds like the tea is done.”
“Ya, that whistle isn’t helping my headache any.” Tania pinched the bridge of her nose.
Kyle cocked his head and averted his eyes nervously. “I’ll just go…uh. I’ll just go get you some then, hey?” he hurried out of the room. The young apprentice was invaluable to Tania, and had become her charge at a very young age.  They had spent most of his eleven years together, and Tania felt very much like she had raised him. 
“Thank you, Kyle.” Tania called calmly to him. “Sorry for my grumblings.”
She took a few breaths and, frowning at her workbook, let it drop to the ground. Instead, she picked up a book that she had been meaning to read ever since she had found it the night before. For now she just needed something light to get her mind off the throbbing.
The constant early mornings were taking their toll on the young University student. She was wearing the same shirt for the third day that week, her eyes were bloodshot and her straight black hair had lost its shine. It had been a while since she had clipped in her signature purple and pink extensions. Her bangs had grown too long and she had to squint beneath them to see her book.
Kyle came back in. “Here’s your tea, and if you don’t mind, I was going to get back to the dorm to wrap my gift for…”
“Sure, sure. I’ll be in the lounge just a little while longer. See you soon.”
Kyle paused, trying to shove a stray lock back into his spiked hair.
“Ok. And, hey! Give yourself a break soon huh? We’re on vacation now, and I think your headache’s coming from all this stress.”
“You worry too much. I’ll be fine.”
“Ok, see you soon.”
Tania sat forward, now deep into her book.
“Elements of…” her lips mouthed.


*	*	*


Kyle’s fingers hovered over the keys of his cell phone. His mentor knew why. She had rushed into the room in a tizzy, again…ordered him to find a book, again…and was trying to immediately act on her findings…news flash!...again. He had dropped everything, even a party invitation, like the faithful apprentice he always was, and was prepared to write this message for her. But now he could tell this request was a little strange, and couldn’t help acting accordingly.
“Tania, do you really believe that old wives’ tale? Someone would never be able to live a hundred years and still look for, hah! Revenge! And according to this story, that would make the Princess herself more than a hundred years old!”
Tania was convinced a story she had read from her book was the real deal. And she needed to tell the Princess this. The only thing was that the story had come from a book of fairytales.
“This is a bedtime story, meant to help young kids trust Princess Solace. It doesn’t hold any weight.”
“You don’t…know the Princess like I do.”
She spoke the truth. Tania didn’t dare consider herself all that knowledgeable about their monarch herself, but she was the “Personal Student to the Princess”. That carried a lot of weight. Maybe Tania was treated differently because of it, maybe she distanced herself because of it, but it meant the world to her. The Princess believed in her, and Tania did her best to return the favour as much as humanly possible. And that’s why she couldn’t sit around when Princess Tia Solace could be in danger.
“Either way, she’s busy setting up for the Summer Sun Celebration. It’s like, the day after tomorrow.” Kyle protested.
“That’s just it, Kyle! The day after tomorrow is the hundredth year of the Summer Sun Celebration! It’s imperative that the Princess is told right away!”
“How do you spell that? Impera…impera…”
“Important!”
Kyle paused his typing and looked up.
“You sure about this?” Kyle asked.
Tania narrowed her almond eyes. “Send it” 
He clicked the button. 


*	*	*


My dearest Teacher.
My continuing studys have led to me to discover, that were on the something really bad is about to happen. For you see, the mythycle lady in the Moon is in fact NightMere Moon. I realise you many see this as a fable spun to delite young children, but my research has allowed me t see the possibilities of this danger. Even though I may sound silly and fool harted, I cannot ignore the risk. Something must be done to make shure this terrible prophecy does not come true. 


I a wait your quick response.
Your faithful student,
Tania Sparks


Important