Leaving the Dark. Entering the Light.

  Stables were generally areas of safety and happiness, similar to a house, or even a small town where everybody knows everybody. The Secret Stables, however, were not as welcoming. Built in a secret area of the Canterlot Castle, there were few ponies who knew about the Stables, or what lived in them. Only the Princesses and those with special clearance were allowed inside, or even told about their existence.

  The Secret Stables housed the rarest species of ponies in Equestria, the only kind that had been created by other ponies. The Princesses, to be specific. They were the Bat Ponies. A hybrid of pegasi and bats, which were specifically created to serve Princess Luna. The Princess of the Night was feared by the ponies of Equestria, not much, but the fear was there. The Bat Ponies did not fear her, which was why they were perfect for the job. They were also built specifically for the night, with nocturnal eyes and the silent wings of a bat. Their coats were dark gray, and their slit eyes were a terrifying yellow.

  Luna was proud of her creations, and loved them as much as Celestia loved her subjects, but did not allow them outside of the Stables except for special occasions. The Princesses both feared they would not be accepted, and made sure the Bat Ponies did not leave by creating strict rules. Rules that, if broken, would result in severe punishment nopony dared face. Fanged Star, however, did not take the punishments seriously. Death? Torture? It all seemed a bit ridiculous for that to be the punishment for simply sticking your head out the window.

  Fanged Star was one of the Bat Ponies, as you probably guessed. Her coat was the same dark gray as anypony else's, and her mane was the same thick, blue, bat wing-like style, with part of it rebelliously hanging over one eye and the rest tightly pulled back into a soldier's fringe.

  Her dark blue armour shimmered slightly in the dim light of the cramped Stables, and it only did so because of her continuous polishing. It was a small price to pay for sparkling armour, which she valued dearly. The polishing was really the only recreational activity outside of training and studying, both of which were of little interest to her. Polishing wasn't exactly the best thing in Equestria, but it beat just sitting around her living space and staring off into space.

  She ran a handkerchief over the already shining surface (though the handkerchief wasn't exactly the cleanest), unable to come up with something better to do. She only stopped her work when the sleeping pony next to her shifted over onto his other side, startling her out of her bored daze. His movement agitated a few perched moths, who promptly fluttered into the air. Fanged Star watched them fly, her own leathery wings flapping a few times with a faint longing to join them. She quickly shook the idiotic thought from her head. She would much rather have rotted in the Stables than be a bug.

  A sudden noise startled Fanged Star before she could set to polishing again, causing her to look towards the old wooden door of the living space she shared with a few others. The noise sounded like... an opening gate? Star set her armour aside and rose to her hooves. She quietly walked over to the door and pushed it open a crack, looking out to see who had entered the Secret Stables.

  It was most likely another Royal Guard, sent to make sure the Bat Ponies were sleeping for the day and not plotting an escape (as if). Star was shocked when she saw who it was, and a bit annoyed she hadn't been told about a coronation. Princess Luna, and another pony. The second was another alicorn, but was violet coloured instead of white or pink (Cadence didn't like the Secret Stables, so that wasn't a surprise). The second, new, alicorn had a darker purple mane which had highlights of pink and lighter purple. She was eyeing the Stables with a sparkling curiosity which Star admired. she had seen much too many dim and depressed ponies lately, it was refreshing to see a new, fresh face.

  Star watched as Princess Luna lead the new alicorn further and further into the Stables until they paused right outside Star's door. Star's breath caught and she let the door slide closed a bit, so she had just a slit of space to stare out at them.

  "You have seen the Stables, Twilight Sparkle, is there anything else you wish to see?" Luna sounded a bit nervous, as if being in the place unnerved her, but that was absurd. The Bat Ponies were her subjects, like the ponies were Celestia's.

  "I would like to see the creatures," Twilight said, looking around the Stables with that same fascination as when she had first entered. Star felt herself tense up with anger at the word "creatures". They were ponies, the same as her!

  Luna seemed to also believe this, because she said, "Twilight, they are my subjects. I would appreciate it if you would refer to them as the same as you would refer to any other pony."

  "Oh! Sorry. I was just so excited I sort of forgot." Twilight seemed suddenly nervous, and Star made a mental note that she was forgiven.

  "It is alright. Now, you there! Guard!" Luna pointed a hoof at the wall next to Star's door, where a white coated soldier stood guard. The soldier's hoof flew to his forehead in a salute. Star sunk back in her living space, keeping one hoof on the barely open door so she could keep a careful eye on Luna and Twilight. "Open one of the pens so the newest Princess may see the Bat Ponies!"

  "Yes Ma'am!" the soldier said, moving to the closest door, Star's door. With the sudden realization that her door was about to be opened, Fanged Star leaped back, her bat wings fanning out as she glided back to her spot against the wall next to the sleeping stallion. She hit the wall with her snout, grunting as she did, and fell onto her back with her wings wrapped around her. She shut her eyes, hoping to appear asleep. As the door creaked open, she opened one eye in which she hoped was a drowsy fashion. One eye, then the other, trying to appear as if she had never seen the violet alicorn before. Twilight stared at her, the curiosity burning brighter than before. Star raised an eyebrow and grinned, quickly concealing her mouth with the edge of one wing. She had to appear tired, not like she had been awake all day (which she had).

  "Fascinating," Twilight mumbled.

  "We are, aren't we," Star whispered, so quiet, nopony could hear her.

  Slowly, the other Bat Ponies around Star began to wake up, shaking the drowsiness so they could see the curious new alicorn. A few rolled their eyes and fell back asleep, but some were also drawn by the new burning curiosity, and stared as long as they could before they were forced asleep by their bodies' fatigue. Only Star stayed awake, eventually sitting up and locking eyes with the violet alicorn. The grin worked it's way onto her face again, but she didn't conceal it. Twilight kept her eyes on Star for a few moments, then motioned for the guard to close the door and turned to Princess Luna. She said something, but Star couldn't make it out behind the creaking and slamming of the door.

  Whatever Twilight had been saying, she finished by the time the door shut up. Listening for only a few moments more, she soon grabbed her armour once more and began to polish it, this time more out of habit than actual attempt to clean it. Her eyes stayed glued to the door, unable to be pried away. Something inside her clicked as she locked eyes with that alicorn, something which could only be described as...fascinating. That alicorn would return. That was the only thing that echoed in Fanged Star's mind as she absentmindedly polished the armour.

  "She'll return, and she is how I'll escape." Fanged Star mumbled her plan to herself, making it sound almost unintelligible to any other. As she whispered, Fanged Star's excitement grew. She would soon leave the wretched Stables, and she would soon be free to do as she pleased.