Daughter of the Night

by Word Wizard

Chapter 2

Daughter of the Night

Chapter Two

A Life out of Ruin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was reaching late afternoon, spreading shadows thinner than pastry. It stretched everything’s outline, a laborious and dramatic process. The Badlands, five miles south of Appleloosa, had a particularly bad case of this.

The Badlands were in a valley, two towering mountain ranges on either side intimidating on the barren sand. The sun dipped low, hiding behind the mountains, and darkness overtook the valley. Like an oppressive shade it rolled over the rocky desert, smothering tree stumps in its wake.

It was dusk at two o’clock for the Badlands, midnight at four. In the midst of this, still, creatures lived. Small burrowing rats took advantage of the darkness to scavenge, turning up all sorts of things in the apparently empty environment. Vultures swooped down in the day, picking up dead animals, dead ponies, anything that fell into this hellhole by mistake.

Even owls managed, somewhat. They slept on the stumps of trees during the daytime, head under wing, and hunted the rats at night. The Badlands was unique, so barren yet so full of life.

Ponies almost never entered the valley, for those who did had never returned. It was too harsh, too extreme, and not exactly prime territory to risk your head discovering. Once and awhile, sure, a robber might think it was a nice place to hide, but sooner or later they were vulture food.

But most of the time, it was silent.

At about half past four, a small rat stuck its nose into the night air. It sniffed, the nostrils convulsing as it did so. It was dark. Very dark.

The rat squeaked with delight and hopped out of its hole, twitching its hairless tail in glee. It looked around, sniffing the air. Suddenly a wonderful smell drifted up its nose.

A dead deer. It got in here somehow and couldn’t get out. Perfect. The rat dashed towards it, fleeting the open space like an old enemy. It dove at the carcass, ripping a small piece of flesh off and chewing it in powerful little jaws.

The silhouette of an owl circled overhead, a piercing shriek filling the air. The rat dug its way a little farther into the carcass, a nervous itch telling it that the owl was hunting. But right when both owl and rat were working, a shock wave smashed into them.

The owl was flung backwards, reeling in surprise from the shock, and plummeted to the ground. The rat, on the other hoof, was plunged headfirst into the flesh of the deer carcass in which it was digging.

Its legs kicked frantically, trying to free its head, but to no avail. The little legs went slack as the mouth filled with blood. It drowned right there, in the blood of its own dinner.

---------

Unaware of the damage she had done, Luna stood in the darkness. She looked at the sky, trotting up to an overhanging rock.

In the distance, an owl called out eerily. Luna flinched, looking behind her for an instant to see the offending noise maker. There was nothing.

She shook herself and returned to her sky gazing. Each star was where it was supposed to be, each swirling galaxy remained still. This was her domain. Luna controlled the stars; it was her duty to ensure each one was where it is supposed to be.

“I won’t be doing that for awhile,” Luna said wistfully. “I have other matters to attend to.”

She turned, her eyes glowing in the darkness. She saw in perfect detail, unhindered by the night, the valley. Her lips pursed as she surveyed the landscape, each miniscule problem never escaping her eye.

She sighed. “No crop could grow here,” she said flatly. “I will have to subsist on magic itself.”

Being an immortal alicorn helped at times like these. Their unique ability to subsist for years on nothing but magic from the air was renowned, allowing sleepless nights and uninterrupted reading. But even this had its toll.

An alicorn could not live for more than a few years on magic alone, despite their livelihood being dependent on the energy. They needed more nutrients, a less exerting way of obtaining food. But as Luna scrutinized the landscape, it was almost certain that was what she was going to be living on.

She trotted down the forlorn rock, her hooves landing on the compressed soil with a hard thump. An owl called out, the eerie cry piercing the silence. Luna ignored it and lit her horn.

The purple magic glowed in the darkness as her horn gained strength. A few rats scuttled out of the bright light. Luna looked around, facing the Badlands with an impeccable glare.

“Ah,” she said softly, spotting an oblong rock. The purple aurora extended its grasp, hauling the rock over in front of the princess. She looked down on it and smiled. “Wonderful,” she said happily, her horn glowing brighter. “Thou shalt make a fabulous house.”

The glare of her horn reached a peak, sparing nothing from its ornate glare, until there was a distinct sound of stone cracking. Sounds of cracking, stretching, melting, and hardening scared the unruly creatures of the Badlands, forcing them to retreat feverishly to their homes.

Luna stood at the pinnacle of the light, wings outstretched and eyes closed. She concentrated on her work, letting none of the scurrying creatures distract her. Then she smiled and folded her wings, letting the light retreat to her horn once more.

“Lovely,” she said, smiling at her work. In front of her, a small stone hut stood. Instead of cobblestones, though, it was smooth, only occasional crack lines tarnishing its surface. Inside, lamps glowed warmly through the small glass windows. The door was without a knob, but as long as it had hinges it was fine, in Luna’s opinion.

Luna walked towards the door, swinging it open with her magic before entering the little home. She looked around. Locating the small stone rocker by the fireplace, she had a seat. A quick spell later the little fire jumped to life, crackling warmly as it danced among the logs. Luna had been careful to use a few tree stumps from nearby too, allowing for her home to include wooden elements.

Still there was nothing to eat. But at least, she thought, I'm out of the wilds.
A lonesome owl hooted outside, but the sound was no longer menacing. Luna smiled as she listened to the animal, knowing now it was but a harmless owl, crying to itself outside. In the polished stone hut, a table stretched on one side of the princess and a bed on the other, all warm and cozy in the lamplight.

“Better than the moon,” she observed, “but not as good as home.”

But what truly was her home? She had spent one thousand years on the moon, an endless torture away from Equestria to harbor the greed and envy of Nightmare Moon, then only a few years back in Equestria before this happened. It was as though her true home lay far from Canterlot, where her bed and belongings were, away from four hundred years of peace and prosperity before her outburst. And yet those memories of growing up were so faint, so smashed under the greed and anger that was Nightmare Moon, it was as though the moon was her home.

“But this is my home now,” she said softly, “and your’s too.”

She looked at her stomach, rubbing it softly as she looked at the fire. “But you can not live here,” Luna said certainly. “No foal can grow in the Badlands, away from others. You must see more ponies than simply your mother. Not to mention the food problem. No, where shall you stay?”

The fire crackled and sparks flew out of it as a log crashed down onto another. Luna watched this, enraptured in thought as to where her foal should grow up. In secret, she thought. I can't imagine how it would be treated if they were to know it was mine.

Luna’s hooves felt something slimy in her lap. She looked down at her body, noting the glistening beads of sweat as they dripped laboriously to the stone rocker. Funny, she thought, I don't feel hot.
Then it struck her. A pulsing pain convulsed up her spine, making its way to her head. She cried in surprise and agony, falling off the chair.

“What-” she started, dragging herself along the ground with her forehooves. The pain revisited, coming from her stomach. She pulled herself along, eventually grabbing the wooden post of the bed and hauling herself onto it.

She panted, laying on the soft wood fiber for a few minutes merely breathing. Her starry mane was as good as ever, cascading to the floor in an endless waterfall. Luna’s flanks dripped with sweat, soaking into the makeshift mattress.

“I still-” Luna panted, but was cut off in a small whimper. The pain shot through her once more. This time though, she was expecting it. She lay still, a half hunch forming in her mind of what this was.
Could it be?, she thought desperately. So soon?
The pain stopped once more. Luna braced herself, waiting for it to return. This time though, she merely felt something pop.

A clear serum dripped onto the floor, puddling under the bed. Luna’s eyes shot open.

Dear Faust,she thought quickly, it's coming.

-------

“SPIKE!” Twilight bellowed in the dim light of the library. It had been a long morning; at least that’s what her mane said. She stood in the center of the room, horn glowing ferociously, grimacing at the empty bookshelves.

Books were strewn around the harried librarian. Great piles rose on either end of the room, covering the window. Twilight’s horn glowed feverishly as the purple light held a circle of books in hovering in front of her.

“Yeah?” Spike said annoyedly, sticking his purple head out of the bedroom. “You know I don’t like to get up early-” He jumped in surprise, a small gasp escaping his lips. “Wh- What?”

“It’s four in the afternoon!” Twilight cried. “You call that early?”

“Dragons have different concepts of time,” Spike said smugly. “It’s only ten o’clock up here.”

“Just get down here and help, would you?!” Twilight slammed another group of books shut with her magic, throwing them into the larger pile. “I’m looking for anything on tracking transportation spells!”

“You got it!” Spike said cheerfully, bounding down the steps. “But I still say it’s only ten.”

“Aha!” Twilight threw one book on a small stack in the corner of the library, toppling it. “A third one!”

“Why exactly,” Spike panted, tunneling through the books, “Are we doing this?”

“Princess Luna,” Twilight said quickly, throwing a few more books in the discard pile, “needs help. I don’t know where she is, what’s gotten into her, or why half of my friends hate her all of a sudden, but I know she needs assistance!”

“Why?” Spike’s muffled voice inquired from under a few feet of books.

“She’ll be giving birth any second now!” Twilight threw another book on the small pile in the corner.

“Got one!” Spike called, “Practical Practitioner's Impetuous Guide to Tracking Perplexing Spells!”

Twilight grabbed hold of the book with her purple glow, wrenching it out from under the pile of books.

“That guy has a perpetual ‘P’ problem!” Spike said, escaping the pile of books before it collapsed, “Great, now I’ve got it too.”

“No time!” Twilight flipped through the impetuous guide, her eyes flying over the text. “Ah!” she cried suddenly, holding the book still. “We need something she touched.”

Twilight thought for a second, the sounds of Spike tunneling seeming distant for a minute. She ran over every memory of Luna in her mind, singling out a few close areas. Suddenly her face lit up.

“Nightmare Moon!” Twilight screamed. “Be right back Spike.”

In a small pop of magical power, Twilight vanished. Spike popped his head out of the pile of books. He walked slowly to the door, then turned to look back. He sighed, observing the wrecked library.

“And guess who gets to clean this up.”

-------------------

The old castle was silent, forlorn in the vastness of that was Everfree Forest. Its lonesome stone towers spiraled towards the sky, ending in the lacerated edges of torn stone. Little pools of water puddled around the floor of the hall, playing in the slanted rays of the sun.

The stained glass window was smashed, a once noble painting shattered in one precise blow. Little slivers of red and blue were strewn about the floor, pieces of history. Moss sprawled down the throneroom steps, the very steps Princess Platinum had strode down fifteen hundred years ago.

Leafy vines crawled up the walls, their twisted forms shining in the afternoon sunlight. Few came here anymore, very few. Of these few was Shaky Leaf.

Shaky Leaf was a zebra philosopher living in the Everfree Forest. He came here often, pen and paper in hoof, to ponder the stone structure. The mid-afternoon sun captured his gaze as he sat, contemplating.

The gentle breeze enraptured his ears as he stared at the gently waving foliage. Hours he would sit here, writing poetry, short dialogs, and many pieces of literature.

On his neck, a beaded necklace was draped, stringing its way around his chest. Two brass bracelets were donned on each hoof, shining in the sunlight. His mane was windswept in the gentle breeze as he looked into the deep blue sky.

On this particular day, Shaky had come looking for a sign. A sign that the continual sins of ponykind would be forgiven. A sign that the universe was not about to end at any given moment. A sign that, most importantly, would bring hope.

In the growing shadows, a sign appeared.

Shaky Leaf pricked up his ears, turning his head to face the faint noise. In the throne room, a burst of purple magic slashed his vision as hurried hoofbeats reached his ears.

“Ah! Perfect!” a voice shouted in glee.

“Oh heavenly sign,” Shaky started in his deep voice. The head of a lavender unicorn appeared in the doorway.

“Uh.” Twilight groped for words. “Lovely weather, isn’t it?”

Shaky was taken aback. He knew the heavens worked in strange ways, but the weather?

“Indeed,” he said eventually, shattering the awkward silence.

“Gee,” Twilight said, rubbing her mane as she sought words desperately, “I better be going, bye!”

In a blast of purple magic, she was gone. Shaky blinked. That wasn’t quite what he had expected.

“Lovely weather,” he said slowly. “Lovely weather, isn’t it?”

“Ah!” he said as a pang of realization hit him, “Faust has spoken!”

Quickly he scribbled down the words onto his paper, the ink splattering in his rush.

He set his pen down and hurriedly examined his work, smiling. He threw his striped mane back and threw the pen and paper into a cloth sack, hurriedly getting ready to gallop back to his abode to finish the work.

----------

“Alright,” Twilight said, hunched over the Impetuous Guide. “Hmmm. That looks… Difficult.”

“Not as difficult as this mess,” Spike growled, bowing under a pile of books.

“Here goes nothing.” Twilight closed her eyes, concentrating on her horn and the spell crafting within it. The room gained a purplish color as the piece of slate rose into the air. It crackled as magical energy flowed through it, pulsing the granite with an otherworldly regularity.

Then it stopped, the slate clattered to the floor as Twilight continued to strain under her horn. One final burst of energy wrapped up the purple color and dulled her horn to a light glow. From that glow, a triangular stream of light shot, spreading out on the floor.

In that light, a map formed. It was a map of Equestria, with all its nooks and crannies, all its hidden caves. All its mysteries, and of course, a large red X where Luna supposedly was.

“It worked,” Twilight breathed, overlooking the map. “It really worked.” She surveyed the map in wonder, hardly believing that such detail was originating from her horn. Sure, she had projected maps before, but never on this large a scale.

“Great,” Spike grunted, “Now would you use some hanky-panky magic to clean this place up too?”

Twilight ignored the dragon’s insolence and continued to gaze at the projection. It was breathtaking. A slight cry as Spike collapsed under a spire of books did, however, awaken her from her awestruck stupor.

“Spike!” she cried, whirling around to face the pile of books.

“I’m fine.” A claw groped out from under the pile. “Just under a bit of pressure, that’s all.”

The claw lunged for a book and wrenched it out of its place, causing the pile to cascade downwards. When the dust cleared, Spike was pulling himself out of a thin layer of paper.

“Nothing to it,” he shrugged, “Just gotta find that one book.”

“Great.” Twilight turned back to the map. “Now have a look here.”

“What’s the big-” Spike stopped. “Oh.”

“Isn’t it just-” Twilight searched for words “-breathtaking?”

“Yup.” Spike walked through it, stomping through mountains and cities alike. “It not only took- it pick pocketed!”

“You aren’t wearing clothes.” Twilight flattened her ears.

“Yeah yeah,” Spike rolled his eyes dramatically, “but, if I do say so myself, I would look rather dashing in a tuxedo.”

“Uh huh,” Twilight said dismissively. Suddenly more business-focused, she began to examine Luna’s location. A twinge of pain struck through her horn as the map flickered. She had to do this fast.

“The Badlands,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “Clever. But inconvenient. Very inconvenient.”

“Come on Twi.” Spike dusted off a book and carefully replaced it on the shelf. “You’re a scholar, not a midwife.”

“But I’m not about to let somepony almost die no matter what I am!” Twilight shouted, whirling around. “Without proper medical care, a birth can be dangerous! Midwife or not, I’m not letting Luna even have a risk at losing her foal.”

“I thought alicorns were immortal.” Spike cocked his head. “She’ll be fine, right?”

“Spike Spike Spike.” Twilight rubbed her forehead with a hoof. “You have to believe me when I say this, but alicorns merely possess the ability to heal themselves with magic. It’s sort of an instinct. But foals, especially those with a regular pony as one parent, acquire this skill over time.

“They aren’t born with it, Spike. Luna could be severely injured and the foal could die. That’s the worst case scenario.”

“Oh.” Spike’s face lost its color. “Oh.”

“So that’s why I need to help.” Twilight took one final look at the map and retracted it back into her horn. “Here we go.”

“What-”

The room began to glow, the light playing off Spike’s confused face. He looked around desperately, only seeing Twilight rising into the air on wings beyond vision. His eyes grew rounder as the wind picked up, scattering the papers of endless calculations across the floor.

Amidst the monsoon of paper, Twilight twirled, a foot off the ground. Her horn glowed visciously. A spire of purple magic grew from it as its brilliant light assaulted Spike’s eyes. The spire began to twist, to split, until a glistening purple sphere surrounded Twilight.

Spike, his face contorted in horror, watched soundlessly as the sphere contracted, gaining speed as it plunged inwards. And then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone.

Twilight was nowhere to be seen, papers lay limp on the ground, and yet another mess waited for Spike’s loving attention. But instead, he simply stood there, in shock.

“Twi- Twilight?” he stuttered. “I wish you’d warn me when you do that.”

----------

The wind picked up, scattering dust and gravel in every direction as the whirlwind formed. The Badlands quieted, laying in wait of what the mysterious wind was going to bring forth. Rays of purple magic erupted from it, slicing the darkness like glowing knives. It was a sight to behold.

The rays spun, circling faster and faster, until at last they were one whole light. Ever so quickly, a purple sphere expanded and popped in the center, leaving an equine form glistening in the light. It floated, just a few feet off the cold gravel, then began to descend. The wind stopped as Twilight Sparkle’s hooves crunched on the cold ground.

Immediately, the light withdrew, leaving only a dim glow on Twilight’s horn to punctuate the darkness. Twilight threw her mane back and opened her eyes, surveying the landscape before her.

It was dark, cold, and barren. Her small glow did nothing to reveal the secrets that were well kept in the darkness. She looked around desperately.

“Hello?” Her voice died in an instant, absorbed by the poor acoustics. No familiar echo greeted her. Nothing. It was empty.

“Princess?” she stepped forward on shaky legs, looking around quickly.

No reply came from the foreboding blackness. Her head spun slightly from the fatigue of long-distance teleportation, but worry drove her legs.

“Princess!” she shouted a little louder. Still no response.

“I could of sworn I got the coordinates right,” Twilight panted. “This is ridiculous.”

The light from her horn flickered as it plunged into the darkness. Twilight stopped, closing her eyes and folding her hooves under her.

“Where is she?” she panted, staring at the ground, “And why-”

She stopped. Up ahead, the gentle flicker of torches shone in the darkness. Twilight’s gasping mouth formed a grin. She stood up, ready to run.

“Thank you!” she shouted, running towards the flickering lights. Dust billowed from under her hooves as she galloped, a set expression on her face. “I hope I’m not too late.”

------------

The lamplight flickered in the cottage as the gentle roll of a rocking chair ground against the dirt. A wispy piece of starlight drifted out of the chair, flowing in an endless waterfall of night. Quietly the everlasting darkness pressed against the window.

Luna sighed, looking around to see what she had missed. A small spot of red still remained on the bed, but a quick ‘Void’ spell took care of that. She looked around more, smiling to see nothing.

In her hooves, a gentle payload was curled up, breathing softly. Luna looked down on her daughter and smiled. It was the first smile of true joy in a long, long time.

The filly’s coat was black, but speckled with deep blue around the flank area. Her mane was a deep purple, a royal blue striking through it in a streak of color. Her small black wings were folded at her side, and her stub of a horn crackling with tiny sparks of magic. She slept softly, unheeding of her mother’s tearing eyes.

“You and I,” Luna said softly, nuzzling the filly, “we’ll find a way out of this. Worry do not.”

In response, the filly rolled over, rubbing her nose with a hoof. Luna smiled once more, gently stroking the soft black coat.

“I think,” she said slowly, looking out the window, “I will name you Starlight….”

Her eyes dashed around looking for a suitable last name, an inspiration to Luna’s namecraft. Suddenly she grinned. All these years, it had been her cutie mark, and it made a lovely addition to her daughter’s name.

“Crescent,” she stated. “Starlight Crescent, lovely name, don’t you think?”

The filly’s eyes flickered open as she gave a curt nod. Luna smiled once more. Starlight gazed at her mother’s eyes with a pure innocence, a perfectly clear complexion.

“Well Starlight.” Luna looked at the window. “Where shall you-”

The door was thrown open suddenly, a crash coming as the wood met wall. Luna jerked her head up, horn glowing defensively. “Who goes there?” she shouted in full Canterlot Royal Voice.

“Princess!” Twilight cried, galloping the the rocking chair. “Did it go alright?”

“What?” Luna blinked.

“The birth!”

“Oh, yes.” Luna looked embarrassed. “Just great. But pray tell me, how did you get here?”

“Tracking spell.” Twilight looked at Starlight. The filly’s big round eyes were wide open now, as she gazed back into Twilight’s eyes, examining the newcomer with suspicion, but also a warm glow of friendliness.

“This is Starlight,” Luna said, rubbing Starlight’s mane playfully, “Starlight Crescent.”

“She’s darling!” Twilight rubbed the purple mane softly. “Aren’t you lovely?”

The filly nodded nonchalantly and continued to look at Twilight.

“Quite intelligent,” Twilight remarked, noting the filly’s interested face, “for a newborn.”

“Alicorns are known for their ability to mature quickly, to a certain point,” Luna said, “In a matter of hours they learn to talk, and gain skills a year old foal would normally get in, well, a year. But then they stop, slow down their growth and maturity spurt to a slightly faster than normal pace.

“This has been known to allow alicorn foals to go to school in a matter of weeks after their birth, but stay there for a normal amount of time. Don’t ask me, I didn’t design my race.”

Luna looked out the window at the darkness wistfully. “But she cannot stay here.”

“I suppose not,” Twilight said, rubbing the filly’s mane, “But where though?”

“Nopony can know she is mine,” Luna said seriously, “Nopony can even know she is an alicorn. Her wings must be hidden.”

“Simple enough,” Twilight thought for a moment, “Just enchant a necklace. You’d like to wear a necklace, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeth,” Starlight said softly, lisping a little, “I would.”

“Oh, you’re a great talker!” Twilight encouraged Starlight. “Now try to round the syllables, or parts of the word, like th-is.” She said the last word with excruciating care, and very slowly as well.

“Oh-kay,” Starlight said slowly, and seeing the smile on Twilight’s face, she continued. “Ho-w i-s th-is?”

“Perfect!” Twilight clapped her hooves together and smiled. Then she noticed the stoic princess. “Princess Luna?”

Luna looked out the window sadly, a tear gently rolling down her face. Twilight, one hoof grasped by Starlight, looked up concernedly at the princess. The stars twinkled mischievously in the night, here one second, gone the next.

Starlight looked at Luna, her huge eyes filled with concern. “A-re y-ou oh-kay?” she asked slowly.

Luna smiled and looked down. “Of course I am. It’s just… I think you’re going to have to live somewhere else.”

“Oh.” Starlight paused, her little mind thinking slowly. “I think,” she said slowly after a little while, “I want to stay here with you and Twilight.”

“I’m just visiting,” Twilight said. “I wish I could stay, though.”

“Oh.” Starlight grasped the librarian’s hoof harder. “You’ll come back often, right?”

“Oh yes,” Twilight chuckled, “very.”

“Good,” Starlight turned her eyes back up to Luna’s tearing face. “Where do you want to put me?”

“Well, I-” Luna stuttered under the glare of her daughter. “Maybe,” she said, “you could stay with Twilight for a little bit.”

“That sounds like fun!” Starlight exclaimed, turning her head back to face Twilight. “Please?”

Twilight was shocked. “I- I suppose.” She looked up at Luna. “Are you sure?” she asked. “I’ve never even had a little sister before.”

“Spike seems well under your care,” Luna stated. “And I hear foals are easier than dragons.”

“Weeeeeeell.” Twilight stretched out the ‘well’ slowly. “I suppose we do have some books on parenting.”

“Pwease?” Starlight asked, looking up at Twilight with watering eyes.

“If it’s alright with the princess,” Twilight said, rubbing the filly’s mane. She looked up at Luna, who nodded solemnly.

“She cannot stay here,” Luna said seriously. “She must go to school. She must grow to be a normal filly.”

“You can count on me,” Twilight said, scooping Starlight up in her magic. The filly looked around wildly with interest, checking every part of her body to see what was floating.

“Goodnight Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, her horn glowing ferociously. Twilight raised a hoof to her face to block the brilliant light; Starlight did the same. A pure velvet light poured over them, the energy of Luna’s breathtaking magic pulsing through their bodies.

“Wh-at-” Starlight began, but fell silent. A darkness swooped on them like birds to the prey, covering them in thick blackness.

-------

“I apologize for my methods earlier, but I felt you and Starlight would enjoy a lift home,” Luna’s voice pulsed through Twilight’s head. She was standing in a featureless room, the walls a thick purple.

“What-” Twilight began, rubbing her neck in bewilderment.

“You are dreaming, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna’s voice boomed. The princess of the night dropped out of the ceiling, her face stoic and serious.

“You didn’t-” Twilight began. Luna nodded her head.

“I felt I needed time to talk to you…. Alone.” Luna’s mane cascaded to floor as usual, except this time it actually went to the floor. “I must warn you,” Luna said seriously, “I believe there is more at work than meets the eye. And not with good intentions.”

Twilight nodded.

“So keep an eye out for… Strangeness around Starlight.” Twilight nodded her head once more. “And in your ‘books’ treat Starlight as if she was one year old,” Luna instructed, leveling her gaze on Twilight, “And most of all… Keep her safe.”

The world began to melt around them, sliding into a black morass of nothingness like wet paint. “You can count on me, princess,” Twilight said reverently. The floor melted, and all that was left was Twilight, falling endlessly into the pit of blackness.

--------

“Wha-” Twilight’s eyes shot open. The gentle light of morning filtered through the shades, slanting across the bed. She looked around, and, seeing everything in order, began to get out of bed.

Keep her safe. The words echoed through her mind. Watch out for strangeness, Luna had said firmly. These words echoed through Twilight’s head, booming in utmost detail.

But if-

“You’re awake!” Spike walked into the room, carrying a plate of tea and toast. “Feelin’ alright?”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, not completely there. “I’m good. What happened, anyway?”

“Oh.” Spike set the tray down and hopped up on the bed, taking a deep breath. “You just sorta appeared in the library in a cloud of smoke, asleep and whispering something about Luna and starlight so when I realized you weren’t going to wake up I got all your friends and they carried you up here and we left you for the night and here we are!” Spike gasped.

“Oh.”

“I’m just glad you're okay!” Spike exclaimed, patting Twilight’s hoof. “We were so worried.”

“Where are the others exactly?” Twilight asked sceptically, narrowing her eyes.

“Downstairs,” Spike said. “I should go get them-”

“No!” Twilight cried. “I mean, not yet.”

Spike looked quizzical. “Uh, why?”

“Because…” Twilight groped for words. “I’m… Tired! Yeah!” She yawned theatrically. “I’m just beat after all that, uh, sleeping?”

“Right…” Spike trailed off. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, never been better!” Twilight said quickly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to… Fix my mane!”

“Okayyy.” Spike backed out of the room. “We’ll be up in a few minutes?”

“Fine.” Twilight nimbly hopped out of bed and went to the mirror. Her brush levitated next to her face, floating mid-air. The door squeaked shut as Spike left.

The brush clattered to the ground as Twilight excitedly dived around the room, searching thoroughly.

“Where is she?” the librarian asked the air, eagerly poking her head under the bed.

Under the bed.

The words didn’t speak, they didn’t sound, they didn’t even come as a thought. They were merely there.

A small box was under the bed, a small black form breathing softly inside. Twilight’s magical glow surrounded it, lifting it out with great care. She smiled, looking down on the small form of Starlight Crescent.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” she said quietly, patting the sleeping foal gently.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

“Twilight?” Applejack’s strong voice said from the other side of the door, “You okay in there?”

“Yeah, fine.” Twilight pushed the box under the bed again, quickly standing up. The door pushed open, and Applejack entered, the rest of her friends in tow.

“Good,” Applejack said. “Heard you had a little adventure. Willin’ to tell us?”

“Yeah! Sounds awesome!” Rainbow chimed in enthusiastically, hovering a few inches above the ground.

“I bet it was fun!” Pinkie added exuberantly, bouncing in place.

“Uh, yeah,” Fluttershy added, “were there any animals?”

“Darling, I simply must insist you tell us,” Rarity stated.

“Certainly, certainly.” Twilight’s mind raced.

I can't tell them about Starlight,not yet, she thought wildly. Oh... what to say?

“We’re ready when you are, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Anytime.”

Pinkie was watching expectantly, hoof poised in a basket of popcorn. Rainbow hovered with an air of impatience, and Rarity batted her eyebrows. With the amount of eyebrow extenders she wore, it was hard not to.

Sweat rolled down Twilight’s face as she clenched her teeth. “Okay… Well it all started when I thought about Luna...”

------------

The gray light of dawn rose slowly, spreading gentle light across Equestria one step at a time. The streets were empty, the gentle flicker of street lamps being the only illumination. Sterling Silver trotted down the street slowly, a hood over his gray face.

He stopped only occasionally, looking behind him hurriedly, then pressing back into the dark streets of Trottingham. His horn glowed softly under the cloak, lighting a small area in front of him with sharp yellow light. Onwards he trotted, eyes swiftly moving from one object to the next.

Up ahead, a stallion waited patiently, a black cloak disguising his figure. Sterling Silver trotted faster, even faced and expectant. Aurora Burst threw back his hood as Sterling approached, grinning a maniacal grin as he lifted a small piece of parchment out of his cloak.

“Aye Aurora,” Sterling said quietly. “A request?”

“The fellowship is most grateful,” Aurora said softly, “for your services.”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” Sterling said, taking the piece of parchment from Aurora. “How goes The Cause?”

“Wonderfully, Sterling.” Aurora’s eyes grew a starry gleam. “Luna has fled.”

“We may have our ruler yet,” Sterling said, unrolling the piece of parchment. “My my, you do expect a lot.”

“We have need,” Aurora said seriously. “You can satisfy it, I expect?”

“Aye.” Sterling looked over the piece of parchment once more. “But I am just a silversmith, you know.”

“Oh I know,” Aurora grinned. “So does Restless. Our cause is prospering under his leadership… I suggest you follow these instructions.”

“Of course!” Sterling snapped. “Why wouldn’t I? I’m with the Fellowship all the way!”

“Of course, Mister Silver.” Aurora nodded solemnly. “Restless Vigil expects that complete by tomorrow evening. You can meet that, I trust?”

“Tomorrow?!” Sterling jumped in surprise. “You don’t expect meticulously carved daggers to leap out of thin air, do you?”

“No, Mister Silver,” Aurora added, “I expect them to jump from your work table. Good evening.”

Sterling opened his mouth but no words came out. Instead, it was rudely interrupted by Aurora’s swift disappearance.

“Bunch a aristocrats,” Sterling Silver grumbled, starting to trudge back down the streets of Trottingham. “Just hope their little speeches about true freedom for those who follow isn’t a load a horse manure.”

Dawn was upon him now. Golden rays of light sliced through the streets, lighting them up with a heavy assertiveness. The sky was orange with shades of red scattered throughout as Sterling walked down the streets of Trottingham. The city was awakening, early risers getting ready for their morning gallops, late risers sleeping soundly in their rooms.

Sterling had work to do. And he had to do it fast if he wanted to stay on the good side of Aurora and the Fellowship.

---------

“The dagger is underway, my lord,” Aurora announced, stepping out on the balcony next to Restless. Restless Vigil nodded,continuing to stare at the morning cityscape.

“Good,” he said. “Virgil!”

“Yes sir?” Virgil popped his head out of the door.

“Two cups of coffee,” Restless ordered.

“Of course, sir.” Virgil disappeared behind the doors.

“The ring?” Restless asked, continuing to stare at the awakening city.

“Underway as well,” Aurora said promptly. “So is the necklace, if you’re wondering.”

“You are irreplaceable.” Restless smiled, turning to Aurora.

“Thank you, Restless,” Aurora nodded. “My sister on her way as well.”

“Ah.” Restless turned back to the view. “A great mind, you say?”

“Indeed, a cunning adversary and priceless ally,” Aurora said, “she will be arriving in the Crystal Empire in one week.”

“Wonderful.” Restless trotted back inside, Aurora close at his heels. “Lighted Prism will meet her, I trust?”

“A letter is on the way,” Aurora said, sitting in a velvet covered chair. A chandelier hung overhead, burning silently. Virgil trotted out of the kitchen, a silver platter with two steaming mugs of coffee held in one hoof.

“Your coffee, sir,” he said, setting it down with care on the oaken table that sat between the two stallions.

“Thank you,” Restless took his coffee in a hoof, blowing on it gently. “That will be all.”

Virgil nodded, silently trotting out of the room. Aurora took his cup in the orange glow of his magic, hovering it over to his mouth and gently blowing on its steaming surface.

“And… Arrangements have been made, concerning the librarian?” Restless said cooly.

“Oh yes,” Aurora smiled, sipping on his coffee. “Mister Spoon seems most enthusiastic in organizing it.”

“Excellent,” Restless grinned serenely. “This will come together, Aurora, we must merely have faith.”

“Failure is impossible,” Aurora Burst stated, setting his empty mug back on the tray with clink. “The ball is rolling, Restless, and it cannot be stopped.”

Comments

[Word Wizard]

3681077
I'm not sure whether or not to be skeptical or happy....

[TheOneAJ]

Ok, I like your idea, but, perhaps you not portraying celestial in the right way. I mean, you hatted her for her actions in past sins, but they where still justified and made since to her character. Here, you have trouble believe it to be so. I'll give you the Benefit of the doubt and keep reading but, honestly, not off to great start. (Ill apologize an eat my own words if I'm wrong)

[Word Wizard]

It has a bit of a rough start I know, but it dose improve. Have hope.

I can't really fix Celestia's actions without completely rewriting the story, so that's that. But she does try to make up for it in later chapters
Glad your willing to give the benifet of the doubt!

[Word Wizard]

3682429
In fact, thanks man. I just made some revisions to the future chapter (releasing on Tuesday) that will restore everyone's faith in Celestia, and maybe bring her actions into perspective. Thanks!

[Word Wizard]

3698820
what about the Cakes? What about all the schoolchildren's parents? What about pretty much everything happening on Hearts and Hooves day?

I ask you this:
Is there any cannon evidence of children being had OUTSIDE of wedlock?

[Legiondude]

How does Twilight know Luna is suddenly giving birth?