//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: The heart of the moon // by keithsterling //------------------------------// Prologue It’s a clear and beautiful night in the land of Equestria. Gliding through a star-filled night sky was dark blue Alicorn mare with a crescent moon on her flank. Her destination, the palace on the mountain, the Canterlot Royal Palace. As she nears the palace she adjusts her wings a bit and comes in for a landing on her high balcony. Once her hooves touch solid ground, she grimaces, forgetting that she turned her right front ankle pretty badly. She stepped in a hole on her last nightly stroll in Ponyville. “Thy rotten luck...I should have listened to thy niece when she told me to stay off thy hoofs...till my ankle healed.” The dark blue Alicorn mare groans as she hobbles her way down the staircase back into the Canterlot Royal Palace. In the moon lit hallways of the Canterlot Royal Palace, a young light blue unicorn stallion with a crimson red mane and tail walks though the hallway from the opposite direction of the Alicorn’s staircase. (A band of pink hair ran though his mane to his tail). He was attired in the purple armor of Princess Luna’s night guards with a fin shaped helmet on his head. As he finishes checking a very dark corner of the palace with his unicorn light spell, he spots the tired alicorn limping ahead of him and quickens his pace to catch up to her. The moment the unicorn stallion comes into view of the tired Alicorn her tiredness lessens and a smile forms on her snout. This alicorn knows who this unicorn stallion is because he is part of her growing royal family. His name is Prince Somnus Silverlight, her sister Celestia’s only son and her pupil. “Good evening my little Somnus...how is thy night?” The friendly alicorn inquiries nuzzling the unicorn stallion lovingly, “Going well Auntie Luna...you look tired Auntie...I am worried you are over doing it a bit...I know the alicorn has a lot of spare energy...but you are still a living pony like me...It would break my heart if anything happens to you (face pale) because you are the only pony that knows what it feel like to stay in control of this darkness inside me.” Somnus comments as memories form in Luna’s mind of Somnus as colt barely able to control his fierce temper and his dark magic power. After Somnus’s last episode of losing his temper after another colt called him a monster, certain ponies within Celestia’s own court, demanded that his mother Celestia, either lock her son away here in the palace or get rid of him for the good of equestria and the ponies she rules over. Both options torn at Celestia’s own heart and hurt her greatly. If Prince Justice Silverlight, Celestia’s husband, didn’t arrive right then, and there would have forced his wife Celestia to choose and carry it out. Justice stood up to the ponies telling them they didn’t have the authority or position to demand anything from the royal family or Somnus’s own mother. If they valued their position in court they would leave matters alone and let his parents figure out what to do about it. With that, the pony families that backed the options, bowed to Prince Silverlight and left the throne room. Watching from the shadows of the throne room was Princess Luna (Somnus’s aunt and his magic teacher). After the ponies left, Princess Luna set off to find her nephew and talk to him as his aunt. She found a glum Somnus lying in the grass next to a small pool tossing small rocks into the pool with his unicorn’s magic. After removing her front horseshoes, she lied down next to Somnus and started to splash her front hoofs in the water and spoke to him asking him what happened to make him lose his temper. So he told her. With that, Luna reached around him and pulled him under her chin and she tell him no matter what happens she will remain by his side and teach him everything she know about using dark magic and keep him safe from being corrupted. ~returning to the present~ “So auntie please rest for a little while.” Somnus asked as he kisses Luna on her cheek with tears in his eyes, “Aww...thank you Somnus for being concerned about this Alicorn...I’m on my way to my room to get a little sleep...Would you like to rest with me? I’ll make breakfast in the morning for all of us.” Luna says tired and softly with a smile on her snout as she nuzzles him again, “I wish, I could rest Auntie..,but you did order me to do a night patrol today...you are my dear auntie...but you are also my princess and a knight can’t disobey an order from his princess.” Somnus honorably explains as he returns the nuzzles with a smile on his snout, “But if I finish my full patrol by morning, Auntie...I promise, I will meet you and the rest of the family for breakfast...but until then, good night Auntie and sleep well.” Somnus says softly kissing her on her cheek in front of the door leading into her bed chamber. He hugs her good night and continues on his night patrol of the Canterlot royal palace. “Such a sweet pony...my dear little Somnus.” Luna yawns as she cuddles up into her bed and falls fast asleep. The next morning Luna was up bright and early after chasing the royal chefs out of the palace kitchen. She set to work to make breakfast for herself, Celestia and her nieces and nephew. The aroma of breakfast being cooked wafts from the palace kitchen attracting the nose of a beautiful young unicorn mare with the same mane, tail and body color of Somnus. She has a pink band in her hair wearing a nurse’s cap in her mane behind her horn. She was on her way to the royal dining room after washing up. The mare sticks her head into the kitchen only to notice her Aunt Luna cooking breakfast for everyone. She walks up to her Aunt Luna flipping pancakes with her Alicorn magic and kisses her on her cheek. Luna’s eyes sparkle upon see the mare coming into view. This young unicorn mare was also part of the royal family. Her name was Princess Blueberry Swirl Silverlight, Celestia’s younger daughter and one of Luna’s nieces. “Good morning Auntie Luna...It smells good.” Blueberry said heartily with her mouth watering, “I hope so Blueberry,” Luna said hopefully gesturing towards the trash can in one corner of the kitchen full of burned blueberry pancakes. With that, Blueberry helps her Aunt Luna prepare breakfast for everyone. After she finished ,Blueberry turn toward her Aunt Luna, “How is your right front ankle Auntie? Did the swelling go down?” Blueberry inquiries looking at Luna’s right front ankle without touching it, “It’s still bothering me Blueberry...I can’t put any weight on it for too long.” Luna explains as she begins to plate the freshly cooked blueberry pancakes for her family. “After breakfast I want you to report to the palace hospital, so I may check your ankle again, Auntie, and I will not take no for answer,” Blueberry orders pointing her hoof at Luna, “I will Blueberry...I promise...” Luna said with a wooden smile, “Is there more you want to tell me Auntie?” Blueberry inquiries as Luna sighs floating the pan and all the things she used into the sink to be washed later. “I wish, I had a son and a daughter like Celestia does or even a mate...don’t get me wrong, Blueberry, I’m very happy I have you three in my life...it eases some of the loneliness I once had being one of the last two pure Alicorn left in Equestria...but still I would like to have my own someday.” Luna explains nuzzling Blueberry and kisses her on her forehead. “Don’t worry auntie, you will find your special stallion someday I know it. You are a very special mare like mother is...Look at mother, it took her a long time to find her special stallion...but after she found him she was the happiest alicorn mare she could be she gave birth to us...three ponies that will love you to no end...our dear Aunt Luna.” Blueberry speaks with an unsinkable spirit that infects those around her. “The thing is...I...um...kind of want an alicorn child, someone I can fly with and teach magic to.” Luna comments to herself licking Blueberry on her cheek. “Auntie, remember after breakfast, I want you and your ankle in the palace hospital...to let me exam that ankle of yours better.” Blueberry reminding her aunt Luna. “I will go to the palace hospital Blueberry, I promise.” Luna says crossing her heart with her hoof as she floats a plate of pancakes to Blueberry. She takes hold of the plate with her own magic. “Sometimes giving birth to a plain unicorn is the best gift given to a pure Alicorn mother. For a unicorn can become what you want them to be.” Blueberry says mysteriously walking out of the kitchen, floating the plate of pancakes with her. This leaves her aunt Luna a bit baffled with the comment from her niece. Later that same morning, a pale faced Princess Luna finds herself laying, belly down, on top of a pony sized soft raise platform in a medium sized exam room in the palace hospital. Her stomach is in knots as the room is decorate with the typical pictures you would find in any doctor’s office. After the nurse did the basic examination of Luna, she told her that Blueberry would be with her in a moment as she gulps once. Soon the door to the exam room opens and in walks Blueberry floating a clipboard in a dark blue bubble with the typical medical papers. “Greetings your highness...Let’s see about your ankle...Have you had any trouble walking on it, your highness?” Blueberry inquires reading the papers on the clipboard floating in front of her. “Yes.” Luna says in a tiny voice as Blueberry smiles at her aunt, knowing she’s a bit nervous about going to the doctor, “It’s ok Auntie, I will not hurt you...just between you and me...mother is even worse than you...To get her to come for her routine check-up I have to get the guards to drag mother into the room...She really doesn’t like the check-up, but it has to be done...You pure Alicorns might live forever...but you still can hurt yourself and get sick like a normal pony does...It’s my job to make sure you Alicorns are health and happy.” Blueberry speaks with a soothing voice that relaxes her aunt Luna and her nervousness melts away, “Thank you Blueberry...I am, not nervous anymore.” Luna relaxed as Blueberry smiles and plops down in front of her Aunt Luna as a dark blue magic aura forms around the front right horseshoe of Luna’s hoof. Ever so carefully, Blueberry pops the horseshoe off her Aunt Luna’s hoof leaving it bare. With the shoe removed Blueberry reaches up with her front hoof and begins to exam Luna’s bad ankle. Everytime Blueberry touches the tender part of Luna ankle she winces. “It looks like your ankle is still a bit tender to the touch Auntie..,but if you keep removing your horseshoe like I told you and put ice on it when you are working in your office...you should be fine,” Blueberry explains hugging her aunt as she walks her to the front desk, before she is giving another file that say ‘Twilight sparkle’ on the front of it. “Will do Blueberry, good bye dear...see you at dinner.” Luna said with a smile as she waves good bye to her niece who disappears into exam room two with her next patient. After Luna had dinner with her family in the royal dining room with the exception of her niece Blueberry (who was called away to the Crystal Empire to check on her cousin Princess Cadance because she has been sick for a while) Luna headed to her office to get some royal work done. Instead of working on her paperwork, Luna sits in front of her desk with an ice bag on her ankle sketching many small pictures of baby Alicorns in a small book filled with blank paper. “Such a big wish...but it’s not achievable...” Luna sighed remembering that she and Celestia are the only two pure Alicorns left in Equestria. At that same time, walking by the office, on her way to the royal library to do a little bit of research for a meeting her mother sent her to attend in few days, was a young alicorn mare with the same mane, tail and body color of both Somnus and Blueberry. She even has the same pink band in her hair as the other two. A finely made gold circlet sat on top her head behind her horn. This alicorn mare was the final member of Luna’s royal family. Her name was Princess Aurora Silverlight, the eldest daughter of Luna’s sister Celestia and Luna’s last niece. “Huh?” Aurora exclaimed sensing something was wrong. Behind the office door next to her, she turns and knock a few times. “Come in!” Luna called as Aurora opens the door with her magic and enters the office. “On my way to the royal library Auntie..,I sense that something was troubling you...may I ask you what’s is wrong auntie?” Aurora inquires with a patient voice as a smile forms on her snout and she’s sitting down next to her Aunt Luna, “I wish to have a baby...but not just any baby...a beautiful alicorn baby...I want to teach it to fly and enjoy the sky...I want to teach it to do magic as well.” Luna explains as Aurora gasps followed by her ears dropping as she has no way to help her beloved aunt Luna, “I am sorry auntie you are always there to help one of us...but when you need help I can’t help you...I don’t know how to help you...Please forgive me auntie-I-I have to go.” Aurora upset as she dashes out of the office, losing her gold circlet on her head. “I’m so sorry my dear Aurora...I didn’t mean to make you that upset.” Luna is sadden as she floats her niece’s gold circlet into her front hoofs hugging it tightly to her chest as small tear roll down her cheeks splashing on an artifact in her hoofs. Slowly her moderate cyan colored eyes close as she lays her head down to sleep.