Born Under Silver Moon Light

by David Silver

7 - Out and About

Crescent had broken free of the confines of the castle. She had a jingling bag of coins and a purpose, a dangerous combination. With a list held in her magic, she was determined to get everything Raven had asked her to get. "I'll be the best shopper!" Sure, it was also her first time actually shopping, rather than an old Luna memory, but it was still special.

Canterlot was a different city from the streets compared to gazing at it from high above. She was lost almost immediately, wandering the roads and alleys with boundless determination.

"Psst!"

She looked to the right to spot a little unicorn colt waving her closer. "Psst!"

Crescent blinked, pointing at herself before she came closer. "What? Is something wrong?"

He grabbed her, dragging her just through a cloth curtain where a few other foals were grinning. "Finally!"

A filly inclined her head. "Um... You grabbed a..." She waved at little Crescent's tiny tiara. "I think you just got us in trouble..."

Crescent put a little hoof to her chest. "I'm shopping for a friend. Hello. My name is Crescent. I'm Luna's filly."

Their eyes widened. The colt that had grabbed her colored and threw himself down. "I'm sorry! Please don't banish me someplace far away."

Crescent blinked at that. "I was hoping you'd tell me your name. Why would I do that? You didn't hurt me or anything..." She patted herself down, as if she'd find where she had been hurt and hadn't noticed. Nope, all intact. "Why did you grab me?"

The filly laughed nervously. "We were trying to play a game, but we needed one more pony. They had to be a pegasus or a unicorn." She inclined her head. "You're both of those... Um... Wanna play buckball?"

Crescent's eyes glimmered with wonder. "I've heard of that, but never played it before. I'd love to! Let's play! Right now!"

Cheers rang out from the little band of foals at Crescent's eager agreement. The formerly nervous colt who'd grabbed her bounced to his hooves. "Aw, sweet! Okay, lemme go grab the ball and we can start!"

He dashed off, leaving Crescent peering curiously around. They seemed to be in some kind of cluttered hideaway cobbled together from old curtains and boxes. She spotted a few threadbare blankets and what looked like food wrappers tucked into one corner.

"Do you guys...live here?" she asked quietly. Were these new friends just playing in this space or...?

The lead filly hunched a little, tracing a hoof through the dust. "Uh yeah... Little Ray and us hang out here mostly. We don't got parents to yell at us for making too much noise so it's a good place for games!"

She forced a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Must be nice to live in that big fancy castle though. Probably super fancy and fun!"

The other foals murmured agreement, eyeing Crescent's tiara and ribbons anew. Before she could respond, the excited colt - Little Ray presumably - came galloping back, ball clutched triumphantly in his teeth.

"Ready or what?! I call Crescent on my team so we're totally gonna dominate..." As he launched into an explanation of rules, Crescent made a quiet promise to herself to come back once they finished playing. Her new friends could clearly use a little light from above.

But first, it was time to play. She took the position of pegasus and tried her best to bounce that ball, soaring and dipping above the others with one other pegasus foal vying against her for air dominance. She laughed and cheered, win or lose. The whole thing was just tons of fun, and that was the important part.

She tried her best, but she actually wasn't that terribly good at the game she had only just tried for the first time. The other team won, but they were all laughing with good sport. Crescent clapped joyfully for them. "You're good at this!"

The earth pony that played on the other team huffed softly. "I hope to be a buckball player some day... Then things will get better. I'll make so many bits, and none of us will be hungry again."

Crescent pinned her ears at that hopeful, yet miserable combination of a statement. "Do... Do you all have no parent? Nopony watches you?"

The filly waved over the lot of them. "We watch each other. We keep each other safe."

Crescent forced her ears up. "It's good to have friends, and you sound like good friends... Um..." She brought out that list she had. "Can you help me? I need to shop for these things."

The little band of street foals clustered around curiously as Crescent showed them Raven's shopping list. Their eyes grew huge at some of the fancier ingredients.

"Whoa...half this stuff I can't even pronounce!" Little Ray exclaimed. "What kinda weird dishes are they cooking up in that castle?"

Crescent just shrugged amiably. "Lots of fancy noble food I guess. But I wanna make sure I find everything!"

She grinned around at them all. "So whaddya say? Wanna be my guides to help me shop Canterlot market?"

Excited agreements met her proposal along with eager pleas to come along. Crescent got the feeling these foals didn't get to experience the bustling markets often. Well, time for that to change!

"Alright troops, let's move out!" She waved a tiny hoof imperiously and the ragged band scrambled to fall in line behind her with giggles. Soon she was leading a merry procession down the winding streets.

At each stand or cart, the foals pored thrilledly over strange fruits and spices while Crescent consulted her list. They marveled together at a dizzying array of sights and scents. For Crescent it was fun - for her new friends, clearly liberating.

When at last the basket brimmed with checked-off ingredients, she turned to the tired but beaming foals. "Mission success all thanks to my awesome team!" With a tired but happy cheer, they moved to head back...only to pause as one little stomach rumbled loudly. More soon followed.

Crescent bit her lip. Then resolutely up-ended her coin purse into a hoof. She knew what had to be done. "Oh no, we forgot one last ingredient." The foals looked at her with confusion. "There." She pointed to a street cart. "One for each of you."

They erupted into wild cheers and charged the cart. The stallion that worked there frowned at the charging foals. "Hey! I'm onto your tricks."

Crescent advanced past them. "They're with me." Even as she wondered what tricks the foals had gotten into. She jingled her bag of bits meaningfully.

The stallion's attitude flipped instantly. "Of course, ma'am. What would you like?"

"I'd like the special." Crescent threw her hooves wide. "At least one for each of them, and whatever else they want to have." She floated the bag onto the cart. "Here you are."

The stallion peeked inside, perhaps confirming they were actually bits, and how many were there. Satisfied, he nodded. "Alright, line up. Let's get food in hooves." He began serving them up his aromatic falafels, one little paper bag per eager foal, then a drink for those who dared to ask for one, which encouraged others to ask for one too.

Soon Crescent and her crew of eager foals were happily digging into their unexpected feast. The warm, spiced aroma of fried treats filled the air amidst delighted crunching.

"Mmmh these are almost as good as that awesome meal we swiped from those fancy ponies' picnic that one time eh?" Little Ray remarked around a huge mouthful. His friends nodded vigorously.

Crescent inclined her head curiously. "You mean you had to steal meals before?" She felt another fierce swell of protective affection for this scrappy little found family.

The lead filly just shrugged, licking sauce from her hooves. "Sometimes yeah...folks with lotsa food don't always wanna share, y'know?" She blinked, looking suddenly stricken. "Uh, I mean we would never now though, promise!"

Her fellows bobbed earnest agreement - likely more to reassure their new princess friend than actual intent to reform. But Crescent just smiled gently, snuggling the filly close.

"It's okay...I know it gets hard and lonely out here." She met each set of eyes warmly. "But I wanna help however I can from now on, cause you're all my friends!"

Their little faces lit up in touched delight at actually being claimed as a royal's cherished companions. Crescent knew then for certain - no matter what, she would find a way for them. That fierceness from her Tantabus origins still held sway when protecting those she cared for.

Come what may, these children would want for joy and care no longer. She would make certain of it. "Are you brave enough to come with me, back to the castle?" She pointed. "I have to bring all the things you helped me find."

They looked uncertain, but trusted their new friend enough to trail along behind her, a cloud of foals all going up to the gate.

The guards there recoiled in surprise. "Crescent, Your Highness, why do you have so many foals with you?" The stallion on duty waved at the crowd.

"They're with me." Crescent held her head up high and marched past them, leader, for the moment, of the crowd of gasping and gawking foals that gaped at every little thing. Even in their wildest dreams, they weren't allowed to just wander into the castle, but there they were, allowed to enter those stately halls.

Crescent had an ear turned back, listening to their astonished gasps and whispers. "We're going to see somepony important."

Little Ray rushed to her side. "Who? Your parents?"

"Sorta... My aunt." She led them to the court and waved for them to be still. Court was in session, with Celestia calmly addressing one supplicant at a time. The foals quivered in amazement. There was the ruler of the nation, so close at hoof. They looked certain they weren't supposed to be there, but Crescent's confidence, and the lack of them being chased away, kept them rooted in place, only moving as she directed them.

The ragtag band of street foals could scarcely breathe, packed together as they watched Celestia serenely hold court. The graceful alicorn princesses was even more impressive in person, radiating light and benevolent authority.

Yet after their initial tense minutes expecting to be tossed out by guards any second, even the wariest foals had to relax as the minutes stretched on without incident under Crescent's soothing encouragement.

"You're gonna help me ask her a big big favor for you guys, 'kay?" Crescent was assuring Little Ray in a whisper. "She seems super nice and I just know she'll wanna assist!"

In truth, even with Crescent's stalwart faith in her beloved auntie, doubt gnawed at her. Celestia managed an entire kingdom - would she really have time for a few ragtag homeless foals?

But any nervousness melted away when at last Celestia concluded the day's hearings and her warm rose eyes settled upon the waiting cluster of young ponies. Rather than annoyance, she regarded them with open delight.

"Well now, who might these bright little souls be?" The Sun Princess turned her full attention to the group, sending more than one foal skittering to hide shyly behind their friends.

With an encouraging nudge from Crescent, the lead filly edged forward. "H-hello Yer Majesty...I'm Violet an' these're my friends..." She gestured a hoof to the other wide-eyed urchins.

Celestia dipped her head graciously. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Violet, all of you. Crescent clearly thinks quite highly of you to bring you before me. Now tell me, what matter can I assist with?"

Bolstered by Crescent's stalwart support, Violet began hesitantly explaining their unsupervised life on Canterlot's streets. And the Sun Princess's expression shifted to one of gentle sympathy and thoughtfulness.

Celestia took a slow breath. "Right at home... Little foals, we have a place for you, where you will be safe. I am sorry you fell through the cracks, but today is the day you are caught." She smiled at Crescent. "By a cheerful little filly."

So it was she sent them to the Canterlot Orphanage, a far kinder place than most human varities. "Here you will be allowed to grow into the ponies you wish to." Celestia unleashed the foals into the care of the ponies that worked there, to not know another hungry day.

Celestia turned to Crescent, who had followed her there. "You did a very good thing. We try to help every foal in need... but some, as you see... They are missed. That doesn't mean we don't care for them, love them... But mistakes... They happen." She sighed gently. "It is good we have another set of hooves to stretch out and help catch them."

Author's Note:

I'm recovered, so we get more adorable ponies being adorable! Happy ending, I say.

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Comments

[redmar]

It's good that Crescent managed to help those homeless foals.

[Reily]

Dawww. Crescent helped where only children can.

[tsaukpaetra]

Sometimes it takes eyes much closer to the ground to scout out the accidentally looked-over.