Break your Fateby DradavarChaptersPrologue: Darker TimesBeat the nobleExpelledAuntie LunaHere comes Meteor!In the darknessTell me it's a bad dreamYou are not allowed to...Prologue: Darker TimesPrologue: Darker Times My eyes wander through the darkness. They're used to do so, looking for the smallest glimps of light. I'm searching for the light, for the safety it promises, the warmth it might spend. I don't know how much time has passed since I started looking for the light. Minutes? Hours? Days? Maybe longer. And then I finally find the light. "Don't go closer." Something whispered. The voice was soft and reassuring. "Don't go too close to the light. It will burn you." "Don't scare the kid." A other voice answered the first. This voice was rough and deep. Almost guttural. "Come closer, child." The voice hissed. "Don't let the light you see restrain you, Child. Not every light means safety from the shadows." The last voice. I heard it before. I heard it before... But when? My eyes open. My breath is calm and soft, my heartbeat normal. But I still feel weird. Like something was wrong, like something was missing. I slip out of the sheets, slowly lowering my hooves to the wooden floor. My eyes wander through the room, to the door. It was ajar. Someone or something opened the door. I walk to the door, slowly taking a glimpse through the crack. "- how can we let her do this?" My mom's voice, filled with sadness. "We have no choice, Luna is right." My father, his voice was also sad. I open the door and walk out, noticing the first rays of the sun outside. It was dawn. "Crescent." My mother looks at me with a shocked expression, quickly turning away so I can't see the tears. Which I already did. "It's too early for you to be awake. What woke you?" My father walks closer, his expression was calm, as if nothing has happened. "I noticed that my door was open and I went to see why, then I heard you two whisper." My mother gasps, turning around to look at me. "How much have you heard?" Her voice was still sad. "Not too much." I answer, "Only something about dad saying 'we have no choice, Luna is right' or stuff like that." "Something wrong?" I ask. "No, nothing." Mom answers, her voice almost mechanical. "Then what was Princess Luna right about?" I ask, taking a step closer. "With nothing!" My mother snaps at me, looking at me, anger, annoyance and pain reflecting in her eyes as tears start to steam down her cheeks. "Go back to bed!" I take a step back, looking at her expression. "Siren!" Dad takes a step between us. He turns around and looks at me, smiling apologetic. "It's okay Crescent. Nothing happened, just go back to bed." "You sure dad?" I raise a brow and look back at mom. "Mom looks pretty upset." "You heard your father! Go back to bed!" She snaps again, but this time she collapses. Falling to the floor and hiding her face behind her hooves. I could hear her sobs and see the tears streaming down her face. "Dad what -" I start. "I explain it later." He answers quickly, sitting down next to mom and embracing her, consoling her. I gulp. "O-okay. Later then." I walk back into my room, moms soft sobs in my ears, and close the door behind me. A perfect start for this day. I couldn't go back to sleep after this, I heard mom and dad walk out of the hallway, down into the kitchen. For a second I thought about following them, just to find out what was wrong. But then moms expression appeared before my inner eye. This angry and hurt expression. 'What managed to hurt her so much? I've never seen her like that.' I think, my thoughts kinda slow after just waking up. I fall back on the bed, rolling on my side and looking at the wall. At the wall were four photos. One was of mom and me on my first day of cadet-school, all 'grown up.' My mane was combed, my uniform fitted perfect. A serious expression on my face. That day I was far too nervous to smile. The second showed me, dad and my little sister Meteor Dust. It was our first time stargazing. Especially Meteor Dust loved it. The clear night sky, the thousands of stars. It was also the very first picture of my sisters cutie mark. 'Strange.' I think to my self, looking at the cutie mark of my sister. 'We were stargazing but her cutie mark is a sun.' My eyes jump to the third and fourth picture. The third was me and dad after I've finished cadet-school, holding up my school certificate, with the fat "Passed" stamp on it. It was also my 17th birthday. The last picture was a picture of the whole Sparkle family, made a year ago. The whole family was there. Grandma Velvet, grandpa Light, aunt Twilight, mom, dad, myself and my sister. We were all gleaming. 'Looking at the picture now...' My thoughts travel off. 'Why isn't auntie Luna on the photo?' I close my eyes to think about this mystery. Princess Luna has been always there when something family related had happened. She had been there when my sister was born. Or the day Grandpa died, she even came to his burial. And after all it was nothing special for her to appear at random times to eat dinner with us or to invite us to dinner in the castle. It was strange how close the Sparkle family was with the Princess. I know that mom and Princess Luna are friends, even though mom never used her friendship with the Princess to her advantage. She works for Princess Luna as her personal secretary and bodyguard, taking the same shifts as everypony else, working as hard as everypony else. My thoughts get slower as the warmth around me crawls up my spine. Making me sleepy. I turn around and look at the clock. It was a few minutes past seven. I didn't had to get up till nine. I pull the sheets back up and close my eyes. 'Only a few minutes.' My thoughts get slower as the sleep overtakes, pulling me down into the darkness and some sweet dreams. Sweet dreams of Vivid Night. Beat the nobleChapter 1 My eyes open. I look to the clock on my nightstand, reading the numerics. 10:22. I jump out of bed. "Damned! I'm late!" I growl. "Why didn't dad wake me?" I rush out of my room and look down the hallway, remembering the morning rituals. I'm already missing them. Normally, when mom and dad wake us, Meteor would walk down this hallway with a big smile, jumping on my back and give me a nice, warm hug. Not this morning. I sigh and turn to the stairs. 'No time to waste!' I jump down the stairs, like I often do when mom and dad aren't there. Landing as elegant as the rush allows me. I grab my keys and my coat and open the door, rushing out into the rain. The way to the castle isn't that far, maybe five minutes hoofway. I charge through the streets, dodging ponies and stands on my way. On my way through the streets I look around, gathering informations by simply rushing past the ponies. Well... this time only parts of informations. Dad always taught me that it's important to keep an eye out for your surroundings, to not walk into an ambush or anything else that might be dangerous. My eyes rush over newspapers, my brain filtering out the small amount of informations I can gather by doing so. Especially one information sticks out. Canterlot Weekly New filly in the castle! Celestia's long lost daughter!? The rest vanishes out of my sight as I rush past the newspaper stand. 'Got no time for that! Faster!' I take another deep breath and sprint through the streets. ~~~~~~~~ Shining Armor had a very bad day. Not only did that happen, no, he also has to deal now with something he never felt towards the Princess. Anger. He was angry at Luna, and Luna, by the looks of it, knew it. "I'm very sorry Shining Armor, but I can't change her fate. She was born this way." Luna looks at him with an apologetic expression. "Believe me, I wish I hadn't to do this. But it's just how it is. No one is to blame for this." Shining Armor's sigh echoes through the throne room. "I know that Princess." He looks up to Luna. "But I can't surpress these feelings." Suddenly Luna smiles, a weak but honest smile. "Maybe you and Siren should take break from all this work. Go on a vacation. I can understand if your family needs some time right now." She tilts her head a little bit. "The treasury will pay for your vacation." Something snapped in Shining Armor's brain. He turns around, looking at Princess Luna with anger and even menace. "Do you really think that paying a vacation for me would make everything better!?" He almost screams at her. "Do you understand the feeling of having your-" "Yes I do!" Luna interrupts, her voice echoing with a boom through the hall. "I may be young but I'm still hundreds of years older than you, you foal! So watch your tongue!" She takes a step closer towards Shining Armor, looking into his eyes. And then hugging him. "I'm very sorry Shining Armor. Especially sorry that it has to be your family." She moves away, her hooves still resting on his shoulders. "But I can't change it. And I never intended to "buy" her away from you. I just want you to have some time for you and your family." She walks back up. "You're dismissed." She sits back down on her throne. "As well as Siren, your son and Twilight. Spend some time with your family." She smiles, again a weak but honest smile. Shining Armor turns around, walking down the carpet. His feelings haven't changed. He hoped they would. ~~~~~~~~ Being to late to training wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Sure there were some looks of my comrades who came in on time. But I just shrug them off. I still was late and had to go to my class. 'First class, hoof-to-hoof combat/armed combat.' I rush through the hallways of the castle to the sparring grounds. The moment my hooves touch the grass I see my comrades turning around to me. That's when I finally notice the looks of them. I even remember seeing these looks on the faces of the ponies in the streets. They looked worried. I walk closer and take my place at the end of the row, right next to Vivid Night. Vivid Night was a breathtaking pony. A bat-pony. She was rather big but sinewy. Her form and attitude were perfect. She was kind and strong and always ready to help the ponies around her. The only taint was a long scar in her face. The scar was slim but noticable, starting on her muzzle she went all the way over her cheek, over her left eye and ended over her brow. A souvenir she got during a spar with Gold Heart. My eyes wander away from her beautiful face. Her dark blue coat was possibly the softest thing in the world. I have to know, I felt it before. The very first day we both were lost and late. So it was fate. We rushed at the same door. And collided. There we were, laying on each other with deep red blushes, even though hers was almost unnoticable. And her voice was- -talking to me. "You're sure you're okay?" She looks at me, worry reflecting in her big purple eyes. "You're tougher than you look, Crescent. Admirable that you're here today. I would have stayed at home." I'm confused, shaking my head I focus my eyes on hers. "Stayed at home? Why should I?" I ask her. "You're joking." She states, looking at me. "Or you're reaaaally stupid." I cringe. "I'm not stupid, but I really don't know what you mean." I answer. "Aren't you normally one of those ponies who reads the newspaper up and down before going to school?" She asks with a raised brow. "I swear, every other day you would annoy most of us with some facts you've read in the newspaper. But not today?" I cringe again. I never thought that I would bore or annoy them with my habits. "I overslept." I answer weakly to defend myself. "Didn't have time to read the newspaper today." Almost all ponies around us gasp. "You are really that retarded?" Vivid looks at me like I'm a madpony. "So you don't know that your-" The bell rings, suffocating Vivid's voice. The first class was over. "Sorry, I couldn't hear you." I look at her. "What did you say?" Vivid opens her mouth to answer again, but get's interrupted as we hear hoofsteps approach. I turn around. 'What now?' I sigh mentally. Right before me was Prince Gold Heart. Gold Heart was the son of Princes Blueblood and his deceased wife Amethyst Gaze. And just like his father he was an snob. He was hated by almost everypony in my classes for his behaviour. He treated everypony besides himself as thrash and would always boast with his great and powerful magic. I never really had a problem with him. We weren't friends but we never had any reason to fight. Until the day, a few weaks ago he hurt Vivid Night during the spar. Not only did he hurt her more than necessary, bruises and even small cuts were pretty normal during the spars, no, he even went so far and said that she deserved the wound. The scar would show everypony that she was inferior compared to him. Vivid had laughed that day. She shrugged it off, got a bandage and just stayed the rest of the day. She even trained with the rest of us. Vivid had laughed and smiled all day. All day. Until after the school. It was pretty normal for me to stay longer in school, helping to clean up and waiting till mom and dad would pick me up. After all we work at the same place. That one day I helped the janitor, Pristine, cleaning up the hallway when I heard crying coming out of the ladies' room. I had knocked and walked in, calling out to whoever might be in. And then I saw Vivid, looking at herself in the mirror. She had taken off the bandage and was looking at the crimson wound over her face. That day was the first time she looked at me like she looked at one of her friends. She had turned around. "I'm disgusting." She cried. "I'm weak and disgusting." I was stunned. She always seemed so strong. But not that day. That day was probably the worst day in her live. And I was there to console her. That day was the day I swore to myself I would protect her as long as possible. After that we've become friends, I wouldn't call her my best friend but I respect her. And I know she respects me. ... And yes, I have a crush on her... give me a break! I shake my head to clear my mind. "What do you want Gold?" Vivid's voice was soft, no sign of anger whatsoever. "Not talking to you peasant." He answers, looking at me. "I'm talking to this little pawn." I sigh. He was probably the biggest idiot and asshole on this planet. "So what do you want Gold?" I ask, trying to copy Vivid's soft tone. "I've heard that your little sister moved into the castle. Is it true?" His voice was arrogant and dismissive. "What?" My eyes widen. "No, I don't think so." I answer, disbelief in my voice. "Ähh, Crescent?" Vivid's soft voice in my ears, I turn around. She was now holding todays newpaper in her hooves, pointing at a picture of my sister. "That's your sister isn't it?" I almost ripp the newspaper apart as I pull it out of her hooves. My eyes fly over the article. Canterlot Weekly New filly in the castle! Celestia's long lost daughter!? 22th, June. Today was a filly sent to the castle, Luna in person welcomed her. The filly, between 7 and 10 years old, was identified as Meteor Dust of the Sparkle family. Her parents were right behind her as they brought their daughter into Luna's hooves. The rest of the written text disappears out of my mind. I dropp the newspaper, crumbling it under my hooves and stomping on it. "I can fully understand your reaction." Gold Heart looks down on me. "I bet the only reason why she was brought to Luna is because Luna is into fillies and needed a new-" Red mist overtakes my vision. Gold Heart's jaw suddenly dislocates. Or to be precise. My hoof, dislocates his jaw. After the punch I jump on him, sitting on his chest I throw punch after punch into his face. I hear more bones break, lacerations open up on his cheeks and his muzzle, tooth break and fly out of his mouth. I hear the screams of my comrades, muffled through the mist that clouds my mind. I feel them pull on my hooves and my body, trying to stop me from killing Gold Heart. They waste their time. I won't stop until his blood is spilled. Until his skull is crushed under my hooves. UntIL hIS BrAin IS NoTHing MOre tHAn a BLoodY MusH oN THe GRounD... UNTIL. HE. IS. DEAD! My eyes open after my hoof hits Gold Heart's jaw. He lies on the floor, screaming in pain. His fronthooves holding his jaw, trying to set it back into it's joint. His screams echo over the field and through the hallways. I turn around, and run away, sprinting through the hallways. "Crescent!" I hear Vivid's voice. She is far away. ExpelledChapter 2 Shining Armor's day wasn't very good. And by the looks of it, it would turn even worse. He has seen his son, sending a punch into the other stallions face. One part of him was proud, the punch was fast and precise, sending the stallion to the ground without giving him a chance to parry or dodge. The other part of him was surprised. He had taught his son never to use violence to solve ones problems. Until today he never did more than skirmish with a classmate. But this... This was mayhem. His trained instincts called out to him, practically screaming at him to search the culprit, to not let him get away. His father instincts told him to give his son a headstart. The guard in him won the battle. Charging his horn with magic he focussed his energy on the pony he was looking for. And with a deep sigh he released the magic, disappearing in a flash. ~~~~~~~~ I've escaped the castle, simply running away from everything. 'It can't be true!' My mind screams as I rush through the streets. 'Meteor wasn't taken away! Mom and dad didn't send her away! She is in school and will come home soon!' The thoughts were desperate. For me there was no other option. It didn't take me long to find back home, rushing at the door I slam the door open and rush in, ignoring the water that dripps down my coat I close the door, locking it. 'Calm. Breath.' Again, the voice of my dad. He taught me how to calm myself when I needed to be calm. He taught me everything. I close my eyes, taking slow and steady breaths, slowly calming my heartbeat. A crack of magic forces me to open my eyes. Right before me is my father. Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard. And he looked sad. "Simply because you're my son." He begins, his expression shows disappointment. "I'll ask you why." His voice misses the warmth I'm used to. "He insulted Meteor and Princess Luna." I quickly explain. "That doesn't give you the right to-" "Is it true?" I interrupt him. His eyes fill with sadness and anger. "So it is true." I fall on my haunches. "Why?" I look up to him. "Why did you send her away?" He takes his helmet off, slowly lowering it on the kitchen table. "You remember the magical surges your sister had a few weeks ago?" I nod, they were pretty bad. "Well it looks like her magical abilities are too strong for her." He walks closer, sitting down next to me. "After that last surge Luna discovered her abilities and to help her, controlling and wielding such strong magic, she took her in. Meteor will learn to control her magic from the most powerful pony." He looks at me. "Her magic is too strong for normal ponies like us. She may become a threat for all the ponies around her if she doesn't learn to control it." "Why didn't you tell me?" I ask him, softly leaning against him. "It would have been much easier to understand and accept this. This way I learned it from the newspaper that my sister is gone." "She isn't gone." He answers. "We still can see her, either at work or afterwards. We are still her family and no one has the right to keep her away from us." I nod but don't answer. "Now..." He sighs. "What did that stallion say that made you furious enough to dislocate his jaw?" Even the thought about his defiling words, makes my anger rise again. "He said...." I take a deep breath to calm myself. "That the only reason Meteor was allowed to move into the castle is that Luna is into fillies and needed a new one." I look at him. "Did he?" Dad raises a brow. "And you crushed his jaw for that?" I flatten my ears. "I know it was-" He pulls me into a rough hug. "Good job." He states. My eyes widen. "Good job?" I try to pull away from his iron grip but he's too strong. "What do you mean? I thought you didn't want me to use violence to solve problems." "True. I don't want you to use violence." He moves away and slaps my muzzle. I groan, the hit wasn't serious but hard enough to send a sting through my nose. I rub my muzzle. Dad pulls me back into the hug. "But you did it to protect your sisters and Princess Luna's name." He backs away, standing up and lifting his helmet of the table. "You know you will get punished for that?" He asks, dead serious. I flinch again and nod. "Good. Now come. We go back to the castle." He lowers the helmet on his head. "Will you teleport us?" I never liked teleportation. It always made me nauseous. "Afraid I have to." His horn lights up and hoofcuffs appear around my hooves. His face showed the stern and trained expression of the captain of the royal guard. The moment the helmet was on his head he turned from dad to captain of the royal guard, Shining Armor. "You know your rights?" He asks. "Normally I'm forced to tell you but I'm sure you're already tired of my lecturing." "Yeah I do." The hoofcuffs are loose, he isn't dead serious with this. But I know he has to do it. "If you're asked, I told you your rights." He winks and smiles at me. I return his smile. "Here we go." He closes his eyes and I see that light around his horn get brighter. I close my eyes. I hear a cracking. I open my eyes. We're back in the castle, the front entrance. "Follow me." He states, pulling softly on the cuffs. I follow him, even though the cuffs make it harder to move. Walking in cuffs through the most part of the castle was exhausting. After another two minutes of walking we're back at the sparring field, looking at my comrades who were training with hoofs or other weapons. Not slowing down he walks right on the field. "Lower your hooves and weapons!" The teacher and lieutenant, Iron Hide, bellows. "Captain attendant!" As told, all of them lower their weapons and turn around to us, raising their hooves to salute. "At ease!" Dad bellows. My comrades lowering their hooves, and starting to whisper as they saw the cuffs around my hooves. "As you all know, less than a hour ago, Crescent Light attacked Gold Heart, I'm looking for a few witnesses of the incident, to tell me what had happened." Almost instantly Vivid Dream's hoof was in the air. "Sir! I was the closest next to Crescent Light and Gold Heart, sir!" "Very good Cadet." Dad answers. "Anypony else?" No answers. "Good. Please follow me." He turns around to the others. "Continue!" He bellows. Vivid looks at me and smiles. I return her smile. We follow the hallways of the castle, the eyes of the guards follow us every step. And then we're there. The throne room. "Dad why are we here?" I ask. He turns around, a stern expression on his face. "What did I teach you?" His voice was cold. "Sorry." I flatten my ears, "Captain Shining Armor, why are we here, sir?" "You attacked the son of a nobleman. This isn't done with a disciplinary enquiry." He turns around. "Princess Luna herself will hold court over this." My eyes widen. The heavy doors open. The moment the doors open the whiny voice of Prince Blueblood could be heard, echoing through the throne room. "He dislocated the jaw of my son! How dares a peasant like him to even touch my son?" "Prince Blueblood." Princess Luna's voice was soft, even though I could hear the faint sound of annoyance in her voice. "I don't know the details right now, that's why we're here. So would you please keep your temper during the disciplinary hearing?" She looks down on him. "I promise you, that if the accusations are right, the perpetrator will be punished." I feel a sting at my hopes, hearing this. "Don't worry." Vivid whispers. I turn around and see a big smile on her face. "It's fine." Hearing her voice, reassures me. It was like I could do everything, bad things and good things, as long as she was there to tell me that it's fine. We walk into the throne room. I see Luna's wary eyes, looking at me. I could even see a small hint of disappointment in her expression. A few meters before the throne we stop, bowing deeply. "My fellow subjects." We look up to her. "Crescent Light." I stand up. "You are accused for mayhem. Your victim Gold Heart, the son of Prince Blueblood and Amethyst Gaze, was send to the hospital with a massive concussion and a dislocated jaw." "Please explain what happened during the first class." I'm nervous. I open my mouth to answer but nothing comes out. "Crescent Light." I look into Luna's eyes. "What happened?" "Calm, my son." Dad whispers. "It's okay." I nod and take a deep breath. "I-I..." I start, stuttering. "Calm yourself. It's okay." Luna looks at me. I nod again. "Well..." My voice didn't waver this time. "I went to school, I had overslept and was late. After I entered the sparring grounds I talked to Vivid Night, we talked about the..." My eyes widen and I look up to Princess Luna. "We talked about my sister moving into the castle." Luna's expression changed instantly, from her disappointed and stern look to a apologetic. "During that time, the bell was rung, telling us that the first class was over. After that, Gold Heart went up to us. Vivid Night asked him what he wanted but he insulted her, telling her that's he wasn't talking to her. He looked at me and asked me if it was true, which at that time I didn't knew that my sister had moved, so I asked him what he meant. After his explanation I got todays newspaper and red the article. I was angry. No one had told me. His reaction was to simply look down on me and, instead of consoling me, he insulted my sister and your highness, Princess Luna." "What!?" Prince Blueblood snapped, looking at me with anger. "Watch your tongue! My son would never besmear the name of our Princess!" "What did he say?" Luna's voice was calm. Blueblood turned around looking up to Luna. "Princess you can't-" "What, did he say?" Luna interrupted him, raising a hoof to silence him. "He said... 'I can fully understand your reaction. I bet the only reason she was brought to Luna is because Luna is into fillies and needed a new...', I didn't let him finish his sentence." I see Luna's eyes widen. "Ridiculous!" Prince Blublood snapped again. "My son would never even think about saying such words! His royal tongue isn't capable to do so." "But he still did!" Vivid interrupted him. "I was right next to them." "Obviously lies." Blueblood walks closer to Vivid. "And the only reason you lie for this... pony... is because my son hurt you during spar and you want a payback!" "That's not true!" Vivid answered, looking up to the Princess. "I swear by my wings Princess. Gold Heart said these foul words." "Again! Nothing but lies!" Blueblood turned around to look up to the Princess. "Princess, these two ponies are obviously united in their attempt to spill royal blood and walk away unpunished. This charade has gone on long enough. And I-" "True, Prince Blueblood." Luna interrupted him, making him turn around, her eyes were burning with anger. "Not only did you try to usurp the throne. No you even corrupted your child with these foul thoughts." Luna raises from her cushion. "Crescent Light." I bow deeply. "Acquittal." She stated simply. "Princess Luna! You can't-" Prince Blublood looks up to her, a shocked expression on his face. "I can't!?" Luna walks down the stairs of the throne. "What can't I? Judge this pony this way? Well Prince Blueblood, I have no reason to disbelief the words of these two ponies." Standing as tall as she was before Blueblood she looks down on him, intimidating. "I have enough of you and your schemes. 17 years ago I overlooked your attempt to usurp, shrugged it off as panic reaction after my sister died. But this. This is something different. And I accept it as what it is. Your son, Gold Heart attempted to defile the name of Meteor Dust and myself. Crescent Light's doings, even if he did them in a fit of rage, were done to protect both. And with that he just proofed his loyalty." Luna looks back at my dad. "Captain? What was the punishment for any attack against the royal sisters, their name or their person?" "Defiling the royal name counts as high treason and will be treated as such. The punishment for this is either imprisonment, banishment or death by hanging." He answers. "Thank you, Captain." She nods at him and looks back down on to Blueblood. "Prince Blueblood, considering that your son was already 'punished' by Crescent Light I will overlook this act of treason. But he is still in need of amendment. Prince Blueblood, your son Gold Heart is expelled from the academy of the royal guard, for the rest of his life." Her eyes wander over to me, sadness reflecting. "Even though you did this to protect my and your sisters honor, you still did something wrong. Crescent Light, for your attack on your former comrade Gold Heart you will be expelled from school for 3 years." She stomps on the marble floor. "Court closed." Auntie LunaChapter 3 It's like my mind is made of glass, I could hear it shatter. Expelled. I fall to my haunches, looking up to Princess Luna, to auntie Luna, with pleading eyes. She ansers my look with a stern expression. "Captain, please accompany Prince Blueblood and miss..." She looks to Vivid Night, raising a brow. "Cadet Vivid Night, Princess." Vivid answers with a bow. Luna nods. "... and miss Vivid Night on their way out." She turned back around, walking up to her throne. "I want to talk to Crescent in private." "Princess what are y-" Prince Blueblood looks up to Luna. Her eyes silencing him. "Yes your highness." Dad salutes, turning around he looks at Prince Blueblood and Vivid Night. "Would you please follow me?" His voice was soft and almost unemotional. Almost. I could hear the very faint disappointment in the very back of his voice, the part where only the people that share your life, in every moment, are able to understand. It was like he had slapped me in the face. Vivid walks closer, looking at me, wearing a sad expression. She opens her mouth to say something. But I won't let her. "Just go..." I look away, down on my hooves. She closes her mouth, still looking down on me, her expression now hurt. She turns around and walks away, her soft hoofsteps echoing through the hall. 'Don't do that!' I think. 'Don't send her away with such harsh words. It's not her fault!' I shake my head and turn around. "Thanks!" I look at her, searching for a reaction. I get one. She turns around.. And smiles. The heavy door closes with a loud boom, locking her smile out. I turn around to look at Princess Luna. Her stern expression was gone. Sadness was now in it's place. With a sigh she looks down at her secretary, a strange pink coated mare with even darker pink mane and tail. "Dream Dancer. Please leave us alone." "Yes Princess." Dream Dancer nods, gets up and walks out through a passage behind the throne. We were alone. My ears perk. We were alone, no guards, no servants. Nothing. Just me and Luna. A blue magic surrounds me, I gasp and look at Luna as she levitates me up to the throne. Putting me down right next to her, I'm now sitting together with her on the throne, her soft flanks against mine. Not the first time. Luna looks at me, disappointed and sad. "I'm sorry." She suddenly says. Her voice was soft and warm. "It's fine... I guess." I answer. "Dad explained it to me. You're just helping her." I see Luna's confused expression. "Is that so?" She asks. "What did Shining Armor tell you?" "That you're helping her to control her magic surges so she won't hurt herself or the ponies around her." Something flashes through her eyes, so fast I'm not even sure I saw something. "Well then." She looks away. "Then I won't have to explain it to you." Her voice got quieter. Suddenly she smiles. "So you're into Vivid Night?" She looks at me slyly. I blush, a deep crimson all over my face. Luna laughs and opening her wing she pulls me into a soft embrace. "Am I that easy to read?" I ask weakly. "No, you're pretty good in hiding your feelings." She answers. "But I'm the Princess of the night." Her smile grows even wider, she was now grinning from ear to ear. "Dreams and stuff." She winks. "I can see them." I hide my face behind my hooves, my coat was no longer white, it now was a deep crimson. 'By Celestia, please, somepony, anypony, just kill me.' I can hear even more chuckles from Luna. "Don't worry. Nothing to be ashamed of." She nudges me. "Siren, your mother, had once a far..." She tips her chin. "I don't want to call it weird but... it was, by far weirder." "It was?" I ask, my ears were still burning with awkwardness. "What was it about?" She looks down on me. And laughs. "You know you, kinda asked me about your mothers "dreams" right now, do you?" I facehoof, again. I sigh, trying to stiffle the shame that creeps up my spine. "Okay... you can kill me now." I answer. Luna laughs, covering her mouth with a hoof. "You're so cute when you're shy." She teases. "I'm not shy!" I answer, looking away. "This is just awkward." Luna answers with another giggle. I take a deep breath and try to ignore her giggles. After a few moments she stopped and we just sit there, leaning against each other, her wing around me. "Aunt Luna?" I ask. "Hm?" She looks at me. "Why did you expel me too?" I ask, glad that my coat returned to it's former colour. I hear her sigh. "You attacked a comrade." She looks at me, faint disappointment in her face. "I know why you did it and I'm happy to know that you tried to protect mine and your sisters honor but still, rules are rules. You hurt a pony, and for that you needed to be punished." I nod. "Is there a way for me to revoke the expel?" I ask hopefully. She shakes her head. "No. There is no way. Sure I could just give you a letter which says that you are no longer expelled but-" She looks at me. "That wouldn't be fair. And besides that it would look like I favor you, which would make me look bad." "I understand, it's just..." "I might have an idea." Luna suddenly says, interrupting me. "How about you work here? As volunteer." "In the castle?" I raise a brow. "Yes, as servant." She sticks her tongue out. "I could even allow you to work in the royal bathhouse if you want." I blush again. "Stop teasing me auntie!" She giggles. "Okay, okay." Her smile fades. "Joke aside. You really could work here as volunteer. Atleast in the kitchen or maybe with the janitors. After one year I could revoke the expel and say you're on probation. This would atleast give you the chance to keep on working in the castle." I tip my chin, thinking. 'That's not such a bad idea but...' "And you would be able to see Vivid frequently." Luna adds with a smirk. "I'm in." I suddenly state. Silence. Luna bursts into laughter, almost falling of the throne. I facehoof. Here comes Meteor!Chapter 4 It was somehow calming. To just sit there, embraced by auntie Luna's wing. Auntie Luna always managed to calm me, to show me that the world was still moving on. Whatever it was, she was there. Her massive down protecting me from the pain that lurked in this world. 'Maybe...' My thoughts travel around her offer. 'Maybe I can...' "Aunt Luna?" I ask quietly. "Hm?" She looks at me. "I thought about your offer, about the whole 'Volunteer working'." She nods. "Is it possible for me to work as Meteor's personal servant?" Luna raises a brow. "You want to be... the servant of your little sister?" She sounded almost shocked. "Well, sure it's possible. But, if you allow to ask, why?" "After hearing Gold Heart and Prince Blueblood, I kinda fear that she might be in danger." I answer, looking into her asking eyes. "I just want to be there, to help her." She smiles. "That's very cute of you." She pulls me closer. "But that's not necessary. Your sister is always guarded, either by me or some other guards." "Is there still a way for me?" I ask quietly. She looks at me. "Why is it that important for you?" She asks, raising a brow again. I shrug, looking up into her eyes. "I just want to be there for her." I answer, resting my head against her neck. "I always protected her. I just want her to have some normalcy." Luna whispers something, far too quiet for me to understand, even though I'm so close to her. "What did you say?" "Nothing." She shakes her head. The throne room door opens with a crunching sound. Stone on stone. In a mere second Luna and I are seperated and sit before the stairs, the sudden cold marble under my flanks makes me shudder. The door opens completly and reveals... A cute white filly. "Meteor?" I asked, looking at her. The filly perks her ears, looking all the way down to the throne she smiles and runs towards me. "Light!" She squeals and jumps into my forelegs, embracing me. "Hey there." I whisper, returning the hug. "What's up Sunny?" A spark runs through her eyes, she suddenly rushes up and bites into my ear. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" I scream, lowering her to the floor. "Ahh stop it!" I exclaim. "I told you not to call me that!" She answers angrily, her squeaky voice muffled by my ear in her mouth. "Sorry! Sorry!" I exclaim, trying to free my ear. "Won't happen again!" "You always say that! And then you do it again!" She spits my ear out. "I don't even know why you call me that anway..." I flap my ear, trying to sooth the pain. "Owww." I exclaim, rubbing the ear. "Told you, I do it because of your cutie mark and your happy personality! It's a compliment!" Luna's giggle interrupts our fight. Only to be choked a mere second later. "Auntie Luna!" Meteor squeals and with a big smile she jumps up, hanging herself around Luna's neck. "Hey there sweetie." Luna raises her frontlegs to return the hug. "How was the lesson?" My ears perk, I don't want to miss a word. "Boooring!" Meteor exclaims. "That goofy old pony only told about the differences between magic. Or something like that." "Goofy? Something like that?" Luna giggles. "You will never learn won't you?" "Nah!" Meteor answers. "Learning is booring! I wanna go out and play with my friends!" Luna's expression turns sad. "Meteor, let go of me." She states softly, lowering her head until Meteor's hooves reach the floor. "Why? Did I do something wrong?" Meteor's expression was apologetic, releasing Luna's neck. "I'm sorry auntie." "No you did nothing wrong." Luna shakes her head. "I just..." She takes a deep breath. "You won't be able to see your friends again." Meteor's eyes widen. "Why not?" She asks. "You said I didn't do anything wrong." She sniffs. "Why can't I see my friends." Luna shakes her head again, heartbroken to see the little filly like that, even though Meteor was still pretty calm. "No, no. You did nothing wrong." Luna answers again, lowering herself to the floor. "It's just that you now live in the castle. Ponies who doesn't work here are not allowed to come in, or if they come in then only for a few hours and only to a specific time. During court." Tears were welling up in Meteor's eyes, I walk closer, slowly embracing my sister. "I don't like this." She whinces. "That's not funny." She looks up to me and her eyes widen again. "So I can't see mom and dad and Light and auntie Twilight again!?" She was sobbing, more tears treaming down her face. "No! No!" Luna looks apologetic. "No, don't worry. You can always see them. It's just that... that..." Luna is at a loss of words. "I will work here." I help Luna, Meteor looking up to me. "And mom and dad work here too. So we will always be able to see you, whenever you want." I nuzzle her softly. "Everything is fine." I calm her. "But... why can't my friends..." She sobs. "Why can't they..." "Shhhh." I whisper, embracing her again. "I'm sure we will find a way." I look at Luna with a stern look. Luna sighs. "Yeah. We will. We have to." Meteor was still sobbing. "Hey there.. Sunny." I nudge her, earning myself a angry look, I smile. "Come on. It's fine. The Princess said that she will find a way. Come, smile." One last sob later, she raises her hooves to wipe the tears of her cheeks. And smiles. "That's how I want to see you." I nuzzle her again. "My little sun." She smiles, nuzzling me back. "Well, I don't know about you..." Luna suddenly begins, looking at us. "But I'm hungry. You want to stay for dinner?" "I am!" Meteor squeals again. "I have to ask first. Don't want to make mom and dad wait for me." I answer. "That won't be necessary." Luna smiles. "Siren and Shining are already invited, and they know that I will invite you too. So they will know where you are." She sticks her tongue out again. "And after all, I'm the Princess of Equestria. I could even order you to eat dinner with me." I laugh. "Oh and I will invite Vivid Night too." Luna suddenly states. I blush. "Auntie Luna?" "Hm?" "Why do you hate me?" Luna's laughter echoes through the room. Meteor looks at us with a confused expression. In the darknessChapter 5 Luna didn't joke when she said she could invite Vivid Night. I facehoof mentally. We're standing in the private dining room of Princess Luna. A elegant room with expensive interior. Chairs, tables and cupboards made of heavy cherrywood. Luna had left right after taking us here, saying she would go talk to the chef so they would send the food into the dining room instead of Luna's study. This was almost 20 minutes ago. "What takes them so loooong?" Meteor whined, resting her head on the table. "I'm sooooo hungry!" Vivid giggled. "I don't know." She looked at me, a weak smile on her face. "Maybe they can't make Crescent's food and that's why they take so long." I shake my head. "Don't joke around about that." My stomach grumbles. "The first time I ate here, I asked them to serve me 'Outlands'. Which they couldn't." Vivid raises a brow, a quizzical expression on her face. "Outlands are a special fungi which grows in the southern badlands and eastern swamps." I explain. "They are a speciality and very rare." "How do you know them?" Vivid asks. I tap my chin. "About... four years ago I think, mom, dad, aunt Twilight and me, we were on vacation. And mom had told us about all the super special food that was at the borders. Apparently she was there years ago during a journey. Well, long story short, she told us about it and it's really good, even though it's really expensive." "Really expensive?" Vivid raises a brow. "I think we payed like 50 bits per dish." "50 bits!?" She gasps. "That's outrageous!" "It is, but the dishes are gigantic and the drinks are free." I answer. "And why couldn't they serve it here?" I shrug. "Didn't get a explanation. They just said 'sorry we can't' and that was that." "Interesting." "What about you?" I ask Vivid. "Hmm?" "You want... what was it? Drakri?" I raise a brow. "What is that?" "Oh." She smiles. "It's a fruitsalad. Originally made with dragon fruit, kiwi, oranges, several other fruits and... well, not so appetizing ingredients." "What do you mean? "Well Drakri is mostly known by bat ponies. And that has a reason." "What's the reason?" Vivid eyes wander down to Meteor, who had still her head resting on the table, slowly walking around the table she sits down next to me, inching even closer to whisper into my ear. "Drakri is a omnivorous dish." Her soft voice on my ear, I shudder. "Blood is by far the most normal ingredient." She retreats. "Drakri also exists in not bat-pony restaurants but there it's mostly vegetarian. Which I hope they serve here." "So bat ponies are..." I look at Meteor. "Omnivores?" She nods. "The legends of "Vampire ponies" and all that junk, they really happened. But they weren't some cursed entities who lost their souls in a trade with some demons, or got bitten by a vampire bat. They were just bat ponies who... preferred the taste of blood and flesh over fruits and grass." "Sorry, no offense but... gross." I answer. To my surprise Vivid smiles. "You are a earth pony. Of ourse it's hard for you to understand. But don't worry. There are very, very few bat ponies who actually follow the old ways of our omnivore ancestors. Nowadays almost all eat fruits and grass." A question starts to rise in my mind, a question I shouldn't ask but it burns in me. "Have you ever... you know... followed the old way?" She looks at me, a hard glare in her eyes. She looks like I insulted her. 'Which you did, you idiot!' I facehoof mentally. 'Good job, Crescent. Ruin your friendship with the most beautiful pony by being a total douche. 10/10.' "Why do you want to know?" She asks, still the hard glare in her eyes. "Just interested I think." I lie. She continous to look at me with those eyes, but only for a moment. After a minute she sighs. "Yeah I did." She states. 'Now I'm curious.' I slap myself mentally. 'Don't ask her about details! You idiot.' "Sorry I asked." I slowly say, looking into her eyes. "Shouldn't have done that. I guess I was just curious." "It's fine." She answers. "I just-" "Oh I'm sooo hungry!" Meteor looks up to us. "Why do they take so long?" She whines. The door opens with a loud crack. We gasp, Meteor escapes a shriek. On the floor between the wings of the door was a pony. A solar guard. "Crescent?" Meteor whimpers. "Quiet." I hush my sister, walking closer to the guard. While getting closer I notice the big red gashes over his body, most of them around his neck. They look like clawmarks. I walk even closer, looking down at the guard. I raise a hoof and lower it on his neck, searching for a pulse. There was none. He was dead. "Crescent?" Vivid asks from behind me, my sister in a bear hug. I turn around and shake my head. "Nothing." I answer. I turn back around and look out, searching for whatever might have killed the guard. "Give her back." Something whispers. "Cres-" I raise a hoof to hush Vivid. "I hear something." "Give her back to me." Again this whisper. I take a step outside the door, looking through the hallway, noticing that all the torches are off. "Give her back to me." The whisper got closer. "Give her back to me." I can hear soft steps. Too soft to be from hooves. "Give her back to me." Something moves in the dark. It comes closer. And closer. And closer. "GIVE HER BACK!!!" The creatures cries and leaps out of the darkness at me. "Gah!" I fall back on my haunches, shielding my head with my hooves. "No!" A voice screams. A voice I know. The voice just sounded like... "Mom?" I lower my hooves. The monster was gone. "Mom?" I shout in the darkness. Tell me it's a bad dreamChapter 6 The darkness around was calming, the soft whispering of the souls around Wra'kyr was mesmerising, soothing. Sitting on a part of the machine, looking down on the paths Wra'kyr feels something odd coming from the machine, a soft vibration rushs through it, the paths of the souls wavering. Something was wrong. This reaction, it only happens when something stops going according to plan. Teleporting down, Wra'kyr looks at the machine, seeing the soft red light on the front of the machine. Wra'kyr's eyes widen. Turning around she opens a veil through the ether, looking at the most important part of her plan. Crescent was still alive, as well as his sister Meteor. Changing the vision she searches for Shining Armor, seeing him back home, looking sad at a doll of his daughter. Another change. Wra'kyr's eyes widen again. Siren was gone. "No." Wra'kyr whispers, looking at the dark creature before her, trying to jump through the veil to help her. A crack of black lightning sends her flying. Catching herself midair, Wra'kyr lands softly on the path of light, careful not to disturb the way of the souls. "What happened Siren? Everything went according to plan. You should be happy, you should smile and laugh." She walks back to the veil, looking through the rift once again. Another vibration, this time stronger, echoes through the machine and the darkness around it. "No. No. No-no-no. No!" Wra'kyr turns around, rushing to the machine. "It can't be. Celestia died but she shouldn't be able to-" Another tremor, interrupts her. A blue light appears next to the red. "No!" Wra'kyr opens another veil, another path to find a way and help Siren. She tries to jump through but yet again, the black lightning sends her flying again, this time unable to catch herself midair she hits the machine. A groan escapes Wra'kry's throat as she looks through the two rifts. One showing her the darkness that holds Siren, the other showing her the darkness that holds the whole palace. "This is not according to plan." She murmurs. Another heavy tremor rushes through the machine. ~~~~~~~~ I still sit in the hallway, searching through the darkness, looking for the owner of this very familiar voice. "Mom?" My voice echoes through the darkness. "Crescent?" I turn around and see Vivid sitting next my sister, holding her in a tight embrace. "What is it?" I look back into the room, seeing the fear filled eyes of my sister. "It's dark." I simply answer with a soft voice. "I think we should go now and search for help." I look down at the guard, looking at the clawmarks. "It's not safe her with the broken door." "But isn't it even more dangerous outside?" Meteor's eyes widen. "We can hide. Somepony will find and safe us. Mommy and daddy will come to safe us." Her voice was shrill, fear reflecting in her big eyes. I walk back in and pull both mares in a soft embrace. "It's okay." I whisper. "I will protect you. Mom and dad are probably with Auntie Luna right now. So if we go and find Luna, we find mom and dad." I keep my voice as soft as possible, no use to scare her more. "Everything is going to be fine. I promise." I look in Meteor's eyes. She nods. I smile and pull my little sister up on my back. "Meteor." I turn to look at her. "Promise me one thing." She looks at me with her big eyes, her ears erect and turn towards me. "Whatever happens, don't let go." "Why a-" "Promise me!" I look at her with a stern expression. She flattens her ears and flinches, looking at me with fear and sadness. "I promise." She whispers. Her grab around my neck tightens. I nuzzle her. 'Good girl.' I think. I turn back around and see that Vivid is already at the guard, looking at his wounds. "Meteor. Close your eyes please. I'll tell you when you can open them again." I feel her soft nod as she buries her face in my coat. Walking closer to the guard I look at Vivid, looking at the wounds with a trained eye. She looks up, but not at me, at Meteor. "Most of them are not that deep." She states softly. "The two around his neck are what..." I nod at her. "Looking at them, they remind me of Timberwolf marks." "Timberwolves in Canterlot Castle?" I raise a brow. She nods. "At least it looks li-" A bright light cuts her off midsentence. I jump back, ready to defend my sister. The light disappears. Princess Luna was standing before us, a deep wound on her shoulder, blood was drenching her coat. Her breathing was heavy, her eyes widend. She looks at us, her expression filled with fear. She looked like she saw a ghost. She turns around to look at the door, the dead guard, the darkness in the hallway. She doesn't even flinch at the look of the dead guard. "We have to go." She states coldly. "We are not safe here." "Princess, what is-" "Hush." A voice whispers. I turn around. The voice belongs to my sister. "I hear the echo. The echo of an old friend." Meteor's eyes are open and completly white, her iris completly gone. "An echo... an echo." Her voice gets quieter and quieter. "Give her back to me." Again this whisper. "It's here." Luna whispers, backing off from the door. "What is it?" Vivid asks quietly. "You heard Meteor." Luna turns to the mare, a sad expression on her face. "An echo." "You took her away from me." The voice whispers. This time though it sounds more like a ghost. Hollow, cold, lonely. "I'll port us away." Luna looks at us, her horn already ignited. I feel the pull of her magic just as the shape of a creature enters the doorframe. "You won't get away." The creature pounces at us. But we're already gone. I open my eyes to find Vivid, Meteor, Luna and myself in the throne room. I hear Vivid gasp. I flinch away as my eyes widen. The whole room was filled with blood and dead bodies. I even step on a broken spear lying at my hooves. But with all this, the grisly scene before us, the smell of blood, this nauseous smell of blood. The biggest problem was- The creature was already here, Luna lying right before it, a new wound on her head. "She's mine." The creature hisses as it takes a step closer to me. I take a step back. "You took her away. You stole her." Now that the creature get's closer I can feel the miasma that surrounds it, a dark aura of despair and loneliness. "SHE. IS. MINE." It screeches, pouncing at us. My sister screams in pain as the creature sends us both flying, the body of the filly hitting the marble floor, landing right next to me. The painful yelp of my sister in my ear. It was a sound I never wanted to hear. It was like a dream. A nightmare. I promised to protect her. I failed. I feel something cold under my right leg. "SHE. BELONGS. TO. ME!" The creature steps on my chest, pinning me to the floor with it's left leg. I can feel the sharp claws on my skin. Leaning closer the creature opens it's maw, revealing long black teeth dripping with the same black ooze. Time seems to slow down. I see the creature opening it's maw even wider, ready to sink them into my neck, I can smell the stench of blood coming from the depths of it's throat. I can hear it's heavy breathing. I hear Vivid scream something. I hear Meteor's soft sobs. In the edge of my eyes I see Luna looking at me. My hoof get's a good grip around the cold feeling under my leg. And time moves on. In a rush I grab the broken spear, it's tip in my hoof I ram the blade deep into the open maw of the creature, silencing it immediately. A yelp escapes my throat as I hurt myself on it's sharp teeth, cutting deep into the flesh of my leg. Silence. I look at the creature, standing over me, the broken spear poking out of the back of it's neck, red blood dripping down it's tip. I see more blood streaming down my own leg. A screech escapes the creature, but not from it's throat. The scream escapes it's skin, it's eyes, it's whole body. White cracks start to form on the skin, a blinding light escaping the cracks. A ghostly figure appears behind it. A bipedal creature, completly white, looking down on the monster with a sorrowful expression. And with the sound of shattering glass the dark skin of the monster bursts away. My eyes widen. I hear Luna, Vivid and Meteor whisper something, but I can't hear them. My eyes, my ears, my whole body is focussed on the creature before me. It's a mare. Her faint rose coloured body stained with blood. Her light green mane had a dark green skank running through it. The wings on her back were to big for a pony that small, they looked more like the wings of a alicorn. I know this mare. I know her better than anypony else. Meteor's whispers finally reach my ears again. "Mommy?" Her voice was timid, heartbroken, weak. "Mommy?" I can hear the tears, that stream down her face, in her voice. "MOMMY!" She screams. Siren's body drops to the floor as I lose my grip around the spear. Tears start to stream down my face as Luna rushes over to pull me and meteor into a hug, turning us away from the grisly scene. Somewhere in the back of my mind I hear the sound of shattering glass. "Oh poor baby. What have you done?" A voice purrs. "You killed your own mother." The voice laughs. "Simply lovely." A scream escapes my mouth as darkness overtakes me. "Tell me this is a dream!" I scream into the darkness. "Tell me it's just a nightmare!" "I wish I could, Child. I wish I could." The darkness answers. You are not allowed to...Chapter 7 I open my eyes. I'm back in my room. But the room is dark. Darker then it ever was before, even at night. "You killed her." Something whispers in the back of my head. "You killed your mother." The world feels wrong, like something was watching me. I close my eyes to stiffle the tears. A new feeling appears around my neck. The feeling of hooves, tightening their grip to strangle me. I open my eyes and the tears I tried to stiffle run down my cheeks. I look up and see my father, his hooves around my neck, pressing down. "You killed her..." He sobs. "You killed my wife, your mother. You killed your family." His grip tightens even more. I can heardly breath. But I still can. I raise my hooves to his hooves and look into his watery eyes. "Do it." I whisper. "Do it so I can follow her and beg for forgiveness for all eternity." His grip tightens even more. More tears escape his eyes. "You won't follow her. You will go straight to tartarus and burn for what you've done. And when my time comes I will follow you to haunt you. I will haunt you. You will never feel peace again." "You will only feel endless sorrow." My lungs burn, trying in vain to get air into them. My heart pounds faster then ever before. My mind screams at me to throw him off, to fill my lungs with air. To survive. I won't listen. I smile as the grip around my throat tightens one last time. I can hear a soft crunching as my larynge breaks. And with that my life ends. And with that I die. And with that... I wake up, tears fill my eyes instantly. And the very first feeling I have is pain. Massive, indescribable pain echoing through my chest and my right shoulder. The first comes from my heart, a massive pain of loss. Pain of remorse, pain of guilt. And the second... I try to move my right front leg to see where the pain comes from. My eyes widen. My vision is blurry from the tears that fill them. But even with such a blurry vision I notice the difference. My right leg was missing. I scream. Darkness takes over. I wake up once again. And once again my eyes fill with tears. And once again I feel pain. "Crescent." A soft voice whispers. I turn my head. Auntie Luna was sitting right next to me. Wearing a sad expression. "Auntie...." I whisper as more tears escape my eyes, running down my cheeks. "It's a dream." I whisper with a pleading tone. "It has to be a dream." Luna looks down on me with her sad eyes. I notice that her eyes are red and puffy, her cheeks moist. I see the tears that well up in them. "No." I growl. "No!" I raise my leg to my eyes, covering them. I feel the tears soaking my coat. "NO!" I scream, trying to end the heartache. "Crescent." Luna whispers again, her soft hoof on my leg. "Look at me." I shake my head, my body. "It can't be." I cry. "It can't be." The tears won't stop. I hear Luna's soft voice as she whispers calming things. I wake up once more. Looking up to the white ceiling. This time there are no tears. I feel something on my leg and look down. Meteor was lying in my bed, right next to me, sleeping quietly. I can see the moist fur of her cheeks. I can hear her soft mutters. Her sobs. "Crecent." I turn my head and see Luna sitting next to us. "Hi." She whispers softly. I just nod, not trusting my voice. "How do you feel?" She asks quietly. I think about her question and a way to answer it. I could shout at her, for asking such a stupid thing. I could slap her across the face. I could thank her for her anxiety. I could thank her being here right now. "I..." I stutter. "I-i think..." I look into her worried eyes. These honest eyes of the pony that always helped me. The pony who teases me more than any of my friends. The pony I love. The aunt I love. "I think..." I close my mouth again and look at my little sister, cuddled up to me, I hear her soft breaths. "Pretty miserable." I answer. Luna nods but doesn't say anything. "How long have I been asleep?" I ask quietly, freeing my leg from Meteor's weight to rub my eyes. "Over 40 hours." Luna answers. "Well... If you don't count the times where you woke up to just scream and fall back into unconsciousness. "And if you count them?" I ask, cuddling closer to Meteor. Her soft breaths on my chest. Luna sighs. "5 hours." She answers. "Where's dad?" I keep my voice low and soft, Meteor deserves to sleep. "He's gone." Luna answers. My eyes widen as raise my head to look at her. "He's alive." She raises a hoof to calm me, speaking softly. "But after he heard... it... he teleported away. I don't know where to." I nod and lay my head back down on the pillow, looking down at the sleeping form of my sister. I stroke her mane. "What happened to my leg?" I ask emotionless. Luna doesn't answer. I look back up to her and see her worried and sorrowful expression. "Tell me." I whisper, looking at her menacingly. A tear rolls down her cheek. "During your battle you pierced your leg with one of her teeth. The ooze she was covered with was contagious. At first they removed the already infected part. After a few hours they checked the wound and noticed that more infected tissue had appeared so they amputated your lower leg." She sobs. "They checked again and..." Another sob. "To be safe they took of your complete leg." "When was the last time they checked?" I ask. "2 hours ago. They are sure that the infection is gone now." Her voice was quivering. "Crescent." She looks at me with a sorrowful expression. "There is something I have to tell you." I perk my ears. "You..." She takes a deep breath. "You are not allowed to mourn her dead." She states almost coldly. "What!?" I ask quietly. "Why?" Luna shakes her head. "I can't tell you. All you need to know is that you can't grieve." "Is this some kind of perverted punishment?" I raise my voice. Right now I don' care that my little sister is right next to me. She shakes her head again. "No it's no punishment." "Then why can't I mourn?" "You just can't." She answers. "None of us can." "Why?" I shout, my sister escapes a whimper. "You just can't!" She shouts back at me, waking my sister. "We all want to grieve! But we can't! None of us can." More tears stream down her face. "None of us can." Her head hanging low, she cries. I feel Meteor tembling, I hear her sobs. "Mommy..." She whispers, I feel her tears soaking my coat. I embrace her softly with my remaining leg. "Sorry for waking you Sunny." I whisper. "Go back to sleep." Meteor sobs. "Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head..." I whisper the lullaby that mom sang to me when I was small. Meteor's soft whimpers in my ears as I whisper the lullaby.
Prologue: Darker TimesPrologue: Darker Times My eyes wander through the darkness. They're used to do so, looking for the smallest glimps of light. I'm searching for the light, for the safety it promises, the warmth it might spend. I don't know how much time has passed since I started looking for the light. Minutes? Hours? Days? Maybe longer. And then I finally find the light. "Don't go closer." Something whispered. The voice was soft and reassuring. "Don't go too close to the light. It will burn you." "Don't scare the kid." A other voice answered the first. This voice was rough and deep. Almost guttural. "Come closer, child." The voice hissed. "Don't let the light you see restrain you, Child. Not every light means safety from the shadows." The last voice. I heard it before. I heard it before... But when? My eyes open. My breath is calm and soft, my heartbeat normal. But I still feel weird. Like something was wrong, like something was missing. I slip out of the sheets, slowly lowering my hooves to the wooden floor. My eyes wander through the room, to the door. It was ajar. Someone or something opened the door. I walk to the door, slowly taking a glimpse through the crack. "- how can we let her do this?" My mom's voice, filled with sadness. "We have no choice, Luna is right." My father, his voice was also sad. I open the door and walk out, noticing the first rays of the sun outside. It was dawn. "Crescent." My mother looks at me with a shocked expression, quickly turning away so I can't see the tears. Which I already did. "It's too early for you to be awake. What woke you?" My father walks closer, his expression was calm, as if nothing has happened. "I noticed that my door was open and I went to see why, then I heard you two whisper." My mother gasps, turning around to look at me. "How much have you heard?" Her voice was still sad. "Not too much." I answer, "Only something about dad saying 'we have no choice, Luna is right' or stuff like that." "Something wrong?" I ask. "No, nothing." Mom answers, her voice almost mechanical. "Then what was Princess Luna right about?" I ask, taking a step closer. "With nothing!" My mother snaps at me, looking at me, anger, annoyance and pain reflecting in her eyes as tears start to steam down her cheeks. "Go back to bed!" I take a step back, looking at her expression. "Siren!" Dad takes a step between us. He turns around and looks at me, smiling apologetic. "It's okay Crescent. Nothing happened, just go back to bed." "You sure dad?" I raise a brow and look back at mom. "Mom looks pretty upset." "You heard your father! Go back to bed!" She snaps again, but this time she collapses. Falling to the floor and hiding her face behind her hooves. I could hear her sobs and see the tears streaming down her face. "Dad what -" I start. "I explain it later." He answers quickly, sitting down next to mom and embracing her, consoling her. I gulp. "O-okay. Later then." I walk back into my room, moms soft sobs in my ears, and close the door behind me. A perfect start for this day. I couldn't go back to sleep after this, I heard mom and dad walk out of the hallway, down into the kitchen. For a second I thought about following them, just to find out what was wrong. But then moms expression appeared before my inner eye. This angry and hurt expression. 'What managed to hurt her so much? I've never seen her like that.' I think, my thoughts kinda slow after just waking up. I fall back on the bed, rolling on my side and looking at the wall. At the wall were four photos. One was of mom and me on my first day of cadet-school, all 'grown up.' My mane was combed, my uniform fitted perfect. A serious expression on my face. That day I was far too nervous to smile. The second showed me, dad and my little sister Meteor Dust. It was our first time stargazing. Especially Meteor Dust loved it. The clear night sky, the thousands of stars. It was also the very first picture of my sisters cutie mark. 'Strange.' I think to my self, looking at the cutie mark of my sister. 'We were stargazing but her cutie mark is a sun.' My eyes jump to the third and fourth picture. The third was me and dad after I've finished cadet-school, holding up my school certificate, with the fat "Passed" stamp on it. It was also my 17th birthday. The last picture was a picture of the whole Sparkle family, made a year ago. The whole family was there. Grandma Velvet, grandpa Light, aunt Twilight, mom, dad, myself and my sister. We were all gleaming. 'Looking at the picture now...' My thoughts travel off. 'Why isn't auntie Luna on the photo?' I close my eyes to think about this mystery. Princess Luna has been always there when something family related had happened. She had been there when my sister was born. Or the day Grandpa died, she even came to his burial. And after all it was nothing special for her to appear at random times to eat dinner with us or to invite us to dinner in the castle. It was strange how close the Sparkle family was with the Princess. I know that mom and Princess Luna are friends, even though mom never used her friendship with the Princess to her advantage. She works for Princess Luna as her personal secretary and bodyguard, taking the same shifts as everypony else, working as hard as everypony else. My thoughts get slower as the warmth around me crawls up my spine. Making me sleepy. I turn around and look at the clock. It was a few minutes past seven. I didn't had to get up till nine. I pull the sheets back up and close my eyes. 'Only a few minutes.' My thoughts get slower as the sleep overtakes, pulling me down into the darkness and some sweet dreams. Sweet dreams of Vivid Night.
Beat the nobleChapter 1 My eyes open. I look to the clock on my nightstand, reading the numerics. 10:22. I jump out of bed. "Damned! I'm late!" I growl. "Why didn't dad wake me?" I rush out of my room and look down the hallway, remembering the morning rituals. I'm already missing them. Normally, when mom and dad wake us, Meteor would walk down this hallway with a big smile, jumping on my back and give me a nice, warm hug. Not this morning. I sigh and turn to the stairs. 'No time to waste!' I jump down the stairs, like I often do when mom and dad aren't there. Landing as elegant as the rush allows me. I grab my keys and my coat and open the door, rushing out into the rain. The way to the castle isn't that far, maybe five minutes hoofway. I charge through the streets, dodging ponies and stands on my way. On my way through the streets I look around, gathering informations by simply rushing past the ponies. Well... this time only parts of informations. Dad always taught me that it's important to keep an eye out for your surroundings, to not walk into an ambush or anything else that might be dangerous. My eyes rush over newspapers, my brain filtering out the small amount of informations I can gather by doing so. Especially one information sticks out. Canterlot Weekly New filly in the castle! Celestia's long lost daughter!? The rest vanishes out of my sight as I rush past the newspaper stand. 'Got no time for that! Faster!' I take another deep breath and sprint through the streets. ~~~~~~~~ Shining Armor had a very bad day. Not only did that happen, no, he also has to deal now with something he never felt towards the Princess. Anger. He was angry at Luna, and Luna, by the looks of it, knew it. "I'm very sorry Shining Armor, but I can't change her fate. She was born this way." Luna looks at him with an apologetic expression. "Believe me, I wish I hadn't to do this. But it's just how it is. No one is to blame for this." Shining Armor's sigh echoes through the throne room. "I know that Princess." He looks up to Luna. "But I can't surpress these feelings." Suddenly Luna smiles, a weak but honest smile. "Maybe you and Siren should take break from all this work. Go on a vacation. I can understand if your family needs some time right now." She tilts her head a little bit. "The treasury will pay for your vacation." Something snapped in Shining Armor's brain. He turns around, looking at Princess Luna with anger and even menace. "Do you really think that paying a vacation for me would make everything better!?" He almost screams at her. "Do you understand the feeling of having your-" "Yes I do!" Luna interrupts, her voice echoing with a boom through the hall. "I may be young but I'm still hundreds of years older than you, you foal! So watch your tongue!" She takes a step closer towards Shining Armor, looking into his eyes. And then hugging him. "I'm very sorry Shining Armor. Especially sorry that it has to be your family." She moves away, her hooves still resting on his shoulders. "But I can't change it. And I never intended to "buy" her away from you. I just want you to have some time for you and your family." She walks back up. "You're dismissed." She sits back down on her throne. "As well as Siren, your son and Twilight. Spend some time with your family." She smiles, again a weak but honest smile. Shining Armor turns around, walking down the carpet. His feelings haven't changed. He hoped they would. ~~~~~~~~ Being to late to training wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Sure there were some looks of my comrades who came in on time. But I just shrug them off. I still was late and had to go to my class. 'First class, hoof-to-hoof combat/armed combat.' I rush through the hallways of the castle to the sparring grounds. The moment my hooves touch the grass I see my comrades turning around to me. That's when I finally notice the looks of them. I even remember seeing these looks on the faces of the ponies in the streets. They looked worried. I walk closer and take my place at the end of the row, right next to Vivid Night. Vivid Night was a breathtaking pony. A bat-pony. She was rather big but sinewy. Her form and attitude were perfect. She was kind and strong and always ready to help the ponies around her. The only taint was a long scar in her face. The scar was slim but noticable, starting on her muzzle she went all the way over her cheek, over her left eye and ended over her brow. A souvenir she got during a spar with Gold Heart. My eyes wander away from her beautiful face. Her dark blue coat was possibly the softest thing in the world. I have to know, I felt it before. The very first day we both were lost and late. So it was fate. We rushed at the same door. And collided. There we were, laying on each other with deep red blushes, even though hers was almost unnoticable. And her voice was- -talking to me. "You're sure you're okay?" She looks at me, worry reflecting in her big purple eyes. "You're tougher than you look, Crescent. Admirable that you're here today. I would have stayed at home." I'm confused, shaking my head I focus my eyes on hers. "Stayed at home? Why should I?" I ask her. "You're joking." She states, looking at me. "Or you're reaaaally stupid." I cringe. "I'm not stupid, but I really don't know what you mean." I answer. "Aren't you normally one of those ponies who reads the newspaper up and down before going to school?" She asks with a raised brow. "I swear, every other day you would annoy most of us with some facts you've read in the newspaper. But not today?" I cringe again. I never thought that I would bore or annoy them with my habits. "I overslept." I answer weakly to defend myself. "Didn't have time to read the newspaper today." Almost all ponies around us gasp. "You are really that retarded?" Vivid looks at me like I'm a madpony. "So you don't know that your-" The bell rings, suffocating Vivid's voice. The first class was over. "Sorry, I couldn't hear you." I look at her. "What did you say?" Vivid opens her mouth to answer again, but get's interrupted as we hear hoofsteps approach. I turn around. 'What now?' I sigh mentally. Right before me was Prince Gold Heart. Gold Heart was the son of Princes Blueblood and his deceased wife Amethyst Gaze. And just like his father he was an snob. He was hated by almost everypony in my classes for his behaviour. He treated everypony besides himself as thrash and would always boast with his great and powerful magic. I never really had a problem with him. We weren't friends but we never had any reason to fight. Until the day, a few weaks ago he hurt Vivid Night during the spar. Not only did he hurt her more than necessary, bruises and even small cuts were pretty normal during the spars, no, he even went so far and said that she deserved the wound. The scar would show everypony that she was inferior compared to him. Vivid had laughed that day. She shrugged it off, got a bandage and just stayed the rest of the day. She even trained with the rest of us. Vivid had laughed and smiled all day. All day. Until after the school. It was pretty normal for me to stay longer in school, helping to clean up and waiting till mom and dad would pick me up. After all we work at the same place. That one day I helped the janitor, Pristine, cleaning up the hallway when I heard crying coming out of the ladies' room. I had knocked and walked in, calling out to whoever might be in. And then I saw Vivid, looking at herself in the mirror. She had taken off the bandage and was looking at the crimson wound over her face. That day was the first time she looked at me like she looked at one of her friends. She had turned around. "I'm disgusting." She cried. "I'm weak and disgusting." I was stunned. She always seemed so strong. But not that day. That day was probably the worst day in her live. And I was there to console her. That day was the day I swore to myself I would protect her as long as possible. After that we've become friends, I wouldn't call her my best friend but I respect her. And I know she respects me. ... And yes, I have a crush on her... give me a break! I shake my head to clear my mind. "What do you want Gold?" Vivid's voice was soft, no sign of anger whatsoever. "Not talking to you peasant." He answers, looking at me. "I'm talking to this little pawn." I sigh. He was probably the biggest idiot and asshole on this planet. "So what do you want Gold?" I ask, trying to copy Vivid's soft tone. "I've heard that your little sister moved into the castle. Is it true?" His voice was arrogant and dismissive. "What?" My eyes widen. "No, I don't think so." I answer, disbelief in my voice. "Ähh, Crescent?" Vivid's soft voice in my ears, I turn around. She was now holding todays newpaper in her hooves, pointing at a picture of my sister. "That's your sister isn't it?" I almost ripp the newspaper apart as I pull it out of her hooves. My eyes fly over the article. Canterlot Weekly New filly in the castle! Celestia's long lost daughter!? 22th, June. Today was a filly sent to the castle, Luna in person welcomed her. The filly, between 7 and 10 years old, was identified as Meteor Dust of the Sparkle family. Her parents were right behind her as they brought their daughter into Luna's hooves. The rest of the written text disappears out of my mind. I dropp the newspaper, crumbling it under my hooves and stomping on it. "I can fully understand your reaction." Gold Heart looks down on me. "I bet the only reason why she was brought to Luna is because Luna is into fillies and needed a new-" Red mist overtakes my vision. Gold Heart's jaw suddenly dislocates. Or to be precise. My hoof, dislocates his jaw. After the punch I jump on him, sitting on his chest I throw punch after punch into his face. I hear more bones break, lacerations open up on his cheeks and his muzzle, tooth break and fly out of his mouth. I hear the screams of my comrades, muffled through the mist that clouds my mind. I feel them pull on my hooves and my body, trying to stop me from killing Gold Heart. They waste their time. I won't stop until his blood is spilled. Until his skull is crushed under my hooves. UntIL hIS BrAin IS NoTHing MOre tHAn a BLoodY MusH oN THe GRounD... UNTIL. HE. IS. DEAD! My eyes open after my hoof hits Gold Heart's jaw. He lies on the floor, screaming in pain. His fronthooves holding his jaw, trying to set it back into it's joint. His screams echo over the field and through the hallways. I turn around, and run away, sprinting through the hallways. "Crescent!" I hear Vivid's voice. She is far away.
ExpelledChapter 2 Shining Armor's day wasn't very good. And by the looks of it, it would turn even worse. He has seen his son, sending a punch into the other stallions face. One part of him was proud, the punch was fast and precise, sending the stallion to the ground without giving him a chance to parry or dodge. The other part of him was surprised. He had taught his son never to use violence to solve ones problems. Until today he never did more than skirmish with a classmate. But this... This was mayhem. His trained instincts called out to him, practically screaming at him to search the culprit, to not let him get away. His father instincts told him to give his son a headstart. The guard in him won the battle. Charging his horn with magic he focussed his energy on the pony he was looking for. And with a deep sigh he released the magic, disappearing in a flash. ~~~~~~~~ I've escaped the castle, simply running away from everything. 'It can't be true!' My mind screams as I rush through the streets. 'Meteor wasn't taken away! Mom and dad didn't send her away! She is in school and will come home soon!' The thoughts were desperate. For me there was no other option. It didn't take me long to find back home, rushing at the door I slam the door open and rush in, ignoring the water that dripps down my coat I close the door, locking it. 'Calm. Breath.' Again, the voice of my dad. He taught me how to calm myself when I needed to be calm. He taught me everything. I close my eyes, taking slow and steady breaths, slowly calming my heartbeat. A crack of magic forces me to open my eyes. Right before me is my father. Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard. And he looked sad. "Simply because you're my son." He begins, his expression shows disappointment. "I'll ask you why." His voice misses the warmth I'm used to. "He insulted Meteor and Princess Luna." I quickly explain. "That doesn't give you the right to-" "Is it true?" I interrupt him. His eyes fill with sadness and anger. "So it is true." I fall on my haunches. "Why?" I look up to him. "Why did you send her away?" He takes his helmet off, slowly lowering it on the kitchen table. "You remember the magical surges your sister had a few weeks ago?" I nod, they were pretty bad. "Well it looks like her magical abilities are too strong for her." He walks closer, sitting down next to me. "After that last surge Luna discovered her abilities and to help her, controlling and wielding such strong magic, she took her in. Meteor will learn to control her magic from the most powerful pony." He looks at me. "Her magic is too strong for normal ponies like us. She may become a threat for all the ponies around her if she doesn't learn to control it." "Why didn't you tell me?" I ask him, softly leaning against him. "It would have been much easier to understand and accept this. This way I learned it from the newspaper that my sister is gone." "She isn't gone." He answers. "We still can see her, either at work or afterwards. We are still her family and no one has the right to keep her away from us." I nod but don't answer. "Now..." He sighs. "What did that stallion say that made you furious enough to dislocate his jaw?" Even the thought about his defiling words, makes my anger rise again. "He said...." I take a deep breath to calm myself. "That the only reason Meteor was allowed to move into the castle is that Luna is into fillies and needed a new one." I look at him. "Did he?" Dad raises a brow. "And you crushed his jaw for that?" I flatten my ears. "I know it was-" He pulls me into a rough hug. "Good job." He states. My eyes widen. "Good job?" I try to pull away from his iron grip but he's too strong. "What do you mean? I thought you didn't want me to use violence to solve problems." "True. I don't want you to use violence." He moves away and slaps my muzzle. I groan, the hit wasn't serious but hard enough to send a sting through my nose. I rub my muzzle. Dad pulls me back into the hug. "But you did it to protect your sisters and Princess Luna's name." He backs away, standing up and lifting his helmet of the table. "You know you will get punished for that?" He asks, dead serious. I flinch again and nod. "Good. Now come. We go back to the castle." He lowers the helmet on his head. "Will you teleport us?" I never liked teleportation. It always made me nauseous. "Afraid I have to." His horn lights up and hoofcuffs appear around my hooves. His face showed the stern and trained expression of the captain of the royal guard. The moment the helmet was on his head he turned from dad to captain of the royal guard, Shining Armor. "You know your rights?" He asks. "Normally I'm forced to tell you but I'm sure you're already tired of my lecturing." "Yeah I do." The hoofcuffs are loose, he isn't dead serious with this. But I know he has to do it. "If you're asked, I told you your rights." He winks and smiles at me. I return his smile. "Here we go." He closes his eyes and I see that light around his horn get brighter. I close my eyes. I hear a cracking. I open my eyes. We're back in the castle, the front entrance. "Follow me." He states, pulling softly on the cuffs. I follow him, even though the cuffs make it harder to move. Walking in cuffs through the most part of the castle was exhausting. After another two minutes of walking we're back at the sparring field, looking at my comrades who were training with hoofs or other weapons. Not slowing down he walks right on the field. "Lower your hooves and weapons!" The teacher and lieutenant, Iron Hide, bellows. "Captain attendant!" As told, all of them lower their weapons and turn around to us, raising their hooves to salute. "At ease!" Dad bellows. My comrades lowering their hooves, and starting to whisper as they saw the cuffs around my hooves. "As you all know, less than a hour ago, Crescent Light attacked Gold Heart, I'm looking for a few witnesses of the incident, to tell me what had happened." Almost instantly Vivid Dream's hoof was in the air. "Sir! I was the closest next to Crescent Light and Gold Heart, sir!" "Very good Cadet." Dad answers. "Anypony else?" No answers. "Good. Please follow me." He turns around to the others. "Continue!" He bellows. Vivid looks at me and smiles. I return her smile. We follow the hallways of the castle, the eyes of the guards follow us every step. And then we're there. The throne room. "Dad why are we here?" I ask. He turns around, a stern expression on his face. "What did I teach you?" His voice was cold. "Sorry." I flatten my ears, "Captain Shining Armor, why are we here, sir?" "You attacked the son of a nobleman. This isn't done with a disciplinary enquiry." He turns around. "Princess Luna herself will hold court over this." My eyes widen. The heavy doors open. The moment the doors open the whiny voice of Prince Blueblood could be heard, echoing through the throne room. "He dislocated the jaw of my son! How dares a peasant like him to even touch my son?" "Prince Blueblood." Princess Luna's voice was soft, even though I could hear the faint sound of annoyance in her voice. "I don't know the details right now, that's why we're here. So would you please keep your temper during the disciplinary hearing?" She looks down on him. "I promise you, that if the accusations are right, the perpetrator will be punished." I feel a sting at my hopes, hearing this. "Don't worry." Vivid whispers. I turn around and see a big smile on her face. "It's fine." Hearing her voice, reassures me. It was like I could do everything, bad things and good things, as long as she was there to tell me that it's fine. We walk into the throne room. I see Luna's wary eyes, looking at me. I could even see a small hint of disappointment in her expression. A few meters before the throne we stop, bowing deeply. "My fellow subjects." We look up to her. "Crescent Light." I stand up. "You are accused for mayhem. Your victim Gold Heart, the son of Prince Blueblood and Amethyst Gaze, was send to the hospital with a massive concussion and a dislocated jaw." "Please explain what happened during the first class." I'm nervous. I open my mouth to answer but nothing comes out. "Crescent Light." I look into Luna's eyes. "What happened?" "Calm, my son." Dad whispers. "It's okay." I nod and take a deep breath. "I-I..." I start, stuttering. "Calm yourself. It's okay." Luna looks at me. I nod again. "Well..." My voice didn't waver this time. "I went to school, I had overslept and was late. After I entered the sparring grounds I talked to Vivid Night, we talked about the..." My eyes widen and I look up to Princess Luna. "We talked about my sister moving into the castle." Luna's expression changed instantly, from her disappointed and stern look to a apologetic. "During that time, the bell was rung, telling us that the first class was over. After that, Gold Heart went up to us. Vivid Night asked him what he wanted but he insulted her, telling her that's he wasn't talking to her. He looked at me and asked me if it was true, which at that time I didn't knew that my sister had moved, so I asked him what he meant. After his explanation I got todays newspaper and red the article. I was angry. No one had told me. His reaction was to simply look down on me and, instead of consoling me, he insulted my sister and your highness, Princess Luna." "What!?" Prince Blueblood snapped, looking at me with anger. "Watch your tongue! My son would never besmear the name of our Princess!" "What did he say?" Luna's voice was calm. Blueblood turned around looking up to Luna. "Princess you can't-" "What, did he say?" Luna interrupted him, raising a hoof to silence him. "He said... 'I can fully understand your reaction. I bet the only reason she was brought to Luna is because Luna is into fillies and needed a new...', I didn't let him finish his sentence." I see Luna's eyes widen. "Ridiculous!" Prince Blublood snapped again. "My son would never even think about saying such words! His royal tongue isn't capable to do so." "But he still did!" Vivid interrupted him. "I was right next to them." "Obviously lies." Blueblood walks closer to Vivid. "And the only reason you lie for this... pony... is because my son hurt you during spar and you want a payback!" "That's not true!" Vivid answered, looking up to the Princess. "I swear by my wings Princess. Gold Heart said these foul words." "Again! Nothing but lies!" Blueblood turned around to look up to the Princess. "Princess, these two ponies are obviously united in their attempt to spill royal blood and walk away unpunished. This charade has gone on long enough. And I-" "True, Prince Blueblood." Luna interrupted him, making him turn around, her eyes were burning with anger. "Not only did you try to usurp the throne. No you even corrupted your child with these foul thoughts." Luna raises from her cushion. "Crescent Light." I bow deeply. "Acquittal." She stated simply. "Princess Luna! You can't-" Prince Blublood looks up to her, a shocked expression on his face. "I can't!?" Luna walks down the stairs of the throne. "What can't I? Judge this pony this way? Well Prince Blueblood, I have no reason to disbelief the words of these two ponies." Standing as tall as she was before Blueblood she looks down on him, intimidating. "I have enough of you and your schemes. 17 years ago I overlooked your attempt to usurp, shrugged it off as panic reaction after my sister died. But this. This is something different. And I accept it as what it is. Your son, Gold Heart attempted to defile the name of Meteor Dust and myself. Crescent Light's doings, even if he did them in a fit of rage, were done to protect both. And with that he just proofed his loyalty." Luna looks back at my dad. "Captain? What was the punishment for any attack against the royal sisters, their name or their person?" "Defiling the royal name counts as high treason and will be treated as such. The punishment for this is either imprisonment, banishment or death by hanging." He answers. "Thank you, Captain." She nods at him and looks back down on to Blueblood. "Prince Blueblood, considering that your son was already 'punished' by Crescent Light I will overlook this act of treason. But he is still in need of amendment. Prince Blueblood, your son Gold Heart is expelled from the academy of the royal guard, for the rest of his life." Her eyes wander over to me, sadness reflecting. "Even though you did this to protect my and your sisters honor, you still did something wrong. Crescent Light, for your attack on your former comrade Gold Heart you will be expelled from school for 3 years." She stomps on the marble floor. "Court closed."
Auntie LunaChapter 3 It's like my mind is made of glass, I could hear it shatter. Expelled. I fall to my haunches, looking up to Princess Luna, to auntie Luna, with pleading eyes. She ansers my look with a stern expression. "Captain, please accompany Prince Blueblood and miss..." She looks to Vivid Night, raising a brow. "Cadet Vivid Night, Princess." Vivid answers with a bow. Luna nods. "... and miss Vivid Night on their way out." She turned back around, walking up to her throne. "I want to talk to Crescent in private." "Princess what are y-" Prince Blueblood looks up to Luna. Her eyes silencing him. "Yes your highness." Dad salutes, turning around he looks at Prince Blueblood and Vivid Night. "Would you please follow me?" His voice was soft and almost unemotional. Almost. I could hear the very faint disappointment in the very back of his voice, the part where only the people that share your life, in every moment, are able to understand. It was like he had slapped me in the face. Vivid walks closer, looking at me, wearing a sad expression. She opens her mouth to say something. But I won't let her. "Just go..." I look away, down on my hooves. She closes her mouth, still looking down on me, her expression now hurt. She turns around and walks away, her soft hoofsteps echoing through the hall. 'Don't do that!' I think. 'Don't send her away with such harsh words. It's not her fault!' I shake my head and turn around. "Thanks!" I look at her, searching for a reaction. I get one. She turns around.. And smiles. The heavy door closes with a loud boom, locking her smile out. I turn around to look at Princess Luna. Her stern expression was gone. Sadness was now in it's place. With a sigh she looks down at her secretary, a strange pink coated mare with even darker pink mane and tail. "Dream Dancer. Please leave us alone." "Yes Princess." Dream Dancer nods, gets up and walks out through a passage behind the throne. We were alone. My ears perk. We were alone, no guards, no servants. Nothing. Just me and Luna. A blue magic surrounds me, I gasp and look at Luna as she levitates me up to the throne. Putting me down right next to her, I'm now sitting together with her on the throne, her soft flanks against mine. Not the first time. Luna looks at me, disappointed and sad. "I'm sorry." She suddenly says. Her voice was soft and warm. "It's fine... I guess." I answer. "Dad explained it to me. You're just helping her." I see Luna's confused expression. "Is that so?" She asks. "What did Shining Armor tell you?" "That you're helping her to control her magic surges so she won't hurt herself or the ponies around her." Something flashes through her eyes, so fast I'm not even sure I saw something. "Well then." She looks away. "Then I won't have to explain it to you." Her voice got quieter. Suddenly she smiles. "So you're into Vivid Night?" She looks at me slyly. I blush, a deep crimson all over my face. Luna laughs and opening her wing she pulls me into a soft embrace. "Am I that easy to read?" I ask weakly. "No, you're pretty good in hiding your feelings." She answers. "But I'm the Princess of the night." Her smile grows even wider, she was now grinning from ear to ear. "Dreams and stuff." She winks. "I can see them." I hide my face behind my hooves, my coat was no longer white, it now was a deep crimson. 'By Celestia, please, somepony, anypony, just kill me.' I can hear even more chuckles from Luna. "Don't worry. Nothing to be ashamed of." She nudges me. "Siren, your mother, had once a far..." She tips her chin. "I don't want to call it weird but... it was, by far weirder." "It was?" I ask, my ears were still burning with awkwardness. "What was it about?" She looks down on me. And laughs. "You know you, kinda asked me about your mothers "dreams" right now, do you?" I facehoof, again. I sigh, trying to stiffle the shame that creeps up my spine. "Okay... you can kill me now." I answer. Luna laughs, covering her mouth with a hoof. "You're so cute when you're shy." She teases. "I'm not shy!" I answer, looking away. "This is just awkward." Luna answers with another giggle. I take a deep breath and try to ignore her giggles. After a few moments she stopped and we just sit there, leaning against each other, her wing around me. "Aunt Luna?" I ask. "Hm?" She looks at me. "Why did you expel me too?" I ask, glad that my coat returned to it's former colour. I hear her sigh. "You attacked a comrade." She looks at me, faint disappointment in her face. "I know why you did it and I'm happy to know that you tried to protect mine and your sisters honor but still, rules are rules. You hurt a pony, and for that you needed to be punished." I nod. "Is there a way for me to revoke the expel?" I ask hopefully. She shakes her head. "No. There is no way. Sure I could just give you a letter which says that you are no longer expelled but-" She looks at me. "That wouldn't be fair. And besides that it would look like I favor you, which would make me look bad." "I understand, it's just..." "I might have an idea." Luna suddenly says, interrupting me. "How about you work here? As volunteer." "In the castle?" I raise a brow. "Yes, as servant." She sticks her tongue out. "I could even allow you to work in the royal bathhouse if you want." I blush again. "Stop teasing me auntie!" She giggles. "Okay, okay." Her smile fades. "Joke aside. You really could work here as volunteer. Atleast in the kitchen or maybe with the janitors. After one year I could revoke the expel and say you're on probation. This would atleast give you the chance to keep on working in the castle." I tip my chin, thinking. 'That's not such a bad idea but...' "And you would be able to see Vivid frequently." Luna adds with a smirk. "I'm in." I suddenly state. Silence. Luna bursts into laughter, almost falling of the throne. I facehoof.
Here comes Meteor!Chapter 4 It was somehow calming. To just sit there, embraced by auntie Luna's wing. Auntie Luna always managed to calm me, to show me that the world was still moving on. Whatever it was, she was there. Her massive down protecting me from the pain that lurked in this world. 'Maybe...' My thoughts travel around her offer. 'Maybe I can...' "Aunt Luna?" I ask quietly. "Hm?" She looks at me. "I thought about your offer, about the whole 'Volunteer working'." She nods. "Is it possible for me to work as Meteor's personal servant?" Luna raises a brow. "You want to be... the servant of your little sister?" She sounded almost shocked. "Well, sure it's possible. But, if you allow to ask, why?" "After hearing Gold Heart and Prince Blueblood, I kinda fear that she might be in danger." I answer, looking into her asking eyes. "I just want to be there, to help her." She smiles. "That's very cute of you." She pulls me closer. "But that's not necessary. Your sister is always guarded, either by me or some other guards." "Is there still a way for me?" I ask quietly. She looks at me. "Why is it that important for you?" She asks, raising a brow again. I shrug, looking up into her eyes. "I just want to be there for her." I answer, resting my head against her neck. "I always protected her. I just want her to have some normalcy." Luna whispers something, far too quiet for me to understand, even though I'm so close to her. "What did you say?" "Nothing." She shakes her head. The throne room door opens with a crunching sound. Stone on stone. In a mere second Luna and I are seperated and sit before the stairs, the sudden cold marble under my flanks makes me shudder. The door opens completly and reveals... A cute white filly. "Meteor?" I asked, looking at her. The filly perks her ears, looking all the way down to the throne she smiles and runs towards me. "Light!" She squeals and jumps into my forelegs, embracing me. "Hey there." I whisper, returning the hug. "What's up Sunny?" A spark runs through her eyes, she suddenly rushes up and bites into my ear. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" I scream, lowering her to the floor. "Ahh stop it!" I exclaim. "I told you not to call me that!" She answers angrily, her squeaky voice muffled by my ear in her mouth. "Sorry! Sorry!" I exclaim, trying to free my ear. "Won't happen again!" "You always say that! And then you do it again!" She spits my ear out. "I don't even know why you call me that anway..." I flap my ear, trying to sooth the pain. "Owww." I exclaim, rubbing the ear. "Told you, I do it because of your cutie mark and your happy personality! It's a compliment!" Luna's giggle interrupts our fight. Only to be choked a mere second later. "Auntie Luna!" Meteor squeals and with a big smile she jumps up, hanging herself around Luna's neck. "Hey there sweetie." Luna raises her frontlegs to return the hug. "How was the lesson?" My ears perk, I don't want to miss a word. "Boooring!" Meteor exclaims. "That goofy old pony only told about the differences between magic. Or something like that." "Goofy? Something like that?" Luna giggles. "You will never learn won't you?" "Nah!" Meteor answers. "Learning is booring! I wanna go out and play with my friends!" Luna's expression turns sad. "Meteor, let go of me." She states softly, lowering her head until Meteor's hooves reach the floor. "Why? Did I do something wrong?" Meteor's expression was apologetic, releasing Luna's neck. "I'm sorry auntie." "No you did nothing wrong." Luna shakes her head. "I just..." She takes a deep breath. "You won't be able to see your friends again." Meteor's eyes widen. "Why not?" She asks. "You said I didn't do anything wrong." She sniffs. "Why can't I see my friends." Luna shakes her head again, heartbroken to see the little filly like that, even though Meteor was still pretty calm. "No, no. You did nothing wrong." Luna answers again, lowering herself to the floor. "It's just that you now live in the castle. Ponies who doesn't work here are not allowed to come in, or if they come in then only for a few hours and only to a specific time. During court." Tears were welling up in Meteor's eyes, I walk closer, slowly embracing my sister. "I don't like this." She whinces. "That's not funny." She looks up to me and her eyes widen again. "So I can't see mom and dad and Light and auntie Twilight again!?" She was sobbing, more tears treaming down her face. "No! No!" Luna looks apologetic. "No, don't worry. You can always see them. It's just that... that..." Luna is at a loss of words. "I will work here." I help Luna, Meteor looking up to me. "And mom and dad work here too. So we will always be able to see you, whenever you want." I nuzzle her softly. "Everything is fine." I calm her. "But... why can't my friends..." She sobs. "Why can't they..." "Shhhh." I whisper, embracing her again. "I'm sure we will find a way." I look at Luna with a stern look. Luna sighs. "Yeah. We will. We have to." Meteor was still sobbing. "Hey there.. Sunny." I nudge her, earning myself a angry look, I smile. "Come on. It's fine. The Princess said that she will find a way. Come, smile." One last sob later, she raises her hooves to wipe the tears of her cheeks. And smiles. "That's how I want to see you." I nuzzle her again. "My little sun." She smiles, nuzzling me back. "Well, I don't know about you..." Luna suddenly begins, looking at us. "But I'm hungry. You want to stay for dinner?" "I am!" Meteor squeals again. "I have to ask first. Don't want to make mom and dad wait for me." I answer. "That won't be necessary." Luna smiles. "Siren and Shining are already invited, and they know that I will invite you too. So they will know where you are." She sticks her tongue out again. "And after all, I'm the Princess of Equestria. I could even order you to eat dinner with me." I laugh. "Oh and I will invite Vivid Night too." Luna suddenly states. I blush. "Auntie Luna?" "Hm?" "Why do you hate me?" Luna's laughter echoes through the room. Meteor looks at us with a confused expression.
In the darknessChapter 5 Luna didn't joke when she said she could invite Vivid Night. I facehoof mentally. We're standing in the private dining room of Princess Luna. A elegant room with expensive interior. Chairs, tables and cupboards made of heavy cherrywood. Luna had left right after taking us here, saying she would go talk to the chef so they would send the food into the dining room instead of Luna's study. This was almost 20 minutes ago. "What takes them so loooong?" Meteor whined, resting her head on the table. "I'm sooooo hungry!" Vivid giggled. "I don't know." She looked at me, a weak smile on her face. "Maybe they can't make Crescent's food and that's why they take so long." I shake my head. "Don't joke around about that." My stomach grumbles. "The first time I ate here, I asked them to serve me 'Outlands'. Which they couldn't." Vivid raises a brow, a quizzical expression on her face. "Outlands are a special fungi which grows in the southern badlands and eastern swamps." I explain. "They are a speciality and very rare." "How do you know them?" Vivid asks. I tap my chin. "About... four years ago I think, mom, dad, aunt Twilight and me, we were on vacation. And mom had told us about all the super special food that was at the borders. Apparently she was there years ago during a journey. Well, long story short, she told us about it and it's really good, even though it's really expensive." "Really expensive?" Vivid raises a brow. "I think we payed like 50 bits per dish." "50 bits!?" She gasps. "That's outrageous!" "It is, but the dishes are gigantic and the drinks are free." I answer. "And why couldn't they serve it here?" I shrug. "Didn't get a explanation. They just said 'sorry we can't' and that was that." "Interesting." "What about you?" I ask Vivid. "Hmm?" "You want... what was it? Drakri?" I raise a brow. "What is that?" "Oh." She smiles. "It's a fruitsalad. Originally made with dragon fruit, kiwi, oranges, several other fruits and... well, not so appetizing ingredients." "What do you mean? "Well Drakri is mostly known by bat ponies. And that has a reason." "What's the reason?" Vivid eyes wander down to Meteor, who had still her head resting on the table, slowly walking around the table she sits down next to me, inching even closer to whisper into my ear. "Drakri is a omnivorous dish." Her soft voice on my ear, I shudder. "Blood is by far the most normal ingredient." She retreats. "Drakri also exists in not bat-pony restaurants but there it's mostly vegetarian. Which I hope they serve here." "So bat ponies are..." I look at Meteor. "Omnivores?" She nods. "The legends of "Vampire ponies" and all that junk, they really happened. But they weren't some cursed entities who lost their souls in a trade with some demons, or got bitten by a vampire bat. They were just bat ponies who... preferred the taste of blood and flesh over fruits and grass." "Sorry, no offense but... gross." I answer. To my surprise Vivid smiles. "You are a earth pony. Of ourse it's hard for you to understand. But don't worry. There are very, very few bat ponies who actually follow the old ways of our omnivore ancestors. Nowadays almost all eat fruits and grass." A question starts to rise in my mind, a question I shouldn't ask but it burns in me. "Have you ever... you know... followed the old way?" She looks at me, a hard glare in her eyes. She looks like I insulted her. 'Which you did, you idiot!' I facehoof mentally. 'Good job, Crescent. Ruin your friendship with the most beautiful pony by being a total douche. 10/10.' "Why do you want to know?" She asks, still the hard glare in her eyes. "Just interested I think." I lie. She continous to look at me with those eyes, but only for a moment. After a minute she sighs. "Yeah I did." She states. 'Now I'm curious.' I slap myself mentally. 'Don't ask her about details! You idiot.' "Sorry I asked." I slowly say, looking into her eyes. "Shouldn't have done that. I guess I was just curious." "It's fine." She answers. "I just-" "Oh I'm sooo hungry!" Meteor looks up to us. "Why do they take so long?" She whines. The door opens with a loud crack. We gasp, Meteor escapes a shriek. On the floor between the wings of the door was a pony. A solar guard. "Crescent?" Meteor whimpers. "Quiet." I hush my sister, walking closer to the guard. While getting closer I notice the big red gashes over his body, most of them around his neck. They look like clawmarks. I walk even closer, looking down at the guard. I raise a hoof and lower it on his neck, searching for a pulse. There was none. He was dead. "Crescent?" Vivid asks from behind me, my sister in a bear hug. I turn around and shake my head. "Nothing." I answer. I turn back around and look out, searching for whatever might have killed the guard. "Give her back." Something whispers. "Cres-" I raise a hoof to hush Vivid. "I hear something." "Give her back to me." Again this whisper. I take a step outside the door, looking through the hallway, noticing that all the torches are off. "Give her back to me." The whisper got closer. "Give her back to me." I can hear soft steps. Too soft to be from hooves. "Give her back to me." Something moves in the dark. It comes closer. And closer. And closer. "GIVE HER BACK!!!" The creatures cries and leaps out of the darkness at me. "Gah!" I fall back on my haunches, shielding my head with my hooves. "No!" A voice screams. A voice I know. The voice just sounded like... "Mom?" I lower my hooves. The monster was gone. "Mom?" I shout in the darkness.
Tell me it's a bad dreamChapter 6 The darkness around was calming, the soft whispering of the souls around Wra'kyr was mesmerising, soothing. Sitting on a part of the machine, looking down on the paths Wra'kyr feels something odd coming from the machine, a soft vibration rushs through it, the paths of the souls wavering. Something was wrong. This reaction, it only happens when something stops going according to plan. Teleporting down, Wra'kyr looks at the machine, seeing the soft red light on the front of the machine. Wra'kyr's eyes widen. Turning around she opens a veil through the ether, looking at the most important part of her plan. Crescent was still alive, as well as his sister Meteor. Changing the vision she searches for Shining Armor, seeing him back home, looking sad at a doll of his daughter. Another change. Wra'kyr's eyes widen again. Siren was gone. "No." Wra'kyr whispers, looking at the dark creature before her, trying to jump through the veil to help her. A crack of black lightning sends her flying. Catching herself midair, Wra'kyr lands softly on the path of light, careful not to disturb the way of the souls. "What happened Siren? Everything went according to plan. You should be happy, you should smile and laugh." She walks back to the veil, looking through the rift once again. Another vibration, this time stronger, echoes through the machine and the darkness around it. "No. No. No-no-no. No!" Wra'kyr turns around, rushing to the machine. "It can't be. Celestia died but she shouldn't be able to-" Another tremor, interrupts her. A blue light appears next to the red. "No!" Wra'kyr opens another veil, another path to find a way and help Siren. She tries to jump through but yet again, the black lightning sends her flying again, this time unable to catch herself midair she hits the machine. A groan escapes Wra'kry's throat as she looks through the two rifts. One showing her the darkness that holds Siren, the other showing her the darkness that holds the whole palace. "This is not according to plan." She murmurs. Another heavy tremor rushes through the machine. ~~~~~~~~ I still sit in the hallway, searching through the darkness, looking for the owner of this very familiar voice. "Mom?" My voice echoes through the darkness. "Crescent?" I turn around and see Vivid sitting next my sister, holding her in a tight embrace. "What is it?" I look back into the room, seeing the fear filled eyes of my sister. "It's dark." I simply answer with a soft voice. "I think we should go now and search for help." I look down at the guard, looking at the clawmarks. "It's not safe her with the broken door." "But isn't it even more dangerous outside?" Meteor's eyes widen. "We can hide. Somepony will find and safe us. Mommy and daddy will come to safe us." Her voice was shrill, fear reflecting in her big eyes. I walk back in and pull both mares in a soft embrace. "It's okay." I whisper. "I will protect you. Mom and dad are probably with Auntie Luna right now. So if we go and find Luna, we find mom and dad." I keep my voice as soft as possible, no use to scare her more. "Everything is going to be fine. I promise." I look in Meteor's eyes. She nods. I smile and pull my little sister up on my back. "Meteor." I turn to look at her. "Promise me one thing." She looks at me with her big eyes, her ears erect and turn towards me. "Whatever happens, don't let go." "Why a-" "Promise me!" I look at her with a stern expression. She flattens her ears and flinches, looking at me with fear and sadness. "I promise." She whispers. Her grab around my neck tightens. I nuzzle her. 'Good girl.' I think. I turn back around and see that Vivid is already at the guard, looking at his wounds. "Meteor. Close your eyes please. I'll tell you when you can open them again." I feel her soft nod as she buries her face in my coat. Walking closer to the guard I look at Vivid, looking at the wounds with a trained eye. She looks up, but not at me, at Meteor. "Most of them are not that deep." She states softly. "The two around his neck are what..." I nod at her. "Looking at them, they remind me of Timberwolf marks." "Timberwolves in Canterlot Castle?" I raise a brow. She nods. "At least it looks li-" A bright light cuts her off midsentence. I jump back, ready to defend my sister. The light disappears. Princess Luna was standing before us, a deep wound on her shoulder, blood was drenching her coat. Her breathing was heavy, her eyes widend. She looks at us, her expression filled with fear. She looked like she saw a ghost. She turns around to look at the door, the dead guard, the darkness in the hallway. She doesn't even flinch at the look of the dead guard. "We have to go." She states coldly. "We are not safe here." "Princess, what is-" "Hush." A voice whispers. I turn around. The voice belongs to my sister. "I hear the echo. The echo of an old friend." Meteor's eyes are open and completly white, her iris completly gone. "An echo... an echo." Her voice gets quieter and quieter. "Give her back to me." Again this whisper. "It's here." Luna whispers, backing off from the door. "What is it?" Vivid asks quietly. "You heard Meteor." Luna turns to the mare, a sad expression on her face. "An echo." "You took her away from me." The voice whispers. This time though it sounds more like a ghost. Hollow, cold, lonely. "I'll port us away." Luna looks at us, her horn already ignited. I feel the pull of her magic just as the shape of a creature enters the doorframe. "You won't get away." The creature pounces at us. But we're already gone. I open my eyes to find Vivid, Meteor, Luna and myself in the throne room. I hear Vivid gasp. I flinch away as my eyes widen. The whole room was filled with blood and dead bodies. I even step on a broken spear lying at my hooves. But with all this, the grisly scene before us, the smell of blood, this nauseous smell of blood. The biggest problem was- The creature was already here, Luna lying right before it, a new wound on her head. "She's mine." The creature hisses as it takes a step closer to me. I take a step back. "You took her away. You stole her." Now that the creature get's closer I can feel the miasma that surrounds it, a dark aura of despair and loneliness. "SHE. IS. MINE." It screeches, pouncing at us. My sister screams in pain as the creature sends us both flying, the body of the filly hitting the marble floor, landing right next to me. The painful yelp of my sister in my ear. It was a sound I never wanted to hear. It was like a dream. A nightmare. I promised to protect her. I failed. I feel something cold under my right leg. "SHE. BELONGS. TO. ME!" The creature steps on my chest, pinning me to the floor with it's left leg. I can feel the sharp claws on my skin. Leaning closer the creature opens it's maw, revealing long black teeth dripping with the same black ooze. Time seems to slow down. I see the creature opening it's maw even wider, ready to sink them into my neck, I can smell the stench of blood coming from the depths of it's throat. I can hear it's heavy breathing. I hear Vivid scream something. I hear Meteor's soft sobs. In the edge of my eyes I see Luna looking at me. My hoof get's a good grip around the cold feeling under my leg. And time moves on. In a rush I grab the broken spear, it's tip in my hoof I ram the blade deep into the open maw of the creature, silencing it immediately. A yelp escapes my throat as I hurt myself on it's sharp teeth, cutting deep into the flesh of my leg. Silence. I look at the creature, standing over me, the broken spear poking out of the back of it's neck, red blood dripping down it's tip. I see more blood streaming down my own leg. A screech escapes the creature, but not from it's throat. The scream escapes it's skin, it's eyes, it's whole body. White cracks start to form on the skin, a blinding light escaping the cracks. A ghostly figure appears behind it. A bipedal creature, completly white, looking down on the monster with a sorrowful expression. And with the sound of shattering glass the dark skin of the monster bursts away. My eyes widen. I hear Luna, Vivid and Meteor whisper something, but I can't hear them. My eyes, my ears, my whole body is focussed on the creature before me. It's a mare. Her faint rose coloured body stained with blood. Her light green mane had a dark green skank running through it. The wings on her back were to big for a pony that small, they looked more like the wings of a alicorn. I know this mare. I know her better than anypony else. Meteor's whispers finally reach my ears again. "Mommy?" Her voice was timid, heartbroken, weak. "Mommy?" I can hear the tears, that stream down her face, in her voice. "MOMMY!" She screams. Siren's body drops to the floor as I lose my grip around the spear. Tears start to stream down my face as Luna rushes over to pull me and meteor into a hug, turning us away from the grisly scene. Somewhere in the back of my mind I hear the sound of shattering glass. "Oh poor baby. What have you done?" A voice purrs. "You killed your own mother." The voice laughs. "Simply lovely." A scream escapes my mouth as darkness overtakes me. "Tell me this is a dream!" I scream into the darkness. "Tell me it's just a nightmare!" "I wish I could, Child. I wish I could." The darkness answers.
You are not allowed to...Chapter 7 I open my eyes. I'm back in my room. But the room is dark. Darker then it ever was before, even at night. "You killed her." Something whispers in the back of my head. "You killed your mother." The world feels wrong, like something was watching me. I close my eyes to stiffle the tears. A new feeling appears around my neck. The feeling of hooves, tightening their grip to strangle me. I open my eyes and the tears I tried to stiffle run down my cheeks. I look up and see my father, his hooves around my neck, pressing down. "You killed her..." He sobs. "You killed my wife, your mother. You killed your family." His grip tightens even more. I can heardly breath. But I still can. I raise my hooves to his hooves and look into his watery eyes. "Do it." I whisper. "Do it so I can follow her and beg for forgiveness for all eternity." His grip tightens even more. More tears escape his eyes. "You won't follow her. You will go straight to tartarus and burn for what you've done. And when my time comes I will follow you to haunt you. I will haunt you. You will never feel peace again." "You will only feel endless sorrow." My lungs burn, trying in vain to get air into them. My heart pounds faster then ever before. My mind screams at me to throw him off, to fill my lungs with air. To survive. I won't listen. I smile as the grip around my throat tightens one last time. I can hear a soft crunching as my larynge breaks. And with that my life ends. And with that I die. And with that... I wake up, tears fill my eyes instantly. And the very first feeling I have is pain. Massive, indescribable pain echoing through my chest and my right shoulder. The first comes from my heart, a massive pain of loss. Pain of remorse, pain of guilt. And the second... I try to move my right front leg to see where the pain comes from. My eyes widen. My vision is blurry from the tears that fill them. But even with such a blurry vision I notice the difference. My right leg was missing. I scream. Darkness takes over. I wake up once again. And once again my eyes fill with tears. And once again I feel pain. "Crescent." A soft voice whispers. I turn my head. Auntie Luna was sitting right next to me. Wearing a sad expression. "Auntie...." I whisper as more tears escape my eyes, running down my cheeks. "It's a dream." I whisper with a pleading tone. "It has to be a dream." Luna looks down on me with her sad eyes. I notice that her eyes are red and puffy, her cheeks moist. I see the tears that well up in them. "No." I growl. "No!" I raise my leg to my eyes, covering them. I feel the tears soaking my coat. "NO!" I scream, trying to end the heartache. "Crescent." Luna whispers again, her soft hoof on my leg. "Look at me." I shake my head, my body. "It can't be." I cry. "It can't be." The tears won't stop. I hear Luna's soft voice as she whispers calming things. I wake up once more. Looking up to the white ceiling. This time there are no tears. I feel something on my leg and look down. Meteor was lying in my bed, right next to me, sleeping quietly. I can see the moist fur of her cheeks. I can hear her soft mutters. Her sobs. "Crecent." I turn my head and see Luna sitting next to us. "Hi." She whispers softly. I just nod, not trusting my voice. "How do you feel?" She asks quietly. I think about her question and a way to answer it. I could shout at her, for asking such a stupid thing. I could slap her across the face. I could thank her for her anxiety. I could thank her being here right now. "I..." I stutter. "I-i think..." I look into her worried eyes. These honest eyes of the pony that always helped me. The pony who teases me more than any of my friends. The pony I love. The aunt I love. "I think..." I close my mouth again and look at my little sister, cuddled up to me, I hear her soft breaths. "Pretty miserable." I answer. Luna nods but doesn't say anything. "How long have I been asleep?" I ask quietly, freeing my leg from Meteor's weight to rub my eyes. "Over 40 hours." Luna answers. "Well... If you don't count the times where you woke up to just scream and fall back into unconsciousness. "And if you count them?" I ask, cuddling closer to Meteor. Her soft breaths on my chest. Luna sighs. "5 hours." She answers. "Where's dad?" I keep my voice low and soft, Meteor deserves to sleep. "He's gone." Luna answers. My eyes widen as raise my head to look at her. "He's alive." She raises a hoof to calm me, speaking softly. "But after he heard... it... he teleported away. I don't know where to." I nod and lay my head back down on the pillow, looking down at the sleeping form of my sister. I stroke her mane. "What happened to my leg?" I ask emotionless. Luna doesn't answer. I look back up to her and see her worried and sorrowful expression. "Tell me." I whisper, looking at her menacingly. A tear rolls down her cheek. "During your battle you pierced your leg with one of her teeth. The ooze she was covered with was contagious. At first they removed the already infected part. After a few hours they checked the wound and noticed that more infected tissue had appeared so they amputated your lower leg." She sobs. "They checked again and..." Another sob. "To be safe they took of your complete leg." "When was the last time they checked?" I ask. "2 hours ago. They are sure that the infection is gone now." Her voice was quivering. "Crescent." She looks at me with a sorrowful expression. "There is something I have to tell you." I perk my ears. "You..." She takes a deep breath. "You are not allowed to mourn her dead." She states almost coldly. "What!?" I ask quietly. "Why?" Luna shakes her head. "I can't tell you. All you need to know is that you can't grieve." "Is this some kind of perverted punishment?" I raise my voice. Right now I don' care that my little sister is right next to me. She shakes her head again. "No it's no punishment." "Then why can't I mourn?" "You just can't." She answers. "None of us can." "Why?" I shout, my sister escapes a whimper. "You just can't!" She shouts back at me, waking my sister. "We all want to grieve! But we can't! None of us can." More tears stream down her face. "None of us can." Her head hanging low, she cries. I feel Meteor tembling, I hear her sobs. "Mommy..." She whispers, I feel her tears soaking my coat. I embrace her softly with my remaining leg. "Sorry for waking you Sunny." I whisper. "Go back to sleep." Meteor sobs. "Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head..." I whisper the lullaby that mom sang to me when I was small. Meteor's soft whimpers in my ears as I whisper the lullaby.
