The Legend of Lyra

Ponyville Schoolhouse

Present Day

Night

"And so with that, class is dismissed," Cheerilee said as she opened the door, letting the fillies and colts wander out and about in the darkened night sky. She sighed for a moment, looking out with a worried look upon her features, glancing about in the sky as she looked past each star that glittered in the blanket of darkness that was the scattered starry air. "I just hope they make it home safe and sound," She said rather sadly. As her hooves closed the door carefully, she stepped toward her desk.

The sound of her hooves on the hardened wood floor echoing through the empty chamber of a room that was the class room. She glanced over some of the fillies and colts work spaces. While she would near them, she would take a quick studious glance about the desks, some in particular. "Those poor children..." She said, lifting one piece of paper from the desk that belonged to a certain white unicorn filly. The paper held a rather crudely drawn crayon image on its once blank canvas.

It was just a simple piece of paper coated in the colored wax of a students imagination. A sunny day with the visage of the princess of the sun, her pink green and even blue hair shimmering in the light with little specks of white crayon for the sparkling effect, the horn was a little crooked, and the legs seemed pretty long, but it was very clear of who it was.

Cheerilee almost felt the sensation of a sadness long overdue coming onto her heart. "She just keeps that imagination of hers, but I'm afraid that day wont come..." The classroom had a few little extras about their design. It seemed there was some sort of occupancy limit, as the building's room clearly stated a rather bold looking number along the wall nearest the door. Twenty written out in numeric design as it sat there on the wall, a guard walked along the corridor connecting the classrooms to the main hall stared at it for a moment, grinning as if appreciative of the numbers value.

The guard as Cheerilee had seen many time before was just an average guard. The night core seemed to be enlisting several more to its ranks as of late. The odd bat-like pony stared into her eyes with his own for a single second before looking off, continuing his trek. A spear positioned on the side of his armor, his wings flapping a few quick times in rapid succession, like he was challenging her.

It was only for a short while though it seemed as he kept his wings raised. Hoof falls leading him outside of the building as he smirked toward Cheerilee. A cruel and wicked smirk. He left swiftly not even giving her the time of day.

Cheerilee let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. It was a scary thing to be stared down by a Nightcore guard, even more so to see one try and assert their authority. However, she was hardly fazed, being subjected to these things many many times. "Those lunar guards are going to really get what they deserve one day."

The fillies and colts scattered about idly as they split off to their various homes and houses, some having to knock upon the wooden doors, others practicing their magic by using it on metal door rings. Knocking several times before being opened, a mare would open the door and quickly usher in the young one within its safe walls. The door would practically slam shut moments after.

A yellow earth pony, one rather young in age, was carefully trying to make her way back home. As it seems, certain days she held residence elsewhere than the farm. A deal Applejack had long since started with certain folks about the town as she had to ensure the safety of Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom knocked on the door to the carousel boutique, waiting for her friendly neighborhood fashionista to open the door. Quickly, the door once more opened much like the one before it, and the one before that. She near instantly dragged the filly into the room as she closed the door quickly with her magic. "S-See, Ma'am? I have three, promise! Sweetie Belle is just sick up stairs and Apple Bloom made her way here safe and sound!" Rarity said a little quickly, perhaps trying to defuse the situation.

The bat pony huffed for a moment, nodding her head before gesturing for the window, "You got lucky this time. I know you only have the one filly...You're just lucky she made her way 'home' before I took this place in the name of Nightmare Moon." She moved to just take off the safety and bolt out without another word. Rarity was all to quick in shutting the window, and even going as far as to set the wooden pole up against its latch to further ensure it wouldn't be jarred open by yet another creature that night.

She whipped her head around, looking at the filly with a near glare as she tried to stay angry for the sake of discipline but unable to hold it, "Apple Bloom..." She dragged the name on in her somewhat agitated voice. "What took you so long to get here? Don't you realize what will happen if they think it was just Sweetie Belle and I here?"

Apple Bloom panted a little bit, her breath somewhat erratic from the eager pulling into the home and some from the fear of the guard. "I-I'm sorry, Rarity." She said in her sullen tone. "I-I didn't mean to take so long..." She looked down to the floor, gaze downcast as she tried to avert her eyes.

Rarity simply looked to the downcast filly and sighed sadly, gently pulling the little filly into her arms for a hug with a soft smile. "There there, Apple Bloom. I'm sure you didn't mean to cause any trouble of any kind..." She gently stroked her mane and bow.

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle was making her way down the steps of the boutique, blanket wrapped tightly around her as she was working her way down them carefully as not to trip in some sort of ill stupor and walking over carefully. "Ow...My head is still pounding..." She said as she felt her voice hardly squeak as per normal. The other two looked up at the appearance of the white filly, her eyes looking lightly bloodshot as if she hadn't been sleeping.

"Sweetie!" Rarity said, gently lifting up and away from the Apple Bloom. "What are you doing out of bed? You'll never get over this cold of yours if you keep getting up like this."

Sweetie sniffled as she felt her nose somewhat clogged, evident by her voice and its odd sound. "I'm sorry, Rarity, I just thought I heard someone. Did we have a guest?" She asked, sitting on her rear and tightening the blanket around her, rubbing her hoof along her nose softly.

Rarity nodded. "Yes, Sweetie. One of those lovely nightcore guard ponies decided to pay us a visit. I swear, they're trying to get us evicted if its the last thing they do!" She stamped a hoof on the ground in agitation and anger. Rarity just slumped over once more as she tried to look on the brighter side of things, and failed. "Well, no matter. I have a sick sister here and one who is in need of some soup, I'm sure."

Poor Sweetie Belle on the other hoof was groaning softly. "I...I don't think I can eat anything, sister..." She tried to sniffle again though her nose was still clogged tight. Apple Bloom made her way over and leaned over to hug the other Cutie Mark Crusader.

Apple Bloom thought for a moment, thinking back to the school. "I almost forgot. Sweetie Belle, Miss Cheerilee wanted to talk to you about something before," she said, rubbing a hoof on her chin like she was trying to remember something. "Something about homework I think..."

Sweetie Belle just groaned once more. "More homework? But I still haven't finished the last bit of homework. Aw mare..."

Rarity just made a small smile, straightening up and making her way to the kitchen. "At least children can still be children." As she made her way to the kitchen, she saw the window of the room still thankfully shut from the previous intrusion of the nosy lunar guard.

Canterlot Castle

Meanwhile, the lunar guard was making her way through the night skies, she'd been fast in her travels to make her way toward the Canterlot Castle, its visage much a grim sight. The stones may be white, though the flags flew a symbol of power rather than peace. The symbol of Nightmare Moon. A Single eye and horn of a nightmare creature in a crescent moon.

She swiftly flew down onto the balcony, the other lunar guards nodding and standing aside with their spears and making way to let the mare clad in armor pass by. She nodded back, giving a salute of the lunar guard as she turned her hoof up to her chest, hoof across her chest and chin up. Trotting carefully down the hallways of the castle, she made her way eventually to the throne room, catching gaze of the lunar princess sitting atop her throne. "Nightmare..." She said simply.

The creature of Nightmares opened her eyes to glare at the bat pony before nodding a gentle nod. "Approach." She said, her calm demeanor eerie.

As the mare neared, she gave the familiar salute to her ruler. "Guardsmare Iron Shackle reporting in. Ponyville is keeping its occupancy numbers and no signs of the rebellion as of late, dear ruler." She bowed her head as she finished giving her guards statement.

..."And what of Celestia..." She said calmly.

The mare perked her head up at that. "C...Celestia? But you told me only to-"

"Do not question your ruler! The job of the lunar guard is to ensure that Celestia is not to return and is to be killed, or did you forget that?" She said, voice raising in power as she was progressively getting louder.

"But we have not had any sightings in nearly a thousand years, Nightmare. We don't even believe she is around any longer."

Nightmare rose up quickly, stomping a hoof onto the steps of her throne. "Don't you dare question my authority again! Celestia is to be found immediately, is that understood!" She shouted out, the lunar guard, and some even out side of the room standing watch at the doors saluted.

"Now, leave me and continue the search. Celestia must be found." Nightmare looked up toward the castle walls, standing slowly from her single throne and making her way across the floor, down the steps and toward the near window. She was no fool, she knew of the prophecies and knew that one day soon, one day Celestia would indeed escape. Nightmare looked up out of the window and into the night sky. The stars that surrounded the moon were hers, yes, but it was the moon she focused her gaze upon. The moon, the prison of the solar princess.

The bat pony gave a somewhat shaky nod, back peddling slowly and turning on her hoof to trot out of the throne room. Even someone as high up in the ranks as herself knew the foolishness of fighting against their ruler.

Ponyville

The stars shining brightly over head, the time of day was hard to tell....Many many years ago it may have been simple, but now...Well, ponies seemed to adopt a new system for time in this new day and age, in the Era of Nightmares.

Briiiiiing!

...

Briiiiiing!

......

BRIIIIING!

"Gah!" A mint colored foreleg rose up, bringing it down swiftly on the odd device. It seemed like such a foreign concept in half sleep, and even more so in her fragile half conscious mind. She slowly opened up her sun glow yellow eyes, just looking outward onto the odd box like device with the numbers on the side, a series of buttons along the top edge and a switch. There was a ruffling sound behind her, and the bed shifted noticeably. She tried to decipher what exactly this strange device did...Did it just annoy ponies?Was that all it had to its mere design? Was it simply there to just make a mockery of some ponies sleep schedule? Did it just...-

"Will you quit staring at the alarm clock and just get up?" Bonbon said from across the room, already making her way out of the door. Lyra wanted so very much to just lay there and let the night waste away, but she knew as much as every pony else, the night was here to stay...It was always here to stay. She slowly got up, using her magic to take a brush she kept handy near the bed, just brushing her mane with her magically held brush as she brushed it into its more familiar shape and style.

She took a minute to admire her hoof work, just looking across the room to a wall mirror they had sit on the opposite wall...It was hard to see in the dark she quickly realized. Lighting up her horn with a simple spell, she watched as the room was slowly lit up around her, her horn showing off a soft but bright glow as the mare once more tried to admire her hoof work, or as the case may be, magic work. She just smiled softly at the appearance of a nice clean and well kept mane.

She tried to smile, grinning ear to ear for just a little while before deflating into a frown. "I hate nights..."

"Its always night!" She heard Bonbon shout from down the hall, evidently in the kitchen if she heard correctly.

Lyra just sighed, getting up out of bed and tripping once she realized the sheets were still wrapped rather tightly around her rear hooves, falling onto the floor with an audible and rather loud thud. She grumbled as she fought with her magic to make the sheets obey her mighty force and resign their hold on her legs. "Tonight is just not my night..."

Lyra grumbled to herself as she made her way down the hall toward the kitchen, already finding Bonbon hard at work on a nice breakfast meal. She wasn't sure what it was but it sure smelt sweet.

Bonbon flipped a pan full of what seemed like hash browns into the air, flipping it with some sort of air of elegance to her craft. Cracking an egg against the edge of the counter with her hoof, she grasped it with both hooves and placed the fresh egg into the next pan. Bonbon turned to her newest kitchen guest, looking her over for a moment. "Your mane looks nice today."

Lyra smiled softly at that. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Bonbon said simply, "So, what are you doing today?"

Lyra looked down and gave a bored sigh. "More work at the farmer's plant. Its amazing that we can still manage to grow anything in never ending night, but still...Unicorns just channeling enough light to grow plants? Its...Its just..."

Bonbon stopped cooking for just a moment, letting the food sit as she walked over and gently reached up with her fore hooves to hug the mare to her chest. "I know, but you have to." -She leaned back, placing her hooves on Lyra's shoulders.- "Without unicorn magic we wouldn't have enough lighting to grow the crops effectively...Just be thankful Nightmare had some sanity when she decided to grant us that much."

Lyra sighed once more, just taking her breakfast from the counter and deciding to help out, using her magic to grasp it from the chair and wandered her way rather tiredly over toward the cabinets. She reached up and grasped at some of the plates, trying to take the good plate from the top and floated it down in front of her. Reaching up she grasped at one more, placing it beside the other.

Bonbon looked over a touch confused. "Two plates? But I already grabbed your plate for you." She blinked, "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Bonbon asked as she stopped herself for a moment, reaching up with her hoof to hold the side of it against the forehead just under the horn of her unicorn companion. Perhaps a touch too much, but it was meant with good intentions after all.

Lyra rolled her eyes and gently reached up with her own hoof, taking Bonbon's in hers and holding it. "I'm fine, Bonbon. Really." She smiled gently. "Now, the first one was for me," - she pointed toward the first plate on the left.- "And the second one was for Applejack, remember?" She followed up with her other hoof and pointed to the second plate.

Bonbon looked a little perplexed before speaking. "O-Oh... Right." She reached over with her now freed up hoof and took one of the spatulas sitting on the counter, chopping the hash browns into thirds before taking another egg and cracking it over the frying pan.

"We have to thank her for at least landing me the job, right? With out her I may have already been homeless, or worse. You remember the occupancy rules set by our..." -She glanced around the room as if looking for signs of someone listening in.- "Our glorious ruler."

"Now Lyra, I know you're a little reluctant to go to work tonight."

Lyra sighed out.

"But you're making everyone else happy with fresh foods. After all, you're in charge of adding more...More..." She thought for a bit, tapping her rear hoof on the floor.

Lyra perked up a little now with some encouragement. "I add the vitamin and make sure the artificial light isn't killing off the plant life with too much heat." She started to lift a fork to her plate with her magic, prodding at the meal only for a moment before swiftly shoveling it down her mouth when ever Bonbon didn't look directly at her.

Bonbon clapped her hooves together once. "Right! So, go ahead and get this plate to Applejacks before it gets cold." She smiled, gently reaching under the cabinets to grasp at a basket, placing the hash browns onto a smaller plate with a single egg and placing a napkin over it, finally taking a cloth to cover it.

Meanwhile, Lyra was too busy hastily scarfing down her serving while Bonbon wasn't looking. She looked up with a sheepish grin as she realized her friend was staring down at her. "Ehehe..." She swallowed her food. "What? It was good..."