Nighttime Prayers

by Witching Hour

To the Mare in the Moon

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray that all the world be blessed.

Lady Moon and Brother Star

Watch over me from afar.

Mother Earth is always there

And keeps me safe within her care.

The Lord of Dreams will dance and sing,

And happy dreams will to me bring.

And when I wake to greet the day,

Celestia will light my way.

Witching Hour pushes herself away from the edge of her bed and gets to her hooves. She pulls back the blankets and crawls up into her bed, her actions guided by the moonlight pouring in through her bedroom window. In the midst of readying herself for bed, the unicorn filly’s eyes catch on the mare-shaped shadow on the moon’s surface. For as long as the young filly can remember, the shadowy shape has watched over all of Equestria, and on some sleepless nights, the young filly would watch back.

A quick glance to the door confirms that her mother is still busy putting her younger brother to bed in spite of the colt’s sleepy protests, so she crawls across her bed and leans out the open window, supporting herself against the sill. The air was still warm from the summer day that had just ended, and a light breeze ruffled through the strands of mane that had already fallen from the loose braid the filly had put her mane in.

“Mare in the moon?” she starts tentatively, tapping her hooves together in an anxious habit. “I know Mama told me that you were sent there because you were bad, but… I think you’re still good; you just made a mistake. The book about you said you ruled the night, and were upset because ponies slept through it… I think it’s okay to be upset as long as you don’t let it control you, and you work to find a solution.”

Sighing heavily, Witching Hour continues, “I get upset a lot too. My grandparents don’t like my dad and my brother just because they aren’t unicorns… But they shower me with praise when Papa does so much more than I do. I wish they’d treat Papa and Leaf better.” She stares at the moon with a pensive expression while she thinks of what else she wants to say.

“I get upset when my teacher takes my books away too, even though I tell her I’ve been listening, and without them, I can’t focus. She doesn’t believe me anyways, and then scolds me when I can’t tell her what she’s been saying.” Witching Hour hesitates, pausing briefly as she hears hoofsteps outside her door that pass and go to another door down the hall. Sighing in relief, the filly returns her attention to her one-sided conversation.

“I’ll find other ways, I’m sure, but it’s just hard right now to find them… Maybe it’s the same for you? I know the legend says that you won’t ever come back, but I hope you do, and I hope you won’t be upset anymore. I’ll stay up and watch the stars with you, if Mama says it’s okay.”

The sound of hooffalls outside her door again make Witching Hour quickly whisper, “Sleep well, Mare in the Moon. I’ll talk to you more tomorrow!” before scrambling under her covers.

When Fine Brew peeks into her daughter’s room, she finds Witching Hour tucked snuggly into bed, her back to the door while she laid on her side. Smiling softly, the mare closes the door but for a small crack and heads back downstairs.

---

I think you’re still good; you just made a mistake.

The words float into the lunar prison, carried on aetheric winds that blow the two battling energies apart. The interruption is a blessing for the ephemeral green alicorn mare, and a very unwelcome and unpleasant surprise for her sickly yellow adversary. After centuries of constant combat, the ability to breathe, if only for a moment, was a welcome change, revitalizing the green mare.

“No!” the sickly yellow mare hisses, recoiling away from the otherworldly winds. “It was no mistake! Your sister forced you into shadow and then punished you, punished us for wanting to have our own time in the light!”

I think it’s okay to be upset as long as you don’t let it control you, and you work to find a solution.

“I AM THE SOLUTION!!!” Yellow screeches, covering her ears with her hooves.

“No! It wasn’t the right way to get it!” the green mare retorts, pressing an attack while the sickly yellow alicorn writhes from the invading power carried by those stranger’s words. Her opponent beats back her advance easily though, their eons-old battle having long since taught her foe all of Green’s tactics and gambits. Yellow counters before Green can recover again and sends her flying to the edge of their mutual dark prison.

“IT WAS THE ONLY WAY!” Yellow howls, leaping to strike again. Green can only brace for the impact as her adversary’s blow forces her against the black wall of their lunar cell.

I’ll stay up and watch the stars with you…

“ALL THIS IMPRISONMENT HAS COST US IS TIME!” Yellow screams as she strikes Green repeatedly. “THE DAY SHALL FALL AND THE NIGHT WILL RISE! YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART IT WILL HAPPEN! WHY DO YOU STILL DENY THE TRUTH! ON THAT THOUSANDTH YEAR, I SHALL RETURN AND CAST DOWN THIS USURPER TO THE GLORY OF THE NIGHT, NOT YOU! IT WILL BE MY POWER, NOT YOURS THAT RETURNS IN GLORY! AND ALL EQUESTRIA SHALL BOW TO ME!”

‘I hope I’m the one there to see the stars again… with you, little one...’ the green mare prays silently, mustering whatever strength she has left at the words echoing from Equestria below. She only needed to hold on for nineteen more years… Nineteen more years, and she would have a hope of returning to herself again...

Author's Note:

So... I finally wrote something - even if it wasn't for The Sequel of DoOoM... And even if it was only to give Syl diabeetus as revenge for all the tear-jerking and heart-rending he does on a daily basis.

Anyhow... I hope you've enjoyed this little prequel to my series of stories.

Love and Light,
Witching Hour

Comments

[Sylvian]

*Dies*

Also!

My grandparents don’t like my dad and my brother just because they aren’t unicorns

We both know how this ends ;3

[harts fire]

wow their is so much power in this short I am totally amassed.

does this mean you are trying to clear the / your pipes out to get back to righting???

[Matthewl419]

Well, that was beautiful. I was gonna write more here, but couldn't think of any words that would do this story justice.

Maybe in a few months when I review it...

[Destiny-brave-fire]

Yay! We get to see filly Witching Hour again! Even when she's not helping ponies, she's still being cute.

[Witching Hour]

8172455
Yes. Yes it does...

8172816
Thank you so much! I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts!

[superfun]

Having not read any of your other stories yet, what exactly makes them different enough to warrant the AU tag?

Because this prequel honestly feels like it could actually have happened in canon.

[Witching Hour]

9098705
I've been writing in Calm Wind's Wonderverse AU... While you are correct that it is close enough that it could've happened in canon, I felt like I should keep it under the AU tag since Witching Hour has been primarily written in this AU.
Thanks for reading and adding this to your favorites! I hope you'll read my other stories, and the stories of my collaborators in what we've dubbed the "Expanded Wonderverse".

[superfun]

9107661
I probably will at some point.

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

Beautiful.