Prolog- Birth, under Luna's point of view
LUNA
The leaves rustled in the canopy above me as I walked through the Everfree forest. There were leaves all over the ground, piled high in some places, peppering the ground in others. I walked calmly, as if I had all the time in the world. I guess I did. I started to get thirsty, and as I did I came upon a conveniently placed river. I trotted up to it, but as I leaned down to drink, I gasped in horror.
The reflection was my own, yet not my own.
The reflection was that of Nightmare Moon.
I tossed my head back in terror. The Nightmare was gone! It had to be! Scary thoughts raced through my head. Nightmare Moon had died years ago, yet here I was, with her appearance!
But even with my befuddled mind I heard the crackle of leaves being stepped on behind me. This heightened sense of hearing, and of night vision, were the only things I missed about being Nightmare Moon.
The only thing.
I turned around, still shaken, and looked at the creature stalking me. It was a large manticore, with a scar down the side of his face. He was scary, but oddly familiar.
“So you’ve finally returned to pay your debt, Dark One?” he chuckled softly. But his face turned from slight amusement to sudden rage.
“Over 100 moons you’ve owed me this debt! Pay your due, or I will come after you!” he roared. “You have until the leaf fall season to repay me!”
Finally, his rage seemed too large to handle. He leapt for my throat, with a final roar of rage.
I woke up from the dream. Usually, I can control my dreams with relative ease, but not this one. I’d been having it for the last 2 moons, ever since the last Summer Sun Celebration. I hadn’t told my sister yet, but I felt that she could help me. But I was also scared. What if she thought Nightmare Moon was coming back? She would banish me out of concern for our subjects. But finally the fear of banishment was less so than the fear of the Nightmare. I decided to tell her.
I trotted out of the bedroom, and headed to the plaza veranda. It was the place where we raised the sun in the morning and the moon at night, unless we had some sort of celebration. Judging by the long shadows in the hallways of the castle, it was almost time for me to raise the moon. I knew my sister would be on the veranda by now, waiting for me to get there.
I reached the hallway where the exit to the veranda was. I took a deep breath, and headed out. Tia caught my eye as I walked out. I usually teleported here, out of respect for the dramatic. I had only walked because I was procrastinating the inevitable.
Under her breath, she asked me “Luna, are you alright? You walked here instead of teleporting. Is something wrong?”
Murmurs of unease spread though the citizens gathered throughout the plaza. They knew my routine too.
“I’ll tell you later,” I replied. “right now, our little ponies are worried, and the moon needs to be raised.”
I lifted my horn and let my magic spill out. The sensation of using magic was not unlike peeing after you’ve been holding it in for a while. I don’t know how to describe it better than that.
A dark purple glow engulfed the hidden moon, as I raised it with my magic. The moon would continue to move on its own, I was just the catalyst to get it started on its journey across the sky.
The citizens, pleased with this show, started heading home. As they did, I headed deeper into the castle with my sister.
When we finally reached Celestia’s room, my sister plopped down on a beanbag and looked at me expectantly. There I poured my story out to her, her face growing miffed when I mentioned the manticore. I reached the end of my story, and Tia looked at me with fear in her eyes.
Here it comes, I thought. Banishment for the better of our citizens.
I closed my eyes and expected the worst, but nothing came.
“Luna,” Celestia said with a tone of calm panic in her voice, “I have to show you something that may be in regards to your dream.”
She used her magic and pulled a scroll off one of the shelves that filled the walls of her room, and passed it to me. I unfurled it and skimmed though the contents… Everfree… manticore attacks…
My jaw dropped open as I read the letter. It talked about manticores straying out of the forest and attacking property, pets, and ponies. The report mentioned a local animal expert (probably Fluttershy) had tried to reason with them. It said that reasoning hadn’t worked, that they only wanted one thing.
Payment.
I looked at my sister as I saw that word. I knew, and she knew, that I would have to venture into the Everfree to set things right.
But at what cost?
A cost I was willing to pay, apparently. As soon as possible, I headed towards the Everfree forest on my own wings. I wanted to go alone. The less scared ponies, the better.
I reached the forest with a grim face. I had no idea what was ahead of me, and had come mostly unprepared. But I had my magic, and my wits.
It would have to do for now.
I flew over the tops of the trees, scanning for life of the semi-feline type. I thought I saw a flash of tan, but it was soon gone among the bushes.
I felt myself beginning to tire. I knew it was a long flight to the Everfree from Canterlot, but I did it anyway, within the span of half the night. I was exhausted, and thirsty. I spotted a small stream, and dived for it, hoping that the result would be nothing like the reoccurring nightmare.
I hit the ground somewhat gracefully, but not as much as I usually would, being less tired. I was only a few feet away from the stream, and I walked towards it with as much courage as I could muster. I could already see it in my mind, looking down and seeing the condition I now feared more than death.
Fortunately, though, when I leaned in for a drink my reflection remained that which I had since birth. I breathed a sigh of relief, and started to drink.
ROOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRrR!
I lifted my head, no longer relieved. The manticore was right behind me, and I was in grave danger.
Unless I shot first.
I dodged to the left and fired. The manticore that was attacking me was able to avoid it, but the spell hit a passing rabbit. Had I looked closer, I would have realized that it was Fluttershy’s pet Angel. But I didn’t, and I wouldn’t until later. I fired again, and this time hit the beast strait on.
The creature, stunned, would only look at me with big, amber eyes, and rage on its face. I don’t know how, but I believe it recognized me. All I recognized on him was the scar down the left side of his face.
A sudden desire overtook me. I knew exactly what to give him, to make the attacks stop. A spell flooded my mind, one that would never come to me again.
I pulled all the magic I had on me into my horn. It was advanced magic, and the slightest mix up could end up in death. But I did it anyway, and with a final push, I created something.
But creation wouldn’t be enough. With a bit more magic, I did a variance of the want-it-need-it spell and one of Cadence’s love spells, and warped it so that it would only affect felines. It was a spell that would ensure the payment was enough, that the debt would be paid in full. It was a spell of parental love, love that would ensure the creation’s life be set.
I had two more spells to cast, but I could already feel the strain from using too much magic. I was starting to get a headache, and for any magical creature, that was not a good thing.
I teleported the manticore and the thing I created to about a mile away, just to be safe. I felt myself starting to weaken, and I knew I was about to pass out from the magical and physical strain.
One more spell, Luna. I could do this.
I casted a shield spell that would hide myself from anything that wasn’t a pony. Then, when I was safe, I proceeded to unconsciousness.
I was told later that Fluttershy had found me under the direction of Angel, trying to tattle on me for shooting him. She eventually was able to alert the Guard, and I was brought back to Canterlot unconscious. Celestia set the moon that morning.
And I tried my best to forget that night.
