At the next morning Luna yawned, stretched herself and formed a small U with her tiny body. The little filly blinked and looked around. For a short moment, she was not sure, where she was. But then she recogniced the dark flank, against which she was leaning. Luna looked up and spotted the dark ravenfeathers of Nightmare Moon's wing.
I am in the Everfree Forest and Moonie is looking after me. She was wondering, if Celestia actually had realized she was gone. Probably. Had her big sister started to search for her? Probably as well. But now Moonie was there to watch her so Luna did not need to worry that much.
She yawned again and crawled out of the wing. Luna stood up. From the rock, on which Nightmare Moon slept, the filly could see almost the whole Everfree Forest. A giantic sea of green trees. Their leaves danced in the wind, forming waves. The sun shone and clouds were slowly moving over the blue sky. Luna knew, that in the Everfree another physic was working. The animals looked after themselves, the plants grow on themselves and the clouds moved on their own. They did not needed the wind caused by the wings of the pegasus.
Luna turned around and walked back to Nightmare Moon. The dark mare was still sleeping. The little filly stopped and looked at the long, small muzzle. She carefully lifted a hoof and moved the lips apart to see the theet. She did not knew, what fascinated her so much about Nightmare Moon's fangs. Luna had never seen a horse with such sharp theet.
They were as white as bone's, paled by the sun. Salvia danced between the sharp edges and her flesh shimmered darkred. Luna's eyes were wide in amazement. How does it happen, she has such theet? What is she eating? Cakes, bred, cookies and fruits like me? Or meat? Luna did not knew the answer.
But she felt something hurting inside of her. A sharp pain in the stomach. As if her organs were twisting and forming knots. Luna whimpered and pressed her hoof against her belly. Ouch! The pain did not stopped. Instead a new sound came to it. A gurgling and grumbling. I am hungry. It hurt so much. Where was the kleinmaid, who always brought the meals? Where was she, when one needed her?
Luna started to pat against Nightmare Moon's neck. „Moony“, she whined, „Moony, wake up!“ The dark mare grumbled and turned her head away. Luna pouted and climbed on her back. „Moony, wake up!“, she begged, howling. The filly snatched her babysitter's ear and started to pull. „Wake up.“
Nightmare Moon's head suddenley yerked upwards. She let out a shout of pain. Luna laughed happily and fall of her back. „Yay, you are awoken!“, she called.
Nightmare Moon whirled around. Her mane and tail danced around her like the mist in a storm. Her eyes were narrowed. „Don't you dare to wake me like this again, cub!“, she roared, which caused Luna to flinch, „What were you thinking?“
Luna sat down and made a half shocked, half angry face. „I am hungry!“, she brusted out, „I want to eat something.“ Tears filled her eyes. „I have not eaten anything since I came to the forest.“ By instinct the filly stumbled to Nightmare Moon's hindlegs and snapped after the tits. She was a filly after all and the simplest source of energy for a foal was the milk of its mother.
Nightmare Moon gasped in shock. „How dare you?`“ Her hoof went forwards and she pushed Luna aside. The blue mare stumbled backwards and started to cry. Her high-pitched whimpers and whines filled the air. That is not fair! She was hungry. Now not only her stomach hurt, but her side as well. Why had Moonie threaten her that way? All she wanted was milk. Thick, sweet milk, that tasted like honey.
„Moony!“, Luna cried, „You promised to look after me. I am hungry. I want something to eat. I want it now.“
Nightmare Moon pressed her ears on her head. She looked away. Her brow furrowed and twitched. „Fine!“, she shouted in frustration, „I am going to find you some food.“ Nightmare Moon flapped her wings and pushed her snout against Luna's flank. „But you will go on your own.“
Luna nodded. Although her hunger made her stomach hurt and twist, she decided to walk in front of the dark mare. She did not dare to mention it, but this short outbrust of anger had scared her. Celestia was so different from Nightmare Moon. Her big sister sure got angry from time to time, but she never let her emotion got the best of her.
***
Nightmare Moon looked around from something, that might be a good meal to fill a little filly's stomach. She did not want to search for food twice. The dark mare was not hungry. She sure could eat everyday food, even meat, but she usually just took what she needed from souls of ponies. Not that she would tell this Luna.
The little filly was walking around and spotted a bush. A few berries hang there. Luna's eyes widened happily. Yummy! She walked to it and opened her mouth to take a bite. Nightmare Moon's eyes widened. She dashed forwards and grabbed Luna by her neck. What?! The filly squeezed and struggled.
Nightmare dropped Luna in the gras. „Listen, cub. Not everything in this forest is healthy. Those berries are so toxic, that someponies call the Deathberries. Even one of them could kill you already“, the mare growled, „Has your big sister never told you to never eat something you do not know?“
Luna looked down and rubbed her shoulder nervously. „I am sorry, Moonie“, she said, „I was not thinking.“ Behind her she heard the crack of a branch. Huh? Curiously the little filly turned around. An apple had just fall from his tree. It was a strange apple. Rather colourful like a rainbow. He looks so tasty.
Luna was about to rush to this fruit, but then she remembered Nightmare's sharp outbrust. A quick glance towards the dark mare, who simply nodded. „Yahoo!“ Happily Luna bounced towards the apple to take it. Oh, how much she would enjoy the juicy and aromatic flesh! This fruit would stop her rumbling stomach.
Suddenley the leaves rustled. Luna gasped in shock, when a big, ugly thing came out of the bushes. It looked like a dog, but it had long legs, big paws and dirty claws. Its snout was short and wrinkled. „Oh, what a nice threat.“ And with these words the dog took the apple and made a run for it.
„Hey, my apple!“, shouted Luna. It was amazing, how fast one could run, if your motivation (or hunger) was big enough. The filly sprinted after the dog. She ducked beneath deep hanging branches and jumped over roots. Her legs moved fast. And although Luna did her best and ran, until the air burnt in her throath, the dog had been faster.
Their crazy chase stopped all of a sudden as the dog jumped into a deep hole. Luna had so much speech, she almost fall into the hole as well. She yelled in shock as her hooves left the save ground. Again Nightmare Moon saved her neck. Literally. The mare digged her theet into the blue, fuzzy mane and hold Luna's neck carefully, while her wings kept her in the air.
The dark mare slowly landed on the dry, muddy gras in front of the hole. She softly dropped Luna. The filly turned around. „No apple?“, she asked sadly and her ears went back. The filly flinched and ducked down as Nightmare Moon rested her eyes on her. She looked so mad. Did I do something wrong again? Luna whimpered a sorry.
But Nightmare Moon simply replied: „This ruffian won't get away with this! I am not in the mood for searching for another apple. But I am in the mood to get your apple back and give this Diamond Dog a nice state of fright.“ She chuckled darkly. Salvia dropped from her yaws, dancing between her fangs. She licked her lips and caught some wet drops.
Luna asked: „You want to punish the dogs?“ Her ears went up. She sat upwards and looked at Moonie curiously.
Nightmare Moon hissed: „Oh, yes.“ She softly nuzzled the blue filly. „Cub, do you want to play a bad prank on those dogs and in return get the apple back?“
Luna smiled and nodded eagerly. This sounds like a funny game! „Yes!“, she called.
***
The Diamond Dog was slowly climbing down the steps, that were hammering in the walls. He was surrounded by the darkness, one could only find deep down in the earth's womb. Black stones, dry ground and the air was thick and dusty. It scratched his lounges. But the dog was used to it. He had been living in the earth's deepths, scince he had been a little puppy.
The Diamond Dog reached the last rung. He jumped on the ground. The dog stood up. He looked at the apple in his paw. The colours of a rainbow. The zap apples were a really rare fruit and they only grew in the Everfree Forest. The diamond dog was happy to get one of the these fruits. Digging after diamonds all the time could be exhausting! But it was worth it. All the wonderful, shimmering, colourful, precious gems!
The Diamond Dog slowly walked deeper into the caves. They were not just natural ones, but also tunnles, which had been digged by his kind, to connected them. A huge system under earth, so they could reach every spot.
As he entered the main cave, he spotted several other dogs. Two of them were standing there and watched the others, who sniffed and digged. Often they did not found a thing. But every now and then a pair of dogs got lucky and they found some gems. Mostly they were pretty small, but still beautiful.
The work was hard and exhausting. The fur of the dogs was smelly or even stank, but the animals were used to the sharp, disgusting, strong scent. They inhered it with every breath, scince their birth.
„Where have you been, Lupus?“, snapped one of the dogs, who just stood there. He was pretty small, had brown fur and long ears.
Lupus cleaned the apple on his smelly coat. He explained: „I had been hungry and I tried to find something to eat. I found this zap apple. It looks nice and...“
A loud shout made them look around. One of the dogs had found something. Heh? Lupus lifted his head. He came closer. Also the other dogs followed. They formed a circle around the hole. The dog had found a big, blue diamond. „How beautiful“, Lupus whispered. The gem could be nice in his pocket. He stuffed the apple into his bag.
As the dogs looked again at the gem stone, something weird happened. A blue aura surrounded the precious object, which slowly started to raise from the ground. All Diamond Dogs stared at it. The gem swang from one side to the other, all eyes following it. The faces of the animals looked weird, almost dull, as if they were in a trance.
Slowly the stone started to move. It flew out of its hole and the cave. The dogs looked at one another. „I want it!“, shouted Lupus and he started sprinting.
Behind him the others howled. „We want it as well!“ The thunder of paws. Lupus caught a glance backwards. The other Diamond Dogs were following him. Their greedy eyes were narrowed and salvia dropped from their hanging lips.
„My stone, my stone, my stone!“, barked Lupus. The gem made a drive around the next corner. Lupus whirled around, gasped in surprise and stopped. Behind him one could her crashing and whimpering sounds as the other Diamond Dogs ran into one another and formed a ridicolous high pile.
In the small alley in front of them sat a small, blue filly. It had a unicorn horn and two pegasus wings, with which it flapped joyfully. But more important: It's hooves were holding the gemstone. Alright! I've got it now. Lupus hit his fist in his paw and growled low and dangerously silent. The filly looked upwards. Its blue eyes went wide and it put its ears back in shock.
„Hello, little pony“, grumbled Lupus as he and his comerads came closer. He picked the apple and lifted his paws. With bared fangs and dirty claws the dogs barked and howled. The filly placed the stone behind itself and walked backwards. The dogs grinned as they came closer. Taking this gemstone will be as easy as taking rattles from a baby.
Suddenley a calm, clear, cold voice could be heard. It sang to a threatening melodie. „Nightmare Night.....“
The dogs stopped. „Eh, Lupus?“, one of them said sheepish and gulped.
The other dogs looked around as well, furs bristled. They clung to one another as the phrase continued: „....what a fright....“
Lupus narrowed his eyes. He tried to figure out what was going one. Something was moving behind the filly. Something large. Lupus barked in the hope to scare whatever was there away. The other dogs were shuddering. They too watched in horror as the creature approached.
„Give me something sweet to BITE!“ All Diamond Dogs yelled in terror and ran away, as a dark mare in a silvery armour jumped out of the shadows. She was rising to her hindlegs, her fog-like mane and tail, swirled around her. Lightning danced around her body and with a evil laugh she bared sharp fangs. The sight was threathening.
Lupus shrieked: „By Canis Dirus!“ He dropped the zap apple and ran away, his long arms over his head. „Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!“ Faster then a dirty moul confronted with shampoo, he was around the corner and disappeared somewhere in the tunnles.
Nightmare Moon landed on her front legs and laughed quietly and gleefully. Her head danced from side to side like the one of a snake and she sneekered. Now that was really amusing. The dark mare liked to make a prank every now and then. It gave her some enjoyment in life.
Nightmare turned her head to Luna. The filly laid on her back, roaring with laughter. Her hindlegs kicked the air and she pressed her hooves on her mouth and belly. „I've never seen a dog, running that fast“, she stammered.
Nightmare Moon nodded and added: „I doubt, they will ever try to steal an apple again.“
„You are right.“ Luna sat up. The zap apple still laid there, untouched. Its colourful shell glowed in the darkness. Luna bunced towards the apple. The blue filly picked up the fruit and took a huge bite. A loud crack could be heard. Way too loud for an ordinary bite. Besides, was that a roar?
Nightmare Moon looked around nervously. Her wings flapped. The mane and tail danced around. „Tell me, that has been you, cub!“, she impressed her caution unto Luna.
The filly slowly lowered her hoof, which was holding the apple. „No“, she answered quietly.
Another growl could be heard right behind them. Startled Nightmare Moon whirled around. Two big, yellow eyes stared at them. Slowly the giantic lizard creeped out of the shadows. It opened its maw and roared. And as it did so, a big pair of wings opened. Nightmare panted in shock. By the crime that born me! They stared straight at a fully-grown dragon.