Canterlot, the chilled wing blew through the mountain top city as it was blanket by a layer of pure white snow. The Equestrian capital was quiet as the full moon hung above the landscape. A dark gray mare flew across the skyline of the city, her midnight blue armor glistening in the moon light as she flew home. Swift Night is a Sergeant in the Lunar Guard; her leathery bat-like wings took her along the sky to a small home on the edge of the mountain top city. She was given the night off to celebrate two big events, the Winter solstice and Hearth Warming Eve. She made a soft touch down at her front door and trotted in.
Swift took her helmet off showing off her two toned mane. She placed it down and heard the playfully giggles of a filly from the adjacent room. The batpony mare sneakily peaked her head into the living room.
The small area was lit with the warmth and light of a slow burning fire. On the long, polyester couch were two ponies. A young batpony filly under a merciless tickle attack from a white coated Pegasus stallion. The ticking continued until the filly’s sharp hearing got her attention to the mare.
“Momma!” the filly exclaimed, worming from the stallion’s hold and to the warmth of her mother.
“Hello Moon Blossom…” she said, smiling at the filly and hugging her. “How was your day with daddy?”
“We had a lot of fun mommy” the filly answered pulling back from the hug.
Swift smiled at her daughter and kissed her forehead. “That’s good…” she said softly, looking over to her husband. “Why don’t you go and wash up and after I’ll tell you a bedtime story.”
The filly smiled and galloped off, excited for her Hearth Warming Eve story.
As Swift watched her filly gallop off the stallion slowly approached her, wrapping an arm around her. “Did you have a nice time at work?” he asked softly, kissing her cheek.
Swift blushed slightly, her husband was a romantic. “Of course Civil…” she said turning to kiss his lips softly, moving him closer to the couch to sit down. “How was Moon today?” she asked her husband.
“She was just wonderful… we did some reading earlier” he said snuggling into his wife.
“Oh, what did you read?” Swift asked, her daughter loved to read and to learn.
“She wanted to know more about the batponies and their history, so we read a book on that,” he said taking a sip of hot chocolate that was sititng on the coffee table.
“Ah yes… I was going to tell her a story like that tonight” Swift said softly, her muzzle nuzzled into her husband’s neck.
“What story?” Civil asked.
“The story of the four foals and Luna…” she said standing up and turning to her husband. “Come on, I am sure she is waiting. The two ponies entered the filly’s room; she was already in bed awaiting her yearly special Hearth Warming story.
Swift sat by the bed and thought for a moment, how to start. “Tonight’s story is about how the batponies were saved by our Princess of the night, Luna and how the Lunar Guard came about…” she said, the filly waiting in anticipation.
Swift cleared her throat. “A long time ago…”
***
*In the lands of Equestria, before the arrival of the three tribes, the batponies thrived in the lands: colonies stretching from the Everfree forest and to the north to the Crystal Empire and each one growing and thriving. This story begins years after the arrival of Equestria, the Great Colonies are now abandoned and there are four colts wandering the Everfree forest*
Darkness surrounded the forest, four small colts navigating the depths; the only source of light was the few beams from the full moon, through the dense tree tops. The consolation for the colts was their naturally astute hearing and the fast they blended in quite well to the forest.
One colt at the back, the youngest shivered. “G-guys…” he said softly. “I’m hungry…” his voice shook as he spoke; it has been a week since they had food.
“All of us are hungry!” Moon Light snapped.
The lead colt, Gilded Shield, stopped and turned around. “Come on… we all need to calm down…” he said as he looked to the youngest, Night Fall. “Night…” he said and turned to Moon Light. “Moon…” he said and turned to the last pony Lunar Spear. “Lunar… I think we should stop and rest…” he said looking around. They were in a good position. “I’ll take watch… and we will trade off”
Moon groaned. “Of course… Night Fall never has to stay up for watch…” he whined and rolled his eyes.
“Night Fall is two years younger than all of us… he needs the rest more than us…” Gilded said strongly. “We each will get a half hour of rest”
Moon nodded and got a small patch of grass ready to nap on, Night was snuggled into his older brother, Gilded Shield. “Gilded… why did we had to leave home?’ he asked softly.
“Home is gone…” he said, trying to get the image of the burning village from his head.
“… can’t we just go to another colony…?” he asked, his parents didn’t tell him the fate of the other colonies just yet, they thought he was too young.
“There are none…” he choked out. The great colonies were pushed back, the Equestrians feared the batponies, and their land was taken. “We… we will find food soon, I promise…” he said softly. Gilded let Night rest next to him as he scanned the forest, the other two rested as well.
After a few moments, the snap of a twig rang through the forest. Gilded’s head shot up. He knew there was something nearby. “Come on… we need to go…” he said as the other woke up.
“What..?” Spear complained.
“Why…?” Moon added
“We need to go, now!” he ordered standing and placing the younger colt on his back.
“Who voted you to be our Protector?” Moon chimed in, not wanting to get up from his nap. Every colony was led by an elected lead called the colony’s Protector.
“Nopony did, but we need to go” he said as another snap echoed through the forest.
Lunar and Moon looked around, they were standing in an instant. “Let’s go” they both exclaimed.
The group began a quick gallop, fearing they were being followed by something rather nasty, which the Everfree wasn’t short of. Night remained on his brother’s back as the three colts swerved through the dense jungle, it seemed to last forever and every tree looked alike in the dark night. Their gallop continued until they had to stop and catch their breaths.
“I… I… I think we lost them… or it..” Lunar Spear panted, as he looked back.
“Yeah…” Gilded said, he took deep breaths as he sat down.
Light Night looked up and spied a shiny red apple. “Food…” he said happily.
“I know Night… we almost were food” Gilded said.
Night poked his back and pointed up. “No look… food…” he said as the group looked up.
“I call dibs…” Lunar Spear and Moon said simultaneously trying to fly to the apple.
“I think Night should get some first…” Gilded said and finally took the time to look at their surroundings, they were in the middle of a wide orchard. “I don’t think food is a problem…” he said smiling for the first time in days. “Come on… form a radius and collect as many as possible..” he said.
The group split up, collecting apples at a fast pace. A pile began to form where they first stopped, it slowly built up until it was the size of a full grown stallions.
Gilded smiled and nodded. “Good work… I think we can eat a some now and save the rest…” he said as pockets of light appeared through the orchard, the sound of hoof steps grew louder.
“What’s that…?” Night asked as he looked around, the form of earth ponies and unicorns came into view, carrying torches. “Look… more ponies” he said.
Gilded stood and looked around, they were surrounded. “No… we…” he stammered as they approached. “Follow me!” he yelled and took flight, the group followed the four colts. Thought shot through Gilded’s mind as he flew, but he was tired, so were the others. They were forced to land in a small red barn. They could hear yelling from the crowd.
“I’m scared…” Moon exclaimed in fear, he hid under his brother’s wing. All of them cowered in a small corner. All they heard was yelling of the ponies as they banged on the barn doors. It was terrifying and it didn’t stop, but after a while they heard it die down. Gilded lifted his head and looked out the crack of the door and he still saw the ponies, but there was a new figure there. He listened into to the conversation.
“Princess… it’s dangerous, let us secure the building…” a deep voice said.
“We can handle the situation…” a new voice responded as the door creaked open.
Gilded looked over and saw a dark figure enter, the mare had a midnight blue coat, wings, and a horn. On her flank was a crescent moon. The four batpony colt watched and hid as the strange pony approached them.
Luna looked about the barn, spotting the tail of one of the colts. She slowly made her was to the spot and looked under. Her eyes widened a bit as she finally made out the four forms, they were colts. “Oh my…” she gasped.
The four colts jumped back, fearful for their safety. They tried to inch back, but something about mare made they calm as well.
“Come on out… we will not hurt you little ones…” Luna said softly, gently pulling them out, she was shocked. They were only colts. She was told four monsters were terrorizing the towns ponies here in the village of Hoofington. “What are your names?” she asked softly.
“I’m Gilded Shield…”
“Moon Light…’
“Night Fall”
“,.. and I’m Lunar Spear…”
“Where are your parents…? Your home…?” Luna asked, she heard stories of ponies like them, batponies she thinks they were called.
“We have no family…” Lunar said softly, memories of his parents filled his head.
“… and no home” Gilded finished his thought.
Luna turned her head to the crowd. “Return to thou homes… there is no danger” she said and turned to the colts. She was shocked; they had no family and no homes. “Come on… you four are coming with me…” Luna said, taking the colts back to her to the castle.
***
“… The end…” Swift said smiling at her filly. The four colts went on to become the first Lunar Guards in a long line.
“Did they tell Luna about what happened?” the filly asked, as she lay comfortably under her covers.
Swift nodded. “Yes… they told Princess Luna their story and the story of the batponies… she was appalled at what happened and led them and helped them regain their homes, which is when the Canterlot colony was created.” Swift said, that colony was where she grew up. “The batponies were grateful for what Luna did they made her our Great Protector and she is our leader”
Moon Blossom nodded and yawned softly. “That was a good story mommy.
Civil and Swift smiled and each placed a kiss on the filly’s head. “Good night…” they both said. The filly was soon securely in dream land.
On a castle balcony Luna sat, watching over the edge of the city, ever vigilant as she watched the night and as she watched over her foals, the batponies.