> Project: Earth - A Dawn Before Twilight Prequel > by Dawn Darkness > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lunar Star was inside Cloudsdale Elementary School. She was sitting around a table with a group of foals who were speaking to each other. A few of them tried to speak to her, but she was silent. They then kept their talk to themselves. Her kindergarten classmates were obviously trying to make her feel comfortable. It was her first day of school, apparently, and she was having a bit of a hard time fitting in. “Excuse me?” she heard somepony saying. She looked and saw a rather handsome pegasus colt looking back at her. He had a dark blue coat, blue eyes and a lighter mane and tail. Moments passed as they gazed each other in the eyes, followed by a dash of pink swirling over their eyes. “Oh,” Lunar Star realized. “Sorry that I was staring at you.” How was she doing it? Surely she guessed it must’ve been a small error, but she knew it wasn’t a mistake on her part. “It’s okay,” he smiled at her. “I’m used to ponies staring at me. I’m Night Shadow, by the way, and you?” “I’m… Lunar Star,” she answered. “A beautiful name for somepony such as you,” Night Shadow said, before realizing his words. He heard a few fillies giggle at him. His cheeks reddened while Lunar Star smiled sweetly at him. One pony at the table where Lunar Star was sitting looked at her. “Lunar Star got a crush,” he sang. Another series of giggles escaped the girls. Lunar Star’s cheeks reddened like a tomato. “Oh, stop teasing me!” she pouted. She was embarrassed by her new classmates. This was just great. My first day of school, and already I am embarrassed. After everypony around the table calmed down, Night Shadow joined Lunar Star’s side, sitting next to her as they soon had their lunchtime. While everything in the first day was downhill for Lunar Star at first, she eventually warmed up to her classmates (so long they stopped teasing her for staring at Night Shadow). By afternoon, school was out for them. Lunar Star stopped by the schoolyard, while Night Shadow smiled at her sweetly. “So, anything you’d like to do, Lunar Star?” he asked her. “Well…” she started, “I was thinking about going to Cloudsdale Park. You know, to enjoy and relax.” Night Shadow smiled. “Funny, I was planning on going there, too.” “Really?” “Really,” he affirmed with a nod. “Tell you what, why don’t we go there together? I’d like to spend a bit more time with you before I have to go home.” Lunar Star had this strange feeling that she wanted to stay with him. “Sure. We can do that.” “Great!” Night Shadow cheered. “Let’s go, then!” Lunar Star flew beside him as they were soon at the park after a short flight, sitting at a bench while watching other pegasi ponies playing around them. She was enjoying Night Shadow’s company, as much as she liked to admit. How she stared at him like that in school was unlike anything she’d ever do. Maybe we were meant for each other? That’s silly, she thought. Nopony could ever believe in love at first sight. As much as she wanted to dismiss the idea, it stuck with her while she spent the afternoon with Night Shadow, before they soon returned to their respective homes. (The next morning…) Lunar Star was in her room, staring out the window while she was thinking about Night Shadow. The more she thought about him, the more she’d want to stay with him. “Lunar Star, honey, can you come here for a second?” Her mother, Moon Star, came by her doorway. “Sure thing, Mom,” Lunar Star nodded as she went down from the windowsill and joined Moon Star, a pegasus with light blue mane and coat. “What?” she asked while her mother stared at her. “You’ve been thinking a lot lately, honey,” Moon Star said. “Who is it?” “Well…” Lunar Star started, cheeks reddening as soon as she thought of Night Shadow. “You’ve met a colt, correct?” Her mother guessed. “Yes.” “Who, may I ask?” “A pegasus named Night Shadow,” Lunar Star said with cheeks red as a tomato. “Oh my, is he a cutie?” Moon Star teased. “Stop, mom!” Lunar Star said in embarrassment. “He is just a friend!” “Is that so?” “Yes!” Moon Star hummed. “My dear daughter, you’ve been in love at first sight.” “I didn’t want to believe it,” Lunar Star said. “It was all of a sudden…” Moon Star chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Night Shadow is thinking about you as much as you do about him.” Lunar Star sighed, as they joined her father, Starfly, on the first floor of the house. As the day drew to a close, Lunar Star was in her room, staring out the window as she was thinking about Night Shadow. I hope we can be together forever, Night Shadow. (Ten years later…) An older Lunar Star was standing next to a young adult Night Shadow, while they were saluting to Princess Celestia as she was looking at them from her throne. “Lunar Star and Night Shadow,” Princess Celestia acknowledged them as she spoke. “There is something I’d like for the two of you to do.” “What is it, Princess Celestia?” Night Shadow asked, his golden helmet shining in the sunlight that shone from the window. “Allow me to explain to the two of you,” Princess Celestia cleared her throat, while the door leading to the throne room was closed by two guards. “There is a distant planet that I would like for you to explore. This planet is unlike anything we have seen. I’ve done some research myself on that planet, and from what I put together, that planet is locally know as… Earth.” “Earth?” Lunar Star repeated. “What would you like us to explore, Princess?” “Anything they might have that’s useful for us to know,” Princess Celestia said, “about its culture, habitants, and lifestyles. This one planet is home to a race called… humans.” Lunar Star and Night Shadow glanced at one another, both confused. “Humans?” Night Shadow asked. “Indeed,” Celestia nodded. “Humans are quite…an interesting species. I want you two to research everything that is to know about this species.” “Hold on,” said Night Shadow, “I think I remember those creatures. Weren’t they the same creatures that tried to conquer Equestria 1000 years ago?” “Wow, Night Shadow,” said Lunar Star, “I see somepony knows their history.” “I guess you could call me somepony who likes history.” “And one more thing,” said Princess Celestia, “A while back… I sent somepony else to Earth for studying. We haven’t heard from her in weeks. I think something bad happened to her.” “And that’s where we come in,” guessed Lunar Star. “Indeed,” Princess Celestia nodded, “You see… that somepony isn’t just a regular pony like you are. She’s… a princess, just like me.” “A princess?!” Lunar Star and Night Shadow were shocked. “Wow,” said Night Shadow, “I guess we must now save a damsel in distress.” Lunar Star and Princess Celestia both deadpanned. “Are you kidding us right now, Night Shadow?” Lunar Star asked. Just then… Princess Celestia giggled a little. “Oh, Night Shadow,” she said, “I was told you were bit of a clown.” “It’s nothing,” smiled Night Shadow, “back at Cloudsdale Elementary, I would get this funny little reward; Class Clown of the Week.” “And get teased at,” Lunar Star added. “Remember when we first met?” Night Shadow nodded. He then looked back at Princess Celestia and said, “Your majesty, you got yourself the right pegasi for this job. We’ll bring you that information about Earth, and we’ll bring back that princess in one piece.” “Thank you,” Princess Celestia said gratefully. “That would mean a lot to me.” “By the way,” asked Lunar Star, “I’m wondering, your majesty… why would you send a princess out of all ponies to study another planet?” “Because Princess Epona,” explained Celestia, “is a rather different kind of princess. All her life, she dreamed of seeing the world, eager to see Equestria and everything it has to offer.” Celestia then chuckled and continued, “So when I told her that she would be going to Earth to study it, you can imagine the joyful mood she was in after that.” “We could imagine,” said Lunar Star. “So… how are we going to Earth?” “Teleportation,” said Princess Celestia, “That will be the only way to send you to Earth.” “And how exactly can we pull off a teleportation spell to Earth?” asked Night Shadow. Princess Celestia said nothing. She closed her eyes, and focused. Lunar Star and Night Shadow glanced briefly at each other, then returned their gaze on Princess Celestia. Suddenly, both of them were enveloped within a golden aura. She then levitated over two saddle bags, attaching them to Lunar Star and Night Shadow. “These saddle bags,” she explained, “will provide you with everything you’ll need on your mission. Use those contents well.” “We will, Princess,” Night Shadow nodded. “Don’t worry,” added Lunar Star, “we shall be back before you know it.” Celestia’s eyes opened wide, the former replaced by pure light, followed by a beam of pure light shot upon Lunar Star and Night Shadow, encasing them in an orb of light. “Good luck,” Celestia’s voice spoke to them. And before they both knew it… they vanished into thin air.