//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: The Children of Harmony- Book 1 // by potoperson //------------------------------// Prologue  Many things happened that night under the cover of shadows. Nightingales sang to each other “jug jug” from the trees and the small woodland creatures scuttled across the ground to the safety of their dens.  The wind kissed the closed heads of the flowers gently, and somewhere far away eyes turned to the moon, whose face was darkened like a sad widow as it slowly climbed to the Heavens. Beneath the shadows also, a stallion in dark armor hurried along a cloaked mare with a bundle in her possession. He constantly peered over his shoulder, weary of every shadow in the forest. The mare kept her focus on her hooves and on the bundle, trusting enough that the stallion, being armed, could take care of anything that was out there now. Finally a light winked at them from between the trees. The mare had to resist every urge to bolt ahead, lest in her overeagerness she give the trio away and heap trouble on their heads. She nodded to the stallion to go ahead to which he complied, creeping ahead toward the edge of the trees. He swept his eyes over the area then motioned for the mare to follow quickly. She inhaled deeply and then ran with him as they broke through the trees into the clearing and made a beeline toward the sturdy building nestled on the other side. The clearing they crossed was littered with various odds and ends, making the run nearly treacherous as she tried not to jostle the bundle. It was in vain though. Nearly to the building she tripped and fell to the ground. A cry rose from the bundle. She turned, fear gripping her throat as she whispered desperately, “No, no, no,” “Shut him up!” the older hissed, trying to pull his companion to her feet. “We can’t be seen!” She passed him the bundle, answering, “Move quickly then, I think I saw somepony at the window!” Sure enough, a shadow had appeared at one of the upper windows, a figure posed as if trying to see down on the lawn. The stallion growled in frustration and told the mare to get out of sight and ran to the door while she ran back toward the shadow of the trees. The stallion bounded up the front stairs and placed the bundle on the ground just before the door. He looked down at it, sadness managing to overcome the frustration for a moment on his face. “Sorry kid,” he muttered. With no other parting words, the stallion ran after his companion. Moments later, the door opened and a frazzled looking mare in curlers stepped out, a lantern held aloft by unicorn magic. She looked out across the cluttered yard, but all she saw was a fragment of a figure disappearing under the cover of shadows.  Frowning, the woman turned to retreat to the warm light and comfort of indoors when she spotted the bundle on the porch. She did not hesitate in scooping it up carefully. In her line of work bundles such as these were no rarity. She unfolded the linen revealing the face of a foal unicorn whose face had clearly not seen much of the world yet. His face was dark as shadow with one splotch of white across his forehead like the moon. He still wimpered with the cold. The mare cooed to him as she brought him inside. “Now now, don’t worry,” she said in her practiced gentle way. “Everything’s going to be all right now.” She examined him until she found what she knew would be present, a small note that would contain whatever little information had been deemed important enough to be left behind with him. In this case, it was only two words, two words that were this foal’s only possessions in the world now. “Everything’s going to be all right now,” she said, bringing the young colt inside the orphanage, “Moonless Night.”