//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: My love is Moonlight 
// by MidnightMare 
//------------------------------//


Prologue


The night was beautifully clear. Trotting down a path among the trees and flowers an Orange stallion let out a sigh slowing to a walk and looking up at the moon wondering, how could it be possible.  Hi heart was heavy, and yet filled with a warmth and glow, If the sun was Hot and bright known to all for its shine,  then his love, was the moon,  gently glowing, private and for him in this moment, in this garden.

The towers and walls of the castle glittering in the moon light,  Shining white Marble, glistening gold.  The castle of Canterlot was a magnificent beauty.  And to many, the two sisters who ruled it where just as beautiful… but… down here in the dark, in secret.  He disagreed.  There was one, one so much more beautiful than them, one he had watched and admired since he had been a colt and his father a member of the royal guard.

Her single minded determination as the Princess’ most talented student and protégée was to be admired by all.  He had heard harsh whispers that all she cared about where her books, but that he doubted,  he had seen her with the baby dragon she called spike, had seen her care for him gently.  He had seen the love and joy between her and her brother.  How she’d played Happily with her foal sitter in the park and gardens.

Oh no, she was not cold.  Simply focused, passionate.

And then, she’d gone away.  On a mission she’d been sent away from Canterlot to a small town called ponyville.  The pain had been shocking.  The beautiful girl, the pony of his heart was gone.  His solace came in those few times she returned.  That first time… with friends.  She had freed the young princess, had defeated a great evil that not even the Solar princess had done.

When he saw her, she’d all but glowed with pride and power.  Her friends stood around her.  A court of their own.

And so, he’d looked forward to those days, when she would come to Canterlot.  The Gala had been an exciting time, she would come to be with her princess and teacher, she would be beautiful he knew, and when she arrived,  his breath was stolen.  Her dress stars, her eyes shining with thrill and dreams.  Ah, but she had no idea she herself was the thing of dreams.  Beauty and refinement.

Her disappointment had been palpable, and more than once he’d started over to coax her away from greeting duty, to take her for one dance.  To see her smile, just once, just for him.

But he hesitated to long and all chaos broke loose.  Animals and food a wild ruckus.  By the time he and the other guards had sorted the mess she was long gone.

And his love went empty and unreturned.

With the rise of the lord of chaos He had been trapped, unable to help her,  hearing her call for her friends seeing her sadness, but he, among others had become trapped in labyrinths of their own.  Chaos knew his deepest wants, and taunted him mercilessly with them.

It hurt, to see his feeling laid bare to be mocked.  He knew!  He knew that he and she where on far different levels, so why must he be tormented!?

She was something shining above him, bright and wonderful, he was just a soldier, cannon fodder to the masses.  He was a lowly soldier, son of a soldier who was son of a soldier.  He had no great magic in his family no notable fliers, nothing.

Chaos was defeated and all was right,  but resentment had grown, and he fought to keep her from his mind, deliberately avoiding anything to do with her.  Yes, there had been truth in the chaos.  Truth that his feelings no matter how honest, no matter how ernest would never be returned.  He was nameless, faceless to her.

In his bitter grief he blamed her,  and tried desperately to forget.  Canterlot was full of ponies, Many passionate hard working mares, many beautiful, many skilled.  There was no reason he could not feel for another.

He tried, oh he tried to love another but none reached her, none stood close to the pillar she had built in his life with just her very being.

A wedding was announced too much fanfare.  The wedding of her royal highness and the captain of the royal guard, the brother of his one and only.  Twin feelings of anger and excitement had filled him,  he wanted to see her.  He never wanted to see her again!

But she was strange.  Openly hostile to the princess she offered, with her actions, a perfect opportunity,  he felt disillusioned by her actions.  This pony he’d held in such high esteem was so jealous of her brothers own chosen bride because she could no longer monopolize his affections!

In his own focus on her, he did not see the threat she had.

The attack came without mercy, Changelings! Flooding the streets and cornering all, he and the other fought valiantly, but all had seemed hopeless lost.  In that battle he saw them racing to the chamber of the elements. Ah yes, her shining light, she would save them.  

But she had to get there.

Drawing up his power he led a unit attacking changelings to open a path for the heroes of Equestria.  But it hadn’t been enough,  defeat was a raw sickness in his mouth,  he’d lain, weakened watching them battle at the doors.  They had won, they were saved.  

But, only for that moment.

The changelings had lain a trap, and when the girls were exhausted from their battle and brimming with hope, they dashed it, swarming like insects within the chamber. As they had been dragged away he had sunk into blackness and pain.  By the time he had come to the changelings had been defeated.

His injuries had confined him to his bed and so when he could have been there by her side, he was trapped in his home, with only a flash of a sonic rainboom to show him the wedding had even continued.  Music had rung through the streets and as if to tease him… or maybe, to give him solace.  They had paraded down the street and he had gotten a glimpse of her, and had known then, that no matter what he had been told, seen or thought, his heart would always be hers.
As he recovered he herd tell of troubles to the north, a city through long gone returned raised from whatever isolation it had known.  The return of the Crystal empire.  Long thought myth.

And she had gone there, Her brother and his bride where there but unable to contain evil on their own.  With her aide, and the dragons they destroyed the wrath of Sombra and freed the crystal ponies.  He worked to recover.  The physical therapy was long a grueling but he persevered,  she had not let her defeat weaken her and so he would not let his weaken him.

His hard work paid off and he was back on duty, but in that time things had changed,  by completing a spell of a legendary unicorn She had enhanced her power so far that she became a princess in her own right, rising even higher above him, stunned,  Like a Pony trapped in limbo he had no idea where to go or how.

Then… there she was, standing before him, her beautiful wings,  her graceful limbs,  all the poetic words he’d once thought o say to her on their first meeting failed him,   with as much strength as he could muster he announced her, the world came rushing back, she was here for the princess summit of course.

Just when he thought he might be able to enjoy her company, she was gone in a flash, away to a new world.

The shock and fear had been almost all consuming but then she was back,  as if she’d never left laughing with her friend, he’d been so stunned they’d slammed into each other.  So pretty so shy,  when there hooves touched and eyes met he’d swear there had been a connection….

With a sigh he dropped his head trotting further out into the gardens his wings ruffling  puffing up to fight back the strong evening winds building up from the east.

Finally they had spoken but still nothing,  so little between them.  “Luna give me courage.” He murmured.  Yes, as he breathed in the scent of the night air her felt bolstered.  He would approach her,  the princess of friendship, the pony of his dreams and wishes,  he would finally tell her just how he felt, and maybe, if he had not deluded himself, Maybe, she felt the same.  He could only hope that was true, and as he turned to head inside feeling stronger he didn’t see the Pony watching him from above.  Quiet a contemplative, She watched him canter inside,  hair blowing in the wind she smiled faintly.

“Luna, Give me strength.” She said drawing in evening air a deep breath for confidence, courage and strength.  She’d face him, and tell him her feelings.  Yes his counterpart had shown her kindness, she could only hope that the Stallion of this world, would be the same. Slipping back into her room and crossing it quietly so as to not wake the sleeping dragon, Twilight slipped out her bedroom door.  Her brief visit to Canterlot would end tomorrow… and she was determined to have told him before she boarded the train.