//------------------------------//
// Mare in the Moon 
// Story: Karateka 
// by Karateka12 
//------------------------------//

	“Karateka!” Digit Crunch called through the empty house made of clouds. When she got no reply, the pink pegasus snorted and turned to her husband, sitting at the table, computer open in front of him, tablet in hoof. “Can you believe that filly, Mangaka? Where is she this time?”
Mangaka, a lavender pegasus with a black mane and tail looked up from his work. “Celestia has lowered the sun. Where do you think our daughter is?” He pointed his hoof toward the window where their daughter Karateka could be seen sitting on a lone cloud a few yards away. 
“Again?” Digit moaned, trotting to the window and staring at the violet pegasus seated under the moonlight. “That’s the fourth time this week! It’s no wonder she’s tired all the time...she stays up all night...just...Talking to herself!!!”
“Not talking to herself.” Mangaka corrected, looking up from the panels he was inking. “Talking to the Mare in the Moon.”
“Oh, come on,” Digit groaned exasperatedly, turning away from the window. “You and I both know there is no such thing. Just like Santa Hooves and the Tooth Filly, just an old pony’s tale.” She paced in front of her husband. “Yet she has it stuck in her head that this entity exists....It drives me near to madness! Why must our daughter be so...Weird?!”
“Why such harsh words, Digit, dear...?” Mangaka asked setting his stylus down on the table. “Despite her...quirks, she is still our daughter.”
“Don’t play innocent with me.” Digit snapped looking up at him. “You feel the same way. That filly hasn’t made any friends to my knowledge at any point in her lifetime. And I guarantee you, it’s because she insists on the existence of fictional characters! She’s insane! I know it! This obsession is hampering her maturity! She hasn’t even gotten her cutie-mark yet!”
Mangaka stood up and walked over to her. “Calm down, calm down. I understand you’re frustrated, but what can we do? We’ve tried everything we could to help her find her special talent, but thus far, nothing’s worked. You and I both know she has to find it on her own.”
“Manga, if we don’t do something, her special talent is going to be in insanity!!! Do you want that for your daughter? Do you want to be the father of the filly with madness for a cutie mark?! She’s a yearling already...And all she does is sleep all day and sit up all night talking to herself! It is not healthy!”
“Digit, just don’t to anything rash. You know where she would end up if anyone found out...”
“I know...” Digit replied with a sight, walking toward the door. “Karateka!!!” She called out into the darkness. “Come in here this instant!”
The violet pegasus spread her wings and flew back to her parent’s house. She landed on the soft grey cloud and her black forelock fell back over her left eye. “What mom?”
“What have I told you about sitting outside in the dark? What’s more, talking to things that don’t exist.” Digit asked, pushing her daughter’s forelock out of her eyes and behind her ear. “Also, stop wearing your mane like that. You won’t be able to fly straight if you can’t see. 
Karateka didn’t say a word, but waited for her dam to turn around before tossing her mane and letting her forelock fall back in it’s place. 
“Now, get to your stall and go to bed.” Digit continued. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”
“It’s just after midnight...on the longest night of the year.” Karateka replied, a snap in her voice.
“Exactly.” Digit snapped back. “You were so tired this afternoon, it’s a wonder you haven’t put yourself to bed.”
“I’m not tired anymore.” Karateka mumbled. 
“Oh, is that so? Did you have an energy drink again? You know how I feel about those things.” 
“Mom! You treat me like I’m a foal! I’m not a baby anymore!”
“No, and you’re not a mare either, Karateka. You are a yearling! A yearling that has NOT earned their cutie mark yet, may I add!!!”
Karateka rolled her eyes, mumbling, “Oh, Celestia, here we go again...”
“How do you expect to make your way in the world without a talent? What, are you just going to feed off the society like a parasite? Never having anything to offer just living your miserable life feeding off everyone else, like you have for you’re whole life?!!!”
“Digit Crunch, I think you had better calm down.” Mangaka said, stepping foreword. 
“Where have I gone wrong, Karateka?!” Digit raged on, ignoring her husband. “What do I have to do to get you to get off your flank and do something for a change?!! I’ve tried to mold you into a decent citizen of Equestria but what do you do? You read fairy tales and talk to your imaginary friends!! By Celestia, you can’t even move a cloud right! Do you want to end up like your grand-dam?  Is that what your trying to do?!!! Get your act together, young filly. Actually do something with your life! I won’t be bailing you out like I bailed out my mother all the time!”
“What? You think I don’t WANT to have my cutie mark?” Karateka snapped, her tail lashing up and down. She stomped a hoof. “Do you know how much mockery I have endured, just because of this stupid destiny thing? I know I’m worthless, and I don’t need you reminding me!” She galloped off. Finally reaching her stall, she slammed the door. Her chest heaved up and down with rage as the last strand of patience in her adolescent brain finally burst. With hot tears rolling down the purple fur on her cheeks she let out a scream and kicked with both hind legs at the desk that sat in her room. The cloud structure broke apart on impact and was enveloped in the cloud of the floor and the wall, making an unshaped lumpy mass. Karateka stomped on it some more until the whole room was a haze filled with the gaseous precipitation the yearling had stirred up. She walked over to her window, hanging her head and front legs out, and dropped her face into her hooves sobbing in frustration until she had no more tears to give. She pulled her face out of her hooves and stared up into the sky at the moon shining back down on her. The vague image of a unicorn cast in the shadow made her feel a little better. “You’re misunderstood too, aren’t you?” Karateka sighed. “It’s days like this that I wonder if we’re the only ponies who understand each other...”
Mangaka knocked and opened the door to his daughter’s room a few hours later. By now Karateka was laying on her bed staring off into space. Still fuming, her sire was not the person she wanted to see. 
“I see we’re going to have to call the cloud-shapers again.” Mangaka asked after a pause, seeing the misshapen lump on the floor where his daughter’s desk was supposed to be. “You know, calling them every time you get angry is not a cheap way of letting out your frustration. I may start having to have YOU pay for each repair.”
“Just leave it, I don’t even care anymore.” Karateka snorted monotonously.  
“Can we talk?”
“I don’t have a choice in the matter.”
“May I sit down?” 
“Do what you want.”
Mangaka sat down at the foot of Karateka’s bed. The two were silent for a while, then Mangaka spoke. “You know, you’re the only person that really gets your dam so riled up.”
“Yes, that is a special talent I do seem to have, isn’t it.” Karateka replied dully. “Though why I haven’t my cutie mark in arguing yet, I have yet to find out.” 
“You and she do seem to butt heads a lot, don’t you.” Mangaka chuckled. “You obviously got your stubborn streak from her...I’ll be the first to admit, your mother isn’t always the easiest to live with.” He paused. “Though, I do believe you do owe your dam an apology.”
Karateka sprung up, looking at her sire with a mixture of anger and betrayal. “Me owe HER an apology?!”
“Yes.” Mangaka replied, “She’s pretty torn up out there, I had a bit of a hard time keeping her contained.”
“ME owe HER and APOLOGY?!!” Karateka asked again, a little louder. “She’s the one that started the whole thing!!! Did you even hear her? She called me worthless!”
“No, she never called you worthless; you called yourself that,” her father continued. “And I assure you, the thought never crossed either of our minds. We both love you very much and just want you to be happy.”
“No. You don’t want me to be happy; you want me to be what you think is best.”
“Sometimes it may not look like what we’re saying is the best path, but when your in the thick of a problem you sometimes can’t see all the solutions.”
“I can see well enough to see that your solutions aren’t working either.”
“Karateka, I don’t want to start an argument with you. But I do want you to go apologize to your dam.”
“Why?! If anything, I deserve the apology!” Karateka snapped back, pinning her ears.
“Neither of us appreciate this recent attitude that you’ve taken with us.” Her father replied, his voice deepening. “You know your mother had a hard life before she married me. She doesn’t want you to become irresponsible and a slacker letting everypony else do everything for you, waiting on you hoof and foot because you were too lazy to do anything for yourself, as her dam and brother were. She’s just trying to look out for you. So please go apologize to her.”
Karateka snorted. 
“NOW, young mare.”
Karateka gritted her teeth and stifled a groan and pushed herself off the bed. Tears of anger again burning in her eyes, she walked with stiff legs to fulfill her sire’s order.
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“All right, class, have a good weekend. Remember to read up on the sections about the Draconequuus in your book on Equestrian History; there will be a quiz on Monday.” Miss Starsong called over the clamor of the class. All the young pegasi stood up and rustled to get out of the room. “Karateka, I’d like to see you at my desk please if you have a moment.” 
“Blank flank handing in Blank papers again?” A blue pegasus with an orenge mane and tail taunted.
“Shut up, Water Fire.” Karateka growled, as she stood up and stalked to the teachers desk. The rest of the ponies filed out, and Starsong turned her attention back to the young purple Pegasus. She pulled out a piece of paper, doodles lining the edges. “Would you mind telling me what this is?”
When Karateka didn’t answer, Starsong continued, pointing to the letter grade written in red ink at the top of the paper. “Karateka, this is the third D in a month. Last year your teachers were raving about you. What went wrong?”
Again, Karateka didn’t answer. Starsong sighed. “You can’t continue like this. You’re failing in every subject! What is wrong? Are the classes going to fast for you?”
“No.” Karateka replied quietly.
“Then tell me? What is the issue? How can I help you succeed?”
Karateka didn’t say anything. Starsong looked back to the quiz. “Well, perhaps we can learn something from these doodles...” She looked them all over, then looked back up at the purple pegasus. “These are all the cutie marks of the foals in this class.” Karateka looked away. “Is this the issue, Karateka? The fact that you don’t have a cutie mark?”
Karateka’s ears pulled back, the only clue of affirmation. Starsong clopped her hoof onto the table. “You can’t let this issue distract you so much. This was an easy test, you should have had it in the bag. You were the only pony to get a grade less than a B! Have you talked to your parents about this issue you’re having?”
Karateka shot a hard cold glare. “Oh like they’re going to help. They’re just as, if not more, frustrated about it than me!!!”
“Well, either you will have to talk to them or I will. But something must be done. They are going to find out sooner or later that you’re failing this grade.”
“Can’t I do something for extra credit? I’ll stay late every day! I’ll do all you’re errands! Anything! Just don’t tell my parents!”
“Karateka, you know I cannot in good conscience let you do that. Just bring your grade up, and we’ll call it good. But one more grade lower than a C+, and I will have to talk to your parents.”
Karateka was silent for a long time. “Are we done.”
“Yes. We are done. You may go.”
Karateka stood up, swinging her saddlebag over her hindquarters. She made her way toward the door before Starsong called out again. “Karateka, one more thing.”
“What now.”
“A word of advice. If you want to bring your grade up, I suggest you stay awake for the whole lecture. Going to bed at a reasonable time should help.”
“Good to know.” Karateka mumbled sarcastically, poising her wings and flapping out of the classroom. 
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“It’s been a month since I’ve seen your whole face, hasn’t it?” Karateka whispered up into the dark sky. The full moon beamed down upon her the silhouette of the magical mythical mare more distinct than ever, and to Karateka, feeling even more alive. She plopped her hindquarters down on the small dark cloud, letting out a poof of frozen white raindrops under her weight. Karateka shivered. “Winter is coming again.” She continued. “I’ve heard that the ponies down on earth love it...with the snow and all, but I don’t go down there much, so I really wouldn’t know what it’s like. I personally don’t like winter. I mean, it’s cold up here all the time, but come Winter, it gets even colder....”
“Karateka, what are you doing outside? You’re going to freeze to death. You still have your summer coat!” Her mother suddenly called from the house. 
“Mom! I’m fine! Lay off, would you? The full moon only comes once a month! Can’t you just let me enjoy it for once?”
“Are you talking to yourself again?!” Digit Crunch whinnied.
“I’m NOT talking to myself, Mom, I’m talking to the Mare in the Moon!”
“Young filly, what have I told you over and over and over again?! I’m beginning to sound like a broken record! There is no such thing as the Mare in the Moon!”
“Yes there is!” Karateka shot back, standing up and taking a stance toward her mother. “We just learned about her in Equestrian History! Princess Celestia banished the mare to the moon 1000 years ago!”
“Oh yes, 1000 years ago. Sure.” Digit Crunch shook her head. “Karateka, nopony can live on the moon. You’re a fool to believe that stupid legend.” She tossed her head back toward the house. “Now get your flank in here. It’s a school night. You know that.”
“Mom, it’s 9:00 o’clock!”
“Plenty late enough for you to have talked to your imaginary friend.” Digit shot back coldly. “Come on, Karateka, don’t make me ask twice. Besides, you know how tired you are in the morning. What you need is more sleep. Not more caffeine.”
Karateka sighed. “Sorry, Mare...I’m going to have to cut our meeting short.” She spread her wings and glided across the dark abyss to where her mother stood in the doorway waiting for her. 
****************************************************************************************************
Karateka galloped across the cloud floor toward the living room, book in mouth. She burst into the room where her parents were seated, her mother paying bills and creating the budget and her father working. She dropped the book to the floor, causing both of them to stop what they were doing and look at her. 
“Karateka, what are you still doing up?” Mangaka asked, setting his stylus down, as Karateka bent her head, rustling through the pages. Finally she stomped her hoof onto one.
“There. Proof.” She snorted defiantly. “ ‘Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon from Equestria after the evil mare had tried to overthrow her throne. It is said that after this, the lunar formation, commonly called the Mare in the Moon appeared.’” She stomped her hoof again. “There. Proof.”
“Young filly, watch your tongue.” Her father snapped. “You know the punishment for treason!” 
“I don’t care! It’s the truth is it not?” Karateka slammed the book shut. “And whatpony said anything about being treasonous? I’m loyal to the princess.”
“Your behavior is speaking louder than your words, Karateka.” Digit Crunch growled. “You almost worship this mare in the moon, but I don’t ever see you honor the princess who supposedly put her there to protect all of Equestria!”
“Just because I’m interested in the truth does not make me a traitor!” Karateka shot back.
Mangaka stood up and walked over to the window, where he simply stood with his eyes closed. Finally he opened them. “Get out.” He growled. Karateka was stunned for a moment and didn’t move. Mangaka looked over his shoulder at her. “Get out.” He growled again. “I’ve tried to be a loving father, I’ve tried to guide you down the right path, but I can’t try to yank around a stubborn mule forever! Increasingly you have done nothing but strew disharmony throughout this house. You are a disgrace to your dam and me. Leave.” He opened the door. Still, Karateka did not move a muscle. “You heard me!” He screamed, rearing up on his hind hooves. He slammed back to the floor so hard the cloud shook. “I will not be known as the father of the filly that committed treason! I disown you; Get out. NOW!!!”
Karateka felt numb and dizzy as she moved her front foot off the book and foreword onto the cloud floor, then her back foot, then her other front.... She stopped and looked at her mother. She had the same look of anger and disappointment that her father had. “You heard him.” She said calmly, though her voice had an edge like a broken shard of glass. Karateka continued to place one hoof down, then the next, little puffs of cloud swirling up under each hoof-step. Finally Karateka found herself out the door and on the edge of the cloud. She looked back, not entirely believing what was happening. Her parents stood in the doorway, watching. Karateka spread her wings, then paused, looking back again. Mangaka snorted, lowering his head and pawing the floor. His tail snapped against his hind legs with the velocity of a bull-whip. Karateka pushed the tears from her eyes and leaped from the cloud. Though her wings carried her, she felt as heavy as a rock and her body plummeted to the hard ground below.
****************************************************************************************************
Karateka galloped hard over the desolate field. The course grass grew over the plain as far as anypony could see. Karateka had hit the ground without the grace or coordination a pegasus in her right mind would have, plus, the rocky terrain covered in coarse woody grass was not nearly as soft as the clouds she was used to landing on. However, despite her rough landing leaving her a little worse for wear, Karateka pulled herself up and ran. All the energy she had left, she just ran. She ran until her lungs burned so badly she began to feel lightheaded. Only then did she slow, finally coming to a stop. The clouds above had broken, letting down the beaming moonlight, as the Mare in the Moon glared down at her. That’s when the tears started. Her lungs felt so tight she vaguely feared she might suffocate. Tears pored down her long horse-face in a flash flood of salt water. Karateka managed to gasp a single breath but after doing so, that only caused another tidal wave of tears to cascade down her fur. She choked another breath and pulled her head up to look at the moon above her. “Why did you let this happen?!” She screamed in rage, more tears pouring down her face. “Why couldn’t you help me?! Why couldn’t you be real?!” She sobbed again. “Why couldn’t I just be a normal filly! The normal foal my parents wanted?” She screamed and thrashed her legs about, but in the emptiness her hooves found nothing to break. Without the satisfying crack of contact the filly’s anger boiled hotter. She screamed again, her voice resonating over the empty hills echoing back at her, reminding me she was alone. No pony cared about her. Not a single soul under heaven gave a whoop if she lived or died. Even the only thing in the world that gave her solace felt void and dead. With no release for her fury of emotions, she extended her wings and began yanking out her feathers with her mouth and smashing her wings against the rocky ground. In pain and anger her knees buckled and she collapsed onto her side, more tears streaming out of her eyes. Her wings were now ragged and twisted at odd painful angles. Broken violet feathers lay strewn around her in the moonlight. Her sedation lasted only a moment. The breeze blew over the vast open landscape and reminded Karateka that she was now alone in the world, driving her again to madness. Gritting her teeth and pushing more tears from her eyes, Karateka rolled over onto her stomach and stood up. Her wings useless now, she made her way slowly toward the edge of the canyon that the earth ponies called Galloping Gorge. She looked down into the deep crack in the earth. It was probably a mile deep, with uneven sides and sharp rocks at the very bottom. A pony wouldn’t survive a fall. Karateka looked up again at the moon and the silhouette of the mare. “Why did you let this happen to me!?” She called up to no pony. The moon felt as lifeless as ever. “WHY CAN’T YOU HELP ME?!” She screamed. “WHY CAN’T ANY PONY IN THIS FORSAKEN LAND HELP ME?!!!” Tears rained from her eyes, her chest heaving in despair as she stared at the lifeless shadow out in space. Vaguely through the blur of her tears, she thought she saw it blink, but ignored it. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. “Of course you can’t hear me.” She continued, lowering her voice. “Your not alive. Just another lie, like everything else in my life. A lie. Family is a lie, Friendship is a lie...” She cast a glance back at her hindquarters, still void of purpose. “Destiny is a lie... The only thing real; the only thing any pony can count on, is death.” She took a small step forward. “And that’s the only destiny I will ever need.” Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a bright light which Karateka could see even through her closed eyelids. She turned around quickly to see what it was, but the light blinded her already swollen and irritated eyes. She held her fetlock to her face, trying to shield some of the brilliant light. 
“Greetings to thee, young pony.”
Karateka lowered her hoof from her face and looked up to see another standing there. Blue fur covered the long slender body of the pony, at least 15 hands tall. On her hooves she wore crystal horseshoes that came up to the middle of her fetlock. Around her neck she wore an onyx collar, adorned with a crescent moon made of mother-of pearl. Her wings were longer than anypony’s Karateka had ever seen. Her strong slender neck was cloaked with a flowing blue and black mane that sparkled like the stars under the moonlight. Her ears were long and perfectly shaped. In front of them sat a crown made of pure onyx. In the center of her forehead sprouted a long unicorn’s horn. Karateka glanced back up at the moon. The mare’s silhouette was gone.
“T--The Mare in the Moon...” Karateka managed to sputter out.
“Princess Luna will suffice.” The alicorn replied.
“P-princess....?” Karateka muttered again.
“T’is thou who enjoys this time of day as much as we, and spends many an hour making conversation with us during the long watches of the night.” Princess Luna went on gently. Karateka remained speechless. “We have heard thy cries this night and have come to offer our assistance and friendship in this, thy dire time of need.” 
A light snow began to fall, and Karateka remained silent. Suddenly, she pulled her ears and stepped back. “No Princess....you’re too late...I’m not worth it...”
Luna stepped toward her. “Young one, you must not speak as such. No pony is worthless...and much less you.”
“Stay back...!”Karateka warned, stepping back again as Luna continued to advance, beginning to get a little hysterical. The edge of her hind hoof slipped off the edge of the canyon kicking a number of loose pebbles off the edge and into the abyss. “You can’t....I’m not....No....!” Tears began to pour from her eye’s once more. Luna gently reached out her neck and stroked Karateka’s forehead with her velvety blue nose. Karateka whinnied and shied away. “N--no...get away from me...just leave me alone...let me die....!!!” she sobbed through her waves of tears. “Where were you when I needed you?!!! Now you’re too late!”
Luna didn’t make any reply to the young pegasus, merely bent her head and touched Karateka ever so gently with the tip of her horn. “Peace....” At her words, Karateka felt weakness come over her. Hey eyes began to feel heavy, then finally closed. Her front knees buckled underneath her and she fell into the light powdering of freshly laid snow. 
Luna slowly walked over to the violet pegasus. Using a combination of her magic and physical effort, she pulled Karateka’s limp body onto her back. Finally, she stood up and, with Karateka in tow, made her way back to Canterlot.