Chapter 1: The History Books Were Dead Wrong
“Come little children, I'll take thee away
Into a land
Of enchantment”
“Huh?” the foal blurted out, awakened from her sleep. Blinking tired eyes, she wondered what woke her up. It was almost as if someone was... singing. But who could’ve been singing this late at night?
Lifting her torso from her bed, she stared up at the moon from her bedside window. A perfect circular orb or dazzling white brilliance, its beauty only broken by the odd crater on its surface. Its light illuminated Canterlot, shedding it in a dim glow.
But suddenly, the light was blocked out, as if a shadow passed over it. Squinting her eyes, the foal tried to make out what figure was blocking out the moon. It was pony shaped, and fast approaching her window.
In a soft breeze of air, the figure was at her window, its wings flapping ever so gently as to not make a sound. The soft tune of the singing voice was coming from none other than the stranger.
“Follow sweet children
I’ll show thee the way
Through all the pain and
The sorrows”
The voice was that of a goddess. Compelling and soothing, like the whispers of a dream calling you to sleep. The foal felt her eyes grow heavy, yet she was growing lighter. Actually, she was floating now, white sparkles of magic surrounding her body and levitating her in the air.
“Wh-what’s happening?” the foal asked, holding onto her blanket as her legs kicked uselessly in the air. Not matter how much she twisted or flailed her limbs, the magic wouldn’t release her from its grip.
“Weep not poor children
For life is this way
Murdering beauty and
Passions”
“You’re g-gonna murder me?” the foal stuttered, the shadow hidden stranger pulling her closer with their magic. The voice was no longer so heavenly or benevolent. Now it sounded like the malice singing of sirens before they devoured their helpless prey. “L-lemme go!”
“Hush now dear children
It must be this way
Too weary of life and
Deceptions”
“Pa! There’s a crazy serial killer here!” the foal screamed, waving her forelegs about to avoid her kidnapper from touching her. “I don’t wanna die!”
“Starheart? Star, what are you talking about?” her father shouted from across the hall in her parent’s bedroom. The sound of hooves racing down the floor could clearly be heard, followed by her door being forced open by her father.
“Rest now my children
For soon we’ll be away
Into the calm
And the quiet”
“Like hell you’re taking my daughter anywhere!” the stallion shouted, rushing to grab his daughter from the mysterious magical grip that had lifted her up in the air. Carrying her away and backpedaling across the room back to the door, the stallion prepared himself to confront the intruder. What he definitely wasn’t expecting for was the intruder to be the princess of the night: Luna.
The dark coated alicorn seemed bright and cheerful, finally revealed in the moon’s light in the foal’s bedroom. Taking a step closer to the father and daughter, she said, “Oh, I’m sorry to intrude upon your sleep. I just came for a quick stop.”
“Uh...” The stallion’s jaw was hanging low. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to meet a princess in real life. Or for that matter, meet one in his daughter’s bedroom. Composing himself from these wild turn of events, he asked, “What exactly are you doing in my daughter’s room, um... Princess?”
“Oh, I was just taking her to my garden of shadows,” Luna replied cheerfully, the smile ever so wide and never leaving her face.
Looking down at his frightened daughter, then back at the princess, then back to his daughter again, the stallion knew what he must do. “Someone, call the guards! I got a sick, pedo foalnapper who tried to steal my daughter away!”
“Listen, this is all just a simple misunderstanding,” Luna said, gripping hard at the bars of her jail cell. “I never meant for anything bad to happen!”
“Shut it, you sicko!” the guard shouted, causing Luna to flinch and back away into her cell. Not like there was much to back away into. Just a small room with metal bars for a door and window, that smelled of dank mildew and rat droppings.
The earlier commotion at the house with the father and daughter had unfortunately landed her into jail when an entire platoon of guards arrested her. Many were shocked the ‘sick, pedo foalnapper’ was none other than one of their princesses, but a quick word to the father and hearing the foal’s crying assured them they had the right perpetrator.
Pacing back and forth before her cell, the guard glared at her out of the corner of his eyes. “So, you enjoy foalnapping innocent children, eh? What, you get some type of sick pleasure from it?”
“No, no, you are mistaken,” Luna implored, searching for the right words to shed better light on her case. “I was merely taking those children away to my garden of shadows.”
“Children?” the guard asked, a small smirk on his face. “As in more than one, right?”
“That is correct,” Luna said with a nod of her head.
“Well, looks like we just caught the famous Canterlot foalnapper now,” the guard chuckled lightly. “Never would’ve guessed that it’d be a princess of all ponies.”
“But I’m not a foalnapper!”
“Oh, really now?” the guard asked with sarcasm dripping like venom from his voice. “Then please explain to me why you were found in the foal’s room so late or night? Or how about the fact there have been a string of missing foal reports all over the city? Street urchins, orphans, and even foals from homes. All disappearing in the middle of the night.”
“Listen, I... I...” Luna gulped, trying desperately to search for the right words to use. “I was only giving these children a home. A place where they can grow strong and happy.”
“Yeah, well, explain that to the judge, you sick freak,” the guard grunted, going down the hall to the door. “And by the way, your sister is here to bail you out. Try to keep from giving any ‘children a home’ until your trial, okay?”
“C-Celestia is here?” Luna asked, her stomach dropping like a stone.
“Indeed I am, sister,” Celestia said, entering the hallway and making her way to Luna’s cell. “And I still can’t comprehend what you were thinking by pulling a stunt like this.”
“Tia, I just wanted a kingdom of my own,” Luna explained, tears springing up at the corner of her eyes. “Equestria is still in ruins because of Discord. Children are suffering each day! How could I look away from that without doing something about it?”
“Luna, you foalnapped foals from their homes,” Celestia said in a deadpan attitude. “Your actions have caused the grievance of dozens of worried parents. Not to mention the fact that many citizens in the city live in terror each night over one of their children being snatched away.”
“But why do you get to have a kingdom and I can’t?” Luna asked, drawing closer to the bars where her sister was. “Everyone loves your day so much, while my night is barely appreciated! I just wanted something to myself. A kingdom of my own where ponies could love my night... and me.”
“... You’re telling me you abducted dozens of foals over petty political jealousy?” Celestia said, her jaw nearly hitting the floor. “That’s... the most pathetic and over the top thing I’ve ever heard of!”
“It isn’t pathetic!” Luna said. “I built a system of caves that the children get to play in. Then at night we come outside to frolic in the meadows and pastures. Oh, you should see how much fun we have!”
“Luna, the reason I didn’t want you to establish a new colony is because it would tear Equestria apart,” Celestia reminded her, a serious scowl on her face at her sister’s foolishness. “Which it’s doing right now! Half the foals in the city are missing. The citizens are outraged, and once news of this breaks out, many will want your head in vengeance.”
“They’re... they’re just jealous!” Luna said, defending her viewpoint on the matter. “I’ve given these foals a future. A chance to live in a kingdom where they can truly appreciate the night under the moonlight of their mother.”
Celestia sighed and rubbed her temples. “Luna, you aren’t their mother. Many of those foals have mothers. And unless you’ll be willing to reveal the location of where those foals are, those mothers will never see their foals again.”
“Never,” Luna spat, glaring hard at her sister. “That is my colony, my children of the night, and my kingdom! I won’t let you or anyone else have them.”
“Oh please, now you’re sounding like a foal yourself,” Celestia said with a roll of her eyes. “Mine, mine, mine. They aren’t objects, Luna. They’re real living ponies that have families and friends that miss them.”
“But they’re perfectly happy in my land of enchantment. For now they shall not weep or be sorrowful any longer.”
“Okay, now you’re just being delusional.” Celestia turned to make her way to the door, not before looking over her shoulder at her bitter tempered sister. “I hope we’ll be able to resolute on a solution, Luna. No need to make this any more dramatic than it needs to be. Those pedophilia charges accused against you isn’t making your public profile look any better.”
And with that, Celestia left, leaving Luna all alone in the jailhouse with just her thoughts and envious vendetta against her sister.
“I’ll show you,” Luna muttered, her eyes briefly flashing a darkening purple light. “I’ll show everyone. The children of the night shall rise again. Under the light of the faithful moon.”
"Come little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden
Of shadows."
