There is no rest. There is no hope. There is no happiness. No passion. No drive. No essence. I have no future. I’m a monster. Everywhere I go death follows. Six years. Six years since I left home. Six years since I’ve been bitten and now… now I can’t be happy. I try to hide it but the more I resist the stronger IT becomes. I don’t want to kill. I don’t want ponies to die. But I have no choice. IT makes me kill. Every month. Once every month on every full moon, I kill. IT kills. Entire villages torn apart by ITs bloodlust. Once every month I awake covered in foreign blood, my skin on fire and my skull caved in. The only solace I have is that I’m an Earth pony. For if I had powers of any kind, IT would grow stronger.
I was once known as Sparkling Cider. Now, as my reputation grows all over Equestria, they call me Blood Moon. They know not my face, my gender, nor even my heritage, but they know of the death. They know what I am. What I become.
I’m a werewolf.
Silver in the Sky.
I bring my right foreleg up to my face as the sun rises. With my sharp canine, I scratch a vertical line on the leg. I pull away and observe the mark. Blood trickles down my foreleg. Next to that scratch is sixteen more.
Day 17. 13 days left until the next transformation.
I had just left Canterlot. That was where I had spent a week trying to get to the princess. That was who I thought I could turn to. But the bitch is too high and mighty to speak to some dog like me. So now I have nowhere to go. Now I walk.
A sort of comatose state washes over me as I begin to fall asleep. I haven’t slept in days, due to the damned nightmares. But I keep walking, not knowing where I’ll go in my unconsciousness. Perhaps I’ll walk right out of Equestria. Perhaps into the Dragon country. Hell, the Griffons would be better company than my own kind. I’m tired of killing my own kind. Of course, after such a long time, killing would start to become the norm, and maybe I’d have accepted it by now. But the fact that I ingest these victims… I awake in some field or beside a road somewhere once every month with an odd burning taste on my tongue. My normally white teeth are stained with blood and sharp as ever. Every single month I go through the process of cleaning myself in a river or something. I suppose it would be easier to—
“HIIII!!!!”
My vision is suddenly filled with pink as I awake to find myself in some sort of town. I quickly jump back from this blue-eyed mare and utter a low growl, my ears pressed against my brown mane and my teeth bared.
“Leave me alone and I won’t hurt you,” I say in a low voice. This Earth pony huffs and looks at me with a confused glare.
“You’re not from around here are you?”
“That’s none of your business. Don’t follow me.” And with that I turn around and begin to walk away. Suddenly, the mare jumps in front of me again. I’m surprised for a moment, but reel back again. “Didn’t you just hear me? Go away.”
“Not if you’re gonna be a big meanie like that!” A white Unicorn enters my peripheral vision and nears the Earth pony. She grabs her by the shoulders.
“Come now, Pinkie Pie! Let the poor stallion be! He obviously isn’t in the mood,” she says in an… I don’t know, some sort of accent. It sort of sounds like a fancy, rather over-the-top accent. Honestly I’m too tired to care. The Unicorn has a pure white coat with a shiny, curled purple mane. Her cutie mark is that of three diamonds. Her eyes are an emerald-blue color. I can almost see my reflection in them. I quietly thank the Unicorn after the pink pony bounces (yes, bounces) away. We begin to part ways, but I turn to her again.
“Wait… What town am I in?”
“Hm? Oh! Why you’re in Ponyville, dear! This is simply the cutest, quaintest town in Equestria, and I’ve been to some quaint places,” she says while clapping her hooves together. Ponyville… Why does that sound so familiar? Have I been here before? Oh no… Have I been here during a full moon? Have I killed someone here? I look around and confirm that I have in fact been here before. The kicker that solidified my theory was a giant tree that was fitted to look like a house. I couldn’t mistake it; I’ve seen that tree before.
“Tell me… Has anypony been killed here recently…?” I ask while looking at the tree. The Unicorn tilts her head a bit and narrows her gaze toward me. Mentally, I scold myself for being as blunt as I was. Now she just thinks I’m weird. I’m supposed to be hiding, dammit!
“Er… That’s an… odd question… Um… A few ponies went missing two weeks or so ago…” She shifts herself, looking anywhere but in my direction.
Two weeks or so. Just short of seventeen days. I’ve killed them too.
I look down at the ground as my breathing picks up a bit. Memories flash through my mind of attacking three poor Pegasi. They tried to get away… I wouldn’t let them… I… I ripped their wings from their sides…
“Are you alright, dear?”
I killed them! I saw them die but I couldn’t move away! Why aren’t I used to this by now?! I saw their blood! Their hearts! Their brains! Their stomachs! They’re dead because of me!
“Please, come with me. I’ll help you,” the Unicorn says, placing a hoof on my shoulder. I could only assume I was having one of my panic attacks again. I swat her hoof away and look hungrily into her eyes.
Yes… She’ll make a good meal…
What? No! Shut up!
“No… You don’t want to be near me…”
“What’s going on? Who are you?” she asks, nearing closer to me. I move away, but slip and fall on my rear. I continue to crawl away, never looking away from her.
“Stay away… Stay away…” Why is she still coming closer?! I just want to be alone! I can’t just be—
“Look out below!”
Author's Note
Alternate titles:
Equine Heart, Lupine Soul--Breakfateschain
The Moon's Call; Phases of the Moon--Nightheart
Sanguine Moon--Mordy
Bad Moon Rising--Roach of Wrath
Black Moon--The_Last_Centurion
Crimson Howling Tides--SakuraVampire25
Lupine's Lament; Call of the Werepony; The Moon's Shadow--Saro0fd3monz
Blood Moon--FriendlyTwo3
Chapter Two:
Rarity
An audible moan escapes my lips as I reenter consciousness. My eyes slowly open and my vision is filled with an orange light. The light of the sunset. My eyes shoot open and I sit up straight. No… How long has it been since I’ve been out? Where am I? Suddenly, a throbbing pain enters my temples. I let out a short yelp and hold my head. Though my head hurts like nothing I’ve felt before, I suddenly feel calm. A scent enters my nostrils. It’s a scent I’ve not smelled in a long time. I lift my head and sniff out what it is. My nose takes me to the table near the door. My mouth waters as I gaze upon this heaven.
Before me sits a big, blueberry muffin. A note sits next to it, but I ignore it. I wolf the muffin down vigorously, leaving none on my face or on the table. It’s the most delicious thing I’ve tasted in a LONG time. A bit crunchy on the outside, but soft and chewy and moist on the inside. It’s still warm too, so it must have just been baked. As I lick my hoof, tasting the last of the muffin, I remember the note. On the small piece of paper are two words in chicken-scratched quill writing.
“I’m sorry.
-Derpy Hooves”
The sound of knocking on wood fills the silence in the room and I’m taken back from my hunger-driven stupor. I realize that, in my rush to the little treat, I forgot to walk like a civilized pony and instead scrambled over like a dog, my ears perked up and my senses heightened. I quickly stand up straight. The walls of the room I’m in are a light purple, as are the bed-sheets. The bed has at least seven throw-pillows on it.
Yeah, something tells me I’m not in a stallion’s room.
I answer the door with a simple “Yes?” The door slowly creaks open and I see the mare who lives in this house. It’s the Unicorn from before.
“Are we feeling better, dear?” she asks, sounding a bit more caring than before.
“Yeah… My head hurts though. What happened?”
“Oh,” she says with a giggle, “A friend of mine had a little mishap and landed on you. I see you found her apology gift…?” It takes me a moment, but I soon realize that she’s staring at my cheek. With my left hoof, I wipe my face and see that a little crumb was left. A giggle comes from the Unicorn as I smile sheepishly.
Mmm… Sheep…
“You can call me Rarity,” she says, extending a hoof to me. I politely shake it.
“My name is Bl—Er… Sparkling Cider. Erm… How long was I out?”
“Oh, just a few short hours. Nothing to fret over. Did you have somepony to see?”
“Oh… No… I just sort of… fell asleep while walking, I guess,” I say, laying my hoof on the back of my head. “In fact, I have no idea where in Equestria I am…” Suddenly, the Unicorn dons a look of concern.
“Oh… Well here, let me give you some bits. There’s a motel just across the street,” she says, pointing toward the window. Y’know, for a moment there, I thought that this would unfold into one of those clichéd romance novels, where she’s quick to invite me to stay in her home. Thank the gods (because I refuse to thank Celestia). That would be a bucket of awkward.
“No, I can’t. You’ve done more than enough for me already. Sides, I’m more of a traveler. Thanks, Rarity. I’ll see you round,” I say, walking past her. She quickly trots in front of me.
“No, please! I insist! I am the Element of Generosity, after all.”
Wait…
…
What.
THE Element of Generosity. Like, one of THE Elements of Harmony? Like, the things that saved the entire world, like, three times?
Just who the hell am I talking to?
“U-Uh… Be… Be that… as it may… I can’t accept this,” I say as I calmly push away her gold-holding hoof. She pouts a bit, but retreats a little at my next words. “Trust me. It would be better for everypony if I just don’t stay here.”
“But…why? Surely somepony such as yourself couldn’t be that harsh of company,” she says while putting the money on the coffee table. She leans toward me a little, awaiting my response. Lying comes naturally for me now. At this point, I couldn’t care less who I lie to, no matter how nice they are to me. It’s a sin, but nopony can know what I am.
“My family’s got a bad reputation in most places outside of Canterlot. I’d rather not talk about it.”
“I see. Well, Sparkling Cider… I’ll… I’ll see you around sometime… perhaps?” she asks with hope in her eyes. Odd… Why would she want to see me again? I’m not that attractive… I’m kind of a dick. And… well, I go on a blood-rage and kill ponies once a month. Not exactly a bachelor.
“Sometime.” And with that, I head out the door. All at once, the feeling of being fully awake in Ponyville hits me. The town is peaceful, not a place that usually deals with odd goings-on. The ponies are all calm and cool. They meander about in no particular rush, a lot different from the ponies in most other places. The entire village is maybe a hundred or so yards long.
A pain suddenly enters my head. Not the pain that comes from somepony named Derpy falling on you. It’s that old familiar sting. I’m just under two weeks away from a transformation. It’s beginning. The full moon is well on its way.
“Er… Cider?” I snap my head back to Rarity, who had walked in front of me. I suddenly realize I’ve been holding my head in pain with an intense grimace on my face. I stand up straight and calm my demeanor.
“Ahem… I’m fine. Just… A headache. From where your friend hit me.”
“She hit you on the back of the head. Not your forehead.” I start to stutter. I can lie, but if somepony starts to see through me, I’m a wreck.
“Er… Then it’s… It’s probably something else… I’ll figure it out.” I start to trot away. As I look back, I see the Unicorn staring at me, a look of concern on her face. My trotting slowly increases in speed.
Author's Note
Sorry for the short chapter. I meant for more stuff to happen, but the bridge between this chapter and the next wouldn't make sense.
Chapter 3:
A Day in Ponyville
“Blood Moon, Blood Moon,
Better behave, or he’ll get you soon.
Blood Moon, Blood Moon,
Over your moonlit houses he’ll loom.
Hide your fillies, hide your colts,
If you see him, you better bolt!
Never sleeps, always eats,
Once a month, he’s after your meat!
Blood Moon, Blood Moon,
Better behave or he’ll get you soon…”
So… They’ve finally written a song about me. About time. I was wondering when I’d become a tall tale. I can hear the children singing about me. Little did they know that the monster they so feared was a mere thirty hooves from them. I’m only spending a night in this village. I have bits enough to stay a night. But a night is all I’ll stay.
Nightmare Night. Tonight is when all the children will be dressed in ridiculous costumes asking for candy at the door. As I’ve found out in the past few hours, this place is weird enough; I hope they don’t ask at motels. I inhale the white stick of tobacco and blow a gray smoke cloud into the sky. I don’t like to smoke. It’s disgusting. It’s wrong. And it’s all I’ve got. It treats the pain. Besides… in recent years, my personality has changed. I’m much more susceptible to doing the wrong thing. I try to hold it back, but I can’t stop myself from going against my own morality. Hell, I didn’t even pay for these cigarettes.
“Y’know… It’s not right to smoke,” says a female voice. I let out a quiet sigh. As I look to my right, I see a purple Alicorn mare standing next to me. I let out another, much more audible sigh and reply to her.
“I know. I don’t want to.”
I look at the ground to try to hide my face. The Alicorn lets out a sigh and sits down next to me. She…
Wait. She’s an Alicorn? I sneak a subtle peek at her side. A purple-feathered wing rests there. I take another look at her forehead. A semi-long purple horn stretches past her hair.
Yeah. She’s an Alicorn. This town has so many oddities.
I quickly look at the ground as she looks over at me.
“Then why do you?”
“Numbs the pain.”
“What pain?”
Dammit!
“Er… Uh… Nothing…” I can’t help but stutter. Wait a second… I know this mare… Sixteen nights ago I passed that tree… She was standing outside of it doing something…
I can’t help but ask.
“Hey… Would you happen to live in that… uh, tree over there?” She looks over at said tree and smiles.
“Every couple of weeks. Other than that I live in Canterlot Castle. I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle,” she says, extending her hoof to me.
Wait…
…
What.
I slowly shake her hoof and force a smile, holding back my bewilderment. “Um… N- Nice to meet you, Miss Sp— Uh, Your Highness,” I say, lowering my head.
“Oh, please don’t call me that. Just call me Twilight,” she says with a blush. I slowly nod, nervousness making its way through my calm exterior. She suddenly looks a bit downtrodden.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, putting out the cigarette and throwing it in the trash.
“It’s just… It’s just that ever since I became a princess, the ponies that were once my friends… They’re all nervous and try not to talk to me now… I’m still the same mare, I’m just a higher rank now… I’ll be honest, I never really wanted to become a princess. There’s a lot of work to it that I don’t really like doing. So much stuff needs to be taken care of. So many problems piling up… And now there’s this… monster killing ponies left and right… That’s actually why I’m still here.”
I keep myself from having another panic attack at the memories. I stay silent. Comfort never really was my strong suit. I let out a grunt as my head begins to hurt. Something’s wrong. My head hasn’t hurt this much a full two weeks away from the full moon. This feels as if I’m but a night away.
“Hey, are you okay?” Twilight asks me. I look over at her and ignore the pain in my head.
“Yeah. Uh… Allergies. They give me bad headaches.”
“Is that why you smoke?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s easier ways.”
“I know.” For a moment or two, all that happens is silence. A cloud drifts in front of the sun, darkening the land. It’s probably just a Pegasus clearing the sky for tonight.
“So… Are you doing anything for Nightmare Night?” Twilight asks me.
“Nope,” I answer bluntly.
“Well, just don’t be cooped up all night long. Princess Luna is coming to town. She hasn’t visited Ponyville for three years!”
Princess Luna is coming to Ponyville? Tonight? This is my chance! All I have to do is tell her my situation and she’ll find some way to help! She’s the princess of the night, the controller of the moon! She has to know something!
“Perfect,” I whisper to myself. Suddenly, my stomach growls like mad at me. I cover it with my hoof and smile at Twilight, who’s looking at me with a sarcastic glare.
“Hungry?”
“Heh… Yeah… Haven’t eaten in…” I stop myself from saying ‘in days.’ “In a while.”
“Y’know what? I like you. You seem nice. Wanna go grab a bite to eat?” she says, pointing towards a café a few buildings away.
I sure could. And I’m lookin’ at the main course.
What?! Stop it!
“Sure,” I say as my stomach grumbles again. Twilight giggles and stands up. I stand as well.
“Oh, I never got your name,” she says, looking at my cutie mark. My mark is that of a martini glass full of a red liquid with a lime wrapped around the rim.
“Sparkling Cider.”
Later…
The sun’s going down. Fillies and colts are running around dressed as ninjas, pirates, cows, princesses, and other cartoon looking things. More than a few of them look like deformed wolves. They’re dressing up as me, and that’s just weird. I expel the remaining water droplets from my thick brown mane. My dark blue fur is clean and silky. My breath is fresh and minty. And my hair is now smooth and stylishly messy. Have to look good for a first impression with Princess Luna. I can’t make a fool of myself, even though it doesn’t matter either way.
Heh, I haven’t looked like this in six years. Ever since I first transformed, my fur’s been knotted and dirty. My mane’s been messy and tangled. And my breath smelled like death.
I step out into the chilled sunset air. A crowd is beginning to gather in the town square. This is where Princess Luna is going to be landing. I know it.
“I thought you said you were leaving!” says a mare’s voice. I look behind me and see Rarity smiling as she trots up to me. She’s dressed up in a long black cape, her hair styled back and long plastic fangs sticking from her lips. “Cider!”
“Hey, Rarity,” I say as I turn around completely.
“Look at you all cleaned up. What are you dressed as? An actual gentlecolt?” A chuckle escapes my lips.
“Nah. It’s just… There’s somepony important I’m meeting tonight,” I say carefully. Something tells me I shouldn’t just blurt out ‘I’m talking to Princess Luna tonight!’
“Oh? Who?”
Suddenly, right from who-knows-where, that pain enters my head tenfold. I very audibly grunt and hold my head. Waves of pain surge through me. Not even just my head anymore. My entire body catches fire.
“Cider? What’s wrong?”
“N- Nothing! Allergies! Hurting!” The pain leaves me, for the most part and I recollect my composure. “S-Sorry… I have this… er… birth thing. Whenever my allergies act up it hurts my head.”
“Oh… I’m so sorry to hear that, darling,” she says, putting her hoof on my shoulder. I flinch at her touch, but let it remain.
“Don’t be. It’s just an inconvenience. Doesn’t last very long.” I stand up straight and smile to confirm. She smiles as well. We stare at each other for a moment or two. The town seems to quiet down as we look at each other. A smile is present on both of our lips.
“Y’know… I never noticed… but you have extraordinary green eyes…”
“Thanks,” I say slowly. I quickly look away and Rarity does too. Blushes cover both of our cheeks.
“So… Um… Princess Luna is coming tonight…” she says, looking anywhere but in my direction.
“Erm… Yeah… Wait…” I look over at the mountains in the distance. The moon is barely over the horizon, but it’s raised enough to the point where I can see what shape it will be tonight.
It’s a full moon.
“Wh… Why is…” I back away from the direction of the moon, as if that’ll help. Rarity looks at me and back to the moon. “N-Not for… Not for two weeks!”
“Oh! Luna does this every year! She makes a full moon to highlight the holiday! Um… Why…?”
Oh no. No no no no no no. This can’t be happening. I… I gotta get out of here!
I look at Rarity once more before I take off. I run full gallop away from the town. The wind blows my once neat hair back and ruffles my fur. I can almost hear Rarity calling to me. I have to get away from this town. As far away as possible. These innocent ponies can’t be hurt… Where can I… The Everfree! Perfect! The forest! Nobody’ll ever find me there! And hopefully, I won’t be able to find my way out!
My legs start to hurt. From the running or from the searing heat of the rising moon I’m not sure. My head hurts once more, but I don’t care. Rarity continues to call for me. Is she following me? There’s no way I should be able to hear her if she’s still in the town! Why is she following me?!
Out of the corner of my eye I can see a dark figure fly overhead. Probably Luna. I don’t care. The moon is still rising. The sky is darkening and the pain in my entire body is growing more intense. I close my eyes tight and grit my teeth as moving becomes a more and more difficult task. My heart is beating a mile a minute and I’m running out of breath. Wait… I can see it! The forest wall! As I near the forest, the pain in my body intensifies like nothing I’ve felt for seventeen days. It’s like a million bullets shoot through me all at once. I scream a loud scream and cause a few birds to fly from their perch.
My hoof catches a loose twig and I trip. I roll down a small hill, only adding to the pain in my body. I can hear the sounds of deep galloping near my position. The sounds of thuds on the dirt and grass come to a halt a few hooves away from me.
“Sparkling Cider! What is wrong with you?!”
“Rarity!!” I scream at the top of my lungs, “Get out of here! NOW!”
“Don’t you dare yell at me! I demand you tell me what is going on! This! Instant!”
“I’M BLOOD MOON!!!”
“What?”
“Go!! Please!”
“Cider, please! Let me help you!” Rarity starts to lean in close to me. I grit my teeth, which now send waves of pain through every fiber of my being. She’s getting closer. Why won’t she stop?
“Get away… M… Monster…” is all I can stifle before an incredibly loud grunt. I hold my head tight as the moon continues its painstakingly slow ascent into the sky. My breathing increases dramatically in speed and depth. My muzzle slowly begins to extend from my face and my claws bore into my skin.
“Cider… What are you talking about?” asks Rarity. Oh gods… she’s only a few hooves away from me. I let out a short scream as the two of us are shrouded in a silvery light.
The moon is showing over the treetops. It’s time.
I slam my hooves against my head and scream a long, loud scream. Words cannot describe the pain in my body. It’s as if all the punishment my body had endured all my life suddenly floods back to me all at once. Shockwaves of torture zap through me. My skull seems to cave in on itself. My mind melts and my thoughts erase from my brain. My very soul leaves me to seek council elsewhere; I know not where. My chest heaves, my heart races, my blood burns, my eyes water, my bones ache, and my screams simply escalate as I fall to the ground. My core freezes and my hooves go numb. My muscles evaporate and my lungs shrivel.
Four stout stubs grow from the front of my hooves. Thick black claws rip from the stubs. My gums spew blood as my canines violently extend and sharpen. My fur lengthens and turns five shades darker. My senses heighten.
…Oh gods… I can hear EVERYTHING…
My ears grow and swivel forward. My muzzle narrows and lengthens from my face. My tail grows and my fur knots. I arch my back in agony as the burning in my bones fails to cease. My electric green eyes turn a sharp blue. My muscles grow and I can feel my strength building. My bones extend and I easily tower over my former self.
My transformation is complete.
I raise my head to the sky and howl a long, loud, and proud howl.
