Born Under Silver Moon Light

by David Silver

5 - Problems

Crescent gasped, ducking low behind some cover. Ahead of her, a pony was casuallly taking something that belonged to Luna. What sort of monster would steal from her mother?

She considered how to approach them. Shouting and charging out was an option, but it felt inadequate...

She lurked after the stallion, following him like a shadow. "Gonna catch you," she promised herself, gritting her teeth.

Crescent trailed the suspicious stallion through the castle halls, keeping out of sight as best she could. Her little heart pounded with an unfamiliar anger. How dare anypony steal from her dear mother!

She peered around the corner as he glanced furtively around before slipping into an unused storage room. Gotcha! Crescent wasted no time zipping up to the closed door.

"Hey! Whatcha doing in there?" she called out accusingly. "Stealing is wrong, mister!"

A crash rang out, followed by panicked hoofsteps. Crescent leapt back as the door was thrown open, the wild-eyed stallion bolting out.

"S-stay back!" he yelled. "I ain't done nothing wrong!"

He made to dash off, but in a flash Crescent had teleported in front of him, blocking his escape.

"Then why were you sneaking in Auntie Tia and Mama Luna's rooms?" She stamped a tiny hoof, glaring at him fiercely despite the fact that he towered over the pint-sized princess.

He winced under her outraged stare. "It's my job..." He gave a pathetic little smile. "If somepony doesn't swap it out for Luna, she gets angry."

Crescent inclined her head. "Why are you sneaking around if you're supposed to be here! You look like a super criminal to me."

The stallion laughed softly. "It's private. She don't want ponies knowing about it."

Crescent blinked at that. "Wait... Secret enough to keep it form me?!"

The guard shrugged softly. "I don't know how you work. But she asked to keep it super private."

"That isn't fair..." She shared everything with Luna, but not everything was shared back. "We have to talk to aunt Tia. She'll know."

"N-no!" The stallion crossed his arms. "Luna especially doesn't want Princess Celestia being involved."

Crescent scrunched up her little snout, clearly perturbed by this revelation of secrecy being kept even from her. She didn't like the thought of her mother hiding anything from her merged consciousness.

"But...but Aunt Tia should know!" she protested, stamping a tiny hoof. "She and Mama Luna are sisters! And I tell Mama Luna everything!"

She fixed the guard with a pleading look that seemed to pain him. "I just wanna help and understand. Can't you tell me juuust a little bit?"

The stallion shifted awkwardly. "Er, sorry kid. Princess was real clear about total confidentiality." At her trembling lip, he hastily added, "B-but I'm sure she has good reasons! And it's not anything bad, promise!"

Crescent drooped. She couldn't stand the thought of distrust lurking between her and her mother's heart. But clearly this matter was exceptionally private...

"Oh, alright..." She scuffed a hoof, ears folded unhappily. Then inspiration struck, and she peeked up at the guard. "But will you at least take me to see what she's hiding? I won't touch anything, super pinkie swear!"

She held up a tiny hoof eagerly. The guard wavered, but finally relented with a sigh. "Just a quick peek I guess...c'mon squirt."

As she trailed him back to the mysterious storage room, Crescent puzzled over what could possibly be so hush-hush that Luna would conceal it even from her own dreamscape. But she was determined to get to the bottom of this secret!

He took her to a small room, the first room he had gone to. Inside was a dream catcher that he waved at. "There."

Crescent blinked at it. "Why would she have one of those? She has dream magic." She bounced in annoyance. "She doesn't need dream toys."

The stallion shrugged at that. "I'm to fetch this and hang it up once a week. That's it.."

Crescent circled around the curious little toy. "She must have a good reason to have it... Is she afraid of dreams? I can protect her!"

The stallion chuckled at that. "I bet you would. Well, there, I told you. Kindly don't tell her I told you, okay?"

Crescent eyed the innocuous dreamcatcher with a frown. Why would all-powerful mistress of dreams Princess Luna be worried about bad dreams? It made no sense!

She glanced back at the anxious guard. While he clearly wasn't going to reveal anything further, this didn't sit right with the little filly.

"I won't tell Mama," she assured him quietly. "But...I'm gonna figure this out! She shouldn't have to hide stuff from me."

The guard sighed but nodded acceptance. Crescent squared her tiny shoulders. A mystery was ahoof! She would get to the bottom of this secret fear of dreams plaguing her beloved mother.

"Maybe Auntie Tia will know..." Crescent mused softly to herself. But the sun princess was often quite busy during the day. Who else might Luna have confided in?

Her little face lit up. Auntie Twilight! She was super smart and helpful - and good at secrets! If anypony could help unravel this puzzle, it was Princess Twilight Sparkle!

Crescent glanced at the dreamcatcher once more with narrowed eyes before turning to zip from the room. She had a new mission! One way or another, she'd solve the case of Luna's troubled dreams and find a way to protect her from whatever lurked within them!

She hurried to a mirror and waved at it. "Twilight! Auntie Twilie!"

Fog overtook the scene before Twilight sprang into being. "Hello there. What brings you this way? You caught me in the middle of some research."

Crescent pointed at Twilight. "Tell me why Momma Luna would need a dream catcher."

Twilight blinked softly. "That is... a curious question. She had magic of her own, and is quite talented at dream magic." She tapped at her chin. "You've given me an interesting challenge, hm. Maybe it provides some manner of passive benefit?"

Crescent scrunched her snout. "That's what I thought! But the guard said he has to replace it every week for her." She paced an agitated circle. "Why would she need that if she has super good dream magic?"

Twilight hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps it offers some specialized benefit her natural talents don't..." She perked up. "Oh, I know! I read a thesis on enchanted dreamcatchers that posited they can filter out specific dream imprints rather than general bad dreams."

Crescent tilted her head. "Huh? How's that help Mama?"

"Well..." Twilight tapped her hooves together. "What if Luna is being haunted by a very specific recurring nightmare? One tied to some deep-seated fear or bad memory?"

She gave Crescent a sympathetic look. "Your mother endured terrible pain in her past that left deep scars. Maybe this dream is connected to that."

Crescent sat down hard, eyes wide. She hated thinking of her loving mama in distress.

"So the dreamcatcher takes away the same bad dream every week...like a security blanket." Twilight smiled sadly. "She must have impressively strong magic to enchant it to such specificity."

Crescent's tiny face set in a look of determination. "Well I'm gonna find a way to beat that mean dream for good! Mama shouldn't have to be scared of dreams when she's the Queen of Dreams!"

She stood tall, eyes blazing. "I'll find that nightmare and give it the stomping of its life!" She waved enthusiastically at Twilight and abandoned her, charging back to bedroom Luna was in. "Prepare to be helped." She curled in next to Luna. "Time to dream."

She threw herself into the dream and found Luna facing a little pony. It was Crescent. "What?"

Luna sat up with surprise. "Two?" It clicked what was happening. "Crescent, there's a reason."

Crescent pointed at her double. "Why do you have another me?"

"Because... I want you to be free, not shackled to my silly dreams." She cleared her throat. "So I keep a little..."

"You keep a copy of me?" Crescent peered at the doppelganger. "You just had to ask..."

Luna winced, scuffing a hoof across the glittering dream sand. "I...didn't wish to trouble you over such foalishness," she murmured. "Tis only an echo, a shadow. I know 'tis not truly you."

She offered her original daughter a sad smile. "When I dream of you now, it is always delight and comfort. But in darker moments, memories yet haunt of when your form represented my deepest pain."

Luna gazed at the silent shade standing vacantly beside her, face clouded. "I cannot bear for such bleak history to taint our present joy. So I siphon the lingering traces away, where they cannot touch you."

Crescent slowly approached her mother, heart aching for the suffering etched across her face. This protective spell was meant to safeguard her own innocence.

"Mama..." She reached up to brush Luna's cheek tenderly. "You don't gotta hide hurts from me. I can take it." Crescent bumped their horns together. "And you shouldn't carry it alone anymore."

She turned to study her motionless twin, seeing it clearly for what it was - an effigy of Luna's anguish given form.

With care, Crescent approached this piece of forgotten pain made flesh. "It's time you were free too," she whispered, and dissolved the figment in a wash of gentle light.

Freed of the lingering shadow, she returned to Luna's side where she belonged. And the Moon Princess wept in the company of one who knew and forgave all.

Luna folded an ear back. "You are awfully talented when it comes to dream magic, little Crescent."

Cresent folded her arms with a big smile. "I learned it from you, momma. If you feel bad, call me." She prodded at Luna. "It's always worth it to take some time for you."

"You are too good." She nuzzled Crescent gently. "Will you forgive me?"

"Already did," she sang, dancing in place. "Remember, I am you. I always have time for you."

"Little one." She put a hoof atop Crescent's head. "You are not me. Related, surely, but you are your own creature."

Crescent blinked, stunned. "What? I'm your dreams."

"You were my dream." She softly stroked under Crescent's snout. "But you've grown."

"No." She folded her arms. "I am your dream."

Luna shook her head, leaving that topic for later argument. "You are a wonderful creature in any event." She gathered her dismayed daughter close.

"You began as my dream of forgiveness," she said gently. "Now you inspire me to love life anew. All who meet you are lifted higher by your joy and kindness."

She rocked the anxious filly. "Is that not the highest purpose - to help others be happy by simply being yourself?"

Crescent nestled into her embrace, reassured. "To spread joy? I can do that!" She nuzzled Luna gratefully. "My purpose comes from you, Mama. I'll make you proud."

And nestled safe in familial wings, Crescent felt warmth blossom within once more. If her purpose was to love freely with childlike wonder, she had things to work out.

Crescent nuzzled thoughtfully. "But what am I, if I'm not you."

"You are Crescent." She kissed Crescent's snout. "You are yourself. Even if I went away, you'd still be there.

Crescent blinked with amazement. "What?! Really? But I'm.. you." She stood up. "I should go." She vanished from the dream, leaving only the soft hesitating note of her presence behind.

Luna awoke slowly, blinking up at the dark canopy of her bed as the last silvery threads of dreamscape faded. She drew a contemplative breath, sensing Crescent's disquiet even in her absence.

Perhaps she had pushed too hard in trying to impress upon the filly that she was her own self now...

Rising, Luna wandered the moonlit halls, probing gently for Crescent's distinctive aura amidst the sleeping magic permeating the night castle. "Luna... you were far too mean." She frowned at herself. "That little foal deserves support and love..."

Author's Note:

I am wonky today, apologies for that. Just completely knocked out.

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Comments

[Theresa hall]

Silly crescent. Just because you are your own person doesn't mean you don't have a place in others hearts. Lots of people are their own people who also live in others hearts.

[redmar]

This was a nice chapter and it seems that Luna and Crescent still aren't 100% sure of how things work between them.
Also I spotted a typo

crearture

Should be creature of course.

[TheGJ90]

"Prepare to be helped." - Crescent, 2024

[KingSombraTheTyrantRuler]

"Because... I wanr you to be free, not shacked to my silly dreams." She cleared her thoat. "So I keep a little..."

*want

[David Silver]

11794966
Typos? Is this a nightmare...?

[tsaukpaetra]

Being individual doesn't mean you aren't connected. Lessons foals need to learn...