Lost on the Moon

by Railby

Chapter One - Exile

Lost on the Moon

Chapter One – Exile

My name is Star Gaze and let me start off by saying, just for the record, that I didn’t do it.
I had absolutely nothing to do with anything that happened to that guard. Something like that is way beyond me.
Not that the princess was having any of it.
“You come here, to my castle, and you kill a member of my Royal Guard!” Princess Celestia leaned forward in her throne. “What do you have to say for yourself!?”
I tried my best not to show fear, to look the Princess in her eyes. I’m somewhat ashamed that I failed on both counts.
“Princess, I was here only to…to give you my report on the stars.” I shook slightly and somewhat pathetically raised my hoof to the ceiling. “They’re moving funny.”
I was going to slap myself later for the bad terminology. Unfortunately, it looked like the Princess might do it for me, instead.
The Princess’ eyes flared with anger as she leaned further forward in her throne. The alicorn was white with a mane that flowed between varying shades of blue, green and pink, seemingly at random. On her flank was the cutie mark of what had been her charge, the sun. She was tall and majestic, a form that could command authority with absolute ease, although her grace had diminished ever since the betrayal of her sister. The event had taken a massive toll on the alicorn’s mind and, ever since then, the Princess had been far less forgiving in the punishments given to wrongdoers. Her favourite one was…well, I didn’t really want to think about that at the current moment.
“And even worse, you attempt to lie to me with stories of false reports on abnormal star activity!”
Well, at least one of us was getting the terminology right.
“P…Princess…I didn’t do it, I swear!” I was sweating profusely, the thought of my possible punishment heavy on my mind. “You…you even invited me here yourself! Don’t you remember?”
“I regret it immensely. I see now what your true intentions were. You were trying to kill me, to betray me. That one of my guard tried to stop you was only an obstacle!”
“N-no! I didn’t do it!”
“Enough of this. Guards! Take him away. The punishment shall be tonight.”
I could tell you that I kept my composure. I could say that I allowed myself to be escorted with dignity and with my head held up high.
I’d be lying if I did, though.
The guards, ponies wearing somewhat intricate looking golden armour, carried me, wailing and struggling, from the throne room and down several corridors. Eventually, I regained myself enough to properly take in my surroundings. Not that it cheered me up at all.
We were heading down a stone spiral staircase, the primary light source eventually becoming less from sunlight through the windows and more from magical torches that hung in brackets from the wall. I worked up the courage to inquire as to my current position.
"Um, could either of you tell me where exactly we're going?"
One of the guards turned to me. His eyes were narrowed in suspicion and anger. Although any reason for this escaped me at the time. "You, scum, are going to the dungeon 'til tonight."
Dungeons. I wasn't looking forward to that.
"And what happens tonight, then?"
The guard grinned a little. "You know what happens."
Sadly for me, I did. I kept my mouth shut after that, letting myself dwell upon my future.
Soon afterwards, we reached the bottom of the staircase and I was lead to a cell. It was in pretty good condition, actually. You know, for a cell.
After being fairly unceremoniously dumped in the cell, I watched as the guards closed the door and locked it. The one who had seemed fairly happy with my predicament earlier trotted off, his laughter echoing off of the stone walls. The other guard looked at me through the bars. He looked a little sad. "I know you didn't do it. You just don't look like that sort of pony."
I gestured in the general direction the other guard had gone. "Your friend would disagree, it seems."
The guard's frown deepened. "He's not my friend."
He turned to leave. I heard his voice calling back to me as he trotted towards the stairs. "But he was the friend of the guard who was killed."
As I heard the sound of hooves on stone fade into the distance, I worried about what would happen to me. I knew what was going to happen later that night, and I knew it would be horrible. I thought of the consequences. Not to me, but to my friends. My family.
"Sugar..."
I felt a tear make it's way down my cheek. I trotted over to the simple, firm bed in the corner of my cell and lay on it. I covered my head in my hooves and silently cried until I felt the bliss of sleep take me.

---

"Hey."
I murmured grumpily, annoyed at my awakening.
"Hey, you."
Why couldn't I just be left to sleep until my life ended?
"Hey! Wake up!"
I blearily lifted my head and looked at the entrance to my prison. Surprisingly, I didn't see anypony there.
"Are you awake yet? Come over to the door!"
At first my still-asleep brain told me it was the guards, come to take me away. I was relieved when I realised they would have simply come in and dragged me, were that true.
I stretched my legs and got out of bed, trotting tiredly over to the bars at my cell door.
"Oh, so you are awake!"
I rubbed my eyes in an attempt to clear them of sleep and looked once more through the bars. In the cell across from me stood a young-looking, cream-coloured mare. Her red mane was short and somewhat scraggy, with black tips in places. Around her eye, her skin was a darker colour, sort of like an eyepatch.
"So, what are you in for?"
The mare looked, somehow, almost excited at her current surroundings. Though her eyes looked at me specifically with some kind of sadness in them. Maybe she knew what I had in store for me.
"They think I killed somepony." I saw the sadness in her eyes grow and I looked down at the ground. "I didn't do it. I just found him like that. They don't believe me, though..."
I looked up and she nodded, looking sympathetic. I was curious at that point as to why I had company all of a sudden. "What about you? What are you doing here?"
She looked away, nervous all of a sudden. "I, uh...I was caught trying to steal something. Something the Princess didn't want to give up..."
It was my turn to nod in understanding. We looked at each other through the bars and, somehow, I knew we were in the same boat.
She was going to get the same as me.
It was at that time that I heard approaching hooves and I looked towards where I knew the spiral stairs to be. Slowly, the two guards who had brought me to my cell came into view, one looking quite pleased while the other looked very depressed.
The guard who was happier than he should have been approached my cell. "Come on, time to get you off to the Princess. This is her first time for, what, a few months, I'd say." He walked past my cell and I heard the sounds of a set of keys in a lock. "You first, you brute." I heard a grunt and the sounds of a door swinging open not long before a large, well-built unicorn stallion slowly trotted past my cell. He was a soft grey colour and his hair was a dark, chocolatey brown. I managed to catch a glimpse of his cutie mark, which appeared to be a large dumbbell, before his large, hulking form was out of my vision.
Next the guard approached my cell door. "Your turn, filth. Come on, there's a show to be had." The keys jangled in the lock and my door swung open. I trotted past the guard, towards the stairs, with my head down. Behind me I could hear as the young mare's cell was also opened.
As we made our way through the castle, the guards moved to the front to lead us to our destination. I took this time to get to know my new companion more fully.
"So, do you have a name?"
She was surprised at my initiation of the conversation, but smiled all the same. "I'm Patches." She gestured to her flank with a movement of her head. There I could see the cutie mark of a pair of reading glasses. "I make glasses for ponies who need them." Her smile faltered slightly as reality kept her in check. "Well, I used to anyway..."
I gave her what I hopes was a reassuring smile. "Well, my name's Star. Star Gaze. I was the town's astronomist." At Patches' confused look, I elaborated. "I study the stars and how they move and how that might affect everything else."
Patches smiled. "Well, it looks like you're going to get a much closer look, doesn't it?"
Gallows humour. I'll admit, I hadn't thought of it that way. I chuckled, weakly. Our giant of a companion trailed behind us, not uttering a noise. I wondered at his story but, not wanting to anger him, I stayed my tongue.
Eventually we reached a newer part of the castle, a giant set of double doors blocking the way.
The two guards approached the doors, each preparing to push it. The one who thought I had killed his friend continued to grin. "And here...we...go."

---

"Heavyweight," The grey stallion stood forward, looking directly at the Princess with no sign of fear. "You are charged with the destruction of property belonging to myself. I view this as unacceptable."
The Princess shuffled her papers, bringing a new sheet to the front. I glanced around. We were in a courtyard, the most recently added part of the castle. It had been built, not for simple viewing pleasure, but for the reason we were there.
"Patches Eyeglass" Patches hesitantly stepped forward, her eyes looking at least in the general direction of Celestia. "You have attempted to steal something of great value to me, no doubt to give to my enemies. This is a serious crime."
She shuffled the papers once more, turning to me.
"Star Gaze, the astronomist." I stepped forward, eyes on the ground. "You will look at me when I address you! I dragged my vision up to her, quaking with fear. You have made an attempt on my own life and, when a royal guard attempted to stop you, you slayed him instead. This is unforgivable."
She put the papers away and instead readied her magic. I felt warmth around me and I slowly floated an inch or so off of the ground. I glanced around me, taking in all that I could of this world before it disappeared. Patches and Heavyweight were also floating in a manner much like mine.
"For these crimes, inexcusable as they are, all three of you have been sentenced..." The magic around us grew stronger and the Princess' voice grew louder, more commanding. "TO AN EXILE ON THE MOON!"
A strong burst of magic flew from Celestia's horn and the magic around us spiked incredibly. My last glimpse before the world exploded was the face of the guard stallion who had wanted this so much.

---

I opened my eyes, squinting against a bright light, to see a dark form above me. The form reached out a hoof, meaning for me to take hold.
"Welcome to your exile, fillies."

Comments

[joglow567]

great start! I can see this fic going places.

[LooneyToon1990]

I see she went Bananas in more ways than one!

[Tonto the Trotter]

This is a good story, I like it. Please continue

[Railby]

Hello, it's me. Just thought I'd let you ponies know that I am not dead and Chapter 2 will be here soon. Very soon.
Thank you for the feedback so far. Here's hoping I can entertain you even further!