//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Lullay Moon Princess // by Queen Sanguine Dreams //------------------------------// In a rural village, far in the frozen north past the Crystal Empire, sat a lone colt. He was not cold, as his fur was thick and he was dressed for such weather in the first place. This colt had no name. This colt was a Thestral; A bat winged pegasus with slit pupils and inch long fangs. His ears were fluffy like the rest of his body, and the cold gave him little bother. What he was interested in, was the night sky. To be specific, the large orb of the moon that shone like the sun on their snow covered village. This light allowed the nocturnal Thestrals to go about their night with casual ease. What troubled this colt, is he had not learned what his special talent was. He had stayed up all day just thinking about it. He wasn't good at trapping, nor gathering. He wasn't a grand storyteller, nor a good skinner. He held a cup of rapidly cooling hot chocolate in his hooves, sitting on a balcony and staring at the shining stars of the night. He couldn't stay awake for much longer, so he decided to go inside and take a nap. Maybe he could find his talent while he slept. In one last bid to fate, he silently asked the moon itself for guidance. ***** Princess Luna, Co-Ruler of Equestria and Guardian of the Moon and Night, was dreamwalking. It was her duty to ensure her subjects slumbered peacefully. She was also responsible for control of the moon's orbit around Equis. She took more joy in helping her subjects find restful sleep, however. On this night, she found something out of the ordinary. A new door into the dreamscape had appeared. Normally this would be no cause for concern; foals were born all the time, and she had seen many doors fade with time. What set this door apart, however, was that it called to her. She had never seen a door like this before. Grey and blue in coloration; bat wings on the door's center. There was also no cutie mark. Curious... Luna entered the dreamer's mind, looking for its host. She found a colt staring up at a distorted recreation of her moon. Most dreams took on a hazed quality to them; unfocused or non existant wherever the dreamer wasn't looking. Luna stood next to this colt, observing him. The colt was tall as her shin. Grey in coat, dark grey with a stripe of blue running down his mane and tail. His pupils were slit with yellow coloration and his mouth held fangs. He did not seem to be a monster, though Luna decided it wouldn't hurt to ask. "Pardon, dreamer," Luna softly began, "Dost thou have a name?" The colt's focus shifted slowly to Luna, as if he was underwater. "No." He stated simply. The moon was gone now. Luna and the dreamer stood on snowy ground that wisped like fog in an ethereal breeze. Luna was curious. Every foal was named, so why was this one exempt? Did they not have parents to name him? "Dreamer, We must inquire." "Okay." "Why dost thou have no name to call thy own?" "No cutie mark." Luna's brow furrowed in thought. Surely this foal would be named regardless of a cutie mark... "Dost thou wish a name?" Luna suddenly asked. The colt's eyes sparkled with hope as he smiled to Luna, his fangs causing her some mild unease. "I would wish that very much!" Luna thought a moment before her horn lit up with a soft blue. She blinked once as her spell ended. "Very well. We will arrive in three night's time. Inform thy elders." She stated, and left the colt's dream. ***** The colt jolted awake, nearly spilling his chilled Cocoa. He wasn't too concerned about the beverage as he lept over the small counter and rushed out into the freezing winds of his mountain village. He had to tell the Elders immediately! An alicorn was coming to the town, and they had to be ready. He burst through the town hall door, fighting the wind as he ran to the other side of the door amd forced it shut before any more cold could be let in. The room was more like a large dining hall than a beurocratic office. Skinned rugs covered the floor and the walls were decorated with crude paintings depicting the history of the village. There were no candles to light the inside, as the thestrals had no need for them. If you can see in the dark, why buy a light? The elders of the village sat next to a large fire in the center of the hall. They had blankets of fur over them to fight back the chills they were prone to in their increased age. They noticed the colt come into the hall, and patiently waited as his muffled hoofsteps drew closer. "What brings you here, colt?" Asked a mare with a soft and kind voice, leaning forward in her chair to get a better look at the newcomer. The colt hurried in, nervous at the attention of so many but determined to deliver his news. "Elders, I have a message from an alicorn that appeared in my dreams!" He eagerly chirped, his voice higher pitched than a 'regular' equine his age. The elder mare sat back in her chair, giving amused looks to her fellows. "Oh? And what would this message be, young one?" "She said to expect her arrival in three days. She's going to name me!" He shook with barely contained excitement. The elder was amused, but decided to humor the colt. "Very well, we will prepare for this Alicorn. But, on the chance that you are lying, you must offer three days of service to everybatty in the village if you are wrong." The colt locked up with nervousness at the decision, but shook his head clear of doubts and smiled. "I'm sure she'll come! Thank you Elders!" He quickly bowed, and bolted out of the room in excited anticipation. "Are we sure this was more than a dream?" A bearded elder asked, his voice raspy from lack of use. "Even if this turns to be nothing more than an excited colt telling stories, it will provide a good occasion to gather our people and rejoice in a feast all the same." The elder mare smiled, content with her decision. ***** Three Days Later ***** Princess Luna was accompanied by four strong Pegasus of the Solar Guard. Their armor enchanted their coats to a pure white, contrasting the deep blue and blacks of the Princess and her winter gear. The guards were not bothered by the altitude or the weather, having dealt with far worse conditions that a breezy mountaintop. Not that they would allow any discomfort to be seen by the Princess of the Night anyway. Luna looked at the town she had found with her spell, using the mind of the colt to reveal the area around his sleeping form. It would cause him no harm, and she doubted the colt would be able to point to his village on a map. The ponies she had seen in the nights since were gathering in the town center, having spotted her approach. The pegasai gently landed her chariot in the snow, the cloud construction of the device not breaking the snow. Looking around at the wrapped faces of the Thestrals, she hopped down from her chariot to a crunch of snow underhoof. A small thestral scurried up to her, his eyes visible through a thin slit of animal hide. "It's you!" He cheered, relieved and excited at her arrival. "Yes. We would discuss matters indoors, away from the harsh bite of winter's storm." She extended a wing to scoop up the colt, placing him on her withers as she followed the others inside of the main hall. The Moon Princess followed the thestrals, closing the door with the grip of her magic. They had prepared for her coming; a wide array of many meats were on display, accompanied with fruits and vegetables. "Pardon," a soft voice asked below Luna. She looked down to see a slightly shaking mare that was draped with blankets and furs. "Would you tell us your name?" Luna held a hoof to her chest, "We are Princess Luna, Sister to Princess Celestia and Co-Ruler of Equestria, Goddess of the Moon and Stars." She recieved wide eyed stares, and the room became uncomfortably quiet for a moment. Luna was worried she had offended them in some way, but was interrupted by cheering and stomping of hooves in applause. She lowered her hoof to the floor and bowed the way her Sister had when in ceremony. "Please, enjoy the feast we have prepared, Princess Luna." The elderly mare offered, a hoof pointing to a large seat in the center of the room. It was a pedestal made of stone; no back to rest against yet surrounded by exotic fruits and meats. "We would hope not to insult,"Luna quietly mentioned to the mare, "but we cannot eat meat." The elder seemed happier for learning this, to Luna's guarded suprise. "Really? Well then, that works out fir everyba- er... Everypony then." The princess was curious about the choice of wording, but dismissed this as the colt from before came galloping into Luna, bouncing off of her foreleg. "Be careful, we are sturdier than most!" Luna chuckled, patting the colt on the head as he regained his senses. "Princess Luna! You offered to name me, remember?" He chirped eagerly. "Now now, colt. It's rude to bother guests. Especially royal ones!" The elder lightly scolded. "It is if no concern, elder," Luna began, "We did agree to bestow a name upon this one." Luna looked into the eyes of the colt. He was eager, determined and focused. He his his anxiety well, but he was more curious than frightened. "We will dub thee, Lunar Aegis." Luna finally decreed. "What does that mean?" Aegis asked. "Shield of the Moon." Luna replied simply. The other thestrals in attendance heard this over their conversations, and looked to Aegis with pride. "You... You mean that I'm your protector?" He asked. "Should you choose it, Aegis. We would not force-" "Yes!" Aegis cheered, happily flapping his wings to fly up to Luna, hugging her muzzle. This caused concern from the elders and those gathered before the Princess giggled, lifting Aegis with her magic and setting him on her back. "It is alright, Elder. No offense has occured." Luna reassured them. Cheers of celebration began again, and Luna ordered her guards to enjoy the festivities, much to their reluctance. Hours passed, and Luna learned much about the thestrals and their way of life. They were omnivourous due to the harsh climate they called home. Their fur alone was enough for the warner seasons, but they relied on the fur of what they killed to survive the harsh winters. As a parting gift, Luna bestowed the village with a single dragon scale. Set alight, the scale would burn with dragon fire and allow the village to send the moon princess letters. Delighted with the gift, and with the sun beginning to rise, Luna departed the village. She waved goodbye, and heard the voice of Aegis call after her. "I'll send you letters, Princess Luna!" Luna smiled at the colt as the chariot was flown away from their town. She thought the thestrals to e an interesting kind of pony. They feared nothing they could see, they survived in the kind of climates that would make their subjects cower at the mentioning of, and were generous. Looking away from the village, she ponders their inclusion to Equestria.