//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Night Watch // Story: The Forest Pony // by EverfreePony //------------------------------// A swarm of fireflies danced and fluttered above the trees of the alley, more and more of their lights coming to life. As the fireflies’ lanterns flourished, the last illuminated  windows of surrounding Canterlot blinked out. "No! Let me go!" A gentle evening breeze swept a few leaves across the deserted road. "Argh! Come on!" One of the treetops rustled, scaring the floating lights away. "Yes! Yes, yes… no. Argh!" Two blue legs dangled out of the treetop, along with a shimmering, waving tail. A chest with two uselessly flailing wings followed suit. "I demand you to let go!" Princess Luna bellowed, both her hooves and magic trying to loosen the thin silver line snaking around her neck. It dug deeper with each movement, effectively squeezing the life out of her.  Stars started dancing across her vision. Her eyes bulged out, and her burning lungs cried for air. With one final strain she let her body hang limp and focused the remains of her strangled willpower.  A faint flash of her horn was all it took. She rematerialized on the pavement below the treetop after her teleport. Taking full gulps of the sweet evening air, she let her body crumple onto the cobblestones, still warm after the scorching summer day. Luna swept her head across the ground, wood dust and splinters from the day’s busy carriages clinging to her mane and coat.  She slowly stood up and chased off the trembling from her legs. Looking back into the treetop, she spotted the silver line menacingly swaying in the air, tangled between various branches. Calling on her magic once more, she levitated the thin strap of fabric to her hoof, eyeing the golden name tag attached to it. ‘Princess Luna of Equestria’ She turned the small tag over in her magic, the shiny surface glistening in the light of the fancy lamps lining the street. She never understood why Celestia insisted on all these petty things. A thousand years ago, an Equestrian princess was an Equestrian princess, and a griffon ambassador was a griffon ambassador, without any name tags, guest cards, and other extra identification.  Oh, how was she looking forward to having a word with Celestia about this. She was certain that upon learning about how she was nearly strangled by one of those new ID tags, her sister’s expression would be priceless. Luna smirked, her smile turning into a pained grimace as she rubbed the faint line on her neck. She hissed quietly. It probably wouldn’t be enough to make Tia ban those, but it was still worth a try. She sighed and trotted down the alley to a small plaza, its centre adorned by a statue of a large stallion. "Be a dear and hold it for me, please!" She patted the statue’s broad shoulder and threw the name tag around its neck, then took off into the air. She circled above the marble and golden city, then headed south. The evening breeze played with her mane, caressing it like a caring mother stroking her foal’s hair. The crisp night air chilled her coat, and her feathers ruffled silently as she flew higher and higher. She was fully soaking in all the serene and quiet moments the Canterlot South Patrol Route could offer, glad to finally be away from the stuffy conference hall. Just as the gate clicked shut behind the last griffon delegate, she rushed to her chambers, shed her regalia, and took off from her balcony. Truth be told, her wings were a little stiff after a week of her just sitting around, resulting in her encounter with the tree, but it was nothing to worry about. With a squee, she made a few pirouettes in the air, glad to not be dragged down by any duties or her silver horseshoes and jewellery. Contradictory to this, she was still performing duties, though not quite the ones that belonged to the position of a princess. Night patrols were a job made for the youngest privates of the Lunar Guard, usually as a punishment, which the highest-ranking officers had pointed out to her in their attempt to discourage her from partaking in such a humiliating task. Celestia wasn’t too fond of her night trips either. Yet, Luna couldn't comprehend why the newbie soldiers hated it so much. Sure, she flew along the route only when the weather was good and warm, but still… Despite the rookies and their bias, she was happy to do it herself. It allowed her to escape into her own land of thoughts or just enjoy the serene scenery below her. Sometimes she checked a few dreams as she flew by the villages and small towns. All tonight’s dreams seemed to be nice and bright so far, plagued with no nightmares requiring her intervention. If the evening wasn't so beautiful, Luna would have easily joined in some for the ride.  She smiled as her mind’s eye caught a glimpse of a filly playing with a dog she could not have. There could never be enough of such simple, sweet moments. She angled her wings and flew closer to the tiny hamlet below, combing through the slumbering minds of all the sleepers there. Dreaming of being a famous popstar, funnily humiliating a scary teacher with a tight bun, she has seen it all so many times, and yet it never failed to draw her in again. Then… oh, stallions. That was enough for one night. Luna was still trying to banish that particular dream from her mind the Whitetail came into view. Staring at the ground for a minute, she spotted a few hills at the edge of the woods, all dotted with telescopes ready to aid ponies in their astronomical hobbies or work. She eyed them quietly for a few moments until an insistent thought nestled in her mind. She smirked and started to descend, her fluffy wings silently fluttering in the wind. "Um, Professor Notes?" "Is something wrong, Miss Dancer?" said a unicorn stallion as he came closer to a yellowish ivory mare standing next to the eyepiece of a large telescope. Beads of late evening dew slid from the grass, effectively wetting his hooves. He shivered lightly and burrowed deeper into the confines of his worn sweater.  "Could you please take a look?" The mare motioned to the eyepiece. "I can’t tell what constellation is that. It looks like a cross between Centaurus and Delphinus, but the stars are acting… uh, funny, for lack of a better word." "Funny?" He gave her a quizzical look and rolled his eyes, then approached the apparatus. Those constellations couldn’t be more different than the day was from night, every little foal knew that. Sure, despite all the recommendation posters that littered the bulletin boards at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, the ‘elite’ project of Summer Astronomy Traineeship in Hoofington was a lot of things, but Professor Notes surely wouldn’t call it elite. That much he could tell after supervising dozens of students here for countless years. Even Miss Moon Dancer, this year’s ‘elite’ student with good grades and various recommendations, apparently had trouble recognising the most basic of constellations. He hoped that she at least knew what the difference between astronomy and astrology was. Shaking his head, he clicked his tongue a few times and then finally enclosed his eye to the eyepiece. Almost immediately, he pulled back and blinked a few times. “What?” He rubbed his eyes and then leaned back in. His hooves shuffled with the various adjustment knobs and diaphragms as he pressed his eyes on the small metallic ring of the eyepiece once more. He was met with the very same sight. Stars waved and blinked out of existence before his eyes, only to appear the next second in a completely different place. He proceeded to untie his tie and scrub the lens of the eyepiece with it. "By Star Swirl’s beard, what’s going on?" he stammered, leaning against the base of the telescope. "I don't know, that's why I was asking you," came a flat answer from Moon Dancer, the mare polishing her glasses as she spoke. "That's… that's impossible!" The professor nervously looked at the sky. "In Princess Luna's name, I don’t even need a telescope to see that. The whole sky has gone crazy!" Twisting his head, he watched the stars swirl and waltz about. "I think… I’m feeling… dizzy." Professor Notes slumped to the ground, his eyes rolling around in their sockets. "So, do I take it the lesson is over?" Moon Dancer bent down, poking him with her hoof. "If yes, then excuse me, I have the thirteenth tome of Hayscartes’ Treatise on Ponies waiting back at my room." She turned back up to the skies, now adorned by normal constellations once more.  "I think you should remind him at some point about how and by whom the night sky was crafted." A dark figure rose from the bushes behind Moon Dancer. She turned swiftly and gasped at the sight of a wide, smug grin revealing a row of shiny white teeth. "Said crafter is still able to play around with her stars as she pleases. Before you go, please provide him with a blanket. Good night." The figure waved the awestruck mare goodbye and took to the air again.    Halfway through the Whitetail Woods, the princess still couldn't catch her breath from her outburst of laughter. The professor's reaction was priceless. "Maybe I should ask Tia to arrange a meeting with the teachers of her school, I would like to find that one and have a talk with him about constellations and their history…" She giggled again. Her eyes widened, and she quickly swerved to the side. "Okay, Luna, concentrate, you nearly hit a tree," she scolded herself, shaking her head to sort out her thoughts. The already slightly red and yellow treetops created a colorful haze as she zoomed by, and the raw smell of wood and forest soil swirled around her. Leaving the Whitetail behind her, she began to veer slightly. The silhouettes of vast apple orchards and the typical round town hall of Ponyville materialized before her. She swooped down between the apple trees and through their threetops, rousing swarms of colorful fruit bats from their sleep. For a moment she reveled in the rainbow-coloured mob of small bodies that surrounded her before it started dissipating on its own. Gently shaking off the remaining fruit bats that joined for a ride on her back, Luna turned to the river snaking through the country from Canterlot. Dashing just above the water surface, she tried touching it with her feathers. One slight bath later, she ascended back to the sky. Nearing the edge of the Everfree Forest, she noticed the air stood still and became muggy and thick, pushing against her chest. Raising her head, she immediately noticed the storm clouds building in her path, overlying the whole horizon. "Getting struck by lightning is the last thing I want today. Though it probably would not be as bad as getting hit with a full plate of salmon during one of the griffons' peculiar pastimes…" The alicorn groaned and pushed her wings harder. "I wonder," she furrowed her eyebrows, "how did the storm even get there? It was not in the weather plans for this week. And I have never seen one of those independent storms from the Everfree that far from the forest itself." There was no reason to risk flying straight through the storm. Flying over it didn’t seem to be an option either as the towering cloud wall reached far above the meadows surrounding the small towns and villages. The single clearer path was above the dreaded forest. Groaning, she turned her wings to the Everfree, ready to dodge any hungry monster coming from below. The stench rising from the bogs and the moist air made her scrunch her muzzle. The air around her started to move again, but not in the form of the former warm evening breeze. This time it was a cold wind, buffeting her back and forth like a rag doll. Luna gritted her teeth and began flapping her wings with all the strength she could muster. If the rookies had to endure this kind of weather on their night shifts, then it truly was a punishment. A minute later she found herself in the pouring rain. She was soaking wet even before she managed to summon a waterproof barrier. A few lightning bolts crossed the sky nearby. She quickly turned off her horn, not wanting to draw the electricity to herself. A flood of raindrops hit her again. But Luna didn't care anymore. The only thing that now occupied her mind was a thought of a dry towel, a soft bed, hot tea in her chamber, and maybe a cucumber sandwich or two. Suddenly, she heard something. Or at least she thought she did.  Her ears perked up. "That sounded like—" A lightning bolt struck just behind her. The following thunder nearly deafened her, and her vision blurred for a moment. "Ouch." Luna flattened her ears against her skull, her head throbbing with pain. "Prince—" She definitely heard something this time, it was just obscured by the cacophony of the storm. Much more carefully, she raised her ears once again. "Princess Luna!" Even if the cry was muffled by the heavy rain, she was able to pinpoint the direction it came from.  And from where she could now the silhouettes of about three royal guards heading to her, their glinting armor noticeable even in the downpour. "Here!" she exclaimed and propelled herself towards them through the strands of rain. Luna stopped abruptly, her mind raced through the memories of the many meteorology reports that littered her balcony in Canterlot. Could it be that she overlooked a storm warning in her haste? Not likely, she was sure that the report for the whole week promised warm, cloudless nights. Anyway, the central weather patrol better have a good explanation and excuse for their inaccuracy this time, not like when they made it snow on Summer Sun Celebration just because ‘someone swapped the labels on the clouds’. She shook her head and let out a sigh, then tried to wipe away all the water blinding her. Maybe she shouldn’t be too hard on them; after all, they apparently sent an escort for her. She squinted her eyes, scanning the nearing figures. There were only three guards, all very muscular stallions, two of them from her Lunar Guard and one officer of the Solar Guard. They were drawing near really fast. So fast that it was impossible for them to not collide with her now. "Do they really have wing blades strapped on?" Luna froze in place. "And they really do not seem to be slowing." Her long-resting warrior instincts sprung to life, and she turned in her wake, diving straight towards the trees below. One of the golden blades swished behind her with murderous intent, cutting most of the hair from her tail away. She folded her wings against her sides, hoping to gain some speed in a free fall. A flung purple horseshoe hit her in the side. Luna winced and subconsciously spread her wings. Her trajectory aligned with the line of green canopy underneath. Too late. A few twigs scratched her from below. Tufts of torn leaves fluttered in her wake. She maneuvered between the ragged treetops. A hoof across her face to shield her eyes from the sharp branches, she flew almost blind. Luna wavered in the air, her hooves striking the trees below. She toppled over, plummeting headfirst into the dark maze of branches and leaves. Her last attempts at flight changed to fall. She hit a large tree, the bark chafing at her coat. Her body slumped to the ground, landing with a cracking sound on one side, the abrupt impact knocking the air out of her lungs. "Get her!" snapped one of the guards. In that moment she was back on her hooves, running as fast as she could. Her left wing hung limply by her side and the pain shooting from its joint made her want to vomit.  She bit her lip and continued to gallop further into the forest, ignoring her wing flailing by her side, her feathers catching in the underbrush. She didn't dare to look behind her, but the pounding sounds of stomping hooves signaled that at least two of her pursuers were following her the terrestrial way. She tried to cast a spell to throw them away, but she couldn't find the concentration or strength. Her vision was starting to blur from both the rain and pain, and her stomach twisted and turned. One more stumble after some roots. One more slide in wet mud. A change of direction to avoid a ravine. A few more roots in her path. A few scratches from a nearby branch. She already lost count of how many times that happened. A jump over a fallen tree. Her legs wobbled after landing, but she pressed on. Her mouth tasted as if she'd been chewing on iron. Her throat was burning, and so were her lungs. Another slide in the mud saved her from an attack of the lunar guard that stayed airborne. Instead of pony flesh his blades hit the bark of a tree, sinking in at least one third of their length, their owner meeting the tree in a tight embrace. Her horn caught in a few vines hanging from a low-leveled branch. She galloped further, stretching the branch. The vines snapped in half, hurling the branch at her closest pursuer. It bounced off his helmet, but didn't slow him in the slightest. Luna looked behind her to see the guards still on her tail. They slowly closed in. When she turned back, there was no time to dodge the thick branch before her. It smacked her on her cheek and sent her flying headfirst into a nearby rock. The tip of her horn scratched the stony surface. Her body landed in a heap before it.  She lay there, unable to rise to her hooves and move her sore limbs anymore. Blood flowed freely from her scratches and mixed with the mud all around her. She gagged. Because of the smelly mud and stale water she lay in. Because of the chase. Because of the guards and their broken oaths. The two remaining stallions skidded to a stop in front of her, panting heavily. The storm was now just a distant sound in the background, and the pouring rain faded into a light drizzle. She could hear her heart beating in sync with the panting of the guards in a terrifying, yet oddly calming rhythm. The second lunar guard stepped forward, slowly spreading his wing. He tenderly stroked the shiny sharp piece of metal attached to the edge of the limb. It glinted in the light of the full moon. His solar partner eyed him from behind with a sinister smile. Luna watched them in horror. She looked up to the moon, her moon, one last time. Then she put her head down to the puddle of dirty water, awaiting the execution. There wasn't a way of pleading or talking herself out of this. She couldn't imagine what had brought the guards to break their oath, but she wouldn’t step down to beg for her life before them. Her magic retreated as the pain washed over her whole body. She tried lifting her hoof to push her assailants away, but it didn’t budge.  She heard a flutter of wings beside her and a light thud. Luna didn’t bother to try and look for the source of the sound. She assumed it was probably the last guard, already freed from the bark of the tree he involuntarily embraced. "Any last wish, Your Highness?" The guard smirked, running his blade just above her neck. "Are you so foalish to think I would want something from you?" she spat. "Your choice. Don't worry, Princess, it'll be much more painful for you than me." He chuckled. Fully stretching his wing, he prepared to deliver the killing blow. "I don't think so," came a flat, surely non-stallion voice from behind her. The blade was heading in full swing at her throat. Suddenly it diverted its course, towards the nearest bush. A large shadow dashed by, air wheezing past it. The stallion gave a blood-curdling shriek as something much bigger dragged him away. "What?" Luna whispered in confusion as she looked up. In that moment all of her energy vanished. She collapsed to the muddy ground with a splash, and her eyes glazed over. A lightning bolt struck nearby, emblazoning a silhouette on her retinas. A silhouette of a smaller pony with a dagger in its mouth.